"Why bother?"
This is the question Michael Pollan poses in the New York Times Magazine today, wondering why Americans make the effort to reduce our carbon footprint and do right by the planet when so much of the rest of the world seems willing to pick up the slack in our stead. Global warming is proceeding faster than the scientific models predicted, and most rational folks will conclude that whatever we might do, it’s probably too little, too late.
However, Pollan writes that a top-down approach alone will not fix this problem:
Why? Because the climate-change crisis is at its very bottom a crisis of lifestyle — of character, even. The Big Problem is nothing more or less than the sum total of countless little everyday choices, most of them made by us (consumer spending represents 70 percent of our economy), and most of the rest of them made in the name of our needs and desires and preferences.
For us to wait for legislation or technology to solve the problem of how we’re living our lives suggests we’re not really serious about changing — something our politicians cannot fail to notice. They will not move until we do. Indeed, to look to leaders and experts, to laws and money and grand schemes, to save us from our predicament represents precisely the sort of thinking — passive, delegated, dependent for solutions on specialists — that helped get us into this mess in the first place. It’s hard to believe that the same sort of thinking could now get us out of it.
Pollan goes on to detail why each reader should start a small garden of their own – to reduce dependency on fuels and foster a sense of community among others. Most of all, he says it permits us to mend the divide between our philosophies and our practices, or what we think and what we do.
This made me start to reconsider my own environmental impact, and how I could lessen my dependence on fossil duels and live in a more sustainable manner. To be fair, I do a pretty good job of living an eco-friendly life. I don’t (and have never) owned a car. I take the bus, many of which in Austin are electric, or I walk or carpool. With very few exceptions, nearly all of my food is organic. My toilet paper? Recycled. I grow plants, I compost my food waste (and nasty conservative editorials in The Daily Texan, I throw them in the bin too. HA!). Soap, cleaning products, cosmetics, even t-shirts? As much as possible is organic, or eco-friendly.
Of course, I didn’t do all of these things overnight, and I’m pretty sure that my choices are fairly rare, for a variety of reasons. My food got a lot more organic after reading various DailyKos members’ posts on food safety, agri-business, and why it’s better for all involved if we go organic. I also decided to invest in organic food for my own health, and I do think I’ve experienced positive results. Only recently did I cut all paper products out except for the aforementioned recycled toilet paper, which I just started buying last summer. It also helps tremendously that I live in a city where it’s possible to make all of these choices—that these choices even exist. To be sure, I’ve had to cut back in other areas to afford it, but it seems to me that contributing to such a global good is worth it. It stinks that the more environmentally-friendly options cost more, and aren’t available everywhere. It’s unfair to cut these choices off from people who might want very much to participate, but can’t afford to or simply can’t access them.
I’ve been thinking, though, about how to cut back even more. It’s already in the 80’s here in Texas. How can I cut down on my power usage this summer? I can spend time in my office or in coffee shops, places that are already being kept cool, rather than cooling a whole new apartment. I can wash all of my clothes in cold water, and surreptitiously line-dry under the cover of darkness (otherwise not allowed by the management).
It seems that we all can look for ways to lessen our environmental impact, by adding a few steps at a time. I was surprised as I started to catalogue the improvements I’d made – by making just a few changes here and there, it’s really added up over time. Multiply these changes by thousands, if not millions of people, and we’ll actually start getting somewhere.
Pollan gives us a variety of reasons why it’s important that each of us do the most we can to live by an environmentally-conscious ethos as much as possible:
If you do bother, you will set an example for other people. If enough other people bother, each one influencing yet another in a chain reaction of behavioral change, markets for all manner of green products and alternative technologies will prosper and expand. (Just look at the market for hybrid cars.) Consciousness will be raised, perhaps even changed: new moral imperatives and new taboos might take root in the culture. Driving an S.U.V. or eating a 24-ounce steak or illuminating your McMansion like an airport runway at night might come to be regarded as outrages to human conscience. Not having things might become cooler than having them. And those who did change the way they live would acquire the moral standing to demand changes in behavior from others — from other people, other corporations, even other countries.
It may sound idealistic. It may sound naïve. But when it comes to global warming, the stakes can’t be higher. We’re talking about the potential decimation of human civilization as we know it on this planet. Seems like good enough reason to walk instead of drive, or to plant some bamboo on the back porch.
All in all, Pollan sums it up in a way that I hope resonates with all of us as progressive Democrats:
Sometimes you have to act as if acting will make a difference, even when you can’t prove that it will.
On to the Comments!
From Elise:
Bouwerie Boy sets up a reply from Sharon Jumper.
clonecone offers advice.
From cali scribe:
In robinseggblue's diary how did obama know, dlh77489 (with the help of Dr. King Jr.) muses on the difference between thermometers and thermostats.
From an un-identified kossack:
VA02 femocrat on who wins marathons.
From kath25: (that’s me!)
STOP George makes an interesting analogy.
dweb8231 offers well-deserved praise and criticism.
xynx offers a series of traditional-media observations.
Top Mojo courtesy of brillig. Thank you, brillig!
Top 31 comments (ties included) excluding Tip Jars and first comments:
1) Unfortunately, he didn't. He went to the street by Earl3 — 247
2) darn by GregMitch — 150
3) I'm beginning to pity Bill Clinton by FishOutofWater — 129
4) This is my first diary so I hope it's Ok by Earl3 — 117
5) CBS had Schieffer behind the anchor desk by RudiB — 113
6) There were people from all over the country who by Earl3 — 99
7) HOLY CROW -- it's the EXPECTATIONS game, stupid! by maconblue — 93
8) Thanks for the Recs. BUT by LarsThorwald — 88
9) Most important event of this campaign... by David Kroning — 85
10) Schiefer is the Last of a Disappearing Breed by dweb8231 — 82
11) I do! I do! Yell it to the rafters! by JeffLieber — 81
12) Your contribution is important to me by Ca 48 Steve Young — 78
13) Agree. I'm an official Clinton Hater by 1 20 2009 — 76
14) This one's OK too, by civil wingnut — 74
15) I'm glad you posted this by zonk — 71
16) Especially with her 20 point lead coming in by MikeHickerson — 71
17) yes, but even if it is #1, zonk by Scubaval — 68
18) Yes, going on now and since I'm here in LA.... by JeffLieber — 65
19) I read it this morning. I guess I can't fathom by FORUS50 — 64
20) We found some of the same opinions yesterday by LookingUp — 63
21) OK, here is that transcript by Montco PA Dem — 63
22) Obama is THE BEST by Plutonium Page — 62
23) Right on the money. by Sean Robertson — 62
24) I totally agree by John Campanelli — 61
25) I will put a fucking flag pin on... by icebergslim — 61
26) I live in Montco PA by Kelly of PA — 60
27) I'm calling but thanks for the diary! n/t by FORUS50 — 59
28) Patriotism According to Schieffer by peace voter — 59
29) Wow, just wow by beltane — 57
30) Do you really have sex by civil wingnut — 57
31) That's what happens by John Campanelli — 57
Top 30 no exclusions:
1) Screw tips. Go call or canvass. by LarsThorwald — 577
2) Tips for a bit of light penetrating the darkness by David Kroning — 577
3) tips/recs for an exhausting primary season. by icebergslim — 426
4) It Sunday somewhere and on Sunday... by JeffLieber — 393
5) Tip Jar by ScientistSteve — 339
6) Obama will still be the nominee, but by Geekesque — 310
7) This is a substantial critique, by Lowe... by Troutfishing — 306
8) Tip Jar by RFK Lives — 305
9) Unfortunately, he didn't. He went to the street by Earl3 — 247
10) tip jar by poblano — 231
11) Tips by Hlinko — 229
12) Tip Jar - 20 April by Jerome a Paris — 191
13) tips for not buying in by peace voter — 188
14) One of jobs nationally by kid oakland — 153
15) darn by GregMitch — 150
16) Tip Jar by The Bagof Health and Politics — 133
17) I'm beginning to pity Bill Clinton by FishOutofWater — 129
18) This is my first diary so I hope it's Ok by Earl3 — 117
19) CBS had Schieffer behind the anchor desk by RudiB — 113
20) Tips to end the bullshit. by TheBlaz — 112
21) Tips by Land of Enchantment — 111
22) There were people from all over the country who by Earl3 — 99
23) I invite you to join me. by dengre — 97
24) did he knock on by Jeffersonian Democrat — 94
25) HOLY CROW -- it's the EXPECTATIONS game, stupid! by maconblue — 93
26) and combine these lies by agnostic — 92
27) Thanks for the Recs. BUT by LarsThorwald — 88
28) Most important event of this campaign... by David Kroning — 85
29) just my observations by davefromqueens — 85
30) Schiefer is the Last of a Disappearing Breed by dweb8231 — 82
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