Ariel's Post

The issue brought up by Maniates is something I touched on a bit in my last post. One can even say that I made the same error he brings up, by suggesting the best course of action lies in the little things in which people can engage.

Yet, I agree with Maniates— we are in need of radical change, and it won’t happen if we are led to believe that the solutions are easier than they really are. Still, we have to start somewhere. And I wonder if a true revolution, as wonderful as it is to imagine, is really feasible in the manner Maniates suggests. The kind of revolution Maniates is suggesting involves an intense amount of passion— the kind of passion that doesn’t just appear overnight, the kind of passion that results when people decide to dedicate their whole lives to something in which they truly believe.

But perhaps, and I’m guessing here, this kind of passion could be a product of the little things. I’m unconvinced (as is psychological evidence) that you can show someone a documentary, convincing as it might be, and have people walk out of it with a sudden, deep, meaningful dedication to its cause. But perhaps, if you show them such a documentary or present them with a convincing argument and then suggest some little things they could do, people might start small and realize how far they can go with a bit more dedication. And then a bit more. And so on.

But on the overall, I agree with Maniates. We do need to do more and become more involved, and it is bad to believe that little things can make all the difference when the problem is huge. It’s true; environmental scientists shouldn’t just “treat us like children” and give us small answers when problems require big solutions.

However, they also just can’t say “you should be angry and start a revolution!” and expect people to just believe it and fight for it with all their hearts. The movement Maniates suggests requires real dedication and real passion. You know, the kind of thing people need to really find within themselves.