Hero, zero or somewhere in between?

Sometimes it can feel like we have to do it all, where spinning plates, juggling life and putting out fires left, right and centre is the norm. And then if we can't do it all, it's, therefore, best to do nothing at all. But how about being somewhere in the middle? Simply doing some of it? Isn’t that the most effective? 

Middle of the road. It’s often a term used to describe something or someone a little bit bland, a bit meh, neither loved nor loathed. Someone who’s just plodding through life, not being noticed. 

But, when it comes to living a life conscious of our health and individual impact on the environment, being somewhere between hero and zero is a good place to be. Because we can’t all do it all. 

A quote that inspires me a lot is this one about living a “perfect” eco-conscious life, creating zero waste:

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” Anne Marie Bonneau, Zero Waste Chef.

When we think about this, it makes so much sense. The collective impact of millions of us making better, greener choices is surely far larger than one or two people living a completely carbon neutral, zero waste lifestyle. Why should we be put off making good choices, because it’s not 100% perfect? Why can’t it be ok to avoid single use plastic, eat less meat and dairy and choose the bus over the car, yet still enjoy flying off on a well-deserved holiday once a year? 

We need millions of people, living their life “imperfectly” to truly make a difference to climate change. Because the more we put people off trying to live a greener life because we have to do it perfectly, the worse things will become.

I’ve experienced first-hand what it is to be picked apart for my life choices. I’m almost completely plant-based which means that I avoid all meat and dairy products, and I do so primarily because of the impact of animal agriculture on the planet. But occasionally I’ll eat fish if I’m eating out and the vegetarian option is full of cream or cheese (there’s not always a fully vegan option). 

I’ve been this way for almost a decade; however, I sometimes wear a pair of leather shoes when a night out calls for high heels, not my beloved vegan trainers, or I use a leather handbag purchased before I changed my lifestyle and diet to what it is now. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been out and someone (thankfully not someone close to me) has pointed out that I’m wearing animal products on my feet and that I’m a massive hypocrite. 

But I don’t agree that I am. 

Although I earn a living writing about the benefits of a plant-based diet and a conscious lifestyle, I don’t shout from the rooftops that I don’t eat meat or dairy or preach to other people why my lifestyle is the “best”. But quietly, I haven’t bought any clothing, accessories, makeup, skincare or cleaning products that have been anywhere near an animal since adopting my new lifestyle choice. 

Alas, sometimes all some people see is the “vegan” tucking into a superfood salad, wearing a jumper made from wool with a battered leather bag under the table. When the truth is, I’m simply not prepared to throw away perfectly good woolly jumpers or leather bags and add to the problem of consumerism by buying more. I’ll replace them with vegan-friendly alternatives when I need to. 

But that aside, so what if I’m not living my life “perfectly”? I’m doing what I can. And isn’t that enough? 

Celebrities get harangued for being hypocrites for speaking out about climate change, after having flown into the conference to address the problem. The fact that we know little else about how they might be offsetting their carbon footprint doesn’t seem to get a mention. Nor does the fact that their audience is huge and their brilliant message about all being a bit more conscious is diluted by doubters, not living a perfect life themselves, berating someone for not being perfect. 

So don’t be put off trying to live an ecologically sound life because you think it’s something you have to do perfectly. Making a few greener lifestyle choices and not feeling bad for the other choices you make is the best way to encourage others and collectively make an impact. 

You don’t have to be a zero waste, carbon neutral eco hero. But neither should you be making zero effort to help the environment. We all share the same planet after all, and we can all make a difference in our way. So celebrate the small changes you can make, that together, will have a big impact. 

I’m neither hero, nor zero. Give and take, acceptance and doing what we think is best, whilst ignoring the doubters. That’s what I think life is all about. How about you? 

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