I’m happy to say that my eyes were really opened by Professor Maniates’ “Trinity of Despair”. As a green crusader myself, I know better than anyone that it’s the most difficult thing in the world to get others who disagree with the entire green movement on the same page as myself. But after listening to Professor Maniates’ discussion I’ve realized that maybe we don’t have to all jump on board in order to create change.

Many of my previous posts have been about my frustrations when others don’t participate in the tedious everyday green nuances like I do. I’ve even wrote multiple times that the solution to our global crises lie in everybody banning together to find a solution. But maybe this is and never will be possible no matter how hard we try. Maybe Professor Maniates is right in saying it takes a minority with a fixed will and determination can successfully rework the system in our favor. It’s been done before, just as Maniates said, the Women’s Suffrage, and the Civil Rights movements are clear examples to support his claim.

If you were to ask me before class what my stance on an environmental solution was I would have probably disagreed with Professor Maniates. However during class I found myself surprisingly optimistic in comparison to the rest of the class. Before Maniates even described the “Trinity of Despair” or any of his theories I said aloud “It doesn’t take everyone, because the people who are working on the issues are the most passionate and driven people. They are the people to get the job done.” So maybe Professor Maniates and I agreed on the issue even when I thought we didn’t. But I can tell you 100% he has turned me pro-Maniates after his lecture. I’m now refocusing my environmental efforts not in converting the apathetic others, but creating a larger impact on my own.

I can totally save the planet.