Environmental Policy and the Public
Not long ago, our country was wracked by dramatic environmental disasters. Smog choked our urban centers. Plant and animal species, including our national symbol the bald eagle, were being pushed to extinction. Drinking water was polluted with sewage and harmful chemicals. Rivers caught fire. Homes built on toxic waste dumps caused birth defects in children. Our country was booming economically. In the glory days of post-war prosperity, Americans reveled in the gluttony of consumerism. Modem American culture has the pop-top, disposable, planned-obsolescence, shop-until-you-drop, consume-all-you-can mentality woven into almost every comer of our national fabric. Household items cannot be fixed-we must throw them away. Soon we learned that there was no "away" left to throw things. We began to gag on our garbage as our landfills overflowed. People could now see that the great frontier had been conquered and the natural resources our grandparents assumed to be limitless were being lost forever. Seeking a more sustainable and responsible way of life became not just a moral conviction for the benefit of our cousin species or future generations, it became a necessary step to protect our own health and survival.
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Author(s): Gary Gill
Event:
Koa: A Decade of Growth
1996 - Honolulu Hawai’i
