Think globally by thinking locally

Posted by JMG (Guest Contributor) at 9:28 PM on 27 Mar 2008

A new study bolsters the importance-of-place arguments made by people like Wendell Berry: the strongest way to get people to engage with the problems and to act responsibly for the global environment is to focus on the threats to their own place).

This doesn't really surprise me -- but it does prompt me to change my signature line to "Save your community -- cut greenhouse gas emissions 5% per year."

Appeal To Americans By Making Global Warming A Local Issue - Study

Results from a recent survey conducted by a University of Missouri professor reveal that the U.S. public prefers to act locally and nationally on environmental issues and that may be why appeals to global warming are not more successful.

"The survey's core result is that people care about their communities and express the desire to see government action taken toward local and national issues," said David Konisky, a policy research scholar with the Institute of Public Policy. "People are hesitant to support efforts concerning global issues even though they believe that environmental quality is poorer at the global level than at the local and national level. This is surprising given the media attention that global warming has recently received and reflects the division of opinion about the severity of climate change."

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yes

I was going to tell a short story, but there's no need to.

Details aren't necessary.

There is nothing like an immediate threat to everything a person values to motivate him or her to change their habits and, indirectly, save the rest of the Earth's organisms at the same time.

Enough said.

by wiscidea at 9:58 PM on 27 Mar 2008

Know Exactly Where You Are Heading! [?]

Local and Global!

Without a complete change of direction in human activities, the economy and lifestyles ...

http://feww.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/giga-trends/

by LGT at 11:03 PM on 27 Mar 2008

Save our snow

My dog Arnie's "Sled Dogs Against Global Warming. SAVE OUR SNOW, And the local businesses and jobs that depend upon it." campaign was a big hit in the July 4th parades, this past summer and the summer before.

People do identify with it.

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/7/5/3 ...

http://amazngdrx.blogharbor.com/blog

by amazingdrx at 11:50 PM on 27 Mar 2008

Up close, local and personal !

US West is heating nearly twice as fast as RoW:

http://feww.wordpress.com/2008/03/28/hotter-and-drier/

by LGT at 1:28 AM on 28 Mar 2008

Spot On!

Like someone said, "it is difficult to make someone understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it". So this i a good way to make people think of the planet to make them think about themselves.

The bad news is that US emissions not down but up nearly 3% in 2007 over the last year!

by NiraliSherni at 2:59 AM on 28 Mar 2008

End global capitalism!

Localities will have to ADAPT to abrupt climate change; but the problem will really only be resolved with the end of the global capitalist system.

Yeah, let's cut "emissions" 5% per year. (It's a hallmark of capitalist ideology that even its so-called "environmentalism" cannot distinguish between out-of-control fossil fuel burning and respiration, both of which count as "emissions.") Then some other economy can use the fossil-fuels we're not using!

Big contradiction: infinitely-hungry growth economics, finite planet.

From Paul Prew's "The 21st Century World Ecosystem":

The question to be asked, really, is whether we proceed with capitalism until we reach an ecological bifurcation point that leaves the habitability of the earth in question for the vast majority of the population, or we reach a social bifurcation point that leads us to a social system of production that is dissipative, nonetheless, but does not threaten the flowing balance of nature.

Sorry! Them's the breaks!

http://www.dailykos.com/User/Cassiodorus

by LegumeSam at 6:52 AM on 28 Mar 2008

ADVERTISING POLICY

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