In the small bubble that encompasses the beliefs of most Lewis and Clark college students one might think that there should be no disagreement about climate change. There are things we LC students believe: climate change is real, it’s a threat, and it is high time to do something about it. However, this course has taught me and my peers that there is great controversy and disagreement about what to do about climate change.
Our differences in economic status, education level, location, religion, and career all influence how we perceive climate change. Mike Hulme in his book “Why We Disagree about Climate Change” conveys that while we tend to see this climate dilemma from a one dimensional side there are other sides that desperately need attention (Hulme 2009). Our disagreements can even be explained by Vaclav Smil when it comes to the materials we use in our daily life. Certain materials are harmful for the environment or can be easily switched out for more sustainable methods. In “Making the Modern World” Smil says that “declining consumption per GDP of energy or of goods, has generally persisted in both affluent and modernizing countries” (Smil 2014) this shows that while affluent countries are able to afford dematerialization it is not always an option in impoverished nations. This difference in economy needs to be taken into account when considering what steps should be taken to combat climate change. This economic difference between nations is highlighted as well in “Who Rules the Earth by Paul F. Steinberg. Wealthy nations tend to sit higher in global law making bodies such as on the UN council and the General Assembly. Poor nations cannot easily make the switch to cleaner, more climate friendly living. When the day to day life is focused on securing basic needs the future or the quality of the climate seems a distant priority. There is no global police or government and so while rules can be implemented it is exceedingly difficult for them to be enforced (Steinberg 2015). So what can you do when there is no way to make sure that people follow the rules? Well what is there to do in general? This question from day one has served as the overarching theme of the course. You can’t please everyone and in the context of climate action we will never fully agree.
Our way of life is not sustainable. Throughout this course the aspect of sustainability has been drilled into my head. The oil pumps that lined highway 101 on our spring break trip to sunny Southern California only mocked my guilt at how unsustainable our lifestyles are. The hundreds of miles of cement high ways we drove gave me a connection with Vaclav Smil’s insane calculations. The only visually apparent sources of renewable energy was a meager amount of wind turbines that lined a ridge near Antelope Valley, and a satisfyingly large quantity of solar panels which helped quell my guilt as I drove my gas guzzling Subaru Baja past. Leigh Phillips realized that excessive consumerism is something that affluent nations can afford to have as well as afford not to have. When you have money you can afford products that help the environment while those in poverty cannot (Phillips 2015). This sustainability motions again to the different economic classes of environmentalism. Consumerism itself is crucial to the functioning of an economy but the massive amounts of packaging accompanying purchases or the gas used in shipping has environmentalists worried (Smil 2014). The carbon permits and cap and trade markets discussed in “Who Rules the Earth” attempt to achieve a more sustainable GHG atmospheric concentration. By creating a carbon market and limiting the emission certain companies can pollute causes a movement toward a greener and more sustainable society.
What can I do about climate change? Well I’m glad you asked. There are many things, you can carpool, take public transportation, be a vegetarian, consume only what is necessary, and buy local. Ultimately although your efforts may be environmentally friendly the only true way to bring about widespread environmental change is on the institutional level. Steinberg states that “the oldage to think globally and act locally is just plain wrong” and that we “need to think and act at multiple levels if we are to make progress on vexing social and environmental problems” (Steinberg 2015). Institutional action incorporates a larger quantity of people. It requires that people pollute less, recycle more, that governments act upon environmentally harmful actions and that land is protected. In a consumerism sense packaging, shipping and the use of certain non-recyclables should be considered in the monetary value of products. One way to discourage the consumerism of certain products is to raise the price. Regulations that require companies to pay an environmental fee or operate within a lower environmental impact range would greatly change the way our society functions. We disagree often about how much control governments should have and while this will always be a political debate there is a need for an social environmental attitude transition which recognizes the importance of the environment and how large scale actions are ultimately the only option left (Hulme 2009).
While we can disagree on climate actions and strive toward sustainability we will as a society make no progress without institutional actions. Climate change is a global phenomenon and most of it’s consequences are unknown. Individual action on such a large scale is not big enough. The creation of global environmental regulations is necessary to enact a world wide change as well as unite nations in the salvation of our natural surroundings.
Citations
Hulme, M. Why We Disagree About Climate Change: Understanding Controversy, Inaction and Opportunity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Phillips, Leigh. Austerity Ecology & The Collapse-Porn Addicts: A Defense of Growth, Progress, Industry and Stuff. Winchester, UK: Zero Books, 2015
Smil, Vaclav. Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley, 2014.
Steinberg, Paul F. Who Rules the Earth?: How Social Rules Shape Our Planet and Our Lives. New York, NY: Oxford Univ. Press, 2015.