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092 | Transcending Complacency (Guest: Allie McMullen)

Daryl McMullen

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092 | Transcending Complacency (Guest: Allie McMullen) Daryl McMullen

Date: December 6, 2021

Welcome to a fun, 4-part series I'm going to call: Conversations with Family

Today's Topic: Transcending Complacency with Allie McMullen

Defining complacency:

  • What is it?

  • Dictionary.com

    • "A feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like

    • A self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.

  • Who does it impact?

    • Generational?

    • Just a white privilege thing?

    • Related to wealth and privilege?

  • How does it impact us?

    • Looking the other way?

    • Ignoring real societal problems?

    • As long as it isn't having an impact on me?

  • Things we get complacent about:

    • Social justice issues

    • Systemic racism

    • Poverty

    • The homelessness crisis

    • How many kids are in the foster care system

    • The crisis at the southern border

    • Climate change, global warming and the environment

  • These all seem pretty obvious. In your face at times.

  • And yet many of us go about our lives as if they don't exist, or don't need our attention...

Now obviously we can't hit all of these in one episode - but I wanted to chat about the one that hits close to home for you - because it's something you're passionate about. All things Climate Change, Global Warming, the Environmental & Sustainability

Sounds like a lot - but they're all interconnected in some way righty?

Interview Questions:

  • When did you first take interest in the environment?

    • Can you see things even before that which pushed you in that direction?

    • I remember you having a pretty big interest in Marine Biology for a while - was this part of it too?

  • What are you the most fired up about?

    • Prior to college?

    • After being in college for a while has that changed?

    • Expanded outlook on the issues?

    • Does anything stand out as completely different?

  • "An Inconvenient Truth" - the Al Gore documentary on climate change from 2006:

    • I just watched it for the first time recently

    • Was it required viewing in high school or college?

    • What have your conversations in school been like compared to the data presented in this documentary?

  • Okay - so let's net it out and talk about some of the biggest threats we're facing:

    • What are some of the BIG topics, or conversations you're having this year at Pepperdine?

    • Our biggest environmental issues today?

    • And what are the outcomes?

    • What is being predicted if we don't figure things out?

  • Okay - so given these predictions - there has to be something we can do?

    • Let's talk prevention...since we know we're all part of the problem...how can we be part of the solution as well?

      • So let's start with the problem side:

        • What are we all doing that adds to the problem?

        • Things that are happening that need to stop?

      • Then let's talk solutions:

        • What are some small next steps for people wanting to be part of the solution?

        • What are things we can start doing differently?

  • The last thing I wanted to talk about are people - and their response to climate change:

    • In my head I typically group people into a few categories:

      • Fanatics: The tree hugger type who at times will use violence to push their agenda

      • Environmentalists: People who believe in the science behind it - and hope that if we talk about it enough we can affect change

        • I would include you in this category - environmental law - political action - things like that

      • The  Average Person - Living in Complacency: People who don't want to think about it. My life is too busy. What am I going to do anyway? It isn't going to impact me in my lifetime...

      • Completely Opposed: People who believe climate change is a conspiracy theory. View environmentalists as misinformed. View the environmental movement as direct opposition to progress and economic growth.

      • Do these sound about right? Would you add a category in here at all?

  • And finally, being a Christian, I thought it might be interesting to talk about the environment from that perspective:

    • I would lump myself into this group. I grew up Christian. I was taught that the Earth was perfect, then when the Sin Virus entered - everything started to unravel - suggesting there is nothing we can do to prevent the Earth falling apart

    • Because of this there may be a tendency for Christians to be complacent:

      • Maybe the idea that it's going to happen anyway - no matter what we do?

      • Seeing their behavior as not being important or necessary

    • I'm not going to lie - I feel like I've had this approach at times throughout my life

    • It's something I've had to wrestle with in order to fully determine what I believed about our impact on the Earth

    • And I love that you've challenged my thinking in this area

    • So I guess my question in all of this is:

      • What would you say to a person who believes the world is going to end anyway - so why work so hard to reverse something that seems inevitable?

Let’s Land the Plane:

If you want more info on these topics - see the references section in the show notes. Allie has provided some links to additional resources if you're interested in educating yourself further in this area.

I love that I got to do this with you today. Can't wait to see how God uses you in the future.

For the listener:

  • This week - ask yourself if there are areas in your life where complacency has crept in

  • If so - what can you do this week to get back in the fight and start caring again?

Thanks for joining us - have a great week - help protect our little planet - and as always, keep Transcending Human!

References: