Prof. Maniates is right. We have yet to see politicians with enough spine to lay it out like it is and care more about the lives of Americans than their re-election. They are holding our hands, hoping that they are doing enough to keep environmentalists happy and simultaneously not pushing too hard on us in order to not seem like radicals.
One thing the professor does not point out is that politicians and even environmentalists are too comfortable with their way of life to really make the sacrifices and changes that have to be made. But in doing the "simple" things and preaching them and supporting them they are able to ease their own minds and feel like they are doing "something," which, is better than nothing, so we've been told.
This all stems from two things 1) a lack of urgency felt in the general American public about global climate change which then also ties very closely to 2) uncertainty, if a unified voice could express a clear idea it would be easier for people to get on board. People don't know what to believe so they abstain form taking a stance and wait, wait to see for themselves. Thanks to perfectly planned economic distancing, by the time people are able to see the impact of their lives on the planet and make up their minds on this issue it will probably be too late.
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Thanks for your nifty comment. From my interviews of activists at major environmental groups, I've learned that they don't tend to fit the image you portray here. Most work 60 hour a week for low pay, often with little to show for it. They've proceeded in the belief, I think, that if you start people off with simple, easy, consumeristic measures, folks will then discover their power as citizens and clamor for more (and more ambitious) things to do. But that hasn't happened, at least not in ways that many env. groups expected. And that has got them stuck. But, really, why would we expect simple consumer actions to cultivate our ability as citizens? Simple beginnings are good, but if you're looking to fire people up as active agents of change, start 'em with simple ways of developing the citizen side of their brain. Env. groups need help in thinking about how to make this happen, and folks like you could be just the source of brainstormed ideas they need.
Thanks again for giving some thought to my piece.
Yours,
Mike Maniates
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