Kiya Villarreal

The present day environmental movement is surpassing libertarian views. The current
perspective in environmental discourse is heavily intertwined with a more encompassing demand
for equality. A strong interdisciplinary approach is being utilized. The movement is surrounded
by principles of ecofeminism; whether people are comfortable being labeled by that term or not.
The U.S. President, Barack Obama is currently leading a bully-pulpit of legislation working to
put equality and environmentalism on the political agenda, something that hasnt been prevalent
recently; arguably since the Nixon administration. While ideologies are socially constructed and
vary by region it is common knowledge that the majority of Generation X, Y, and the Millenials
(all post baby-boomer age) are critical of government activity and are somewhat environmentally
conscious with the exception of obscure extremists. As expressed in Vaughns Environmental
Politics, agenda setting and the role of the media in shaping public opinion and the
environmental debate is critical. This can predominantly be attributed to the wealth of
information made digitally available and also to alternative media outlets that are so prevalent in
today's culture. Not only is the media the agenda setter but it is also the most effective
assessment of effectiveness to the public. The environment or more so its protection, is a
widespread common interest shared by radical egalitarians, ecocentrics, all the way to the
relatively new...evangelical groups and those associated with faith communities (Vaughn, 37).
The attendees and participants of the 2015 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference may
have ranged in specific values and personal choices but the fundamental ideology was relatively
synonymous, a value for the Earth including from its inhabitants to its systems. The root of
specific values ranged from being stemmed in anthropocentrism to egalitarian ecocentrism.
A diverse representation of good-intentioned presenters with some shared ideologies
participated during the 2015 Public Interest Environmental Law Conference. Each presenter
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during the different panels was adamant about the possibility of a positive future. During Panel
Six Robin Quirke and Joanne Gross discussed Living guilt free in a society of mass
consumption. The discussion shifted through the false dichotomy of being able to live guiltfree being an environmentalist during an age of globalization and mass consumption. The
researcher Robin Quirke had identified subjects who had for a significant portion of their lives,
been living guilt free as she called it. They did not partake in the globalized market by choice
and while it is vital to acknowledging the privilege in being able to make that choice it is still
quite an admirable accomplishment. Quirke presented her findings of the present day
individualistic culture as being the leading root of high levels of consumption seen by the
westernized civilizations. A clear disconnect between values and behavior becomes evident when
viewing wealth brackets. Carbon footprints are directly connected to income not registered
political parties or personal values. A trend in increasing carbon footprint showed no biases in
registered Democrats or Republicans. Consumption rate and carbon footprint grew as income
climbed; while public opinion agrees our country would be a better place if we consumed less
there seems to be a disconnect with this sentiment and lifestyle choice. If the dominant approach
views others as responsible for environmental problems, which channel for change would the
individual see as having the most potential for effective change?
It is evident that lifestyle choices of an industrialized economy does not seem like a
sacrifice the wealthy populace will be willing to make. What avenue of change does that leave us
with, is it fair to demand others to be more responsible? Calling for political reform for State,
Federal, and even Local regulation while actively participating within the globalized consumer
economy may be displacing blame onto others. Quirke finds common threads of low
materialism, deep-thinking ability, integrity, a capacity for scientific intelligence, and self-

reflection to be evident in all of her subjects who are able to live this guilt free lifestyle. The
blame for these particular subjects did not rest on a failed governing entities but rather on their
own ability to evaluate the cause and effect of lifestyle choices. The blame, and thus
responsibility for environmental protection against degradation therefore can not solely be to the
governing entities, but rather to the populace they govern. By that acknowledgment a paradigm
shift of accountability and self-reliance will be the determining factors for positive political
legislation.
The PIELC panelists were heavily brimming with optimism for the implementation of
accountability for action and lifestyle choice. The possibility for a paradigm shift towards
accountability did not seem irrelevant or unattainable in the slightest. The conferences theme of
Changing Currents is a tribute to the proliferation of awareness into action, the keynote address
by Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez at only fourteen years old is already an inspired leader fueling
movements for change. Xiuhtezcatl is stimulating his peers with the charge reconnecting to
culture and being the Generation of Change by becoming leaders for action, education, and
empowerment. By continuously challenging the notion that the classic american dream for
progress and success is not synonymous with the decimation of the natural environment. The
positive reinforcement for systemic ideological change is possible if the status quo is challenged.
The Fertile Ground Environmental Institute panelists Max Wilbert and Saba Malik may
have had a different and slightly more radical vision of what will save the planet but the
general underlying theme of optimism was present. Their presentation worked to expose Truth,
Lies, and False Solutions associated with all forms of perceived green technology solutions.
They challenged the common notion that a world without electricity is not as unrealistic or
incredulous as so many westernized civilizations think; when a world without electricity is

already the reality for one quarter of the worlds population. Wilbert and Malik discredit the term
sustainable as being contradictory. Nothing can be more sustainable; it either is or is not.
Labeling green technology and renewable energy as solutions only justifies a globalized lifestyle
and fosters the current culture of convenience over environmental degradation. Green technology
is inherently linked to the manufacturing of industrialized products. The anthropocentric
perspective of systems of mining, extraction, and refining are inherently unsustainable, and the
products and materials used to create green technology are no exception. While panelists ranged
from the intensity of their social attitudes, the general notion of a sustainable globalized
economy was repeatedly challenged and fits with the conference's theme of changing currents.
Many panelist addressed topics with interdisciplinary approaches. There is a common
thread of the intersectionality of ecofeminism addressing all issues of discrimination by race,
gender, and class present. Challenging these systemic divisions, challenging othering, and
stopping the shift of blame will as one panelists inspiringly phrased it, create activists into
actionists. By challenging exclusionary principles of dialogue, a more just understanding of the
environments role is introduced, while being able to claim nature is also challenged.
The conference sparked a fire for changing currents by changing the dialogue for
responsibility, equality, and action. The right to a truly inherent and sustained life and livelihood
for all. Environmental justice is a global issue anchored in community empowerment, social
justice, and public health (Vaughn, 41). Especially the notion of necessities for livelihood,
seeing who and what the globalized economy is othering in the process is imperative to
facilitate this paradigm shift. Environmental legislation is rooted in the agenda setting power of
these communities challenging the dominant narrative of resource extraction, industry, othering,
and the externalized environmental cost of the global economy.

Friday May 6th