By Sam Nelson
It's been a few months since Focus the Nation. Like most people, I had mixed feelings about the event itself. While the cause - fighting global climate change (better known by the colloquialism "global warming") - is worthy, the political rhetoric of the main event was spiritually and intellectually taxing. My least-favorite part was when State Senator Ben Westlund declared something to the effect of: "We're Americans, we're always gonna drive!" In response, an audience member shouted a question: "Where's the sacrifice?"
I couldn't agree more. Where is the sacrifice?
Senator Westlund aligns himself with the millions of Americans too attached to their habits to change. They assume technology will solve the energy crisis and they can continue their unsustainable behaviors at their leisure. They see the problem as isolated to their driving habits and fantasize about a simple solution involving higher efficiency standards, electric cars and alternative power generation. As I see it, this mode of thinking is flawed and is only hurting the "green" movement of which it tries to be a part.
This is a problem of CONSUMPTION. Everything you buy - gas, food, drink, clothes, sporting goods, school supplies, electronics - has an effect on the environment, including a carbon footprint. For global climate change to be averted, we have to shift our thinking. We have to challenge societal norms like commuting, air conditioning, bottled water, new clothes, new TVs and meat (oh yes, I said meat). We cannot wait for technology to catch up to our habits; we need to change those habits now and then wait for technology to give us paths toward sustainable living.
My favorite part of Focus the Nation is when Susan Sokol Blosser, owner of the Sokol Blosser winery, described how it is up to each of us to redefine our standards of acceptability for our food, drink, transportation and entertainment. She explained how she now doesn't view weekly drives to the beach as compatible with her sustainable philosophy.
This really hit home with me: How many of us are actually ready to challenge the comforts of our middle and upper class lives? Are we ready to give up the international flights for train rides to another part of the state? Weekend beach drives for a cross-town bike ride? The comfort of our own car for the morning squeeze into a bus or Max? Ground beef for veggie patties? Abercrombie for Goodwill?
You, the reader, most likely acknowledge that humans are wrecking the environment. You probably went to a few seminars during Focus the Nation and thought to yourself, "Cool, I'm glad these people are doing these great things." If asked, you would respond that you do care about the environment and think it is an issue that needs to be addressed.
But what have you actually done? What destructive behavior have you actually changed? What luxury have you sacrificed for the common good of the planet and our species? The World Health Organization estimates that 150,000 people die each year from the effects of global climate change. What are you going to do to keep that number from growing?
Are you like Senator Ben Westlund? Do you attend sustainability conferences and tout Oregon's progress while doing absolutely nothing yourself? Have you been lulled into complacency by paying a tenth of a cent more per kilowatt-hour of electricity to support the development of renewable energy? (You did know you're not actually paying to receive 100 percent renewable power, right?)
Do the two or three items branded "organic" (though still shipped from South America) you buy per grocery trip mean you are making a difference? Do you tell friends and family how "green" Portland is, with all its bike lanes and buses and MAX and Farmer's Markets, while never using any of them?
The good news is that it's easy to change. Riding a bike is fun; just ask any ten year-old. Slowing things down to the pace of public transportation forces better budgeting of time and greater appreciation of companionship. That whole "I'm worried I won't get enough protein" hesitation isn't a valid excuse for not going vegetarian, and there are still lots of great things to eat. Buying less stuff means appreciating the stuff you have more. As a whole, sustainable living means savings money.
I don't claim to be some kind of sustainability guru. I've still got my vices (music, bikes, books and beer) and I'm definitely a work in progress. But I am working to make progress. I urge and beg you to join me and thousands of others not in living perfectly sustainable lifestyles, but in trying to do better.
Find one habit this week, one little area for improvement that you can alter for the better. Change it for a week and you'll find yourself proud of your progress and looking excitedly for the next little change you can make.
This is what being sustainable is about: making positive changes, feeling good about them, sharing your experiences and encouraging others to do their part. Let's save the planet.
Sam Nelson is a senior electrical engineering major
