Monday, 27 June 2011

Generation Clean Has A Lot Of Work To Do

By Jami Weiss


The way we interact with the world has undergone a significant change in the past few decades. Our understanding of the interplay between ourselves and our environment has resulted in a new cohort of children who might as well be called 'Generation Clean'. Born into a polluted world which is starting to claw its way back out of the filth, these kids are faced with a host of industrial problems.

This puts them in a position to effect significant change, though. They know about pollution and habitat destruction, and they can already see the beginnings of environmentally friendly technology. Hybrid cars, photovoltaic arrays, and wind farms are all currently available to them to study and improve upon. Most importantly, the concept of sustainability is almost ingrained.

The combination of pro environmental attitudes with concrete behavior patterns has created a very strong ideology in these nascent adults. They may have been brought up under adverse economic conditions and understand the value of things. Their families may not have been able to spend a lot of cash on disposable items.

Understanding the value of economy, especially when it comes to recycling and reusing things, has shaped their views on resource management. Their parents were occupied with the identification of problems and the discovery of ways to eliminate further destruction. These children are in a position to learn how to reverse the damage.

Economy and efficiency go hand in hand. Waste reduction and recycling programs are second nature to this cohort. They know that 'green' is more than just a color, it's a philosophy.

Their first major obstacle will be finding a way to extricate themselves from the grip of the oil industry. Fossil fuels such as coal and oil are responsible for an unacceptable amount of pollution. The existence of solar energy, wind farms, and even tidal power makes our reliance on dirty fuels particularly perplexing. The new breed will have to perfect and strongly encourage alternative sources of renewable and sustainable energy, and if they succeed they will have simultaneously addressed two of the largest problems facing their cohort: environmental catastrophe and dependence on foreign powers.

Generation Clean is not simply a western thing. Asian, African, and European kids are all in this together. They are lucky enough to be alive at a time when our problems can be addressed before they go too far. The technology to heal the environment is in their hands, and they know that they have to use it. Read more about: generation clean 




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