What will make people take responsibility for their personal impact on the environment?

Question

They have confirmed that humans have affected the planet by our actions, perhaps irreversibly. Does this make anyone want to change their own lives to help reduce the future environmental problems their children and grandchildren will inherit? Or do we all just go along like we have been and pretend like it doesn't matter?

Isn't there some way aside from monetary punishment to make people wake up to the long term problems we've caused? What if environmentally sound options were easier to choose or obtain (I'm thinking more mass transit and solar energy and fuel efficient/electric cars)? Is it too late for old dogs to learn new tricks?

Answer 1

No, it's not too late for old dogs to learn new tricks. My husband and I are in our fifties and we are learning new eco-friendly ways (and applying them in our lives) every day. We replaced our old car with a Prius, we recycle everything we can, I practice a vegetarian lifestyle, (my husband is almost there), we eat organic and we pass what we learn onto our three grown children and friends. Don't give up on us old folks just yet.

Answer 2

I think Ecolink has it right. People change their behavior when the costs of continuing an old behavior are too high. The problem with that dynamic with respect to environmental issues is that by the time bread costs $20.00 a loaf it will be too late to reverse course.

So the answer is to make environmentally irresponsible conduct cost more now by taxing it. And then using those taxes to fund technology that shows promise of cleaning up the mess.

For example, drive a 12 MPG vehicle and pay $1000/month in fuel guzzler fees.

Cut down the trees on your porperty and then install an air conditioner and see your property taxes quadruple.

Companies that excrete X amount of Co2 into the atmosphere or Y amount of toxin into the water get the thrill of paying a pollution tax of lets say.. $100,000.... per day.

I'm sure our elected representatives can be very creative when it comes to thinking up tax schemes. The trick is to get them to spend that tax reveune on reducing the environmental mess.

Answer 3

People can be individuals or groups.

Individuals will start to take more responsibility when they see a need to adjust their behaviour in order to satisfy their personal values systems and motivational needs such as survival or self-actualisation. Self-actualisation is basically where the penny drops and people realise their impact on society/environment is real and can be managed.

Groups (nations, organisations) do not have an individual personality and so their values systems are determined by community processes - research, debate and analysis of real world issues. Groups can therefore only begin to adjust their behaviour when an agreement is reached as to how their values can and must change. The common denominator in this process is often money and the effects to the environment are more easily explained to groups when expressed in dollars and cents. Schemes like carbon trading and environmental levies/taxes will effect behavioural change.

Answer 4

Most people hear by 2100... and that is as far as they get. The impact of the changes they can make in the here and now, are not something they will consider. Sadly we have become a society that care only about ourselves and lack accountability for our actions. Our planet is already giving us a few warning signs and unless we begin to make changes TODAY, not 10% over 10 years, there might not be a planet to save.

I have done life alterations to do my share and I post information in all my sites to inform as many people as I can. For now all I can do is spread the word and lead by example.

I have added a recycling bin in my office for bottles and cans, and give everybody a hard time whenever I find a can or bottle in the trash. 6 months into my office recycle bin, I almost never find a can or bottle in the trash. Sometimes you have to take the lead and stick to your guns to make a positive change.

Answer 5

Well you could set an example for the rest of us by:
- walking instead of driving or riding busses
- hand weaving your own clothing. Heavens knows what polutants are created in creating your clothing.
- avoiding leather products, as well as meat and vegetables. Farmers use gasoline, and pesticides, and you should not support that.
- avoid doctors, dentists and medical care. A lot of energy consumption and pollutants went into developing and manufacture of medicines, and the equipment to provide health care.
- use a vapor recovery system to recover methane gasses produced by your bodily functions. You don't want to damage the ozone layer do you?

Those are a few suggestions to get things started, when you are ready I can provide more environment saving lifestyle changes.
After all, you don't exclude yourself from the causes of the problem, and only want everyone else other than you to change, do you?

Answer 6

Education is effective. One only has to look at how people view driving and drinking compared to years ago to realize how awareness can be changed dramatically. Regarding the environment, our impact on our planet has been too damaging and we cannot afford the luxury of waiting for human beings to learn new behavior.
While I believe most of us have the common sense and intelligence to care about our earth, daily living gets in the way of good choices. We live in a country where good and had working Americans can no longer provide adequately for their families. We work longer hours and often extra jobs and still cannot keep up with basic family needs. Even medical insurance for bases of needs is poor if not non existant for many of us. We have no leadership even accepting approximately 3,000 Iraqis into our country because they are bot able to live in their own. It has not gone innoticed by this American that a very similar number of America's sons and daughters have died; over 3,000 and more every day, apparrently in vain. This is a criminal trade.
On the grand scale in our every day lives light bulbs would seem to pale. Most Americans don't change their light bulbs not because they don' care but because we are a burdened people. We are just tired, not having enough hours at the end of the day for even quality time for our families.
. This is a dire problem. Legislation should be enacted to remove harmful products from the shelves, mandate recycling, etc.But as forementioned we haven't any leaders. They are busy about making money at any cost. I often wonder how they sleep at night not caring about so many problems in our country today.
On a lighter note, maybe the bulb companies could use incentives like cash prizes, etc.My grandmother often told stories about people in the Depression who would once in a great while spend a last dollar on something foolish like a hat. Even in dire times people she said had a need for something that would bring a little cheer into their lives.
I believe that we are a great people but unfocused and complacent whether it be because as individuals we are unaffected as of yet by the dire problems of our day, overwhelmed and ignorant as to what one person can do, etc.
If Americans could organize and light up our Nation with flourescent bulbs, who knows what great things we could accomplish? We have to have a belief in the power of the individual. That has been sadly lost. With a good leader, we would not only change the lighting in our country but we could make so many of the wrongs right and truly be a bright and shining light for all the world to really see.

Answer 7

I know for a fact that I change my life to use less and waste less. I use as much of a piece of paper as possible, and I never throw out paper, unless it's really bad or if it is full of writing. I can't drive yet, so I can't really say anything about using very little gas.
America is one of only a few countries to decline signing the kyoto protocol. So basically, people can pollute as much as they want.

Answer 8

My observation is that we don't make any significant changes until it costs us money. Gasoline prices go up--->more energy-efficient cars are sold. Pay the garbage collector by the can-load ---> more recycling and composting and less use of disposables.

Answer 9

This hate filled racist Conservative places his intake the position his mouth is, I stay in a desert section, no nicely, off grid, use creek water, force to city 30 miles away once a month for factors, develop/enhance maximum of my personal food. in case you Marxist Liberals had to stay like this you would run screaming to the nearest welfare place of work…. I do it through decision. My in trouble-free words income is a small pension I worked and saved an entire life for. choose you've been right here.

Answer 10

we will have to dig canals wich will follow same level curves .
To save runoff water and infriltrate it in dry lands


http://www.dailymotion.com/jeandb/video/x15f8f_reportage-biefs-du-pilat