Blog 11

"Telling people that they "should" change causes a shield to go up. If we hope for people to change, we must give them something that is so compelling and so easy that they want to move toward it."

 I find this to be true for a majority of people. Everyone is dealing with their own personal crises; it is difficult to see past them to a larger issue affecting the world. The more it is positioned that helping the environment in turn helps everyone, will promote change itself. The collective effort is thrown by the immediacy of the issue. The planet is using resources past its capacity. Pollution and food scarcity is an immediate issue for many people in the world. What differentiates the people who are facing those problems versus the people facing personal problems is their directness to the issue. If a politician were to dictate what we should or should not do, it will be ineffective because people do not respond well to direct commands. Even though this is the case, there should be some message that reaches pas the immediacy of our everyday issues, to promote participation in the fight for a better Earth.
Image result for environmental protest
https://www.maplecroft.com/portfolio/new-analysis/2017/02/09/environmental-risk-outlook-2017-potus-protests-exposure-and-disclosure/
"If we are to restructure the global economy, individuals must become informed and active politically as well, each picking an issue that is meaningful to them to which to contribute effort: organizing, joining a group, or contacting elected representatives"

This is the final step to an increased awareness of environmental issues, I believe. Active participation proves that one has knowledge of an issue facing the environment and is doing what they can in solving the problem. When I consider how I can further my exploration into the environmental issues facing humanity, I am drawn to joining a group of individuals who are organizing events and ways in which others can get involved in the fight for a better Earth. This is needed to restructure the global economy. The participation of not just college students, but those who have gained non-formal environmental education is needed in the restructuring as well.
Image result for environmental group
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_u8U8Dg8TF3NpzMlWOs3Gw
"Th process in which an idea or behavior spreads through social contracts is known as social diffusion."

This theory holds the assumption that person-to-person contact as being effective in spreading innovation and influencing others toward sustainable behavior. The common misconception is that the way in which to influence someone's behavior is in a non-direct way. This proves that there is a commonality we strive to share when interacting with others. This also shows that humans influence each other in more ways than we may think. My first year in college I had a roommate who was more environmentally conscious than I was. Because I lived so close to a different way of living, I had come from being a observer of her behavior to being someone who mirrored the behavior, For example, recycling was something I did, initially, in public. She introduced me to recycling personal trash. It was a chore to have to break my habit of throwing everything in the same bin. Because of social diffusion, I eventually was able to alter my behavior.
Image result for recycling home
https://www.wirralskiphire.co.uk/home-benefits-to-recycling/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
9 Energy Blog Entry #8: Energy "In fact, however, 95 percent of the world's petroleum came not from giant land animals but from microscopic marine organisms." I had the impression that our fossil fuels came from the bones of huge dinosaurs. But, as the text says, it was from the tiny microscopic marine organisms that is fueling our cars. I find it interesting that such seemingly insignificant organisms are responsible for so much. When looking up petroleum. I found a gas station named, "Go Green Petroleum".  A 2012 Gallup Poll found that 61% of people have a negative view of oil companies. Oil companies are now making strides to be seen as a positive influence on the environment. Go Green Petroleum, on of the stations are in Estero, is an example of this. Hopefully, there is actual progress being made and not just the word "Green" plastered on the sign to gain people's trust. https://www.carbonbrief.org/study-most-fossil-fuels-unburna
Read more

Water

Image
Water "In many parts of the world, lack of access to clean water is the largest cause of disease transmission and, as a result, poverty." I was not aware that water had anything to do with poverty other than the fact that it is scarce. Now i know that the lack of clean water is a contributor to the transmission of disease. I did a little research and found that one billion people don't have access to clean water. That's nearly 1 out of 8 people worldwide. Access to clean water is one of the leading contributors to poverty. According to The Water Project, this is solvable. Without water, you cannot grow food; you cannot build houses; you cannot stay in school and you cannot work. Water is so essential and I'm beginning to realize how privileged I am to have accessible water. We cannot function without water. I now feel ashamed that I have not taken full advantage of the fact that I have water readily available. I should be more hydrated.  http://sncyear7g
Read more