tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24215087.post115593929102808588..comments2023-05-14T07:51:18.017-05:00Comments on The Suburban Christian: Chicago Tribune's Oil Safari: A Travelogue of AddictionAl Hsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04407264726681695790noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24215087.post-1156166842307482542006-08-21T08:27:00.000-05:002006-08-21T08:27:00.000-05:00Well, by no means did I mean to suggest that indiv...Well, by no means did I mean to suggest that individuals can have no impact or that individuals shouldn't bother trying to make a difference. It's just that, as Andy Crouch says, culture shapes us (as individuals) far more than any particular individual can shape culture. Individuals, acting individualistically, can only wield so much influence or power, but communities, networks and organizations can enact more systemic change. <BR/><BR/>It's a both/and, of course - we need to work toward societal transformation both on an individual and a corporate basis. There are personal practices that we as individuals can do, and there are communal and organizational actions that groups and communities can do. My blog post, if anything, was expressing the frustration that there's only so much that we individuals can do, and a bit of a sense of paralysis that even the experts and the powers-that-be that have systemic and structural influence are at a loss as to what to do about oil dependency.Al Hsuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04407264726681695790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24215087.post-1156122711207989272006-08-20T20:11:00.000-05:002006-08-20T20:11:00.000-05:00I find your comments about individual alternatives...I find your comments about individual alternatives is very disheartening. If you carry that sort of attitude across other areas of your life and others lives I think we'll all be very disappointed with the results.<BR/><BR/>As a Christian if you decided your individual efforts were insignificant who would be left to share the Love of Christ? <BR/><BR/>To be clear, if you hear and understand the things you've learned about in the Oil Safari and other areas, and choose not to take actions that you personally can take, then I think you are then a passive (or active) contributer to the problem.<BR/><BR/>It's time to start biking, carpooling, maybe even moving from your Suburb...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24215087.post-1155944258960774012006-08-18T18:37:00.000-05:002006-08-18T18:37:00.000-05:00One systemic solution, that does not involve the o...One systemic solution, that does not involve the oil industry is to beef up city planning. Many geographical planners specialize in urban developments, maybe it is more interesting or to curb the suburban sprawl, however if real estate development incorporated geographical development beyond what comerial real estate they can sell, maybe our commuter dependency on oil would decrease. Possibly our standard of living would increase in decreased traffic times and added income for not needing to buy the third SUV.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com