Scott Russell Sanders titled his novel A Conservationist Manifesto. I am a conservationist, and I must emphatically insist no claim to this book.
Sanders opens the novel by divulging the current state of affairs. He tells us that the planet is heating up, the population is exploding, and we are expending increasing amounts of non-renewable resources. After painting a fairly grim picture, the author tells a story about either local or global communities that are trying to do good for the earth. He then relates his own personal anecdote about his home in Southern Indiana. You can repeat this cycle ad nauseam until you are either A) passed out on the couch with a light dusting of potato chip crumbs down your front, or B) passed out on the couch in only your underwear with a potent glass of whiskey in your hand. This book is unique in that it is not only boring, but is also frustrating.
Sanders has (mostly) all the right ideas, but his writing style is contrived and irritating. The language is incredibly flowery. He goes on for pages talking about Mother Nature in all of her bare, incredible majesty. That's right, someone's got the hots for Momma Nature. There are lists upon lists upon lists upon lists... I could go on, but I think for the sake of my own sanity, I won't. Yes, these lists are tiring to read. After finishing reading these sixty some pages, I can't help but wonder, "If I'M annoyed by this guy and I'M a conservationist who agrees with most of this guy's ideas, what are average Americans who don't really care for the environment going to think?"
I know I've been pretty abusive of Sanders thus far, but to be fair, he does have a noble agenda. He warns his readers of the increasingly dire environmental situation. He tells us we must alter our lifestyles in order to mitigate the damage already done. He gives us some not so simple solutions. For example, one could use less resources by joining a farming co-op, or perhaps take public transportation or ride a bike. Heck, if you really wanted to you could build a house out in the woods using fallen timber and make a livelihood of handcrafting little clay jars and selling them at the farmer's market. These are all solutions, but they are not practical for the average American. Sanders has a noble vision of what America should be, but will never become.
As I read this book, I can't help but think of Sanders as one of these guys:
I feel for these people. They have a higher level of consciousness, and they (REALLY REALLY) care about the earth and the trees. Unfortunately, they will only either make people laugh (as evidenced in the comments section of this video on YouTube), or they will scare people away. Neither of these outcomes is conducive to starting a Green Movement in which people begin to demand sustainable lifestyle alternatives.
Sanders does have an objective, but he will never achieve it. Americans like big cars, big houses, and Big Macs. They consume energy and resources like it's their job. If Sanders wishes to affect change in the American lifestyle, he must get on the same level as Americans. As the globe approaches peak oil production, humans and especially Americans will face extreme growing, or rather morphing, changes. Sanders really understands this. He knows that we need to act now and make some drastic changes. Hopefully in future sections of the novel he will put forth a plan that is sustainable AND practical.
That video is a tad bit creepy. But I suppose if my big ol' maple tree in my backyard that provides shade for us and habitat for birds and squirrels, I would likely cry. I do believe the solutions like localism Sanders provides to be effective, but unfortunately it will take some sort of catastrophe, apparently one worse than the oil spill, to shock Americans away from their cheap food, cheap fuel, and wasteful ways.
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