Independence Day
The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. It is a day to unabashedly be proud of our country, to remember what it stands for, and to enjoy our local communities. In years past some of the memorable Fourths included the parade and gatherings with friends in Sausalito when we lived there, a party at Ann Bergren’s house (one of my favorite Morphosis-designed homes) as the Declaration of Independence was passed around for each of us to read aloud a few passages, or the year we spent at the Gregory Farmhouse (designed by William Wurster) with our dear friends Dan and Mary Gregory for their annual family gathering that includes all the best of America: baseball, swimming, hiking, great food, and the reading of the Declaration of Independence.
I have to admit, the reading of the Declaration of Independence is a powerful experience, and has typically brought tears to my eyes. Thomas Jefferson and his posse had it right in so many ways. The sentence that has been called “one of the best-known sentences in the English language”, and the most potent and consequential passages in American history, a sweeping statement of human rights:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
This year is no different. These words and their meaning simultaneously fills me with pride in their intent, as well as sadness where we significantly lack achieving these goals. I spent this week in Sweden giving a talk at a conference on the Architecture of Necessity at the Virserum Art Museum. This photo above is a portion of the Architecture of Necessity exhibit. It has three sets of carbon footprint “shoes”, each based on the relative scale of the carbon footprint of the average person in China (in the small orange shoes), Sweden (in the yellow shoes), and the USA (yes, the big ass orange shoes). Being the only American at the conference as we went by this portion of the exhibit, I felt embarrassed and ashamed.
We can do better. Much better.
We are a great nation filled with entrepreneurs, scientists, tech geniuses, soldiers, teachers, writers and business leaders. We have won world wars, put man on the moon, believed in and fought for freedom and for civil rights for all. When it comes to our carbon footprint, we can do better. Continuing to use more than 20 times the carbon as the average person in other parts of the world does not adhere to the founding principles of our nation. By us using way more than our fair share of the world’s energy and water resources is not allowing everyone the basic right to Life (let alone Liberty or Happiness). And our lack of independence from oil is literally killing our young men and women who are bravely serving in the military.
The Fourth of July is a wonderful opportunity to remember the ideals our country holds, and to work together with our neighbors to make this country better and one we all can be proud of.
One Response to “Independence Day”
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Social Scene
Like other holidays, the 4th of July seems to have become a time for fun…BBQ and fireworks, with little remembrance or thought given to the origins of this great celebration, especially relating how those early national values apply to our lives today.
I find a level of impatience and acrimony present in public discourse on topics related to political, social and environmental issues that proves a bottleneck. The ability for people to take the time to understand other positions, the real issues and potential solutions seems a challenge in and of itself. We could learn something from the Founding Fathers’ ability to create a collective voice from disparate concerns and needs. In my view, this is hugely important when engaging issues like global warming and carbon emissions with so many people having trouble even agreeing on the problem, let alone possible solutions.
Despite the aforementioned bottleneck, I personally feel a groundswell happening in pockets throughout my own community (and others I read about). There is a sense that modern day problems, including environmental issues, can actually be resolved or managed with consensus. That despite differences, standing on principle and taking action as a collective can actually change the world, e.g., the Constitutional Convention.
Carbon emissions being one significant problem, along with run-away consumerism being another related issue…we can truly shift course and alter the environmental disaster from unfettered consumption that looms.
We just need a reminder of how this can be done and taking a day like the 4th to plant that seed is well, awesome. Let’s be honest, its embarrassing to think a nation with so much freedom, intellectual / asset-based capital and will cannot reign in the reckless consumption and growing waste.
Great post Michelle. Keep up the great work.