Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowperson
For environmentalists, the trick they have a hard time with is working towards a goal within the confines of human nature . . . .
Assuming the common human, yes, the selfish, self-absorbed human who loves more and not less, regardless of culture, will gladly live like a monk, versus their previous lifestyle, simply because he/she is educated on a particular environmental issue is a loser strategy most of the time.
Figure out a way to give the common self-absorbed human more in an environmentally friendly way - including a big honking SUV - at the same or lesser cost than a destructive lifestyle and environmentalists will have something they can push.
Otherwise, all we know about human nature suggests we'll all just continue to march towards the abyss, doing the easy work of procrastinating while letting the guy next door do the worrying.
It will also be interesting to see what happens in 2009 when China, not America, will be the largest CO2 emmitter on the planet.
Cowperson
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Good post. I worry about that too--it's hard not to be pessimistic when we can't even change circumstances in the present, let alone the future. China is going to become a global problem for everyone in the future, both environmentally and politically--a gigantic and potent world power with a huge industrial base that isn't a democracy (and lacks even basic democratic values)--that's a problem we haven't seen for nearly two decades.