[greenyes] RE: Cheeks and Recycling

["Eric Lombardi" <eric@no.address>]

I want to jump in to support Peter's point about why recycling in America is
still fighting and LOSING ground instead of leading us toward a more
sustainable future.  I was there "in the day" for solar in the 70's, and it
was the same kind of collapse in the 80's and 90's. Why?  Because the market
price of the alternative is too damn low!  I won't call oil or landfills
"competition" since they are a fundamentally different way of living on this
planet than what recycling and solar can offer... and that is where the
debate must go.  Once we as a society decide what our public policy goals
are, and maybe we'll just decide that clean air, groundwater and local
economies are important, then we need to "change the rules" so that the
market economics rewards the clean market leaders.

The real revolution to protect our natural places and our children's bodies
is an economic revolution ... what are the rules for making money?  And,
here's the tough part, the Age of Globalization means the new rules need to
go global.  

Eric

Eric Lombardi
Executive Director
Eco-Cycle Inc
303-444-6634
www.ecocycle.org
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Anderson [mailto:anderson@no.address] 
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2005 3:55 PM
To: GreenYes
Subject: [greenyes] Evangelicals - Threat or Promise

Dave and Doug have taken exception to the caption I included as a lead in 
the Rolling Stones article on evangelicals' political plans.

Dave says he has no intention of turning the other cheek: and Doug says this

has nothing to do with recycling. Briefly in reply--

    CHEEKS.  Although I am quite irreligious in the institutional sense, I 
have done quite a bit of reading, because -- notwithstanding the distortions

to which he has been put-- Jesus is an incredible historic figure in the 
history of social and moral change. In the context of his times, turning the

other cheek was not a meek and passive act...doing so to the Romans was a 
well known showing of defiance, much like Ghandi's salt protest.  In 
hindsight, perhaps though I should have better mentioned his use of the word

agape for the basis of a new relationship with former enemies, which is 
usually translated as love, but in Greek really means unconditional love, 
which is something so much more and transcendent.  But, at this point, I 
fear digressing too much, and ask anyone who wants to delve into that to 
email me directly.

    RECYCLING.  Inasmuch as recycling, except for non-ferrous metals and 
high grade papers, continues to hang on by its tenterhooks, more than 15 
years after the beginning of the modern era of recycling, we have to ask why

if we are going to, ourselves, be sustainable.  I believe the answer lies in

the fact that the things we compete against, virgin materials and disposal, 
are drastically underpriced because the wrong people have controlled the 
political levers. That is to say, our fate lies in public policy, and in 
that arena, we are today being eaten alive.  Unless we delve in to learn why

and act on those lessons, we will be doomed to dwell on the minutia of 
recycling as it inevitably declines over time. Our fate lies in the 
fundamentals of our society not the nuts and bolts of our industry.  Note 
that we can ever forget about doing what we can to tighten the screws, but 
not at the expense of forgetting the wider tableau where the things are 
decided that will determine our success. Ditto for what is needed to right 
the ship: we are sinking, not listing, and refining our message doesn't 
begin to reach the depth of our problems: fundamental political changes in 
tectonics are what is needed.

 
Peter

_________________________
Peter Anderson, President
RECYCLEWORLDS CONSULTING
4513 Vernon Blvd. Suite 15
Madison, WI 53705-4964
Ph: (608) 231-1100
Fax: (608) 233-0011
Cell: (608) 698-1314
eMail: anderson@no.address
web: www.recycleworlds.net

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