One of the very first issues to emerge in the aftermath of the 2000 U.S. election is the management of public lands. George W. Bush wasted no time stating his intention to open the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. With the prospects of an incoming administration in Washington which is generally antagonistic toward environmental protection, many people are feeling stirred up. Some are intent on protecting the gains made, perhaps fearful of what s to come in a new climate hostile toward the gains in preservation of public lands over the past eight years. Others feel disenfranchised by an election which had all the markings of a coup d etat.
Thoughts turn toward a renewed activism in defense of citizen justice and Earth.
But activism which runs on fear and anger can quickly sap energy and become adversarial and destructive to all involved. Some, like environmental scientist Will Keepin, have thought about how to remake activism into a powerful, constructive force for change. Will Keepin began his career as a consultant physicist to the Energy Foundation. Over time, it became clear to him that the roots of our ecological problems are neither technological nor scientific. This entailed a shift from promoting sustainable technologies in the heart of industry to implementing practices for transforming consciousness in the hearts of citizens themselves.