Journal 11

In Gardner's articles he talks about using cultural values to market sustainability. Using things that are beliefs or general acceptances by one culture and gearing it towards making it relevant to the environment. Well, if there is one thing I have learned in Colloquium, it is that we can make the environment relevant in basically any situations. Gardner talks about using Spirituality and Faith of people towards realizing the benefits of being environmentally friendly and sustainable. In a poll he provided, it showed that 62 percent of people said that religion had some effect on what their belifs were when it came to environmental sustainability. This makes sense, that peoples beliefs shape the way that they think about the world. And I agree with Gardner, that there should be some way that religion can help make people aware of their surroundings and how to become "citizens of the earth". The only thing I put into question is that in no way should religion be made into this media exploited idea where people try to use religion without the basis of respecting it as well. Unfortunately, people in the United States don't usually stick to their religious beliefs. They say they do, but according to the holy books of their religion such as the Bible, Koran or Tanak, they would most definitly be doing things that oppose what they say. No culture according to any of these books would be based on consumerism... Individualism, Do what you can to get to the top, make more money, spend more, the more you have the wealthier you are. No religion would say this. That is why I would think it would be almost impossible in the United States to break this mold of consumerism and consumption through Religion. Distractions are what this country runs on and if we were to make religion, or spirituality part of these distractions then it would lose that incarnatal qualities that make it so great. People already lump in religion with culture when really faith should be something that is what culture is based around.
One thing I do agree with by Gardner, not on the religion, but on the taboo aspects of culture. If we can, and we already have in some ways, make aspects of unsustainability taboo to our society then people would begin to move towards sustainability. This culture is so obsessed with what everyone else thinks with things like clothes and cars and jewelry. If we could somehow using the media harness this idea of making environmentally friendly ideas as "in" or "cool" then this could be the revolutionizing technique to help the save the worlds ecosystems. The new generations are obviously the ones who will be dealing with the worst of our environmental problems, so if we can start to engrain these ideas of what is good for the earth is good for people, then they will grow up with that. They will understand from the point of when they are youn what is okay and what is threatening to the environment. Then businesses and corporations would not only be based around these ideas but it would become somewhat of a second thought. It would be just normal behaviour, and that could be truly beneficial for the world.