We went downtown over the holidays for a two-day staycation at a nice hotel. I used an obscene number of towels, which I then tossed indiscriminately on the floor for other people to pick up. I was feeling guilty by day two, and this made me think:

a. if towel overuse is all I have to feel guilty about, I’m leading a very dull life; and,

b. friends flew to Mexico over the holidays. I could cause the laundering of a LOT of towels before equalling the climate/social cost of that trip.

Then I felt petty about these justifications. Until I heard a CBC interview about the Paris climate-change agreement. You know what methods the international community has chosen to ensure that countries meet their emissions goals?

Comparison and shaming.

In a nutshell: “My towel use is less damaging than your flight, so there.”

We are staking the entire future of humanity on peer pressure.

Also, I am back at home, maid-less and tan-less, working diligently. In case you want to compare.