` A major flaw in humans is that we tend to look at the present, not the future. We value this perspective; you can see it in all the popular internet quotes like "live in the moment" or "live like you'll die tomorrow." It's why we choose to eat fast food, drink alcohol, or spend time with friends instead of studying for that test we have tomorrow. Admittedly, it is a fun perspective on life to have. It is the lifestyle most of us envision in our fantasies, one where we can do whatever we want at any time, from skipping school to skydiving. Social media apps, such as Pinterest, encourage us to adopt this mentality. Why waste precious time worrying about the consequences of our actions when we could just ignore them entirely? It's better to live stress-free and let the sounds of our choices become white noise.
Let's examine how aspects of this mindset are adopted on a global scale. The rich, of course, are fortunate enough to live as freely as they want. The wealthiest 1% will collect flashy sports cars and galavant around in their private jets, oblivious to who will be taking the brunt of the consequences for their careless decisions. A study by the Stockholm Environment Institute revealed that they are responsible for 15% of carbon emissions, while the world's poorest 50% can only be attributed to a startling 7%. We can now start to see the privilege in this lifestyle and the ignorance displayed by the elites who follow it. Take a look at Leonardo DiCaprio. He cruises through the warming seas on his multimillion-dollar yacht while also preaching the importance of caring about climate change. Though he does not necessarily have bad intentions, his actions weaken the meaning of his words. Like so many of us have, he turned a blind eye to the consequences of his choices. After all, it's easy for him, as he won't be the one facing the repercussions.
Most of us will be affected by climate change, but there are some who will pay the price more than others. Low-income communities are particularly vulnerable to its effects. Even currently, we can see them facing the devastation of this crisis. Forest fires, hurricanes, tsunamis, and droughts are just some of the impacts they have seen and will continue to struggle with. These communities will take years to recover from these natural disasters, but recently these catastrophic events have occurred more and more with terrifying ferocity. This disparity between social classes relating to the effects of climate change can be defined as "climate privilege." In wealthier nations, most benefit from this term. They are privileged enough not to experience most of the negative impacts of global warming. And because they possess it, they don't feel the ramifications of not taking action. They buy fast fashion, trash items that can be reused, use fertilizer on their pristine lawns not because they want to hurt the environment but because the consequences seem so far away from them. Can we blame them for this, or is it understandable?
The other group that will feel the most weight of climate change is more indefinite and infinitely harder to imagine: our future generations. What challenges will our children, grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren face because of our choices now? Will they experience snowfall in the sharp chill of winter, or will temperatures not allow for it? Will they get a glimpse of stars twinkling in the night, or will air pollution shroud the sky? Again, it's difficult to visualize this, as we humans like living in the present. It's also scary because we don't want that type of life for the next generation.
So who do we point the finger to? Humans, or human nature? When we try to understand how we’ve impacted the world around us, there is also the question of why. Why do some choose to enjoy blissful ignorance of global warming? Why do others pour themselves into finding ways to help the environment? Climate change is an incredibly complex issue, intricately linked with other problems such as class divides and social inequalities. But it also gives an insight into what humans will do when facing a crisis. We can either continue to live in the present, or see the bigger picture that is slightly terrifying, yet the most important to envision: the future.
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