My post on Wednesday really got me thinking about how badly the fight against man-made climate change is going. In a sense, it has depressed me to learn the recent facts about where my fellow citizens stand when it comes to dealing with issues that we have heaped upon the environment. I feel an emptiness that I can't quite explain, but I know it's there nonetheless. For me, it's obvious that we are the cause of the climatic changes in this world and we are the cause of loss of so much biodiversity. It is a documented, provable fact, therefore, I accept it.
Some people have conjectured that the reason why Europe is so quick to accept global warming and developing plans to offset it, as opposed to America, is because Europe is more secularized. Faith and religion, while still there, has seen its influence decline greatly on the general population. Over here in America, on the other hand, religion and faith (mainly Christianity) seem to be at least steady, if not on the rise. America has always been a country where its culture and society have been deeply influenced by its religious background. The conjecturers believe that since Americans are so devoted to the concept of God, and that God placed man at the head, there can't be a logical belief behind global warming because that would mean admitting we are not the penultimate creation and therefore have everything at our disposal.
Whether that conjecture is true or not, I have no idea, though I can see the reasoning and the acceptability behind it. What I do know, is that I am a human, and my choices and actions have consequences. That is what my religion taught me (I grew up in the Mormon faith) and I still believe that. I am a human and I must be responsible for what I do.
I am a human and therefore, I have the ability to hurt or help the environment around me. I am not controlled by it, I am not the controller of it, but I'm connected to it. I am responsible for how I interact with the environment. If I put bad things into it or do bad things to it, I know that in time, there will be something bad in it for me too. To me, that is common sense and a part of life.
Faith says that we must be responsible humans. Humanity says that we must be responsible humans. The future demands that we must be responsible humans. So, why is it so hard for Americans and others to accept responsibility for our past and current actions toward the planet? Why can we not see that we are responsible for all of this mess and that we must be responsible for the solution? We are humans, we cannot deny our responsibility. It will come and find us in the end, but I'm afraid that the more we put off accepting it, the more likely it will demand our existence as repayment.
We are humans and we must do something! My hope is that more and more will recognize and become responsible enough to act. In the meantime, those who accept climate change must bear the burden the best they can alone and try to effect change in this world. I am a human, and I seek for life's continuance.
Some people have conjectured that the reason why Europe is so quick to accept global warming and developing plans to offset it, as opposed to America, is because Europe is more secularized. Faith and religion, while still there, has seen its influence decline greatly on the general population. Over here in America, on the other hand, religion and faith (mainly Christianity) seem to be at least steady, if not on the rise. America has always been a country where its culture and society have been deeply influenced by its religious background. The conjecturers believe that since Americans are so devoted to the concept of God, and that God placed man at the head, there can't be a logical belief behind global warming because that would mean admitting we are not the penultimate creation and therefore have everything at our disposal.
Whether that conjecture is true or not, I have no idea, though I can see the reasoning and the acceptability behind it. What I do know, is that I am a human, and my choices and actions have consequences. That is what my religion taught me (I grew up in the Mormon faith) and I still believe that. I am a human and I must be responsible for what I do.
I am a human and therefore, I have the ability to hurt or help the environment around me. I am not controlled by it, I am not the controller of it, but I'm connected to it. I am responsible for how I interact with the environment. If I put bad things into it or do bad things to it, I know that in time, there will be something bad in it for me too. To me, that is common sense and a part of life.
Faith says that we must be responsible humans. Humanity says that we must be responsible humans. The future demands that we must be responsible humans. So, why is it so hard for Americans and others to accept responsibility for our past and current actions toward the planet? Why can we not see that we are responsible for all of this mess and that we must be responsible for the solution? We are humans, we cannot deny our responsibility. It will come and find us in the end, but I'm afraid that the more we put off accepting it, the more likely it will demand our existence as repayment.
We are humans and we must do something! My hope is that more and more will recognize and become responsible enough to act. In the meantime, those who accept climate change must bear the burden the best they can alone and try to effect change in this world. I am a human, and I seek for life's continuance.
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