We are living in a tumultuous period of recorded human history. When historians look upon the choices we made in this era they will either marvel at the tenacity we will have shown towards tackling a global crisis or lament over how through our selfish decisions we left a polluted world for future generations. The time is long overdue for us to own up to our collective ecological mistakes and make substantial strides to fix them. This goes far beyond just acknowledging the damage done to the environment, or half-heartedly attempting to conserve our limited natural resources, or simply buying consumer products with a “green” label on it. If we are truly going to save the world as it were, first we must change the collective mindset that man has in relation to nature. Then and only then can modern society really begin to progress in the proper direction.
The various problems of the ecological crisis faced today all have their origins with the Industrial Revolution, a period beginning in the late 1700s and continuing into the late 1800s. From there mankind has continued to advance technologically at an unprecedented rate. Humans began to use coal, natural gas, and oil in order to make life easier and at the time because these fossil fuels were so plentiful a pervasive notion developed that nature was inexhaustible. It would be two hundred years before mankind started to move away from this notion and even then we only did so by replacing the “nature is inexhaustible” outlook with an attitude of nature being able to support the burden of our consumerism.
Due to the nature of the culture we live in, we are constantly being told to consume more and more of everything. The problem with the agenda of mindless consumerism of a society powered by fossil fuels is two-fold; not only are we are polluting the environment around ourselves but our capitalist society is continuing to drain large amounts of resources in order to expand its production. This is in turn placing more strains on the ecosystem which the earth is not equipped to sustain. As Sut Jhally, a professor of communication at University of Massachusetts, explains “…no other society in history has been able to match the immense productive output of capitalism and this fact, capitalism’s productivity, can be seen everywhere in the daily landscape of life." Jhally is correct in that no other society has been able to match modern society’s productivity because no other society in history has ever stolen as much from the earth’s riches as we have.
Jhally also states “Our culture has simply become an adjunct to the system of production and consumption." In a way, nature itself has simply become an adjunct to our selfish system of production and consumption. This is not how things should be. Nature does not exist solely to suit the needs of humanity. Our concept of rampant consumerism is unsustainable and worse, it is unethical. If we change our consumer mindset and move towards a more sustainable society then we will be better equipped to take on the global crisis because our attitudes towards nature will have changed.
Due to the extensive damage to our environment, our society needs to leave unrenewable energy behind and focus on alternatives in hydrogen, air, solar, and electric in order to build a sustainable society. Modern scientists and environmentalists all are in agreement that climate change is only getting worse; now more than ever before we must implement potential solutions to preserve our dwindling resources and the environment that produces them. If we are to truly leave a fossil fuel society behind us then this is the only path going forward. The time is now.
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In addition to reducing our ecological impact, we must recognize how we can treat the environment well while still utilizing its energy in better ways. The earth receives enough solar energy in one day that is sufficient to power all human civilization for twenty five years. Imagine if we properly harnessed that energy, how much better off we would be. We have developed the technology necessary to build a sustainable future. All that is left to do now is find the drive to implement it.
Right now many people are not invested in helping the environment because it may cut into their profits or condemn certain portions of their lifestyle which they do not wish to amend. Others simply are not educated on just how dire our situation is. As is stated by author James Howard Kunstler “Some other things about the global energy predicament are poorly understood by the public and even our leaders. This is going to be a permanent energy crisis…" People need to understand that this crisis will not go away any time soon unless we act quickly. Collectively, we need to change the narrative of our culture from a civilization focused on the needs of the consumer to a civilization dedicated to the wellbeing and sustainability of man and wildlife. The world needs culture that builds up and encourages environmentalism; because ultimately by hurting the environment we are really hurting ourselves. By destroying our own ecosystems we are destroying the lives of animals, flora, fauna, and insects along with making the lives of the future generations that much more difficult.
