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DCL
If you take the word "green" at its eco-meaning and "fatigue" for its standard meaning, it's not hard to ascertain the vibe behind the term green fatigue. Folks, it seems, are growing weary of living an environmentally friendly life. It's a lot of work and the results aren't always apparent. Pardon me while I return my jaw to its normal position and ask I.F. Stone for a word: "If you expect to see the final results of your work, you simply have not asked a big enough question."
While all forms of activism require stamina and commitment, it's the sense of a mission or a calling that keeps us motivated. Just ask Helen Keller: "Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose."
For what it's worth, here's how I see it: When someone you love is in desperate need?perhaps a medical emergency?it's amazing how your priorities become crystal clear as you swing into action. If that state of critical condition were to last longer than expected, I'm guessing you wouldn't bail because all this help and compassion is fatiguing you.
Okay, let's say you love your planet and you love the living organisms inhabiting that planet...but that planet is in critical condition. It's not unlike what I just described. After all, what greater goal could anyone ever have than to leave the planet better off than when we arrived?
