Bryan’s Recent Comments

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  Whence II, The movement to do

  I definitely agree that being proactive is key.  It is vitally important to continue to bring violators to justice, to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and to create at the very least minimum standards of protection through laws and regulations.  However, the environmental movement needs to shake its Chicken Little image and become the movement of possibility, progress and preemption.  I think that this pendulum swing from "the sky is falling" to the "sky is the limit" has already begun with the recent boom in renewable energy research and development, the mounting interest and work being done in sustainable development and green building, and the increasing awareness of the interconnectedness of the environment, energy, economy, health, jobs and domestic and international security.  We need to continue with such efforts, as well as numerous others, and make the people of this country aware of the positive side of environmentalism.            

  One of the issues that you brought up that I feel will be a bit more difficult to capitalize on is trying to raise the profile of the local movements.  It is going to become increasingly difficult to get the attention of the media, even at the local levels, because of the mass consolidation of media into fewer and fewer hands.  The voice of the local community is drowned out in this new media environment by the incessant focus of the sensational by these media conglomerates.  The hurdles for local access and attention will only get higher. (This, by the way, is not a lefty agenda, but rather an issue of importance to all Americans no matter what political stripe).   That is why outlets such as Gristmill are going to play a critical role in drawing attention to local efforts.  I realize that Gristmill is a national weblog, but it allows individuals to have a voice, a form of representation, from wherever they might be.  If anything, these national weblogs could serve as a catalyst to form local weblogs on the topics that the national websites address.  As more and more people log-on to the internet they will get there news from sources like yours.  The trouble will be trying to get those other than the "choir" to come to these sites.  Once people begin reading, hearing and seeing the positive environmental efforts going on in their community and how these efforts directly impact them they will become engaged.  Interestingly, I think that natural food markets such as Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc. and local farmers markets have begun to play an important role in this respect.  People are more aware of where the food they eat comes from and how it is made. They have coonected health with healthy eating, which requires healthy and environmentally responsible ways of raising and growing the food we eat. Even though some of these food markets are national chains, they offer information on local environmental events, initiatives and organizations.  I think people are learning more about their community and the positive environmental efforts being made in them by going to these markets once a week, much more than they could ever learn from a years worth of local news.  At least that seems to be the case in communities like mine here in Miami, Fl.

  I guess my little lesson here is a quick drive to the market to get organic chewing gum can open your eyes to new worlds of environmental possibilities.  
  On Whither the environmental movement? II posted 5 years ago 14 Responses