Journal 9

The video from National Geographic was very interesting and I really enjoyed some of the things that they suggested for us to protect the future of the planet and the nature. Once again this video displayed things that were all interconnected into one large problem. In essence, we are destroying our planet, and people either don't see it, or don't realize it, and may not care to. I suggest that people re-think this however, considering their planet, people, and lives in some cases, are at stake. This is what I think the whole issue in global warming and climate change, well, the acceptance of it at least is caused by. Stubborn people. Why should I care if the caribou in alaska are dying off? I've never seen them, don't care too. So that really isn't a big deal right? Wrong. With this video we can see that all of these things in the climate are affected, by earths rising temperature year to year. I hear, "well that is just climate change, not global warming, it's a cycle". I cannot stand that. Why all of a sudden after all of the years of earths existance, would we be seeing this drastic change in such a short period of time. Why can't people understand that their actions do impact people across the world, and they do impact themselves.
"I've never visited Africa, but in fact changes there are affecting us in the Carribbean" The last line of the video. I really wish that all people could just see some educational videos and be convinced that something drastic needs to be done to help the world survive, or at least life survive. In class we talked about what measures would need to be taken to help certain aspects of our downturning ecosystems and it was determined that we need to seek for a way to profit off of fixing the planet. That is rather ironic I think. Figure out how to turn a profit by reducing the way we lavishly spend and abuse the worlds goods. I however think it will be more about a sacrifice of the people. Problems with that? Well first, many developing countries that are now becoming more developed will not want to listen to what we have to say about how we have abused this world and that they should limit what they're doing accordingly. Second, people would never be willing to make the sacrifice. I really hope I'm wrong when I say this but, due to the standards of living people in developed countries expect, it will be almost impossible to change their thought process of "cultural norms" which has been engrained in their brains from birth.
Of course it will always be about, "how can I benefit from this? If I am not experiencing the effects of this then it must not be true, all of the scientists are liars!" or something like that... Either way I have very little hope in mankind, because, for whatever reason, we cannot seem to wrap our minds around the fact that we are not invincible and we cannot have everything we want. Sacrifice. It supposedly is what this country was built on. But it truly seems to be lost in this new culture we live in. I'm not talking individual sacrifice, but a collective sacrifice. People think the American dream is about paving your own way, being individualistic, and getting to the top at all costs. Well here is the problem, not everyone can get to the top. So, why can't people accept the fact that they must sacrifice part of their lifestyle in order to save a world that is reaching closer and closer toward total chaos and impossible living conditions? Because they are too concerned with their car payment, or crappy job, or home life to really care about the big picture. In the end the only real way to get people to care about the ending result is to actually confirm that they will be helping their bank accounts by restoring the earth. I wish we all could just tune into an Edward Norton voice-over documentary and be convinced that we should rethink some major cultural acceptances. Until then let's figure out a way to make some green by being green. Oh yeah, and the video confirms that mosquitos do and will always suck. Maybe we should just get the caribou some 100% deet "OFF!"