I certainly didn't mean YOU the messenger, I meant that most Americans (and we are talking about the big-gulp warehouse store buying general public, here) have a deep, instant dislike to ANYONE telling them what they SHOULD do.
Good or bad, it is this instant offense to authority that makes us who we are as a nation. Demands from people they have no history and respect for (people who have earned their authority) get met almost universally with exactly the opposite behavior. Not very mature. Not necessarily a good thing. But I think it is there in most Americans. So when people are told they should be ashamed of themselves for doing something, they are most likely going to do that thing again, with bells on top. So when people are wooed with marvelous ad campaigns showing the wonderful lifestyle they are missing, and then are told by someone they couldn't care less about "if you buy that you are bad, bad, bad.", what do you think they are going to do? They might buy it just out of spite. You say that people should be nice. That they should care about the environment. I agree. But most people don't. They don't care about the trees. Or the fish. Or about the person in the car in front of them. They just don't. Education can help. When people see how they are DIRECTLY and IMMEDIATELY effected by an environmental issue, they do move to fix it. But our government (and society) works mainly on a crisis management basis. This is true for the environment, but also for schools, the military, roads, corruption, you name it. People are not all that concerned about "future generations". Look at the national deficit if you don't believe me. It can't be good for our kids to be born in debt. If you want to change their behaviors, you need to use exactly the same tools the car manufacturers are using, and anti-sell the big, lumbering cars. For example, most SUV owners you ask will say they are safer. Statistics absolutely prove this is wrong. I don't even have an airbag. SUV owners will say they feel "cooler" in their car than in a mini-van. Then why don't I have a girlfriend? I bought the darn car... Saying that people "should" do anything isn't going to effect change (neither is this email, but I'm typing merrily along anyway). Overcoming human nature is a very unnatural thing to do. It isn't easy. And it won't be quick. But it is worth the effort. As for my mentioning of the "green tax", I mean that our consumer-based society (for the most part) has completely got this "environmentally friendly" thing exactly wrong. Most "green" products cost more than their non-green counterparts. In some cases this is due to increased production costs, but usually it is a "all the market will bear" attitude by manufacturers and retailers. This in turn has turned people off from buying green products (people who are more than willing to help, but aren't really willing to SACRIFICE for the cause) There is now the perception that green products will cost more and not perform as well. Instead, there should be a green "break". Green products should cost less. As an example, the electric company in my town offers free flourescent bulbs to replace regular bulbs in your house. Since they are less landfill friendly, they also have a collection program. It is cheaper for them than having to build another power plant, so they are actually saving money, and passing those savings along to consumers in the form of a greener product. (less power, lasts longer) We should be creating incentives to "do the right thing". Maybe even a carrot-and-stick approach. Too much talking. Sorry to ramble so. Jerry Johnson >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 04/30/02 05:11PM >>> > I own a Jeep, but I own a bike and a pair of shoes. > > I try to use all of them in their proper time and place. Note that I have no problem with SUVs - they are useful vehicles. My beef is with the Proud and Wasteful consumers. > As for the "typical American" attitude towards the environment, I think that is almost as much due to the messenger as the message. LOL, Jerry, one of your fellow Americans (and mine) just said that More is the American Way, proudly, so its not just me that thinks so. > I think there is a knee-jerk response to most attempts to force environmental concerns down people's throats. The point is that folks should care without having them forced down their throats. > As soon as environmentally friendly products are as useful and as cheap as their "dirty" counterparts, people will switch in droves. Not really - the vehicle trend now is towards ridiculously large. How many people need all the room a suburban has? > Asking people to give up their way of living for "the greater good" I feel is not taking basic human nature into account. I think then, we need to overcome our basic human nature and teach our kids to care about each other and the planet. > And we need to start selling environmentally friendly products as PRODUCTS, and not tacking on a politically-correct "green" tax. 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