re: magic formula/land use

[eric + michiko <emstorm@metro.net>]

Interesting article, Toby.  While perhaps somewhat tongue in cheek, it is
not too far fetched.  I'm a little unsure how I feel about "the ends
justifying the means", but there is something to be said about
effectiveness, too.  More food for thought; it's been quite a feast lately ; )

Eric Storm


Toby wrote:

> the difficulty is that most
> people simply aren't into voluntary simplicity. The high-consumption
> lifestyle is incredibly seductive, and I can't believe that any but a tiny
> minority of 'first-worlders" are ever going to voluntarily adopt the
> essentially "third world" lifestyle that permaculture advocates. . . 
> So how do we get more people to adopt a "small footprint"
> lifestyle? Some form of enlightenment must occur, but not a coercive "we
> know better than you, you bad person" approach. And a pure "consciousness
> raising" effort will be a slow one, though essential in the long run.
>     One answer lies in the latest (Summer '99) Whole Earth Review. The lead
> article is by sci-fi writer Bruce Sterling, called "The Manifesto of
> January 3, 2000." Bruce says that we could seduce people into it.
> He says we need "a form of Green high fashion
> so appallingly seductive and glamorous that it can literally save people's
> lives. We have to gratify peoples' desires much better than the current
> system does. . . . Rather than marshalling themselves for inhuman effort
> and grim sacrifice, people have to sink into our 21st century with a sigh
> of profound relief."
>   The whole text of this irreverent but provocative document is on the web
> at <http://www.well.com/conf/mirrorshades/viridian.html>
>     I agree that it's not exactly appealing to people's higher instincts to
> ask them to embrace Green living as a status symbol, but if we can create a
> model that is attractive, rather than trying to guilt people into
> abandoning SUV's and giant houses, we'll be far more effective. I find that
> an exciting dream.