As a college senior and journalism major, I consider myself fairly well informed of current events and homeland affairs. I know what’s going on around me.
Or do I?
What I have quickly come to learn – with the guidance of my teachers – is that I know exactly what the "powers that be" want me to know.
I grew up in suburban America. I spent a few years in the military, and, for the most part, attended public schools. So, why am I 23 years old and just learning about the 17 principles of environmental justice – 12 years after they were adopted?
I must admit that it feels a bit like I was lied to by omission, and I cannot help but feel a little angry.
We live in a throwaway society. We throw away food, throw away cars and throw away mounds of useless packaging. We even throw away people if they don’t fit into society.
People have grown to adopt attitudes that something that does not directly affect them is none of their concern. In a fast-paced society such as ours, it can be difficult enough just surviving. With so many outlets to devote one’s energies, social reform can seem like a distant problem.
The problem is that some people live with these injustices everyday, and their lives are affected by these problems to the degree that survival takes on a meaning that most of us cannot possibly understand.
As a middle-class, white male, I probably don’t have to worry about someone driving into my neighborhood and dumping garbage. But that is done everyday less than an hour’s drive away. It certainly makes my problems seem trivial.
The principles themselves present an interesting look at what the human race must do and not do to preserve the environment. The old saying that Earth is the only planet we have may seem redundant, but it paints an accurate picture of our situation. If we continue on our path – opting to save a few dollars instead of protecting precious lives – our future looks bleak.
The underlying factor of the principles that I find most notable, however, is their emphasis on the consumer being the one that has to make conscious choices. We often forget in our capitalistic society that the people with the purchasing power have the power to bring change.
A boycott can quickly force a company make changes that it may have never considered, but the matter of apathy comes into play once again.
Fortunately, I’ve learned that it doesn’t take everyone to make a difference. It doesn’t even require a majority of people. And it is this realization that turns the 17 principles from words on paper to words of action.
Not everyone is going to care about society’s problems. Until it is on people’s own doorsteps, they probably will not. But having a game plan in effect is certainly a step in the right direction.
Education is key to bring change, and it has to start at some level. The 17 principles pose some thought-provoking issues to consider, and that is key to making a difference.