Though I approve of recycling and its merits, I do not recycle everything I dispose of. I refill my water bottles when I can. I buy the reusable linen or hemp bags from Iceland and Sainsbury’s when I am grocery shopping, but I often end up shopping while I am already out, so I do not have my reusable bags with me. Then I end up either buying more reusable bags, which I feel is the store’s way of making more of a profit rather than helping the environment, or giving up and using plastic bags. Once I get my groceries home, I do use one or two plastic bags for trash, but I cannot save them all indefinitely due to lack of storage. I could save them for months, but sometimes end up throwing them away anyway. Gay Hawkins questioned, “If we accept that disposal is necessary, how could it be recast in ways that acknowledge the ethical significance of rubbish without generating moral righteousness or resentment?” But I cannot do everything myself and I wonder if others are making an attempt to recycle, or am I actually doing more than others? I think recycling is a good thing, and I do not want to contribute to overflowing landfills, but I am a busy student with limited time to devote to saving the environment. And I resent the fact that the older generations say it is up to my generation to fix everything they have messed up. Everyone is responsible to do what he or she can. So I will try to continue to do my part.
“The inescapability of interpretation makes risks infinitely malleable and, as Beck insists, ‘open to social definition and construction’. This in turn puts those in a position to define (and/or legitimate) risks – the mass media, scientists, politicians, and the legal profession – in key social positions.” (Adam and Loon, 4)
The media has a ridiculous amount of power society. While it is beneficial in the spread of important news and provides us with hours of entertainment, it can also send unclear messages and provide unnecessary fright. Regardless of how subtle or extreme the messages may be, people will inevitably respond with fear. They’re very tricky – the people behind the scenes know that anxiety will pull in viewers. Certainly you don’t want to be put in a dangerous situation simply because you decided to change the channel. Just turn on the evening news for a hint of how this is done: there’s poison found in this brand of juice! How wearing flip-flops can turn deadly! Killer on the loose – how he could turn up in your backyard! (Cheesy examples, but you catch my drift.) As we all know, having the ability to instill fear in others puts one (or many) in control. Unfortunately, with the constant threats of terrorism and war, I don’t think that the mass media will ease up anytime soon.
Though I approve of recycling and its merits, I do not recycle everything I dispose of. I refill my water bottles when I can. I buy the reusable linen or hemp bags from Iceland and Sainsbury’s when I am grocery shopping, but I often end up shopping while I am already out, so I do not have my reusable bags with me. Then I end up either buying more reusable bags, which I feel is the store’s way of making more of a profit rather than helping the environment, or giving up and using plastic bags. Once I get my groceries home, I do use one or two plastic bags for trash, but I cannot save them all indefinitely due to lack of storage. I could save them for months, but sometimes end up throwing them away anyway. Gay Hawkins questioned, “If we accept that disposal is necessary, how could it be recast in ways that acknowledge the ethical significance of rubbish without generating moral righteousness or resentment?” But I cannot do everything myself and I wonder if others are making an attempt to recycle, or am I actually doing more than others? I think recycling is a good thing, and I do not want to contribute to overflowing landfills, but I am a busy student with limited time to devote to saving the environment. And I resent the fact that the older generations say it is up to my generation to fix everything they have messed up. Everyone is responsible to do what he or she can. So I will try to continue to do my part.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.iceland.co.uk/uploads/Image/InsulatedBag.gif
“The inescapability of interpretation makes risks infinitely malleable and, as Beck insists, ‘open to social definition and construction’. This in turn puts those in a position to define (and/or legitimate) risks – the mass media, scientists, politicians, and the legal profession – in key social positions.” (Adam and Loon, 4)
ReplyDeleteThe media has a ridiculous amount of power society. While it is beneficial in the spread of important news and provides us with hours of entertainment, it can also send unclear messages and provide unnecessary fright. Regardless of how subtle or extreme the messages may be, people will inevitably respond with fear. They’re very tricky – the people behind the scenes know that anxiety will pull in viewers. Certainly you don’t want to be put in a dangerous situation simply because you decided to change the channel. Just turn on the evening news for a hint of how this is done: there’s poison found in this brand of juice! How wearing flip-flops can turn deadly! Killer on the loose – how he could turn up in your backyard! (Cheesy examples, but you catch my drift.) As we all know, having the ability to instill fear in others puts one (or many) in control. Unfortunately, with the constant threats of terrorism and war, I don’t think that the mass media will ease up anytime soon.
image: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/82/249313414_4f463db6b.jpg?v=0