Do As I Say, Not As I Do!

An environmental activist was preparing a paper on global warming.

He was going to tell his audience that commercial flights pump more Co2 (carbon dioxide) into the atmosphere in ONE YEAR than all of Africa does.

He would tell them that ONE long-haul flight is MORE polluting than 12 months of car travel.

So, if you want to save the Earth, you have to cut down on your air travel or use other forms of transport.

Just then the air-stewardess asked him if he would like some wine.

HYPOCRISY!!!

No, says the activist.

He said his flights have a negligible impact on the environment.

What he is proposing is MASS change in air travel.

His flying around the world telling people about climate change was needed as part of the solution.

His refusing to fly would be a hollow gesture.

THIS IS A CONUNDRUM!!!

If individual contribution is insignificant, so it doesn’t matter on way or another BUT, it would matter if everyone felt the same way.

The activist thinks you can reconcile the two thoughts.

What you have to do is persuade a large number of people that their contributions matter.

So, the collective effort works, NOT the individual one!!!

There’s an ethical thought here: You have to apply the same rules to your own conduct as you do to others.

If he advocates reducing emissions, he cannot make exception for himself!

This reminds me of another case of “Do As I Say, And Not As I Do.”

Lets say a father tells his son:

“Don’t smoke, it’s bad for you.”

“But you smoke a pack a day!”, says the son.

“Yes, but I don’t want you to make the same mistake!”

SOUNDS LIKE A PERFECTLY REASONABLE REQUEST TO ME.