Why people can't be bothered

As for the first question, I think the most pressing Environmental Issue of our time is our levels of consumption. I am also taking my senior seminar in Environmental Politics with Prof. Shapiro, and what I have taken from the readings and literature in both classes so far is that consumption seems to be at the root of every problem. Yes, population is a large problem, but it is truly how "big" we are that is causing population to be such an issue. People in sub-Saharan Africa do not have nearly the trail of consumption that most middle-class Americans have.

In Green Planet Blues, it has been reiterated that population comes second to consumption as an enviro. problem. What's more, they proved that the relationship between consumption and happiness is weak. I know that I am a happier person that Brittney Spears, even though she could probably buy my modest house as a house for her dog! Consumption leads to an overworking of Earth's resources, which leads to loss of biodiversity, climate change, global warming, you name it. These symptoms are all related to the same disease, consumption. I also think that consumption represents the attitude of many in developed nations. It is in our economy to consume. Capitalism and goods and resources are seen as circular, and in the neo-classical view, no outside forces have an influence on growth. To many, growth is the most important thing. But what about sustainable growth? What about resources, which definitely have an effect on the economy? It is this point of view and ideology that leaves me the most frustrated, yet at a loss. I sometimes feel like the problem is so big, that I am unsure where to start. I recently read The Weather Makers for my other class, and was an annoying roommate for the duration of that week. I hassled and followed everyone in the house around, making sure they turned off the lights, took shorter showers, and air-dryed their clothes. I have been walking and taking public transportation to school, while they still drive their cars. It is hard to convince people to change their lifestyle, but we have to act now. Our generation will experience some setbacks, and some moans and groans from people who want to resist change, but without it, we may be looking at a collapse of mankind in the future. And even worse, a collapse of all the other species on the Earth who are powerless to act for themselves. You don't see polar bears emitting CO2, but they will surely suffer for our mistakes. So a small annoyance now, for the survival of your children, and your children's children. It all seems to make sense. So for now, I think the world needs to cut back on consumption, which will be no easy task. The total system will need to be re-worked to include less focus on media and advertisements, healthier food choices, easier trash collection and recycling, etc. I am not saying it will be easy, but we can start small now.

As for the Fish article, I found it most interesting. While it did seem like the cankerings of a cranky old man, you could also sense the subtle wit and intelligence. He is clearly trying to make a point. I feel like his attitude represents that of many Americans, yet he is actually making the changes necessary. I even find it hard to do the research on which companies are enviro. friendly, which do not abuse animals and the like. I also have a hard time spending the extra money on the "green" items in whole foods and natural and organic products. Simply because I am a broke college student with limited funds! I think we need to set realistic expectations for everyone to get used to these changes, and set specific markers and milestones to hit on the road to leveling consumption.

Also, what I enjoyed most about this article were some of the responses from people right on the website. Scrolling down you see a post from a person that I did not think was truly real, the complete denier in a global environmental crisis. I have heard of people being skeptical and wanting more proof, but it seems this person is out to close his eyes and remain stubborn until we are wiped of the face of the planet.

For people like this to change their opinion, I hope our next president will issue some sort of special sessions on the Earth and the environment that people can watch and hear a voice of authority and not just those "crazy" environmentalists. While I do not agree with this view, we have to do what we have to do. If people need the President of the U.S. to tell them we are having a huge problem, then so be it. And where is the rest of Congress, etc. on these issues? It is often depressing to think of the state of our nation to me, where powerful people back away from environmental issues like its the bubonic plague. No one wants to champion that cause, as it surely leads to an axing from next years election. So instead pork barrel projects are rolled through the budgets, many exemplifying the current problems.

As we all can see from this class so far, the problems are myriad, depressing and often overwhelming. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If we act now, we could recover a majority of the "hole in the ozone". If we act now to curb our population growth, our children may someday have green space to play on. Lastly, I would like to end with this quote from today's reading that really was striking to me, "We don't inherit the Earth from our fathers, we borrow it from our children" David Brower.

We need to act now, and stop worrying about the present to focus on a sustainable future.