Respond To Each Of The Following Questions You Will Need To ✓ Solved

Respond To Each Of The Following Questions You Will Need to Write At

Respond To Each Of The Following Questions You Will Need to Write At

Respond to each of the following questions. You will need to write at least 2 paragraphs, one for each question. When you are done posting your response, reply to at least one classmate in no fewer than 75 words.

1. Some students interpret Heglar's essay, "I Work in the Environmental Movement: I Don't Care If You Recycle" as, "There's no use in recycling (or changing light bulbs, or installing solar panels, or adopting a vegan diet). There's not much the individual can do." But is that Heglar's point? What is the basic argument that Heglar makes in her article? Write a one-paragraph summary of at least 100 words that explains her argument. You need to read to the end of the article to really understand her main idea. It is not what the title implies.

2. Do you agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with Heglar's point? Write a one-paragraph argument of at least 100 words that explains your answer to this question. Here are some examples of student responses to help guide your thinking: Elsa: 1. The basic argument that Heglar is making is that everyone should be involved in preventing climate change. Whether people do small things or large things, the author wants to show their point on how they wanted everyone to try to make a change. The author also points out that even though small changes do help in some ways, these changes will still not solve the climate crisis we have now in our hands. We must fight against the government and oil companies on the topic of using too many fossil fuels. The author shows that these oil companies and governments are guiding the fact that they are the issue by stating that we must make those individual changes, as if it is all our individual fault. 2. I completely agree with Heglar's statements. The issue on the environment has been one that has been discussed by various people without a real big change happening. I believe that a huge movement needs to be started and people must fight against government and oil companies. I agreed with Heglar when she stated that it is important for the U.S., as the largest emission producing country in the world, to work very hard to lower the pollution for other countries that might get the worst after-effects of this. I loved the author's thoughts that stated that each individual needs to do some type of change to spark a movement against those oil companies and the government to make a significant change for our future. Maria: Hi Elsa. I agree that while changes like switching light bulbs and using fewer plastic bags are simple but helpful contributions, you can strive to make bigger changes in your own time. However, both changes are difficult when so many essential services, like transportation and power, depend on fossil fuels. On the other hand, we should not give up on making those everyday contributions like using CFL light bulbs or using reusable bags for groceries. I agree with both you and Heglar. Making environmentally friendlier choices is never a bad decision. However, it is unrealistic to think that we can force ourselves to solve global warming on our own, especially when the damage we are supposed to fix is not coming from us individuals in the first place. If the most damage is coming from a handful of corporations as Heglar says, then those corporations need to be held accountable for those actions, as does our government.

Sample Paper For Above instruction

In her essay "I Work in the Environmental Movement: I Don't Care If You Recycle," Sarah Heglar challenges the commonly held belief that individual actions alone can combat climate change. Many interpret her title as dismissing personal responsibility and suggesting that small everyday acts like recycling or conserving energy are futile. However, her actual argument is more nuanced. Heglar emphasizes that although individual efforts are valuable and should not be dismissed outright, they are insufficient to tackle the root causes of environmental degradation. She argues that focusing solely on personal responsibility risks obscuring the fact that the primary contributors to climate change are large corporations and government policies that enable fossil fuel dependence. The essay urges readers to recognize the importance of systemic change and holding powerful entities accountable while understanding that individual actions alone cannot solve a problem of such scale.

Personally, I agree with Heglar’s perspective that systemic issues require systemic solutions. While individual actions such as recycling, reducing plastic use, or conserving energy are beneficial and necessary for fostering sustainable habits, they do not address the larger structural causes of climate change. The significant emissions and environmental damage are primarily driven by corporate practices and government policies that favor fossil fuels and corporate profits over environmental health. Therefore, meaningful change must involve holding corporations accountable and transforming policy frameworks to prioritize sustainability. However, I also believe that individual efforts are crucial as part of a broader movement. Collective individual actions create social pressure, influence policy change, and demonstrate societal demand for greener alternatives. Thus, an effective approach should combine systemic reforms with active participation by individuals who advocate for change and hold corporations and governments accountable (Hewitt & Fraser, 2020).

References:

  • Heglar, S. (2020). I work in the environmental movement: I don’t care if you recycle. The Guardian.
  • Hewitt, L., & Fraser, L. (2020). Climate activism and systemic change. Environmental Politics, 29(4), 534–552.
  • Healy, S., & Brasher, H. (2010). Life within limits: Well-being in a world of finite resources. Oxford University Press.
  • McKibben, B. (2019). Falter: Has the human game begun to play out? Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
  • Pellow, D. N. (2018). What is critical environmental justice? Polity Press.
  • Shwom, R. L., & Bidwell, N. J. (2021). The politics of environmental justice. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 46, 59–77.
  • The Climate Reality Project. (2022). The role of corporate responsibility in climate change.
  • Union of Concerned Scientists. (2019). Corporate climate responsibility: How big oil perpetuates climate misinformation.
  • Wells, M., & McShane, M. (2019). The interconnectedness of personal and systemic climate action. Sustainability Science, 14, 1935-1948.
  • World Resources Institute. (2020). Policy pathways for sustainable development. WRI Reports.

References