Why do they ask 'why?'?

Question

Why should we conserve? Why is green good? Why should I believe decades worth of research on climate change? Why should I care? Why should I turn off the light, lower the air conditioner, drive a hybrid ......

Has the general public tuned out and dropped out? Are there enough good people out there to get the right degrees, do the research, implement policy, write letters, vote, etc.

Answer 1

I believe in conserving probably more than the average person. Like if you don't need it then don't buy it. And if you can get everything done in one trip with your vehicle don't make 2 or 3. Only use the AC when it's extremely hot otherwise open a window. Reuse and reduce waste all the way.

And I do believe in climate change. It's been going on like ( forever ), I guess I'm not a good person in your mind if I'm not willing to trust automatically the the people you say that want to implement policy.

I see these people as wanting to be the elitists that run everything and they will look down on us as the ( little people ).

I'm not willing to sell our collective soul to them and create a new type of ruling class.

Ones that can afford carbon credits and live well and then there will be the rest of us.

Answer 2

I live in Texas and it's disgusting here. My mom, was too embarrassed to be seen with me carrying a tote bag to the grocery store! Heaven forbid I believe in GW or care about the environment. (No offense if you're Christian) but they'll believe in something no one has any real evidence for or proof of but it's considered stupid to believe in something there are scientific tests for and pictures/video's of effects already taking place!

I agree with the first answerer. The ones who argue that it's not happening want to live in denial so they can use whatever resources they want, guilt-free, and have an excuse not to inconvenience themselves by recycling or MAYBE USING A DIFFERENT KIND OF BAG FOR GROCERIES!

Answer 3

Interesting question.  My guess is that people who ask these 'why' questions are generally selfish.  They're hoping there's no good answer so that they can continue living their wasteful lives guilt-free.

There are certainly enough people doing climate and environmental research, but there are not enough people who are willing to accept and act on their conclusions.  If there were, we'd have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by now.  Hopefully that will change as more and more people acknowledge the reality of our environmental impact.

Answer 4

In general, the average person does not believe politicians, government, Politically Correct Groupies, Hollywood, or the media anymore because they have been fooled so many times.

Therefore, WHY should we believe you?

Answer 5

I honestly think environmental awareness is improving.  I think two things are contributing to the perception that there is a "tune out and drop out" attitude on this issue occurring:

*That we are daily being hit with environmental news that is "less" than upbeat.

*We elected Bush not once, but twice (not to politicize this question).

You have to move your perception to see the good news in the first point.  The volume of news (last week NBC Nightly News had an environmentally related story on almost every night) indicates that the good people are out there getting the degrees; doing the research; writing the papers; getting them published; and getting ATTENTION from the media.

While much of the news is going to be disappointing (global warming won't end overnight) there is growing awareness -- resulting in a swing of public opinion and action being taken.

When Bush was first "elected" one of his first appointments was Christine Whitman to head the EPA.  That's like leaving Norm from "Cheers" in charge of the bar.  I think for a time environmentalists in this country were pretty disheartened.

They rallied around Gore, who had the chance to become or first environmental president since Teddy Roosevelt.  They didn't stumble after his loss though.  The swing of the House (and realistically of the Senate) has as much to do with Iraq as  it does with the administration's failures at home -- including the environment.

Membership is up in environmental and conservation groups across the country.  More people now think global warming is happening than don't.  This topic has come up at EVERY presidential debate.

The tide is turning -- just very slowly.  Consider Yahoo! alone... a year ago sections like this didn't exist.  Yahoo! has even opened up an entire section devoted to JUST the environment.

I think we're winning the battle... question is do we have enough time left?