Becoming Better Environmentalists

As Stanley Fish laments in his short piece for the New York Times, being environmentally friendly can sometimes be inconvenient and leaves many of us wondering, “Why bother?” I think changing our mentality is a large obstacle between us and being good environmentalists. Fish complains of the small, but irritating, changes his wife imposes on the household and he is certainly not alone in these feelings. While many willingly tote around reusable bags ( especially to save five cents...) and buy products stamped with the “green” label, there is a certain amount of resentment felt by others, like Fish, in feeling pressured to change their lifestyle or do more. It is important that we start seeing these life changes not as inconvenient or as a trend that will eventually pass, but as a realistic way of living now. A cultural shift seems to be a necessary step in creating a society of good environmentalists. And shouldn’t that really be our goal- everyone making preserving our environment a priority? Being an environmentalist shouldn’t be seen as being part of a fringe group or as something particularly extreme. While I can understand resistance to some choices touted as environmentally superior (such as becoming a vegetarian, not flying, or not having children), the changes brought up by Fish did not seem particularly extreme. Education will be an important part of creating this cultural shift towards protecting the environment and making changes. Incorporating environmental lessons into school curriculum could foster a generation that doesn’t see recycling as a nuisance or environmentally friendly light bulbs as “dim, ugly, and expensive” to quote Stanley Fish. Another obstacle in our communal effort to become more environmentally friendly is the price. All things eco-friendly, green, or organic seem to be significantly more expensive than the other options. I've heard people say that really only the wealthy or middle class can afford to be environmentally conscientious, but really, can any of us afford not to be given the costly consequences if we do not make these changes? It seems to me that the price of environmentally friendly goods and services and our view of these changes as inconvient are serious obstacles in making a society of better environmentalists.