I agree with the Maniates article.  The time for easy changes is over, what needs to happen are drastic changes.  However, I don't think the political aspect is that moving.  The types of changes he is calling for are government level, and I think the government would stand to lose a lot of money.  It needs to be a public effort, community level, rather than government level for the changes he would like to see and that are necessary to curb environmental damage.