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| Yes | 43% | 167 votes | Total: 388 votes | |
| No | 57% | 221 votes |
Yes
Created on: August 20, 2008
The biggest problem facing the environment isn't global warming. It's the environmentalist.
I'd bet my last dime that the average American (Democrat, Republican or otherwise) would on a deeply personal level consider themselves a conservationist. Most people feel a deep connection to Mother Earth, and if asked would admit to wanting to leave this world a better place. Few, if any of us would choose to leave a legacy of pollution, urban sprawl and extinction for our children.
Wisdom, love and humanity dictates our desire to protect the environment. But the environmentalist often serves only as an inhibitor to our doing "the right thing." It's such a turn off for the average person to be associated with those environmental "whack-o's" that we scoff at recycling. We rebel against normal conservation practices and vote for politicians that we know will support anti-environmental measures.
The biggest mistake conservation groups make is taking it to the extreme. When you protest everything without giving due consideration to how it may affect the average American (such as spotted owls vs. jobs)you run the risk of that average American not listening to you. When you commit arson as a protest to new construction people are not going to take your message seriously. We humans share this planet with animals, it's true. That means that animals also share this planet with us. It's about balance.
Farmers are the original environmentalists. And the true environmentalists. When a person works the Earth for his livelyhood, he learns to care deeply about how that Earth is treated. Unfortunately because of the extreme anti-farmer approach that most activists have taken toward protecting the environment, you'll find these farmers voting against protection measures. When protecting the Earth means loosing your livelyhood, which side do you think will win? I repeat, there needs to be a balance.
Don't get me wrong, the balancing act has to work both ways. It is possible to harness a river's power without abusing it. It is possible to grow crops without putting unnecessary poisen into the dirt.
The bottom line is that if we want to affect change on a real level, we have to reach the average person. We need an intelligent and balanced approach and we absolutely must insure that we recognize all sides of the issue. Like most things in life, it's a give and take. If the environmental movement would be willing to give just a little, I believe they could reach a wider audience and actually stand a chance of creating real change.
Learn more about this author, Cheryl Oliver.
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No
Created on: June 21, 2008 Last Updated: May 17, 2009
The following are some examples of why we have not gone too far with environmentalism:
The Ozone Layer now has a hole in it the size of the United States according to NASA and the man-made causes are: CFC's, ammonia, methane and other noxious waste; including radioactivity. Radioactive waste, from the 50's - 70's was confined in metal containers that were released in the oceans, or were buried in deep deposits below ground. Those metal containers have degraded causing the toxic chemicals to leach into the water systems.
Unfortunately for us, the USNRC (United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission), is going to make it legal to commercialize radioactive waste for the manufacture of materials for the building and assembly of daily household objects. The costs for traders of radioactive waste has surpassed the budget of security standards, so radioactive contaminated materials are being sent for the manufacture of toys, pans, batteries, kitchen utensils and many more domestic items.
Dramatic weather manifestations such as thunderstorms, cyclones, twisters, heavy snow storms, are normally phenomena boosted up radically by the pressure of deforestation and the alteration of the topography by uncontrolled cropping and the excessive growth of the urban areas and large populations.
We are currently using thousands of chemicals that are leaching into our land and water supplies, which is destroyiing the natural ecological balance of nature. Lakes, rivers and oceans are polluted with man's garbage and certain species are disappearing both on land and in the waters of the world. Increasing population and urban sprawl is destroying natural habitats for several species and with only 1% viable drinking water for both human and animal; the supplies are dwindling.
Gregory Batson sates, "The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think." If we don't think about how we are destroying our planet, Mother Nature cannot repair and keep up. Therefore, as the Dalai Lama says, "It is our collective and individual responsibility to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live.
There are some things we can do to participate in our environment:
(1) Don't drive unnecessarily to cut down on fuel emissions.
(2) Don't use appliances that use CFC's as a refrigerant.
(3) Don't use cleaning solvents with CFC's or ammonia.
(4) Don't use aerosols or plastic foam.
(5) Get mad: Write letters to congressmen, local papers; tell family and friends about the use of radioactive waste being used in household items.
(6) Be aware of things going on in your community, county or state that affects the environment and speak up.
(7) Go as green as you can, there are several websites you can visit to learn how.
Until we can breath clean, fresh air every day and drink pure, clean water, when the foods we eat aren't filled with toxins and chemicals and Mother Nature has a chance to heal the land; then maybe we can say we've done enough. It's everyone's choice to be a healer or a destroyer. Which one will you be?
Learn more about this author, Nanette Piotrowski.
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