Comments krabago has made

Personal Energy Conservation

Karl Rabago responds:

Jeff Ball's article, which reflected my experiences and those of others regarding energy conservation, was accurate and captured the challenges facing individuals seeking to reduce their energy footprint.

The printed version could not, of course, tell the whole story. I think the indvidual actions of the citizenry are a key part of the solution. Personally, I am most surprised to be described as emblematic of the typical American "craving" for luxury.

My background and career of public service (13 years military service, 3 environmental NGO jobs, 1 state government job, 1 teaching position, etc.) has left me with no trust fund or giant nest egg. If I could retire on psychic income, I would have been "swimming" in luxury a long time ago.

Buying bigger and "nicer" homes has been a good strategy for building some measure of conventional wealth for me - and many others. With the economy what it has been, especially under the current administration, this has been a sound strategy - especially for someone who changes jobs and moves often.

If I am typical, it is in wanting a measure of financial security for my family in spite of not enjoying the income and opportunity others earn by working solely in the private sector or inherit by stroke of lucky birth.

In my neighborhood, I am, in fact, an oddity. I am  Hispanic; I have very little debt; I have already raised my children; and I have never made half the salary of my neighbors.

And I am teaching them a thing or two about saving energy and protecting the environment. The technology and policy don't mean a thing unless people use them. This is going to happen one person at a time.

In the environmental movement, we often fall victim to the mistake of "making the perfect the enemy of the good." (It is at the heart of the threats to the vitality of the environmental movement, I think.) Some of the tone of these  postings gets close to that point.

Here's another approach. Let's tell our friends that the WSJ carried a story on energy efficiency and renewables - the WSJ, for goodness sakes! The other people Jeff Ball featured in his story deserve our support as real heroes - and real leaders, doing the right thing in spite of unpopularity and even criticism from colleagues and neighbors. That's what the people in Jeff Ball's story really typify. They deserve support and encouragement from the environmental community for trying to take these issues "mainstream" and for making a difference one decision at a time.

Karl R. Rabago
rabago@mac.com

-------- Karl R. Rabago

Inconsistency?

I want to argue that destroying life by destroying the environment is immoral. I want to argue that destroying life by destroying economic opportunity is immoral. I want to argue that destroying life by destroying communities is immoral.

But I am stuck on how I can still argue for reproductive choice.

The ticket for admission to the "moral majority" seems to be the abortion issue (and the gay issue - which has in common that sex should only be between people intending and capable of creating a viable fetus with every act).

Will environmentalists or sustainability advocates ever get in? How?

-------- Karl R. Rabago