I have noticed, lately, a polarization over environmental issues. There seems to be a sharp divide between those who understand how important it is to change our way of life and embrace environmentally responsible practices, and those who either don't believe it is necessary, or don't believe that they can make a difference.
This is the greatest challenge that environmentalists face today - getting the reluctant and disbelieving masses to overcome their skepticism and their inertia. It is made even more challenging by the fact that today's world is overwhelming. We are all working long hours and are victimized by information overload. Too much is coming at us too fast. It is hard to get someone's attention, let alone make a convincing argument which compels them to change their habits.
My neighbor, who is a very intelligent man, has a hard time getting his brain wrapped around the changes he needs to make in order to do his part to save the planet. Not only that, but he is put off by buzzwords and slogans. I have to admit that often the media latches on to words like 'green' and 'sustainability', and phrases like "carbon footprint," and uses them with abandon. Its as if every journalist is shouting, "Me, too! I'm hip!"
I understand how someone (particularly someone who has not yet been convinced of the immediacy and urgency of the issue) can get a little tired of having every article they read, and every conversation they have, peppered with these buzzwords. Pepper is nice, but a good chef knows that it must be used judiciously. Use too much and it can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Use it too often and it soon ceases to have the desired effect.
So it is with some reluctance that I tender a new buzzword. But I have a strong belief that it can make a difference.
***
Epiphanies don't come often and they don't come easily. But I would be willing to bet that they occur often enough and to a wide enough audience that they can be considered part of the universal human experience.
It is an interesting and reliable phenomenon that when one has an epiphany, it is hard to understand why others just "don't get it." It is equally hard to keep from feeling superior because of newly won wisdom. But suppressing that tendency is important if you want to help others see the light.
So I must offer my new shibboleth with sincere humility.
***
I have a keen understanding of the dire consequences of mankind continuing down the same profligate path which has been followed for centuries. I also understand that it would be very easy to succumb to this fate. We all have a tendency to despair at complex, abstract problems - to shrink from enormous issues. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, and it is very hard to make meaningful changes in our lives. But perhaps one more touchstone might help.
In discussions with my neighbor and others I have noticed that there is a palpable tenor of helplessness and hopelessness. There is often an admission, sometimes tacit, sometimes reluctant, that perhaps the environment is in trouble. But along with these realizations there usually is the resignation of inevitability. The changes we need to make seem hard and the benefits hard to quantify. Why make an effort which most likely will entail some sacrifice if there is no assurance that it will make any difference?
That is why I need to interject a new byword into the environmental lexicon. It is because of a simple mathematical proposition that I am convinced that individual efforts do matter and individuals can make a real difference in the environment. I know it.
***
It is true, a priori, that the changes that I make and the changes that you make to use fewer resources and to preserve environmental integrity do not, by themselves, make much difference. But it is equally true that when many, many people take these same measures it makes a huge difference. It is the aggregation of small steps and small effects into huge steps and huge effects that will truly make a measurable difference to our planet.
The thing that we need to keep foremost in our consciousness is that individuals who come together with a like-minded focus and a unified purpose can overcome large obstacles. That is why, in addition to being green and reducing our carbon footprint, we also need to realize that aggregation is what will lead us to success.
I hereby propose 'aggregation' as the new environmental battle cry.
By remembering that our aggregation will allow a serendipitous accumulation of benefits, we can overcome our despair and our apathy. When we realize that we are part of a great effort which is propelled by great energy, we can resist succumbing to feelings of hopelessness. In our aggregation we will succeed.
Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people. -- Lee Iacocca
This is the greatest challenge that environmentalists face today - getting the reluctant and disbelieving masses to overcome their skepticism and their inertia. It is made even more challenging by the fact that today's world is overwhelming. We are all working long hours and are victimized by information overload. Too much is coming at us too fast. It is hard to get someone's attention, let alone make a convincing argument which compels them to change their habits.
My neighbor, who is a very intelligent man, has a hard time getting his brain wrapped around the changes he needs to make in order to do his part to save the planet. Not only that, but he is put off by buzzwords and slogans. I have to admit that often the media latches on to words like 'green' and 'sustainability', and phrases like "carbon footprint," and uses them with abandon. Its as if every journalist is shouting, "Me, too! I'm hip!"
I understand how someone (particularly someone who has not yet been convinced of the immediacy and urgency of the issue) can get a little tired of having every article they read, and every conversation they have, peppered with these buzzwords. Pepper is nice, but a good chef knows that it must be used judiciously. Use too much and it can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Use it too often and it soon ceases to have the desired effect.
So it is with some reluctance that I tender a new buzzword. But I have a strong belief that it can make a difference.
***
Epiphanies don't come often and they don't come easily. But I would be willing to bet that they occur often enough and to a wide enough audience that they can be considered part of the universal human experience.
It is an interesting and reliable phenomenon that when one has an epiphany, it is hard to understand why others just "don't get it." It is equally hard to keep from feeling superior because of newly won wisdom. But suppressing that tendency is important if you want to help others see the light.
So I must offer my new shibboleth with sincere humility.
***
I have a keen understanding of the dire consequences of mankind continuing down the same profligate path which has been followed for centuries. I also understand that it would be very easy to succumb to this fate. We all have a tendency to despair at complex, abstract problems - to shrink from enormous issues. It is easy to feel overwhelmed, and it is very hard to make meaningful changes in our lives. But perhaps one more touchstone might help.
In discussions with my neighbor and others I have noticed that there is a palpable tenor of helplessness and hopelessness. There is often an admission, sometimes tacit, sometimes reluctant, that perhaps the environment is in trouble. But along with these realizations there usually is the resignation of inevitability. The changes we need to make seem hard and the benefits hard to quantify. Why make an effort which most likely will entail some sacrifice if there is no assurance that it will make any difference?
That is why I need to interject a new byword into the environmental lexicon. It is because of a simple mathematical proposition that I am convinced that individual efforts do matter and individuals can make a real difference in the environment. I know it.
***
It is true, a priori, that the changes that I make and the changes that you make to use fewer resources and to preserve environmental integrity do not, by themselves, make much difference. But it is equally true that when many, many people take these same measures it makes a huge difference. It is the aggregation of small steps and small effects into huge steps and huge effects that will truly make a measurable difference to our planet.
The thing that we need to keep foremost in our consciousness is that individuals who come together with a like-minded focus and a unified purpose can overcome large obstacles. That is why, in addition to being green and reducing our carbon footprint, we also need to realize that aggregation is what will lead us to success.
I hereby propose 'aggregation' as the new environmental battle cry.
By remembering that our aggregation will allow a serendipitous accumulation of benefits, we can overcome our despair and our apathy. When we realize that we are part of a great effort which is propelled by great energy, we can resist succumbing to feelings of hopelessness. In our aggregation we will succeed.
Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people. -- Lee Iacocca
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