Social Scientists Respond to Grist Letter

Mike Tidwell certainly ruffled some feathers when he argued that voluntary actions aren't enough to protect the environment and that political legislation is necessary to fix the climate problem.

I was quite discouraged by this report. But thankfully, several bloggers like Beth in the Plastic Fish Tank, Experimentaholic, and Merry Meghan, as well as social scientists from Conservation Psychology, provided me with moral support and encouragement.

I think Tidwell was right when he said political action is needed to make significant changes in reducing global warming. But as I said in a recent comment, political and personal actions should not be considered as mutually-exclusive endeavors. This isn't an either/or situation: Both actions are necessary for making significant changes in our environment.

Anyway, the good news is that several conservation psychologists recently pulled together to write a response to Mike Tidwell's report. The response letter was published in Grist this week. It's entitled "The power of voluntary actions," and I hope you take a moment to read it. If anything, the Tidwell report challenged and strengthened my beliefs concerning the environment. Honestly, I'm grateful for this experience; it's good to be challenged and reminded why we do the things we do to protect the environment.