Some say that ignorance is bliss — and in some cases, that may be true. However, when it comes to the fate of the planet, brushing it off is not the right way to handle it.
While some choose to ignore the growing severity of climate change, others are actively trying to help. Unfortunately, saving the world is a global effort. Soley drinking from a metal straw and reposting “Save the Earth!” posts on social media may show that one is aware and conscious of such matters, but an Instagram story or two is not going to change the global mindset.
Many are aware of the worsening climate, though there are quite a few people who actively choose to ignore the Earth’s cries for help. This ignorance leaves me and many others my age to feel helpless and scared. What can a teenager do?
Many adults seem to hold a teenager’s opinion in lower regard than the opinions of other adults. With the existing ignorance and the aversion to a teenage belief, I feel like there is nothing I or others my age can do to contribute to saving the Earth. I look up to young heroes such as Greta Thunberg, who actively fights for the environment’s sake, but even she does not hold the support required to make a significant and immediate change.
Some adults tend to make fun of her, saying that she is too young to make a difference or that they simply just do not care. I am sure, with more people like her, we can help the worsening climate, but there will always be a portion of the population who choose to stay ignorant.
I assume that these people choose to ignore this global crisis for a few reasons, one being the disbelief that climate change is real, despite the Earth showing clear evidence. The second is because they are scared that the world actually may be in danger, but choose to embrace the bliss of ignorance. Another reason could be that they just do not care, thinking that they will be gone before the Earth is uninhabitable. Factories dismiss their impact on the Earth because of the profit that they make. No matter the reason, some choose to close their eyes when facing these problems — but not everyone has to.
Some people will always stay ignorant, but if the majority of the global population chooses to help climate change actively, we can make a significant change.
If the generations before us are giving us such a broken world, they might as well help us start fixing it.
