24 September
Help! I’m campaigning for climate action, but my agency is sneaking off with the fossil fuel industry on the side.
After dedicating themselves to climate action, one reader wrestles with a harsh reality: their agency supports both their cause and the fossil fuel industry.
Can a partnership built on contradictions really last, or is it time to walk away?
Pearl weighs in on what to do when your agency’s values don’t align with your own.
The dilemma
Dear Pearl,
I’m in a bit of a pickle.
You see, my agency is helping me campaign for climate action, raising awareness about the urgent need to address the climate crisis. We’ve made so much progress together!
But I recently found out they’re also working with *gasp* a major gas company. Yes, you know the type. They aren’t exactly saving the planet.
I feel betrayed. How can they say they support my cause while cosying up to an industry that’s contributing to the very thing I’m fighting against?
Should I break it off with them or try to fix things?
Sincerely,
Conflicted Climate Warrior
Pearl’s advice
Dear Conflicted Climate Warrior,
Oh dearie me, what a sticky situation!
It’s like discovering your plant-based beloved has been sneaking off for brisket behind your back. Very awkward indeed.
It’s tough to keep a relationship going when your values don’t align. You’re out there marching for the future, while your agency is high-fiving the fossil fuel industry. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?
Here’s my advice: it’s time for ‘the talk.’
Sit down with your agency and be upfront about how this partnership makes you feel and lay out the facts. The future of our planet can’t coexist with fossil fuels, and neither can you.
If they can’t give you a clear commitment to dumping oil and gas, it might be time to consider greener pastures.
There are plenty more fish in the sea—agencies, that is—who are just as passionate about climate action as you are. Sometimes, parting ways is the best thing for the planet… and your sanity.
Good luck, darling!
Love, Pearl.
