Nowadays, you cannot have a discussion about the environment without bringing up climate change. Ever since researchers first noticed alarming changes in the Earth’s temperatures in the 1990s, dialogue on global warming has spread like wildfire. People everywhere have grown particularly interested in the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment. Researchers have observed gradual effects to the environment that they believe were caused by this (e.g., the rising sea level), environmentalists have worked hard to bring this matter to our attention, and policy-makers worldwide have pushed for controls on entities responsible for these gas emissions. Experts believe we will encounter massive problems as the earth’s temperature come closer to increasing by 2 degrees. Some predict that we will encounter many problems such as frequent heat waves, massive erosion, and the extinction of many animal and plant species that were unable to adjust.
In Brendan Borrell’s blog, Blood for No Oil, Borrell suggests that our environmental problems are best explained by habitat destruction. Borrell believes that our obsession with global warming has caused us to ignore this equally important problem, and has inhibited us from taking the necessary steps to address it. When Borrell alluded to the global warming phenomenon as a fad, I could not agree with him more. It appears that our tendency to acknowledge certain trends and forget about others has carried over in all aspects of our lives. While I am sure everyone does not do this, it is done enough to the point where it could be detrimental to mankind, the species who inhabit the earth, and the earth itself. We must acknowledge that many things, besides global warming, have contributed to the earth’s demise.
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I think an important point that you might be missing is that "global warming" is a very broad term that can apply to many things. The fact that humans are causing destruction of habitat is encompassed in global warming. When we create "urban sprawl" and take over new, uninhabited land, we are using more resources to build our new homes and cutting down trees, creating more greenhouse gases and thus contributing to "global warming". People need to realize that the solutions to global warming isn't just buying a hybrid car, but also getting rid of your old car in an environmentally sustainable way and living simply. I agree that this might be a "fad" because many companies are doing something called "greenwashing" which means advertising their products as environmentally friendly. While it is good that the news is out there, many problems arise with this greenwashing such as more consumption and an increase of consumerism. Mass consumption is probably the biggest problem individually that has hurt our planet and increased the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted by humans. Therefore, I think people need to realize that many of the things they do need to be changed and that 'global warming" encompasses many different problems that humans are aiding to. While I still think that the fad is good because it got the word out to the public about global warming, I also think it is crucial that people know the facts about it to realize how each choice in their daily lives affects the environment.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this attention given to ‘global warming’; an irrelevant term to begin with, is just a fad. The media especially promotes this “go-green” attitude, which I think has both benefits and costs. It is beneficial because it is forcing people to become more aware of their actions, but it is kind of costly because it is prompting people to go out and, like Hilary said; consume many more products than we really need. There are so many elements that contribute to pollution in general, such as typical household refrigerators- one of the most inefficient devices still in use (due to the fact that it pumps heat from the fridge back out into your home, which could be good in the winter, but what about during hotter days?). I think starting with little changes in our everyday lives will positively influence the environment more than buying more products just because they are have the words ‘eco-friendly’ on them.
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