The Pollywog Conglomerate

[H2O Man]

{1} This morning, I sat by the pond, and prepared for a presentation I would be doing later in the day. I had been asked to speak to an assembly of junior high school students about the environment. Specifically, I was going to speak about a US EPA Super Fund Site, and my twenty-plus years of experience advocating for a clean-up of the 120 acres of toxic land and water.

I was thinking of a wonderful film I watched many years ago, around the time I became involved with this case. It was titled "The Frog in the Pond," and it communicates the issues involved in environmental issues very well. Unfortunately, I did not have a copy of that film available for use, and so I had to try to whittle down decades of experiences into an hour-long talk. More, because junior high students tend to be in that stage between true pollywog and frog, I’d need to do it in a way that would be of interest to them.

Later, as I was preparing to go to the school, the telephone rang. It was the doctor’s office, returning my call. I had left a message that I needed a new prescription. The lady on the other end was very polite, as she asked what medication I was on. I told her that the doctor had diagnosed me with a severe case of hypochondria, and that she had prescribed placebos. I said that I felt the dosage needed to be increased, as they were not touching the symptoms that I felt. The long pause filled with silence convinced me that she either did not realize I was joking, or did not think I was funny. I asked her which one it was? She said that she had been stunned, and wondered how she could hand the phone off to a doctor without laughing. I knew at this point that I was as ready to face an assembly of junior high students as I ever would be.

{2} I began by telling the assembled students that on the drive to the school, I saw two police vehicles. Suppose that I was speeding, or not wearing a seat belt, I said. If one of them had pulled me over to write me a ticket, what might I do? Numerous hands went up, and among the variety of creative answers were the ones I was hoping for: try to talk your way out of a ticket, and get a lawyer to plea it down. Then I said how about when you break nature’s laws? Can you talk your way out of a ticket? Have an attorney pay it down? The first answer was on target: No, you have to pay the consequences.

I had brought two bottles of water with me. I said that this was the only "test" related to my presentation. One bottle was clean water; the other had dirt, garbage, and even a couple spoons full of egg salad in it. Which would you rather drink? They made the correct choice. I noted the one had egg salad in it, and said, "Mmm, egg salad. My favorite." Several students were able to identify that quote from a Pee Wee Herman movie.

Throughout the presentation, I had many, many good questions asked by students who were clearly interested in the topic. These students were aware of many of the other toxic waste dump sites in our area. Several had insightful questions about the methods used to address the damage that past dumping has done. One of the final questions was about what I planned to do about these issues in the future? I gave the most honest answer I could: I don’t know what the actual solutions are, and after working for 20 years on this case – most often alone – I recognized that no one else knew for sure, either. Not today. But I also have faith that by posing the information in as straight forward a way as possible to you (the students), I am confident that I’ll have the privilege of working side-by-side with many of you in the future. And my reward for my past work will be knowing that you will be far more capable of finding the solutions tomorrow, than I am of identifying them today.

{3} In his 1973 book "The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness," Erich Fromm ends with "Epilogue: On the Ambiguity of Hope." He noted that it was difficult for him to find the correct word to describe his thoughts on the future. The words "hope" and "optimistic" did not work well, as they characterize a position that could be interpreted as utopian and unrealistic. Despite the risk of theological implications, he used the word "faith," not in the religious sense, but rather, in an informed manner.

Fromm recognized the difference between uninformed, irrational thought, and informed, rational thought. Both optimism and pessimism that are rooted in uninformed, irrational thought are road blocks to progress: the optimism is an alienated form of faith, and the pessimism is an alienated form of despair.

"Rational faith as well as rational despair are based on the most thorough, critical knowledge of all the factors that are relevant for the survival of man," Fromm wrote. "The basis of rational faith in man is the presence of a real possibility for his salvation; the basis for rational despair would be the knowledge that no such possibility can be seen."

Irrational optimism and pessimism, along with rational despair, are all based upon the belief that there is nothing we can or must do, as individuals, to make meaningful change. It will either happen due to outside forces (irrational optimism), or it simply cannot happen (irrational pessimism and rational despair).

The pollywog conglomerate convinces me that there is good reason to have faith in the future. That faith requires me to look beyond placebos for building a foundation for solutions to the problems that we face.

Peace,
H2O Man

[havocmom]

1. Thank you for providing food for thought and additions to reading list

:thumbsup:

[Me.]

2. I Find This To Be A Rather Wavering Time

Going back and forth between rational optimism and rational despair. I see reasons for the former peeking out here and there but the terror and fear inspired by the last eight years still has a hold. Those of the mind set that introduced that fearsome climate and disregard for all forms of life are still battling to regain their hold. When more of the country trusts Cheney over Pelosi it says there is much educating that still need to be done. The thought I hand onto is that you can't stop progress and a more progressive way of life has been in the ascendancy for a number of years now. It's just taking longer than we might hope. And of course there is, still, the arc of the moral universe standing behind us.

[BeFree]

3. Rational Despair

Gawd, wish i could be free of that.
***********

Thanks waterman.... Ya know what is really radical environmentalism?
The idea that by destroying the gifts the Earth has given us we shall make progress.

[Uncle Joe]

4. You sound like a good teacher, H2O Man.

Thanks for the thread.

[myrna minx]

5. I feel so fortunate to be able to audit your class on DU.

:hi: K&R

[earth mom]

6. Boiled frogs, not pollywogs.

From what I've been reading lately, between all the damage * & Co wrought and what little the Obama administration has done so far, it may be way too late to save the planet. :cry:

[Me.]

7. A Rational Kick

[stevedeshazer]

8. Recommended, and I'm stealing the name.

New band.

:)

[bleever]

9. Every year

this pond dries up, hard as cement.

Every spring, it's filled with tadpoles that seem as numerous as the stars in the sky. It seems impossible, but it happens every year.


It gives me faith.