Published May 31, 2007

Green is the catchphrase of the day. As PR firms bend over backwards in order to establish ecoconscious images for their clients, the current marketing mantra seems to be: all that is green will bring you the green.

This is not a positive development. We cannot afford to lose this discourse to the hands of the marketing powers that be. So, the Grapevine goes green.

It has been a while since we have done a theme issue, but this time we decided to focus on environmental issues and do our best to bring the discussion to the people. The discourse has to take place in a democratic public forum, free from the financial influences on the one hand and free from people’s prejudices on the other. We need an intelligent and open discussion on how we are going to deal with this situation that we have created and which could threaten our very existence. So, the Grapevine goes scholarly. For those who fear the serious tone in the feature section of this issue, rest assured that we will probably return to our usual tongue in cheek reporting in two weeks time.

Having devoted over five years of my life to the study of philosophy, I am extremely pleased to have an opportunity to present an article by the philosopher Ólafur Páll Jónsson on environmental rationality and democracy. If it is even possible to speak of a rising star in Icelandic philosophical circles, Ólafur Páll Jónsson is surely it. Although it is unusually academic in tone for the Grapevine, I urge you to read it. At this point, we cannot afford to dumb down the discussion to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It is our responsibility as citizens to make the extra effort to grasp the discussion of environmental issues and partake in the public discourse. Our future is at stake.

I would also urge you to read Fabrizio Frascaroli’s article on the need to change the way we approach environmental discussions. While Frascaroli has been a frequent contributor to the Grapevine in the past, I believe this to be his best work yet and an important input for anyone who has given a second thought to these matters.

While this issue of the Grapevine will probably not be regarded as a watershed moment in the struggle for sustainable development in the future, We are extremely proud to have fought the good fight. I hope the discussion that is offered on the pages you have before you will be able to make some people think twice about their environment and their actions upon it. Heck, even if it would be only one person, it would all be worth it. It is a cliché, I realise. But sometimes, all you really need to turn the tide is one good person.