Convenience

I agree with Carolyn’s assertion that most Americans are self-interested individuals, so doing more than the so called “easy things” to help alleviate environmental concerns as Maniates asserts doesn’t seem reasonable. The fact is, most people in our society settle for easy because of convenience. Also it’s not that “we are supposedly being “sold short” by our leaders,” but that most people choose not to think about the future impact their consumption or habits may have on the environment in the future. We live in a society that values the idea of quick fixes, asking people to make drastic sacrifices to keep our planet green is going to take a lot more effort on the part of the individual. So believing that people are willing to do more to be eco-friendly is just that a belief.