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World Politics, Blame and the Environment
by Brian Risman, Publisher, www thelawjournal co uk - 25 August 2002
Page 4 of 7
There was another problem with the ecological movement -- namely, the lack of practical, viable solutions. Cars have been presented as a problem -- and no one doubts the impact of pollution from motorised vehicles. However, what has been presented as the solution? A utopian concept where people will bicycle -- or take public transit -- to work, to shop, through solar-powered towns. First, the concept was strictly Western oriented, and elitist. After all, there was no mention of industry in these towns, other than 'small is beautiful' rug making. These solutions lacked any sense of reality, and hence were ignored.
Meanwhile, car production -- and jobs -- continued, development continued much as before, resulting in greater and greater pollution and congestion. And the same unrealistic, ideological responses to the problem were presented.
Even where cleanups occurred in Western countries, the polluting heavy industries simply moved to Third World countries where wages were low and regulations (including ecological) were few. Are these heavy industries bad citizens? If you consider their polluting behaviour, yes. However, were these industries, which are essential to all of us, ever presented with reasonable, viable, and economic solutions and alternatives? Not that I ever heard.
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