Looking Forward and Taking Action as an Environmentalist

    My final presentation was based on Scottish philosopher William MacAskill's book, What We Owe the Future, specifically on part five, Taking Action. In this section of the book, MacAskill discusses how to look at the future, what to make of it, and what we can do to change it for the better. In this post, I'll go over MacAskill's 3 points of action, describe what they mean to me, and discuss how we can try to make them relevant in our day to day lives.

    In our era of climate uncertainty, many people feel overwhelmed by the complexity of environmental issues and generally have no idea how to think about them, much less know how to tackle these issues. When looking to the future as environmentalists, we should attempt to have some sort of game plan as to how we can do our part in building a future that our kids and grandkids shouldn’t be afraid of. MacAskill sets up the last part of his book by bringing up the indigenous South American group, the Aymara peoples, concept of "walking backwards", which metaphorically urges us to acknowledge the past to better understand our future. He notes how in almost every language, the future is generally looked at as ahead of us, and the past behind us. Describing how the Aymara’s philosophy on this is much more productive when thinking about environmental concerns, considering that we have no idea what will happen at any given moment in the future, but we can look at the past and present and learn from them.

Aymara people in Jujuy Province, 1870.

Here is a discussion segment on NPR delves into their philosophy deeper.
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Now moving on to MacAskill’s 3 rules of thumb and what I make of them:

1. Take Actions We Know Are Good

    MacAskill’s first point is that we should focus on actions that we already know are good. This might sound simple, but it’s incredibly important. This applies not only to environmental endeavors, but also in your day to day life. Whether it’s holding the door for someone, giving compliments, doing favors, and being generally kind. Or in an environmental sense, using a reusable water bottle, recycling, turning off lights when not in use, advocating for renewable energy, taking public transport instead of your car to work/school, these actions are more than just environmentally conscious, they’re a form of leadership. By doing these things, we set an example for others, helping to inspire a broader societal change.
    But it is still important to understand that even if you are doing all of these good things, there will always be people that aren't doing them. If everyone did these good things everyday, we wouldn’t have nearly as many disagreements, negative people, carbon emissions, pollution, litter, and would generally live in a much cleaner and happier world. But many people put their interests first, and it’s hard to blame them. Almost none of us do perfectly good deeds everyday that we live, we have to think for ourselves sometimes. MacAskill notes this and points out how donating $3000 dollars one time to a good emission-fighting charity like the Clean Air Task Force, an extremely cost-effective organization that supports neglected forms of renewable energy (MacA, 301), has the potential to reduce ten times the amount of carbon emissions than being vegetarian for your whole life. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t do these good things that you know are good, in fact it is the opposite. The more of the good things you do, the more you reinforce your environmentalist morals, and also shows other people how being environmentally conscious is a way of life, it helps you, and isn’t just a form of personal greenwashing, thus teaching them to do the same.

2. Increase the Number of Options

    MacAskill’s second point emphasizes the importance of increasing the number of options available to tackle environmental challenges. It’s crucial to remember that there’s no "one size fits all" solution. Different people and communities have different needs, values, and circumstances. This is why diversity in approach is so important. If we only focus on one path, we risk alienating groups who could otherwise make a significant impact.
    This idea applies to the broader climate movement too. For example, the Clean Air Task Force’s push for carbon capture technologies is a great example of how liberals and conservatives can come together to support a single cause. By creating diverse approaches that work for different groups, we increase the likelihood that more people will get involved and feel obliged to make a difference. In fact it’s most likely the only way to change climate change deniers’ beliefs.
Think about it in everyday terms: how many times have you tried to make a positive change, but felt like you didn’t have the right tools or resources? Or worse, the only tools available weren’t in line with your values? The more options we have, the better equipped we are to make the changes we need, and push towards making a broader environmental shift.

3. Think Long-Term

    MacAskill’s third point might be the hardest to follow; we need to think long-term. In a world dominated by instant gratification, thinking 50 to 100 years ahead can seem overwhelming or even unrealistic. But as MacAskill notes, it’s exactly this long-term perspective that can help us address the challenges we face today. We live in a time where the choices we make now will affect generations to come. Whether it’s the way we vote, the policies we support, or the technologies we invest in, the long-term consequences are undeniable.
    For instance, think about the massive shift that renewable energy is currently still relevant. When solar panels and wind turbines first became popular, they were seen as niche technologies, too expensive for widespread adoption. Now, they're central to efforts to decarbonize the global economy. Looking back, it’s clear that the push for these technologies, even when they seemed impractical, was essential. To make real progress on environmental issues, we have to start thinking beyond our immediate concerns. This means advocating for policies that might not show their benefits for decades or investing in technology that will only pay off in the future. It can feel frustrating at times, especially when the payoff seems far away, but in the grand scheme of things, every step forward is a step towards a better future for everyone.
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William MacAskill, 2022

This is a link to a TED Talk given by MacAskill where he describes his philosophy, Effective Altruism, that encourages us to prioritize the most urgent, solvable, and neglected global challenges, like global health, global warming, animal welfare and factory farming, and existential risks to ensure a better future for humanity.

    With all of this, I'm saying that we need to take action, not just small individual actions, but also big collective ones that push the world towards sustainability. MacAskill’s framework gives us a map to follow; take actions we know are good, increase the number of options available, and think long-term. These steps can guide us as we work together to tackle the monumental and sometimes terrifying environmental challenges of our time, with hope of turning them into just our problems, and not our children's.