"Eco-Anxiety Attack" - Zoe Armbrust

I’m tired.

“Can you believe they’re banning plastic straws?” I’m tired.

“If we all just switched to a vegan diet, it would…” I’m tired.

“We’re all going to die anyway, this is just more fear mongering.”

I’m still tired.

I’ve cut down on meat intake. I worry that my almond milk is contributing to the droughts in California, isn’t oat milk more sustainable? Should I throw away my plastic toothbrush and buy a bamboo one? But that just creates more plastic waste, and I’ve still got an unopened packet sitting there, I should use them first and then buy a bamboo one. Bamboo is a great wood to use because it grows so fast and so high, so it doesn’t use up a lot of land. I think. I read that somewhere.

I separate my plastics and cardboard and recycle, but I still produce so much plastic waste. Can you really recycle takeaway pizza cartons, wasn’t there something about grease on cardboard?

Meat from the butcher comes wrapped in paper, chickpeas come in a plastic bag. Which one is better for the planet? The refillery is too expensive, but can you really put a price tag on the health of the planet? Companies promote their vegan alternatives as oil gets pumped into the ocean, this cardboard sleeve is 28% recycled while Australia burns for the second time in just a few months, remember to take the train, not a plane, as I compare my age against the worst-case scenario timelines, grow your own herbs at home, now the ocean is on fire. 

If we all just do our part we can turn this around, don’t use single-use plastic, cut the strings on your mask before throwing it away or the birds will get caught in it, or the turtles, or a seal might eat it, don’t think about the toxic waste we’re shipping off to landfills overseas. 

Climate change is your personal responsibility, you should pay extra for the meat-free burger, it’s for the good of the planet after all. Pay us more, buy different things, throw out your old things and replace them, don’t question it, we need to turn Climate Change around. Buy our new electric car as we open a new power plant. But the windmills would spoil the view, think of the view! We need to protect our planet, but not if it’s unsightly, but not if it’ll cost us, it can only cost you. We’re not at fault, we’re trying our best! Look, we’re having another meeting about it.

It’s because of people like you that we’re heading for disaster, the wildfires are just weather, they always happen, why didn’t you do more, why did you buy a plastic water bottle, shop our new sustainable range! Don’t look behind our factory doors, this jumper is recycled polyester. A warm September is nice, why are you worried, we’ve had bad winters before, stop stressing, this rain is normal, climate has been changing forever, there was an ice age at least once, this is normal, you need to stop it from happening, are you using a plastic straw?

I’m still tired. I take the bus home, to reduce my carbon footprint.