A Few Observations on Environmentalism

I took most of the day off yesterday to be a part of a family outing at the Los Angeles County Fair.  While the kids were on the rides, I wandered off on my own to check out as many eco-friendly solutions as I could find in the “home and garden” area, including a clever new approach to solar water heating for swimming pools.

There was also a marvelous exhibit heralding some of the great American inventors: Franklin, Edison, The Wright Brothers, Carver, Ford, as well as dozens of others: the guy who invented the yoyo, another who gave us Post-it notes, etc.   I felt a bit sad that the designers felt the need to limit the focus to Americans, but outside of that, they did a good job.

Now I’m on the train back from Los Angeles, sitting next to a very affable lady of Indian descent who works as an environmental engineer, whose job functions include a great deal of permitting and regulation.  So far, the conversation’s been quite thought-provoking.  “We regulate businesses, but we educate people,” she says.  “As a society, we expect people to make the right decisions with respect to the environment, but not to the extent that they cease to enjoy their lives.  I’m not an eco-Nazi,” she smiles.