Do the Elitists have it right?

This article reminded me a lot of what we discussed in our small discussion group and I think it makes an incredibly valid and interesting point. While individual action is vital, necessary and should continue, there is no question that in order to effectively combat climate change large-scale action needs to take place. Governments and large global institutions need to lead this effort, but in order to do so, the political will has to be there, and that is where individuals can come in and make the largest difference. People have to get active in ways that include more than simply turning off the lights when they leave the house (although that must continue and be encouraged). One aspect of the article that stuck out in particular was that it appeared to blame environmental elitists for having such low expectations of the American public. While I agree with the author that individuals can do more and need to do more, I also think that Americans are so stuck in there ways that the only way to slowly change people's lifestyles, without them having the attitude that says "screw it, we've already destroyed everything anyway", is to integrate changes slowly. Unfortunately I think that environmentalists have a pretty accurate perception of the majority of the American public, which is why  although it may seem as though they are underestimating us,  encouraging small changes slowly , although not enough, is the only way.