Growing up, it seemed simple. This was our planet and it needed protecting. We were in power, it was our job to make sure we didn't screw things up. To me it made sense. Then, slowly, as my political mind developed in the late 80s, I became aware of something else out there, hovering around the edges of my warm liberal world. A lot of somethings. I had gotten my first glimpse... of conservatism.
Now I've known a lot of right-wingers in my day, and seen and listened to far more than I think I should have to. It always struck me how many conservatives I could speak to face to face with respect and disagreement. Maybe I've been lucky, but it's gotten me thinking often about how some of the issues that divide us might just be matters of language rather than unworkable gulfs.
I don't mean to be utopian here. I know there are huge differences in the way people view the world, and some of those views are, well, disgusting or cruel. But I wanted to share one idea I've had. Most likely the point has been made before, but I haven't seen it clearly. This is about environmentalism.
I would imagine that for most Daily Kos folk reading this, I don't need to explain the reasons for conservation. A look out our window is enough. But I've had too many conversations with truck drivers and people in bars (ok, I work in a warehouse and I'm an actor, hence the trucks and liquor) who laugh at all the idiots who want to save the earth or save the whales or save the damn frogs. True, they could probably benefit from a few introductory biology courses. Maybe I could buy them all a copy of The Cartoon Guide to Ecology so they could look at the funny pictures while they learn.
Not a slam on Larry Gonick. I think he's great, actually.
In either case, those aren't really options. So I thought to myself, how can I explain the possibly short-lived miracle that is this moment on earth to someone that has grown up thinking a person like me is nothing but a goddamn bleeding-heart pinko hippie?
I thought, and thought, and this is what I came up with. And this is what has worked for me, more than once. It goes like this, and the funny thing is, it's all true:
I don't care about the earth. That is, I'm not worried about the earth. The planet is fine, it can take care of itself. It's really, really big, after all.
As big as it is, though, it's a system. You put enough pressure on any system, and it will change. There's enough people now, and we have enough power now, to put pressure on a system as big as the earth. And that can make it change.
What happens then? Does the world end, does the planet die? Of course not. It's a big, old planet, it can take care of itself. It will just roll with the punches and change, move on.
All the little things running around on this big old planet, though ... they aren't so lucky. The earth changes, and that means lots and lots of death for all the things that got used to the old status quo. That means the damn frogs, that means the inscrutable whales, and most importantly that means us. If we don't pay attention, we aren't screwing the planet, we're just screwing ourselves. We should be environmentalists because we're greedy narcissistic bastards who actually want to keep on living.
Environmentalism means wanting people to live. Especially my two children.
Again, this point has probably been made. I'm ambivalent about it - changing the world as a method of covering your own ass really isn't appealing to the better angels and all that - but I think this is such an important issue that maybe we need every ally we can get.
And these are terms that I have yet to find disagreement on. Even the most avaricious right-winger I've talked to has agreed that it would be a bad thing if most people, well, died. And the need for us to grow up as a society, to face this problem as adults, is so great right now that I would not turn anyone away. I have found this an effective way to start a conversation with conservatives about our environment, our policies, and what course we can take.
I would love to hear your thoughts, or ideas on how this argument could be made more effectively.