He's Right

I think Michael Maniates is right. I know that's a very simple response, but I think it's true. In popular media, we're told that being green is about making small, personal changes. We're told that those cloth shopping bags really do make a BIG difference, when, in reality, they don't.

Part of the reason that we're told this way is because of the extreme consumerism in the U.S. These kind of behavioral changes dont' require us to consume less, they require us to consume differently. It's not hard for most people to do the little tips in "The Lazy Environmentalist."

Another part of why we're given this advice is because it's such a big problem. The people in places of power probably think that we feel powerless when facing something so large. These little pieces of advice are easy to do, and they make you feel like you're making a difference. When they start talking about technology and agriculture and energy systems, people who do not work in these industries immediately think "that's not speciality, there's nothing I can do." These little tips, therefore, make people feel like they can help.

I think these little things are definetly not enough. But I think that they're a good start. A lot of underlying things in our society need to change, but I think it's important to get people interested in the environment first. Nowadays, being green is trendy. Hopefully, real leadership can crop up soon that can move us towards thinking about bigger solutions.