Amerika

Ethno-nationalists — despite appearances from the media that wants to tar us as fascists — tend to reject the idea of strong state authority.

We believe in cause-effect relationships, and therefore like the idea of getting to the cause of each problem and addressing that, instead of trying to regulate effects by restricting methodology.

This means that while most civilizations are busy writing rules about what products can be used, etho-nationalists want to cultivate a culture of reverence for nature so people affirmatively seek to do right by it:

It is well known in classical literary studies that the concept of nature in Japan had two meanings: voluntary, “from the self,” and spontaneous, “beyond the self.” What Professor Hirota found is that this concept has been carried over into modern education in Japan.

“Japanese educational philosophy has maintained a balance between acting by one’s will and entrusting oneself to something beyond its will,” stated Professor Hirota.

Kurahashi developed a theory of guidance (yūdō), likened to guiding the course of a river as it continues its inevitable flow.

Japan developed one of these cultures long ago. Its people are fascinated by natural creatures, forests, and the seas, and imbue each with a rich mythology.

While we in the educated etc West might sneer at that as primitive, it in fact reflects a more complex and effective method than our endless nagging and rules.

Even some of the Leftists are discovering that positive motivation toward environmentalism works better than negative feedback:

The goal should be to channel consumption, not end it and certainly to stop shaming people who consume. The arrogance of advocates shaming consumption needs to be understood. A suburban family with an SUV or a person living in a rural area with a pickup truck have different transport needs than an urban vegan who rides a bike to work. We need to build empathy and understanding of people who live differently than we do. Rather than attacking consumption and consumers, we should promote research and public policy that reduces the environmental impact of consumption.

People will buy EVs when they are better and less expensive than current vehicles. These are big-ticket purchases and people will not by EVs until they are convinced they meet their needs. All that California’s ban on the internal combustion engine will achieve is increased sales of traditional motor vehicles in Nevada and other states bordering on California. Compulsion is the wrong approach. It stimulates political opposition that can be avoided by focusing on carrots rather than sticks.

One force channels human behavior more than any other, and that is social approval. People do what they think their friends will admire. They are less concerned with negative feedback, too, since friends forgive and forget many things.

But if you do something that has the whole group smiling, this gives you a more secure social position as a member of the group, and makes people think well of you, including those that might someday be partners in business or family.

As the West buries itself under rules, we should consider that unless for n citizens we have n+1 infallible police, negative feedback will not be guaranteed enough to change behaviors.

If only those who try for the right thing get rewarded, more people will aim for that reward, and like in the free markets, this competition will bring people closer to the goal.

Tags: conservation, Culture, environmentalism