#SaveTheTurtles: Ableism and Classism within ‘Pop-Culture’ Environmentalism

If you have an Instagram, Twitter, or really any social media account at all, I’m sure the terms ‘performative activism’ or ‘slacktivism’ have popped up on your feed in recent months. It is defined as the act of participating in activism to raise one’s own social capital, rather than their  actual devotion to a cause. These phrases often appear within discussions about racism, homophobia, and other such topics.  While slacktivism manifests itself in many ways, I think it is also important to acknowledge how supposedly ‘proactive’ activism is not necessarily accessible to all, notably within the field of environmentalism. In this article, I want to shed light on why some new environmentalist ‘trends’ promoted through social media are in fact inaccessible to those with disabilities and to those with lower socio-economic statuses, and how intersectionality must be included within our discussions about the environment and climate change. 

A couple weeks ago, Kristina, a lovely second-year involved with the Disabled Students Network at our university, reached out to the Environment Subcommittee asking if any of us wanted to help out with a discussion about the intersection of environmentalism and ableism, called ‘Why Your Plastic Straw Ban Is Ableist’. If you know me at all, you’ll know I am never one to pass up the opportunity to talk about my moderately to severely mediocre pancreas, so I of course jumped at the chance. We covered a whole range of topics, but I’ll briefly outline the three that stood out to me most.

1. The plastic straw ban - If I had to choose a moment in the past few years that stands out the most in pop-culture environmentalism, it would have to be the ban on plastic straws and the ‘Save the Turtles’ movement that went viral on social media in 2019. The United States initiated its ban on plastic straws in January of 2019, with the UK following suit in May. The goal of this ban was to eliminate excessive plastic waste in landfills and in oceans. While this was widely regarded as a success on the part of self-proclaimed environmental activists, it in fact set a large part of the disabled community at a heavy disadvantage. Individuals with mobility and / or motor issues cannot necessarily lift a cup high enough to drink, or hold it steadily enough to drink from. Some medications also require a straw to be ingested. One might then ask, why can’t they use reusable bamboo or metal straws? People with tendencies for seizures or tremors could be put at serious risk of injury if required to use these types of straws. Imposing a ban of plastic straws for all ‘except those with disabilities’ is harmful because it would require those with such disabilities to prove that they have these conditions: many of these chronic conditions are invisible, and places the individual in the awkward position of having to prove to a server or waiter that they are adequately disabled to need a plastic straw. Disability isn’t competitive, comparable, and certainly isn’t something that can be measured on a scale - one is not more disabled than another simply because they look more disabled. 

2. Veganism - It is scientifically proven that a plant-based diet highly reduces an individual’s carbon footprint, rather than one that includes animal products. Social media thus often portrays going vegan as quite an easy, straightforward way for people to be more environmentally friendly. Let me emphasise that I am not here to dispute this: I am doing my best to cut down on the amount of meat I eat, and have been actively replacing dairy with plant-based alternatives. However, a completely vegan diet is not always healthy for those with certain chronic conditions. While I can’t speak for those with other illnesses, I can share my personal experience with Type 1 Diabetes and try to explain why it makes being vegan more difficult. To put it simply, T1D has entirely to do with carbs and how your body uses and processes them. Many people don’t realise that carbs are not just found in bread and pasta, but also in all fruits, vegetables, and legumes: anything that is a plant contains them. While, as a T1D, I can technically eat anything I want as long as I cover it with insulin injections, it is still important for me not to consume excessive amounts of carbs and to try to reduce the amount of them that I eat at every meal. If I were to switch to an entirely plant-based diet, there would be no way for me to eat without consuming carbs. Furthermore, the more carbs I consume, the more insulin I have to take. While insulin is free through the NHS, millions of diabetics have to pay hundreds of dollars per month in the USA for insulin just to survive. The more insulin used, the more money spent: people from lower socio-economic statuses will often do anything it takes to save on insulin (Insulin Rationing: What It Is and Why It's So Dangerous). Unfortunately, society perpetuates an extremely common misconception that obesity and other food-related health problems are more prevalent amongst those from low socio-economic backgrounds simply because they make worse food choices. However, aside from those with chronic illnesses, being vegan in general is not accessible to those from poorer backgrounds: having access to ethically-sourced, local produce is quite rare and often very expensive in developed countries. The reality stands as thus: what you eat is not a reflection of your beliefs or the extent of your support of environmentalism, and people should not be judged by their ability to consume ‘healthier’ foods. 

3. Walking, cycling, and public transport - In 2018, transportation accounted for roughly 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Many governments have begun initiatives to encourage their citizens to walk, cycle, or use public transportation to cut down on the burning of fossil fuels. This last point is pretty self-explanatory: people with mobility issues, whether they require a wheelchair or not, cannot be expected to walk or cycle to and from school and work. Buses, trams, and trains are usually inaccessible for these individuals as well due to staircases and / or large steps to get into the vehicle. Having been lucky enough to spend most of my summers in Germany growing up, I’ve often seen what are called Fußgängerzonen, or streets where only pedestrians and cyclists are allowed. While these are much safer and encourage people to not use their cars, these zones often encompass large parts of these towns’ high streets, meaning that many essential stores (like grocery stores or pharmacies) are not accessible by car. This proves difficult for those who cannot walk long distances, or carry many shopping bags on their own.

While ableism and classism are prevalent in so many other aspects of modern-day environmentalism, I think that these three are some of the most common and are not brought up enough. Intersectionality is so important when considering the field of environmentalism, and additionally discussing issues such as racism and homophobia are key to any conversation on the matter. Such discussions, however, leave us with many open questions: What defines a body as ‘able’? What is ‘enough’ in terms of daily environmental activism? Will I ever stop writing articles about T1D? These questions will almost certainly not be answered for a very long time, so all we can do in the meantime is try to include intersectionality in our daily lives, and forgive Julia for the fact that her only personality trait is her pancreas :)