Two recent thought-provoking movies: An Inconvenient Truth exposes the effects of pollution and fuel emission on global warming, while The End of Suburbia explores oil depletion and the collapse of the American dream. The combined effect of climate change and energy deficiency on resource-wasting economies such as America's is likely to be devastating.
Yet, the vast majority of people seem happy to ignore the problem, or to dismiss it as some sort of tree-hugging hysteria. There's never been so many gas-guzzling SUBarges on the road; local production and communities have become a thing of the past, as we prefer to import goods from far-away lands, and to drive miles to work or to the mall; urban sprawl and suburban lifestyles are out of control.Compared to Europe, the lack of public awareness in this country is stunning. And frightening, because when the poop hits the fan, things are going to turn real ugly. The Cassandra in me cannot see a positive, or simply democratic outcome; but the optimist hopes that America will once again reinvent itself, pulling through the painful transition to re-discover a new, reality-based way of living.
As Saint Augustin wrote, "L'espoir a deux belles filles: la colère face à l'état des choses; le courage de les changer."
1 comment:
Why Travel to France reports today on a new eco-game designed by French-based portal Jeux Mac.
Called Recycle, the game "sets an essential precedent that encourages kids to recycle and puts them into a natural mindset incorporating the idea that life requires recycling, which is vital to the preservation of the environment."
http://www.whytraveltofrance.com/?p=494
Raising kids' awareness and thereby (re)educating the parents/adults is a brilliant idea, long used in marketing.
Post a Comment