Giant Leaps

The United States prides itself on making things easy, the convenience of frozen food for a “homemade meal,” the self-check out at supermarkets to speed the process and the movies-on-demand feature virtually on every television. People in this country look for efficiency and speed with minimal effort, unfortunately that attitude has been passed down when faced with solutions to the environmental problem. Like Maniates states, the “easy” solutions are given to the masses. It is the small steps that are being promoted, like recycling or turning off your lights. It is only on a rare occasion that a suggestion so long term and lifestyle changing is brought to the forefront of public inspection.

Manietes recognizes the easy solutions that people are offered and points out the grand effect these solutions promise. However, he brings audiences back to reality: little effort will bring about little changes. The easy solutions will not stop the hole in the ozone layer from expanding and it will certainly not lessen the amount of carbon emissions. The only way the damage to the environment can be stopped or reversed is by major upheavals. The American public is being underestimated and treated like a child. Authors of self-help books give the public on the surface solutions. While these solutions should be implemented and adopted to spread to younger generations, the notion that these small steps are enough is not one that should enforced. Consumer consciousness will not save the planet, nor will it make a significant difference.

The public needs to be informed about the severity of the problem. They can no longer be underestimated and fooled that small easy steps will make a substantial difference. In order for change to occur, information must be disclosed and presented to the public in a way that they can understand. To a certain extent, authors and scholars need to scare the public about the horrendous state of the environment. They need to tell them the hard steps and the lifestyle changing activities that need to happen to see a change. The problem can no longer be hidden behind spiral light bulbs and reusable grocery bags. The environmental movement is on the rise and must be taken advantage of. The easy path is no longer acceptable, the small steps will not do enough to help; the easy path has been taken long enough and there is minimal to show for it.

Like Maniates explains we are ready to be held accountable. It is time we learn about the devastation we have caused to the planet and change our lives drastically to reverse what we have done. We have driven our planet to a place where there is no longer easy steps to help it. We must expect to be told the truth and handle the grim situation of the environment. We must expect our leaders to tell us the whole story and the hardship that we will face to fix it. It is no longer acceptable or tolerable to think that small choices in our daily lives will make a significant impact. It is time to be treated like adults and pay for our actions that have caused the gradual depletion of our planet.