a *greater* GAS OUT

Date: Fri, 7 May 1999 18:40:25 -0300 (ADT)
From: Daniel Haran <ah813@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca
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Return-Path: <sust-mar-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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Paul, Brian and all,


I've had this conversation a number of times with drivers... and I always
found it very difficult.

Last night (thurs.) I read something that might help explain why this is:
The Sexual Politics Of Meat by Carol Adams. She explains that our
narratives around food make it nearly impossible to have a descent
conversation about vegetarianism.

Just as with meat, we have a lot of our identities enmeshed in whether we
drive or not. I remember my first room-mate triumphantly telling me that
I'd "never be a man" because I didn't want to drive a car- Honest!!
But I'll be the first one to admit that I've also, like my ex-roommate,
invested a lot of my identity in this whole affair- only I identified as a
"green."

This may sound kooky, but the car, like the suburbian home, lawn and meat
barbeque are just too central to our culture; those who do not wish to
pursue these are always labelled as trouble makers, "radicals," by those
who do. And both the mainstream and the rebels usually allow themselves to
be so defined by those choices. 

I think these assumptions are like a default value; when communication
starts breaking down, especially when we feel threatened, we resort to
these stereotypes.

Both Brian's and Paul's points are valid. Brian should be entitled to
making a livelihood. Paul's entitled to clean air. Why should these be
incompatible? I think the problem is political/corporate, having to do
with the design of our cities and transport infrastructures. Here,
Transport 2000 seems to be on the right track. Getting personal, asking
people to stop using cars risks being seen as accusatory, but the problem
is political too.

Perhaps getting over these stereotypes, starting with each other's
rationale for our behaviours, could lead us into talking about the larger
forces in our society that make it incompatible to have a livelihood and
being able to breathe.

Peace-

Daniel.



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