Juli Bongiorno | Executive Editor
Flashback to Feb. 25, 2007, Al Gore is thanking the American people, his wife Tipper, and…the Academy. This was the night his “Inconvenient Truth” won two Oscars, the moment environmentalism officially became sexy. The film’s success sprung ordinary people into action, and the next thing I knew everyone around me was passionate about saving the environment.
It’s one year later and although there has not been a significant policy change towards the environment, in class I see my fellow students toting environmentally friendly bags and wearing T-shirts that read “There is no Planet B.” We’re still inspired. I can’t help but wonder, will these small steps really stop our environment from crumbling?
I’ve found that people are willing to alter their smallest habits, as long as it’s convenient. Last year the green up club handed out free compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and I eagerly switched out my old light bulbs. I’ll be honest, when they sent out the e-mail, the key word was “free.” I helped save the world without lifting a finger.
Usually the problem with what’s “sexy” is that it’s a fad. People have short attention spans. That’s why these small, effortless changes are so important. As long as we keep them simple and convenient, the trend will continue. But we can take our efforts one step further.
"Usually the problem with what's "sexy" is that it's a fad."
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Change will come from the grassroots level, says Dan Sandberg, a junior Environmental Council and Green-Up SMC member. He believes that while small changes are sustainable, the real power that we wield is the power of purchase. This is not the age of protest, but of a strong consumer base that’s pro environment, he says.
He argues that unless people make the choice not to purchase something, big business will never change. Sandberg points out that in the last few years the amount of organic produce in chain grocery stores has increased threefold. Big business responded to a push for change: local, organic food. I say we push for more change.
In a 2007 Stanford University poll respondents were asked how they would like to see the U.S. government fight global warming. Almost two-thirds of the respondents supported a cap on greenhouse emissions for power plants. Nearly all of the respondents supported the government in either encouraging or requiring the auto industry to make cars that use less gasoline.
I don’t think we should wait for the government to make change. Let’s face it, not one of us has the money to compete with General Motors' hold on Congress. Nor do we have the time to invest in such a battle. Instead, let’s just stop buying cars that use so much gasoline.
On Super Bowl Sunday, GMC advertised the new Yukon Hybrid. It gets an astonishing 20 miles per gallon. This is their response to an environmental crisis? We need to send a signal that we aren’t excited about a car that travels less than 30 miles per gallon, especially a hybrid. The only way to do so is by refusing to buy cars that are less than our ideal. It’s an untapped power we forget our wallets hold.
"Starve the industries that don't repond to our call for change."
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This mentality of taking things into our own hands scopes the entire commercial industry. Don’t buy bottled water, buy a Brita. Purchase notebooks made from recycled paper. Starve the industries that don’t respond to our call for change. And in the meantime, keep bringing that canvas bag to the grocery store instead of wasting more plastic.
A combination of simple lifestyle changes and consumer pressure can change the course of our environment. Not only is it the right thing to do, it’s an easy thing to do. Besides, didn’t you hear? Sexy is back, and Vanity Fair says green is the new black. |