The pressing challenge and the solution are Human being itself.

There are obvious visible environmental problems around us; Air pollution, natural resources running out, extinct species, cutting down rainforests and global warming. However, these are just outcomes of how humans have lived and affected the earth. Without any doubt, all of those environmental problems have been caused by us and not by any single other creatures on the earth. So I would say mankind is the solution for this disastrous global warming and mankind ourselves are the most pressing challenge for us to preserve our environment.

However, what I mean by the solution is by not a technology, but strong collective action by big scale of actors such as national governments or international restrictions.

Nowadays, eating local organic foods and being an environmentally conscious consumer are huge trends for global environment. Usually above middle income class can afford this lifestyle economically. It requires more expenses and knowledge; also regarded as more ‘developed’ modern life. Actually this life model is just the way we used to live until about 200 years ago. It is not a technological matter, but just we found out that the way we used to live for entire human being history is better and right for the environment. However, most of us still believe that technology will somehow rescue us from environmental disaster as we have made the same mistakes.

We are capable of thinking rationally. We have a will to prevent environmental disaster though it is not purely for nature. I can’t help myself but to doubt if the will we have for environment is big enough to make the difference. As we see the larger picture, our lust for consumer goods is much stronger than our determination to keep environment. This is a notion that helps corporations maintain little environmental action. There are not many individuals who are willing to give up their privileged life and it even seems it requires extra effort to be environmentally friendly people like Dr. Fish’s experience.

We live in a society that dares us to consume more. Governments are also in favor of increasing consumption or at least sustaining the consumption in the market. You may be able to resist against this mechanism of materialism, but not all people can do it. We are ordinary people who spend money and consume goods so that we can feel dignified and satisfied. We have come too far to change our life by just being environmentally conscious people. We need a huge change that really makes the difference. In my opinion, individuals’ change of life style is a good effort, but it is not enough. We need a big regulation that can come from governments, which will confront corporate lack of environmental action.

I think that it is the most pressing challenge. We assume that we could make difference within this lifestyle by new technology or changing one’s life style individually. What we need is a strong collective action in a scale of entire nations. I would not mind that we are forced to do it because we have gone too far to do it voluntarily.