Ryan ChartrandChad, I placed one of the 12 tacks in the “none of these” category at the Sustainability Conference, and I did it for a very good reason.
Somewhere along the line we have acquired the belief that progress is when the big players (schools, governments, companies) force the little people to “do the right thing,” and that the best sort of progress is when all the little rules are all perfectly calibrated. The concept of the little people doings the right things voluntarily is considered a poor second, if it’s considered at all.
I didn’t put my tack in any of the first four categories because they were all focused on requirements, mandates, and bans – all based on forcing people to behave in ways they do not want. I was left to decide which form of coercion best tickled my fancy.
Where were the options to host student-led seminars, to conduct door-to-door discussions in the dorms, the options to be pro-active instead of reactive? People voluntarily pursue what they believe is in their interest, so inform our beliefs!
Why are restrictions and requirements always considered preferable to education and opportunities?
Eric Baldwin
electrical engineering senior