Forgive my crankiness, but what is it that makes Americans think they have done something about a problem when they buy a t-shirt or a coffee mug emblazoned with a slogan or a logo?  

OK, I am getting cranky. In my (now ancient) youth, some women organized a short-lived but popular campaign around the slogan: "We say 'yes' to guys who say 'no'". For you kids who haven't taken a course in mid-20th Century American history yet, this was about resisting the draft. I don't think anyone imagined at the time that it would do much to stop the Vietnam War, but I still thought this was a great idea. I just regretted that I could only burn my draft card once.

As Kate says, coffee mugs and t-shirts linking sex and sustainability can't do any harm. And it has to be better to have the kids snogging each other in their dorms rather than out burning fossil fuels cruising. And is there any way to have more fun without burning carbon - or eating carbs?

Robert Delfs

"what is it that makes Americans think they have done something about a problem when they buy a t-shirt or a coffee mug emblazoned with a slogan or a logo?"
America is a 'follower' culture. We cling desperately to our celebrity worship and only accept products and ideas that we know are popular. It's this fact that makes the stickers and t-shirts effective. On that campus when it becomes popular to have those stickers and shirts then the idea can finally be accepted.

So what Americans have done when they have magically made the stickers and shirts for a cause popular is that they have given that cause the window of opportunity to thrive. Granted, it's not a guarantee that the idea will thrive, but it sure  helps.

- On a side note I am upset that I can not purchase a mug or stickers online anywhere that I see.

They're giving away the buttons and selling the shirts at cost -- so they're really not getting anything out of this except the glee of a successful campaign.

And they call that "sustainable"?   Once the glee of "printing buttons" wears off, these kids will be back to playing Texas Hold 'em in the dorms.

Let me tell you something...you know what's sustainable?   Exxon-Mobile.   They'll be supplying us energy for the next millenium.

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I fail to see why so many are up in arms over a few shirts, buttons and stickers. The Young Dems aren't on campus throwing fliers and paper all over, littering and causing extreme amounts of waste like other campus movements. In fact, only a select few have the shirts at this point, and they aren't even making any profit off of them.

And to point out the irony in your Exxon Mobile comment, (which I'm hoping is a joke), the only reason Exxon is even pathetically trying to make 'sustainable' energy is because of the vary, 'glee,' 'fad,' and 'follower' culture you are all speaking of. Do you really think an oil mogul like the Exxon Mobile Corporation actually cares enough about the environment to suddenly jump into action? Hardly. Movements, that started out just as small as this one have caused a revolution in the way that we think about our daily lives and how we impact the world around us.

In the long run, I'm sure that 20 shirts, a few stickers and buttons won't really impact the environment as much as 5000 non-recyclable cups a DAY.

So instead of sitting on your ass, logging onto the internet and criticizing a bunch of concerned college kids, maybe you should get out there and do something too.  

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
-Margaret Mead

I didn't really think that I was exactly "up in arms" about this, Mandis, but after reading your righteous words of criticism, I felt so guilty that all I could do was go out and buy six green-themed t-shirts.  Actually, I lie - I could only find four.  The other two were advertisements for Bintang beer. But, hey, beer is organic, right.  And you were right - I feel so much better now.

Robert Delfs

Maybe some have info we don't, but "millennium"??,  don't bet on it... experts estimate that the oil will not last another 50 years.  Exxon (et al) have had a license to print money for far too long, and the end is, like I said, already in sight.  Fossil fuels are NOT replenishable, therefore the technologies dependent upon them are NOT sustainable.  

Wrap your head around a lot of belt-tightening measures, kiddo.  Our lifestyles (worldwide) are due for a HUGE adjustment, whether the sexiness of sustainability catches on or not - the fact is: when you take something away, you gotta put something back.  

So, learn to slow down, eh?  It will pay off, bigtime.  The kids snogging away in the dorms (anything to avoid unnecessary travel in their SUVs) have a good idea, so long as they keep an eye on the population rate.  ;}

Well Mr. Bailo, I can tell you with great certainty, that the glee of this campaign has NOT worn off, and those kids DON'T play Texas Hold 'em, because there're too busy trying to dream up ways to make the world a better place. Frankly, coming from the generation that opposed Viet Nam, didn't trust anyone over 30, and was going to make the world a better place, I'm so embarrassed.  We greedy, egocentric, consumerish Baby Boomers blew it big time.  Thank God, there are kids like these who are doing something to help people think.  This campaign has touched me in so many ways--I bring my coffee mug along or don't get coffee--I re-use my water bottle, I started composting....The list of things that have now entered my conscious thought is endless.  The list of sustainable changes I have made continues to grow, simply because of this campaign.  So Kudos to the Young Dems at UW.  And, Mr. Bailo, I can tell you without a doubt, that his mother only wishes she could take credit for the great ideas that spring from those young minds--but she can't.  She's just proud, damn proud!
Nicko's Mom

Sunshine

why not look at the laziness of our society? we drive to check the mail, to pick the kids up at the bus, we drive to events that support bicycling