Green America … change the world 

Regarding “saving the planet,” someone on the California Green Party discussion list wrote:

> ... actually, in a sense, this is entirely
> out of our control… there are 300 million
> Americans on the face of the planet…
> while, admittedly, we represent a
> hugely disproportionate amount of the
> world’s total resource consumption, we
> also represent less than 5% of the
> world’s population ...
> the future of the planet is in the
> hands of the populations of China and
> India, far more than it is in our hands

I responded:

Well, not only is our resource consumption disproportionate, but also (more importantly) our cultural influence is disproportionate.

For better or worse, America is the Rome of this historical period, so what America does, how Americans behave is “trendsetting” for people all over the world. If we exhibit the habits of pig culture, driving SUV’s to the mall in order to shop til we drop . . . such will be aspired to by masses of people worldwide. On the other hand, a Greening of America would help enormously to foster a transformation toward eco-communitarian living values all over the world.

Green’s got to become the cool thing. Living more lightly is a path to freedom (dig it). Living in community is fun, satisfying, full of soul.

Green American culture and have that be reflected in our movies, music, etc. A conscious, deliberate, exuberant trend toward re-localization, demilitarization, rejecting affluenza, embracing the right-living eco-future . . . here in belly of the beast . . . would go a long way toward changing consciousness, lifestyles, values and aspirations worldwide.

SW

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