Plastic Predicament: Eco-Anxiety in the Drive-through Lane
I pre-ordered a meal from a fast food chain using their app. I specified in the order’s notes that I didn’t want any plastic cutlery. I pulled up to the drive-through, and there was a person present to confirm my order. I asked her to make sure that I wasn’t given any plastic cutlery. I pulled forward to where they handed me the meal. I looked in the bag, and sitting on top of the food, in plastic wrap, was the plastic cutlery I had stated twice that I didn’t want. I picked up the package of cutlery and tried to hand it back to the person who’d just given me the bag of food. He refused to take it because, since I had touched the package, I had contaminated it. For hygiene standards, they could not take it back.
At that point I lost my temper. This poor teenage kid, who during the fast food rush hour is just following corporate rules, had to hear me on my pulpit about the oceans of plastic corrupting this beautiful planet that we hope he is lucky enough to pass on to his children and grandchildren. But even worse for me was that my 5 year old was in the car witnessing my tirade.
Later that night, reflecting on the event, I felt a sense of shame (esteem). On the one hand I feel I was right to be angry. I try to set my expectations fairly low. I don’t think I’m asking too much for a company that offers a field for special requests to honor a request that’s entered (especially when it saves them money). On the other hand, I could have extended a bit of grace since it was during their busy period.
The real problem, though, is that I worry that I’m going to give my daughter anxiety about the environment (safety). Despite my overreaction at the fast food restaurant, I do have a sense, if not of optimism, at least of pragmatism about the state of the environment and Mother Earth. I believe our problems are fixable, and we humans are smart enough to either fix them or adapt to changes. (That said, the more time we give ourselves, the better our solutions will be. Let’s step on the brakes with the pollution: Reduce - Reuse - Recycle and all that jazz!) I also think that the people who thrive are the ones who can navigate challenges and spot the opportunities, and this is the mindset I want to cultivate in my daughter. Losing one’s temper at the teenage fast food worker is NOT navigating a challenge. Will do better next time.
I had this recent event on my mind when I listened to a How to Age Up podcast episode that was specifically about how younger generations are feeling despair (autonomy) when they think about climate change, why this is not helpful (I think it’s fairly obvious that giving up is never going to fix problems), and what can be done about it (How to Age Up on a Warming Planet). Some of the suggestions they give are:
Remind yourself (or the younger generation) that this is not an individual problem, it's a humankind problem, and a majority of people recognize the problems. You are not alone in this, and many are doing what they can to attack the problems. (social)
Zoom In. When you're feeling overwhelmed by the problem, break it down into smaller chunks that you can do. Doing small acts not only gives you experiences from which you can learn (growth), but it can increase your confidence for tackling bigger projects (esteem), and any progress empowers you (autonomy).
Think of what power you do have. They use the phrase, "feed what you want to grow.” It may not be environment-related. The idea is that if you are nurturing the things you love, it draws you out of your despair, and that gives you the energy down the road to fight the good fight for the environment. (This is similar to the idea of Behavioral Activation Therapy.) (autonomy)
It’s worth listening to the full episode, especially if you feel overwhelmed with despair at the thought of Earth’s future. Do you have other tips for living and thriving in a warming world? If so, please share it in the comments.