Disco

I don’t think anything will happen if we try to appeal to (wo)man’s better nature. We’re a greedy group, humans. Self-interest is in our hearts, I sometimes think. There’s an exception to every rule of course, and all of us have our moments of good nature and concern for others, some more than others. But if this was the case the majority of the time, why would we still be confronting these environmental issues of concern? People are constantly out there, spreading the message of global climate change, sustainability, whatever. It’s not like we, as people, are oblivious to the issues. We know people are concerned, we know they have their reasons, their proof, but overall we’re still not acting as decisively and efficiently as we probably should be, and this is because it’s not possible for us as a whole to think outside ourselves and loved ones. I guess that I think this is because everybody has different interests, emotions, religious beliefs, personal stature, wealth, or lack of it, for us to be able to appeal to the better nature of the population since I think all of our “better natures� are different, and to appeal to all of them would be a feat fit for the gods. We can’t possibly appeal to everybody’s better nature, so we resort to appealing to their self-interest. This is by far the best way to go, because I do believe most people place higher values on prosperity (both monetary and social). Incentives are a great way to keep people away from doing what hurts the environment, or to keep them doing what’s good for it. Tax break for those who recycle? I’m there! A multi-million dollar reward for coming up with a solution to the carbon dioxide situation? I’m sure anybody who knows anything about the atmosphere, engineering, and chemistry has at least contemplated possible solutions, if not experimented with them. Appealing to people’s self interest is a good way to get people to move, think, and do, more so than appealing to their better nature