Anyone that follows me on Twitter knows that the bulk of my material comes from “Green” news sources, which I study every day. I, in turn, pass along the stories that I think my followers will find interesting. One of my favorite sources is Environmental Markets Newsletter from John J Lothian & Co.
Today’s newsletter was prefaced with a commentary that I’ve been thinking about writing myself. I have these same conversations on an on-going basis and, since the editor of EMN took the time to articulate it so well today I thought I’d pass it along.
From time to time, depending on the cocktail hour company, I get a question or discuss the topic of environmental activist groups. Usually, that starts and ends with the likes of Greenpeace. I generally don’t have much of an opinion about Greenpeace but have increasingly felt myself – a follower of the market-based approach to global warming – pulling further away from such organizations. And then I saw the publicity stunt with Greenpeace draping a banner from Mount Rushmore calling on Obama to stop global warming while he attended the G-8 Meeting in Italy. As I read the ridiculous press releases from Greenpeace about what a wake-up call it was the country, I felt an even stronger disconnect.
Finally, I listened to a podcast from Bill Moyers Journal, “Obama and Environmentalists” http://bit.ly/26kDCC where he interviewed Mary Sweeters of Greenpeace USA and Erich Pica of Friends of the Earth about why they oppose the Waxman-Markey legislation. What irritated me more than anything is the complete disconnect these two people have with the political realities facing Obama and the rest of the world. While I’ll be the first to support their position that the current legislation does not seem to go far enough to address the scientific community’s call for fast and meaningful action on climate change, it shouldn’t be rejected as they suggest. But what is more infuriating about groups such as Greenpeace and others is that they often have no other practical plan to put forward. They’re the same as the ultra conservatives on the right that oppose the changes suggested but then fail to come up with new ideas that could shape the debate.
As I listened to Sweeters and Pica say that Obama just needs to twist more arms and be out in front of the American people on the issue, the fact is that isn’t an alternative plan.
So I’ve chosen to ignore much of that noise because they are not contributing to the legislation currently in the pipeline but they are doing a swell job of marginalizing themselves.
In the movie ‘HOME’, one of the narrators repeats, “It’s too late to be a pessimist.” I’d like to add, “It’s too late to point fingers without offering meaningful solutions.”
August 21st, 2009 at 10:51 am
i agree Sir……………to what you added…..better to “stop” talking much about problems and focus more on how to “start” talking about meaningful,pragmatic,symbiotic long term solutions both for economic development and environment conservation..there aint contradiction between these two.
One ME.One WE….(One Nurturing&Enhancing for Mother Earth.One Nurturing&Enhancing for Worldwide Enlightenment)
THANK YOU.More power.
Have greener days ahead….
January 21st, 2010 at 5:17 pm
I’m confident most of your followers are already familiar with the practice of permaculture.
Still for those who are not yet …http://www.youtube.com/user/permaculturecoop
thanks to all engaged: The Private, the public, the commercial, the NGOs., the concerned , the curious, the skeptics, to all who visit this site, to those who will visit this site, as one, thank you.
iy9g86
PS: As my grandmother used to tell me… “time to dig potatoes.”
March 18th, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I agree with your post – espcecially your parting comments with regards to offering critisism without a meaningful solution.
An observation here – in my mind the key point of tension here is that Grenpease / FOE and the like would suggest that what they offer is a meaningful solution. I think everyone taking part in this debate that accepts the science (ie not sceptics) thinks their idea is the best solution, whether that be markets, stronger targets/legislation or a hybrid.
Its not an easy one to solve.