Of the many things that I am passionate about in life, protection and conservation of the environment is one of the most important to me. Some call me a tree hugger, others call me a hippie, and some simply scoff and mutter "what a liberal." Yet I absolutely refuse to back down to their arrogant, or perhaps more accurately, ignorant, stares, and their pathetic name-calling. I find it ridiculous that educated, in many cases well-educated people, turn to me and laughingly comment: "Who cares about the environment? We're going to be dead before anything major happens anyway." With that attitude, the world's going to be unlivable even sooner than scientists are predicting. The polar ice caps are melting, the weather patterns have become sporadic, the dumps are filling in, fresh water is a joke, and the rain forest is being destroyed daily. The scoffers should just wait. They may be privy to extreme climate changes and natural disasters if they do not change their thinking. I do think that, although the damage has already been done, people need to realize that if we were to work to stop further injury to the environment, we need to work together to lessen our impact. I want to know that my great-grandchildren, even my grandchildren, will be able to experience the countryside that I have grown up in, not as a piece of parkland, but as a natural, untouched and original piece of land. People do not seem to realize that instances such as massive hurricanes and tsunamis, and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, these are all messages from the earth, telling us to take it easy on her. If we don't respect the world around us, we can't really expect it to be nice back. Yet what's the average American's solution to this? "We need more oil, let's dig up Alaska," or "Let's research the potential for life on another planet in our solar system." If a person were to pay attention to statistics, it has been shown numerous times that our oil supply is going to run out, and if there is not more research conducted we will be without an energy source because of our reliance on fossil fuels. Also, Alaska is one of the few pristine, near untouched pieces of wilderness left in North America. To mar that landscape with a pipeline is taking away that last piece of nature that land-hungry Americans have left. And then the idea of one day living on Mars: in order to survive on Mars, we need to pollute it. We need to emit greenhouse gases, and essentially begin a process on that planet that could be just as destructive as what we are doing to our current planet Earth. where's the common sense there? Sometimes I just do not understand how readily people turn to the seemingly easiest solution to a problem, without first exploring the impact of that solution.
To preserve the environment is to assist the future, to make sure that future generations have someplace to live that is clean and safe. If we, not just a few individuals, but humankind, starts the process of cleaning up and protecting the world around us, there is a much greater chance that our families will still be able to live on Earth without fear of pollutants and other environmental factors. There is no easy way out, but some do not seem to realize that. More research needs to be done on alternate fuel sources, more environmentally friendly house and building construction, and new technology for things that tend to be difficult to biodegrade. Without knowledge and awareness, we may as well just accept our deaths now, because the environment will have been destroyed by the time our offspring reach maturity anyway. More action needs to be taken, and the name-calling and dismissing tones need to cease, because one day they will regret never trying to make a difference in their world situation.
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The thoughts and comments of a stressed student.
The thoughts and comments of a stressed student.
13 comments:
Great blog. It's very powerful. While I was reading it all I could think of was this conversation I had with this lady while I was on vacation one time. I'll describe the scene for you. We were in Pennsylvania at an RV convention and there had been a big bbq that night. There were many balloons tied to all the tables and I noticed that the employees were simply cutting them off and letting them go. I went over to ask them if they minded that my brother and I wanted to pop all the balloons and they didn't object. So after a while and a round of balloon popping, I went over to talk to my mom who was talking to this lady I had never met before. She asked why we were running around with car keys and popping the balloons. I nicely explained that if we let the balloons go they would fall into the ocean and sea turtles would eat them and die. She very nicely listened to what I had to say and responded with this..."But there aren't any oceans around here."
Needless to say I walked away because there honestly wasn't anything else I could say to her.
You make me smile by saying some label you "a hippie." Do you know how the term came about? Do you know the term used before "hippie" came along?
You may find this interesting:
http://elitemrp.net/hippytest.shtml
You write, "if there is not more research conducted we will be without an energy source because of our reliance on fossil fuels." It's going to take more than research. We have enough knowledge right now to make changes, no matter how small. Yes, there are recycling programs, but as you note, we must become less oil dependent.
One area is in home building. Have you read about earthships?
http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/earthship.htm
Here is a realtor promoting earth friendly homes
http://taosearthships.com/
Have you read about jeans being used as building insulation?
http://greenjeansinsulation.com/
NOVA regularly features programs on the environment. Here is one example.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/solar/resources.html
I definitely feel your enthusiasm towards saving the environment. I agree that we need to lessen our pollutants and look for other renewable energy sources, but sometimes we need to find a balance between protecting the environment and helping mankind. For instance, only 1.5 of the 19 million acres in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) would be considered for oil drilling. This is roughly 8% of the entire refuge and if oil were found then only 2,000 acres would be used (approximately 0.5%). In return, 250,000-735,000 jobs could be created from such productivity and our economy would be helped from the increase in oil. What do you think?
http://www.anwr.org/ANWR-Basics/Top-ten-reasons-to-support-ANWR-development.php
You also write, “sometimes I just do not understand how readily people turn to the seemingly easiest solution to a problem, without first exploring the impact of that solution.” Unfortunately, there are some negative impacts to protecting the environment. The current use of ethanol in gas is helping to create an increase in food prices. Many poorer families and farmers cannot afford these increases in food and some of the corn used to feed developing countries is now being used in oil. Do the positives of such research outweigh the negatives?
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/energy/5676801.html
But over all, I enjoyed reading your blog!
Cpt Pants writes "In return, 250,000-735,000 jobs could be created from such productivity and our economy would be helped from the increase in oil."
Will all these jobs be located in Alaska?
I cannot open the URL you posted. Part of it seems to be missing.
What a great cause to fight for, I completely agree, I just wrote my current event POW on the "Go Green" movement and I share your enthusiasm with protecting the environment and conserving energy for a safer healthier future. The raise in average climate temperatures is very concerning to me and it is important for us to change our selfish living habits now so that future generation can have the opportunity to live in a safe productive environment. I always say, what's convenient for today may not be so resourceful and safe in the future. Your blog is very well written, your passion is evident and you clearly have a great understanding of the environmental issues at hand. You have my support, lets go change the world! :)
I also would like to join the bandwagon and agree with your support of the environment. I think that one of the most frightening things about environmental threats is the irreplacibility of nature. Once we have pushed our resources to their limit, and I fear we are getting unnervingly close, we will never be able to rejuvenate entirely.
The main reason I wanted to comment, however, is to suggest action for all you hippies! Other than the obvious recycling etc. routine, it can be pretty frustrating to get involved in the environmental movement. Re-using your water bottle is great, but real impact can only be made if changes are made on a national or global level.
I was in Washington a couple weeks ago and I learned about the S.2191 bill that is going to be coming to the Senate floor sometime in June. It's called "America's Climate Security Act" and it has a lot of really good proposals for climate change. There are still some other amendments that could be added to make it even stronger, however. Both our Senators, Menendez and Lautenberg, are really strong advocates for climate change, so it would be ideal if they could be encouraged to not only vote for this bill but to sponsor an amendment. Writing a personal letter with your opinion, explaining that you are one of their young constituents, is really one of the most effective ways to let them know that people are concerned. The website fcnl.org has some great info about the bill and about how to write a letter. (fcnl.org > Environment > Climate Change > S.2191 Needs Strengthening > Take Action) Go check it out- it's the legislative equivalent of planting a tree!
Pennylane writes,"Re-using your water bottle is great, but real impact can only be made if changes are made on a national or global level."
I add, check the # of your bottle. Take a look at the research on types of plastic.
Pennylane also suggests, "Writing a personal letter with your opinion, explaining that you are one of their young constituents, is really one of the most effective ways to let them know that people are concerned."
Use recycled paper or go to the appropriate page for writing an email. Join a blog. Blogs are becoming powerful instruments of the people.
To lil ray of sunshine:
The story that you shared is such a statement about the sad fact that there are people who do not understand the effects that their actions may have on the world around them. I wish more people were educated about how even something as simple as throwing away the plastic soda holders without cutting them can affect the world. So many times those rings of plastic are deadly to aquatic animals if they end up running with rainwater into aquatic biomes. I wonder how much it will take for people to stop dismissing the fact that their actions do have an effect on the environment.
To theteach:
The list of sites that you posted for me was great. The hippie quiz made me laugh, and I came to find that I have "some hippie" in me. The links regarding earthships were appreciated. I had heard of them before, and my dad and I, after watching a special about them on HGTV were at one point considering building one on our property. We were intrigued by the use of glass bottles to serve as a light source and a heating/cooling system. The use of jeans as insulation was news to me, but it's certainly a creative idea. All those jeans with rips could be made into insulation for my house... pretty cool. The NOVA site was interesting because I know that I have seen some of the programs that were listed before. Although I agree that solar energy is a good, clean source of energy, the solar panels themselves need to be modified because they quickly degrade as time passes and are not very accessible to the average homeowner. I also liked your comment to pennylane when you asked us to research types of plastic. So many people are unaware of the fact that plastic has many different forms, and that it is made with a by-product of petroleum processing. Thank you for the vast amount of information that you provided, I found that it all to be educating and interesting.
To cpt. pants:
I agree with your point that we need to maintain a balance between helping humanity and protecting the environment. It is definitely difficult for many people to recognize that if all the farmers jump onto the ethanol bandwagon, there is less corn for livestock feed, less wheat for human consumption, and less product to send overseas. In this respect, I feel as though there should have been more regulation of the number of farms that are now growing corn specifically for ethanol and nothing else. There was a lack of foresight this past year with ethanol production, and as much as I like the idea of ethanol, I do not think it's going to be a lasting alternative fuel. Yet, in my eyes, the positives do outweigh the negatives with the research, because it at least shows that we are looking for options and developing new technologies that can be used further.
In response to your comment about ANWR, I think that job openings are definitely a much-needed thing in our nation as of late, however, as theteach asked, where will these jobs be based? If theyre based in Alaska, these thousands of people will need homes to live in. And where will these homes be built? In the untouched and unprotected areas of Alaska? THE link you provided would not open for me either, but I still feel I can say that as nice as an economic boost would be, and as nice as the job openings would be, what happens when that supply begins to run out? We still need the research and new technologies in present times if we want to survive in later years.
To bandgeek27:
I love your statement "what's convenient for today may not be so resourceful and safe in the future." I find it so true in many areas, not only fuel sources, but also in many other industries. All of these industries have their flaws, their tasks that are convenient and increase production and efficiency, but that are not necessarily essential or safe. Fuels are a major issue presently, simply because everyone wants their oil and they want it now. But this demand is leading to the exhaustion of our fossil fuel resources, and leading to very high prices and many disgruntled drivers and homeowners. In agriculture, pesticides and fertilizers used in conventional agriculture are leading to erosion and water contamination. Living on an organic farm, I am certainly biased in saying this, but organic agriculture is more environmentally sound than conventional agriculture ever will be. It may take more work, hold more potential for crop failure, but the methods worked for thousands of years before there were pesticides and growth hormones, and that should hold true today. It would be nice if we alone could change the world, but until more people are educated and given a reason to care about the environment, that will be quite difficult.
To pennylane:
It is definitely unnerving how far humanity has been pushing nature for our own selfish means. I feel as though anymore, all we think about is instant gratification and not the consequences of attaining those desires. Your comment about working to make a change on the legislative level is definitely a good one, because many changes cannot occur until the government approves it. If we can get our legislators to work with us for a cause, there is the potential for being very successful in protecting the environment, and hopefully trying to restore what has been destroyed. Great suggestions :)
to cinderella: I am glad you found the sites interesting.
I also agree about the by-products of petroleum. Some of us have no idea the number of products that use petroleum.
I question the use of tires in the earth ships. I wonder if this use is as safe as we are lead to believe.
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