Voltaire, whose works were foundational to American revolutionaries, stated that everyone must tend to their own gardens.
There is a problem with that attitude at this time. If everyone is tending to their own gardens, then common concerns do not get addressed, and all the gardens go underwater.
I will tend to my garden when I know that it is not going to go underwater. And until I know that, tending to my garden is the wrong thing to do.
I am in no way being a hypocrite. I spent a lot of time and energy promoting a clean energy invention. I supported someone close to me in a successful effort to fight violence against women. My credentials are secure.
Responsibility is not about having a huge house and a Hummer. Responsibility is about leaving the world a better place than you have found it. And a person who is truly responsible will direct his energies in that direction.
Reckless consumption is more irresponsible than even drug addiction. The drug addict hurts himself and the people who love him; the reckless consumer hurts the planet and its inhabitants. I used to make a lot of money, but I never engaged in reckless consumption. At this time in my life I live humbly, have an energy bill of $30 a month and take public transportation instead of driving a car. It is much more responsible to do that than to overconsume the world’s resources.
At this point in time, the responsible thing to do is to move to better energy technologies. I do not advocate doing away with technology or business, and I do not advocate Communism. I advocate more responsible treatment of nature, while allowing people to enjoy comforts and conveniences of the civilization.
Nature and civilization do not need to be things hostile to each other. It is possible for the two to work together. That will have people using their intellect to provide for their material needs and wants in a way that is not ruinous to nature. Intelligence has always been the saving grace of humanity, and it stands to be in this situation. Convert to smarter energy technologies, and see the people concerned with such things drop the rebellious stance and join the civilization and contribute to it.