Top Reason why most people in our society will never become environmentally aware.

I am an environmental studies graduate and I have researched and understood the major problems we have before us.

I also have taken a considerable(a Shit-load) of time to understand what is stopping everything from changing after failing to convince many students throughout the four years of the problems that are resemble a ticking time bomb.

I eventually took a cultural approach to why this was happening and also whyn this mentality seem to run rampant through the attitudes of the world.

I came to the conclusion that the problem stems from an obvious lack of information and urgency in the mainstream politically relevant environmental knowledge in CBS, CNN, ABC and FOX.

I know, whats NEW right? Well, taking this a bit further I also see that this attitude will NEVER change because we have an inborn sense to follow the pack or majority decision. So much so that even if someone tells you something that shocks you into action, most people do not posses the mental emotional capacity to see through their emotions, namely the emotion to follow the pack or majority attitude.

Taking this a step towards my final comment and reason why, I do not believe that this is where the environmental problems stem. Where it stems from is ironcally a cultural delusion; that you are unique and individually as defined by their interests. How does this cultural imperative stop environmental awareness from grounding itself in our society? The answer lies in communication.

When communicating an idea to the majority of people in our society, what occurs is that the information becomes important and notable and thus a part of your attitude, when it abides by the persons interest. HOWEVER, since a person believes that who they are is defined by their interests, they betray themselves by allowing another person with different interests to influence them, essentially making them appear weaker than them. So what happens is that even though you approach the individual with objective factual knowledge, the communication suffers from sounding condescending (that you are better than them), which then makes the individual feel incompetent and then eventually defensive('this is not me' ', emotional response. Once this occurs, it is almost impossible to give so what are you trying to prove, that your better than me) emotional response. This in turn stops the attitude changing information coming from an objective and thus impossible to influence the majority attitude.

In a short conclusion, it is both the idea that our interests reflect who we are that makes people defensive to objective information that stops the 'people to people' flow of information and the media which distorts and withholds environmental information, that is the main cause for the problem in the world today.

Ps. I do not wish to re-read this right now.

 

Errr, cos no one gives a fuck?

Plus the world is too complex.

Al Gore says Ethanol is a good thing -> farmers start growing stuff to make Ethanol instead of selling it as food -> World Experiences Food Shortages -> Developing countries borrow more money to pay for more expensive food -> Contributes to a world economic collapse -> World cares more about getting out of economic mess than green wet dreams.

 

U make a good point here.


I know theres hole bunch of wrong going on in environment right now but am interested in global warming u seem like the right person to ask is there concrete proof that CO2 emissions are cosing it?
I read some stuff recently that contradicts the idea and am just not sure could there be this big conspiracy going on in front of our eyes and what would be the reason for it?

Could u post some links to ur study material or something like that.

 

The idea is simply that CO (two) traps heat and does not allow it to escape. This inevitably causes the earth to warm to some degree. The whole thing is that it is very difficult to say if we are or are not.

However, there a far more important Environmental problems that face us, of which we are certain, food availability and food security. As we speak the present food being produced and that will be on your fork within the next meal is produced primarily through oil. Oil we all know is running out and this means that food prices will continue to increase substantially. The other problem is that with the increase resource use, other pressures on food prices such as Economic recessions and depression strain these prices even higher. So the question is not "should we curb oil consumption because of CO two emissions and global warming, BUT "Should we protect our food system, by reducing our oil consumption AND the potential that the increase in oil consumption through transportation primarily is causing a disastrous future?

Essentially, this problem has a high load of chance of not occurring because of CO two emissions. However, because oil consumption is causing another problem for certain, we have little to loose and a lot to gain from curbing CO two.

 

Sure our society is environmentally aware, but making actual change is the hard part.

I may know of every problem ailing the earth, yet I only know how to survive workin 9-5 and by having electricity and plumbing. How do we convert the whole globe to "eco friendly"? What do we do about mortages? Large corporations? Taxes? Debt?

Don't think that people don't know or care about these problems. They just don't know how to fix them.

 

I feel completely like this is not true. I thought that people didn't know until I attempted to talk to people about how to and they rejected it, because of the reasons that I outlined and some other ones.

Mortgages are almost nothing compared to food shortages. If people truly could see the scope of the problem, without feeling like they were jumping on some bandwagon and being condescended by some self-righteous greens, they would say FUCK the mortgage, we need to invest money into controlling our food system. For example, we subsidize oil industries at hundred billion dollars per year. That money could easily go towards developing our technologies so that they do not miserably use oil, the main resource responsible for the success of our food system. Without oil, our fields and system collapses like the body does without the blood.

 

Oil is necessary for fertilizer and pesticides. Considering that we have eroded our farm land, have lost traditional methods of fertilizing lands(farmers are growing up used to using fertilizer, without knowledge of how to do so otherwise) and have so many pests in our corn, wheat, tomato and cotton lands, to imagine that we could grow food without oil, is laughable. I am not saying that it is impossilble to grow food without oil. We can pull it off but presently we cannot and in some instances because the methods we use degrade the land, attempting to grow without fertilizer is impossible in some farm lands...i would even go as far to say that it is in most industrially farmed land.

 

Well am all up for reducing oil consumption but first we need a good cheap energy alternative for smooth transition.
My worries lie with the fact that the global warming scare tactic could cause the world to reject oil usage to quickly and to soon.
Which would cripple our economize souley because we are so reliant on it right now.


There's plenty of oil left we just need to go explore new areas and drill ells where, we should wait until we have some safe options to fall back on providing CO2 emissions cannot bring the apocalypse as promised by the global warming movement.


And in my view the problem is not with shortage of supplies the real problem is the ever increasing demand, there is a limit of ppl that can be sustained by this planet.
Now I know this sound horrible but maybe all the fertilizer and pesticides in our food, smoke in our lungs... is good. Maybe we humans are to smart for our own good, average human is afraid of death so over the years humankind made great progress in protecting it self from natural death prolonging life is that natural?
I mean when it comes to other species we humans understand that over population is bad in turn hunting season is declared so the species as a hole could enjoy life to the fullest.


eace: We don't have to hunt each other down but some mergers could be taken now. Like all governments should pay money to couples that choose not to have kids they would receive a payment every moth for not over populating the earth or something like that.

 

Since you're looking for reasons why people are unmotivated to make changes that you and I know must be made to stop the wholesale destruction of our planet, I suggest you look into the theory of spiral dynamics. Basically it outlines an evolution of human consciousness. At some levels these environmental concerns don't even register. There's a great video on youtube covering it and plenty of books if you like.
https://www.youtube.com/user/bipolarorwakingup#play/user/78D6B14664B38B97/11/G6mMb83Mp7U

Organic farmers are increasing in number every year and there were some that never lost touch with traditional farming methods. Many offer apprenticeships so others can learn. This is a much more productive system than the agri-chemical method. It won't happen overnight but we're moving in that direction and will find that new balance eventually.

 

Your mistaken. The majority of farms being bought now adays, are largely bieng used for industrial agriculture. Farm take overs are increasing at alarming rates because farmers cant treat the land with respect to future generations and turn a substantial profit. Organic agriculture is hardly on the rise, compared to industrial farming.

In my last year of environmental studies, I took a class call ecological agriculture which directly dealt with these issues. The general consensus from the professors and the literature was the exact opposite of what you believe, industrial is rising as opposed to organic/traditional. In fact a large trend now adays is to buy up old farm land from a poor farmer, then utlize it for five-10 years(as long a intensive industrial methods would allow for a profit on that farm), essentially destroying the farm, making it unsuitable to grow traditionally on unless the soil is regenerated and given substantial amount of time(decades) to be redeveloped for its biological content(micro, macro flora and fauna), its biological matter and its nutrient matter.

 

In fact, China's has already reached its peak wheat out-put 16 years ago, so has afghanistan. Their soils simply cannot produce the same quantities even with chemical inputs. On the baren lands over used, under nourished, organic agriculture stand no chance and since industrial seizing of land is the trend, we are not moving towards Organic agriculture but rather scarcity, the exact place the industrial agriculture companies like monsanto wish to take us. In fact, I remember reading that in the last grain shortages around the world, mainly africa and north-korea, which occcured last year Monsanto's profits went from 243 million to 1.2 bilion in just 3 months.

 

ChangeHappens, I'm glad you brought up the oil thing. Nobody understands the importance of ENERGY concerning our infrastructure, and how that relates to food security and availability. If there is a single concept somebody should know to understand history, it's ENERGY.

Sure, there are tons of self-centered assholes who could give 2 shits about anything but what they want. But it's important you keep on preaching the good word and living a life conscious in truth. People are simply lost and disassociated from the real world and need a shepherd to lead them back.

This organic stuff they talk about nowadays is just a marketing scam. The organic standard only pertains to the things used to grow the product, but not the practices used in gaining those materials. They burn tons of fossil fuels and use unsustainable methods just trying to get these all natural materials so they can charge u 3x as much for these "organic" products. But dumb consumers don't think about the whole process of gathering materials to grow the produce, they only think manure + dirt + seed = healthy world!!!! And its people wanting their picture perfect fruit, all uniform and blemish free. Most of these people have never even touched a garden in their life and know nothing about the true reality of "organic gardening".

And you say that organic systems are "more productive" than mono farms? Lol you have no idea what you're talkin about bud. You go try WWOOF'ing with ur bare hands and you tell me you can outdue a guy with tractors, fertilizers, and pesticides. And drag it 100 miles to the market by hand before it spoils in 80 degree heat.

Promoting local would help. If we stop our taste for exotic goods and learn to eat foods at a local level our infrastructure will change accordingly. But it's all about making people conscious. And that's our job.

Me personally, I'm only working within the system so I can get out of the system. Get land the "legal" way with enough room for me and a sustainable intentional community. Figure out how to create bounties of wealth and then make my place a sanctuary for this type of thought. That way there will at least by a small pocket within our world that represents the truth.

 

If you are still in the planning and money gathering phase, we should have a serious talk. We are of a like mind. I have to go to the washroom, I'll lets PM.

 

Yah im still at the "gettin the degree" phase, but I figure in about 1-1.5 years I'll have the salary to really haul the plan.

You can catch me on AIM (Trillian**) @ xShadowXSpecterx. I don't like forums for intellectual talk cuz I make long-winded posts hopin to get points across before the top gets way out of hand. Definately PM me or IM me, I'm all about tossin ideas.

 

both of you really need to get out of the library and into the real world.

 

Why bother to make such a ridiculous statement. What madness drives you to believe that you can possibly know how much time I spend in the 'real world'. You dont spend one waking moment with me in person.

 

apathy....

 

things will come, things will go....environmentalists worry

I was an environmental studies graduate too and you know I lost all hope in the movement because it is all funded and run now by the government, agencies and corperations who realize that people and grass-roots org. care. Caring=money=power

Yes we're fucking up our planet, it's sustainability and living conditions, once we stop c02 from being a problem a corperation or ignorance will stem another problem, its part of the growing process of a society and sometimes growth=death

our planet is changing whether you drive a car or believe in the easter bunny, get over your quarrels, it makes us environmentalists who care :cheers2:look bad.

 

Apathy is the only thing that works here...why allow yourself to keep feeling something that cannot ever be applied in the world...why turn yourself on to an idea that will only be shot down over and over, instead of focusing on how to counter the consequences of that idea? Apathy my friend is like anything, its got its pro and its con.