Two brilliant speakers who helped spark a movement , define a juncture , spoke to a small crowd in Sun Valley last night. These authors ( Ted Nordhaus , Michael Shellenberger ) did the unthinkable ( or the unmarketable) they asked us to understand the "green" movement , wash, tranquilizer, and it's failings. The choir telling the Preacher we are out of tune , out of touch , and suprisingly enough NOT out of time.
Above and beyond the authentic critique of our failings as a movement ( from within said ranks) the most important and I feel misunderstood aspect is the humble and sincere underpinnings of this critique. Not only do they know what they speak , thru education and experiance, they are not out to convey the latest "fix it" or grace us with their superior knowledge, paternal hand holding , guruesque placebo's. No name dropping or egotistical posturing. ( albeit many would disagree, what they are seeing is the hard facts of "the insider's, the been there done that let's move on) and for so many of us ( or not enough) "literate green's" it is a visit from the hardened battle field medic as we sit in pre med , or further down the scale "environmenatl literacy 101. We are newbies , not enoughies , too muchies, no realities.
Whoa to all of us utopian chicken little's . Chill , step back reasses , unwind , unplug , and get a grip on the picture within your reality. NOT the one on the T.V. , the internet , the coffee shop and the book club, the one that is harder to see , not your's to control or posses. The one that might make you sad , pissed , outraged , but enlivened, the one that begs for our interaction, not merely attention, the dirty one that is a sincere pain in the ass that will wait for detereration , or desperation to replace what now may be something merely annoying , or ugly .
So sliding my soap box back in the closet. A sincere Thank you , goes out to these Gentlemen whom have the audacity to treat us all as competant individual's who can take the complexity of this issue , react , reflect ,respond , reingage however we see fit. For the strength of character and commitment , and the gracoiusness , yes graciounes to respect our collective abilities to navigate these complex waters we find ourselves , our firends , families , neighbors and strangers swimming in. This liberating thought that no man is an island and no one can do this alone or posses all the ansewers .
