Waste and Consumerism

“ Collectively we are committing a vast and unsustainable act of taking, but we each are anonymous and no one is in charge or accountable for the consequences. I fear that in this process we are doing irreparable harm to our planet and to our individual spirits….”

In Chris Jordan’s statement these are the most powerful lines (above). We have somehow come to abuse all the resources available to us. All we do is buy more and more everyday and in turn waste more and more everyday. All the pictures in his gallery are shocking. The cell phones, the cigarette butts, the circuit boards and the cell phone chargers just prove how wasteful we are. This all has made me think of how much I am contributing to the destruction of the environment. Sadly, I realized that I am hurting the environment a lot.

So why do we need to buy new things all the time? Every now and then a member in my house buys a new cell phone because of some new feature it comes with when the old phone is just as good and works perfectly fine. What happens to the old one? It lies around the house for emergency use (in case someone’s phone doesn’t work which probably never happens and even if it does there is an urge to buy a new one). No one feels accountable for such waste even though all this wasteful acts harm our planet greatly.

Cell phones I found in my house that are used (4) and unused (5):

These are cables I found in my drawer (not house) which I never use and have no idea when and why I got them…. Sadly, wasteful and a not so wise consumer.

All the waste we produce and which we should be accountable for the disposal of, is sent other countries such as China. This is really very shocking and disturbing. Why aren’t we the ones breathing in toxic air that is being produced by us. We have so many laws against racism and equality yet we tend to violate them the most. Our waste should stay on our land so we learn not to produce so much waste. It’s horrible to take advantage of the underdeveloped countries.

Once we start to see extreme consequences only then will we realize that we are causing global warming. We need to wise consumers and not wasteful consumers. Once we realize this our souls will not be in peace, not because of the destruction we have caused but because in our hearts we would know we could have done something to prevent it.

Is Advancement Good or Bad?

Since I was born in America I never really appreciated all the resources available to me until I visited my country Pakistan. There I saw what people go through just to get through their daily lives. Water, which is probably the most essential in our lives, is very scarce in many areas. Women would bring buckets, fill them with water, and then carry them back to their homes on their head. Power shortage is also another problem faced by people there. In the warm weather (and I mean warm like 120 degrees F) the electric would go out because the system does not support all the load of the air conditioners being used. Imagine sitting in a room boiling hot without even a fan!
In the Story of Stuff Annie points out what wasteful spenders we are. This is very true I believe. As for the people in Pakistan, I don’t believe this is so. The majority of the people’s income is average to low and they cannot afford to buy for pleasure. Many of the things in Pakistan are either produced locally or imported from China, their next door neighbors. However, there is child labor involved in all this so this is not a good way to produce items.
I would also say that the use of plastic is also quite limited. This is because most of the products are brought on a day to day basis. For example, the milkman would come in a bicycle and pour the milk into a pot (and yes the milk is fresh and unpasteurized, so it must be boiled immediately so it won’t spoil). Secondly, much of the food purchased is given out in small sandwhich type of bags, not big plastic containers like here. Also, other products such as i-pods, clothing dryers, heaters, are not very commonly found. People still dry their clothes on a clothes line and listen to music on tape recorders.
I totally agree with Annie that we have become a machine. With more and more advancements we desire more and better all the time. We don’t even have time to do simple things in life. Yes, I do spend a lot of time watching t.v. and using the computer. I’m really beginning to think if all the technology in America is good or not. I am not saying that Pakistan is bad but it is not as developed as America is. Maybe that is better because if we were like the people in Pakistan we wouldn’t waste so much and would contribute less to global warming.

Global Warming

Global Warming is a serious issue faced by the world today. I believe the most important problem is the rise in temperature around the world. This is because most of the important things in the world will be affected by this problem. For example, high temperatures will cause the melting of glaciers leading to a shortage of drinking water. Also, it will cause the loss of cold weather, leading to extinction of species. This one issue leads to many problems.
After doing research I came up with some solutions to this problem. One such solution is to reduce heat trapping emissions so we can experience colder weather. Pennsylvania is one state that is working to solve the problem of global warming. By reducing the emission of carbon dioxide we can do a lot to save the earth.
Some ways to reduce emission of heat is:
1. By using solar energy to power our homes and businesses.
2. Reducing emissions from cars.
3. Making public transportation a common mode for traveling.
4. Using coal to power stations.
5. Creating a technique for capturing carbon and reducing emission.
http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/global_warming/Climate-Change-in-Pennsylvania_Impacts-and-Solutions.pdf
By making changes in the economy we can solve the problem of climate change and in turn save the world. We need to reduce the carbon in the atmosphere which accounts for much of the change in weather. I think the government needs to play a more actice role in this problem because all of the above solutions need to be implemented in every house by every person. These sources, such as solar energy, fossil fuels for cars, and coal using stations, need to be available to the public in order to be used. With these changes we can make a difference and the problem global warming can be solved.