Comments on: More Questions than Answers, Always

By: Culture Kid

Culture Kid — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:40:14 +0000

I would further like to add to Crocus’ second post. The seminars I’ve attended for this class have done nothing to further a critical problem I have with engaging in multi-disciplinary environmental dialogue: fence-sitting. But I’m the one who ends up on the fence as I waiver back and forth between cynicism (at the idealism and hopeless optimism I hear others voice) and strong belief and confidence that there is something to be done for “the environment” (which I will not attempt to define here, now – I’ll save it for later). So in a sense, I suppose I apologize for the cynicism displayed in my synopsis and analysis of the David Orr talk, because in general, I really do think we need more people as idealistic as he is, rather than more cynics. I am attempting to become a realist, somewhere in between the two.

By: Jones

Jones — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:18:55 +0000

I would like to add to Crocus’ second post (the more optimistic one). I too spend a lot of time thinking about the right ways to act to make a difference. My family and I always buy energy saving devices. We buy local produce and try to eat organic whenever possible. I live off a middle-class income which is largely devoted to these consumer choices of mine. Of the millions of people who can’t afford the alternatives, and of the millions who don’t know why they should buy the alternatives, I really feel that my spending is making little to no difference.
I like to comfort myself with the idea that one cannot move a mountain, but one can move a rock on that mountain. If enough rocks are moved so is the mountain. It just takes time.

By: merle

merle — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 22:20:00 +0000

I will use the opportunity Culture Kid opened up by her post to criticize our own MSE on the gap between the preaching done within the institution (or by speakers/professors) and the practices of the institution (or by speakers/professors). I don’t know much about the practices of this particular institution promoting environmental awareness, some of which might be very remarkable, but not all of them. Every time I go to an event organized by the MSE or its members and I see Styrofoam cups and disposable dishes, I wonder how we can then say to others to change their behavior. How can we try to influence people outside and even inside the institution, e.g. even our students (undergraduates and graduates), if we don’t start by giving a good example in our everyday practices?

By: crocus

crocus — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:29:27 +0000

I am really glad Parasite Kid has brought some optimism to this discussion. I for one, can tend to be tragically optimistic (I have found myself always trying to find the value and goodness in each of the talks so far)….. it is quite funny that this time around I tried to be more critical in my mind, and in some ways turned out more cynical.

I would like to confess that for all of the talks I have heard this year having the structure that I outlined above, I have enjoyed them all and agree with the message. I also like that so many people have come out to the talks as the messages are important. I think my criticism comes in wanting to hear more manageable solutions for the general populous. When I speak to family members about large world issues, they feel like they don’t know how to get involved with larger changes that need to happen (i.e. how do they try to promote new energies without putting their buying power behind new products? They do not have money to do so, nor do they want to contribute to more consumerism).

I agree that for a lot of people this is the place to start for learning the importance of global scale environmental problems. I would just like the see the dialog continued into discussion about real action.

By: parasite kid

parasite kid — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 19:53:03 +0000

I think we are rather priviledged to be getting this “compassion fatigue”. When you step back into the real world for a moment you are struck with just how different other people’s realities are. For this I think speakers such as Orr are incredibly important. We just need to get these speakers into public forums of broad audiences, find ways of ensuring turn out and try to continue the dialogue that ensues.

Despite having “heard it before” i still found my spirit buoyed by the energy and the volume of the audience. In the academic realm, maybe the sad fact is that we have to rely on flying somebody with status from afar to get the turn out and stimulate the discussion. So I guess the challenge for us is rather like those striking off to travel for the first time…not to be blind to what we have right around us as we strive to explore beyond our borders.

By: crocus

crocus — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:52:34 +0000

I agree with this post whole heartedly: After hearing at least 3 talks in the last few months that all sound the same (40 minutes outlining many world ills, and 20 minutes talking about broad concepts for reform) I sometimes feel no further ahead than before.

After one talk in particular, an undergraduate student got up and asked the question, “So, what do we do now?”. At the time I thought it was extremely funny, as it is such a common question to hear at talks like these. But, why is it so common? I would like to suggest that it is the broad nature of these talks that draws questions like this. The world issues presented are so huge and we feel overwhelmed – that is the intent.

However, when the talk turns to address where we can go from here, the ideas presented are also broad and few people understand how they fit into it. How does one person change fuel efficiency? Promote alternative energies? Enact educational reform? The short answer, most often they do not. I would like to challenge speakers giving this style of talk to bring their message down from the ivory tower a bit. If these talks are to inspire the everyman to their part, they need to give examples of how people can make real change. I am not saying that we need more people to promote the use of energy efficient light bulbs and energy star appliances (we have heard that enough), but to advertise places where people can find more information, organizations that people can contact to get involved…. something feasible.

I think sometimes the focus on thinking broadly (and interdisciplinary) about world concepts alienates us from how our personal actions translate into impact. These speakers are able to draw large crowds. If they offer solutions that everyone can grasp and accomplish, perhaps we can see great change.