Question One Response

After reading everyone's posts I can see that there is a general consensus that overpopulation and environmentally unsustainable lifestyles are the roots of the most serious global environmental crises. I certainly agree, and although I do not presume to be very environmentally conscious in my own life, these posts have caused me to reflect a little more on my personal stake in recognizing pressing global environmental issues. The problems and their causes have been clearly identified and discussed, and quite effectively due to the fact that we are university students in a class focused on this particular subject, presented with a question that motivates us to discuss it, and/or are involved in some form of group or cause related to environmental issues.

However, most people on this planet are obviously not in our position, and many will never have that opportunity. Using myself as an example, I think about global environmental issues almost exclusively in a classroom or otherwise some form of organized discussion setting that I happen to be in at the time. I admit I am not focused on it and to be completely honest most of the time I feel like I have more important things to worry/care about. Now, how do you get me to change my mind about that WITHOUT putting me in such a specific setting? I leave the classroom and go to a different one and immediately focus my attention on something completely different, I put down the textbook, finish the assignment, part ways with the eco-activist on the street handing out fliers and go about my business. Most people I know are the same way, so my point is that until people actually see and feel the effects of these environmental problems, they are not going to care enough, or at least long enough, to do or allow what is necessary to reverse what is happening to the global environment - from water and food shortages to pollution to global warming. As much as the media tries to scare people, and as much as people fall for schemes that market "environmentally friendly" products as a result of that fear campaign, it is a foregone conclusion that, generally, the human population has a short attention span and an even shorter term memory.

Therefore I reiterate my agreement that people are the problem, and it is our complacency that will be our undoing. As of now, personally, I will do what I can to help, but I know that there are thousands of people who will never face, much less consider a question such as the one on this blog until one day they turn on the faucet and no water comes out of it, at which point it will obviously be too late. That day is quickly approaching, and even though we see it, I seriously think the human race has missed its window to forestall it.