Comments on: Environment: Elbowed out by recession

By: George Will and the myth of maximizing biodiveristy « David Raikow’s River Continua

Mon, 10 May 2010 14:43:15 +0000

[...] by David Raikow on April 6, 2009 · Leave a Comment A recent post at Ecotone got me thinking about George Will and science reporting. They take issue with George Will’s [...]

By: Arran Edmonstone

Arran Edmonstone — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 01:19:48 +0000

I don’t think a majority of people see the connection between the environment, our health, and the health of the economy. To me there is an obvious connection. It is quite unfortunate that our collective values have not reached a point to which the connection is apparent. The majority of Americans still believe that saving money equals buying cheap “stuff” and more of it. This includes products that are much more harmful to the environment such as prepackaged food, toxic household cleaners, plastics, and department store clothing at a sale price. In fact it is just as cost-effective to purchase bulk foods, garden, make non-toxic household cleaners (or spend just a little more on the eco-friendly brands), and shop at thrift stores for clothing. I think people are generally so cut-off from the later way of living that the former is all they are they really know.

By: JohnPolo

JohnPolo — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:17:50 +0000

It seems to me that many people are worried about the creature comforts that can be accumulated with man-made wealth. These are something easily valued and observed. OTOH, actions that would preserve or restore nature, such as conserving water by not watering lawns, or limiting one’s own bathing to something reasonable, like 1x/day for <6 minutes, are perceived by conservatives as threats to freedom and “the economy”. To me, when they say this will negatively impact the economy, they mean, ‘It impinges on my comfortable, albeit wasteful, lifestyle.’