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Is environmentalism just a fad?
Posted by flamingspinach • 6/06/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: discussion, environmentalism, fad, Nature
I read an interesting article on the San Jose Mercury News website today that asked the question: is environmentalism just a fad? Here's the link: www.mercurynews.com/alamedacounty/ci_9492627?nclick_check=1
I personally agree with one psychologist quoted in the story that there is an element of "faddism" to it, but that we will all settle into a habit of being environmentally friendly once the fervor dies down. I'm a tree hugger, but just thought it would make for an interesting discussion.
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User Comments
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It may just be. I notice that the recycle buckets are coming back into vogue. If it is a fad then it's seen it's time and has come back again. Like fashion it appears to be cylindrical. -
You know what? We don't have readily-available recycling buckets at my apartment complex. I have to load up my plastic/glass/etc. and haul it across town to a community recycling place. This doesn't seem fair. The result is that I stockpile all of my recylables in garbage bags in my pantry so that after a month, I look like the old uncle no one talks about who lets his garbage pile up!
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We had to request them. I thought they stopped doing that, but where I live if you request them they will provide them. I'm sure this is different state by state. It's nice to have the option again though.
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Good to know. I should do that. I think the complex where I live provides every couple of dozen units a piddly little plastic crate to put recyclables in, which is totally inappropriate.
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Yes it is a fad which will finish with the extinction of the human race. Most likely cause of extinction: failure to realise that the planet and that which is upon it is a finite resource.-
So you're saying that ignoring environmentalism is a fad too?
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No I'm saying humanity is a fad. Evolution spewed humans up to be top species. Only problem is humans do not adapt to their environment in order to survive like all other species, instead humans adapt the environment. Unfortunately our adapting of the environment has not been planned at all and while it may have been good for our ancestors who did not consume much in the way of resources, it's going to be truly awful for future generations because we consume far too much.
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I see what you're saying: other species adapt TO the earth, whereas we humans adapt the earth to US. Very interesting. Do you see any hope of us adapting to the earth in the near future?
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We are going to have to. The catalyst will be when oil either runs out or becomes impracticaly expensive. Here is a sobering graph peakwatch.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/01/h...
In terms of human history the oil boom is only a fleeting blip. Have we used it wisely? -
Ouch, that looks like a giant dagger sticking up. We've definitely not used oil wisely. For so long people didn't even realize petroleum was a nonrenewable resource, but I can't imagine they honestly thought all of the crap spewing up into the atmosphere was a good thing. Thanks for sharing this graph. Where did you find it?
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It is associated with this blog peakwatch.typepad.com/
Its not the one I was looking for, somewhere out there is a graph with an x axis from 5000BC to 5000AD. Puts the oil spike into even more perspective. Can't remember where I saw it, annoying, was looking at it ages ago. -
Thanks for sharing the graph and the site. Where does the other graph say we'll be in the year 5000 AD oil use-wise out of curiosity (if you remember)?
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polybore said, "Only problem is humans do not adapt to their environment in order to survive like all other species, instead humans adapt the environment."
Well said! -
I agree, that was an insightful statement.
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It's been a freaking LONG fad if that's the case. Like, 40 years long.
I think people got a wakeup call in the 80s/90s with that hole in the ozone layer, and realised that we couldn't treat our planet as a land fill. So now we care a bit more.-
That's just the thing though -- the article is saying that environmentalism wasn't much of a "fad" in the 80's because Reagan cut government backing of the movement, so it kind of died on the vine (no pun intended). So do you think if the government cuts funding of environmental programs the fad will die again in this day and age, or will the people take up the cause in spite of the government's will?
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Just a fad? Well, I suppose if we want to treat the earth and humanity as fads we could live with environmentalism being a fad too.
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Good point.
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I think environmentalism is evolving into worldwide economic stress. Wastefulness of resources is rapidly transmuting into incredibly high commodity prices, which is forcing everyone to cut down on unnecessary material desires, and learning to live on less. In China, the people are choking on their own wastes in the cities (air and water), and here in the U.S. our autos are choking on the high cost of running them. People, especially in the U.S, used wastefulness as a way of advertising wealth. Now, it is becoming something else.-
There are places in the world where they just throw their garbage out of the window. Certainly not a sign of wealth.
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Your line "People, especially in the U.S, used wastefulness as a way of advertising wealth. Now, it is becoming something else" is interesting. There's a certain irony in the status symbols we use to separate ourselves from the crowd also being corrosive to the earth. I think there's a moral imperative in there somewhere.
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Also, what do you mean by, "Now it's something else" in your last line?
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For me, it is rising awareness, that we have to live in the waste that we produce. And if all we are only "consumers" of goods (as the business press describes us), then we will also create lots of waste. The more we consume, the more waste we create (garbage in/garbage out). So, I think, we are, over time, growing more aware of this as a population, and are slowly cutting down on the waste we produce. Otherwise, we will live like pigs.
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stoneman whaddup? It is a fad, But not all fads are bad. Environmentalism gives those without a religion as shot at something bigger than themselves. I as a Christian believe it is important that we protect the resources God has given us.. I do not think that is environmentalism.-
Yes, I agree that it's important for people to believe in something bigger than themselves. Ideas unite us, and this is a good one.
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A Religion.-
What do you mean by this?
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going green is the "in" thing right now. You see a lot a marketers making t-shirts with green slogans or trying to promote their product as eco-friendly. That, in itself, is a fad. The practice of environmentalism isn't a fad. It takes a lot of work and dedication to change your habits to conserve, it's a lifestyle change.-
I hope the recent Republican move to block environmental legislation in Congress won't start putting the brakes on green progress like Reagan's cutting of gov't funding did in the 80's. Al Gore needs to step back into the debate and mix things up a bit, in my opinion.
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I totally believe it is a fad. That's not to say I don't think we should be protecting the environment, but right now it's just the "cool" thing to do, and corporations are jumping on the bandwagon simply to make themselves look good.
Protect the environment because it's the right thing to do, not because it's "cool" or because they tell you to.-
Yep, I agree. Just look at BP's new ads that feature their new motto "BP: Beyond Petroleum". Whatever. What we need more than slogans are environmentally-friendly forms of transportation, like more subway/light rail systems and better public transportation in general.
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I sure hope people aren't just treating this as a fad.
and I agree with *thewriterspulse* We all need to do our part -- whether it's the "cool" thing to do or not. It's the right thing to do -- and that's what matters the most!-
The hard-core people aren't treating it as a fad, but will mom and pop just go with the flow once all the companies get off of the green bandwagon, which will probably happen sooner or later?
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As long as it's easy they will. If there are services setup in you city that make recycling easy, then I think they will continue, for example. If it's like my city where I can't recycle glass unless I haul it to the one place in Colorado Springs that will accept it(which I do), then no, they probably won't stay on the bandwagon.
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I agree. That's the way our whole culture is going: if something's easy, I'll think about doing it. If it's even remotely hard and it's not at the absolute top of my list of priorities, forget it. I wish people would realize the environment should be in the top ten of everyone's list of priorities! I hear you about having to haul recyclables -- I have to do the same thing.
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MVT that is a good point. I know that when I put out recyclables to be picked up, if the guys opt not to pick it up on garbage day, I'll wait another week, but if they ignore the recycling again, I tend to throw it away instead
The ease of use does somewhat determine just how green a person goes.
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LMAO too hard to even respond to the question!
Off to kiss trees... -
I certainly hope not; cleaning up our Earth for our future generations certainly shouldn't be trendy. We've seen the impact humans have had on the Earth already, so should know the impact we can have for the future.
Municipalities are expanding their recycling so much around here, our landfill waste is barely anything. I end up with barely a kitchen trash bag of landfill waste each week for a family of 3. I think they're making it very convenient for us, and it's become a way of life. -
It is kind of a funny question. I think there will always be people who care about the environment. At least I hope so...
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It shouldn't be although most times people get complacent and blame someone else for the environmental issues and don't want to deal with it.
Most people live in denial of so much; apathy is a disease that is spreading-
I guess we'll just have to keep pushing the recycling agenda until people get it. This process is not about convenience; it's about being as resourceful as we can. Isn't that what being American is supposed to be about?? Being resourceful??
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Washington, DC and surrounding states were traumatized by the influx of three different lines of the strongest storm force and tornados as she has ever witnessed. None of us has ever seen the likes of these types of storms before. We need to act quickly, each doing his or her own thing to help the environment.-
I heard there was sewage everywhere. DC doesn't have the infrastructure to handle the giant influx of people that have been streaming in there over the past decade, and there's just too much drainage from too many homes, from what I hear. DC is looking more like Miami, FL every day with its crazy weather. Global warming anyone?
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as for the origional question, I think no. We have no choice
Modernism, driven partly by the industrial need of oil coal and the very finite carbon resources is fading.
The more environmentally tuned in Post modern attitude really has no choice but to win out.
We are just at an overlapping period.
environmentalism is not a fad, its the future.-
I hope you're right. I'd like to think we're in a post-industrial world where everyone will soon be environmentally friendly without even thinking about it.
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I'm just worried the governments of the world will keep the ball rolling on oil and keep American feeling like we need it to survive.
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Yeah it's a fad. Just wait until all the pollution is removed from our skies and waterways, and I'm sure environmentalism will be a thing of the past.
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I like that perspective. I hope you're right.
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But I guess that'll take a number of years, so if something is around for a number of years, I guess it's not really a fad....
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