Remember like 20+ years ago when there was a commercial that talked about your brain on drugs? If you don't here is a reminder:
I thought of that video today when I read on the BBC that smog in South Asia is the worst it has ever been, and the outlook doesn't get much better. I wondered, 'Wouldn't it be interesting if they did a video like the brain on drugs commercial that showed what air pollution does to your lungs?' That sort of commercial would definitely resonate with many people and perhaps give them the will to demand for tougher emission standards. It would also be nice if they did a video about the Earth on global warming. It might look a lot like the above video.
This is where the U.N. Climate Convention last month could be playing a vital role. Instead, while getting something done, they did not address the immediate concerns as well as the long term ones when it comes to dealing with emissions. South Asia, especially India, is experiencing the Industrial Revolution for the first time, really. As its economy burgeons, so too does its emission of greenhouse gases. India has every right to be able to bring its people out of dire poverty using a good economy that is becoming more modernized. However, as emerging top economies such as China, Brazil, and India are showing us, there is a great threat to an even higher jump in greenhouse gases finding their way into the atmosphere.
As the BBC report reminds us, this exponential increase is not just disastrous to the global climate, it is even more potent in personal lives. It brings with it health issues of many sorts, some of which are deadly, and it can bring a disruption to the daily routine if it is unsafe to go outside or even travel. That, in the long run, can be a huge setback for businesses looking to grow and make a profit. If nothing else than for human lives to be spared, this is why there should be stricter emission standards in developing nations. We must give these governments incentives and the technologies to clean up their air and really begin making the move toward clean, sustainable energy. These countries outpace even the U.S. in some aspects of becoming "greener", we should help them with the crucial issue of bringing down emissions while holding energy steady.
In the end, what we are putting out into the atmosphere and doing to the environment and the resulting warming of the planet isn't just about the planet. Though that is hugely and crucially important, this should be about providing better health and lives to all. Life isn't worth living if you can't breath, or if your home is constantly in danger of natural disasters due to a changing climate, or if you can't drink the water. If we get sick because of our production activities, shouldn't that be an alarm telling us to come up with better ideas. If nothing else, I want the denialists to look at this in terms of human lives. Stop focusing on corporate profits, and look at what the impact global warming due to human causes is having on individual and groups of people. How can you not want change after thinking about that?
This is where the U.N. Climate Convention last month could be playing a vital role. Instead, while getting something done, they did not address the immediate concerns as well as the long term ones when it comes to dealing with emissions. South Asia, especially India, is experiencing the Industrial Revolution for the first time, really. As its economy burgeons, so too does its emission of greenhouse gases. India has every right to be able to bring its people out of dire poverty using a good economy that is becoming more modernized. However, as emerging top economies such as China, Brazil, and India are showing us, there is a great threat to an even higher jump in greenhouse gases finding their way into the atmosphere.
As the BBC report reminds us, this exponential increase is not just disastrous to the global climate, it is even more potent in personal lives. It brings with it health issues of many sorts, some of which are deadly, and it can bring a disruption to the daily routine if it is unsafe to go outside or even travel. That, in the long run, can be a huge setback for businesses looking to grow and make a profit. If nothing else than for human lives to be spared, this is why there should be stricter emission standards in developing nations. We must give these governments incentives and the technologies to clean up their air and really begin making the move toward clean, sustainable energy. These countries outpace even the U.S. in some aspects of becoming "greener", we should help them with the crucial issue of bringing down emissions while holding energy steady.
In the end, what we are putting out into the atmosphere and doing to the environment and the resulting warming of the planet isn't just about the planet. Though that is hugely and crucially important, this should be about providing better health and lives to all. Life isn't worth living if you can't breath, or if your home is constantly in danger of natural disasters due to a changing climate, or if you can't drink the water. If we get sick because of our production activities, shouldn't that be an alarm telling us to come up with better ideas. If nothing else, I want the denialists to look at this in terms of human lives. Stop focusing on corporate profits, and look at what the impact global warming due to human causes is having on individual and groups of people. How can you not want change after thinking about that?
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