Environmentalism Impact on Contemporary Western Culture - Report Example

HIS 2150 Written Assignment Environmentalism Fall Semester 3rd November 3, Introduction Considerable advancements in science andtechnology were realized right after the Second World War. As a result of the advancement of science and technology, new methods of farming and the use of chemicals like DDT and aerosols among others was introduced. All these technological developments led to environmental deterioration leading to high risks on the environment as a whole. Rachel Carson was the first person to write a book on the effects of chemicals on the environment (Pepper, Webster, & Revill, 2003). Her book inspired many people to change their behaviors towards the environment, leading to the birth of environmentalism. Description of Environmentalism Environmentalism is a social movement with concerns for environmental protection. Since the existence of the universe, man has had power over all living and non-living things. It became the norm for humans to just receive from Mother Nature without giving back at all. This human behavior caused the earth to reach an optimum level of sustenance and it began deteriorating. The contamination of the Earth’s air, water, land and vegetation is considered by (Carson, 2002) as an assault on the environment. The destruction of the conditions that make this world habitable was on the rise, placing the sustainability of the universe at high risk. People, therefore, had to come up with a way to reverse the situation or else the Earth would be unsustainable. Toxic chemicals that were used between the 1950’s and 1970’s led to the destruction of plants and caused harm to people. Environmentalism made people change their views on farming methods and the use of chemicals. Many activists like Dr. Bob Brown of Australia, raised concerns on the effects of human’s activities on the environment. He campaigned against the establishment of a hydroelectric dam on Franklin River (Hutton & Connors, 1999). In most cases, people just wait for others to raise something then they follow once they are fully convinced that it is the right thing to do. The power of information can move people if the information is good enough to convince them. The activists tried and focused all their energy on changing people’s perspectives on environmental protection. Context, causes, and consequences of the event In life, a solution to a problem gives hopes to individuals that they can still obtain the best outcome. The hope inspires them to work hard towards going past the challenges. Positive things in life are what most individuals put their interest in. Therefore, getting people to change their way of doing things relies mostly on inspiration. Most people are hesitant to change, especially if solution requires them to quit their normal activities. Opposition is expected and, therefore, breaking cultures and behaviors is expensive. The western culture is known worldwide to be outstanding. Most parts of the developing world have made them role models in almost every aspect of their lives. In the west, especially during the early 1970’s, people did not care much about the consequences of their actions to the environment. The existence of the activists led to the formation of movements that campaigned for an end to unnecessary pollution. Whenever a motion is introduced, generally, members of the public become involved according to the efforts put across by that movement. Lobby groups were established with objective of going green and advocating against the use of chemicals like DDT. These lobby groups were spread all over in the developed world. Examples of such lobby groups include; United Tasmania Group of Australia (Hutton & Connors, 1999), Values Party of New Zealand and in Europe, Swiss Canton of Neuchâtel in 1972 (Schreurs & Papadakis, 2007) among others. The intellectual responsibility of every individual tells a lot about how situations should be handled. Great work and achievements of lobby group leaders were changing people from practicing activities that were not environmentally acceptable. Failure to change human views on conservation would put ecological existence at risk. An increase in number of environmental activists led to increasing awareness on issues ascribed to conservation. According to (United Nations, 2007), the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was formed under the U.N to spearhead the action to protect the environment. By 1972, the issue of environmental protection had crossed so many people’s minds changing their perspectives too. The United Nations comprises numerous countries in the entire universe. This huge number of member states’ representation in the U.N shows that UNEP’s ruling directed policies to be enacted in UN member states. Citizens ought to adhere to laws of the land and, therefore, the policies were observed by all citizens as long as their country was a member of the United Nations. In human behavior, if something goes un-punished, it is believed to be morally acceptable. This tradition favors written laws and ignores unwritten laws. For a number of years before the existence of environmental lobby groups, environmental protection and conservation was just in form of unwritten policies and ideas. Changes in the behavior of human beings towards the environment had its breakthrough in the year 1972. Once a behavior has been practiced for a long time, it graduates to a culture. Breaking this culture takes time and is expensive but it is achievable. Opposition is expected to rise as the case of the “brown lash” movement that introduced doubts to many about the need for environmental protection (Ehrlich & Ehrlich, 1998). Due to the changing world, developing events and phenomenon, environmentalism can stand strong only if it is flexible enough to accommodate the incoming changes. Environmentalism has prompted governments to come up with flora and fauna conservancies with the long-term objective of protecting environmental resources. In cases where no protection or limited protection measures are introduced, environmental resources like some species of vegetation and animals are usually at a high risk of becoming extinct. The extensive use of chemicals like DDT according to (Carson, 2002) flows through the entire food supply chain from the vegetation on the land, to animals then to humans who feed on them, the toxicity of the chemicals will undoubtedly affect them negatively. Toxicity levels of smoke from the burning of fossil fuels directly damages the ozone layer giving room for the penetration of harmful sun rays. Carbon dioxide causes greenhouse effects that espouse climatic changes like those experienced today. It is up to the lobby groups to campaign for the use of renewable energy in order to contain global warming. Environmentalism impact on contemporary western culture It is important for people to learn the need for environmental protection. This kind of knowledge will impact first-hand choices made by individuals in the entire country. In the western countries, recycling as part of conservation measures has been well adopted. Recycling has helped reduce instances that are a threat to the environment. Recycling is just one example amongst many that clearly shows that call for action did not fall on deaf ears. The connection with political powers helped the environmental activists to become successful due to policies made. The success is a result of the public’s duty to adhere to the rules and laws of the land (Hutton & Connors, 1999). Environment-related policies have been established by many governments to date, further making many people subjective to the laws. In the education systems, students are being taught about conservation in their learning institutions. Education prepares them to have positive behavior towards conservation. To this date, it is an everyday reality that there is need for protection at every level by everyone. The vision and objectives put forward by Rachel Carson led to what is standing today as environmentalism. DDT in most parts of the world has been banned from use. The ban is a living proof that what activists of conservation and protection did during earlier years bore great fruits. Once the standards of conservation become updated, there is a future for the environmental resources’ sustainability. With time, people usually get used to the idea of conservation, and, therefore, after a given time it becomes a culture. Earlier, it was noted that the world is changing and fast adapting to recent environmental conditions. Creativity and innovation is based on advancement in technology, with the conservation of the environment being highly considered. Production areas, transport sectors, among others in the modern world, base their daily activities on conservation efforts (Schreurs & Papadakis, 2007). Environmental protection has gone the extra mile by concentrating not just on the environment directly, but on the production costs of conservation as well. The latter is economic-oriented, which is a sign that efforts to promote conservation are not limited to the environment only. The impacts of the development of environmentalism more than 35 years ago have led to the introduction of efforts to balance human activities and the protection of environment while they stay here on Earth. There are still areas in the world, for instance, those in the developing world, where the populace has not embraced the idea of environmental conservation. It is in these same regions where levels of education are still inferior. The low levels of education lead to poor decision making processes. Traditions and cultures in developing areas play a vital role in ones actions. Education stands as the only bridge that can link the cultures of traditionalism and modern cultures that interact with nature in consideration of sustainability (Pepper, Webster, & Revill, 2003). Today there are scientists across the globe who have their careers and lives totally directed towards ensuring sustainability and looking for answers to so many challenges that are environment-related. These scientists succeed due to changed personalities, behaviors and cultures. Clean energy production and use are on the rise nowadays. Governments are encouraging scientists to look for sustainable alternatives to energy production. Resources are under preservation for future use with options being weighed out to best suit the current situation of global warming that is a challenge to the environment. Conclusion Conservation or protection is never a cure, and, therefore, efforts to conserve the environment should be an unending practice. Today, most of us are celebrating achievements of environmentalism, but it does not necessary mean that the world is safe. There is much that still needs to be done with the focus directed majorly towards developing nations with technological advancements, mainly infrastructural development. Efforts to preserve the environment just like in the past should originally be a self-driven action. Everyone should and has the mandate to preserve and protect the environment. Behavior; cultures and traditions can change every person’s life thus promoting environmentalism in the world even further. References Carson, R. (2002). Silent Spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Ehrlich, P., & Ehrlich, A. (1998). Betrayal of Science and Reason: How Anti-Environmental Rhetoric Threatens Our Future. Washington: Island Press. Hutton, D., & Connors, L. (1999). History of the Australian Environment Movement. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Pepper, D., Webster, F., & Revill, G. (2003). Environmentalism: Critical Concepts, Volume 1. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis. Schreurs, M., & Papadakis, E. (2007). Historical Dictionary of the Green Movement. Lanham: Scarecrow Press. United Nations. (2007). Fund of the United Nations Environment Programme Financial Report and Audited Financial Statements for the Biennium Ended 31 December 2007 and Report of the Board of Auditors. Herndon: United Nations Publications. Read More