Second Life Earthweek Presentation 2009

Conserving Our Guilt The fallacy of composition

The Fallacy of Composition States: The things we want add up to the things we don’t want.

By setting aside protected land, we say in effect, “It’s ok to be wasteful elsewhere.”

•365 acres/hour – the rate of urban sprawl •30,000 ads – seen before 1st grade •Consumerism – the new citizenship •To get what you want – buy something •World’s 7th largest economy – California •Largest manmade structure – NY Landfill •Humans exploit what they value and defend what they love.

The problem isn’t what we do. It’s how we live.

Project Impact • Perspective: How do we justify our actions?

• The problem with conspicuous good citizenship.

• Identity: Who are we in this biosphere?

Not conservation but lifestyle changes based on proper view.

Project Outcomes • Critical Thinkers withhold judgment • Difference Makers articulate issues • Change Catalysts visionize others

by Dallas McPheeters Instructional Tech Liaison dallasm@mac.com

References

Based on William Ashworth’s “The Left Hand of Eden: Meditations on Nature and Human Nature,” (1999), Oregon State University Press in Corvallis. & Peter Forbes’ “The Great Remembering,” (2001), Chelsea Green Publishing, VT.