Yesterday the DC and its ‘burbs broke a heat record. Well, probably most of the East Coast of the US did. We had 98°F here on October 2, the 9th day of Autumn. The previous record was 86°F. This year we’ve had 63 90-degree days. The environment is changing at a far quicker pace than all of the warnings predicted. Glaciers are melting. The sea is warming. These are facts.
Just as there were groups of people insisting the world was flat, there are groups of people saying that climate change is a natural progression and human beings are not responsible. (You can check out some of these reports here.)
I’m not here to argue this one way or another. Personally I believe that human beings have made a mess of this planet and continue to make a mess of this planet because, despite our brain size, we are arrogant, selfish, greedy, and frequently extremely stupid. Frankly, with our intolerance of other human races/religions and other species, I’m surprised we haven’t killed ourselves off earlier while we played with new bombs, new poisons, mutated mosquitoes (oops, that failed), although, I have to hand it to us, we really are trying to kill everyone off with guns. Kudos, humans, doing great so far.
As far as I can tell, environmental measures are a good thing—unless you are a lobbyist for a major corporation who devises PR campaigns stating that they’re supporting the environment, which is actually only a measure to pat the naive on the head or provide permission to the gas guzzling, the forest obliterating, the carbon emissions spewing members to continue.
Who has it hurt to drive a car with better environmental features and higher gas mileage? Who has it hurt to recycle? To use less plastic (oh, sorry people who manufacture plastic, I guess you are one of those, but you have your lobbyists in place, right?)
My question is: what does it hurt to act as if climate change is really happening? If it hurts you, the only thing I can imagine is that you must have your 300 grams of meat every day; drive your gas guzzling SUV everywhere even to places where you can walk; and the slightest effort to not buy something wasteful is painful beyond endurance. I suspect you figure that you want your fair share because, hey, are people in China being environmentally conscious? If they aren’t, why should you? Hell, there’s more of them and only one you, right? And, really, that’s it in a nutshell. There’s only one you so your actions don’t matter.
Do you have kids? Yeah? You’ve brought into this world progeny. Cool. Maybe you’re actions matter because while the world may not completely change in your lifetime, if the global environment continues to change at the rapid pace it is, it will in their lifetime.
So, tell me. Unless you’re actively making money off of this whole scenario (if that’s you, no kudos to you because you may suck), why not support actions that help the environment? Who on earth does that hurt?
Nice post. Personally I think Capitalism is failing just as Communism did. Both ideologies work on paper but are flawed in practise due to our innate selfishness and greed. Until we eliminate that terrible human trait or create a system that is immune to its self destructive effects, it seems inevitable that we’ll spiral into a world run by the greedy for the benefit of the selfish. Not that I have any answers, just another part of the problem 😉
I’d have to say that I haven’t seen a greedier, more corrupt government than what I see occurring now. The obvious responsibility rests with the people who not only vote in such a government but tolerate it because one set of needs are met without considering a larger perspective. Thus still being selfish and stupid. Anarchy, I say…anarchy! 😀