All right, so I'm taking a class titled either Eco-Composition or Eco-English Studies because when it comes to natural environments, I think there is a lot more that humans exploit as opposed to what humans pre/serve. I feel morally obligated to lessen my impact on environments by reducing carbon emissions, landfill contributions, and speaking my opinion about the importance of a national investment into solar energy (which we pitifully pay lip service to while Germany and Japan are leading the way with the technology). To me, the US policy on solar energy is not nearly as vigorous as it needs to be; perhaps lobbyists for oil and coal have something to do with our apprehension. We talk a lot about "alternative" energy, but how much are we really doing with it?
Yes, there is no doubt that we do much to act as stewards of our environments, but I think we justify a lot of waste and overlook our impact based on the progression of civilization and our more immediate personal concerns. The videos below demonstrate a device that reduces carbon emissions on a public bus in New York City; this is a good thing and I like the effort. However, what about the impact resulting from the harvesting and transportation of that fuel? Just because it reduces emissions when Do such "green" technologies become a more drab-ish brown when we consider this (is anyone thinking of the issues with ethanol?)?
Humans are arguably the most intelligent species on the planet, therefore humans have the greatest responsibility to pre/serve the copious life that shares our environment.
The environments I love most are those which I frequent, whether they are in a metropolis or out in the sticks. The environments I have never experienced, well, I am grateful for them too. An injustice in one environment is an injustice the world around. All I am saying is that every location, every environment is worthy of our stewardship. Even the doldrums in the Pacific Subtropical Gyre which few of us ever visit.
Notice the yellow spots in the ocean. They represent concentrations of plastic debris that are traced hundreds of meters deep. Represented are two of five high pressure zones in the world.
Interested in Ocean Pollution?
Right then, so I will focus on city environments for now. City environments are the origins of the bulk of our pollution and environmental impact. City pollution (such as plastic debris) finds its way through sewers, streams, lakes, and rivers and into oceans, it works its way into the air, into the ground, and even into our bodies. As with the bus videos above, if those buses were running on electric generated by photovoltaic arrays . . .
. . . as opposed to diesel fuel with a special emission filter, there would be a lot less consumption of carbon emitting fuel overall. Just because the air is clean by the bus doesn't mean it is the best solution to a very global problem.
I don't want to find out what will happen if we continue to emit carbon and other pollutants at the rate we are now. More progressive changes in how we use and create energy is paramount . . .
More rantings to follow . . .
More rantings to follow . . .
