Comments larrycham has made

FOE endorsement

I agree that Dennis Kucinich is the best candidate on the environment and many other issues.  I recall that in the Grist interview of the candidates, only Kucinich said that we would never have sound environmental policies until there is a change in consciousness. Other candidate mostly offered a predictable laundry list, though I thought Obama went beyond this just a little.  

I assume that Friends of the Earth believes that to endorse Kucinich would be to throw away their influence, when they might be able to actually influence the who actually gets the nomination. It is a sad reality.  

A pervasive change in consciousness is our best hope for developing a sustainable future. -- Thomas Berry

Gloom & doom vs. fun

Check out the Center for a New American Dream... newdream.org.  Their basic message of "more fun, less stuff" reminds us what we need to do.  At a personal level, I try to do all those little things we can do as individuals (mainly less energy used for transportation and housing) while being active in a local group that tries to educate the public through discussion courses developed by the Northwest Earth Institute. Our organization held a large public meeting right after the release of the IPCC Fourth Assessment reports, and at that meeting we laid out the facts in plain view but ended with lots of information on what we can do as individuals. Our local newspaper online forums have been sizzling ever since with a debate on global warming.  I feel that at least we initiated a conversation, and now we hope to push for action like the Sierra Club's Cool Cities campaign.  My point is that we who are part of the so-called 3 percent need to get out there and send our message in as many ways and forums as possible.  Yes, there needs to be a certain amount of gloom (realism) but that cannot be the overwhelming tone of the message.  We must also offer hope, and even fun.   And in the meantime, each of us must seek new ways of reducing our own carbon footprint.    

A pervasive change in consciousness is our best hope for developing a sustainable future. -- Thomas Berry

Small & Big Stuff

I agree with Shawn totally.  A year ago our local supermarket did not handle any organic food (believe it or not).  Now, they have organic fruits and veggies and cereal, etc.  The market is growing; the demand has made it profitable to carry organic produce.

Similarly, with phosphorus-free dishwasher detergent.  Our local store now carries one brand with no phosphorus.  Now, since we live on a bayou, some of us here are very concerned about the quality of our water.  Our little bayou is often under a health alert just because of all the runoff from adjacent properties.  

Over time, I have come to deal with a lot of little issues like detergent, lawn care products (minimize turf grass), etc.  I believe that a large number of people sweating the little stuff adds up to big stuff.  Of course, we shouldn't take our eye off the larger issues.  Ultimately, they all connect.  As Loren Eisley said, "One could not pluck a flower without troubling a star."

A pervasive change in consciousness is our best hope for developing a sustainable future. -- Thomas Berry