Article: How America can regain her world stature by being green

[DesertRose]

Perfect timing:

The Power of Green

A New York Times Magazine article (12 pages! break out the coffee!) by Thomas Friedman on how America can regain its world stature by taking the lead in alternative energy and environmentalism.

A fantastic read, and apropos of many things we have been discussing on ExPo of late.

If you can't get onto the NYT site, email me or PM me and I'll email you the PDF.

[whitethaiger]

...
A New York Times Magazine article (12 pages! break out the coffee!) by Thomas Friedman on how America can regain its world stature by taking the lead in alternative energy and environmentalism.

A fantastic read, and apropos of many things we have been discussing on ExPo of late.
....

Thanks for the pointer, very interesting read indeed. Read it with a big cup of green tea rather than coffee though

[Kermit]

Rose,

Do you think "going green" will just be a fad like everything else? It is a lifestyle change, is the general populus ready?

The only way to make people conserve is to increase the cost of fuel, utilities, etc.

For example, the cost of water in the southwest is relatively cheap, the only way to get people to conserve that is to raise the price. What really blew me away last year in Arizona with the drought, the government didn't have any water restrictions.

[DesertRose]

Rose,

Do you think "going green" will just be a fad like everything else? It is a lifestyle change, is the general populus ready?

The only way to make people conserve is to increase the cost of fuel, utilities, etc.

For example, the cost of water in the southwest is relatively cheap, the only way to get people to conserve that is to raise the price. What really blew me away last year in Arizona with the drought, the government didn't have any water restrictions.

I think it's cyclical - we went through the Ecology movement of the 70s, we then had the high-flying 80s and 90s, now maybe we can have the Green oughts?

You're right that to get the majority to conserve it has to hit them where the decisions are made: the bank account. There will always be a minority of us who conserve because we want to not because we have to.

And I have a confession to make as a native of southern Arizona: I hate water conservation, especially in Tucson where the only beneficiaries of our cute Tucson Water "Beat the Peak" campaigns are the developers who don't even have to PAY for new water lines to be extended to their far-flung developments!

I'd be so very happy if all the water DID dry up, then fewer people would move here. Yes, it should cost $5 a gallon! I guess that would also help with the influx . . . I don't, by the way, in practice begrudge newcomers who become productive members of our community and do something positive and help protect things that matter . . . I do begrudge newbies who use, abuse, and then complain! I would offer them a one-way ticket back to the midwest.

Okay, end of rant and back on topic!

[dieselcruiserhead]

If you guys get a chance check out the Vanity Fair that is on the stands right now, the green issue. Good stuff there too...

[Kermit]

I'd be so very happy if all the water DID dry up, then fewer people would move here. Yes, it should cost $5 a gallon! I guess that would also help with the influx . . . I don't, by the way, in practice begrudge newcomers who become productive members of our community and do something positive and help protect things that matter . . . I do begrudge newbies who use, abuse, and then complain! I would offer them a one-way ticket back to the midwest.

I see we think alike...

[VikingVince]

Roseann,

That's an excellent article - well written, exceptionally informative, and far reaching in scope. Also something to be said for the people that get to write under that banner! I read the entire article...with a fresh cup of coffee (sorry Uwe, haven't quite gone to tea yet!) I hope everyone in this forum takes the time to read it.

[goodtimes]

No time to read the article just yet...but:

You're right that to get the majority to conserve it has to hit them where the decisions are made: the bank account. There will always be a minority of us who conserve because we want to not because we have to.

Good timing...just last night we were talking about this over a poker game. It isn't just water...conserving anything just isn't "cool", until it becomes prohibitively expensive to NOT conserve.

And I have a confession to make as a native of southern Arizona: I hate water conservation, especially in Tucson where the only beneficiaries of our cute Tucson Water "Beat the Peak" campaigns are the developers who don't even have to PAY for new water lines to be extended to their far-flung developments!

That ain't no joke! It is a hard to swallow the govt's conservation efforts when they are offering tax breaks and reduced impact fees to businesses that are using in excess of 500,000 gallons of water per day. That company (Gatoraid) would use more water in one day than I would use in 41 years at my current rate of ~ 1000 gallons/month. And they want ME to conserve water?!?!?!?!

(BTW, Gatoraid did not move to Tucson, they went to Va instead)

[Desertdude]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Friedman