The Political Environmental Conundrum

Action regarding the environment requires objectivity, precision, accuracy, validity, replication, constructive criticism, and consensus. Scientists, engineers, and economists have to stay focused on putting accurate data into the hands of decision makers, while they explain their findings to the public, which, in the end, wields decisive power in a free society. Mechanisms must be developed to transform highly technical findings into governmental and economic policies.

If we can reach a point where two (or more) political parties are sincerely committed to peremptory environmental action and differ only in the details and designs, we have arrived at the brink of consensus. Currently, liberal politicians operate as if they own the issue; in their reaction, conservatives appear to disdain it. As the media overreacts to information and generates sensational headlines, mainstream America tunes out. This is the worst kind of outcome. In such a situation, if action is needed, we would be driven from action instead. Given such uncertainty, we are prone to a malady psychologists have labeled learned helplessness. We cope by doing nothing to change the situation. As we cope, we momentarily escape stress and anxiety, but all the while, the problem only deepens.

Notes:

Gingrich succinctly explains the political, scientific, and media schisms that promote inaction concerning environmental issues.

Folksonomies: politics environmentalism

Taxonomies:
/law, govt and politics (0.577359)
/law, govt and politics/politics (0.577347)
/shopping/toys/action figures (0.544845)

Keywords:
Environmental Conundrum Gingrich (0.961103 (negative:-0.367035)), highly technical findings (0.819091 (positive:0.292316)), media schisms (0.599911 (negative:-0.560096)), constructive criticism (0.580139 (positive:0.228157)), decisive power (0.565843 (positive:0.672450)), environmental issues (0.554850 (negative:-0.560096)), malady psychologists (0.544266 (negative:-0.675521)), accurate data (0.540444 (negative:-0.373159)), sensational headlines (0.539173 (positive:0.582070)), liberal politicians (0.536846 (negative:-0.297617)), decision makers (0.536627 (negative:-0.373159)), free society (0.534853 (positive:0.672450)), economic policies (0.529716 (positive:0.292316)), worst kind (0.526171 (negative:-0.889225)), mainstream America (0.515410 (positive:0.570148)), political parties (0.511994 (positive:0.438673)), environmental action (0.500282 (positive:0.438673)), consensus (0.368081 (positive:0.486814)), situation (0.352239 (negative:-0.538663)), objectivity (0.297545 (positive:0.563097)), helplessness (0.289760 (negative:-0.675521)), validity (0.281269 (positive:0.222168)), brink (0.278795 (positive:0.516097)), conservatives (0.276209 (negative:-0.445228)), economists (0.273936 (negative:-0.373159)), accuracy (0.272897 (positive:0.479696)), replication (0.270111 (neutral:0.000000)), outcome (0.268540 (negative:-0.889225)), uncertainty (0.266346 (neutral:0.000000)), inaction (0.263983 (negative:-0.560096))

Entities:
Gingrich:Person (0.898334 (negative:-0.367035)), America:Continent (0.653957 (positive:0.570148))

Concepts:
Mass media (0.932036): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Political party (0.880881): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Accuracy and precision (0.836765): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Environment (0.798233): dbpedia
Conservatism (0.754600): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Natural environment (0.722007): dbpedia | freebase
Political philosophy (0.682878): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Scientific method (0.681582): dbpedia | freebase

 A contract with the Earth
Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book:  Gingrich , Newt and Maple , Terry (2007-09-24), A contract with the Earth, Johns Hopkins Univ Pr, Retrieved on 2012-03-22
  • Source Material [books.google.com]
  • Folksonomies: nature evironmentalism