Drill Baby Drill: Holding my nose.

President Obama is becoming quite the straddler. Two recent issues have him standing on either side of the conflict between the environment and the economy.

In this piece by Eric Smith from the Washington Post,
we see an argument that his recently announced offshore drilling policy may not be as terrible as many greenies fear. I don't like seeing this happen now, but if safeguards are effectively deployed, I am afraid it probably fall into the category of inevitable.

I'm less likely to forgive the Obama administration if they do not substantively retreat from supporting the previous administration's mining policies, which seems like it is in doubt according to this piece by the AP's Judith Kohler (in the WaPo).

I appreciate that President Obama is trying to find common ground between conservatives and liberals, business and environmental activists, and all of the other old polarities. I don't have to like the individual decisions, and I'm pretty sure I don't like these.

Getting Dirty: Politics

I have long hesitated to spend much time & space on political topics. My original inclination with Sustainable Frederick has been to target issues that are under-represented in media, not to mention that are less divisive. I may be able to avoid national politics, but at least on the local level I've come to accept that it is naive and even negligent for me to pretend there is no elephant in this room. I hope I don't alienate -- and therefore lose the ability to influence and inform -- those who will reflexively dismiss what I write when they begin to suspect I am not on their political team, but there is no time to be timid.

So here goes -- my first political salvo:

In broad terms, sustainability requires democracy. Further, sustainability requires a government that sticks its nose right into the issues of resource use.

This is really the sticking point: conservatives tend to want little or no government. They argue that any government is a slippery slope to tyranny, and besides the economy works better and more efficiently without government busybodies getting in our business.

I felt that way once, myself -- in college as a recently declared economics major I was in love with the idea of the free market unfettered by government regulation. Who can argue that capitalism and the relatively free market provides tremendous social benefit through innovation and through the individuals raising themselves up to reap the gains of opportunity? With that in mind, my naive student self argued that businesses wouldn't pollute the Earth knowingly, because then they would face increasing costs as the labor pool sickened. I argued that because rational people agree that an economy that systematically disenfranchises the poor is inherently unstable, then who wouldn't be in favor of a progressive system that provides opportunity to all?

Well, I still believe that the innovation and motivation that are inherent in a capitalist system are among the most potent potential forces for good on Earth. Now, however, I also understand what is known as the Tragedy of the Commons. In short, the tragedy of the commons is a metaphor that describes how people tend to shortsightedly eat up and ultimately destroy all of the value of "public goods" such as clean air and water.

See, the polluting company won't face costs associated with a sick labor force for years, and investors in the form of shareholders only care about this quarter. The company will move its production to China and investors will be long gone to other stocks, bonds and god knows what else long before any accountants post the costs of polluting the environment to any income statement. And while rational people may desire the stable economy that comes with economic equity, they would just as soon take the money and run off to some fortress playground of the rich.

Here in Frederick County, we want individuals and businesses to develop the land so that people gather what value we can from our most precious resource. What we don't want is for the land to be developed such that it loses the unique and irreplaceable value of the land itself. Imagine Frederick County looking like the sprawly parts of Montgomery County, or even worse like the fully sprawled Prince Williams County, VA? We don't want that.

And so we need our representative government to help us sustainably administer the land development process. We need public servants to work with and for us to protect our land from the devils of our worst nature who want to suck the blood of the Earth and turn it into gold in their pockets.

Looking for an Argument
I hope there exists someone out there that sees these issues differently and is willing to share. I would like nothing better than to have people who support less fettered land development to help us understand what sustainability looks like to them. If you know any who works to maximize the profits to be made by turning Frederick County into one large swath of ugly houses, or politicians who want to help them -- please send them this post and ask them to get in touch.

As 2010 progresses, I will be looking into how the candidates for County Commissioner see this issue.

Apparently we can't handle the truth.

Here at Sustainable Frederick, I do my best to stay out of directly addressing politics or religion. I find that these topics tend to distract people from what is really important in the here and now. This health care reform thing has me thinking, though. Well... thinking and feeling because I'm pretty ticked off. So, here is my take on politics from the perspective of seeking a sustainable Frederick:

We need to remember our humility.

People who are trying to heard on the political stages act like they know the truth. I'm referring to pretty much everyone from the smiling /sneering politicians and pundits to the red-faced mobs and the faceless ivory tower snobs.

They act like they know. They pretend they have a blueprint for Utopia. They hold the position 'if you disagree with me, then you are wrong.'

Here's the thing: the truth is that we don't know what the truth is. No one knows the best way to organize the relationships between government and industry and the communities and the individuals. No one knows.

One of the really good things we Earthlings, and especially we Americans, have been doing these past few centuries is trying to figure out the best way to live together while balancing the opposing forces of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Of course, for rhetorical purposes it makes sense to promote a political position with the guise of certainty. Who gets excited about a politician whose clearest message is his or her uncertainty?

But we have never been certain. Do you think the so-called founding fathers agreed on exactly how to do what should be done? Was there ever universal agreement about slavery or this or that war? That we have so diligently worked on figuring out these issues is why we should have a little faith that we can keep on doing it.

Should the Federal government be embroiled and enmeshed into the health care industry (that is, enmeshed more or differently than it already is)? I don't know and neither do you.

When we talk about it, we shouldn't pretend otherwise. We should remind ourselves that this is an experiment and we're all in it together, whether we agree or not.

Live sustainably -- some suggestions:

Start with your health -- including your body and mind, and the health of your relationships.

Maintain a healthy family economy. Use credit to make transactions easier, not to buy what you can't afford or don't need. Save for the future -- both rainy and sunny days. Don't assume that your investments, including your house, will always increase in value. Teach your children what healthy economic behavior looks like, including how to develop the skills you need to earn a living and get along in this world.

Take responsibility for your impact on the environment. Understand how your behavior -- especially your consumer behavior -- wears down our local environment and the Earth, and start doing something about it. Learn about your carbon footprint and start reducing it. Learn where the products you buy are made and who makes them, and what are the costs to their livelihood, economy and environment.

Be a good member of your local, national and global economies. When you can, buy from local producers and sellers -- the closer your dollars stay to home, the better off we'll all be. When buying products or services from far away, try to be sure you are investing in a seller or producer you would want to live near.

Be a good citizen. Pay attention to local and national politics and don't be afraid to speak about it reasonably with anyone. Vote. Get involved. Learn about other cultures and countries and global affairs. Understand that what your government does anywhere is your responsibility, too.

Love the Earth and every single thing on it. Then, live that love.