More evidence of the unsustainable world we live in. The main reason for cutting down the Amazon for farms, is a) exploding population
No, it isn't. It is common for us to blame environmental problems on overpopulation, but if you actually look at who has the biggest impact on the environment, it's industrialized countries, where populations are stable or sometimes even in decline. That means North America, Western Europe, and Australia. The areas such as Latin America and Africa where the population is exploding actually contribute to environmental degradation far less than we do. The main reason for cutting down the Amazon for farms is because of the demands for beef from the fast food industry, which is mostly a U.S. thing. It isn't humans who are the problem; it's the consumerist, disposable lifestyle that we live in the most "developed" countries. And ironically, most "environmentalists" live in these "developed" countries and yet are telling other countries what they should be doing.
Lilithu my issue with a lot of humanity is the lack of concern for the future.
I agree that we are generally not concerned for the future. But again, neither are other animals.
I've had many debates here with people who don't seem to understand just how dangerously poised we are in terms of global sustainability. Its quite hard to explain. The chip on my shoulder results from politicians (in many cases) refusing to accept facts because its inconvenient or because it wont help them.
To get back on track somehwat, i think humans live in luxery and we do so because we can. So many of us (sadly me included) take more than we need. Because we are superior in some ways to other living things we take more than we need.
I'm repeating this because I think it's important: it's not humans per se who are doing this. It's
US. You in Australia and me in the U.S. And it's not everyone in the U.S. and Australia (and Europe), it's those of us who are middle-to-upper-middle class. We need to change the way we live. But that doesn't translate into "humans are evil and selfish and destroy everything, etc."
As long as you continue to frame it in terms of humans versus the rest of nature, then most humans will choose humans. And in that regard we are not being any different from any other animal. We take care of our own. If you go to politicians and say, "You must choose to protect nature over the greedy humans!" of course they are going to look after the interests of the humans. It's humans who vote for them, and they are human. If you say to the average person, "You are selfish because you don't care about global warming!" most of them will not only ignore you, but react with hostility. They will see you as trying to take away their ability to provide for their families.
If you go into low-income inner city black communities and tell them "You must care about the environment!" most people will think you a liberal fuzzy-headed fool. But if you talk with them about how air pollution affects low-income and black communities more than it affects white/middle-class communities. How it contributes to astounding asthma rates, then you are talking about something that is of concern to them. If you go to working class neighborhoods in Detroit and tell them how evil cars are, most people there will think you want to take away their livelihoods. But if you talk with them about how switching to a green economy can mean jobs for their communities, then you are addressing their concerns.
It is NOT humans versus nature. We are a part of nature. And as such, what happens to it happens to us. It is in our own best interests to preserve the climate and species diversity. If you show people how it's in their own interest to do this, you will have allies instead of enemies.
, but the others who think so.
