SOP “We are forced, for the first time, to understand that we are truly a titanic force, capable of affecting and altering the operation of the planetary whole” (McKibben 501). This place called home is being destroyed; the damage seems irreversible. What is the point in even trying to change decades of wasted water, carbon dioxide emissions, and filled dumps? Why even try to change? Environmentalists have been sending out an “SOS” for quite a while now. There’s no ship this time though, it is our planet that is in need. It is time to “save our planet”; an “SOP” is in order. It is easy to think that one person’s efforts are pointless in the scheme of things, but maybe not. Maybe it the impossible can be done; maybe the damage can be reversed and this planet will last as long as it needs to. Saving the planet on an individual level is worth the effort. To stop the rather scary problem of global climate change dramatic orders would need to be put in place. “We’re talking about the wholesale decarbonization of our country, about removing the fossil fuel base on which our prosperity has so far rested,” and that all seems a bit too complicated (McKibben 501). So instead, it seems a change in attitude is needed. In many cultures, including America’s, it is money over everything and it has always been like that. “If something made the economy…larger, we generally assented,” and that is the problem. Obviously, the reckless attitudes of humans are becoming more and more apparent as our planet plummets deeper into peril. However, maybe just by changing the overall attitude of the population, the results will change too. And in the long run, putting the environment first now will allow the economy to push to the front again. Along wi... ... middle of paper ... ...ted “At Home.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. Berry, Wendell. “Being Kind to the Land.” The Blair Reader. Ed. Laurie G. Kirzner and Stephen R. Mandall. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011. 470-473. Print. McKibben, Bill. “The Challenge to Environmentalism.” The Blair Reader. Ed. Laurie G. Kirzner and Stephen R. Mandall. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011. 500-503. Print. Pollan, Michael. “Why Bother?” The Blair Reader. Ed. Laurie G. Kirzner and Stephen R. Mandall. Boston: Prentice Hall, 2011. 508-514. Print. “Recycling.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 14 Apr. 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. "NYC Taxi Cabs." New York City Taxi Cabs. July 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. “Water Conservation Tips.” National Geographic. 05 Feb. 2012. Web. 26 Feb. 2012 “Why Go Organic?” DPI.gov. Department of Industries. 07 Dec. 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2012.
Seeing climate change as an emergency doesn't always make people make actions because of many psychological barriers that limit the mitigation of climate change. Frantz and Mayer in their article" The Emergency of Climate Change: Why are We Failing to Take action? "Published in Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (2009) and Gifford in " The Dragons of Inaction. Psychological Barriers That Limit Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation" published in American Psychology (2011), discussed the reasons why the American public are failing to take action to Climate Change even though they know that it is a grave issue. They also offered some suggestions that help in getting over those barriers.
In 1989, seventy five percent of Americans identified themselves as environmentalists, and the number has continued to grow since then (Walls 1). Environmentalism is now the most popular social movement in the United States, with over five million American families donating regularly to environmental organizations (Walls 1). Environmentalists today focus on what kind of world they hope to see in the future, and largely deal with limiting pollution and changing consumption rates (Kent 1 and 9). Modern environmentalists also have much different issues than those Carson’s America faced. With climate change becoming more threatening each year, protection of the natural world is needed more than ever. Pollution has caused the warmest decade in history, the deterioration of the ozone layer, and species extinction in extreme numbers (Hunter 2). It not only threatens nature, but also human populations, who already suffer from lack of clean water and poisoning from toxic chemicals (Hunter 16). Unlike environmental actions in the 1960’s, which were mostly focused on protection, a massive increase in pollution has caused efforts to be focused on environmental restoration (Hunter 16). Like in the time of Silent Spring, environmentalists are not only concerned with one country. Protecting the environment remains a global issue, and every nation is threatened by the
It is the responsibility of the developed world to change. They have the resources and technology to significantly curb emissions and dampen the effects of climate change. As the world’s second largest emitter of Co2, and as the world’s largest economy, the US must become a leader in the battle against climate change. However, historical incidents of environmental degradation indicate that will power is simply not enough. Unless environmental problems are seen and felt, the US population has been slow and reluctant to act. Unfortunately this lack of will power is still present. As a citizen of the United States, I see no hope for change without the help and intervention of government. Without economic incentive, individuals and firms will not change. I believe that the US government must intervene and implement emission reduction policies, and work toward limiting emissions to the earth’s natural sink function.
As cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead once said “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” In an excerpt from an essay published in the New York Times Magazine, American public intellectual Michael Pollan reveals his goal to convince the ordinary of citizens America that they are capable of saving the world from climate change and to answer the unappeasable question of “Why bother?”. This inquiry stems from the belief that one person is not capable of making a difference in relation to the larger spectrum of Americans who continue to emit a large amount of C02, increasing the effects of climate change, and destroying the environment. Through the exploration of behavior change, and other personal alternatives aimed to reduce America 's carbon footprint, Pollan aspires to have
Human impact of global warming and climate change (now simply referred to as GWCC) has become a political issue because not all individuals and business are willing to voluntarily take the actions necessary that could help slow the rate of GWCC trends. According to Milfont (2012), these necessary actions “would require stringent policy interventions, which in democratic societies, would only be possible by widespread public support for at least the broad and long-term goals of such interventions” (p.1003). Media greatly influences this public support.
As a human race I could not with a good conscious say that we have all done that is possible to preserve our planet. I believe it partially should be blamed on our lack of knowledge on how we are actually affecting it. If you ask the common college student results prove that most would say they care to a certain extent. However, they also know that they are just one person in this world. Therefore, I believe this would be an excellent article for The Shorthorn. Geologist might say that it is too late to turn back from what has already been done. Simply buying a Prius or turning off the air conditioning won’t save our Earth. The fact of the matter is that “this civilization is already dead.” Now the key
Climate change, never has such an impending natural disaster been so heavily ignored. While this problem of Greenhouse Gasses holds more long-term implications than any other problem found today, little to nothing has been done to address this problem. Through the last century, industrialization has revolutionized the world, in all aspects of life from comfort to industry. While this has obviously had its benefits, it has also created a world that is almost entirely dependent on carbon dioxide producing technology. This has caused the single biggest problem when it comes to curbing this issue known as climate change. That problem is the simple fact that in order for the people to make a positive unified change in the C02 levels they produce, they’re going to have to make sacrifices. These sacrifices range from giving up or reducing their use of various CO2 producing technologies, to paying new taxes such as carbon taxes. The causes for Climate Change and the lack of action to curb it are, of course, complex, but there are at least three significant factors: High prices required to produce and implement low-carbon technology; lack of political and corporate support; and an extensive public reliance on technology (Weeks). More than this, the public, along with the government, have been unwilling to sacrifice either money or effort, which has only served to exponentially increase the problem at hand.
The first part of this essay discusses what the human species has done to deal with the problem of climate change. While some improvements have been made, the problem has not been addressed aggressively enough to stop the damage. What is amazing about this is the denial of so many people that problems exist. If they do realize the risks, they are simply not taking actions to contain the damage.
In recent years, the issue of climate change has increasingly become a serious global concern. The Earth is experiencing a rapid increase in global temperatures, as well as deforestation, desertification, melting of the polar ice caps, and sea level rise, with 9 of the 10 warmest years on record occurring since 2000 (NASA, 2017). The scope of this global problem is not limited to just the scientific mechanisms behind the change but also has social, political, and economic implications. The rapid increase in global carbon emissions and resulting warming trends are likely due to anthropogenic activities (IPCC, 2007), indicating that attempts to remedy this environmental crisis must aim at changing human behavior, addressing the psychology behind our behavioral interactions with the environment. Environmental psychologists seek to understand what causes people to participate in environmentally friendly behaviors, for the purpose of developing methods to influence human behavior in a pro-environmental fashion using social norms and their
ATTENTION GETTER: Every day, I see the effects of pollution. From the trash that’s thrown into bushes to the murky lakes to the smog-filled skies, these are examples of the negative human impact on the environment.
This persuasive speech was given in Rio de Janeiro, and was a plea to the individuals in attendance at the United Nations Earth Summit to recognize how they are contaminating the environment with hopes that these audience members will revise their future proposals.
Each year the average temperature of the earth increases .02 degrees Fahrenheit (Global Warming). Although this may not seem like a big change, our ecosystems are so fragile that even this slight boost in temperature is very destructive; oceans rise, glaciers melt at an alarming rate, species of animals cannot adapt and die off. As the twenty first century continues on, these changes are accelerating at an alarming rate, mainly due to population increase. Humans are producing more waste, owning more cars and building more pollution emitting factories every year. Unfortunately all of these factors help contribute to global warming. Some awareness concerning this problem has been raised but the general public seldom takes heed of these warnings. Rarely do people ever think of the effects of their actions and those that do almost never change their ways. Luckily, some companies such as Honda, GM and BP are working hard to change people’s attitude towards our environment. They have realized the threat pollution poses and have decided to do something about it—through advertising. Each year these companies raise millions of dollars through advertising for the purpose of environmental research, auto development and public education.
food and oxygen if the sources are gone? Not much is done about our destructive
According to NASA” The industrial activities that our modern civilization depends upon have raised atmospheric carbon dioxide levels from 280 parts per million to 400 parts per million in the last 150 years” (NASA). Which will have consequences on the environment which with change temperature and seasons. Climate change has gotten so bad that the ice glaciers are melting at a alarming rate. With that being said there has been warning throughout the years and there have been ways that people have tried to help prevent climate change to slow down a little. We have created ways to save trees and use different there of natural resources to help the environment with destroying it at a slower rate. With all these changes there is a price to pay tho, the amount of money for all the resources is what cause people to rethink if its necessary to help the planet or help their pockets. Helping the planet and slowing down climate changes has always been a goal but it does come with a very high price that not many people want to pay which cause less people to want to be apart of the activities to
We all belong to the same world and all of us have the same responsibilities towards the world and its environment. This fact might be hard to digest, but if we continue to pollute the Earth at the current rate, all of the world’s ocean waters will become one-hundred-thirty percent acidic. This means that the ocean will be unable to sustain most of its marine life and only a few creatures will be able to survive in the water. A big population of people think that they do not or have few responsibilities towards the environment. People think that the governor of a country should take steps to help the environment. They leave it to scientists since they have the technology to prevent pollution, or that is what most people think. There are more responsibilities to the world each individual has than most of realize. The amount of negligence and ignorance of humans towards the Earth is taking a heavy toll.