"Just turn off the water when you shave your legs!"

I thought Maniates op-ed was right on the money. I especially loved how he compared the way politics have been pandering us, like parents to children. Americans understand the concept of "hard work pays off" perfectly well; it is what we built this country on. Nevertheless, when it comes to the environment, we want to do as little as possible, so as not to disrupt our routine too much. What Maniates is getting at in his article is that "the simple things" are way too simple or as he put it "We need to be looking at fundamental change in our energy, transportation and agricultural systems rather than technological tweaking on the margins, and this means changes and costs that our current and would-be leaders seem afraid to discuss." He is right. Would-be leaders are afraid to discuss this issue because of what they might lose, i.e. voters, support, funding, etc. As we witnessed with potential presidential candidates platforms for last week's question, there is a general consensus that we need to act for environmental change. Still, how much individual action we need to make is unclear. I looked over McCain and Obama's platforms and neither of them say anything about radically changing individual lifestyles to save the planet. That's just for "environmentalists." However, what Maniates is saying is that yes, radical change in individual lifestyles is not only a step, it is a KEY step in making any noticeable change in the environmental damage we have already put in motion. I especially love the example of leaders who took what many would deem the "radical approach" like Revere, and Martin Luther King Jr. In retrospect, if these individuals took the simple, everyday steps towards change, the world would not have changed much from when they were in action and it may have gotten worse. Likewise, if we continue to take simple steps with no real effort to make lasting changes in our activities and mentalities, the world won't change much for the better, but it will for the worse.