Philosophically, Green Citizenship Means Working

¶ … Philosophically, Green Citizenship means working out how best an individual can make an ecological difference in the world. It is an ethical position, involving education, politics, economy, society and culture.

According to "Green," (the author of Green Citizenship) the individual is one of a group of people who work together "in concert" to recruit authorities to change political and economic stances toward ecologically beneficial endeavors. This group or individual's primary task is to change organizations' mindsets, which must be redirected toward placing concerns before the public that will express and sway them to take action either politically or at a "grassroots" level. (Green 115)

Pamela Courtenay Hall starts off immediately with the premise that the place for each individual to find out about the importance of ethically caring for the earth is in school. Education, she says is the crucible in which human beings either emerge as "corporate apologists... radical environmentalists, or... dedicated happy consumers." She says the key step to creating ethical environmentalists is to incorporate environmental education into ethics and to include ethics as part of the curriculum. In other words, instead of trying to sway the minds of those already molded into happy consumers. As "Green" would have us do, it is the responsibility of a concerned nation to teach people when they are young that it is wrong to contaminate the earth we live in.

Green" believes that in order to save humans and the planet itself, individuals and groups must make the issue real in the minds of others who are not concerned. He purports that a persuasive, moderate, yet realistic stance is necessary to the presentation, because if the message becomes viewed as too radical it may become marginalized. A logical, intuitive and well researched message becomes an appeal to the rational. Nevertheless, short-range vision is a temptation to all, as human beings tend to be preoccupied with self and self-centered interests, which "invites more ecological destruction" (Green, 116). "Green" sees the majority of humans as hopelessly lost in themselves. He has little hope of ever convincing this generation that trashing the earth is an imperative evil.

Green" believes that the challenge is to find a range of politics that is not radically impractical, yet reforms policies into principled and regulated solutions. Both "Green" and Hall agree that principles are the guidelines by which policies should be decided, yet "Green," believing that since high principles are unattainable, one must somehow turn already formed policies and regulations toward the right direction and away from selfish aims.

Green" and Hall here part ways. Whereas Hall believes in reform, changing strategies, ethical issues, reforming teaching practices and funding needs of environmental education, "Green" believes that this will take too long; that a crisis is brewing that will erupt before a reform makes any difference in the environment.

Green" states that reform is not only an uncertain way to effect change, it may be too slow to do any good. Twenty or more years' effort in this area may take too long (a crisis lurks in the not-too-distant future, he believes) and even then, change may not occur, seeing as so many policies and regulations must be altered while so many individuals and corporations are adamantly against this type of change. "Green's" alternative solution is revolution. He goes on to make the argument that historically, revolution is a rapid way to effect change for the better, while admitting that revolution also has its risks, in that opposition may rise that will cause the revolution to fall to the far right, rather than to the left.

Hall also admits that changes do not come easily, but that in a society that is based on respect for the individual and the will of the majority, there is only one way that deep change will occur -- through "education in the broadest sense: education in the schools at all levels, education in nonformal setting..., education in adult settings..., education through the news media, education through popular literature, films, theatre, art, even dance and music." (Hall 365)

She goes on to state that the goals, the teachers and their curriculum must be carefully chosen to develop "ecological literacy," to gain an overall appreciation of life in all its manifestations, to counteract an advertising industry by providing a "sober view of the world, but without inducing despair," and to learn how to live as caring stewards of our world, rather than consumers of it. (Hall 366)

In contrast, "Green" believes that a crisis on a revolutionary scale may convince the public that alterations to existing policies are necessary and it is up to organizations concerned with green alternatives to have developed well-though-out directions, plans for actions and restructuring of present conditions to save the world. He does state that this requires ecologically minded organizations to come to terms with the possibility of ecological crises and to deal realistically with that possibility, but does not explore how this might be done in such a short period as he envisions (20 years). "Green" calls that person, who is a "practical idealist... accepting of her fear... without being possessed by it" a "clear-sighted possibilist." (Green 117)

He goes on to describe the fervor of the new activist as not so involved as to neglect their spirituality, but to know that need for change is urgent: "biotechnology, global warming, overpopulation, deforestation, extinctions and too many other crises will not, in a real sense, wait." (Green 118) He admits, as Hall does, that "ecoliteracy" is desperately needed and that every child should learn "where his or her water, energy, food, etc. come from (and wastes go to), and with what other effects." But "Green" goes on to point out that one cannot hope for much from the general public and as rules and regulations have had little effect on controlling the ethics of humanity, that a powerful ecocentric vision of green virtue cannot live hand in hand with those who are not virtuous. He says green citizens must act skillfully and cunningly (quoting Jesus and Buddha, among others), yet with morality. (Green 121)