President Obama - a chance for political promotion of environmental change?

This week I'd like you to read and comment on this piece, which appeared in the Washington Post on Thanksgiving Day last year. The article was written by Michael Maniates of Allegheny College, one of the authors of the "Confronting Consumption" chapter we read for our last class. What do you make of Professor Maniates' argument?

Yes, yes, yes. We in order to save our planet, we need to do WAY more than the list of everyday changes an American can make in his or her daily life. But is the typical American actually as concerned, eager, and willing to go beyond the "little bit to recycle and conserve" or "simple things... because... that's all they think we'll go for." Tell an American to carry around a portable, reusable coffee container, or Nalgene water bottle, and they may be very willing to do so--as long as it is cute, has some slogan about reusing/recycling, or in some way portrays a status symbol they are trying to portray. But I am currently sitting in the Davenport Lounge right now, and there are at least eight throwaway cups being used that I can see without getting up from my seat.

Professor Maniates professes that environmental elites and political leaders treat us as children by not requiring us bring forth the best in us in regards to enivornmental change. The reason that this is their method, I believe, is that many Americans still do not make the effort to even do the little things that make each days environmental impact less. A recent fad on Facebook is to post 25 random facts, thoughts, goals about yourself, and then tag 25 friends friends who are supposed to do the same. One of my friends recently posted this on his list: "19) I know that recycling is really great, but I hate taking those extra steps in order to recycle. TRASH IT IS!" See today's Washington Post article, 25. We Never Do Random Things. Until We Do. for an interesting insight on this phenom. But what I really want to explain, is that it is easier to tell the population to make these little changes, that more people are willing to do.

I have hopes that President Barack Obama will continue to work to environmental change, which he has already shown to be a key concern in his administration. New Energy for America will not only provide jobs for many Americans, but help us create new sources of power and lead to environmental changes that would not progress under the governance of George Bush. I believe that there are thousands of Americans who place environmental change at the forefront of their concerns, and much of this was demonstrated during Obama's campaign, and hopefully these Americans can fulfill Maniates hopes that our political leaders will now help sponsor and invest in our future by environmental changes. In the meantime, we must continue to impress upon those who do not consider environmental issues important to continue reducing their environmental impact one small, simple step at a time.