It’s time to challenge Instagrams climate footprint
We at Climate Action Ideas look into disruptive thoughts for challenging climate change and empowering decisions for the better. One big problem with addressing climate change is, that it is hard to make the right decisions if one has the subjective feeling to be alone with that. So if it is coming anyway, why not enjoying your time on earth until then?
There is a perfect refuge for people unwilling to face climate change. Where the world is perfect. The skies are sunny and warm, coral reefs are intact, time can be enjoyed with friends at tropical plastic-free beaches. This place is called Instagram-heaven. Many of us have been there, took a photo in an angle where the waste, poverty, refugees and dying ecosystems arn’t visible. And it is so nice to share that reality with others, it is inspiring for our followers and families. And at least our kids can enjoy pictures if they won’t be able to experience it for themselves — right?
Well… no. Instagram pictures of travel adventures will be like proud photos of soldiers in Wehrmacht uniform or of guys playing beer pong — they are cool and sexy as long as the party is on.
In a future where we will have more than 2 degrees of climate change — where coral reefs are gone, sea level has risen, refugees stormed our borders, environmental systems collapse, food becomes sparse, flying expensive and two billion people joined the middle class and wanted to have vacation on that exact beach. Well, what will our kids say about our current jetset lifestyle? Will they enjoy looking at the pictures of the better past with us, or will they feel that we did injustice to them? Will we be proud showing our pictures or will we rather hide them and want to forget our imprudent past, where we neglected responsibility as long as possible? Fridays for future is a hint of a future to come.
Now you heard it and you won’t be able to forget that thought ever again. I ruined your picture of that beach forever. And I am not sorry.
The solution.
Like external costs of pollution need to be included in a full cost analysis of energy production, we have to bring reality into the Instragram-heaven. It is about bringing the implications into the social equation. And there is two ideas, of how to do this:
- Rewarding
*** This photo is done CO2 neutral *** — how nice would it be, if Instagram establishes a system where people can payoff their emission and photos become a badge if the person did payoff their flight, recycle the bottle of beer they are holding, the jet-ski is running on gas and the golden beef steak they are eating is from an organic farm and the gold recycled and green. Won’t you be more willing to like a photo if it has that CO2 neutral badge? - Shaming
But not all people will be responsive to such subtle communication. Those might be more resonsive to social shaming. A calculator on an imaginary website http://instafootprint.com will calculate the carbon footprint on the base of all the geo locations of shared photos. It will give you a ranking of your worst polluting friends and a unfriend button with an automatic message:
I unfriended you, because you are top ranked in carbon footprint among my friends and I don’t want my kids to know that I supported your lifestyle.
And it would not be a good selling of indulgence system if one can not buy oneself out of the shame — compensate and you get out of the list.
In any way climate change is coming quick and we need to make some drastic changes to our believe and value systems to react quickly. Any action that can support rising awareness is to be welcomed.
What’s your opinion about that idea?
