Michael F. Maniates (2001) article, Individualization: Plant a Tree, Buy a Bike, Save the World?, challenges the idea of individualized, consumer-based environmental solutions. The author attracts the reader immediately by recalling a famous Dr. Seuss tale, The Lorax, which tells of a "short sighted and voracious industrialist" who is blinded by greed and destroys the landscape in order to produce "Thneeds" (pg. 31). However, the book ends with a sense of hope, by commanding a young individual to plant the last Truffula seed. The environmental degradation in this tale mirrors that of today 's problem, it is seen as an individual 's mistake, which can only be resolved by individual and consumer solutions (buy a tree and plant it) (pg. 32-33).
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Help is needed from governments and industries alike to realize that Earth, and all who live on it, are in serious trouble. Our planet is falling apart, as the ozone layer continues to decrease, increase in weather phenomenons, ancient glaciers continue to melt and, in turn, sea levels rise. The population is not acting fast enough, and citizens are not taking serious action, therefore there must be increased government environmental regulations; higher carbon taxes, severe pollution laws, stricter fishing regulations, ocean and rainforest protection. Often times, consumers do not realize the harm of their consumption. A tomato is a tomato, they do not think about where it came from, the work involved in growing this product, or who was doing all the work. The film, Food Chains (2014), demonstrates the underpaid tomato workers of Immokalee, Florida, protest against Publix, a gigantic supermarket, to increase the workers wage by one cent per pound of tomatoes they pick. This price increase would raise the yearly average price of tomatoes per family by 42 cents. The price difference is unnoticeable, this could easily be achieved and double the welfare of workers. Unfortunately, despite a week-long hunger strike, Publix would still not speak with them. This is a case for government intervention and on a personal and consumer level, to either not buy tomatoes from Publix or purchase food elsewhere. This is an instance where Maniates argument is extremely valid, consumers often do not think about where their food is coming from, and action needs to be done at a higher level. As opposed to realizing that these tomatoes are a result of unfair wages, and slowly not purchasing them from Publix, thus taking years for any real
Help is needed from governments and industries alike to realize that Earth, and all who live on it, are in serious trouble. Our planet is falling apart, as the ozone layer continues to decrease, increase in weather phenomenons, ancient glaciers continue to melt and, in turn, sea levels rise. The population is not acting fast enough, and citizens are not taking serious action, therefore there must be increased government environmental regulations; higher carbon taxes, severe pollution laws, stricter fishing regulations, ocean and rainforest protection. Often times, consumers do not realize the harm of their consumption. A tomato is a tomato, they do not think about where it came from, the work involved in growing this product, or who was doing all the work. The film, Food Chains (2014), demonstrates the underpaid tomato workers of Immokalee, Florida, protest against Publix, a gigantic supermarket, to increase the workers wage by one cent per pound of tomatoes they pick. This price increase would raise the yearly average price of tomatoes per family by 42 cents. The price difference is unnoticeable, this could easily be achieved and double the welfare of workers. Unfortunately, despite a week-long hunger strike, Publix would still not speak with them. This is a case for government intervention and on a personal and consumer level, to either not buy tomatoes from Publix or purchase food elsewhere. This is an instance where Maniates argument is extremely valid, consumers often do not think about where their food is coming from, and action needs to be done at a higher level. As opposed to realizing that these tomatoes are a result of unfair wages, and slowly not purchasing them from Publix, thus taking years for any real