How far have we come?

Does it seem as though we are more environmentally conscious than ever? There is more information and public consciousness of environmental issues now than ever before. But is this just a trend? Have we really turned a corner?

Take a look at this 1991 NY Times editorial from Michael Pollan (If you haven't heard of Pollan, I also highly recommend his book In Defense of Food, which I've written about before).  This article was written in the third year of the presidency of Bush I, who had at one point actually expressed the hope that he'd be one day remembered as the "environmental President."

Pollan's suggestion is quite simple: rip up the White House lawn and plant a vegetable garden.  Yes, it was a call for a symbolic gesture, but a powerful one nonetheless.  Of course, tearing up the White House lawn in 1991 was certainly not going to happen.  

Have we made any progress in 2009?  I still don't think the White House lawn is in any danger--President Obama has too many other battles to fight.  But I enjoyed reading this Pollan article and thinking about how little things have changed in the last 20 years.  Sure, we're far more aware of environmental issues, but are we ready for something like tomato plants instead of manicured grass in the front yard of America's most recognizable home?