Can the Lazy Save the World? (Matt)

While Mr. Maniates makes a compelling point that it is time for Americans to be big boys and step up to the plate to save the Earth, what he fails to realize is that no amount of name calling, bullying, or asking nicely will mobilize a call to arms by the American people to work for the planet. For all the rhetoric put out by politicians or the average citizen to self sacrifice for the good of future generations, rarely is anything ever done to follow up on that promise. While we want to lower the national debt, we complain about austerity measures. When we want to green the planet, we complain about high utility price and high gas. We always seem to hope that someone else in our generation will put the burden on themselves to fulfill these promises just so we can say we did without cramping our lifestyle.

Even if people were willing to sacrifice their own self interest for the common good, trying to get people to do so for an issue that some don't even believe is real is another challenge onto itself. With cult following behind Republican presidential candidates such as Rick Perry and Michelle Bachman who question even the validity of climate change, is it even possible to break through the mindless group think to get to people's sense and reason which is buried under a large amount of lunacy?

Because of all these challenges that lie in our path, we need to reframe the save the planet debate from one of green morals to one of green money. To most, saying that using a CFL lightbulb reduces carbon emissions will fall on deaf ears. However, to bring up the fact that doing so can save you money on your utility bill opens up a whole new audience.

How about larger incentives such as wind farms? Instead of arguing that wind farms reduce our reliance on oil -which will upset every Texan oilman from the panhandle to the coast, frame the argument as saying that building wind farms will provide much needed jobs for the economy and that national tax incentives to building them will allow states to pass savings onto consumers.

By reframing the argument of doing things for the money rather then the morals, it is more likely that we can successfully appeal to the open wallets of consumers rather then their closed minds. Who actually knew that doing some good could save you some green?