Thinking about the 'Earth Summit' in Jo'burg has effected me a bit. I've thought a bit more about my water consumption - or wastage really - and I have bought a couple of 'eco' cleaning products instead of my usual brands.
I even changed the way I wash up - for one day - because I was motivated by guilt.
I am rarely motivated by guilt. I do the things that I do in my life, things that other poeple have understood as motivated by 'white guilt', because I actually see how I benefit. I couldn't keep up the change in how I wash the dishes because it grossed me out (all that floating debris) and because I was solely motivated by guilt - by feelings of 'what I should do', not what I want to do.
I've just realised that how I feel about environmental issues is how most people feel about 'race' and racism: it's a moral choice, the 'politically correct' one, but not one where I directly benefit.
My choice to fight for other's right to live peacefully, without racism, is because I have experienced racism. But even more than that - I know that living without fear of others is a great freedom. I know that when I finally moved out of the 'comfort zone' of only socialiseing with 'people like me', my world became a much more interesting enjoyable place.