Gloria’s Blog

When I was eight to ten years-old, climate change was not as prominent of an issue. It is because of environmental advocates like Greta Thunberg, who have given climate change so much social buzz. In class, students often say “climate change is an issue” and do nothing about it. The fact is “humans” are so ingrained in using resources such as oil and plastic.  For instance, I have to drive my car, how else will I get to school or work? If I bike it will take too long. If I take the metro or public bus, then how will I get to destinations not on the transit route? My point is these  “alternatives” to driving a car are not practical.   I mean we all know “humans” are emitting ten times the amount of carbon deemed necessary. I think the power is in the hands of corporations, the newer models do not have to run on gasoline, instead make them all electric. Even when I head into Starbucks for my usual cool lime refresher, I would always use a plastic straw and cup. If I remembered to bring a reusable cup then I would use it, but oftentimes I would forget. This happens because we live in such a “fast-pace” and “convenient” world.

For the most part, I have taken classes on environmentalism. All of which are relevant. In biology, there are discussions on species going extinct. The question I would always think of is the affect of climate change on personal health. There are tons of studies from the World Health Organization (WTO) and National Institute of Health (NIH) stating the increase in carbon emissions will increase air pollution and lead to an increase in the number of lung cancers. If “humans” will not change their habits for the sake of animals, then do it for health? Maybe when looking for a new car buy the electric one. Such efforts will work. Now at Starbucks, I no longer have to drink from a plastic straw.

12 Replies to “Gloria’s Blog”

  1. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences and thoughts with us. Your point of view is very honest. Almost everyone knows that our environment is deteriorating, yet little is done to protect it. And that’s really something we need to reflect on as humans. Your other idea is also very interesting. If health problems are linked to climate change and environmental pollution, people will do something to protect the environment for their health.

  2. I totally agree with your idea. Nowadays, some items like cars are becoming a necessity for human beings. It is unrealistic to not use them at all. Therefore, some large enterprises should make some changes to lead public to save resources and make public realize that protecting the environment is really important.

  3. I agree with you that the world needs to change if we want an environmentally-sound future. The idea that most of the convenience we take advantage of in our daily lives is harming the future of the planet is troubling and something we often try to look away from. It’s quicker and requires less effort to use and discard the plastic cups provided by companies like Starbucks than it is to always bring a reusable one with you and wash it out after each drink. Ultimately, these simpler practices we take for granted have to be replaced by less convenient solutions in order to secure a better future.

  4. I agree with you. I always see many people point out that climate change is an issue but do not do anything about it. As Sonic The Hedgehog 2006 once said: “Nothing starts until you take action. If you’ve got time to worry, run!” I mean sure there are people and organizations that are actively planting trees, recycling plastic, and cleaning up trash however, there should be people who should clean up their own slack. Also I agree with your point on corporations. Instead of using the same old format for their products, there should be alternative ways to achieve them. Elon Musk has created the Tesla an electric car and it works fine. I even changed my electricity to solar powered at my house to save money and energy. I just recently learned how climate change affects health and I can say that if we don’t do something now, then we might die from disease.

  5. I really enjoyed reading this blog post because it felt very genuine and I could relate to it a lot. I feel like a lot of people claim that climate change is serious, but very few do something about it. Also, your point about humans doing everything because of its convenience is true because that’s the world we live in. To truly make a change in the world, big companies need to take action, such as your example of electric cars. It will be hard for us to make a change when we are required to use cars to survive.

  6. I think your idea is correct. Too often we have seen the source of the problem, but have not bothered to address it. In fact, if we’re going to solve a problem, it might be “move someone else’s cheese.” For example, we want to solve the plastic problem, but the companies that actually make plastic feel threatened. It is clear that large companies need to take the lead in protecting the environment. They can have a much bigger impact than we think.

  7. I really liked how you connected your personal life to see changes made towards preventing climate change. I agree with you that a lot of people say that there is an issue, but nothing is done about it. We have the resources and solutions available, but no one has taken the initiative to enforce those policies.

  8. I really enjoyed your blog and how you related it to your life. The little change that you already saw was very great and if there continues to be small changes, the problem could get better. I agree that people will not just cut cars out of their everyday lives, so companies taking smaller steps may be the way to help support the environment slowly. Daily conveniences that people use may be hurting the environment and people would never know, so I think people need to be more educated on the idea in order to help stop and change the problem.

  9. I liked how in your blog you share your own personal experiences and relate it back to your personal opinions and thoughts. I agree that on an individual level people can make a change by altering their everyday decisions and basing it around being sustainable, but only a small group of the population will make these changes. Companies like Starbucks who promote environmentally friendly actions are encouraging change and I think that if more companies worked towards making incentives for customers in this way it would make a big impact. If the government does not work towards putting laws in place for companies to abide by, than it is up to the companies and the consumers to change the way they act.

  10. I’m very enjoy reading this blog. I agree with your point. I think it is correct that people need to do something now, not to wait untill the big disaster happened. I will encourage my friends to drive less and use less plastic products. It is necessary for everyone to start moving.

  11. I really like how this post has differentiated from past responses in content and formatting. I also agree that large corporations need to make changes, but I do think that individuals need to take responsibility for their own consumption. Yes, the plastic cup at Starbucks has already been produced, but the company won’t make as many plastic cups if they are not getting used as quickly. It is unfair to say that the one plastic cup you use a day isn’t going to matter when every single person at Starbucks is also saying that. If the people lessen the demand for single-use plastic, the supply will drop drastically.

  12. I really liked your point about how the ability to combat climate change is largely in the hands of corporations, and not as much on normal individuals as some may think it is. I also really enjoyed how much of your personal life you implemented into your post. In terms of improvement, I think there could have been smoother transitions between ideas to make it a bit easier to follow, but other than that I really liked hearing your thoughts.

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