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Speaking Out at the Dinner Table Living a life of illusion And oh, why can't we let it be And see through the hole in this wall of confusion I just can't help but feeling I'm living a life of illusion Pow, right between the eyes Oh how nature loves her little surprises Wow, it all seems so logical now It's just one of her better disguises And it comes with no warning, nature loves her little surprises Continual crisis... Hey, don't you know it's a waste of your day Caught up in endless solutions That have no meaning Just another hunch, based upon jumping conclusions Caught up in endless solutions Backed up against a wall of confusion... A Life of Illusion - Joe Walsh Introduction How do you view your current status system in contrast to the list of “status” values now emerging from the new green movement? A large, expensive house and a vacation home vs. Cutting down on energy use A high-paying and exclusive job on Wall Street vs. Buying and wearing used clothes Expensive luxury cars -- SUVs vs. Hybrid cars An expensive Swiss vs. Solar panels on the roof Country club membership vs. Recycling everything possible Frequent luxury vacations vs. Biking as a primary way to get around A degree from a prestigious university vs. Eating organic foods & composting dinner scraps Expensive jewelry and tech gadgets vs. Gardening to provide food for the table What is considered a status symbol will differ between countries and states, based on the states of their economic and technological development, and common status symbols will change over time. Status symbols also indicate the cultural values of a society. For example, in a commercial society, having money or wealth and things that can be bought by wealth, such as cars, houses, or fine clothing, are considered status symbols. In a society that values honor or bravery, a battle scar would be more of a status symbol. The Origin of Status Max Weber considered status groups. He defined status groups as communities that are based on ideas of proper lifestyles and the honor given to people by others. These value groups only existed because of people elevated and prioritized prestige and dishonor. Also, people in these swarms were only supposed to associate with people of like status, and all other people were seen as inferior. It could be generalized that western status values through the 1960’s, through today, are often defined by the monied class; by the minority, a hierarchical clique. Madison Avenue, perhaps? In comparison, today green / sustainable communities are seen as value sets built on equalitarian and environmental priorities through collaborative processes and tools to promote a healthy earth and long-term living. “Greenies” tend to focus on environmental sustainability (including localized economic development and natural agriculture practices). Sustainable communities value the triple bottom line that incorporate economic, environmental and spiritual practices. What happens when the two status systems conflict? Violence. Demonstrations. Uproar at the pumps. Family spats. New political parties. A national fight over a few barrels of oil in the coastal shelf and the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. The battle has already begun. There are many examples: look at the WTO riots in Seattle; People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals paint throwing events and the current anti-war demonstrations. The sustainable values camp is fighting to reverse years of privatized, corporate energy, food and social policies and provide alternatives to the status quo. The shift away from big banks and bigger oil to solar panels is one-part rejection and one part community fire; self-sacrifice as a bridge to the common good. There is another American/Global revolution underway. Who is in the watch tower? Conclusion The sustainability revolution is about re-distributing resources in a global shift to enlightened sharing. Greens are not for restricting individual choice or the end of capitalism, just a bottom-up, holistic evolution away from things to sharing and love and an ecology of accountability. Green status is not what we own as individuals but what we can share and nurture together. The erupting value schism is an action-morality play. One group wears it; the other group lives it.           |
Green Bait 
Green Envy? 
Fill'er Up! 
Green Buzz 
Hotdog!! 
We're in the back... 
Always in the Blender? |