3 Comments

  1. Great food for thought. Thank you for your blogging gifts, it is always refreshing to read your posts. I now must muster…
    KQ

  2. Very thought provoking TIm. While I grudgingly agree that the marketing ends justify the means, I think there is a real danger there too. Zoos are a prime example of this danger. Zoos show people the animals completely out of context no matter how hard they try to recreate the look and feel of their habitat.. People leave understanding nothing about the ecology of these animals and how they rely on and contribute to ecosystems.. Worse they think somehow they can help protect the polar bear without bothering about protecting its habitat or other less handsome species. Interpretive signage certainly helps some, but most people get the message that reinforces their biases and inaction. i agree that its really important to find a simple resonating personal story that focuses on hope and positive change, but it must be change to the actual causes of the problem, otherwise it can be useless or even counterproductive not to mention cruel.

  3. Thanks for the comment Steve. I too accept these ideas grudgingly. I want to see change that addresses the underlying causes of our problems. Yet I admit, again grudgingly, that there are times when a well told story can simulate positive change at the root of a problem, even if it doesn’t address the root itself. This may be a mercenary approach, but at least it produces results. We rarely have the wherewithal to solve large complex problems – and that is frustrating – but Kristof offers some good advice for how to chip away at them, and that is a decent start.

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