Cultural Questioning- Environmentalism

The preservation of the environment represents an issue with a potential resolution that will affect all people, both across the globe and across generations. Many suggestions have been made, though they tend to represent the far-reaching extremities of political thought. There is the argument so often made by your typical member of the Green Party: "The solution does not only affect you today. It will affect all generations to come. Our descendants need a healthy Earth, so cease exploiting this planet's resources." The stereotypical conservative would argue just the opposite. In their opinion, it is not the future that must cause concern but the present, most specifically with the economy. The exploitation of this planet's resources is of no matter. As long as the dollar maintains a healthy value, it is of no consequence that those resources could be gone tomorrow. There must be some sort of compromise, some way for the liberals and conservatives of this world to unite in both preserving our planet and successfully organizing economies.

However, there is a problem. I, like so many of my fellow countrymen, am a selfish American. Just as Alexander Hamilton saw the people as inherently selfish, I now realize that the satisfying of the nation's self-interests will win out. The truly selfless people of this world are few and far between. On a personal level, however, it was not until recently that I realized just how terrible a person I truly am. A short while ago, I picked up a work of literature called "The Green Book," a progressive learning tool meant to teach the typical selfish American how they can live in a manner better for the environment. Essentially, it was written for me. The idea of solutions that could overcome my lack of motivation and overall laziness excited me. Unfortunately, even after reading the book, I still find it difficult to participate in most of the endeavors suggested. Why, you may ask? The economy will absolutely be hurt by such modifications, at least in the short run. Unless our government begins to govern with a focus on free-market environmentalism, this is surely true. The only way to rectify such a situation would be to Essentially, much of what is written on the pages is completely unnecessary. There are, though, necessary measures that can be used to solve our environmental problems.

"The Green Book" speaks of avoiding any real interference in people's lives, but it invariably tells the reader what not to do in order to save money and energy, rather than what can be done to better the environment. Over half of the suggestions could be made unnecessary if we were to do just one thing as a people: recycle. The book speaks of the 1.5 gallons of petroleum used to create each plastic water bottle and its grave effects on gas prices and heating prices at home. But why would we have to simply avoid these bottles all together? Personally, I am a fan of the convenience, as I am also a slightly lazy American. Recycle them, saving further amounts of petroleum from being used to create the plastic. This would serve an equivalent purpose and would continue our pumping of funds into the purchase of better-tasting water.

The work of non-fiction also advocates a paperless office. This as well will greatly hamper our efforts to dominate the global economy. What is the solution? Recycle all the paper you use. This way the paper companies lose no profit, thus avoiding the loss of jobs, salaries, and more that go along with a thriving corporation. Furthermore, environment enthusiasts will be thrilled, because trees will be saved, the process of paper production will prove far easier and more affordable, and the economy of the United States of America will not be hurt. Recycling certainly is the ultimate answer to how we can improve our environment without sacrificing the welfare of our economy.

A great majority of the other half of suggestions focuses on saving energy. You should turn off the television, unplug the radio, and purchase energy efficient light bulbs. However, there is a far greater problem than the wasting of precious kilowatt-hours of energy. As the burning of coal produces most electricity around the globe, dangerous emissions are making their way into the atmosphere, causing another slight problem often referred to as Global Warming. All of the above listed tips can work wonders in preventing the progression of this climate change, of course, and should be acted upon at all times. There is a far more efficient way to improve both the efficiency and safety of the way in which we produce electricity. The answer is simply to cease producing that energy through the manipulation of nonrenewable substances. Coal will inevitably run out. Oil is certainly not limitless. I was personally in favor of nuclear energy, until it was made clear to me that it is simply a newly manipulated nonrenewable substance, and would only lead to our being in this same situation a few years from now. This nation, and this globe, must learn to take advantage of the renewable sources of energy available to us, like the sun,