The Road Not Taken
Curbing climate change takes steps down new paths.
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| Jessica A. Knoblauch, a master’s student in the School of Journalism at Michigan State University, is the editor of EJ. |
It’s rare when an issue is black or white. Shades of grey abound in complex issues, and this is no truer than in issues dealing with the environment. The biggest environmental issue that mankind will probably ever face is climate change. There’s no longer any doubt that it’s real—we’ve got that much figured out—but just what we should do about it is still so unclear.
Figuring out the “right” course of action to curb global warming is like trying to decide which path to take when coming to a forked road in the middle of the woods. Right now the human race stands at the beginning of this path that diverges into two: one is well worn, while the other is almost untouched.
The worn path is one that many generations have traveled. It involves the use of fossil fuels—something that has been almost too successful in that we’ve become completely dependent upon them.
Despite the many negative attributes associated with fossil fuel use, some want to continue traveling down this path. They argue that we can use fossil fuels and curb climate change with new technology. They cite clean coal technology that sharply reduces pollutants, and other measures that capture and store carbon dioxide as proof that we can feed our fossil fuel addiction while curbing climate change.
An argument for developing these new technologies is that since fossil fuels will continue to be a primary energy source for the foreseeable future, we might as well clean them up as best we can.
Though a valid point, it assumes that fossil fuel use is the only option simply because it’s the one we’ve always used in the past. This is an antiquated line of thinking, as fossil fuels are no longer the only option.
The other option lies down a path towards renewable energy like wind power and solar energy.
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| The path to solving tough problems like global warming is rarely paved. |
Critics of renewable energy argue that these sources alone could never supply enough power to keep society going. Though some may not want to hear it, that argument is actually true. Alternative energy sources will never be able to keep up with the current consumption habits of society. Fossil fuels are unique in that until now they’ve fueled endless consumption.
But look where that’s gotten us. Climate change is hardly the only symptom of a consumption-driven society. Rapid species extinction, deforestation, drugs in the drinking water and toxins in toys are all symptoms, too. These problems were around long before they made headlines, but the spotlight on climate change has created a heightened concern for all things environmental.
These problems are proof that finding ways to curb climate change is about more than cleaning up dirty coal, or even about installing wind farms in every city. It’s about considering a new path, one that’s hidden by brush and fallen leaves and that has been so seldom used we forgot it was even there. It’s a path that involves less consumption, more respect for the environment and valuing people over objects.
It’s only down this path that renewable energy makes sense. Why? For the same reason that smokers who use filtered cigarettes might still end up with cancer. You can’t avoid the ill effects of smoking unless you stop smoking. And you can’t use clean energy to filter dirty habits like over-consumption. In the end, the result’s still the same—an ailing body or an ailing planet.
The destination at the end of this path is uncertain. But the one certainty that we as travelers on this earth need to remember is that the paved path we’ve used before is just not working. We must try something new, even if we don’t know where that path will lead. Robert Frost knew this, so he took the road less traveled by, “and that has made all the difference.”
Our only chance to “save the planet” is that we too can be that brave.
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