As the clothesline guy (it goes deeper than that, I hope), I am deeply concerned that our political leaders and Vice-President Gore will continue to sell the American people on the idea that we can continue to live the same way with no "sacrifice" and no change in lifestyle. A change does not have to equal a diminution in standard of living. This is one precept that must be conquered...with urgency. The time is ripe.
The Gore Q&A from his website (We Can Solve It) states, "When we use the microwave or plug in a coffee maker, our electricity system will function just like it does today, but behind the scenes, it will look and function quite differently and [sic] much cleaner."
Slow Food movement aside, what the microwave has enabled for our culture is problematic. See http://pewresearch.org/pubs/323/luxury-or-necessity. Importing more coffee than anything else but oil has a high cost (http://www.packagedfacts.com/Coffee-RTD-Ready-895867/) on the environment. This talking point, therefore, suggests that the people who are answering questions on the electric policy end are not talking to the people who work on personal actions.
The suggestions at We Can Solve It (Minimize Your Impact), although they do not include hanging clothes to dry, are good; however, they always seem to be the low-priority for mention by the Vice-President. In fact, he is often quoted to say: "We have to abandon the conceit that isolated personal actions are going to solve this crisis. Our policies have to shift." While I do whole-heartedly agree that we need policy to shift, we must also carry out coordinated (as opposed to isolated) personal actions and that will only happen when there is Leadership By Example, when the important solutions are not an afterthought that roll with the credits.
Barack Obama continues to talk about turning off the cell phones and putting away the video games, which I told his policy adviser, Cassandra Potts, on the day prior to the NH Primary, was really his only mailer that resonated with me during our primary season. This is one of the only examples I can think of where a political leader is being concrete about what we need to do to adjust the way we live (and, unfortunately, he is not talking about the environment overtly when he brings this up to the NAACP or others). This is the kind of leadership we need to see from Gore and others, including our governors and mayors. Also unfortunately, any talk about lifestyle change is dismissed by liberals as oppressive and libertarians as prescriptive. It can fall like a lead balloon, unless done right.
People are hungry for the national environmental organizations to stop dickering over whether it is Priuses or solar panels that are the silver bullet. Options for early adopters with silver spoons must not be the only items on a checklist of options that "the rest of us" can start to adopt. More importantly, we can ill afford to have "Minimize Your Own Impact" always be the last item on the list.
Clotheslines Across America
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Al Gore and Personal Virtue
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8 pertinent remarks:
I was really struck by "Minimize Your Impact". Sounds like a good bumper sticker, and a good conversation starter. "What have you done today to minimize your impact?"
Two years ago, an 86 year old women I met told me of the ways she chose to minimize her carbon footprint. That inspired me to examine more of my own activities. So now I bike to work or carpool 80% of the time; use recyclable shopping bags (or feel very guilty if I forget); ask people if I can carpool with them; limit trips in the car. None of these is a diminution of lifestyle; in fact, most actually improve my life. I create community, I exercise! But how do we get EVERYONE to do some of these things?
As you suggest, it requires leadership. I believe that it is the DUTY of leaders to show us what we must do, even when we don't want to do those things (mostly because of inertia, or that it would require a change of some sort). A clear danger/conflict/problem must be present and articulated (and believed) which is what Al Gore achieved in An Inconvenient Truth. That got some of us moving and changing.
The other avenue is to hit us in the pocketbook, which is what the rise in energy prices has done.
This national election campaign season is the right time to demand leadership and to vocally say "Suggest what I should do to minimize my energy use and my carbon footprint." I pray we don't get instead "I'll fix your hurting pocketbook by (a) eliminating the gas tax (b) giving you a tax rebate if you drive a big car [nice message there]”
The time is ripe for change. We feel the pain. We know we’re hurting the planet also. We need to be asked to conserve in a way that fairly distributes the inconvenience.
We will get only what we demand.
I didn't read all the links you posted (oh heck I didn't even read one :) but the first thought that came to mind as I was reading was "Why are we waiting for all these politicians to micro manage us?" Sure they can have thoughts on the subject but we're smart enough to know how to make a difference. If people are in a community and they want to hang clothes - just do it! That is a "movement" is it not?
Will they be arrested a go before a judge? "Your Honor we are seeking the death penalty for Susie - she hung her clothes on a clothesline" - ok a little over the top but who would be the most embarrased here Susie or the people who treated her like a criminal?
What we need to is to leave politicians out of it. They don't need to tell us it's ok to hang our clothes, or walk to work or bike to the store. We need to just do what makes us feel proud of our actions, what makes us better and the world a better place, even if it is just one thing a day - that's one more than if nothing was attempted...JMO :)
The problem, Nancy, is that HOAs will fine people for violations and if others are like me, they don't have the money for fines or legal battles.
The real problem is HOAs.
I will add my voice to yours, though, in saying "Do it anyway!" Something will give. It HAS to.
Change is hard for most people to accept.
~JM
How much do the fines range? Do you know? I wonder if it could be something do-able to have a "fine fund" for an organized rebellion?
I don't know. I believe it depends on the organization. Generally, you'll get a warning before any fines, though.
My HOA seems very lax (and that makes me happy.)
That's an interesting concept-- a "fines fund." :P
The Clothesline Legal Defense Fund! How absurd and how necessary.
I just got off the phone with a woman from MD who is getting complaints from a neighbor when she tries to hang towels over the fence in the afternoon, as her kids are swimming in their pool. If that is not an example of the fundamental breakdown of community, I don't know what is. Don't these unhappy souls have anything better to do with their time or any bigger problems to worry about than the temporary, subjective blemish on their landscape?
Apparently not. I live in Maryland. I would be dollars to doughnuts this woman lives in Montgomery County. LOL!
Alexander, would you mind emailing me this woman's information? I mean, would she mind, do you think?
Thanks.
Jen M.
Alexander, you said it! "Fundamental breakdown of community!"
But when everyone stays just a couple of years before moving on, perhaps they justify bothering their neighbors for pleasure, using the clothesline rule, the play-equipment rule, or anything else. As Aesop put it thousands of years ago, "Any excuse will serve a tyrant."
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