MetaBlogging

This is a little like performing a psychology experiment on myself. So, I know I'm an environmentalist and I care (a lot) about climate change, but blogging about it is actually changing my behavior! It's kind of like those experiments (which I learned about in my Environmental Communication class as an undergrad), where they get people to sign a petition that says something like "Recycling matters" (I don't remember the exact details - see Fostering Sustainable Behavior), and then, just because they signed a petition, those people are much more likely to recycle. It's even more effective if their names are published in the newspaper. It takes advantage of our aversion to cognitive dissonance and our desire to appear consistent to our peers.

Apparently I've just performed the same experiment on myself. I would really like to go to Jamaica for March break. Yes, I would like to lie on the beach in the sun for a week and read books about fluff and adventure. I've been working way too hard for too long, in snowy, gray, icy, cold Vermont, and I'd like to recharge my batteries. But I can't do it. I can't reconcile writing about my constant worries about climate (in public, no less) with dumping a ton or so of CO2 in the atmosphere just for a change of scenery. Especially when I'm already planning on traveling a substantial amount this year (again, I am no climate saint). Would I have done it if I hadn't started this blog? Probably. I probably would have offset it, but that's not the point.

It's odd - I thought I was already making significant lifestyle change, and I am, but mostly where it suits me. I don't really like shopping and I don't like driving, so I consume less and I walk/bike/bus as much as possible. I like going to the farmer's market and cooking, so I eat more locally. But this is a different sort of lifestyle change - I really want to go to Jamaica. It's rewarding, in a way, to know I have it in me. It's like accomplishing a physical feat I had no idea was possible - that I hadn't even really fully considered (who knew that not going to Jamaica could yield such personal growth :)).

So, we're going to try to have fun closer to home. Our brainstorms so far involve taking the bus up to Montreal, skiing, hosting a beach party (turning the heat up and serving Mojitos), and turning off the computer - no work allowed. Really, it's not much of a sacrifice when put in proper perspective ;).