Some people are so defensive of Greta Thunberg because they think her tantrum was necessary to alert people on environmental issues. I however believe her speech is based on a myth: when you talk of saving the environment, it must include climate change. Either you’re with Thunberg or you’re an enemy of environmentalism. Not for me. I believe we can separate the issue of climate change (as well as global warming) from other environmental issues.
My angle for this is that people will be most concerned about what affects their immediate area. The poisoning of Flint, Michigan’s water sources won’t concern most Filipinos. But what if our drinking water providers one day announce that their water had been poisoned? Probably everyone in Manila will become an environmentalist.
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But that’s people for you. Climate change won’t concern most Filipinos, but then trash that washed from a nearby creek during Ondoy will. And I believe that is the better way to address environmentalism. If you want to teach people about environmental issues, best focus on what’s in it for the local populace.
You can tell people to stop throwing trash in the city’s waterways because it’ll swamp them during storm surges. Tell them to reduce smoke emission in cars and such because smoke can trigger asthma and other such diseases. The reasons for reducing pollution need not be climate change, but because the poisons can affect us directly. There are many processes that can lead to environmental damage without going through climate change, and I say those are more important.
However, when it comes to steps to take, Thunberg’s ilk are thinking of big-time punitive measures, such as taxing people who use fossil fuels, or that carbon tax. Punitive measures are best reserved for things such as companies having a toxic waste pipe that drains into the ocean. But the carbon tax is draconian; you’re punishing people for doing every day things, such as moving around or cooking. The better step would be incentives, such as tax breaks, for businesses that apply significant environmentally friendly steps, such as reducing fossil fuels on their own or coming up with less polluting technology.
Back to the concept of climate change; the debate is whether it is manmade or natural. Thunberg’s ilk believe in the manmade theory. I believe however there will be more scientists who will dispute this, following the lead of Mototaka Nakamura. Climate change initiatives are expected to have trillions of dollars pumped into them. So if it turns out that the manmade theory is wrong, and the wrong steps were taken, money and time would be wasted. Instead of spending of punitive measures against government and companies, development of food that could withstand harsher climates (the infamous Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO was such an effort), as an example, would be better.
Mototaka Nakamura, the climate scientist who made a 360 and said climate forecast models are junk
Talking of environmental issues without climate change is not just an issue of rhetoric. It is about a whole concept that humanity’s actions are thought to be able to control the climate. But that’s almost like the conspiracy theory that a certain facility (HAARP) is used as a weather machine to change our weather. Both ascribe something like magical powers to humanity. I now believe that we should avoid giving humanity too much credit (or power). And if climate change does happen (from natural causes), we should know how to react to it, and not try to control it.
In addition, environmental problems have a wider range of causes than some think. Case in point, the loads of squatters around the city. They are among the greatest polluters. To reduce pollution, some will say one solution particular to our situation is that you have to reduce the polluters. How that can be done, I’ll leave it to your imagination.
Thus, environmental issues don’t have to be so large or alarmist just to get something done. People have to know what’s in it for them, or else they will not be interested. An alarmist “how dare you” is more likely to drive people off, and only gives off the idea that you’re a punker making arrogant insults to others. There are better ways to teach people about environmental issues, and Thunberg’s (or Greg Diez’) bluster isn’t one of them.
I believe, as my cohorts here do, that what Filipinos embrace as their culture is what actually pulls the country down. And those who seem to be anti-dictators, who may also believe themselves to be “heroes,” are the real dictators.
It’s just all about media sensationalizing another activist into a form of “David and Goliath” story in what could one day be turn into a movie since many movie watchers are just getting pretty darn tired of all these superhero movies, so why not create a true-to-life hero movie.
Left and Right activists are all the same to me, just a left and right activists elite, what they have in common is that they have a habit of looking for a sacrificial lamb.
you sure movie goers are getting tired of superhero movies? or are you just being mema?
No I’m not sure, but I’m sure many are just getting pretty darn tired of all these superhero movies, or maybe I’m just being a mema, for whatever that means.
The environment affects climate change….The way Planet Earth is treated by its inhabitants, triggers the “evolution ” of rapid changes in our Planet Earth. There are many factors and variables that are not known to us, that causes these Planet Earth changes. Some are manmade…some are from outer space…some are from our universe and galaxy…
The extinction of the dinosaurs and other ancient animals are good example. These large predatory creatures have to go…to give way to the advancement of civilization of human beings.
In theory, the extinction, was caused by a meteor, that hit Planet Earth, which caused a serious climate change…plants that provided food for these gigantic animals, were gone. So, they all died and become extinct.
If we on Planet Earth is hit again by a wayward meteor…then, we surely cannot prevent climate change…
We hope, if this happen, we will not become extinct, like the dinosaurs…
The small insect, the cockroach is a “great survivalist”…it has been on Planet Earth, since the time of dinosaurs…it is small; it can run fast; and it eats anything, including human waste and other animal waste.
I am not asking anyone to become a cockroach…
These leftist – liberal drama of climate change is nothing more than a “political showtime” of those so called ,”environmentalists”…They go from country to country, including the United Nations, to peddle their climate alarm, that we are all in danger , because of climate change…
“The sky is falling !”…”The sky is falling !”…”The sky is falling !”…
Whatever happen to our universe and our galaxy…we cannot do anything about it. However, please love and treat , “Mother Earth”, with love and respect, because it is our home. Unless, you are an idiot: you will pollute and destroy your home !
Nice comment, @333Hyden963Toro99999 but this is what the NATURE of humanity is. We’re not really perfect but our imperfection is really a curse to us since the start of the Ice Age. And you could imagine how our ancestors during the Ice Age had started to ruin our planet like the best example is how they ULTIMATELY killed the Wolly Mammoth & became extinct afterwards: https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/prehistoric-humans-hunted-mammoths-0011362
Now how could Ms. Thunberg gonna explain on this one. Maybe her GREAT (repeat that word 10x) ancestors had committed that crime before. ?
Thanks…
She’s a perfect puppet propped by billionaires, politicians, and celebrities who have the same politics, and the people who fanatically push her are the laziest “saviors of the world” I’ve seen.
Closing, I think she’s gonna set for life with the amount of monetary support she has by reading her speech, line by line that Severn Cullis-Suzuki did in 1992 while trying to be act emotional with her face that fails to account for her autism so you’ll get a scowl and attempt to be sad.
Great Article as usual ChinoF, I been reading GRP Articles for a month and your my favorite writer of them all. Keep it up ??
Yeah, they keep wasting time protesting instead of using to do that will actually help the environment. Besides, money talks, those oil companies and their CEO’s will just be deaf because their keep earning money
In the Philippines we still have issues with the amount of consumption and creation of garbage and the lack of proper trash management and recycling, we still have failures in educating and preparing rural provincial towns on the costs of landslides and how to prevent them while companies can get away scot-free from responsibility, and the greatest challenge, managing our water resources and non-existent sewer system. How about focus on those than make everyone walk 40 kilometers when we finally stop using fossil fuels.