Environment?
Ok, so it’s a fact that we’re destroying the environment. My question is, do you think it’s possible to save the environment and reverse the damage that has been done? Are scientists working actively with politicians to disciver alternative sources of energy that don’t cause global warming and excessive pollution? Or do we just not care? I am going to buy a hybrid so that I can do my part. I’m not a granola crunchy environmental freak, but I see way too many stories these days about climate changes and the ill effects of these changes on the world…like tsunamis, heat waves, etc.
Some of the damage to the environment can be reversed over a LONG period of time if we can get the human population explosion under control so that the population is at a level sustainable with a healthy ecology, If the population continues to grow (or even stabilize at the current level), all efforts to reduce the magnitude of damage caused by the consumption of natural resources and production of pollutants will not be successful. If consumption and pollution per individual were cut in half, but the population doubles each generation, in 3 generations the human caused problems will have doubled. Even if the population stabilizes at the present level, the demands of the people in developing countries to have the same consumption levels as those in developed countries will magnify the present problems.
Scientists are working to better understand the ecology, but to say they are working with politicians is inaccurate in that politicians only care about getting votes and maintaining their power base and only "care" about the environment when they think it will get them votes. Unfortunately many voters are more concerned about their economic situation because they are than about the environmental problems (some by necessity as they are living under adverse conditions).
what needs to be done is a change in everyones attitude but that will never happen. Because we humans including myself see that driving a car is very convenient and using things that pollute our environment is what is needed. I love the outdoors but I drive a car, I cause waste, I pollute. we need to become like those tree huggers and start conserving but hardly any of us has the self control and will power for it. Its a bad bad world, but its so beautiful. Most people look at the mountains in pictures and thats as close to the wilderness we get for a while. We all need to drop our things and go climb a mountain.
Yes, it can be reversed, and it MUST be reversed if we’re going to leave a legacy of safe living to our descendants. Let’s assume you’re going to eventually marry and raise children of your own (or maybe you’re already married with children of your own). Those children’s children will someday be bouncing on your knee, and you’ll be SO proud of your beautiful, wonderful grandchildren.
Now let’s also assume that the Earth has infinite supplies of all its natural resources, and will never run out of anything" oil, wood, coal, mineral ore, water, clean air, farm land, animal and sea life.
Does that give us the right to waste the Earth’s resources just so we can drive around in gas-guzzling $60,000 SUVs? Just so we don’t have to be inconvenienced by having to sort out our trash and take stuff to a recycling center instead of allowing it all to be buried in landfills? If you believe we have that right, then I have a proposition for you: send me ALL your money, and I’ll promise to squander it as quickly and as needlessly as I can, assuming that there’s always more where that came from.
If we allow oil companies to drill for oil in our oceans, we might just destroy the natural habitats of many sea-going creatures such as whales, tuna, coral reef (yes, that’s a living marine animal), shrimp and dolphins. If these animals can’t reproduce because we’ve destroyed their habitats, your beautiful grand-children may never be able to enjoy a simple dish such as tuna casserole or a shrimp cocktail.
If we allow all of the world’s rich farmland to be asphalted over so we can shop in glitzy new malls, eventually we’ll run out of farmland, and farmers won’t be able to grow crops. While you might say, ‘That’s okay. I get my food at the supermarket," it needs to be realized that if farmers can’t grow crops, there will be no food delivered to your supermarket. And your beautiful, wonderful grandchildren might starve to death.
If we refuse to REturn, REuse, and REcycle, the planet might eventually run out of its natural resources. So, all because we failed to protect and preserve the delicate ecological balance between man, plants, and all other animals over which we’ve been given dominion, your beautiful, wonderful grandchildren might have to do with less than you did. They might have to wear gas masks in order to breathe clean air, or they might not have enough fresh drinking water. All because it was easier to toss all our trash in a dumpster, have it hauled away and buried in a landfill. Why is it so inconvenient to recycle our aluminum, styrofoam, asphalt, used cooking grease, oil, cardboard, scrap paper, steel, glass, wood, newsprint, phone books, magazines and all other materials that aren’t quickly biodegradable? It may be a question that beautiful, wonderful grandchild will ask you someday.
If we continue to allow our smoke-belching factories and vehicle emissions to pollute the air and waterways, the polar ice caps will melt at an accelerated pace, resulting in severe storms, horrendous hurricanes, phenomenal flooding, and other ‘natural’ disasters that came about because of our refusal to allow nature to take its course. And your beautiful, wonderful grandchildren will live in a world less comfortable than you did.
If we allow oil companies to invade the caribous’ migratory paths and drill for oil in the Alaskan tundra, it will certainly affect the lives of those remote Eskimo tribes who depend on caribou for food, clothing and shelter. But why should we care about them when we need $3,00-a-gallon fuel for our gas-guzzling Hummers?
I commend your efforts – whatever efforts you might endeavor. And, you know what? More importantly, those beautiful, wonderful grandchildren will be grateful for what you did today!
Scientists are warning us as to the dangers; politicians are not listening because they only have the ear of big-monied special interest groups, highly-paid lobbyists, and profit-motivated corporations. It’s time for "we the people" to take a stand and tell our elected officials to stop prostituting themselves. For once in their corrupt political careers, they must do something moral and just, instead of focusing only on things that generate money. Otherwise, all of our beautiful, wonderful grandchildren will pay dearly for our avarice, hubris, arrogance and neglect.
-RKO-
I, like u am no environment freak, but i do care and in my opinion, no the scientists and politicians (politicians especially) are not doing enough. So much more could be done people SAY they care but some just say it and do nothing to help. Personally, i am a member of the RSPB and when i can, i donate and try to save as much energy as i can. Also, i only use the car for long journeys, the rest of the time i go on bike.- i Think if everyone did this sort of stuff (which isnt hard) we could definitely reverse some of the damage we have done slowly but surely.