tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917889028116824739.post9200286233839593922..comments2023-07-03T06:08:55.373-07:00Comments on Ritik Dholakia: Why Bother?Professor Atishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01473365932161328377noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917889028116824739.post-13231370348484535712008-04-21T16:38:00.000-07:002008-04-21T16:38:00.000-07:00Good point. One of the challenges in all of this i...Good point. One of the challenges in all of this is how to quantify your impact, if you really care about making a difference. The imprecision (both in environmental and in so much social policy) in being able to measure impact poses one problem. The use of selective science and studies to muddy the waters is another major problem. Not that science shouldn't be skeptical, but honest scientific skepticism and contrarian skepticism aren't quite the same thing.Professor Atishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01473365932161328377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7917889028116824739.post-49567442041113500112008-04-21T03:20:00.000-07:002008-04-21T03:20:00.000-07:00I read this tonight as well and was very happy wit...I read this tonight as well and was very happy with all of it. He gets the balance of moral imperative to "wholesome goodness" just right, and pushes through the uncertainty and rationalizations to find a piece of the responsibility each of us can bear.<BR/><BR/>In addition to talking about the pleasures of environmental actions, Pollan also avoids finger-wagging school marmishness by showing that everyday environmentalism can be a communal effort -- something that connects us to our neighbors and like-minded others.<BR/><BR/>But the thing I liked most was that the article put the contrarian "freakonomics" data-types (the "specialists") in their place. There will always be the economist or other professional who produces a study showing that ideas with good intentions have bad results (e.g. New Zealand produce better than local), and this provides comfort for passivity, and makes moral choices ambiguous. To my mind, the economists have done this to many aspects of public policy. Pollan goes to essentials to bring out a sense of individual responsibility amidst the data complexity.Elihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12217050597914537569noreply@blogger.com