Comments on: a climate of change http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:34:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Brandon Werner http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55587 Brandon Werner Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:51:22 +0000 http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55587 I think if you went to Seattle you'd feel more hopeful. Even though I got a Hybrid for the mileage as much as the near-zero emissions, many many people also seem to drive them and buses to work is the norm. I think some of this is more the traffic situation than concern for the environment, but the recycling and environmental awareness is at an amazing level here. Of course, it might also be Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in America, and people feel like protecting it. All of Washington must have 15% of it's energy come from alternative means by 2020, and although it seems like a small percentage even that is pretty ambitious compared to other states that have done nothing. There is a different culture here, and a good one, but I don't think that culture will move beyond the West Coast anytime soon :-) There is a neat ad campaign from Pemco insurance that talks about how the Northwestern culture, and one of their ads is here that speaks to it in a humorous way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYNyBqeJlEc It's from their "We're a lot like you" campaign for Washington, here: http://www.werealotlikeyou.com/ I think you'd make a good #5 myself :-) Me? I'm #12 and #100 combined, with a little #5 too. I think if you went to Seattle you’d feel more hopeful. Even though I got a Hybrid for the mileage as much as the near-zero emissions, many many people also seem to drive them and buses to work is the norm. I think some of this is more the traffic situation than concern for the environment, but the recycling and environmental awareness is at an amazing level here.

Of course, it might also be Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in America, and people feel like protecting it. All of Washington must have 15% of it’s energy come from alternative means by 2020, and although it seems like a small percentage even that is pretty ambitious compared to other states that have done nothing.

There is a different culture here, and a good one, but I don’t think that culture will move beyond the West Coast anytime soon :-)

There is a neat ad campaign from Pemco insurance that talks about how the Northwestern culture, and one of their ads is here that speaks to it in a humorous way:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYNyBqeJlEc

It’s from their “We’re a lot like you” campaign for Washington, here: http://www.werealotlikeyou.com/

I think you’d make a good #5 myself :-)

Me? I’m #12 and #100 combined, with a little #5 too.

]]> By: Duncan http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55245 Duncan Thu, 15 Nov 2007 21:11:18 +0000 http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55245 ideas and memes are contagious. i regularly infect other people's brains with ideas that have a positive chance of propagating on their own. its wonderful to see a friend or a colleague sharing a piece of information and taking action based on a concept you shared with them previously. i've spurred small lifestyle changes in just about everyone i know to help the environment. i don't do this by being preachy, i just play on people's self interest, share facts, and by lead by example. if i've done it properly they will doing the same. we can make the world a better place. we can do this. we are doing this. some information i've been sharing on this subject here: http://www.thelastminuteblog.com/category/environment/ ideas and memes are contagious. i regularly infect other people’s brains with ideas that have a positive chance of propagating on their own.

its wonderful to see a friend or a colleague sharing a piece of information and taking action based on a concept you shared with them previously.

i’ve spurred small lifestyle changes in just about everyone i know to help the environment. i don’t do this by being preachy, i just play on people’s self interest, share facts, and by lead by example. if i’ve done it properly they will doing the same. we can make the world a better place. we can do this. we are doing this.

some information i’ve been sharing on this subject here:
http://www.thelastminuteblog.com/category/environment/

]]> By: Ryan http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55221 Ryan Thu, 15 Nov 2007 16:36:39 +0000 http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55221 jeremiah - i have read <em>the world is flat</em> but will see if i can get a copy of <em>where..?</em> at the library. probably so. reading something by iacocca is an interesting enough thought. maybe you mean america has gone through larger "societal" shifts before, restructuring economic and workforce foundations. i am not sure america has seen a big cultural shift in a short period of time. one hundred and something years after the civil war and we still have clearly racist acts. i am hopeful to the extent that i want the next one or two generations of people to be well off enough so that i can rest in peace. armen - $10 per gallon is just the new $3 per gallon. money doesn't stop our consumer spending. we can put gas on a credit card and pay it later. and transportation pollution is one-third of the total output in america. pollution caused by electric power plants is pretty much the other two-thirds. reducing electricity needs eliminates a lot of carbon emmisions. i've done just about all i can to reduce my electricity consumption and still maintain a relatively similar lifestyle. given the cold blacksburg weather right now, i've let my room get cold and i wear more clothes. the floorboard heaters really eat through electricity. anyways. jeremiah - i have read the world is flat but will see if i can get a copy of where..? at the library. probably so. reading something by iacocca is an interesting enough thought. maybe you mean america has gone through larger “societal” shifts before, restructuring economic and workforce foundations. i am not sure america has seen a big cultural shift in a short period of time. one hundred and something years after the civil war and we still have clearly racist acts. i am hopeful to the extent that i want the next one or two generations of people to be well off enough so that i can rest in peace.

armen - $10 per gallon is just the new $3 per gallon. money doesn’t stop our consumer spending. we can put gas on a credit card and pay it later. and transportation pollution is one-third of the total output in america. pollution caused by electric power plants is pretty much the other two-thirds. reducing electricity needs eliminates a lot of carbon emmisions. i’ve done just about all i can to reduce my electricity consumption and still maintain a relatively similar lifestyle. given the cold blacksburg weather right now, i’ve let my room get cold and i wear more clothes. the floorboard heaters really eat through electricity.

anyways.

]]> By: Armen http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55110 Armen Thu, 15 Nov 2007 02:43:36 +0000 http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55110 I feel the same as you do. As much as we hate to admit it, we all ultimately know how this story will end. Population growth will ultimately tip the balance to unsustainable levels. Transportation alternatives have got to be the highest priority. The average household in Los Angeles has three vehicles! Once gas hits $10 a gallon, maybe people will wake up. I feel the same as you do. As much as we hate to admit it, we all ultimately know how this story will end. Population growth will ultimately tip the balance to unsustainable levels. Transportation alternatives have got to be the highest priority. The average household in Los Angeles has three vehicles! Once gas hits $10 a gallon, maybe people will wake up.

]]> By: Jeremiah http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55105 Jeremiah Thu, 15 Nov 2007 01:58:33 +0000 http://ryanharne.com/2007/11/14/a-climate-of-change/#comment-55105 Hmm... interesting point. May I suggest 2 books to you: "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" by Lee Iacocca and "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman America has gone through larger cultural shifts before. There is no reason to believe we can't have a shift to individual responsibility and sustainable development. It's gaining momentum in cities and it will spread throughout the country, especially when it becomes economically imperative. Keep the hope :) Hmm… interesting point. May I suggest 2 books to you: “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?” by Lee Iacocca and “The World Is Flat” by Thomas L. Friedman

America has gone through larger cultural shifts before. There is no reason to believe we can’t have a shift to individual responsibility and sustainable development. It’s gaining momentum in cities and it will spread throughout the country, especially when it becomes economically imperative.

Keep the hope :)

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