Alex Steffen, in his article, “Reframing the Planet,” pointed out six ways in which environmentalism can improve. He said Americans support the protection of the environment but not when it interferes with their jobs and personal pursuits of happiness and prosperity. He said environmentalism should not be viewed as a decline, politically, socially, or economically. The overall goal is to set the environment as the future. This is how he said we can make that happen:

Prosperity, shift the perspective of environmentalism as a sustainable future that creates jobs and opportunities for growth. He listed new jobs in clean power industries, hybrid car industries, and green building industries as examples. Security, fossil-fuel dependency endangers our health as well as our national security. Fossil fuel increases the likelihood of global and domestic corruption while it pollutes our air, water, and soil. Luxury, make pollution and corrupt corporations/lobbyists unattractive. “Frame green lifestyles as the new luxury good.” Health, scare the hell out of the public with the health dangers of fossil fuels. Green lifestyles lead people to live longer and healthier lives. Our health and sustainability should be more mainstream. Progress, environmentalism plans for the future just like Americans. Environmentalism should invoke a belief system of bold ideals that builds and breathes for a better future. Success, highlight instances of the successes of environmentalism, possibly show some species (or human lives) that are only alive because we have recognized and acted upon the threat of climate change. Focus on the big picture, alternate/more sustainable ways of living that includes nature in every thought. Steffen believed that if we can follow these six achievements then environmentalism will essentially fix itself over its current stigma.

What do I think should happen for the environmental movement to be successful? That’s an incredibly difficult question to answer. The fact that there are people, especially in public office (here and abroad), that believe climate change is a hoax makes me furious. In my mind, I classify those same people who believed the earth was flat, or that God created the universe in six days. We have the scientific data, or the facts if you will, to prove climate change is a real threat. Religion has a lot to do with the denial of clear science. In the United States, the Bible Belt and everywhere south of it is home to the biggest percentage of Americans who deny climate change. But we also need to stop viewing ourselves as separate from nature. I once set this as my Facebook status:

“The first living cell came into being nearly 40 million centuries ago, and its direct descendants are in all of our bloodstreams. Literally you are breathing molecules this very second that were inhaled by Moses, Mother Teresa, and Bono. We are vastly interconnected. Our fates are inseparable.” (Environmentalist Paul Hawken at the 2009 Commencement Address at the University of Portland)

We are not separate from nature. What happens to the environment happens to us because we are encompassed by our planet. Everything we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell is a part of nature and we are quickly harming everything we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. If more people realized this then more people would call their Congressman, or attend a rally, or change their lifestyle to think about the environment more. I think the single biggest reason environmentalism has not been so successful is because people do not find it to be a serious issue because people think it does not apply to them. Theists believe this planet is not comparable to eternal glory in heaven. There’s nothing institutionally wrong with that belief as long as the ability to live the longest and healthiest life with friends and loved ones is also, hopefully equally, as important.