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Conservative values and enviornmental sustainbility


Rizzo

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I think increasingly conservatives have started to and increasing realize the financial impact and ethical impact of building green. Its starting to become a win/win situation. It used to be you couldn't build green profitably without heavy government intervention (not a conservative value) and now corporations like Cascade, Herman Miller, and others are realizing that building green by themselves can be profitable. So yeah I think conservative values are starting to drive the success.

It is much more of a mixture of conservative and liberal value than it used to be - this is a good thing.

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I would not credit conservatives... being "green" has been a liberal thing for 30-40 years.

I would, however, credit conservatives from pushing green to the tipping point. Once you get broad, cross-ideological support, things happen more quickly.

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I think business leadership in the area has been much more of a cheerleader of being "Green", even conservative leadership. But on the ground, conservative Christians find anything related to environmentalism to be a false religion. If we destroy the planet, it's God's will (yes, I've heard and read this more than enough times to count). Emphasis on conservative Christians.

I'd bet too that there are a few people here who can quote bible scripture related to the Earth being totally ours to do with what we want.

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I wouldn't go that far. The religious right still dominates Kent and Ottawa Counties, with the exception of Grand Rapids and some inner-ring burbs. Even then, the Democrats in office are usually socially conservative, but fiscally/economically liberal (as a result of being elected by a Roman Catholic majority). That's just the sense I get (I grew up on the west side).

Look up some area state representatives-- Dave Agema, Arlan Meekhof... pretty much anyone down in those SW suburbs. Extremely conservative. (Dave Agema, my least favorite local politician in a long time, recently called himself a "right wing extremist and proud" on his Facebook page.) This past November, you could have driven around cities like Jenison, Hudsonville, and Zeeland, and count on one hand how many Obama yard signs you saw.

Even those small towns- such as Cedar Springs and Lowell, who nearly voted for Obama this past November- are still very socially conservative.

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Why couldn't the dutch bring their trance music with them, too? Have to rely on an Italian descendant to do it.

Anyhow, I don't know if it was always the same across the country, but in grade school we actually had assignments to plant a tree around this time of year, and actually had lessons about conserving energy. In fact, I remember the whole school was called into the gymnasium for a play about recycling. This was out in Wayland.

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I think business leadership in the area has been much more of a cheerleader of being "Green", even conservative leadership. But on the ground, conservative Christians find anything related to environmentalism to be a false religion. If we destroy the planet, it's God's will (yes, I've heard and read this more than enough times to count). Emphasis on conservative Christians.

I'd bet too that there are a few people here who can quote bible scripture related to the Earth being totally ours to do with what we want.

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The Dave Agemas and the Arlan Meekofs of this area are the last gasp of a dying breed. In 8 years time they'll be gone, proudly gone.

I am looking forward to the 2010 elections to see who wins in the Hoekstra replacement race, I have a feeling a strong Democrat could come in and take that seat, since that Democrat would easily pick up Muskegon county, and if he could pry open Grand Haven to vote, there would be a strong chance for that candidate. Ottawa County isn't all Jenlandville, From what I've seen in GH, and there's definitely a different group up there from the southern portion of the county, one that might be more open to a Democrat.

If Vern Ehlers retires in 2010, there's no way that seat doesn't turn Democrat.

Two factors I see driving this:

1. The Eastern exodus is affecting the area, they are moving from the Detroit/Flint/Saginaw area to Grand Rapids/Holland areas.

2. Moderate Liberal Chicago retirees moving to the lake shore. A lot of areas covered by Hoekstra are being moved into by older retirees who don't want to die in Florida, and would rather live closer to home so family can better afford to see them.

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Just what W. Michigan needs, Chicago and Detroit area Democrats coming here to make our oh so deficient area more "progressive".

I find it funny that our area's supposed "backwood hick Christian" culture that is such a turn-off, is so attractive to liberals from areas supposedly more "advance" then we are.

Here's hoping that they get what made W. Michigan such a attractive place for them to want to flee to in the first place, and hopefully they will ditch their loony politics that did wonder where they lived, behind.

And as for the topic, no no one side has some lock or moral high-ground on being good stewards of the environment. There are people on the right that want to develop anything that doesn't move, extend sprawl to get away from cities, and hate the idea of using a car that isnt the size of a bus. There are people on the left that dont recycle, drive around in old cars that belch smoke (VW buses) to look hip, use tons of electricity, never use buses (because they dont like the people that ride them), and gladly go live in far-off suburbs built in the middle of prime farm land.

I know lots of them. They are the biggest hypocrites you'll find.

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So like most here so far, you would disagree with the premise of the article (that West Michigan conservative values are driving the local green movement)?

I think it has nothing to do with conservatism or liberalism locally. I think it's more of a centrist leadership attitude at the top of local corporations, much of it originally driven by the furniture companies (and then trickling down into the design community through their myriad of subcontractors).

And thanks rachelliz. I haven't been to bible study in a while, lol. Not to say that most conservative Christians are anti-environment. But I think you would find a much larger percentage of agnostics and atheists who are environmentally conscious, because they only see the world as the here and now. There is no afterlife or heaven to strive for, so they are more apt to create a quality of life here as a group or community.

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So like most here so far, you would disagree with the premise of the article (that West Michigan conservative values are driving the local green movement)?

I think it has nothing to do with conservatism or liberalism locally. I think it's more of a centrist leadership attitude at the top of local corporations, much of it originally driven by the furniture companies (and then trickling down into the design community through their myriad of subcontractors).

And thanks rachelliz. I haven't been to bible study in a while, lol. Not to say that most conservative Christians are anti-environment. But I think you would find a much larger percentage of agnostics and atheists who are environmentally conscious, because they only see the world as the here and now. There is no afterlife or heaven to strive for, so they are more apt to create a quality of life here as a group or community.

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