This month’s WIRED cover story, “Attention Environmentalists” makes the case that all environmental issues are irrelevant compared to the impending global warming crisis. The argument focuses on how we should abandon organics, extinction, eco-balance all in favor of reducing carbon footprints. Ten controversial examples are given in typical technical geeky fashion, but in reality WIRED’s editors fail miserably in their attempt to make meaningful change towards the environmental effort.
In the counterpoint, given by uber-green activist Worldchanging Editor Alex Steffan, it is accurately noted that:
Climate change is not a discrete issue; it’s a symptom of larger problems.
How true. Imprisoning drug dealers has done little to reduce the widespread use of crack cocaine, heroine, crystal meth and other illegal drugs. A wildly different metaphor? I think not. Both are human behavioral issues. And both answers — those suggested by WIRED! and the War on Drugs — address the symptoms, not the societal behavioral issues.
With the environment, the behavioral issue is to deal with the consequences rather than the thoughtless consumption of the world’s resources for today’s needs. Tomorrow’s future has been sacrificed. The end result is a destroyed environment — polluted waters, destroyed air, horrific global warning, extinct animals, etc., etc. The entire global ecosystem is endangered, of which global warming is one of the most pressing of many systematic failures.
WIRED! – arguably the technology industry’s most important magazine — should be commended for even extending the issue beyond environmentalists (in general, the magazine has been increasing its eco-coverage over the past year), but coverage needs to be more responsible. Publishing Steffan’s counterpoint was a good step; however, the actual article needs significant improvement. Instead we are dealt ten forms of technological bravado that’s not fully researched, and often borders on buffoonery. Consider this audacious statement:
…take Stewart Brand’s advice from the opening page of Whole Earth Catalog: “We are as gods and might as well get good at it.” We’re in charge here. Let’s get to work.
Sensational, testosterone-driven, type-A machoism like this may energize the ubergeek to address dramatic eco-wrongs. Yet, as a leading magazine WIRED! owes its readers more factual, responsible approaches to this critical issue. If you can look beyond the inherently flawed theory behind the article, some — not all — of the suggestions could be worthwhile.
Ironically, in the same magazine on page 174, WIRED founder Louis Roseto in a 15-year self congratulatory article writes:
But we underestimated how slowly Old Media would auger in — and how irresponsible it would become in its death throes…. Faced with fierce competition for those eyeballs, Old Media is hawking the apocolypse…
Sounds like the pot calling the kettle black to me.
Related Buzz Bin Article: No Altruism in Green PR
Geoff,
With this being Memorial Day weekend (no babysitting!), I haven’t read the entire article but I did read the intro and the counterpoint and a few of the sections. Let’s face it, even if there are some things you disagree with, the article accomplished a huge objective by inspiring you to twitter and blog about it – drawing greater attention to global warming.
The problem is that even environmentalists are not taking global warming seriously enough. There’s a ton of focus on the 3 Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) but not enough on global warming, which is the single most important issue we face. Global warming is scary and inconvenient, and people don’t want to deal with it. Look at the G-8 – they can’t even reach agreement on it. Fact is, nothing else matters if we can’t join together to combat global warming. (And I’m not suggesting that we abandon the other battles, but global warming is not getting the attention it deserves).
I value your opinion, Geoff, so I don’t doubt your assessment that WIRED went over the edge in this article, but frankly, many in the environmental movement are at the point where ANYTHING any one can do to draw attention to global warming is fine by them.
The road to raising consciousness of global warming is a long one. Most people start with issues that concern them personally – this is where organics comes into the picture, as people realize that the personal care products we put on our bodies and the food we eat are loaded with toxins. (and to Wired’s point, plenty of us are eating organic AND local). Then comes awareness of other environmental issues. Sometimes I blog about global warming, but rather than change the focus of my blog, I spend a lot of time on my friend Marguerite’s blog, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in following the battle against climate change:
http://lamarguerite.wordpress.com
Settling for anything is not going to work, Lynn. Momentum is good, but if we solve one problem, a symptom, even as big as carbon footprints, we will only be putting our finger in the dike, waiting for the next leak.
Environment is an ecosystem thingy. Every thing’s connected. Best treatment approach is holistic, much like the human body.
Thanks for pointing it out, Geoff.
Best.
alain
Alain,
Well said. Now how do we get policy makers in place who understand the implications of the need for a holistic approach to this problem. What a question, indeed!