An Activist’s Confession

An Activist’s Confession « It’s Getting Hot In Here

When I began to organize around climate issues about five years ago, I noticed something about myself: I began to subconsciously belittle the work that other people were doing that was unrelated to energy and global warming. Sure, I recognized that their work was good, but I fell into the trap of thinking that their work wasn’t nearly as necessary as mine. In addressing the causes and effects of global warming, I was, from my point of view, tackling the greatest problem facing humanity.

To be specific, a good friend of mine was involved with the Center for Community Service, working to schedule visits to the retirement home a block from campus. She was struggling to find enough people who could take the time out of their day to do something worthy in the community. At the same time, I was struggling to convince my campus administration that global warming was something they should address on an institutional level. Through my training as an organizer, I believed that I was working towards lasting change, whereas the work she was doing would never be complete; she could never declare victory. As such, I felt that visiting the elderly was not as worthy of my time as my organizing.

In the years since then, I often felt a surge of self-righteousness and pride in the belief that I was working on the most worthy cause ever...