D.C. Watch

Passive Activ…ism

Am I an environmentalist or an engineer who benefits from restoring environmental damage? Is doing what feels right is any more important that doing what is right?

Such are the questions I face daily, not from outside, but from within, and there are no good answers. Nonetheless, it would not be unwise to theorize that most people lead their lives by inherited ideologies, things that they grow up with or ones they grown onto.

As a student in upstate New York, I was sure my professional life would be dedicated to serving the common good of mankind, but years later, I am not too sure if I even came close. One thing is for sure, the time I put into thinking about what I did not do has increased, while the actual time I dedicated to doing it has shortened considerably. With my hectic schedule, the best I could do is to scribble a few lines each day.

One might ask, what then are the alternatives for the corporate types? Is activism necessarily a full-time job? Are there avenues to pursue your passion in parallel with your career? The answers are yes, no and maybe, in that order.

Yes, there are alternatives for those stuck in a office, for starters, practicing a eco-friendly lifestyle in itself is the best way to lead. Set examples at work, take initiatives which involves improvement to workplace using eco-friendly products and concepts. Recycle everything, paper, plastic, metals, electronics, whatever. Turn your light off at day and use natural light whenever possible. Avoid keeping your laptops plugged into the electrical socket when the battery is completely charged. Use less electronics, unless you have to. Print less, use PDF whenever possible. Email, instead of snail mail or fax. Ride a bus, train, or car pool. Pack your lunch, avoid the vending machine, processed food, soda etc.

No, activism is not a full0time job, it’s a lifestyle, and the rule more than often is “less is more.” Less consumption of energy and resources & less waste usually results in more savings for today and for our future.

Maybe, it all depends on what you really think is important and where you live. For those residing in the US, heres a directory of advocacy groups in America, with many focused on environmental issues. Search your phone directory or do a simple search on the internet/Wikipedia, you are bound to find a group/chapter that you may want to volunteer with.

Finally, for those that were not following this story in inner-city Los Angles, where movie star Daryl Hannah was arrested with dozens of protestors, who were trying to stop a landowner from building over a community garden. She was caught sitting on top of a tree!!! Actor…ism?

Photo Courtesy: Yahoo News & Packaginggraphics.net

 

Tags: Urban, Tips/Tools, Engineered, Activism, Engineer, Conserve, Actress

Posted by Moderator on June 14th, 2006 filed in Activism, Conserve, Engineer, Engineered, Tips/Tools, Urban 1 Comment »