Mitch, I appreciated what you just wrote: “Much of what passes as environmental policy today is an effort to ‘do something’ ? rather than accomplish something tangible”.
It’s a mentality I lampooned a while back:
?Don?t just stand there; do something!? The well-worn expression favors action over inaction when faced with a problem. When catastrophe looms, some people naturally spring to work immediately. Others react as does the bird transfixed by the snake; they are the ones who need such a reminder to be snapped back to reality.
Action is warranted when the problem is immediate. But especially when the problem is perennial ? or as in the case of ?global warming,? the problem is theoretical ? the ?do something? mentality can lead to very silly actions, whether it?s ?fighting global warming? by using only one square of toilet paper per restroom visit, creating a talking cartoon fish to get people to stop pouring grease down their drains, believing that chanting the word ?vagina? helps fight sexual assault …
