Week 4

In "Going Green? Easy Doesn't Do It," Michael Maniates focuses calls for simple solutions as though they are the only calls for action, rather they are part of a variety of actions at various levels. These simple solutions are not single answers. They are essential elements to solving a greater problem, where every little bit helps. Not only do these private actions do a small part to help the environment, but they frame the issue in terms that people can understand.
Unlike the social movements Maniates references, actors in environmental change do not always see their actions as having direct or prompt results. These previous movements were problems with fast results that were obvious improvements on relationships between people. However, people do not understand that their actions effect environmental quality and decrease quality of life. Calling for simple personal actions establishes a connection between human action and improving the environment. This connection challenges traditional thoughts about the environment and frames the issue in terms that people have a greater frame of reference for.
Furthermore, personal action pinpoints results. The Revolutionary War lasted only 8 years. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote letters from Birmingham Jail in 1963, and today, an African-American is running for President. Environmental improvement occurs over decades, even centuries, rather than years. People cannot conceive that their actions have such a long term effect. However, breaking greater change into smaller actions, people can associate their behaviors with results direct results.
These actions are by no means absolute solutions, but they do play a crucial role in changing public opinion about environmental action. If there is to be any environmental change on any scale, the first step is connecting people to the issue. At least these proposed solutions provide a starting point and encourage individuals to start thinking about their effects on the environment.