I have had enough of trolls and the idea of the perfect environmentalist. I’m sure many of you have seen or experienced random people on the internet tearing down anyone’s attempts at being eco friendly by pointing out other areas where they have failed to do so. There is no such thing as a perfect environmentalist and anyone who claims there is, is either deluded, or using the concept to create negativity and undermine environmental causes. So for this episode we are taking a good hard look at why people eco shame individuals and just how systemic of a problem it actually is. In this episode I share: - The negative tiktok comment that prompted this topic - What exactly is eco guilt? - Why eco shaming is not helpful - The damage eco shaming can do - An example of a collaborative way of helping others be more sustainable instead of shaming - The concept of aggregate marginal gains - How big polluters use PR strategies to encourage eco shaming for their benefit - The different ways polluters distract from the need for systemic change - How and why polluters exploit the idea of the perfect environmentalist - An example of a big car polluter who ran a marketing campaign that put responsibility on their customers - Why eco shaming is not the same as calling out big polluter businesses - Our new monthly challenge segment - Some examples of the small environmental habits you can start enacting Key Quotes “Eco shaming individuals leads to negativity. Calling out green washing is a critical step to ensuring businesses do better.” “The key is to do what you can where you can. It’s all about progress, not perfection.” “Big polluters often employ PR strategies to shift the focus away from their massive environmental impacts and onto your individual actions.” More information I mentioned a Yale University survey about the percentage of Americans who believe in global warming. You can find it here: https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/climate-change-in-the-american-mind-beliefs-attitudes-spring-2023/toc/2/ You can get involved with the podcast online Find our full podcast plus our sister podcast via the website here: https://www.briannewest.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nowthatswhaticallpodcasts/ You can follow me on socials on the below accounts. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briannemwest/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@briannemwest Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannemwest/ For our latest big project, find out more about Incrediballs here: https://incrediballs.com/

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