Neither paper nor plastic when you take part in the new BYOB!Climate Change and the New American Dream
What does climate change have to do with the American Dream?
When we ask people to describe their American Dream – their ideal future - we hear about freedom and opportunity for their children, supportive communities of caring people, greater security at home and abroad, healthy locally grown food, clean air and water, access to good health care, natural areas with bountiful wildlife, plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities, good schools and civic organizations, vibrant downtowns, and strong local economies with good jobs that allow time for family, friends, and fun.
When we think about what needs to happen to make that future a reality, one issue overshadows all others: climate change triggered by our collective energy consumption. The 2006 Stern Report detailed climate change’s economic threats, the 2007 CNA Report underscored the national security implications, and dozens of scientific studies have drawn a clear connection to biodiversity loss, famine, drought, and disease. We also know that many solutions to climate change lie in pursuing the other components of our dreams. For example, by building up local communities, economies, and food supplies, we will reduce demand for polluting energy consumption.
When we address climate change, we improve the quality of our own lives, take a step toward realizing our dreams, and grant future generations the opportunity and resources to pursue theirs.
What is Center for a New American Dream’s role in the climate stabilization movement?
New American Dream’s role is to applaud and catalyze technology shifts while simultaneously elevating the relevance of a sufficiency ethic throughout the culture. We aim to engage the millions of Americans whose dreams don’t conform to ‘more is better,’ empower them to reclaim their American Dream, and take a major step toward stabilizing the climate in the process.
Most of the climate solutions being discussed these days revolve around a technological revolution in areas such as efficient vehicles, renewable energy, and carbon sequestration. All of these measures are essential and should be pursued, but they’re not enough. Scientists say we need to reduce global carbon emissions by 80% in a world where a growing population strives to live like Americans. As long as billions of people pursue an ever-growing material standard of living, all the technological innovations in the world will be unable to keep up.
The good news is that material excess doesn’t make us any happier. Wait, you say, that’s the good news? Yes. A key piece of the climate solution lies in the disconnect between the high quality of life that people desire and the material excess that our culture glorifies. Just as a sufficiency ethic helps individuals achieve a high quality of life by shifting their focus from ‘more is better’ to more of what really matters, a widespread sufficiency ethic will empower the coming technological revolution to reduce global carbon emissions.
