You may or may not have noticed this past Saturday from 8:00 - 9:00 pm that many places in and around Chicago went dark to call attention to our consumption of electricity which produces greenhouse gases.
Here is a link to an article in Sunday's Chicago Tribune:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-world-lights-out,0,3671686.story
As you will read, this is a tradition that was started in Australia last year and this year it was hoped that 100 million people would participate.I was particularly struck by the following comment made by Richard Moss, vice president for WWF, World Wildlife Fund:
There's a widespread belief that somehow people in the United States don't understand that this is a problem that we're lazy and wedded to our lifestyles. (Earth Hour) demonstrates that that is wrong," Richard Moss, a member of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the climate change vice president for WWF, said in Chicago on Saturday.
What is your reaction to this comment? Do you agree that the perception is that Americans don't care about the environment? If so, what can we do to show the world that we are serious about taking care of the environment.
If you believe that we are doing enough give examples. Did you participate in "Earth Hour"? What do you to prevent global warming?
About Me
- Prof. Lisa Cherivtch
- I am a Professor of Business at Oakton Community College where I teach Introduction to Business, Global Business, and a variety of Marketing classes. I have over 20 years of experience in Product Development, Product Management, Sales, and Training. In addition, I am Liaison/Director for the International Trade Association of Greater Chicago. My passions are language learning, international travel, running, and dance. My teaching philosophy is to give students real-world experience in the safe environment of the classroom. While I do have a variety of things that I enjoy doing, teaching is definitely my greatest passion!
5 comments:
I would say that is an unfair judgement of all Americans, even though to some extent the perception is that Americans don’t care about the environment. Some people are still caught up in trying to enjoy life to the fullest while some people nowadays in the U.S. are contributing much towards global warming and its changes. For one, some people are concerned about their well being by participating and contributing in a positive manner as it relates to “green” efforts to decrease or stop global warming. Individuals are increasingly becoming health conscious and are engaging in sporting activities that compliment their healthy choice. Persons want to know that they are living in a clean and refreshing environment and so dispose of their garbage in recycling bins, or special containers/bins for collection. This is evident in schools for example, where bins are visibly located in strategic areas and in homes where persons also use paper threaders to dispose of their papers. With the purchasing of unleaded gasoline or hybrid vehicles are also ways in which consumers are cutting back on purchasing vehicles that emit harmful gases that affect the environment. Companies are now getting more involved in going “green” - green environment with the heavy promotional strategies they implement by involving in community activities which endorse the move.
On the other hand it might seem very difficult to completely giving up using electricity in homes with the ever increasing technology. People are utilising more energy using computers, watching television, and other doing other chores around the home. However, a decline is seen where companies or even some individuals are now conserving on energy by using solar energy or bio-fuel (to a minimal extent though). With the disposal of PDA’s, batteries, cell phones and computers, we need to make sure that when we dispose of unwanted appliances we do it correctly as suggested by the manufacturer. Companies that manufacture goods get rid of their waste appropriately or engage in generating bio-energy or participate by purchasing same for operational purposes. Also they need to find alternatives for cutting trees down to use for multiple purposes (or at least replace them where possible) and use up natural resources.
The more people are born the more one has to be concerned with global warming (more people more houses, more mouths to feed, etc.), so imploring people to reduce on giving birth could be one other way of assisting in global warming effects(even though this might seem like invasion of privacy/choice). To be honest, I wasn’t even aware of what was happening much let to participate in “Earth Hour”. I try my best to recycle as much as possible and conserve on energy used in and around the house.
I don't know who they're/we're supposed to be demonstrating to. I don't know if Americans are perceived as caring about the environment -- honestly, I think "stance on the environment" wouldn't top the list of issues that spring to mind for many foreigners when asked about the United States.
This "Earth Hour" move was absolutely worthless. It's the sort of thing that idiots can participate in, then hop back in their SUV and drive 2 blocks to work, content that they're changing the world.
Big gestures don't mean a thing if they aren't backed up by a sustained change in lifestyle. I didn't participate in Earth Hour.
To prevent global warming, I carpool/get rides whenever possible, I walk to work, and I drive a fuel efficient car. Through my job at a pharmacy, I replace albuterol inhalers with HFA equivalents that lack the CFC propellants of their predecessors. Of course, I do far more things to contribute to global warming than to combat it, but I'm only an American. What did you expect?
I do think that it is a generelazation of all Americans but we are not doing much to prove it wrong. We might preach that we are trying to help but do the complete opposite. Yes, we are getting better with the fuel emmision standards on our cars but we are still emmeting a lot of toxins through our power plants and are still destroying natural resources in every part of the world to try expand our economy. I think that before we get upset about being called lazy and not caring, we need to make some drastic changes to our lifestyles and try not to advertise it as much because then we are seen as just doing it to get the acknowledgement and that we are not doing it because we really care.
In my opinion, Richard Moss’s comment is not correct. United States of America as the biggest global economy produce the most units of pollution in the World. But it does not mean that Americans don’t care about environment. For example, probably in every house, Americans segregate their garbage to do those easier to recycle, the US government gives benefits to people who use hybrid cars or in other ways reduce carbon pollution. Also US government imposes strictly principle for emissions by each car. Each car has to pass emissions test to be able to drive. By that strategy, we can reduce quantity of old car which emit so many pollution. However Moss’s comment was not correct in every situation, sentence that the United States do not understand that this is a problem that we are lazy, can be truth. Many people in US do not care about the environment because they think that other people will care so they do not have to and what they do is enough to protect environment. Sometimes people do not know that they do something to protect environment. By buying a saving energy bulb and reducing not needed lighting in empty house people contribute to protect environment.
In reference to “Earth Hour” I could not do anything special for saving energy or other way to protect environment. But I think that action as that are needed for people around the World to show Global Warming problem to every from us .We have to know that we are global society and each of us does not change to much but when we will work together we can do many things to protect Our environment. “Earth Hour” in 2008 was 2nd action, still is not too much popular but in near future this hour can be very important for everyone and can have effect on reducing global warming.
I would agree that there is an opinion around the world that Americans don't care about the environment. I would also say that this opinion is sadly misguided. I think no matter what America does too help the environment since we are seen as the most powerful country in the world people always expect us to do more than what we are currently doing. There is always more a country can do to help the environment and America will be criticized as not doing enough to help.
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