Post #4
As humans on this Earth, I feel we often take the environments we live in for granted. So much has changed with life in the past 100 years; some positive changes, but also some negative changes. Many advancements have taken humans to new heights in regards to the ways we function, but these advancements have also brought on new issues for this planet that go beyond present day. Issues like global warming, mass oil spills, pollution, and so on are becoming so prevalent now and will continue in our future.
After discussing these topics in class discussions and reading Watt-Cloutier’s excerpt in Moral Ground, I agree that these issues go beyond political, technical and environmental issues; they are human rights issues (Watt-Cloutier pp. 29). The way I now see it, is that we are at risk of really ruining the livelihood of our future generations if we do not start to see changes soon. When I think of the future and what I would want for my kids, I think of a life enjoying the outdoors, having little-to-no worries about food sources, ease of travel and many other things. These are things that I have been able to enjoy my whole life and until now, humans are starting to see these luxuries slip out of our everyday reach.
Millions of people are well aware of these issues, but do we know how to go about making an actual impact to improve them? This question challenges so many of us, but we still feel an obligation to take action on these issues. So where do we start? Personally, since our governments have such large voices, I think they should start by implementing new laws and technologies in our economy that will limit the negative outcomes from companies and humans.
As we consume so much, we are polluting our air, our water and our food sources. To limit that pollution, we can be cautious of how much we personally consume and waste within our homes by sorting our trash right, limiting water usage, installing solar panels for energy, and so on. Companies can also be cautious and implement similar changes in their work places for their improvements. In a community setting, we can reduce gas emissions and oil consumption by creating more sustainable options to travel. For example, in Europe, many cities are bike friendly and have better train systems for people to get around. These actions, big and small, can make a difference in our environment and our future lives.
So far governments and leaders in developed countries, as well as developing countries, are working to improve their environments in several ways.
World governments have been urged to tackle air pollution in poorer countries by greening cities, reducing traffic and adopting better diets, and told that this will also rein in climate change… (Vidal, 2015).
There have been many agreements made for world leaders to sign and take action on in recent years, but they don’t always get followed through. Many of these world leaders agree that efforts need to made to reduce our carbon imprints. Many people agree that each of these issues contributes to the bigger picture of it all, but there are also many others that do not see these issues as real problems. Despite what some may believe, I think these issues are real and they are happening now. We still have a long way to go as a global community, but with each action comes progress. We have to continue to develop our environments in positive ways, in order to better the future of our livelihood.
As for environmental issues specifically in Brazil, there are several. The bigger ones include deforestation, acid rain, air and water pollution and waste disposal. These issues have grown as the country has developed more in the past few decades. “Air pollution in Brazil has increased, mainly as a result of the rapid urbanization and industrial development taking place in most of the city centers” (Meyer, 2010). As a country, Brazil is working towards improving these issues, but like many other countries, it is a slow process to see those improvements make an impact.
For their issues with water and having access to clean water, Water.org gave me a better insight to this problem. Brazil is the world’s 5th largest country with a population of 207 million people. Among those, 5 million do not have access to safe water and 25 million are without access to improved sanitation (Water.org, 2018). There are several institutions that have growing interests in offering some solutions to their water and sanitation issues, which is important to see happen.
Not only is Water.org offering aid to Brazil, but there are several other environmental groups getting involved in this country. Greenpeace, Care, EPA, and Ecoagriculture Partners are just a few of the many organizations taking action and working to better Brazil’s environment. They are addressing those larger issues on deforestation, water pollution, poverty, and several others not only in Brazil, but also throughout South America as a whole.
It is very uplifting to see action being taken with groups like these around the world, but it should not stop with them. I think us humans can do more to conserve what we waste and take some action into our own hands to improve the environments we live in. I know it is a lot to take on, but each action can make an impact on our future livelihoods and human rights.
Sources:
Watt-Cloutier, Sheila. (2010). The Inuit Right to Culture Based on Ice and Snow. Moral Ground. pp. 25–29.
