350.org: Common sense before sustainability please

This weekend people in 181 countries rallied to raise awareness about climate change. One such rally took place on Muizenberg beach in Cape Town, South Africa. People were encouraged to be creative and connect the figure 350 to climate change-related events. While in itself a virtuous way to spend your Saturday, the ‘main attraction’ certainly wasn’t.

The plan was to gather on the beach, set up giant ice blocks in the shape of 350, and take time-frame photographs as the ice melts, afterwards spreading the pictures to news media and social networks to raise awareness of the campaign.

 “We [the organisers] suggest [fellow activists bring along] two sizes [of ice blocks]: (1) plastic-lined cardboard boxes as moulds (standard 6-bottle wine boxes)… [or] (2) Use 5L plastic ice-cream tubs to make blocks in your home freezer… Approximately 20 blocks will be needed for each number, so please bring along as many as you can make.”

But wait a minute. Is water not one of the scarcest resources on the planet? Is it not arguably the most essential element needed to sustain life on the planet? Is climate change not causing shortages of drinking water globally?

Nowhere was it made obvious for folks to use only grey-water for the ice blocks. It follows then that 350.org activists were indirectly encouraging people to waste drinking water. Is it not very hypocritical to be telling people to live sustainably while you are wasting water?

Human action encourages people to employ some common sense before attempting to avoid climate change through sustainable living. Sustainable living and common sense are mutually inclusive. You cannot have the one without the other.

PS. According to 350.org, “350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.”

Human action listens to both sides of the debate on this one; gnashing our teeth when global regulation of CO2 emissions are  touted as the solution, and nodding when sustainable living is encouraged within reasonable bounds.