The climate change

What are the reasons for not doing everything we possibly can to help saving our planet?

The latest years research after research have emphasized the need for a big change in the world’s attitude towards pollution. The global warming is increasing more rapidly than expected and we can already see the consequences as floods, hurricanes and landslides are more frequent than earlier years. Still there are many people who seem not to realize that we all need to take responsibility and work together in order to slow down and eventually stop this dangerous development. What excuses do we have for not doing everything we possibly can to help saving our planet?

One excuse I’ve heard from several friends is that it isn’t really as bad as scientists say. The changes in the climate are just a natural change, they say, which has occurred earlier. During periods of time it will get warmer and then it will get cooler again. I find this argument very hard to believe, and if people read more about this they would find out that this kind of changes have not occurred earlier, and at least not this rapidly.

Although there are some ignorant people, I think most of us today are aware of the situation. But even though we are concerned it is sometimes very hard to change habits and stop doing things we are used to. For instance many families travel abroad at least once a year and are also used to having access to one or two cars. Having to take the train is for some people a major change, a change that might affect their life a great deal, and that is perhaps not an option. Maybe that would force people to move in to the bigger cities, closer to the jobs, to make every day life run smoother. The climate change hasn’t affected us that much yet that we are willing to give up our comfortable lives, and luxury habits.

A third reason for the slow change in people’s behaviours might be that in order to live climate friendly we need to do things in another way, as mentioned above. Often that is, at least to start with, more time consuming than the ways we are used to do things. Taking care of garbage and recycling as much as possible isn’t difficult but it takes some time and today time is something we have very little of.

I’m afraid I can’t say I’m an expert in this area, nor can I say that I do everything I possibly can to help stopping the global warming. Although I’d rather travel by train than by plane, I have to admit that it has more to do to my fear of flying than to me feeling responsibility for the climate change. I don't know what it takes to make all of us realizing that we have to start acting now, instead of making silly excuses for our lazy behaviours and lack of time. If we don't, I’m afraid that soon the planet won’t have much time left either.