Ode regularly invites a well-known activist, author, thinker or entrepreneur to pen some thoughts on a topic of his or her choosing, to which you can respond. The only guidelines--be inspiring and provocative.
Our current guest: Carlo Petrini
Environmental activists have set out to win souls for their ideology with the same religious conviction as Calvinists. Back then, the severe wing of the early Protestant movement took all the fun out of eating and making love. Now, it's the green movement saying the path to a healthier planet would be forged through moderation and abstinence. That's why many activists still see food as a superficial, daily activity" Carlo Petrini
In answer to the question it seems obvious that human behavior is often like a pendulum and rapidly swings to extremes. Throughout history there are many examples. The idea is to think about your actions and their inevitable reactions beforehand. Helping to keep your choices in the right direction without the extremes. Also utilizing the good council of others in your life. Then go forth and utilize our free choices with gusto. Have your opinions and speak them boldly. Do not be afraid.
I was listening to Julia Butterfly, an eloquent woman who lived for 2 years high in a redwood tree, often in dangerous storms hoping to save it and the surrounding virgin forest. Some locals thought she was crazy for it and some admired her courage and clarity of thought. She told my classroom full of activists that her harshest critics are the environmentalists, who are working for the same cause. She was getting to know loggers and riding on bulldozers, building a bridge to the logging community. She was attacked for this by hostile activists who thought that she is betraying the purity of the cause. They thought that she should operate just like they do. Read more...
Life in all aspects is irrefutably designed as a scale of polarities -- where the extremes are on the left and right. This might help expound Mr Carlo Petrini’s point. Read more...
I've always felt a bit allergic to environmentalists who are preaching doom, and whose only answer is, in essence, a call for moderation. Since I met Carlo Petrini for an interview in Ode (look for it in the September 2007 issue, "Signor Slow," from which the above quote in this "Roundtable" was extracted) I realized where that allergy is coming from. Read more...
You must be a registered user to post to the Roundtable. If you are already registered Click here to login or Click here for our fast, free registration.