November 21, 2016 - 16:42
"I began to realize that even my what if thoughts were idelistic.... [it] is almost too much to ask that everyone change and do better now. I realize that once you are set in your ways, that you develop certain habits, and the things you care about may not be grave importance." But what if not everyone has to change? 'As The World Burns' suggests that since the government is influenced too much by money and corporations to combat climate change, society must take it upon itself to overthrow "the system" and get off a path to distruction. A problem with this thesis is it allows for only two ways to save ourselves and the environment- Through governmental initiative or radical revolution. The enemy is machines and only in complete renunciation of our role in the mechanization is there hope. MadamPresident comments that this revolution seems to idealistic to be hoped for in a dysfunctional and apathetic american society. But what if there is a different type of revolution that could occur? Certainly habits will be hard to overcome, but research shows close to 50% of Americans would be willing to engage in a campaign. Not everyone has to change their lifestyles to implement new systems. We aren’t necessarily caught between the doomed enterprises of influencing a money hungry, puppet government, and organizing a popular revolution. If the half of Americans who say they would join an anti climate change campaign did maybe it is not impossible that they could change the system from the inside, and wouldn’t have to eradicate it.
Note: 50% statistic from climatecommunication.yale.edu