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The new fad: going green

Page history last edited by PBworks 15 years, 6 months ago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cover Sheet

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Our world is sick, and we are its infection.

 

 

 “As human-caused biodiversity loss and climate disruption gain ground, we need to keep our sights clear and understand that the measure of a threat is not a matter of whether it is made on purpose, but of how much loss it may cause. It's an ancient habit to go after those we perceive to be evil because they intended to do harm. It's harder, but more effective, to "go after," meaning to more effectively educate and socialize, those vastly larger numbers of our fellow humans who are not evil, but whose behavior may in fact be far more destructive in the long run." (Ed Ayres, editor of Worldwatch magazine, Nov/Dec 2001)

 

 

 

    All around the world measures are being taken to protect our planet from global warming. From alternative energy sources to battery powered cars, we’re taking steps towards a healthier Earth. But the question is, why now? Why in the last five years has global warming become such a hot matter? And now that our interest has peaked, will we let it go just like every other fad? The concept of saving our planet should not be a trend, it should not be something that is positive or negative as far as fashion is concerned, its a matter of life or death. It's not a matter of opinion, and it certainly should not be a matter of opinion for those who know nothing about it. I have a friend. His step mom drives a Land Rover, shops at designer stores, and doesn't recycle. But she believes in saving the planet. How do I know this? Because she has "Go Green" shirts, Obama bumper stickers, and constantly watches CNN while sending text messages on her Blackberry. If I asked her, "Donna, what is the definition of a green house gas?" I wouldn't expect her answer to be "gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of thermal infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s surface, the atmosphere itself, and by clouds," but something closer to "Um, they're like, these bad things, that are like, hurting the planet. Go green!"

 

    I can’t help but wonder; How many Donnas are there out there? How many people are jumping on the bandwagon of being more environmentally conscious without having any idea what it even means? Our planet has been under the affects of global warming since the start of the Industrial Revolution, without even a second glance from the general public. The Earth has been influenced by our poisoning actions for decades and no one has even stopped to wonder what could happen. But now that the ice caps are melting and flooding the coasts, our drinking water is being disrupted by snow melts, our agriculture is not thriving, species are becoming extinct, tropical storms are raging, and more people are dying from tropical disease, we’re worried. Our own mortality has us changing our ways without any question, without any education, on the matter. On a matter that can be easily understood, and thus more easily taken seriously, as opposed to just wearing a shirt or buying things at a store and expecting that to justify any sort of care for our environment. The first step towards stopping global warming is understanding global warming.

 

   Global warming is a simple concept with some complex and harsh repercussions. The temperature of the atmosphere near the earth's surface is warmed through a natural process called the greenhouse effect. Visible light comes from the sun to the Earth, passing through a blanket of thermal, or greenhouse, gases composed largely of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Infrared radiation reflects off the planet's surface toward space but does not easily pass through the thermal blanket. Some of it is trapped and reflected downward, keeping the planet at an average temperature suitable to life, about 60°F (16°C). But with the burning of fossil fuels and other causes, the Earth is warming to an unsuitable temperature to house any life. Coal-burning power plants are the largest source of carbon dioxide pollution, producing 2.5 billion tons every year. Automobiles, the second largest source, create nearly 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually. There are other, smaller causes of global warming but none compare to those perpetuated by us. Simple enough, right?

 

    How can there be so many Donnas in the world who would give up this whole "going green" thing in a minute if it meant giving into some new, fun fad? It's hard to have faith in the movement towards a greener future knowing that people who are undereducated and completely shallow on the topic are the ones leading the way without more than a pseudo passionate word or a trendy t-shirt. Associated Press comments, "There's no doubt whatsoever that some of the lifestyle changes we need to make to go green are very easy to make, but certain habits may be hard to break. Do you really see yourself living green five years from now? Do you really care enough about the environment to take preventative actions to save it? In a way it seems that going green may be a lot like dieting. There are some people who won't break their diet and will lose weight. There are some people who will probably neglect lifestyle changes that are necessary for going green and, ultimately, not have any part in saving the environment in the long run." There are people who will not change their habits, there are those who will, and there are those Donnas who will consume and waste just as many eco-friendly items as they did before. These are the people who need to be educated. These are the people who need to understand that our world is sick and needs our help and our undivided attention. And these are the people who need to realize that this movement is real.

 

 

    There are huge steps being taken by government towards a healthier planet, and there can be huge steps taken by us if we learn to take this seriously instead of thinking of it as one giant advertisement. Improved automobile mileage, reforestation projects, energy efficiency in construction, and national support for mass transit are among relatively simpler adjustments that could significantly decrease global warming. More aggressive adjustments include a gradual worldwide shift away from the use of fossil fuels, the elimination of chlorofluorocarbons, and the slowing of deforestation by restructuring the economies of developing nations. In 2002 the Bush administration proposed several voluntary measures for slowing the increase in, instead of reducing, emissions of greenhouses gases. The United States, Australia, China, India, Japan, and South Korea established an agreement outside the Kyoto Protocol that proposed to reduce emissions through the development and implementation of new technologies. The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, as it is called, involves no commitments on the part of its members; it held its first meeting in 2006. Also in 2006, California enacted legislation that called for cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 25% by 2020; the state is responsible for nearly 7% of all such emissions in the United States. In 2007 President George W. Bush called for the world's major polluting nations to set global and national goals for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. But how many people know this? This is evidence that it is not untrue that there are real moves being made to save our planet. Governments all over the world are taking steps to a greener tomorrow, and are passionate in their actions. But are we? The general public is the backbone to society, not the government. We must educate ourselves through more than buying a “Go Green” T-shirt at a designer store. We must hold on to this interest in saving our beautiful world, because if we let it go, it will be the end.

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