Going Green..

I apologize if this blog seems a tad pessimistic, optimists beware.. I generally liked Professor Maniates' article: short, sweet, and too the point! I also thought that it was interesting that he posted it on one of the holidays where Americans consume the most. On Thursday, we stuff our faces, watch some good ol' football, then stuff our faces some more. This gluttonous day is followed by another day of over-consumption: Black Friday. If shopping malls are America's temples (as Professor Nicholson so wonderfully put it), then Black Friday is the holiest day of all. It's a day where Americans wake up early to take advantage of extreme discounts. And what do discounts mean? More consumption, if you can get more bang for your buck, Black Friday is your opportunity to "go out with a bang". I know that Maniates accuses many authors giving advice that is "private, individualistic, cost-effective, and easy", which is definitely true. But what else should these authors do? It isn't easy to permeate America's cult of consumption. If someone goes all out and tries to tell your Average Joe to stop using his H3, recylce everything, take 5 minute showers, etc., this person is going to be viewed as a crazy hippie and no one is going to listen. So it makes sense for authors and those who call themselves environmentalists to appeal to America's cost-effective side. Unfortunately, a lot of Americans are selfish, and everyone is out for number #1, so it isn't surprising that everyone isn't pouncing on the opportunity to recycle or save a little energy.
I do agree that we need to band together as a nation and address the issue of our affects on climate change, but the problem with trying to find solutions is that not everyone agrees that we have such a significant impact on the Earth. We all know that the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one. This is definitely hard for Americans to admit to because we don't see our impact on the environment, we ship our waste else where.Then, it's not our problem anymore. I do appreciate Maniates noble proposition for us all to come together and save the world, however, the reality is that people just don't care.