from Natural Life Magazine, September/October 2007
From the Editor’s Desk 
The Difficulty of Making Change
Are we prepared to make the sort of changes required to solve the global warming crisis and to sustain those changes over the long-term? And are we willing to pay the price that’s required?
Maybe not, according to a recent UK survey. The website Unbiased.co.uk found that despite the majority of people saying they favor a greener lifestyle, 50 percent are not willing to pay more for one. The online survey found that just 23 percent of people are prepared to pay a tax designed to reduce carbon emissions from cars. And only a fifth of air travelers are happy to pay “green taxes” on flights. The company’s chief executive David Elms says, “Tackling green issues is probably high on most consumers’ wish lists, yet in reality many are not prepared to reach into their pockets to help contribute to the cause.”
Even more bothersome is the suggestion recently made by an ABC News commentator that we may be experiencing “green fatigue” and are ready to move on to the next fad of the month. The idea was predicated on the fact that the television ratings for Al Gore’s Live Earth concert were dismal, at least in the U.S. where it was the least watched program on that particular Saturday night. But that may prove nothing except that a lot of people were cynical about a bunch of rock stars contributing to global warming in order to stop global warming. Or that we already know that global warming is a problem and that listening to music or switching light bulbs isn’t going to solve it.
Or maybe we’re just change-resistant. The changes required are of a large magnitude. And since we all are motivated to change when there are financial rewards for good behavior and penalties for bad, maybe what we really need are a few brave politicians who are willing to create a few green taxes whether their constituents like it or not.
Or maybe we’re cynical about making all the changes personally while industry continues to crank out more greenhouse gas emissions in a day than any of us could save in a year. The corporate sector must move beyond its current level of green talk and into some industrial-strength changes. It must dramatically increase the energy savings attained by all those new light bulbs we’re installing by redesigning its policies, products and practices to reduce its usage of coal and other pollutants.
Rock stars increasing our awareness of environmental problems and individuals paying green taxes only matter if the business sector pulls its weight. Where are the leaders who are going to force that to happen?
Wendy Priesnitz, Editor
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