Eco^2 (Economy + Ecology) Rulez Ok?
Let's start with the money shot: here's the link that effected me to write this particular entry:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=sb_success.sb_successstories2008_johnsonbraund
The reason I really like things like this is that they combine two important but often conflicting aspects: economy of the project, and ecological impact of the project. This is just one random link, but one can't read a respectable magazine like, say, Fortune, without spotting one or two each time. That's awesome.
I have been a closet environmentalist for years, specifically after moving from the western Europe to US in late 90s. That is rather typical: most people who have grown up in a lutheran, reason- and reasonability-loving ("everything in moderation") society should feel similar nausea over this macabre era of McMansions and big fugly cars (SUVs)
But lately -- as in past two years or so -- there has been remarkably change in the air... wind of change, to use a cliche. From around the time of release of that "Al Gore movie", things have finally started moving in the right direction here on the left side of the Pond. Finally! I truly believe that Churchill was right with his witty and insightful quote: "The Americans will always do the right thing . . . After they've exhausted all the alternatives". That was within context of WW2, but it applies equally well to US handling of the global warming, or more generally to pollution as a global problem. And while some see this comment as pessimistic ("do these blubbering idiots always have to try every wrong approach first?"), I view it as optimistic. After all, not everyone does the right in the end, no matter what. Plus, americans as a nation tend to follow through; or at least have with the major undertakings such as, well, world wars. And then, as now, the strongest engine around these parts is the industro-economic one. Let's hope the big wheel will start turning for good.
About the only major remaining obstacle now is the excuse-inducing "we must get all countries to agree to act on this" attitude -- screw that, let's get to work! The rest can follow us, and we can follow, say, Germany, Denmark and Spain.
