I don't feel very guilty, neurotically fretting that I am lucky to have central heat and air conditioning. I try to serve the public good with letters to the editor of my regional newspaper, online petitions on political and environmental justice, and serving on an educational committee at the local environmental center. I try to keep hopeful and trust the majority of neighbors and fellow citizens to do the right thing sooner and later. Best wishes!
Elad, I’m happy to report that we’re safe now. I read this piece just before I began packing our car with whatever cherished possessions we could fit inside; photographs, our children’s grade school artwork, love letters between me and my wife — along with my Tallis and Tefillin. As I packed up these personal things I couldn’t help thinking about the contrast between the particularity of those them, their smallness, their simplicity — and the broadness and accusatory tone of your comments here. We can only pray that our now—very costly, home— built no doubt on native Chumash land (as yours must be as well) —will remain standing overnight. God bless us all. Both sinners and saints.
I am sorry that I have not done more to arouse a sense of guilt in myself for enjoying much of the consumerist lifestyle that I've known for many years. But your essay provokes me to address my fellow Americans to amend their lives for the good of the environment too much abused and neglected. As Pope Francis has pointed out in a recent letter, the United States has produced far more pollution than the average--in disproportion to world averages. Of course the USA is not alone in pollution, but since we're here, we ought to work on solutions harder than ever before.
So appreciate this comment, but I also want to add that I hope that guilt actually is not the takeaway here since really this is about something bigger. We do have so much to do, but like all things it is hard to take on the load of something like this. Wishing you well and grateful for your sensitive thoughts.
I don't feel very guilty, neurotically fretting that I am lucky to have central heat and air conditioning. I try to serve the public good with letters to the editor of my regional newspaper, online petitions on political and environmental justice, and serving on an educational committee at the local environmental center. I try to keep hopeful and trust the majority of neighbors and fellow citizens to do the right thing sooner and later. Best wishes!
Elad, I’m happy to report that we’re safe now. I read this piece just before I began packing our car with whatever cherished possessions we could fit inside; photographs, our children’s grade school artwork, love letters between me and my wife — along with my Tallis and Tefillin. As I packed up these personal things I couldn’t help thinking about the contrast between the particularity of those them, their smallness, their simplicity — and the broadness and accusatory tone of your comments here. We can only pray that our now—very costly, home— built no doubt on native Chumash land (as yours must be as well) —will remain standing overnight. God bless us all. Both sinners and saints.
I am sorry that I have not done more to arouse a sense of guilt in myself for enjoying much of the consumerist lifestyle that I've known for many years. But your essay provokes me to address my fellow Americans to amend their lives for the good of the environment too much abused and neglected. As Pope Francis has pointed out in a recent letter, the United States has produced far more pollution than the average--in disproportion to world averages. Of course the USA is not alone in pollution, but since we're here, we ought to work on solutions harder than ever before.
So appreciate this comment, but I also want to add that I hope that guilt actually is not the takeaway here since really this is about something bigger. We do have so much to do, but like all things it is hard to take on the load of something like this. Wishing you well and grateful for your sensitive thoughts.