You feel furious, powerless and hopeless because Trump is pulling our country out of the Paris Climate Agreement, but the Schwartz is in YOU, Lone Starr! It’s in you!!

While alternative energy is a popular topic, we’ve got radio silence when it comes to simply consuming less — using less fossil fuels directly, or indirectly as a result of the excessive products we buy and the fuels and resources used to produce them. We need blood these days, and less consumption doesn’t stick it to anyone! Other than ourselves, at least, but never mind that: we need to get those corporations and oil companies!

The anger over federal climate policy comes down to a collective desire for our government to impose morality on greedy people. “Um, no, aaactually I’m angry because I don’t want the planet to die?!” (How can I type “upspeak”?)

I differ. Won’t even beg to.

Do you Really want less pollution? Do you genuinely want less carbon emitted? Shoot, do you Truly want to wound the 1%? YOU DON’T NEED GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY. You don’t need to rely on anyone but yourself. You don’t need a global treaty.

Just use less.

Buy less crap. Drive less. Carpool more. Eat less meat. All the uncool stuff they taught us at school assemblies. If we all did the whole reduce-reuse-recycle routine, or committed to it more, we’d use far, far less fossil fuels. Discipline can do it.

If we don’t use it, we don’t need it! Still, rarely is conservation suggested as a solution, whether regarding our constant import of oil – of which the transportation alone requires crazy fuel – or even in the heat of the Dakota pipeline protests.

No, the conclusion’s forgone. The oil must flow. The pointless purchases can’t stop. It’s out of our hands! I need!

And anyway, consumption rules, especially when trucks bring new stuff right to my immaculately heated/cooled home.

We want convenience, we want commerce, and we want to clobber those filthy factory owners (whose wallets we choose to line with every transaction). C’mon, government: make it happen, so I don’t have to!

Far better: affect change with your own decisions and dollars. How’s that for democracy? For empowerment?

We all have to use, but we can all use less. Let’s practice and promote conservation. If you need an adversary, try shaming mindless consumption. Have you mocked a shop-aholic today?

Commercially yours,

-Matty