I have never thought of myself as an environmentalist. I am no �tree hugger.� But I really can not see how anyone who looks around and critically evaluates the world can not see the fact that we are facing a growing environmental crisis.
We are a society of disposable goods. We fill landfills at an alarming rate. We use our oceans and water ways as a dumping ground. Our factories pump out a continuous flow of noxious particles and gases into our atmosphere. We drive fuel hungry cars wherever we go with little thought of the toxic gases they release. We use up renewable resources faster that we can replace them and finite resources at an alarming rate.
Whether or not one believes in global warming or the environmental changes brought on by the �greenhouse gases,� one can not deny the fact that we are making a mess of our planet. We can not swim in many parts of the oceans and many lakes due to pollution. We are often choked by smog. Our plants and wildlife are killed off by acid rain and toxins that we release into the environment. We have to worry about eating fish and other seafood due to mercury content. And we seem largely ignore the problem.
Our government has failed to enact any meaningful legislation to curb the problems. There are even global environmental summits that we practically derail single-handedly.
This is not an easy issue, but it is one that can not be ignored any longer. There are many who argue against strict environmental regulations. Industries and manufacturers scream that the changes needed would be to expensive and would drive them out of business. They claim that countries that do not restrict industrial pollution would have an unfair financial advantage in the global market. With like arguments they have managed to take the teeth out of the EPA and have their way with our environment. And we have pretty much let this go on unchallenged. But the bottom-line is that, once our planet is inhospitable to life, they will all be out of business. While I do not think this will happen in my life time, it will happen if we continue down the current road.
We are not guilt free. We need to change the way we consume. We need to use durable goods and decrease our dependence on disposable goods. We need to slow down the rate at which we fill landfills. We need to develop disposable goods that are biodegradable. An effort needs to be made to find ways to clean up our landfills and maybe process the waste so that if can be useful in some way. We need to push for change and accept it, even when it means we must change the way we live. It will not be easy, so it is easier to ignore the problem.
The Middle-East