What if we don’t think in human terms?

The environment has been a huge part of a man’s life. Leave a man in a forest and eventually, he will have everything he will need after a few days. What does this tell us? Well, this means that nature and the environment is God’s gift. It is something “natural” and cannot be created by man. The air, the sun, the whole world cannot be created by humans. Nature is something enjoyed- the sceneries, sunset, sunrise, the cold air. People from the urban community take their vacations in these resorts and places. They want to relax after a long hard day filled with pollution and stinky smells because nature is fresh and beautiful. But when I think of it, it is also the people who are responsible for destroying nature. The pollution, oils spills, chemical contaminations, etc come from the population’s actions. Why is this?

People are too preoccupied with their everyday lives that they tend to forget where everything started. Long ago, when there were fewer people, fewer businesses and fewer learning, life was simple. People appreciated nature because they weren’t too busy doing their jobs. Little did they know that these small instances that nature is harmed are now turning into something huge that affects the whole world. Climate change is a main problem nowadays and this is because people introduced carbon dioxide emissions that trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere. By burning coal to produce electricity, driving a car, etc, people unintentionally alter the elements of the atmosphere (Dalby, 2009).

Change in the atmosphere started during the Industrial revolution where machines were used and engines were put in motion. The substitution of fossil fuels changed the British structure and led to the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. During the Industrial revolution, capitalism also emerged and carbon dioxide emission was caused by capitalism. That time, petroleum was refined, gasses were used for heating and eventually, was used for engines of cars. Carbon fuels did not just come from cars. Power generating stations using coal, electricity used for computers, typewriters, etc were also responsible. Everyday life items such as plastic and petroleum contribute to carbon emission as well (Dalby, 2009). These things lead to climate change, which lead to global warming. More and more carbon dioxide are released to the air and plants and oceans can’t absorb this. Why is this a problem? Because climate change leads to typhoons, disasters, droughts and hardship for those planting crops. It increases the severity of storms and if people don’t start acting, mankind will suffer.

What I think is the issue here is how we combat carboniferous capitalism. I honestly think there won’t be any solution to this because people have factories, own engines and machines that are vital in earning money in order to survive. Long ago, life was simple, but now things are very much more complicated. There’s what we call the urban and the rural area. Modern living, machines, factories and the more advanced standard of living belongs to the urban area and the rural areas are usually what we call the provinces where life are less advanced. Their means of transportation there are cows and pigs. Now, those who live in the urban area are responsible for carbon dioxide emissions because of their way of living. These factories they work at, the cars they use, the burning of coal- everything gives out a small percentage of the total excess carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere. However, these people do not feel the disadvantage of their actions because those who live in the rural area are the ones that get affected. Their crops fail to grow, the typhoons and droughts affect their houses and income generating businesses. The oceans and seas raise the water level and floods rural areas but those people who don’t experience it remain indifferent of the issue. This dramatic shift of climate change may not be as dangerous as it seems now but in the near future, it will be and by then, we won’t be able to stop it. The lesson actually made me remember the movies the day after tomorrow and 2012. When that day comes, we can do nothing but regret.
I think that we should do something now before it’s too late like recycling, using other resources to limit the carbon dioxide being released in the atmosphere. If possible, we can carpool daily to lessen the use of cars. It doesn’t have to be one sudden huge act (because that’s impossible) but merely, small actions that when accumulated could make a significant effect. The effect won’t be felt of course, it would probably take a year or more, but it’s better to make it a habit to be aware of this issue so in the end, there are no regrets.

What now is its relation with global politics? It is simple- we should be more responsible of our actions because the consequences are now being felt by those around us. Everything in this world is interconnected. This means that for every action there is a reaction and this reaction may harm the society we live in. Hence, it is important to know our own carbon footprint so we can be aware of the degree of influence we are contributing in this phenomenon. Awareness brings knowledge, knowledge raises questions and we now search for answers to these questions. Once we know more, we learn more and we do more to avoid the unavoidable.

Sources:
Edkins, J. and Zehfuss, M. (eds.). (2009). Global politics: A new introduction. London: Routledge.