Thursday, April 12, 2007

guilt and environmentalism

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/04/12/MNG6FP74D61.DTL

While I'm glad this issue is getting more attention and happy to hear California is on board with putting on the pressure for some immediate changes, and while in general I agree (partially) with the governor's take on guilt, I think this kind of approach is too little too late.

It's one thing to avoid beating yourself up with guilt about your choices in the past. It's another to keep on keeping on with your "powering of private airplanes" in Arnold's case and claim neo-environmentalism. You can let go of focusing on the guilt, because that focus can be crippling, but still move forward making different (maybe, better?) choices in the future.

I think global warming is past the "movement" phase that Schwarzenegger is describing and that the facts are out there (from scientists, not just body builders) that we have to make massive changes as far as conservation (on a wide scale). Guilt aside, its just the moral course of action moving forward.

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