This past winter break I traveled to Ecuador with my family. Having been to various third world countries before, my assumptions led me to believe poverty would be the center point of Ecuador's concerns. Thus, I was not only impressed but amazed to see the many ways in which Ecuador has brought environmental care and sustainability to the forefront of the country's agenda. America is supposed to be one of the greatest countries in the world yet we fail to protect our environment even with all our wealth.
That little country in red shown above is Ecuador; a small corner of South America that cares about the environment almost as much as we care about TikTok. Having parts of the Amazon Rain Forest within its borders, Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse nations in the world. The progressiveness of this country was simply astonishing to me. We have all heard of rights. There's human rights, animal rights, corporate rights, etc. Ecuador has one more set of rights than we do, however: environmental rights. That...right...Ecuador's flora and fauna have rights. For example, the environment has the right to "protection from the endangerment of native species" which means that the whole country comes together when an animal nears extinction.
(This is a spectacled bear, an adored and protected animal in Ecuador.)
On my trip, I learned of the wonderful way in which local organizations and businesses were doing their share. Some groups are hiring poor villages to plant trees. This not only helps the environment but invigorates local economies.
Oil, like in America, is quite a big deal in Ecuador. In fact, Ecuador's economy is 50% oil. Even with such a great proportion, Ecuador ensures that any human impacts on the environment are not only minimized but also paid for via environmental efforts that positively affect the environment. In the 1990s water from a nearby lake was used to supply Quito with water. After realizing that this took away a major water source from many local animals, the Ecuadorian government sanctioned the construction of a new lake nearby.
Ecuador's environmental situation has a scary past, however. In fact, Ecuador used to have one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. Not long ago, Ecuador was quickly headed in a direction of losing all the things that make it beautiful. This should not be seen in a negative light. In fact, it shows us all the changes that can be made to better the situation of the ecosystems around us. For Ecuador, it was the large scale change in mindset that made environmental issues so important. Thus, by learning more and educating more maybe we can create an America that finds a balance between human needs and environmental needs.
Discussion Questions:
1) In what ways is America failing to protect the environment?
2) Could third world countries save us all through various environmental efforts?
3)What is more important to save the environment: changes in our daily lives or government intervention?
4)Why aren't wealthy nations like our own doing enough?
Sources:
https://www.anywhere.com/ecuador/travel-guide/environmental-issues
https://rainforests.mongabay.com/20ecuador.htm
https://www.floraldaily.com/article/9007455/ecuadorian-farmers-efforts-to-be-environmentally-friendly/
https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/historic-win-by-ecuadors-waorani-could-re-shape-extraction-activities/
29 comments:
One way or reason why I feel that America and we as a people fail to save species in need or near-extinction is due to a lack of care for the environment. We seem to brush it off and save it for later generations, as those far before us did. One example of this is the excess amounts of plastic in circulation and the "Save the Turtles" slogan which has been turned into a joke. We've seen pictures and heard about the poor turtles choking on and getting stuck in and cut by these pieces yet we fail to act. I feel like we need to take a step back and reevaluate our choices and who they're hurting.
One of America's primary interests is economic welfare. It is to the extent that industrious corporations exploit natural resources and the environment in order to make profit. Since the value of profit is placed higher than environmental preservation, America fails to protect the environment. In my opinion, third-world countries can inspire first-world countries to take environmental efforts but not "save us all" because America's environment, resources, and populations are different than those of Ecuador's. If everyone made efforts to limit harmful actions towards the environment, it would be a large first step in preserving our environment since we are the #1 cause of destruction.
America has been failing to protect the environment by the way we use our resources. Wealthy nations only look and care about what's around them and not the whole world and how it's being affected. We say we care, but in reality we just put all the important things aside for later and when it gets to late to fix the problem we then start to do something about. At least once a day, on Instagram, one person post on their story about an animal in danger. After posting that, an hour or so passes and they don't care about the endangered animal anymore. If people in the world actually gives care to the world and the endangered animals, it will give animals who are going extinct to grow population again.
I think it is both changes in our daily lives and government intervention that is needed to help our environment. A major cause of pollution is our consumption habits and the waste we produce, and this can be fixed by recycling, using reusable items, and limiting our waste- in other words, our daily habits. But another major source of climate change is the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, which is something that needs government intervention in order to be fixed. I think if both these things happen, earth is well on its way towards sustainability and a stable environment.
I think government intervention is more necessary to help the environment than changing everyday practices. The government can regulate many things that people cannot, such as fossil fuel consumption and hazardous waste dumping by factories, deforestation, and even alternate sources of energy. In short, the government can make and enforce law that will help our environment flourish. Plus, they could technically also make laws that make us change our daily lives for the sake of the environment :).
This was actually a really inspiring blog. Not only America, but a lot of other countries around the world have problems with extinction amongst animals. Different animals like Rhinos and Polar Bears are losing their habitats or even just their lives due to hunting as well as climate change melting the ice caps. We as organisms sharing this planet need to be aware of the others things that dwell here. We rely on a lot of them for taking care of the environment and making sure the balance of nature stays in check. Good job Rahul! :)
America is failing to protect the environment because we take our land for granted. Every day, trees are cut down in order to make room for new buildings and houses, taking away some animal's habitats. Moreover, America spends more time thinking about its economic growth but fails to recognize the huge loss they'll face when they no longer have access to money-making resources. The U.S. could definitely model some of its environmental rules and regulations after some third world countries like Ecuador. I think the government should get involved when it comes to saving the Earth. For example, the government could regulate large scale businesses from exploiting the earth's natural resources, which would have a better effect on society. Wealthy nations like our own are just worried about making more money as saving the planet is not their top priority.
America is failing to protect the environment because we use too much of our land for development. Thousands of acres of land have been demolished to create new homes, cities, buildings, etc. This land, however, used to be a natural habitat and home to many different species. We are harming the environment becuase we are not considering the things around us. Instead, humans destroy the land around them for their own personal use. America is harming the environment because of this selfish attitude and mindset. Third world countries could not directly save us from the harm we are causing to the environment, but they could save us indirectly by helping us change our attitude about the environment. Developed countries like America can look to third world countries to see how they treat their environment and model the same behavior. By doing this, third world countries are saving environments around the world from destruction without directly making any drastic changes, just by leading by example. I think changes in our daily life can majorly help the environment. The human population is so huge now, if we all put in a little consideration and effort, we can make a huge difference for our environment. While the government can help, it is the people who have to follow the rules and make a change in their lives for the better. Wealthy nations are not doing enough because their current way of life has been successful. Not many wealthy nations care about the repercussions of their actions and choose to continue practicing bad habits that can damage the environment. Developed countries have come so far with their current way of life that it is not easy for them to find an environmentally healthy alternative.
America is a very wealthy country and it is sad to see that we can spend millions of dollars on other issues but can never do enough to help save our environment. Everyday you hear stories about wildfires, climate change, pollution, etc. However we just brush it off and do not consider it a severe threat. I think everyone should consider that just because it is not affecting us now does not mean it will not affect us in the future. We spend so much time doing things that are pointless but never take the time to make a difference in our environment. I believe that people can make a difference however it is also important for our government to aid in helping preserve our environment.
America is failing to protect the environment because it does not see it as a legitimate problem. Until the American government recognizes the threats to our environment, the environment will continue to be harmed. Government is more important to save the environment as they have the ability to pass legislation to protect endangered species, promote the use of renewable resources, and reduce pollution. Third world countries looking to save the environment can help show first world countries the importance of protecting the environment.
Our country struggles to picture the negative effects of loss of biodiversity. It is seen as not economically beneficial because the governed the does not provide the incentive to make it seem good or no company is able to find a way to profit off of it. In addition, some people do not see destruction of environments as a problem because our own government does not see it as big problem. I believe that if our government were to do something drastic to help the environment, many other countries would jump in to do their share, but that does not mean that we should not do anything. As living being that live on this Earth, it is our duty to do our best to preserve what we have on this planet.
One way America is failing to protect the environment is the extensive care we put into our own actions in terms of how it could harm the environment. This is mainly due to the lack of care or determination of everyone in the U.S. There are many organizations that are specifically created to help better the environment, so why are we trying to blame government if even us, the people, don’t take action to protect these environments. Yes, the help of the government can have a huge benefit in helping provide money to solve the endangerment of the environment but we also have the money to help protect the environments also. For example, Mr. Beast a huge YouTube creator posted on his whole social media platform to help plant trees with the organization Team Trees by asking every to help donate a dollar for a tree to be planted. He was able to get millions of others to help plant millions of trees to pass his goal of 12 million trees and at the moment is over 21 million. We care at times and might think of trying to help better the environment but we lack action to actually help environments in the U,S. And all over the world.
One reason why America is failing to protect the environment is urbanization. In the world today, as people from all over the world are moving into the cities for job opportunities, the rate of deforestation is extremely high. Many forests are being cut down to make room for houses and that is destroying our environment. As a result, species of animals are losing their habitat and are slowly becoming extinct. I believe that government intervention is more necessary to protect our environment. This is because the government has the ability to regulate things such as air and water quality by passing laws.
It is quite upsetting to see that many developed nations, including the U.S., have such large ecological footprints. The very evidence of that can be seen in our class ecological footprint quizzes. Not one student in the class had a sustainable ecological footprint (where only one Earth was necessary if everyone lived like the individual). This demonstrates that because we may have not individually faced the adversity that climate change brings, we are desensitized to it and seem to care less about our wastefulness and extravagance of life.
The fact that America can’t protect the environment is shocking. It is such a developed country and they can’t preserve the environment. The American government has to place laws that help preserve the environment. The government has the power to enforce these new set of rules. Americans can be humbled if they knew the conditions of the people living in third world countries. If Americans realize the conditons the people in third world countries face, then they can focus on helping other countries grow.
America fails to protect the environment through the excessive use of automobiles and manufacturing. Both of these release excess carbon into the air which harms our earth's temperatures and ultimately can destroy habitats and lives of many. Third world countries could save us because they are the resource of most of our daily needs such as trees and water and luxuries such as oil. We rely on third world countries to give us many resources. I believe that changes in our daily environment are more important because as much as the government or any other person can enforce something it’s not going to get done unless you do it yourself and make that change. If we make small daily changes then they will eventually add up and go a long way. Wealthy nations are not doing enough because we are so reliant on these luxuries such as automobiles and electricity that we will do anything to have them in our lives. This means depleting resources and increasing carbon monoxide just for our own good. We try to maintain the lifestyles that we are so privileged and used to and we don’t think about the later consequences. We aren’t environmentally friendly because it will disrupt the routine of wealthy nations.
One way in which America fails to protect the environment is its excessive release of carbon dioxide. In the United States, a majority of the population uses personal automobiles instead of using public transportation, which immensely increases the amount of CO2 being released.
Our Country fails to prioritize its call to action in an attempt to preserve our ecosystems and environment. An ongoing trend that can be seen, especially in the younger generations, is the failure to act upon the recognized issues. For example, the current bush-fire crisis in Australia has sparked many young adults to post about fires on social media. All this does is bring attention to the crisis while not exactly acting to fix it. Preserving and saving the environment is only a global effort as we need to work together in repairing the harm done. I believe it is more important for government intervention to help preserve the environment because, in general, people cannot be held accountable. I think some nations, especially the wealthy ones, do not act upon the crisis because it does not currently affect them or at least not in a major way.
I think America is failing to protect the environment by the lack of initiative taken by the officials we put into office to establish more conservative environmental efforts nation wide. Pruitt and the Trump organization are making a harmful heritage by overlooking set up science and assaulting our foundation natural laws, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and the Clean Car Standards. Pruitt and his associates like to call these rollbacks "deregulation" or "streamlining." But no doubt about it: Pruitt's activities to debilitate ecological assurances will in a general sense and unfavorably influence both the earth of the United States and the general soundness of Americans. Under Pruitt, the EPA is in any event, overlooking glaring and prominent principle infringement. For instance, this week points the fourth commemoration of the Flint Water Crisis. We as of late discovered that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality discovered 28 water tests in primary schools there in February that enrolled over the government lead utmost of 15 sections for every billion. But then the EPA is attempting to loosen up clean water guidelines.
I think that due to the massive size of the US compared to Ecuador, the Government by itself ,no matter how much effort put in, would not be able to change our focus to preserving the environment. If every citizen made a small change in their day to today life however, i feel that the US’ environment would be immensely affected due to the increased attention it is receiving. Citizens in the US have more power to change than the government and if everyone in the US was educated on the need to enforce greater environmental care, the US could create not only a more sustainable country but also a more sustainable planet.
America is failing to protect the environment simply because most U.S. citizens are careless about it. California, on the other hand, has been trying to save the environment by limiting the usage of plastic bags and gasoline, but most other states don’t really care about it. In order for us to save the environment, it’s important for us to change the way we spend usually spend energy. I also believe that government should take serious action to protect the environment and to beware of irreversible consequences, such as deforestation in Amazon Rainforest and Australia Wildfires.
One way America is failing to protect the environment is by being reliant on easy methods of living, such as using cars for short distance travels, depending on fast food, and buying excessive items. I think not only only third world countries, but all countries can save us through various environmental efforts. It is easy to publicize and support globally green movements, but applying them is far more difficult. In order to make the environment sustainable, simple daily measures can be practiced, such as buying food locally, walking or biking short distances, and simply reusing anything that can be reused,(cardboard boxes, store containers, etc).I think a combination of lifestyle change and government intervention is crucial to protect the environment. Although changing little things in routines can be significant, government intervention is necessary for regulating the amount of pollution that accumulates on the planet. For example, state and federal governments have the power to enact compulsory environmental laws, which can be helpful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions of major companies, prohibiting littering, and protecting state/national parks.I think wealthy nations are driven by economic success, power, and status. Success could mean more to them than littering, chopping trees, and destroying a piece of land to create a skyscraper. It is a wonderful quality to have ambition, but not to the point of greed. A small change in mindset can revolutionize the way we see success, as not only for us, but for the planet too.
I think that we need change in both government regulation and in our daily lives. I think that changes in our daily lives will be a better long term solution for deforestation. I believe that in order to make permanent change we need to change our attitude towards deforestation. Obviously, everybody is generally against deforestation but I think that the overall attitude is that it is not that important. We need to make small changes in our daily lives so that we can be reminded the impact that we are making on the rainforest. Governmental regulation ensures that there will be change and I think that is important as well, it is the first step towards greater change.
I agree that loss of biodiversity is currently one of the most dangerous environmental issues plaguing our planet. I also agree that many countries, including the United States, are currently not doing enough to help protect the environment. However, I do not believe that the intervention of governments, however wealthy or not, is capable of singlehandedly saving the earth from this crisis. In fact, when it comes to “America” failing to protect the environment, I don’t think the blame should go to the American government, but the citizens of the United States themselves. The truth is that many of the causes of this loss of biodiversity simply cannot be solved by a federal republic government like that of the United States. Can the American government outlaw all production/consumption of pollutants, including plastics, most forms of clothing, and many items that Americans rely on for their daily lives? Can it ban all citizens from letting their pets roam freely outdoors? Can it require that all Americans only purchase goods from the very few operations in the world with strictly sustainable practices? Well I guess technically it COULD, but only if the general population is willing to switch to a totally authoritarian government. Furthermore, a quick bout of research on biodiversity loss across the globe shows that Ecuador, the third world country that is currently being praised for its government’s excellent environmental saving efforts, is also home to the highest amount of organisms at risk of becoming extinct in the entire world, with a shocking number of 2,301 species. To be fair, the USA is in second place with a still large number of 1,278, but comparing the sizes of these two countries shows the extremity of Ecuador’s current status.
Before you ask, I would like to say that all hope is NOT lost, but my general message is quite harsh- blaming the governments of first world countries for the Earth’s loss of biodiversity is just an excuse that enables us citizens to be lazy and continue living our comfortable lives in the same destructive way we always have. This is not to say that the passion of citizens pushing the government to be more environmentally conscious is wrong- we should always strive to modernize the government’s ideals. But the only way real change is going to be made is by us as individuals choosing to change parts of our own lives. Unless we collectively decide to make these changes, the Earth as we know it is going to be destroyed before our very eyes. It won’t be a piece of cake, but if each and every one of us is passionate and actually makes an effort, we can save the world.
In America, it is very difficult to protect the environment because countless factors get in the way, like size and population. One of the biggest reasons is that American people have depleted resources since Columbus led Europeans here, and now it might be too late. Our soil is depleted, many of our wildlife areas are gone, and people inhabit almost every part of the country. At this point, it would take more time, money, and effort to save our environment than most people are willing to put foward. Most people would rather take the easy way and continue to drive cars everywhere and buy fast fashion, but that is not a sustainable way of living and must stop if we want to save the country for future generations.
The United States’ mentality that puts economic interests before environmental ones holds the country back from being as environmentally friendly as Ecuador. While the United States more than has the means to follow in Ecuador’s footsteps the cost of of doing so in a country as large and populous as the United States would likely cost millions of dollars. The problem in the United States is that most people and the government are not willing to take on that kind of economic commitment for a greener environment.
I think that government intervention is extremely important for the preservation of our environment. It doesn’t matter if a certain number of individuals change their way of life, because there will always be those people or big corporations who will utilize and harm the environment for money. But with intervention from the government, for example laws and acts that prohibit harming the environment, it will put an obstacle in the way of these horrible people that will actually work. Because some people are so greedy that even if the majority is acting better and watching their actions, they will always be there disrupting the environment as long as there is no real laws prohibiting them otherwise.
America is fundamentally lacking in all means necessary to protect the environment, far too often legislature and society favors large corporations who are destroying our environment over nature preservation organizations who seek change. It is sad seeing, as you mentioned, a third-world country having more economic guidelines than the world's largest superpower. Third world countries could definitely not save the world alone, through a global initiative and plan of action, the USA and all members of the UN need to band together and seek change. Wealthy nations far too often see the wrong type of green. Money. In the capitalistic societies of the world, we are far too often eager for economic gain than actually doing the right thing.
I don’t think as a country we are doing our very best to protect the environment. America has a strong habit of expanding new developments and taking up more and more land. Government intervention would have a much larger and more meaningful impact on the country because it would influence more people to join in when they see that the government cares too. They could also enforce more laws that decrease harm to the environment and ensure a safer quality of life for humans and animals.
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