I read an article in the NYT today about “free electricity” and the hordes of renters who choose to leave their air conditioners on 24/7 throughout the hot summer. The jist: many property management companies offer free utilities, which result in super high electricity bills for their landlords due to rampant abuse (and detrimental environmental effects from the resulting burned coal). The article went on to talk about sub metering and how large rental companies are planning on curbing the abuse of electricity without a price tag.
This got me thinking about people who actually abuse their A/C and electricity use in general…and it’s not like it’s an uncommon phenomenon. Why do these people exist? What drives their mentality and lack of care for the world around them? Why do people believe they have a right to pollute and tame the wilderness?
My colleague talked about the notion of Manifest Destiny, that age old American concept that we have a God-given right to spread our ideas and technology throughout the New World. I think the abuse of the environment is tied inextricably to this American concept of “more is better.” Over consumption and a destructive attitude towards things we perceive as impediments to our destiny are traditional American values.
How do we change this mindset and attach a value to environmental preservation? Is federal or local regulation necessary, or is education and widespread behavior modification necessary? Sounds very 1984 of me…
