Energy for integration

Every day, I'm working on sustainability issues, hoping to somehow make some contribution to change for a better planet. It sometimes feels the green tipping point is near, like it's hitting main street. But then I do walk through Main Street and hear tuned cars noisily racing passed, and people throwing candy bar wraps carelessly to the ground. And I think about the change I'm working on and wonder: would these people care about sustainability at all? Have they heard of climate change? Would they climb on a chair to exchange their light bulbs for LEDs? Would they care to switch to green electricity? I can hardly imagine. And what about all those people who are having a hard time to make ends meet every day, working hard to make a living for their families. If I were in their shoes, would I be interested in organic vegetables? Do they know about it at all? I don't know. At first sight these worlds seem hard to unite, or am I too prejudiced and is subsurface engagement much more widespread than it seems? For example: on page x of the book ISIS agreement, Alan AtKisson tells an anecdote about how he once sat on a bus on his way back home from work facing two kids aged 14 or 15. AtKisson linked the two guys to the increasing destructive behavior in his neighborhood. Suspect at first sight. However surprisingly, the guys suddenly asked AtKisson whether he knew about climate change, because, they said, it's important. And this morning (3-8-2009) 'De Volkskrant' newspaper front page had an article (in Dutch only) on an organization teaching immigrant families on environmental matters and saving energy. The trick is to engage the people who enjoy respect in their community and address their short-term interests. And it works. The people do mind. These examples teach me that asking and talking to people is the better alternative to hopelessly shaking my head. Another exemplary green deal project is from a foundation called 'Stichting Aarde-Werk', educating people who re-enter society to be energy coaches. All those kind of initiatives, that bring down sustainability from the elite levels to the city streets deserve ample attention; they probably require a lot of endurance, creativity and confrontation. In the same time, they could be important catalysts to help spurring the dialogue between different societal groups. Now our soccer team offers little hope on winning the world championships in the foreseeable future, why couldn't climate change and energy be the nuclei around which common future can emerge that presents a counter movement against the nationalist reflex to the declining security about our economic future? I think we need some content to get the pressure off the fight over values and norms.