Vice Footprint

The title of this blog is intended as a spoof of the "carbon footprint" idea that is current in mainstream thinking. While I am not generally politically aligned with those who espouse such ideas, this is one area where I have to concede that my opponent has a point. Many of us, particularly in the U.S. it seems, would do well to reflect on the reality that actions have consequences and in many cases it is more important to say that OUR actions have consequences for OTHERS. It seems to me this is the real message behind the carbon footprint concept - to get people to realize and take responsibility for the energy that they consume.

For all the legitimate concern that environmentalists have with the impact our wanton energy use is having to the planet, it seems to me we really need to recognize that energy use is just one loop in a complicated knot of effects that our lives make to reality. I think we need to back up a little further and take an even larger view.

We need a concept of a "vice footprint".

Beyond simple energy use, we need to be asking the larger question - How much damage does your entire lifestyle do to the human community? For instance, how big the relational "oil slick" that your college career leaves on the surface of the human community? How thick is the web of lies that was woven to avoid taking responsibility for consequences that your behavior created? How many lies were told to gain admission to the modern promiscuous sexual culture, resulting in broken hearts and baggage for others?

I have commented before that the modern hook-up culture is the spiritual equivalent of the Exxon Valdez crashing every day. Unfortunately, there is now even a better analogy. Our modern sexual culture is analogous to the continuous flow of filth from the Deepwater Horizon site.

What a sobering notion that one of the most effective means for resolving the mess is to burn it.

Personally, I'll volunteer to be an otter (or in this case seagull?) scrubber.