Have you seen Al Gore’s July 17 Speech saying “The Survival of the United States as we know it is at stake?” Also, do you know who Simran Sethi is?

The blogosphere has been talking about how this speech has moved the Overton Window. So what is the Overton Window? Click below for the speech and much more.


A full description of the idea of an Overton Window is here, but generally The Overton Window refers to the range of positions on a given issue that are within the realm of acceptability by the community or electorate at a given moment in time (this is the “window.”) More extreme positions, such as the one Gore put forth in his speech, may actually be the smarter position on an issue. In fact, in this case it definitely is.
But for whatever dumb reason, our habitual patterns of collective stupidity claim that 100% renewable energy is not within the current window of acceptability. (What are you, French? They’re called Freedom Fries!)
For whatever dumb reason, we don’t think 100% renewability and sustainability in all our systems ought to – or could – be the norm by 2018. As the Tibetan teacher Khandro Rinpoche put it in Boston a few weeks ago, when you really think about our actions, you come to the conclusion that we really love ourselves more than our children. And you know what, if you don’t believe in 100% sustainability, then she’s right. Yeah, that’s right. If you don’t want us off fossil fuels by 2018, it means you hate your kids! And you hate your grandkids even more! And don’t get me started on your great grandkids! (hint: you hate them)
Our conditioning (bijas for those of you scoring in Sanskrit) has set the window of practical possibilities somewhere else, where insanity seems, well, familiar. Isn’t it interesting how confusion always has an internally coherent logic?
So if you need a more extreme (read: sane) position to become accepted, you need to move the damn Overton Window. One brilliant way to do this is to have a credible voice set a high and visionary bar (such as, say, no more fossil fuels by 2018). That specific view may remain extreme, outside the window, but proclaiming the view has the effect of pulling the range of accepted views closer to yours. In other words, you move the Overton Window. Generally, progressives tend to be very bad with the installation of these windows; progressives get the Overton Window moved on them, and then react to whatever they see in the new window (For example, did you ever wonder how “Support Our Troops!” became a Pro-War rally cry?)
My feeling is that in this speech, President Gore doesn’t just succeed in moving the window. He may’ve remodeled the damn thing. I hope.
In general this is the kind of argument Eric Schneiderman makes in his Integral Activism Memo on the I.D. Project Site. Have you read it?
Simply put, moving the Overton Window means that if you fearlesslessly speak as a visionary, you transform the idea of what is seen as practical and achievable, even if your idea remains out of the accepted realm. So maybe the public discourse starts thinking about 50% reduction in fossil fuel usage by 2018. Even that shift is because someone like President Gore had the ability to speak fearlessly about zero fossil fuels. This ability to speak and act fearlessly might be the main reason he says he would reject a role in the next administration, where he would be forced to work within the existing Overton Window of 2009, not remake the damn thing!
On another note, do you know who Simran Sethi is? Vanity Fair called her “The Messenger” in their recent Eco-Issue. She has her own show on Sundance channel, is an eco-correspondent for NBC, and writes on the green movement for Huffington Post. She’s lecturing at the Interdependence Project on Wednesday August 27. I would not miss it. I won’t miss it, actually. You shouldn’t either. Seriously.
Also, Jane Poynter, another awesome sustainability expert, is speaking on THIS Wednesday night, July 30. She designed Biosphere 2, y’all. BE THERE!
In her last Huffington Post piece, Simran threatens to cut people who don’t use CFL light bulbs (not really). I especially recommend the n:vision brand. They set the mood perfectly in my abode of love and equanimity. They are almost as cheap as the crappy bulbs, at least they are at that posh Home Depot in Manhattan. They save lots of energy and money. Lots. Note: if you get them, you have to get the “soft white” version, not the bright white or daylight tints, which offer a psychosis-inducing halo of light. The soft whites are soothing, and will keep you sane while you read your Proust (see GZA’s next post for details). If you have any crappy old lightbulbs in your home, get rid of them yesterday. Seriously, Simran’s gonna cut you.
And why don’t we all get some worms and do some kitchen composting? It ain’t hard at all.
And can somebody please pour some of your malt liquor out for our fallen Hummers? Seriously, the company might not survive the year.
Lots to discuss. But first, your moment of Zen. Or should I say, your moment of Mahamudra? (only three people are gonna get that joke):