Ignorance and Selfishness causes environment problems

gbh

I think most intelligent people would see that if we dont change our lifestyles and cut back on our car engine sizes, our foreign holidays and short hop weekend breaks then we are building up trouble for ourselves in the future.

But it seems a lot of people who aren't so intelligent still can't make the link between their behaviour and damage to the environment. What can be done to change their attitudes? These people think we live in a wonderland or a fairytale world where everything lasts forever or are Jeremy Clarkson types who love big cars and call you a Green Fascist if you suggest the need to cut our use of fossil fuel.

I think most people could point out at least one such person in their circle of aquaintances.

Glowing

I think it's a big factor alright. Perhaps many people are ignoring the issue because they know they'll have to make lifestyle changes, and its easier to feign ignorance.

Also, what good is it to reduce our car sizes, recycle etc, when there are huge coal factories opening up in China every day? Its a drop in the ocean, and unless these big corporations can set an example, things aren't going to change.

silverharp

It’s not a question of intelligence, and I don’t think it has to be a moral issue for an individual, a person in the west could come to the decision that his individual actions are meaningless or that any cuts his society make will be more then offset by developments in Asia. If you want to motivate people it has to come by arguing sustainability for the individual his children or his society. For example on a top down basis what Ireland does as a nation will not affect global warming, however now is the time if it’s not too late to ask how do we make this little country work is we don’t have access to cheap resources in the future. From the individual’s point of view, the “clever” ones will be making changes in their lifestyles that will help them in the future regardless of what the political response is. In my own case I now live 5min walk from work, gone from 2 cars down to 1 and have an annual mileage of about 2k, have cut down on buying out of season food and am learning to grow more in the garden.

Glowing

Good point.

What i'd love to see is a drive towards affordable kits to generate electricity for home use. We probably can't generate 100% of what we need, but with a push for more efficient heating/refrigeration etc, we might be able to come somewhat close.

This country has such a reliance on the ESB - its not going to leave us in a good position with regard to both fosil fuels running out and emmisions.