Social Factors Affecting Environmental Problems

• Respect and love for the environment is the first step to real environmental change.happy people image by drx from Fotolia.com
  
  No other species has created as much for art, invention and scientific discovery as humans. No other species has caused as much environmental damage as well. Humans have made a supreme impact on earth for better and for worse. To make a real impact on environmental change people must understand why they behave the way they do and make changes starting from the inside out.
  
  

Speciesism

• Introduced by Peter Singer in his 1975 book "Animal Liberation," the concept of "speciesism" refers to "a prejudice or bias in favor of the interests of members of one's own species and against those of members of other species." It is the belief that human life is superior and more valuable than other forms of life on earth. Speciesisim justifies the unchecked use, manipulation, destruction and killing of other lifeforms and landforms in order to satisfy even the most trivial of human desires. Speciesism, therefor, is a problematic societal factor in affecting positive environmental change. Only a holistic understanding of the intrinsic interdependence of all species on earth helps solidify the necessity for respect of all life forms. All humans, plants and animals depend on each other to survive and maintain a healthy balanced ecosystem. By destroying the natural resources of one species the whole is adversely affected.
  
  

Consumerism

• According to the Worldwatch Institute's "State of the World 2004: Special Focus: The Consumer Society," consumerism is an unsustainable way of life. It places unnecessarily heavy demands on natural resources and does not allow enough time for regrowth. High demands encourage unsustainable production methods causing large amounts of pollution and destruction to the environment. Consumerism also promotes inequality amongst the human population. Chapter one of "State of the World: 2004" states that 60 percent of the world's consumption is used by only 12 percent of the world's population while 2.8 billion people struggle to survive on two dollars a day. If the consumer mentality evolved to more sustainable methods of production improvements in both social and environmental change would follow suit.
  
  

Big Business

• The Washington Post, February 2011 article titled "House GOP Targets Obama Regulations" states that chief executive officers of major corporations are opposed to the new environmental government regulations to curb carbon dioxide emissions from big businesses because they fear it will hinder "job creation and economic recovery." Radical changes in big business production methods could initially eliminate jobs that are contributing to the destruction of the water, air and land. Adhering to strict environmental regulations could also cost corporations billions of dollars to institute sustainable production methods, endangering thousands of jobs. For these reasons, the White House and corporate executives strive to reach a balance between the corporate world and the world of conservation and protection.