This sentence really got me thinking about influence and divisive ideals and opinions. Something we are seeing more and more in modern society in the midst of this Trump era, is the rise of the far right all over the world and more worryingly - extremism.
The definition of polarising is ‘to cause something, especially something that contains different people or opinions, to divide into two completely opposing groups: “The debate is becoming polarised and there seems to be no middle ground.”’
We have all seen first hand the damage that a destructive leader can do during Trump’s presidency, culminating in the assault on the Capitol Building on January 6th.
We are ALL different, and we should celebrate and embrace our differences, rather than allow them to segregate our society.
Once more, mighty Greta has shown to have a level of maturity and intelligence that surpasses that of many other people much older than her.
I was subsequently attacked (because that is how it felt - attacked) by a stranger and radical vegan calling me a variation of insults (that I will not repeat).
However his attack and the words he called me did not in due course make me stop eating meat, it actually made me resent him and what he was advocating for -which was "veganism".
To forcibly push your opinion on someone else is NEVER going to have the desired result.
Society is full to the brim of differing cultures, opinions and ways of living and this is something to be embraced and joyous about. The ability to accept that people think differently from you and to then try and find that middle ground - this is what will bond us.
But the only way to find that middle ground is by educating one another. Education holds the key to a successful society of different opinions that can live together.
It is no different when it comes to climate change and environmentalism. A radical environmentalist that pushes his/her views on others without listening to their arguments, is on a losing trajectory.
That is how I became an environmentalist. I started to understand that whether climate change exists or not, there is no reason why I could not learn a few things and make some changes to my lifestyle that would help me reduce my impact on the environment in some way. Because at the end of the day, the environment is “my house”, it is all of our houses! It is where we live, where we exist and where millions of other people will exist in the future.
Costa Rica is a prime example of successful environmental education. They prioritise environmental education and incorporate it into interdisciplinary studies across its education system. The government protects the natural areas of the country and ensures environmental education reaches all its citizens.
I can only hope that over the next few years, other governments will follow suit and understand that if we want CHANGE, educating people is the very first step.
Raquel
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