eco-guilt
Green conscience pangs
Eco-guilt is the uncomfortable feeling of personal responsibility for environmental harm—the pang when you forget your reusable bag, take a long shower, or book a flight.
It arises from awareness of one's carbon footprint combined with inability to live perfectly sustainably: The eco-guilt hit when I realized I'd left the AC running all day.
The term captures how environmental consciousness can shade into anxiety or self-reproach.
Excessive use of resources
- fast fashionTrend-driven cheap apparel
- disposableMade for one use
- plasticCapable of being molded
- single-useFor one application only
waste · materialism · shopping · impulse buying · throwaway culture · carbon footprint · packaging · consumerism
Painful awareness of failure
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- climate anxietyDistress over environmental crisis
- helplessnessLacking ability to cope
- paralysisLoss of muscle function
overwhelm · hypocrisy · cognitive dissonance · moral burden · despair · denial · avoidance · rationalization
Moving through air
- air travelTransport by aircraft
- flight shameEnvironmental guilt over flying
- carbon offsetPurchased reduction equivalent
- emissionsSubstances released into air
road trip · cruise · vacation · tourism · frequent flyer · jet-setting · long-haul · layover
Transformation affecting whole institutions
- activismDirect effort for reform
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- collective responsibilityShared blame among members
- corporate accountabilityFirms' obligation for conduct
policy · legislation · protest · movement · grassroots · consciousness · awareness · education
Bovine meat for eating
- dairyMilk-based foods collectively
- food milesDistance groceries travel
- importedObtained from overseas
- organicFrom living matter
local · seasonal · palm oil · avocado · almonds · water usage · factory farming · packaging
overconsumption
Excessive use of resources
- fast fashionTrend-driven cheap apparel
- disposableMade for one use
- plasticCapable of being molded
single-use · waste · materialism · shopping · impulse buying · throwaway culture · carbon footprint · packaging · consumerism · landfill
shame
Painful awareness of failure
- anxietyPersistent apprehensive distress
- climate anxietyDistress over environmental crisis
- helplessnessLacking ability to cope
paralysis · overwhelm · hypocrisy · cognitive dissonance · moral burden · despair · denial · avoidance · rationalization · justification
flying
Moving through air
- air travelTransport by aircraft
- flight shameEnvironmental guilt over flying
- carbon offsetPurchased reduction equivalent
emissions · road trip · cruise · vacation · tourism · frequent flyer · jet-setting · long-haul · layover · business travel
systemic change
Transformation affecting whole institutions
- activismDirect effort for reform
- advocacyPleading for a cause
- collective responsibilityShared blame among members
corporate accountability · policy · legislation · protest · movement · grassroots · consciousness · awareness · education · influence
beef
Bovine meat for eating
- dairyMilk-based foods collectively
- food milesDistance groceries travel
- importedObtained from overseas
organic · local · seasonal · palm oil · avocado · almonds · water usage · factory farming · packaging · food waste
- eco-anxietyclimate anxiety, climate grief, climate fear, climate despair, climate doom
eco, guilt, ecology, ecological, ecologically, ecologist, ecosystem, guilty, guiltily