Week 2 Questions

1.Our dependence on oil and other fossil fuels is obviously our most important problem. The fact that Americans do not have a realistic alternative creates many problems. Although only a small percentage of our economy is actually based on the oil industry, the American economy is pretty much dependent on oil. The extracation and use of this extremely important commodity is causing problems for the planet like never before. Although we are all aware of this problem, it is difficult to change without any support from the government. Especially when many officials have a stake in the commodity. Our economy is based on oil, and to make the necessary changes could slow down the economy or take away power and wealth from many in government and the private sector. Change must be gradual, but I do not believe that we can afford to put this off any longer. This has created environmental and political problems arond the world (due to a foreign policy based on oil). We can solve two problems by starting to make gradual changes using technology that is already here. A little more support from the private and especially the public sector would help us all in the long run.

2.Living in an "environmentally friendly" way obviously means different things to different people. While to one person, living environmentally friendly may not require much of a change in lifestyle. To others, living in an "environmentally friendly" way may require that we live in a way that takes the environment, as well as damage done to the environment by our everyday ways of life into consideration when making choices. The goal of living an "environmental friendly" way of life should be to leave as little damage on the environment as possible in order to provide for our children and grandchildren.

I cannot call myself environmentally friendly because I do not do enough. Although I have been willing to make small changes in my life style, I have not been willing to give up things such as my car because although I do not need a car, it would make my life less convenient. I cannot call myself "environmentally friendly" for reasons such as these. However, taking a course such as this one at least makes you think about your choices, which is a start.

Week 2

1) Dependency on fossil fuels is the most important global environmental problem. From cradle to grave, fossil fuels cause an array of environmental issues. The extraction of fossil fuels adds to further environmental degradation. Techniques like mountaintop removal and oil drilling devastate habitats and weaken ecosystem stability. Still, most frequently this problem is credited with the production of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. However, the combustion of fossil fuels also contributes to acid rain and increased rates of asthma. In these few examples, the consequences of our dependency on fossil fuels clearly affect overarching issues ranging from environmental justice to ecology.

Unfortunately, many industries, like energy and transportation, have built themselves on fossil fuels. There are alternatives, but implementing them requires a massive change in infrastructure, a long and costly process that many industries are not willing to take on. This obstacle is not only economic, but political as well. No politician wants to be responsible for harming an industry, and lobbying groups from fossil fuel based industries have historically provided funding to political campaigns. These factors lead to a great resistance to any movement away from fossil fuels.

There is potential for change, but there is a variety of obstacles which must be overcome. Once we advance to cleaner resources, environmental quality will be greatly improved.

2) To live in an environmentally friendly way is to live in a way that does not impair the ability of future generations to provide for them selves in a similar manner. People find infinite ways of being environmentally friendly, and there are varying degrees of environmental friendliness.

In fact, many make environmentally friendly choices without being conscious of it. For example, people who walk rather than drive, may simply be doing so because they do not have any other form of transportation. Similarly, many people make environmentally friendly choices without understanding why they are beneficial. However, lack of knowledge does not mean these choices are any less valuable to the environment.

The benefits of conscious environmentally friendly practices include consistency. If people are aware of what actions are environmentally friendly and why, they are more likely to continue practicing them. Also, being well informed can encourage people to take on environmental actions, they would not otherwise do.

Week 2 Questions

1. One huge global environmental problem is climate change. It has accelerated so much recently and we as humans are contributing greatly to this. Like other environmental issues it is one that adversely affects the entire globe yet some are contributing much more than others to it. The coal industry and its wealthy adversaries include some of the greatest forces behind this problem. The issue here is that they may be gaining financially from these actions that are ultimately harming the rest of the world and may have permanent damage on the planet. This is an example of the "ecological shadow" that was discussed in one of the readings. Although the pollution and release of toxins may be mainly coming from one area, there are no boundaries to hold them in therefore the surrounding societies many times must deal with the negative effects even though they may not be contributing them. This is what is happening with climate change although the entire world is changing because of it and the effects, such as extinct species, will be irreversible. One of the other articles brought up the issues that environmental movements face due to the strong universal belief in state sovereignty. Although the entire world is being affected by the economically driven and environmentally careless actions of the people, no one wants to give up their sovereign rights in order to create norms and standards that the whole world must follow. As more developed nations, it is especially hard and hypocritical to ask nations, such as China, who are only just going through their own industrial revolutions, to cut back on emissions when we ourselves have already been there and caused irreversible damage to the world because of our economically driven technology. It is hard to pinpoint the one most important global environmental problem because they are all interrelated.

2. Living in an "environmentally friendly" way is probably something different for everybody. I believe, however, that it is more based on intent than actual actions. If your intent is to be "environmentally friendly" then you will strive to fulfill your duty based on what you know. Being a college student and having taken a few courses on the environment I might be more aware then someone who has not been lucky enough to have the same education as me. Even little things such as unplugging my computer when I am not using it is perhaps something that would not even cross other peoples' minds. At the same time, someone who has extensively studied the environment and our human impact on it is probably more likely to think about their own impact on it and will perhaps therefore do things in an environmentally conscious way that would not even cross my mind to do. Being "environmentally friendly" can also be based on personal opinion and one's own priority. Some may believe that big industries can be "environmentally friendly" if they use "greener" technology to run their businesses while others may think that industries in general, not matter how much money they put into technology that is less harmful to the environment, are always going to be unnecessarily harmful to the planet. I believe that being "environmentally friendly" is listening to your environmental conscience and at times going out of your way to avoid doing things that may ultimately negatively affect the environment. I try to do little things such as unplugging appliances and using canvas bags to shop in and choosing to walk over driving when possible. But these, like I said, are little things and ultimately I don't think I am doing that much to help our negative human impact on the environment. It is hard to ask people to dramatically change their lifestyles even though it may be just what we need.

Why care about the environment at all?

When reading this week's questions for ponder, I thought back to when I started to take notice of the environment and my impact on it. I remember being about 10 years old and in my fourth grade class where we were talking about recycling and how important it was in saving the rainforest. Being an observant little girl, I looked around and took note of all the paper around the room: my notebooks, the display boards, the numerous books filling our class library, our tests and quizzes stacked neatly on our teachers desk, etc... As a 10 year old my life was already consumed by paper.

As time passed my realization of the enormous amounts of paper surrounding me, turned into a love for being in the forest. As a teenager I loved hiking, camping, backpacking, and basically anything that allowed me to be in the woods and my love for trees became a life mission. I began to reduce my use of paper, I became a vegetarian, and spent as much time outdoors as possible. The forest became my passion and my cause.

Why the forest? I see the forest as the cradle of life. Trees create the clean air we breath, the shade we sit in, the nutrients for the food we eat, and help sustain global biodiversity. In my mind if trees cease to exist so will life as we know it. The importance of trees crosses every physical and metaphysical boundary, and should be realized by every human. It is not just their practical role that needs to be considered but also their beauty. We need trees, therefore the
needless deforestation occurring globally to feed human consumption needs to be slowed and ultimately stopped.

My contribution is the same as when I was a teenager; reduce my footprint on the forests. As an adult I try to inspire others to do the same and alter their habits in order to ensure the lasting presence of our forests. Even a small change like printing doubled sided can over time make a significant impact our future. In today's world our consumer driven lives have a huge impact on the environment and threaten our very existence. It is time for each person to make personal changes to their behavior and reduce their footprint by making more informed choices.

Question Week 2

1. I believe the most important environmental problem in the world is the desctruction of habitats and nature. Plants especially play a huge role in the renewing cycles that take place on earth. Plants are responsible for converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, which the animal kingdom depends on for life. Plants also take harmful molecules out of the air where they can cause damage to the atmosphere or the beings that breathe them in, and place these molecules in a cycle where they are not harmful but rather beneficial. As more and more plant life is destroyed, the important cycles of life begin to break down and can not meet the depend placed on them. In additon, destruction of habitat forces animals from their homes and into communities of people where they cause problems. People then go on the offensive against these "invasive" animals and end up completely eliminating them from the area. We need better protection for the open space that remains in order to sustain the earth and its natural cycles.

2. Living in an "environmentally friendly" way means living a life in which one conciously tries to limit one's negative impact on the environment. This can include recycling more, consuming less electricity, buying energy efficient products, or walking or cycling instead of driving a car. In order to have the greatest impact on the environment these steps should be taken by everyone; however, it is not moral to try to convince others to change their lives to help the environment if you do not make the same changes. It is more important to do the change yourself than to try to convince others to do the same as you can only control the actions of one person (yourself) and people are more likely to listen to example than speech. "Be the change you wish to see in the world" is a quote everyone who wants to live an "environmentally friendly" life should live by.

Question #1 Response

1.) I believe that the worst global environmental problem is the overabundant amount of carbon emissions being emitted into the earth's atmosphere. This problem is so complex since it involves multiple contributing factors such as the need to change certain life style preferences. It is very difficult, almost borderline impossible, to convince others to alter their attitudes regarding particular environmental issues; ideas that correspond directly to their behavior. In addition, while environmental studies is still a relatively up and coming science, it is also one that cannot produce concrete results which will immediately illustrate to the masses the full impact that humanity has on the environment. Therefore scientists and environmental advocates encounter obstacles in persuading people to reduce their carbon emissions in order to protect the environment.

2.)To live "environmentally friendly" is to live within reason of one's available resources and his or her ability to utilize those resources responsibly. People, especially most from the U.S, do not do this. To think about caring for the planet requires more thought and consideration than the average U.S resident is willing or able to give. Choices involving public transportation as a possible substitute for driving a car to work or remembering to carry a reusable water bottle is not on the list of priorities as they go about their daily activities. Living environmentally friendly really means to think environmentally friendly. Taking into account the location in which your food is grown, produced and eventually transported is just one consideration that leads to thinking and living environmentally friendly. Other considerations are using alternative sources of energy or even reducing the amount of energy used to maintain a comfortable life at home, such as electricity and heat. In the attempt to convince others to make some of these changes, I have suggested to friends that taking more efficient and/or shorter showers may be a wise choice. At other times I have tried persuading them to ride their bikes places instead of driving. Additionally I carry around a reusable water canister as well as thermos.