Late last year Thomas Friedman was interviewed by Anne Strainchamps on Wisconsin Public Radio’s To The Best of Our Knowledge. The focus of the interview was the current green revolution, what we have taken to calling the second green revolution. He argues that everyone must participate if this is to be considered a true revolution.

In the interview, which can be heard here, Friedman claims that today’s measures fail to qualify as a revolution. He cites the general greenwashing of goods and services and argues that the day when every product achieves the highest energy efficiency will mark the next green revolution. What Friedman fails to acknowledge is that a revolution starts with a small force. However, his observation that “people actually have to change” is an important one. Behavioral changes represent the most daunting hurdle.

The New York Times, one of Friedman’s employers, carried a story on their Economix blog discussing the level of emissions in U.S. cities versus cities in China. One of the common arguments against carbon emission caps made by developing countries is that industrialized nations had more than a hundred years of uninhibited CO₂ production. Friedman makes the observation that this stance will only cause developing nations to fall behind developed countries in the race to develop clean energy technology.

Ultimately, Friedman’s argument proves counter-productive. Revolutions can start with a small, committed population. This one, the second green revolution, started with a group of visionaries. As famed anthropologist Margaret Mead once noted – “A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” This represents the foundation of a true revolution. The very first post on this website made a similar claim:

You might dismiss it at first…”Revolution? I thought that involved riots and violence.” Well, the first green revolution was the peaceful triumph of technology to grow more food faster for less. The second green revolution is all about using technology to peacefully produce more energy faster with less. Less pollution. Less CO2. Less dependence on foreign fuels. Less climate uncertainty.

- Eric Wilson