Easy is easy for a reason

I'm not going to say that we should shy away from hard solutions to our environmental problems, because in many cases that's the only thing that is going to work. But in all honesty the forces arrayed against any sort of meaningful change in the way we treat, or even view, our environment are so powerful, that any attempt at these great, sweeping changes, will almost inevitably be blunted or co-opted to the point of being ineffective at best, and counterproductive at worst.

The process of reform is slow, and always has been slow. It took at least a hundred years for labor conditions in the US to improve, and that was because of constant struggle, bordering on rebellion in some areas. Considering that, it seems like trying to change the way we structure our economy to better recycle and consume goods would be an even more herculean task, if only because of the detachment most people feel from the issue. Easy solutions may not seem like they help, but if nothing else it improves the psychological environment for change. Social psychologists call it the "foot in the door" phenomenon. You take little steps toward a goal that would normally seem outlandish, and the more you do, the closer and less strange that goal seems. Maybe recycling won't cure all our ills, but a population that consciously recycles will not be so averse to things like reusing bottles, or cutting consumption.

Normally this would not be so much of an issue, but with global warming there seems to be an implicit deadline for when we can actually take steps to blunt it. We have to take such things in stride, because if we force our own hand on reform, nothing close to what we need will be done in response.