Summary: Randy Hayes believes we need a new strategy for the 21 Century environmental movement. Many people look back at the 1970s – a time when Hayes was just cutting his activist teeth – as the golden era for environmentalism. Bills such as the Clean Air Act, Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act were signed into existence. Earth Day was born. Hayes, the Founder of Rainforest Action Network and co-founder of the newly formed organization – Foundation Earth – questions whether that era should really be upheld as a model for today. “Some of the tactics maybe didn’t work so well back in the 1970s if we’re still in such a mess,” he cautions in this week of SRO Conversations. “We need some deeper analysis. In the firestorm of fighting a brush fire, one can miss the deeper points. What's the economic model for deep economic sustainability?” he asks. In the 8 edition of SRO Conversations, Hayes outlines why the 1970s was a “perfect storm” for environmental legislation; how modern day environmentalism needs to be framed and approached; a cautionary tale on techno-optimism; and the strategy for Foundation Earth – an organization which will be setting the framework for modern-day environmental thought. To view all conversations, including this one, visit www.summerrayne.net. Direct any comments/questions for this episode on Twitter @sroakes with #SROConvo.
