I thank the Washington Post for last Sunday’s Outlook section which addressed eco-issues from the perspective of “green” legislation and personal strategies to contribute to a smaller carbon footprint. After reading Steven Mufson’s article on “Is This Green Enough? We Can Clean Up Our Act, But It’ll Cost Us,” I feel educated about the pros and cons of corporate trade-offs and credits on emissions, potential legislation, the positions of presidential candidates, and even the futility we all feel at times.
Ed Begley Jr.’s piece made me smile – because he’s not just a freak who is a hippie-like hangover of the 1960s. He’s actually helping to turn us 180 degrees and is a mentor/example of what we can do. (I don’t plan to cycle for 15 minutes to make toast, however. But I have changed the light bulbs, I do use public transit, I do recycle paper, etc.)
Sandra Tsing Loh presents the sometimes one-upmanship game her friends exhibit with who’s doing a better job at decreasing the carbon footprint – and realistically discussing how it is going to cost us a heck of a lot of money to make changes, such as installing solar panels. Doing good can be costly – and sometimes you have to accomplish it without recouping your financial expenses.
With gasoline over $3.50 a gallon and food costs escalating, it’s difficult to ask people living on the edge financially to invest in something like solar power. In our own homes we can purchase energy-efficient appliances. But we need to make ENERGY STAR appliances affordable so that those with less can buy them. And heavens, fuel-efficient Toyota Prius cars are too expensive for the average guy, even with tax credits. (And the vehicles use chemicals that are potentially pollutants, too – you can’t win!) But perhaps you can plant deciduous trees on the south side of your house to shade your home and therefore use less electricity to cool it in the summer time (or use a fan instead of the A.C.) That’s a simple yet effective and “cheap” step.
This is drastic to some, but a long time ago I agreed with population awareness advocate Werner Fornos. We are outgrowing our Earth, and people are using too many resources to sustain ourselves and the planet. Have fewer children; adopt children.
So solutions are varied, difficult and expensive. I would suggest we start in our own backyards, like Ed Begley Jr.