The convenience barrier

Our discussion of how hybrid cars are not more widely used in our society reminded me of how we do not implement many eco friendly things even though we have the technology to do so. One reason for this is because the switch would in some way inconvenience us as consumers. An example of this is the story shared in class of the man who would not give up his SUV for a more fuel efficient or hybrid car unless it offered the same convenience for transporting his kids. So while he enjoys the convenience of his vehicle now, does he consider what the consequence will be in the future for his children?

The idea of only caring about convenience in the present instead of focusing on long term solutions for our waste management reminded me of a situation in the article “Poverty Fuels Medical Crisis”. Laura Ungar explained how people who cannot afford healthcare will wait until the last possible moment to seek medical attention. Though they think they will save money be delaying treatment or hope that the condition will remedy itself, in actuality they only create a larger expense because the advance stages of the health problem are more costly to treat. I feel that this is exactly how we treat our problems with pollution and garbage. Though we have invested in some green programs like recycling facilities, they are limited. For example it seems that you can always find a recycling bin for plastics 1 and 2 but not for 6 and 7 plastics. We need to consider an alternative to recycling by investing in new technology such as creating plastics that are biodegradable. Though biodegradable plastics are more expensive, which is inconvenient to consumers at the time of purchase, they could potentially have an overall lower price in the long run. An overall lower price means that we would conserve petroleum and save space in landfills, thus reducing the number built, which can cost millions of dollars.

In the end, an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure. Going back to the article “No Remedy for the Inuit” it may be convenient for the US to neglect fixing the source of the dioxin pollution problem now but in the future dioxins could effect larger populations and thus require a more costly solution. As consumers and citizens we really do need to be more active in the protection of our environment by demanding changes even though it may mean sacrificing convenience.