ClimateChange,CantheHumanImpactChange?

AshleyKnudson
English1010ClimateChangeMidterm


Overthelasthundredsofthousandsofyears,theEarthhasexperiencedmanychangesas
wehavebegunrecordingscientificmeasuresofthesechangesthroughouttimewehavebeen
abletotracktimelinesofenvironmentalchangeandmakepredictionsofwhatistocomefor
Earth.However,therehasneverbeenadayinthehistoryofEarththatwesatdownas
communitiesandworldleadersanddecidedtomakeitapointtogothroughourdailylivesand
allournationalandinternationalbusinesswiththeintentionofruininganddestroyingtheEarth
anditsresources.(Gore97)Everytentofifteenyearsourscientificknowledgedoubles,allowing
ustheabilitytoconsumeEarthsfiniteresourcesatafasterratethaneverbefore,butwedonot
continueresearchingandexpandingourknowledgeofsciencetobeabletoconsumetheEarths
scarceresourcesasfastaspossiblewithoutasecondthought.(Wilson109)Individualsand
businessesofallindustriesandsizeconsumeEarthsmaterialsandresourceswiththeintention
ofbenefitingfromthem,theintentionisnottodestroyandwastebutthereisnotanintentionto
save,conserve,andgrowwhatlittlewedohaveEarthshumanpopulationneedstoimmediately
reconditionitselftohaveanintentiontoconserve,preserve,andbeproactiveinconnectingwith
thevalueofthematerialswhenconsumingEarthsresources.
Humansarenotresponsibleforclimatechangethereisnothinghumanshavedirectly
donewithaconsciousthoughtprocessofharmingordeterioratingtheenvironmentorthe
materialsandresourceshere.Humandecisionsarefilteredbysocialbuffersincludingsocial
memory,riskperception,andculturalprioritiestherapidrateandinconsistentscaleofclimate
changeismuchgreaterthanmerehumandecisions.(RiveraCollazo)Humaninteractionswith
theEartharenotonalargeenoughscaletodefiletherapidlygrowingecosystemandresources

thatarestillthrivingintheworld.Unlesssometerrible,maliciouscatastrophethatwas
developedbyhumansandsetofftowipeouteverylivingandnonlivingthingonEarth,then
humanscannotbehelddirectlyorindirectlyresponsibleforthechangesinclimateorthe
changesintheenvironmentonaworldlyscale.
Inorderforconsciouseffortandintentiontobeimplementedaroundtheworldeveryday
ineveryactivitytherehastobeacommonwhy.Ethicsandmoralsarethefoundationstolivea
lifeingoodsocialstanding,maintainingagoodjob,stayingoutoflegaltroublesandleadingan
honest,healthylife.Allthesethingsareexpectedwhenapersonconsciouslycontributesto
societywithgoodmoralsandethicsinthethingstheydo.Wheredoamajorityofcommon
moralscomefrom?Religioncanengagepeopleatadeeperlevelthaneconomicsandpolicy,
andadeepengagementisextremelyimportantforthesuccessoffightingclimatechanges,
becauseitisgoingtotakedecades.(Wolf,Jakob)Religionhasstoodthroughouttimeallover
theworldbecausepeoplebelieveandholdontoitwiththeirwholelifefortheirwholelife.Ifwe
couldimplementconsciouscareandethicalupkeepintoourlifestylesasagoodportionofthe
populationimplementsreligion,theEarthwouldbeinjustasgoodashapeasreligion,growing,
prosperousandrespected.
Climatechangeisaconstantdebateandahottopicallovertheworldandweareall
responsibleasnationsonthisEarthforourcontributionsandforwhatwecandotoimprovethe
environmentandwhatwecanachievebyworkingtogethertowardsasolutionagainstthe
deteriorationofthestateoftheEarth.Thetimehascometostoparguingoverwhatcouldbe
doneandwhathasn'tbeendone.Realprogressrequirestoughnewpolicies,betterlaws,anda
willingnesstocompromise.(Ball)From1975untiltoday,therehavebeenmultipleconventions,

meetings,publishedpapers,advisorygroups,panels,etc.pooledtogetherfromallovertheglobe
todiscussclimatechangeandwhatwillcomeofeverythingifwedonotchangeourways.Gore
believesandencouragesustofindourselvesinandreconnectwiththenaturalworldthrough
meansofspiritualconnection.Theworldwidediscussionistofocusoncreatingrulesand
regulationsforthereleaseofcarbondioxideemissionsintheair.Ifthesetwofocuseswereto
cometogethertoproducealifestylethatisencouragedandrespectedandvalued,wewould
actuallyachieveaglobalresponseforcommongoodandouractionswouldchange.
Inconclusion,climatechangeishappening,ithasbeenhappeningforalloftimeSumer
andMesopotamiasawadifferentEarththanCesarandAlexandertheGreat,allofEuropeand
everycountrytocomebefore1630experiencedaworldsoentirelydifferentthanwhattheUS
experiencestodayduetochangesintheclimatethathavealsoleadtochangesinthe
environment.Humansdidnotchoosetoconsciouslymakethosechangesthroughtheiractions,
thechangesoccurredduetothenaturalcyclesoftheEarth.Iftheworldwasabletoconfigurea
lifestyleplantorolloutandrespectacrossthenationsthenwecouldconsciouslymakedifferent
decisionstoleaveasmallerhumanfootprint.However,evenourworstdecisionsandterrible
thingswehavedonetotheenvironmenthavemadelittleimpactontheclimateoftheEarth.
Thereisnoexisting,solidevidencesupportingtheideathatwewouldseeapositiveimpacton
theenvironmentiftheworldstartedmakingconscious,proactiveeffortstohelpandpreservethe
Earthandenvironment.

Workcited:
Gore,Al.EnvironmentalismoftheSpirit.EarthintheBalance1992.Rpt.inthe
ReadingsforWriters.Ed.SaltLakeCommunityCollege.Boston,MA:Bedford/St.Martins,
2014.93101.Print.
Wilson,EdwardO.IsHumanitySuicidal?.TheNewYorkTimesMagazine1993.Rpt.
intheReadingsforWriters.Ed.SaltLakeCommunityCollege.Boston,MA:Bedford/St.
Martins,2014.93101.Print.
RiveraCollazo,Isabel,etal."HumanAdaptationStrategiesToAbruptClimateChange
InPuertoRicoCa.3.5Ka."Holocene25.4(2015):627640.AcademicSearchPremier.Web.2
Apr.2015.
Wolf,Jakob,andMickeyGjerris."AReligiousPerspectiveOnClimateChange."Studia
Theologica63.2(2009):119139.AcademicSearchPremier.Web.2Apr.2015.
Ball,Jeffrey."FacingTheTruthAboutClimateChange."NewRepublic246.1(2015):
2429.AcademicSearchPremier.Web.2Apr.2015.