So, on Saturday there was this concert thing. I wasn't really paying attention, but the idea--as I understand it--is essentially to make a huge global stink and raise awareness about the importance of renewable energy and resources.
There's some controversy about the effectiveness of a huge concert series in addressing this issue (and someone in England said, why are they coming here to lecture us? They're the worst culprits of all!), but for the most part, everyone is like--you go, Gore. We like your vision. Rock on.
So today I flip on the TV and catch part of Hell's Kitchen, which is a ridiculous show to begin with, and the punishment for the losing team today? RECYCLING. The winners of the challenge were treated to a champagne limo ride to a glamorous photo shoot, makeovers, fabulous outfits, etc. The losers have to dig through the entire restaurant's trash looking for recyclables.
I seem to remember a project like this in Girl Scouts when I was a kid, and I hated it as much as they do, but I brought it on myself in the name of "volunteerism." On the East Coast, in the suburbs, recycling was an everyday activity. We didn't have to sort through trash because we did it on the front end: soda cans, glass bottles, etc. go in the bin, which gets picked up on Tuesdays.
In the five years since I've lived in Houston, my behavior has altered to meet the city's resources.
Where the eff does Fox get off pushing recycling as punishment? Maybe Al Gore's right, and we need a global mindshift that is more important than raising money. But in my line of work, changing minds and raising money go hand in hand.
Change comes when recycling and renewable energy sources are made available to every community. It will be easy, expected, and mandatory. And that reality will be the one reflected on our "reality" TV shows.
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