eco•logic
by Ann
Hancock
Ford's
Amazing Announcement & More
May
2000
Last Thursday, Ford Motor Company announced that
their sports utility vehicles cause serious
safety and environmental problems. Auto industry
allies and antagonists alike were stunned by the
company's frankness.
William
Ford Jr., the automaker's chairman, discussed
Ford's "corporate citizenship report" at the
company's annual meeting last week. He described
the dilemma in balancing sales of highly
profitable SUV's with the company's desire to be
a good corporate citizen. It is best to be open
about the company's problems, he
declared.
Desire
to be a good corporate citizen!? Best to be
honest!? This is not small stuff, but a shining,
very hopeful sign.
What
brings a company to do this and how can we
encourage more of the same? I would venture that
two essential elements may be responsible.
First, citizen pressure has impact: Feedback
skillfully and plentifully applied-we express
that something is wrong and needs to change.
"Nothing ever happens except by pressure,"
asserts Dolores Huerta, veteran organizer for
the United Workers.
Second,
William Ford's leadership and courage. He could
have chosen the easier, business-as-usual route,
but instead he chose to publicly confront the
dilemma we all face. Repeatedly we must choose
between economic enticements and Earth
responsibilities.
I also
would like to underscore Ford's basic attitude
of openness, the essential quality for tackling
any problem. How rare that a giant like Ford
would publicly admit that they have a problem
without an answer. Such a stance requires
humility. Amazing!
Now,
words are cheap. It will be very interesting to
observe if Ford follows their bold announcement
with action. To inquire, acknowledge, and keep
up the pressure, write to Chairman William Ford,
Jr., P.O. Box 6248, Dearborn, Michigan,
48121.
* * *
*
Passionate
Readers
I love
it when readers react strongly to eco.logic, as
they did for last month's column, "Doing What
Matters Most." [not published in AWe]
Although many liked it, others scolded me. Their
objections fell into two categories: 1)
disagreement that Earth's overall environmental
condition is deteriorating, and 2) my
suggestions for dealing with the environmental
crisis were unrealistic.
One
reader in the first category noted that, "Things
are really much better.Our air and water is
cleaner. Food production is up, and it's
cheaper."
To
understand how this could be true while the
natural environment on the whole continues to
deteriorate, imagine that you are a homeowner
assessing the condition of your house. Both your
water supply and indoor air quality have
improved since you stopped throwing trash down
your well, and started venting the smoke from
your wood stove to the outside. Although you
have improved your water and air, you have also
been using your wooden roof shingles, siding,
and foundation joists as fuel for heat. Because
you pay attention to only water and air, you
remain oblivious to your home's overall
deteriorating condition.
In
assessing the Earth's environment status, the
United Nations last month issued preliminary
findings of a two-year study of agriculture,
coastal areas, forests, fresh water environments
and grasslands. Scientists found a broad decline
of the world's ecosystems that must be reversed
or there "could be devastating implications."
Such finding corroborate the conclusions of
World Watch, a respected organization of
environmental experts reporting on the Earth's
condition for twenty-five years.
Although
such frightening findings can motivate us, I do
not dwell on them because I believe that
constant reminders can make us tune out.
Moreover, studies show that most people do not
need reminding; they already
understand.
So, what
do we do about Earth's deteriorating condition?
This question leads to the second category of
reader objections to "Doing What Matters Most,"
which I will address in the next eco.logic.
eco.logic is a monthly column published
in the Sebastopol weekly paper,"Sonoma West
Times and News."
Ann
Hancock, a founding member of Sustainable Sonoma
County, is dedicated to preserving our
irreplaceable natural heritage by helping forge
a sustainable economy. She values your feedback.
Contact her at jtrav@wco.com.
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