Jacob Labatut and Dale Melancon April 26, 2010 Second Period Making the Change: Environmentalism on the

Rise Many people have started to notice the current condition of our planet, and many are not satisfied with what they have found. Many have realized that if things do not start to improve, the world, and all that inhabit it, will be at threat of extinction. It is clear that something beneficial needs to occur to improve our planets living conditions. In order to maintain a sustainable planet, organic farming, the Green Jobs Act, and carbon offsets are simple solutions to the pollution planet. The first method of going green is organic farming. In the 1990s, organic farming increased in Europe, and organic farm products doubled in the United States (Gardener). Most countries around the world are starting to use organic farming methods because of reduced farming costs, laws by government, and the demand of organic foods (Gardener). In organic farming chemicals are not being used, causing less water and soil pollution (Gardener). Because of the growing popularity of organic farming, people are not as concerned about the safety of food (Gardener). This is helping the environment become safer and more of a green habitat for humans and animals. The government is realizing that the environment needs to be more green. Congress passed a bill called the Green Jobs Act. This gives $125 million to make the workforce more environmentally friendly and train thousands of people for green-collar jobs (Shekar and

Nguyen). Laws that educate citizens will help people realize the harm they are causing. The poor people living in harsh areas are being affected the most by pollution. Because of the climate crisis, views of the environment can be changed away from a free enterprise system to a more fair and reasonable economy (Shekar and Nguyen). Another simple solution is the purchase of carbon offsets. Everyday, people do activities which put carbon dioxide in the air (Gallagher). A carbon offset is not really a physical item, but more of an action, which takes carbon dioxide out of the air. Some examples would be planting trees or making large-scale manufacturing more efficient (Gallagher). Carbon offsets are feasible solutions which are made very accessible to the public. Less effective offsets are cheaper than the more reliable ones (Gallagher). However, any offsets can help make some kind of difference. Many people are concerned about the effectiveness of carbon offsets in the United States. Some governmental officials are worried about the affects of carbon dioxide and the lack of availability of offsets to the public. The offsets may not have a noticeable effect on the environment because of the severity of the carbon dioxide issue. Magazines and articles state that people are concerned about what they have done to the environment. But in reports from 2005 and 2007, 3% of the population had no opinion of environmentalism (Gallup Organization). Even though this is a small percentage, it is still a major issue for the environment. Green consumerism is a problem for the environment in todays society. An anthropologists, Frank Furedi, released the following statement: so although green consumerism appears to represent a rejection of materialism, in practice it is no less preoccupied with buying things than are those brand junkies chasing the latest fashionable products (Furedi). Furedi

means that even though it appears there is a deeper meaning in buying green products, the purpose of consuming such products is completely superficial and only related to the social status of the consumer. Furedi argues that people only purchase green items out of concern for their own image to the public and not for the environment (Furedi). It seems like people only care about themselves and not the environment. In 2005, 28% of the population thought that the environmental movement was more detrimental than beneficial, compared to 31% in 2007 (Gallup Organization). It is easy to see that many efforts are being made to decrease anthropogenic effects. It is clear that people need to make some kind of change in order to maintain a planet on which humans can survive. With the simplicity and availability of solutions, there are no reasons as to why our planet needs to remain in the current state it is in. Environmental radicalists have the correct purpose but they often get carried away. The solutions are presented in front of everyone, but everyone has the responsibility to make the right choice.

We have neither given nor received any information on this paper, nor have we seen anyone else do so. Dale Melancon __________________________ Jacob Labatut ___________________________