I believe in taking everything into perspective and looking at things relatively. One might think that the 9/11 attacks were a tragedy, and this they were, however looking at the disaster relatively, you would realize that the ensuing war (the Iraq war) caused more American casualties than the attacks themselves, and over one trillion dollars in cost. This leading to an underfunded government, which we couldn’t support and underfunded people, and in turn (some believe) a collapse in the American economy, causing the recession we are in today. An ill advised war, perhaps, but more I think, a consequence of what happens when things get blown out of proportion.
My belief once again applies when one is considering long term issues, such as global warming. As any 14 year old does, I like cars, but it’s not just Lamborghinis and Ferraris that I’m interested in. I happen to know that during its production over 600,000 Toyota Prius’s have been sold in the United States, this making it one of the most popular vehicles in the U.S. The reason for its popularity is the technology it uses. It’s a hybrid, which means it uses an electric engine along with a gasoline powered engine, which makes it incredibly efficient. Thus, it has very low co2 emissions and has been deemed an incredibly environmentally friendly car. However I have to think that the average Prius buyer is not aware that when you break down the percentages, and put them all into proportion, vehicles in the United States account for just 3% of the world’s greenhouse gases. And yet some are willing to pay several thousands of dollars more in retail price and maintenance, to own a hybrid. And while some may still think it is worth it if it means saving a the planet a little bit at a time, these people must take into consideration that a new study suggested that the materials used in a hybrid coupled with the complications in building one, do more environmental damage in the long run, than an ordinary gasoline powered vehicle. If one were to really want to make a difference they would simply drive less often and more carefully. But even more importantly than this, they would protest truly environmentally damaging operations and effects, such as nuclear power plants or burning coal.
I believe that if every person, whether they be the president of the United States or just the average Joe, simply took each of their actions into perspective and contemplated them logically, they would realize that picking out a tie for the day might just be more urgent than a major current event. And though probably not, they would make their environment and indeed the world a better place. Taking things into perspective and looking at them relatively, this I believe.