Michael Pollan gives his answer to the question “Why Bother?” with regard to climate change. Specifically, when everything’s going down the toilet, what good is changing my light bulbs really going to do? Will it really stop the ice caps from melting?
The brief answer is no, of course not, not by itself. He says that changes like this, when they become habit and expected in human society, are what will cause the bigger changes we need. If people “on the ground” don’t genuinely care about this stuff and act on it, there’s no reason for the people in power to care about it either. Large change, especially in the absence of progressive leadership, has to start from the bottom and move up. This is not a new message by any means, but I like hearing it again.
Pollan recommends that everyone who is able to do so (and that’s most people, even apartment dwellers like me) grow some portion of their own food, no matter how small. An option for urbanites without any outdoor growing space is to get a share in a community garden. The city I live in has a community garden, but it’s full up for the year. I will explore other options.
Ah, for a "bit of earth"... I have to imagine shopping at farmers markets is another statement. We could try growing herbs indoors, but that means someone needs to remember to water them. Hmmm.
Posted by Lisa at April 23, 2008 6:19 AM