Depressing

Hey all

My name is Lisa Ailloud. I’m a senior at AU double majoring in Environmental Studies and Marine Science (yes, this major does exist at AU..!). I was born and raised in Lyon, France, and moved to the US for College, three years ago. I was therefore brought up in a very different environment where public transportation is the easiest way to get anywhere and where the environment, seeing that France is in the European Union, is the center of most political debates. Even though France is a 1rst world country, people’s attitude towards the environment differs a lot form that of mainstream Americans. French people drive smaller cars, take baskets or reusable bags to the grocery store since plastic bags have been banned, and go to the local outdoor market several times a week. The US, on the other hand has a much stronger culture of mass consumption, mainly due to its historical background.

I was told during my entire childhood to turn off the water when I brush my teeth, switch off the lights when I leave a room, turn off the water when I shampoo my hair, etc. So when I started living in the AU dorms and saw half the girls on my floor leave the water running while brushing their teeth, it drove me crazy! Similarly, when I went to visit my friend in Houston I was confused as to why we drove the car everywhere. But I soon realized that the way houses were built made it impossible for people to walk anywhere. Back home, houses in city and suburbs (not so much in the countryside) have at least one marketplace, post office, and a bakery close enough for individuals to walk there.

Therefore, I think the issue at stake isn’t that Americans are less environmentally conscious but the way society is structured makes it very hard for individuals to lead more environmentally friendly lifestyles. If farmer’s markets were cheaper and more abundant and plastic bags banned in supermarkets most people would embrace these changes and lead more sustainable lifestyles.

Reading Fish’s blog gives me the same feeling I have when think of how much water flows during the 180 seconds my friend brushes her teeth. It depresses me and makes me sick. And it’s when I read such testimonies that I start to lose hope that we’ll ever save the planet. I spent 6 months in Tanzania last year living with local families where I had no choice but to use water instead of toilet paper, accept that there was no electricity between 7pm and 7am (when the system worked) and cleaned my hands with water rather than a paper towel during meals. My friends and I could have fought the change, bought some toilet paper at the supermarket but we didn’t. We accepted the change because we knew that wherever that paper would end up would have disastrous impacts on the environment. Especially in Stone Town where there was no sign of any waste management plan. If the Earth’s population all had that same attitude, we would slowly but surely climb back up the slope and move towards healthier ecosystems, more plentiful fisheries and cleaner air. Yet, as Fish proves us, there are still a lot of people out there who are scared of change and don’t think the Earth is worth their time or money. People who “resist and resent the demands made on [them] by environmental imperatives“ and “just want to inhabit it as comfortably as possible for as long as [they] have.” All I can say to that is that I hope these people don’t have children or these children will forever hold bitterness towards them for thinking about themselves and themselves only.

I agree with Lucy that it would be nice to think that the majority of people care about the environment but what scares me the most is that environmental unconsciousness is no longer a question of education. People know, they just prefer to look away. I may be very pessimistic but I personally don't give our civilization much long before it destroys itself if that attitude doesn't change.