143: Dune Ives, part 2: How Did Plastic Pollution Become Normal?
Martin Luther King, Jr. talked about a negative peace, where a problem exists but people don’t face it or deal with it, and a positive one, where people solve the problem, which requires facing it. He used non-violent civil disobedience to lead people to face problems that affected others, but as voters and citizens, they could do something about.
People didn’t always like it, but you can’t get change otherwise. Nonviolent civil disobedience works with human laws but doesn’t apply so much with our environmental problems.
So how do we face these problems? How do we get people who are already aware that they are polluting and emitting greenhouse gases way beyond what risks undermining society, yet people using 90% less are more happy to stop choosing doing what they’ve been doing?
Environmental leaders are struggling to find a strategy that works for us as non-violent civil disobedience did for other problems, however uncomfortable it makes people in the moment.
If you hear about straws recently, Dune and her work have reached you.
We’ll hear in this conversation how happy she is, talking about gardening for example or reusing things. Acting relieves guilt. It doesn’t causes it, at least if you act on your values. Responsibility means you can’t do what you used to. Ask any parent, responsibility for what you love improves your life.
Dune speaks with humility, honest, and humor.
Read the transcript.