Sacrifice

Some post-election analysis I have read has been asking if President-Elect Obama will really ask Americans to sacrifice for their nation, in terms of energy conservation and sustainability. When I hear the word "sacrifice," I think of young women in my grandmother's day, making dresses out of flour sack and working on the farm instead of attending school.

I don't think it is asking the nation to "sacrifice" anything if an Obama Energy Plan or Environmental Policy asks us all to fix leaky faucets, insulate properly and monitor efficiency. I also do not think it is sacrifice to ask us to buy organic cotton—one of the best ways consumers can walk-the-walk of living green—or to use alternatives to cement—one of the largest greenhouse-gas emitting industries. Encouraging participation in public transit is not encouraging sacrifice in my eyes—like democracy it works best when everyone participates and has a voice in its evolution.