Why I’m at odds with myself sometimes
I learned in school about the philosophy of the categorical imperative:
“Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law.” – E.Kant
https://www.britannica.com/topic/categorical-imperative
Since back then I can’t get that out of my mind, but I have some internal conflict about my behavior. So I started to investigate them and especially the facts. But first my behavior and thoughts:
Ecologically travel and riding motorcycle
- I don’t own a car, so for me driving motorcycle means driving the routes I already need to.
- Only on rare occasions I drive for fun. When I do, I always think about the raw material like the gas I take from this earth.
- I think the best way to travel is via public transport. But when I can I tend to use my motorcycle. And tell myself, it needs less fossil fuel then a car. And even think cause it has only two wheel which rub against the asphalt, its better for the environment.
Ecologically eating and buying groceries
4. Also I wear leather to ride my motorcycle, cause I like the style and find it safer. But then I eat vegan as much as I can, cause I think its more sustainable. Wearing leather and eating vegan doesn’t make sense, I know.
5. Every time I go grocery shopping, I have an internal monologue. Is it really necessary to buy something not vegan even when I crave it? Can I justify buying something with palm oil?
Here is the best song for the feeling from my favorite artist:
Fact Check
But let’s look at some data to get the cognitive dissonance out of my mind. Where does the global carbon emission come from?
This article is from 2015, but in a publication from 2023 I found this:
“The richest 1 per cent of the world’s population produced as much carbon pollution in 2019 as the five billion people who made up the poorest two-thirds of humanity…“
https://www.oxfam.org.uk/mc/qer7km/
So that hasn’t changed much.
Let’s take a look where the emission comes from with data from 2020:
So in this graph there’s is no dominate sector. So I searched for more data.
And I found a more detailed graph, which said the following.
In it there’s the prominent sector called Energy (Electricity, Heat, Transport) with 73,2% which has different sub-sectors.
One of them is the Energy use in Industry with 24,2% plus Industry (Chemicals + Cement) with 5,2%. So 29,4% in total.
In both of the graphs this is the biggest sector.There is also the sector of Energy for Transportation emitted only 16,2 % carbon with 11,9% for road transport.
The detailed graph also from 2020:
https://ourworldindata.org/ghg-emissions-by-sector
To get world data for something like that is a difficult science and I guess sometimes the sources vary.
In the Agriculture sector about 6% are from live stock and manure.
And another source said:
“Almost four million people would have to go vegan to offset the emissions of each of the billionaires.”
https://www.oxfam.de/system/files/documents/bn-carbon-billlionaires-071122-en_embargoed.pdf
So what difference do I make?
Every decision counts.
- But with my diet I only make a change in a sector with under 6% of the total carbon emission. So maybe I shouldn’t always worry when buying groceries.
- Better is to change and think about the way we travel. From the daily commute to work to the next holiday. How can I make a change there?
- The biggest sector is the global Industry.
So when you want to buy other things than groceries maybe get some information about the sustainability of the company/product?
What does your company do to become more sustainable?
It’s good when you as an individual try to live like you want everyone else to live. But maybe we should try to think what we the bigger group of poor and middle class can do together.
Think of that every time someone glorifies the lifestyle of billionaires.
Think of that every time you get the chance to support a cause against the billionaires.
Think of that every time you get the chance to vote.
Stay tuned. Stay curious. Stay healthy.
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