Thursday, April 11, 2013

How Many Earths Does it Take to Support Me? More than there are out there....







Well, we took this quiz in our Sustainable Development Class and I seemed to have gotten the same results. About 4.5 Earths. However, I argue that every American will at least need 4 Earths. We are just, just, used to living large.  The results are on par to what I thought they would be: Energy Resources as well as Services (Cars, Planes ect…).  I do use a lot of energy, but so do you, and so does Little Tommy Walker. We, as humans, tend do that. We are in a building for roughly, what 20 hours a day? While in that building we have lights, TV, radio, microwave, AC/Heat, water pumps, and so much more. All of that is using energy, and we are benefiting from it!

Not too sure I’m going to change because of this. I don’t think I live nessicary ‘outside’ of the norm, but I do think I consume a lot. However, my aurgument, is that all that I do, I need to do.
Car Driving: 1-50 Miles a Week: I drive to and from school every day, as well as to work. To and From school is about 25-30 minutes, and to work is about 15 minutes. If I gave up my driving, well how would I get to school? Public Transportation?! Please, our country hasn’t invested enough in mass-public transit for that to be reliable and timely.

Electricity:  Here, I ‘spose I could try something different, but in all actuality I have, Lights, cell phone, computer, refrigerator, oven, microwave ect.. Sure, I could give up—well—let’s not lie to ourselves, I couldn’t give up any of that (haha) I mean, could I go without a cell phone? I guess, people do it, but it’d be a major inconvenience. Plus I’d have to get Home-Phone, which would be more expensive than just my 60 bucks a month for my cell phone plan. The others seem to be much more ‘basic need’ in nature. Without a fridge how am I to keep my food cool? Without the oven how can I cook? Open flame? Nah, that sounds like a little too much work for my dinner.
Thus, I don’t think I can really ‘change’ perhaps limit what I do, or even lower consumptions, but I think even that would be difficult.

We can all agree that Americans, on average, consume the most. We are just used to it. Most Americans who move overseas are shocked by the small living spaces, lack of driving, and general simple way of life. We were conditioned for it. I, personally, believe that it follows the American Dream: House with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a dog. Now it’s more so: Mansion, with an Iphone, 2.5 kids with Iphones, a Hummer, ect… it’s all about status. Making a statement if you will. Even going back to that [very very very] liberal video we watched in Sustainable Development: Go forth and buy! BUY ALL THE THINGS!  Consume everything cause it’s all made for you.

The general attitude towards the environment seems to be one of convenience. “When it suits me to be ‘green’ then I shall, but if I have to go out of my way to do so…well…eh.”—Everyone in America.  So the question becomes: Can we change THEIR attitude? Nope. I’m going to be pessimistic and realistic in this. As I stated earlier Americans are just generally consumption happy.  Thus, if we truly wanted Americans to use less, and consume less, then we would have to complete change our society ideas and wants. I truly think we are conditioned to consume. We must break that conditioning, which I think is just a little out of touch with reality.

Perhaps we could change, slowly. Very slowly. Very, Very, Very slowly. It would take a while, and I believe that even if that change does happen, it will only be negligible. Perhaps we should look at the economy as one of the ways to change the entire system. In our Sustainable Development class we spoke about our economy and how it plays it’s part in sustainable development. Mostly about device failure, and the need to keep buying. I think if we want to change our habits, our Economy must change first. I offer these three ways to fix this problem:

1)      Invest in Green Technologies
2)      Use high-grade materials that will make products last longer
3)      Keep the ‘tech’  curve just slightly ahead so device outdating is slower

First, Invest in Green Technologies. In my Discussion group I discussed the fact that no matter what, it seems, the people are just not all that into Green Technologies. I think it’s because it’s so new. We aren’t exactly sure what the investment will bring or what exactly we will get out of this. It’s also expensive; any new technology is really, but it seems that green-energy/tech is the most expensive. Not too long ago I remember the energy efficient light bulbs were quite expensive, but as more and more were produced and demand went up the prices fell. I believe that is one thing we will have to do with the other green technologies. We will need to work and wait for the demand to go up, to bring the prices down.

Second, Using high-grade materials that will make products last longer. Now, the aurgument here is that either the company is using cheaper materials so that the consumer will A) have to buy more of them, more frequently or B) to save on money. I think the latter is truer than the former. However, in today’s world we really can’t rule anything out can we? I think companies just want to use products that are cheaper, thereby, their profit margins are extended. It may just be an added plus that they tend to break six to eight months down the line and the consumer must buy more.

                Third, keeping the ‘tech’ curve just slightly ahead so device outdating is slower.  We all know device outdating is the new thing in technologies. Case and point: Apple. Once you buy the Apple Iphone 4 they already announced the Iphone5. Then, people with perfectly good, working, wonderful Iphone 2-4s had to run out and buy the Iphone5. All the waste from those phones has to go somewhere and thus the cycle does not end. I believe that companies should always be researching and developing, it’s what the company is there for. However, I think companies should keep the curve only slightly ahead, this way device outdating would be slower. Perhaps give the device a  two to three year life instead of a six month to a year.

I believe that if companies would take these three simple steps into their business practices I think we could very well Green our Economy. And once we green up our economy, I believe that people may be able to change their practices and perhaps even slowly turn the tide of how many “Earths” each of us need to live on. 

1 comment:

  1. Hi, Jon:

    Good job. The conclusions you come to about the strong pull of socially embedded consumption are depressing, but they echo what a number of folks have argued about American culture. You did a good job connecting your discussion to green economics concepts, and I really like your presentation/explanation of potential ways forward.

    Journal content: 1.6/1.6
    Journal writing quality: 0.25/0.3

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