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Mike Bingley

Outdoor Program Manager, Scouts Canada

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I would like to propose that we open the environmental movement to all people.

Recently, I've been doing a lot of thinking about how we, as environmentalists, tent to treat outsiders to the movement. There is a hierarchy of good vs bad and it's pretty clear to me that there is an all or nothing approach to environmentalism. I think that the environmental movement needs to embrace those who share some of the values of the movement, even if some of their other values don't quite fit. In this model, SUV drivers who take kids into nature would be welcomed just as much as people who choose less invasive methods of travel but don't educate people about it. My idea is that this would break down the us vs them mentality that exists in the environmental movement and allow people to understand that there is just US.

Topics: environment
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    russell lester

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    Mar 3 2012: I think that we should embrace anyone's attempt at making the earth a more sustainable place even if we think that they are pursuing the wrong means, we should applaud everyone's efforts and Ideas and urge all ideas our own most of all to be rigorously examined and tested for flaws, preferably by the people who dont agree with them. There is no us and them there is only a me and a we that includes everyone's point of view. The things we must do is talk about what each of us see's as a priority and try to reach a rational hierarchy of which issues to approach first. The limiting factor, what is it? What will be the first critical resource that we will destroy on our current path and what can be donw about it. In the USA the occupy movement is looking for a direction a leadership and a more pervasive message to appeal to people for change, we must recognize opportunities as they come to us and do what we can to make real change global.
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