When people become corrupted—that is, when they act against their values—they come up with what I call cockamamie schemes. They create elaborate plans that a moment’s reflection would show are impossible.

Before the Civil War, for example, people created schemes to colonize Liberia, Nova Scotia, and other places with freed slaves as a way to solve the problem of slavery. People then also came up with the “Diffusion Argument,” which said that by extending slavery over more territory it would become diffuse and end. Is it obvious how self-serving and nonsensical they are?

Today we come up with cockamamie schemes that if we use more solar and wind power we will use less fossil fuel power. We come up with schemes that recycling will clean things. Each of these cockamamie schemes increases pollution and depletion.

Another big one is that by teaching children something we practice the opposite that they will do what we say despite us doing the opposite. We’re a bunch of smokers who tell our children facts about cigarettes while smoking, buying them cigarettes, and telling them cigarettes improve their lives and are necessary for life, then telling ourselves they’ll end the tobacco industry.

I wrote recently that Solving environmental problems today by teaching kids is like fighting fascism in 1941 by teaching kids and commented years ago on Teaching children sustainability.

I’ve learned from doing two things I know of nearly no other American even trying (applying leadership to sustainability and trying to live sustainably) that we create these cockamamie schemes to distract ourselves from trying.

What to do instead of just teaching children sustainability: Do it yourself

What will work is to live more sustainably yourself. Take my workshop if you want help. Just stop blathering about individual action not mattering and all your other excuses. If you believe telling facts to children or however you want to educate them will change them and motivate them to act, then teach yourself what you would teach them and act yourself. Or just act yourself. Stop acting like it’s hard or will take resources you don’t have.

If they can act, so can you.

As Socrates said, “Let him that would move the world first move himself.” Just don’t lecture facts at people with less experience and influence than you and expect them to act because you suggested they do.

Do it yourself. You’ll enjoy it, no matter how your expectations have been set by people who haven’t tried.

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