Thoughts on the Van Jones' Movement to Prevent Climate Change

I liked how Mr. Jones is working to assimilate in our minds two disciplines that are all too often seen as distinct, though in fact they are inseparable: environment and economy. When I first started reading about Mr. Jones' movement, the thoughts that ran through my head were: "Oh, another let's focus on fixing the economy, but since we can, let's try and do something for the environment while we're at it." Thinking about it a little more, I understand that that is not the point of Mr. Jones' movement, but the past months of political campaigning have shown me that this is how far too much of American thinks: economy first, environment second. They do this because improving the economy provides (essentially) immediate material gain, while improving how we influence the environment is not quite so clear-cut. But my instinctual reaction to feel that movements to help the environment that come, for the most part, from political and economic drivers is also mistaken. However, proponents for the environmentalist movement should not disregard economic concerns in their own plans for the future. Current toadying for the economic system has failed the worlds ecosystems in ways that cannot be undone, but this does not mean that mankind should (or ever will) stop moving along the track of technical evolution it is currently pursuing. Therefore, as with Mr. Jones' proposal, a middle ground that will pursue human "progress" (with as much advantage to the environment as possible) is needed.

It seems to me that Mr. Jones is trying to frame the overwhelmingly large issue of climate change into a workable size. That is to say, he's avoiding doomsaying (oh, the world will end because we can't stop polluting ourselves) and is working to present climate change as something that can conceivably be worked on to some effect. Which is what is really needed in order for the movement to have any sizeable effect.