Environmental Self-Responsibility and the 2008 Election

Real moral values don’t have to do with abstract ideas about invisible supernatural beings, or adherence to rules set down thousands of years ago on moldy scrolls. Real moral values have to do with the way that we actually behave in the world. Progressives are making practical headway in the political struggle over the environment not just because their arguments are grounded in scientific facts and logic, but also because their cause is rooted in the moral value of environmental self-responsibility.

The right wing tries to convince people that we can have it all, that we can do whatever we want to, without paying any price. Progressives, however, look at the environmental consequences of our actions, and then ask us to do what must be done to protect the integrity of the Earth’s biosphere for future generations. Right wing spin says that our environment is beyond our control. Progressives say that we have the power to change our world, and the responsibility of dealing with the consequences of the change that we create.

Andrew Myers, Senior Editor of the Ocean Conservancy’s magazine, Blue Planet, writes,

“The issues of global climate change are very much in the media these days, a daily drizzle of reports shows this or that outcome tied to rising atmospheric and oceanic temperatures. After almost two months of focusing intensively on the issue, what I learned is that very few scientists dispute global climate change is occurring and, if we don’t do something soon, serious consequences will result… In the end, what I learned most is that each of us - you, me, and the next person - must absorb these stories then look into the mirror and issue a resolute, ‘Mea culpa.’ No more praying for a panacea. No more waiting for science to save us from complacency. No more passing the buch. Then, we must each turn from the mirror and accept the personal sacrifices it will take to get us out of this mess.”

The moral value of environmental self-responsibility, as exhibited in what Andrew Myers has written, challenges us to stop blaming everyone else for the environmental crisis we now face, and to make sacrifices in our own lives to make up for our own blame. Our survival demands that we meet that challenge. That’s reason number 36 to elect a progressive president in 2008.

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