How to Overcome People's Resistance to Sustainablity

How to Overcome People’s Resistance to Sustainability

The topic of sustainability is not the most common nor the most talked about amongst the society within the United States. The average American does not know the many factors that make up sustainability, most people just know that they should recycle their paper and plastic products. The current health state of nature within the United States is rapidly declining due to human activity that negatively affects nature and its balance. Not only does the focus need to shed light on the human activities that negatively affect nature, but also the focus needs to acknowledge what needs to change in order to become more sustainable.

Intro to problems within nature caused by human activity

To convert a country from excessively misusing its natural resources to rehabilitating and monitoring its natural resources, there must be an evaluation of the wide range of problems that contribute to its’s degradation. The most common problems within degradation consist of carbon pollution; being the number one problem to the environment (Hughes, Adam. “How to Overcome People's Resistance to Sustainability.” 28 Nov. 2018. Interview.), waste pollution, and the extinction of animal species.

Carbon pollution:

With carbon pollution being the number one problem affecting nature, according to environmental biologists Adam Hughes, there are three factors that are comprised of this specific pollution. The three factors consist of deforestation, land clearing, and burning fossil fuels. To first address deforestation and land clearing the two terms are defined as the act of humans clearing or removing of a forest or a stand of trees that is converted to a non-forest for the use of farms, urban use, and ranches. Forest provide vital oxygen and also clean the air from toxins. Forest also act as a sponge to soak up carbon dioxide that would cause changes in the climate patterns.
In the last 50 years the Amazon has lost up to 17% of it's forest due to deforestation. (Rawles, Simon. “Deforestation.” WWF, World Wildlife Fund, 2018. Web) Greenhouse gases also is also an after effect of deforestation. Greenhouse gas can cause a catastrophic problem for the entire planet in all actuality because it is the main cause if increasing the temperature of the planet. To reiterate, the removal and deforestation of forest to make way for urban use is the main problem that causes harm to the environment and not to mention the land cleared or removed is eventually abandoned by its initial owners and not rehabbed to make room for more trees and plant life to grow.

Equally as important, Carbon pollution is also caused by burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are a natural resource from the earth that is mined to serve as a means of energy to be provided for everyday electricity such as heating homes and powering cars. The problem with these actions is that, the constant mining of fossil fuels is shortening the natural resource that would have to take years to replenish naturally overtime and the smoke from burning fossil fuels can lead to impurities within the atmosphere. Carbon pollution created by the negative actions of humans can create a layer of CO2 (which is carbon dioxide) over one centimeter thick. (Sherwood, Steve, and Laurie Menviel. “What Is 'Carbon Pollution' and Why Are We Trying to Stop It?” The Conversation, 7 Dec. 2018, Web.). For these reasons, carbon pollution would act as the number one obstacle from moving towards sustainability.

Solution:
Deforestation should be regulated and there should be a law that if a section of land is removed that, the exact same landmass should be replaced at another location or another plant life area should be expanded in replace of the removed forest and trees. This could act as a give and take mentality for repairing the balance of nature.

Waste pollution:

Similarly; to the previous pollution of carbon pollution, waste pollution is the second most detrimental pollution that causes harm to nature and other species who make up the primary cycle of nature. Waste pollution has four most common components of its makeup. Garbage pollution, plastic pollution, air pollution, and land pollution are the most important problems that negatively affect nature caused by human activities. Garbage pollution is the transgression of solid waste from human activities. This specific pollution can lead to air pollution, contaminated water, and the spread of harmful bacteria within its surroundings. (contributor, waste for change. “5 Kinds of Environmental Pollution Caused by Waste” Waste4Change, 29 Aug. 2017. Web). Carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane are also fume’s that can be produced from garbage pollution which can cause respiratory diseases and added toxins into the atmosphere. Secondly, the production and usage of plastic is a big factor of human behavior that is not beneficial to the environment.

The main reason why plastic is harmful to nature is because plastic is non-biodegradable that unfortunately cannot degrade until thousands of years later (contributor, waste for change. “5 Kinds of Environmental Pollution Caused by Waste” Waste 4 Change, 29 Aug. 2017. Web.). Following plastic pollution, air pollution is the third ranked waste pollution. Air pollution is impurities in the air cause by filthy air smoke particles and harmful gases or chemicals. Human activities such as car emissions and fumes produced from the production of plastic are just the start of the many causes of air pollution. In addition, land pollution is the process of earth’s surface becoming unusable. From illegal waste dumping to litter being on the ground every 10 steps you take is a problem for nature. Waste pollution does not give soil nutrients and to have an expectation of the earth to recycle toxic waste and pollution is not the mindset to have in order for the United States to become sustainable.

Solution:

Land areas need to be physically overseen by guards to prevent illegal waste dumping. Also, there needs to be a change in how we fuel transportation vehicles. In 2009 an algae fueled powered car was introduced to the United States to attempt to travel across the country coast to coast only on 25 gallons of what scientists called green crude algae (Schwartz, Ariel. “First Algae-Powered Car Attempts to Cross US on 25 Gallons.” Inhabitat Green Design Innovation Architecture Green Building, Inhabitat, 9 Sept. 2009. Web). Inventions similar to green algae need to be implemented into society to reduce air pollution.

Animal extinction:

No one really thinks about animals when the topic of sustainability is brought up, but animal life plays a huge factor on becoming sustainable. In conjunction with carbon pollution and waste pollution animal life has had an enormous amount of changes done to its existence. Between 1970 and 2014, Earth lost nearly 60% of its mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians, almost all of it due to human activity. The rate at which Earth is losing its biodiversity is comparable only to the mass extinctions. (Pinto, Andrea. “In 45 Years, We Have Killed 60% of Earth's Wildlife.” Condé Nast Traveller India, Condé Nast Traveller India, 30 Oct. 2018.Web). The World Wild Life fund is an organization dedicated to partnering a future in harmony with nature. Also, the organization Publishes a report every two years on its official website that breaks down the state of the planet by sections of biodiversity, ecosystems, and the demand of natural resources. The report states that the collective extinction of all species since 1500 A.D has been harmed by overexploitation or agriculture. (Pinto, Andrea. “In 45 Years, We Have Killed 60% of Earth's Wildlife.” Condé Nast Traveller India, Condé Nast Traveller India, 30 Oct. 2018. Web.)

A perfect example of how much impact an extinction of a species could have on the very lives of citizens within the United States would be; bees. Bees just don't give us honey, but they also have a very important role within our ecosystem. These insects pollinate crops that feed 90% of the planet which is one third of the foods we as humans consume. Produce such as apples, lemon, avocados, and kale are just to name a short few foods that bees help pollinate. In addition to produce; foods like beef, milk, and cheese are affected as well. If bees were to go extinct there would be no more cotton for clothes to wear and it would cause a catastrophic ripple effect on the life we know now.

Solution:

The endangerment of animals by exploitation needs to stop and going back to the solution for carbon pollution; wild life needs to be guarded to protect their preservation from being overly hunted or harvested. Also, chemicals such as pesticides and insecticides should be banned to use for the sake of animal, human, and insect’s sake. Animal and insect life need to be monitored with a watchful eye at all times in order to reach a higher status of being sustainable.

How to overcome people’s resistance to sustainability?

From personal experience, every person knows life is about constant changes and change can be quite difficult and hard for most people. Life changing inventions, ideas, and surroundings are the hardest to get used to as humans of habit. But in order for the United States to secure the future of life; meaning that the term life includes human life, animal life, and also plant life. The process of overcoming change is simplified into 7 most valuable steps and asking ourselves what needs to be changed in order to become sustainable. The first step is to know that life is all about change and although it may be uncomfortable to change or hard to accept change, the only way growth can occur is by change. Staying attached to negative habits is not healthy for the progression of sustainability.

So, even changing a person's mindset about change can be beneficial in the process. Step number two calls for acceptance of a situation which means humans or people of the United States must accept their own fault for environmental degradation. People of the United States need to accept the fact that we have not been treating nature and the earth as a whole in a very kind manner. Acceptance requires courage, determination, and honesty. Acceptance is the first step to embracing change and it means becoming aware of the change that makes us resistant to sustainability. The third step is to look at failure as something positive.

Although, humans have made many mistakes that has cause harm to earth itself; we can create inventions and come up with new ideas to help the United States as a whole. Learning from our failures should push us to become better and not become even more in a hole in regard to sustainability. Along the way of creating inventions and implementing new ideas the (fourth step) there should be a celebration of the progress we will make because small victories such as finding better ways to protect bees from extinction is a victory within itself. We cannot change what happens in life or how others might behave towards us, but we can change our behavior in response to that, and it is this that makes the difference and moves us along the road of personal evolution. (Giovannini, Lucia. “Overcome Your Fear of Change in 7 Steps.” Wall Street International, 1 Dec. 2016. Web).

Taking responsibility for our own impact on degradation can greatly improve how individuals go about their lives with protecting nature. Lastly, if humans step out of our comfort zones regarding change in life will be simpler to implement necessary regulations for the betterment of all life on earth. Solutions to moving toward sustainability can be to create an Individualistic system that makes a person accountable for his or her impact on nature. Another way to solve sustainable problems is too create jobs like for example an energy auditor and earth rehabilitating jobs. To further explain earth rehabilitating jobs, it would be a job a person would dedicate to cleaning up the earth from pollution whatever pollution (waste, air, or land pollution) criteria they feel they would be best at and those individuals could live for free or rent free for their dedication to improving earth's environment.

Another solution to becoming sustainable is rationalizing the production of meat although humans consume 75 pounds of meat per year it will be beneficial to the earth for individuals to consume less meat. Creating ecofriendly cars such as the car powered by green crude or algae should be on the streets to refrain from using cars that are powered by oil, gas, and fossil fuels. In the United States we have the mind power and willpower to be able to create and implement new ideas and inventions, but the power is not in the blueprint of a process; the power is in the implementation of a blueprint meaning change requires action.

Another way to overcome people’s resistance to sustainability is making it public and known to individuals on a day to day basis. Not to mention if it were a requirement in schools both high school and college to learn about earth degradation and sustainability, people would not be uninformed of the topic and its effects. Making people comfortable with the topic would refrain from the parish of the lack of knowledge.

In conclusion,there needs to be a change in moral, economic, and political value. The political laws need to be more concerned in regard to the longevity of natural stock and not focus on how natural stock can be used. The value of the economies focus needs to switch to implementing solution, instead of coming up with new and different ideas. And lastly the morality about the health of nature should be taught or publicize more to get people aware of their own impact on natural degradation. The resistance to change is only battled within the mind and once we have a different mindset and outlook on how we view change and big implementations, sustainability would be a problem of the past.
 
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