How “environmentalism” became a lifestyle experiment.
Note: This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the work of Colin Beavan and the No Impact project, with apologies. I am embarassed to say that the original misrepresented his work in quite profound ways.
It’s a black and white scene. There’s a couch on the pavement in front of the US Senate. On that couch are Nancy Pelosi, Democratic speaker of the house, and Newt Gingrich, Republican former speaker of the house. The pair look straight into the camera, and declare that while they don’t always agree on everything, they do both believe that America can and must take action on climate change.
“Together, we can do this.” declares Pelosi
Released in 2008, this televised ad was part of the “We Can Solve It” ad campaign sponsored by former Vice President Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection. And while it seems like a quaint, even surreal throw back now — especially given Gingrich’s decidedly mixed record on climate, scienceand the environment— it does represent a brief moment in time when it seemed like America might start taking…
