Chickening out

Sticking to your values when it comes to climate issues can be really tough.

I’m not an outspoken person, so I hate having to speak up in a crowd.

As part of the committee for my apartment complex though, that’s part of the job. We have to make sure our building is represented fairly and taken care of.

Tonight at our annual meeting, we had to vote on whether we were happy for our management company to find alternative power suppliers if it got us a cheaper rate.

My reaction was that I’d rather they sourced a renewable energy supplier rather than a cheap one.

But I didn’t say anything – in that moment, I chickened out.

What scared me? Maybe it was the potential of being the only one in a packed room who felt this way, with no one else in my corner.

I realised that by saying I preferred renewables over cheap power, I might be going against people who are doing it tough right now, and might appreciate a lower power bill. I’m not rich, but renewable power is one thing I’m willing to pay for – perhaps not everyone feels the same way though.

Had I spoken up, I might have found out rather than sitting here now wondering about it.

I’ll bring it up tomorrow with my committee group in a follow-up… But I thought it was important to acknowledge how tricky speaking up about these issues can be.

Personally, I strive for the Ghandi quote – to be the change I want to see – and sometimes it’s easier than other times. Tonight I found it intimidating, so I plan to find a way to get past that.