Many Reasons for Going "Green"
Going "Green" is not just an attitude anymore. It's a financial venture. The Sundance Channel is making it's largest investment in a particular initiative to promote the necessity of environmental awareness. The regular prime-time show will educate the watchers of current environmental issues as well as instruct individuals on the small actions they can personally do to reduce their impact on the environment. The program will have a positive spin by stating that there is something we can do about global warming. We have options and there are things we can do to stop the destruction and reverse what we have already done.
The "Green" Movement doesn't necessarily have to only be about protecting the environment. American's are arguably economically-driven. Plus, most do care about the environment. Therefore, there is a growing market for economically feasible solutions to pollution. With the advancement of technologies and a growing environmental consulting field a lot of money can be made by introducing money saving options that have reduced impacts on the environment.
Whether a persons focus is on environmental protection or the economy, the importance is that people are being educated about the Earth and that education is the basis for action.
6 comments:
"Education is the basis for action." I like that. It explains what I believe to be the biggest hurtle for the world community to get over when it comes to environmental protection. Many people have a distorted views of environmental issues due to knowing very little about the subject. I believe that the majority of humanity is eco-friendly, but they just don't know all the facts and are therefore not living in an eco-friendly way. The program being aired by The Sundance Channel is a wonderful idea (along with Planet Earth and Galapagos) because not only will they inform the audience about current technology and issues but it will also show the beauty of the natural world.
Sotiria says that Americans are economically driven AND that we also have a general moral concern for environmental issues. Maybe the government could help to fuse these two issues: impose a higher tax on cars that emit at a certain level, receive rebates on "green" cars purchased (environmentally friendly cars not green in color cars), perhaps make one's personal pollution a calculable thing and that each person will have to wear around the amount they polute on their forehead, this will probably be linked to personal shame and might be a deterrent...
Perhaps instead of groups like the Travel Channel and the SunDance Film Festival getting involved at the social level, maybe the goverments should become more involved, more strict, maybe the government should more avidly go after the polluters.
Yes we have laws to date, but how strictly enforced are they. If the enforcement is low, then when polluters calculate their "probability of getting caught" equation the "P" value will be low which will drive them to pollute MORE! More Damages!
I think it's not just about environmental protection, but world cleanliness. Think about what a dirty, wasteful, and unpleasant world we live in.
Television shows may spark interest in cleaning up the soot that we are burried underneath so that perhaps we may find a way out of the dark and into the light about energy, environmental, and WORLD conservation. Wouldn't it be socially beneficial (to all living things, and to the prestine Earth), if we were to "deoderize" the scum that seems to be engulfing the earth?
My ramblings...
I have to agree with Anna's comments. I think education is important for society regarding environmental issues. However, we learned from day one that the majority of people do not respond unless they have incentives. If something is going to be done about pollution, etc. then the government is going to have to step in and reinforce the rules or create new ones. There are many times in which the DNR or other environmental agencies are paid off by large companies, if we want to curb pollution, it's necessary to stop the fraud and impose enforced rules and incentives.
I agree with both Anna and Stephanie, that education is importaint for these environmental issues. Television shows are a good idea to get the point across. Maybe everybody should just buy eco friendly cars? But then what about the fammilies that drive trucks?
Educating people on environmental concerns is a good idea because it is a step towards implementing change, and its definetly better than doing nothing at all.
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