Global warming: Can
I, as an individual, really matter?
Do I matter? This is a hard question, no matter what answer
is given, and it won’t please everyone. It is a question that I personally find
hard to answer. I have heard arguments from both sides, and both present valid
arguments. I remember in my first year of university, and I was approached by
someone in the street preaching about green peace, I am not going to lie but my
response was along the lines of one person isn’t going to change a lot. I would
like to say that over the last 3 years that my opinion has change slightly, and
that I am partial doing my part.
It has been reported that individuals and households in the
UK and the US claim a third of all carbon emissions released into the
atmosphere (O’Garra, 2012). Although as one we present a third of emissions,
how much do I personally emit! O’Garra, (2012) suggests that public ignorance
has an important role to play, this is something I agree with. Like having a
job, it’s not worth doing if you don’t get anything out of it!
I believe that due to
the ignorance of our generation, future generations will suffer because of us.
This has come down to very selfish way of thinking and our “right” for a higher
standard of living. Pellegrino and Carli have said that an individual does not
hold a moral responsibility for global warming, going on to say that the
government needs to come up with a realistic way of tackling global warming.
From what I have read and heard I believe that global warming and reducing
carbon emissions has a bigger following in the UK compared to the US, due to
our “right” of a higher standard of living any politician putting carbon foot
prints at the top of the agenda wouldn’t last long.
References
O'Garra. T.. (2012). Individual consumers
and climate change: searching for a new moral compass . Centre for Climate Change Economics
and Policy. 93
Pellegrino. G., Carli. L. G. (Link Below)
No comments:
Post a Comment