Seattle environmentalists don’t care much about the environment

As I woke up yesterday to yet another symbolic effort from a well-intentioned (I guess?) activist, this time a woman perched on top of a tripod blocking the entrance to Shell Oil’s fuel transfer station in Seattle, it dawned on me that environmentalists don’t actually care enough about the environment to lead to any meaningful change.

Sure, they’ll engage in a lot of symbolic actions and throw out a bunch of rhetoric, but consider what a “win” would be for them in this case. The drilling of the Arctic won’t actually stop (Shell has permission from the Obama administration to move forward). Oil use won’t actually slow down (Shell will actually use more energy to float on over to another port for docking, making their carbon footprint even larger).

So the win? It’s a symbolic environmentalist win that would cost the area about 400 high-paying jobs and the millions of dollars in economic stimulation.

This is a movement of symbolism, not results.

They want to look like they’re doing something when all they’re really doing is fulfilling some ego-driven desire to appear to do something. To get on TV. To get on the radio.

It’s the equivalent of the out of shape guy getting a gym membership but not actually going to the gym to work out.

“Well, I bought the membership!”

Yeah, well you’re still out of shape. So unless you’re going to do something like exercise, that membership is just a symbol of your commitment to doing something, without the actual … doing something.

We’ve been told for how many years now that the longer we wait on climate change, the more irreversible the damage will be? So, we’ve been ignoring it in any meaningful way since we heard those messages. I imagine that means we’re close to irreversible damage, right?

If these activists truly believed the monumental consequences and doom associated with oil use, they wouldn’t be going after Shell. They’d be going after you and me: the consumer of oil.

They’d be blocking gas stations, car dealerships, streets, and parking lots. They’d break onto the tarmac of SeaTac and prevent another flight from taking off, burning thousands of gallons of fuel!

But they’re not, are they? They’ll get on TV, and have some fun sitting on top of a tripod because they don’t really believe the doomsday nonsense they push. They need something to fight and get behind, but they don’t really believe the end is near. They might believe in the basics of global climate change. I believe in the basics. But they don’t think continued use of oil will kill this planet. If they did, they wouldn’t be so lazy and ego-driven in their symbolic actions. They’re as addicted to media attention than they say we are addicted to oil.

If you thought the world would literally end as a result of what man is doing, wouldn’t you take more drastic measures? Wouldn’t you disrupt more than just the docking of a rig that will just find a new dock?

What is it that you think you’re doing exactly with your current actions? Raising awareness?

We’re aware of your message. This isn’t a new movement. You’ve been pulling these hijinks for how many years now? And yet we’re still using gas and oil. In fact, we’re using it more now than ever before.

So even if you believe what you say you do, and I’m wrong (and I’m certainly not immune to being wrong), then in the very least, understand that you’re failing at causing any meaningful change. Perhaps you should change strategies? Or maybe consider a kayak not created with oil? Maybe you shouldn’t use products created and transported by oil and gas.