I know, Earth Day is supposed to be a day for optimism, a day to express hope that humankind will see the green light and transform its unsustainable ways.
But me being me ā I have a tendency to find the dark lining in just about every silver cloud, Iām just not in the mood for optimistic, Pollyannish declarations about how great the futureās going to be.
Indeed, right at this very moment ā and Iāll admit that my own inability to add an electric car to our home solar equation has something to do with my somber mood — Iām not particularly optimistic enough people, especially enough Americans, are going to recognize that our current lifestyle is unsustainable and that, poof, weāll suddenly and miraculously leap into a green future where everyoneās driving on sun.
So, whatās the dark lining to Earth Day 2012 Silver Cloud?
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Pollution concerns at lowest
A recent Gallup poll which shows Americans are less concerned than ever about water and air pollution. According to Gallup, itās been pretty much all downhill for the last decade in the U.S. in terms of Americans caring about water and air pollution.
Concern about water pollution peaked in 2000 at 72 percent of Americans polled compared to 48 percent of those polled in 2012. Same is true on the air pollution concern front. In 2000, 59 percent of Americans said they were worried a great deal about air pollution. Compare that to just 36 percent of those polled by Gallup in 2012.
Gallup offers a bit of a speculative explanation for the drop in concern with the primary explanation put forward being the economic crash of 2008. I agree with Gallup, but only partially. Clearly, the drop-off in concern about air and water pollution among Americans begins well before the 2008 economic meltdown.
My own speculative explanation is a bit darker than Gallupās: Generally speaking, Americans donāt care that much about the environment, especially when compared to citizens in countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Germany, indeed, in much of Northern and Western Europe.
Why the difference?
American individualism
Personally, I blame it largely on Americaās overpowering individualism. Nothing ā and I do mean nothing — is more important to Americans than their individual right to do A, B, or C.
Doesnāt matter a bit that oneās individual right to pollute damages the health of oneās neighbors, or, for that matter oneās own health, not to mention Mother Earthās. Your right to do what you want, regardless of the consequences on other people and things, is what matters most to most Americans. Period.
No, our unparalleled individualism isnāt the sole explanation for the nosedive in Americansā concern about air and water pollution. But it is a big reason for it ā if there is a country in the world that is more fiercely individualistic than the U.S., please let me know, because I canāt think of one.
Indeed, Americaās all-encompassing individualism explains why the false claim that environmentalism is too costly for America, and Americans, resonates so powerfully in the U.S.: āDonāt you dare take a penny away from me! Thatās MY penny, MY money!ā
A high price to pay
Never mind that the price — which is basically the health of all us and of all the living beings on earth — of any alleged individual savings is so intolerably high.
An optimist ā and, as you know, Iām not one ā might say that concern for water and air pollution has dropped dramatically in the U.S. during the past decade because weāve already achieved āperfectionā on pollution control. No, come to think of it, Iām describing a Pollyanna here, not an optimist.
Basically, weāve got a big pollution problem in America and an equally big problem in the fact that most Americans donāt appear to recognize or care about this problem.
In any case, a quick glance at the news, or even the local daily air pollution report where you live will immediately reveal that the claim weāve gone as far as we need to go in terms of reigning in our pollution and our polluting ways is B-O-G-U-S. [Nearly 200 million Americans are regularly exposed to unhealthy air, according to the American Lung Association.]
Basically, weāve got a big pollution problem in America and an equally big problem in the fact that most Americans donāt appear to recognize or care about this problem.
Is environmentalism radical?
Thatās not a big surprise to me, someone who clearly fits in politically much more comfortably in Germany than in the United States ā for crying out loud, environmentalism is still considered radical in the U.S. while itās very much mainstream in Germany.
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No, Iām not leaving America. I love too many things about America, including its unparalleled natural majesty and wild open spaces, to leave it. Iām just not too keen on its anti-environmentalists, and Iām continually frustrated by our comparative apathy on environmental issues.
So, what to do?
Given the depressing decade long decline you can see in the Gallup graphic at the top of this entry, Iām at a bit of a loss of how to effectively turn American public opinion around on pressing environmental issues such as air and water pollution.
Any ideas or suggestions on this Earth Day 2012?
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