In class this past week, we began discussing the environment and how we (humans) are basically destroying the Earth. I took an environmental science class while I was in high school, so I felt that I was aware of how detrimental we are being to the Earth. However, the video we saw in class opened my eyes further.
I did not take into account how us being brainwashed to believing we need the newest, biggest thing was a major reason why we are having environmental problems. I knew that destroying resources, creating pollution, and throwing away items that our Earth cannot properly dispose of was hurting our environment, but I forgot to think about the big arrow. The whole reason we destroy the resources, pollute the air through factories, and then throw away the "old items" is because our society, media, and government convince us that we need the newest thing; thus, starts the cycle of destroying the environment all over again.
How do we stop this mindset of needing the newest thing? How do we change a societies way of living? More importantly, how do we convince the corporations to stop being so greedy?
I am not saying out society should completely stop shopping, but our society needs to stop being so wasteful if we have any hope of repairing our environment. We need to start saying no to the a new phone, television, or whatever the newest item is just because we want it. This planet is all we have; we do not currently have a back up plan. We need to protect our home, plain and simple.
It is pretty wild the first time you realize that you as a human being are a pawn in several corporations' efforts to make as much money as possible while giving no forethought to the effects it has on a planet that future generations are forced to deal with. When you realize you've been successfully brainwashed for years into demanding your parents buy you things you don't necessarily need, and then go on to buy those things for yourself it makes you feel pretty powerless, like you've been tricked your whole life. But isn't it somewhat bittersweet? Yes, we have been tricked, but now we see that! And once we see it we are in control again. It takes some serious effort and weird looks from other people when you start picking up trash, digging through your trash to find recyclables, taking your own to-go box to restaurants, etc. but hell, eventually those people are going to realize you know what's up and will follow suit, which makes it all worth it!! I think we all need to be pioneers in rejecting mindless consumerism and OWN IT.
ReplyDelete