Response to Discussion Question #1

Echoing the sentiments of my fellow Lorax Lovers, I see a sort of backlash attitude displayed in Stanley Fish’s article “I Am, Therefore I Pollute”. What I mean is that although Fish practices fairly progressive and thorough methods of being eco-friendly, his gripes about adopting eco-friendly practices do seem totally frustrated, and full of…resentment?

So, noting this chagrin about complying with eco-friendly practices, does this make him “environmentally friendly” at all? Or simply “environmentally conscious and active”? What does it mean to live “environmentally friendly” in the modern-day United States? I think that Fish, aside from his personal lamentations, still illustrates in his article some of the different versions of this. While Fish, in his own attitudes does his part only by force (or if not, with complaints at hand), he also shows how is wife advocates the more environmentally friendly options in their household by choice, by her own free will, as a means of helping to reduce her consumption (or at least her eco-footprint). On the opposite side of the spectrum, Fish also portrays a neighbor that is “planning to stockpile incandescent bulbs in the face of a prediction that they will be phased out by 2012”; this seemingly represents an attitude of those who feel unaffected by climate change, or not personally responsible for saving the planet, even with the simplest changes in habits (like switching the type of light bulb that they use).

In regards to whether his article rang true to me? Well, yes and no. It did in the sense that I understand his gripes about how complicated that methods of being environmentally friendly can be. Sorting one’s recyclables goods, the often seemingly convoluted nature of programs like carbon offsetting, and simply the concern of truly knowing whether our efforts ACTUALLY make a difference can be frustrating. But on the other hand, it is validating, with each and every contribution effort, to know that through minor changes in our personal routines (remembering to turn things off, what we buy, how much extra we pay for “eco-friendly”, etc.), we easily have the potential to ensure a healthy planet for ourselves and our future generations. What it means to be truly “environmentally friendly” is (hopefully) to understand the impacts that our changes can make, and further, to keep a positive attitude about doing so!