Pointing fingers is always easier than taking an introspective glance on how one contributes to a given problem, but it is something we all need to do more of, especially when it comes to sustainability. Throwing the spotlight on large offenses of environmental degradation is part of the discussion and pressing for their solutions is equally valuable, but there should be more conversations happening on a smaller scale that assess what we consider to be the mundane aspects of our daily lives. Despite growing verbal support for sustainability in polling numbers and cocktail conversations, Americans have countless ways to alter their own actions knowing full well that we control the marketplace for an economy that hangs on consumer spending.
A friend pointed me to one of Tom Friedman’s recent articles where he posts a letter from one of his colleagues talking about perspective and blame in regards to the BP oil spill in the Gulf. I thought it was particularly relevant. The letter reads:
I’d like to join in on the blame game that has come to define our national approach to the ongoing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. This isn’t BP’s or Transocean’s fault. It’s not the government’s fault. It’s my fault. I’m the one to blame and I’m sorry. It’s my fault because I haven’t digested the world’s in-your-face hints that maybe I ought to think about the future and change the unsustainable way I live my life. If the geopolitical, economic, and technological shifts of the 1990s didn’t do it; if the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 didn’t do it; if the current economic crisis didn’t do it; perhaps this oil spill will be the catalyst for me, as a citizen, to wean myself off of my petroleum-based lifestyle. ‘Citizen’ is the key word. It’s what we do as individuals that count. For those on the left, government regulation will not solve this problem. Government’s role should be to create an environment of opportunity that taps into the innovation and entrepreneurialism that define us as Americans. For those on the right, if you want less government and taxes, then decide what you’ll give up and what you’ll contribute. Here’s the bottom line: If we want to end our oil addiction, we, as citizens, need to pony up: bike to work, plant a garden, do something. So again, the oil spill is my fault. I’m sorry. I haven’t done my part. Now I have to convince my wife to give up her S.U.V.
– Mark Mykleby
Rather than talking about the America and Oil, what is most important is the inward-looking logic that the writer applies (rather objectively) to both sides of the political aisle. We are all used to the cultural norm of our partisan system with dueling groups that spend most of their time finding ways to point fingers at the other rather than giving enough critique to their own suggestions. When it comes to sustainability, neither side really has it right and I agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Mykleby’s stance.
Government regulation is a supportive tool that can help steer citizens away from decisions that may seem benign on the individual scale but are caustic on the national (or global) level. After all, politicians are there to keep their focus on the integral workings of the nation–a scale not every citizen can study all the time. Despite the good intentions that can spark legislation, it does not impart the desire to subscribe to the ideals of the movement, running the risk of making whatever progress we achieve be only skin-deep. The government should be a facilitator, but also an educator rather than a police force whenever possible.
On the other hand, infinite debate combined with a unreasonably high level of political correctness does not really accomplish anything. For those that strike out at changes to our national direction and claim a constriction of their freedoms as Americans, then the easiest way to stave off government regulation of a problem is to deal with the problem yourself. If you do not want the feds telling you how to solve the issue, then solve it on your own terms realizing that personal change will be an inherent component of the solution that is unavoidable. When it comes to addressing the sustainability of your lifestyle, everything should merit a level of reconsideration. If we are doing something the same way it has been done for decades, then chances are it is in need of reassessment.
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