Article “why Bother”

        Michael Pollan is the author of the article “Why Bother,” published in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The New Yorker.   In this article Michael focuses on the issue of climate change.  He points out just how quickly it’s slipping up on us and it’s doing so quicker than scientists predicted.  Although I agree with the fact everyone is going to have to do their part, I disagree with the fact that legislation and technology is not going to be serious about making changes until society begins to take actions.

        Everyone is going to have to participate to get a grasp on the climate change that is vastly approaching.  Making changes and sticking to them is something I believe will be a slow process.  As Michael mentioned in his article it’s going to start with people influencing each other.   The quote, “Nothing was likely to change until we healed the “split between what we think and what we do,” is something I feel very strongly about. It’s going to take us holding ourselves accountable for poor decisions we make that have a negative impact on the climate.

        I disagree with the fact that Michael stated in his article that legislation and technology would not try to start making changes on improving the climate change until we, ordinary citizens, get serious about making changes too.  Both the government and technology have been working on this for many years.  The government is constantly passing laws and regulations that are based on improving the environment and technology is answering with new and improved options for consumers.  “Personal choices, no matter how virtuous [N.B.!], cannot do enough.  It will also take laws and money.”   This statement is certainly true.  They both go hand in hand; it takes one to make the other work.  Together they can work in harmony like a well-oiled machine.

        To have an impact on the climate change is definitely going to be a joint effort between citizens, the government, and technology advances.  I believe if society would just take a step back and slow down that would start the process.  Society as a whole is focused on getting as much done as possible with as little effort as possible.  As stated in the article, if we took time to grow that garden or opted to hang our clothes outside on a line as opposed to just running to the supermarket for everything and throwing our clothes in the dryer, this would be a start.  Getting everyone on board with these things and continuing to add to the list of “green” things we do would eventually have a huge impact on the climate change we are facing.  Everyone today is too caught up in the material things in life and not giving thought about the effect they are having on our environment, which in turn ultimately affects life as we know it.

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