Week 2

1.)Global warming, pollution, over-population, or any other of the many environmental problems are important, but I think the most important environmental problem the world faces is the lack of a united political will to care and act on these environmental issues. Say there is a united political will and effort to establish a greener earth; it won’t last. Decades ago, malaria was all but defeated when the developed nations got tired and complacent. The global environmental problems all require long term solutions which we tend not to be very fond of. Apathy and complacency are the most important global environmental problems because without eliminating them, no other solutions can work. And this goes beyond the United States and the developed nations, but to those developing nations that would use the excuse that just because the developed nations performed environmentally dangerous activities on the way to development like deforesting that it is okay for them to. The United States is not doing nearly enough for these countries to have reasonable alternatives, and maybe it is time we admit that. If the United States keeps lecturing countries on how to manage the environment, if we keep acting as an environmentally conscious country, even though the will is limited for any real change, other countries will assume that the U.S. will solve the environmental problems (if that makes sense).

2.) I think being environmentally friendly revolves less around the actions we take as individuals, but more in our mindset. The consequences of actions change over time. We all assume driving a hybrid car is living the “environmentally friendly” way, and while it saves on gas, people are driving them much more because they can justify it to themselves. Because of food production costs going up (environmentally and financially), studies have shown walking can be more environmentally hazardous than driving. Obviously, we should recycle to be environmentally friendly. We can buy those curvy environment friendly light bulbs. But more importantly, we have to care. And genuine caring doesn’t happen by scaring people to push them to drive hybrid cars or take public transportation. Many people drive Priuses not because they care, but because it says they care.
I do care about the environment and act in an environmentally friendly way. For the most part. This summer I spent a week in Taman Negara, Malaysia, one of the oldest rain forests, well aware that it might not be there for my grand children to visit. And realizing that puts things in perspective.