Chapter 13 Our torture: Why can't the West change its way of life

The environmental topic led by global warming will undoubtedly become one of the hottest topics in recent years.Western countries are becoming more and more worried about this issue.However, Western countries are still looking for the bottom line on this issue, failing to grasp the root of the problem, and only making a fuss about some superficial phenomena.For example, the recently reported large-scale disappearance of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, and the pollution in Shanxi, China, etc., are a bit of a rush to seek medical attention. Western media recently reported that the area of ​​Brazil's Amazon rainforest that has disappeared in the past 40 years exceeds the area that was lost in the colonial period in 450 years.The implication is that developing countries are now destroying ecology on a large scale, and the resulting environmental crisis is becoming more and more serious.Conversely, look at our developed countries, how good the environmental protection is.A well-known magazine in the United States put a photo of the sky pollution in Shanxi, China on the cover, and at the same time vigorously hyped the news that "China's carbon dioxide emissions rank second in the world".Both reports are correct, however, we must see the reasons behind these two facts.

Take Brazil for example.The disappearance of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest is mainly caused by the cultivation of soybean-based crops.Among the trees cut down in Brazil, 50% of the timber is sold to the United States, and 28% is sold to Europe; 50% of the soybeans planted after the trees are cut down are sold to Europe; some land is used to raise cattle, and 53% of the beef is sold to Europe. to Europe.In other words, the biggest beneficiaries of the disappearance of the Amazon rainforest are the western countries, and it is because of their enjoyment that the rapid disappearance of the Amazon rainforest is caused.Another reference to this phenomenon is that most of the coal mines and oil that the United States has proven in its own country are not exploited, and most of them are from other countries.Of course their environment is well protected, but that is at the expense of other people's environment.

While developed countries blame China for its environmental pollution, Japan imports a large amount of coal from China and reserves it for emergencies.And they only see that China's carbon dioxide emissions rank second in the world in recent years, but they don't say that in the 200 years since the European Industrial Revolution, until a few years ago, the top 5 and top 10 carbon dioxide emissions in the world were developed countries. nation.If we calculate the total amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, over 70% is emitted by a few developed countries. Both China and Brazil have to accept the fact that local people sacrifice the environment to develop their economy in order to live a prosperous life, and the example of this prosperity is the developed country.Therefore, when the developed countries repeatedly flaunt how advanced and civilized they are, they in turn accuse the developing countries of trying to make themselves like them. It seems very unkind.Although we can say that developing countries can find other ways to develop their economies, first of all, exploiting existing resources is the fastest way to get rich. Such a strong example in developed countries will inevitably make people in backward areas look for the fastest way. A shortcut to getting rich; secondly, most of the current economic development models of backward countries are also copied from the previous methods of developed countries; thirdly, most of the resources developed by backward countries at the expense of their own environment are also enjoyed by developed countries.

I once saw a satellite photo showing that the earth is brightly lit at night, and the brightest areas are in developed countries. They are consuming and wasting the resources of the earth, and accusing others of trying to become like them. Facing the increasingly serious environmental crisis, not long ago, developed countries made a show in front of the whole world. First, the Eiffel Tower in France turned off its modeling effect lights for 5 minutes, and then many cities also turned off their lights for 5 minutes.What is the use of this approach other than the effect of shouting?Are they willing to live in a room without air conditioning like people in backward countries?Would they like the nights in their cities to be as dark as in Africa?The developed countries have set an example for the whole world, but this example is not universal at all, and does not have universal value.If the Chinese, Brazilians, Mexicans, Indians and Africans all live as rich as developed countries, the resources on this earth are definitely not enough.Someone calculated that it would take 5 Earths.Therefore, the damage to the environment of backward countries, on the one hand, has its own reasons; on the other hand, it is the wrong example forcibly provided by developed countries.

The economic development model of developed countries has been a way of high resource consumption from the very beginning. In the early stages of their development, it should be said, they did not realize how serious the consequences were. Now, the harm of the Western economic development model has become more and more serious. obvious. We all know that Edison was a great inventor, but many people may not know that Edison also ran a power company.Edison insisted on supplying residents with direct current, only to be phased out by alternating current.In fact, many of Edison's inventions were for his electric company.After the power plant of the power company is built, if it is only used for lighting, residents will only use it at night. During the day, the machines in the power plant will not be used efficiently, which will increase the cost in disguise.Therefore, one of Edison's major tasks was to find ways to invent civilian appliances that could use electricity during the day, such as the phonograph.Although we now say that these inventions have brought many benefits to mankind, his guiding ideology is wrong in today's view. He did not realize that the earth's resources are limited.This kind of guiding ideology has been extended to the present, and one of the results is that behind the beautiful scene of bright lights in developed countries at night, the power company hopes that everyone will use more electricity, so that it can make a lot of money.Therefore, the lights are not only used for lighting, but more for decoration, which is a complete waste.This approach is now also transplanted to developing countries, but developing countries do not realize that the guiding ideology behind this approach is wrong.

Sleeping during the day and enjoying nightlife at night is already a way of life brought to the world by developed countries, why can’t it be changed?Stores selling merchandise used to be small all over the world. Since the construction of large shopping malls in the United States, this method has become an inevitable model.The reason why large shopping malls can appear is also because of electric lighting.Without electric lighting, the inside of a large shopping mall would be very dark, and large shopping malls provide a luxurious space and a comfortable environment, which are unmatched by small stores.Although the huge costs added by large shopping malls can be recovered from high profits, after all, its method is based on the premise of high consumption.The large number of disposable products in developed countries is a typical example of this kind of high consumption. This kind of high consumption of material enjoyment lifestyle is about to completely destroy the saving habits that Chinese people have cultivated for thousands of years.

Therefore, when the world's environment is facing serious threats, developed countries should not accuse backward countries of destroying the environment, but should reflect on the example they have set for all mankind.In terms of edible oil alone, the per capita consumption in the United States is four times that of the Chinese per capita.In terms of per capita energy consumption, the United States is also four or five times that of China.What right do developed countries have to prevent the Chinese from using energy like they do?What they should do more is to reduce their energy consumption.

For developing countries, the way of life in developed countries should not be used as an example.For example, many houses are now the same as in the United States, with floor-to-ceiling doors and windows, and glass exterior walls.In fact, glass is very conductive, and the heat and cold outside will quickly affect the inside of the glass wall.The emergence of this kind of house is because Americans use a lot of electricity to run air conditioners, so that people in the glass house can enjoy the scenery outside without being affected by cold and heat.In ancient times, people all over the world almost only had large windows in the hot southern regions, and the windows of residential houses in the north were generally small, just to improve the natural heat preservation effect.This habit has now been replaced by high-power-consuming air-conditioning life, and it also brings the result of Freon destroying the ozone layer.

When environmental problems around the world are becoming more and more serious, developed countries hope that the Amazon region can retain more tropical rainforests, provide more oxygen for the world, and absorb more carbon dioxide.But what does the world have to offer the natives of Brazil if they don't cut down the trees?Should they continue to maintain their primitive way of life? In 2008, ExxonMobil, the largest energy company in the United States, made a total profit of 45.2 billion U.S. dollars, an average of more than 100 million U.S. dollars per day, setting a record for the highest annual profit in the history of American companies.Its high profits are, on the one hand, the result of rising oil prices, and on the other hand, the result of encouraging energy consumption.

In the face of the resource-intensive life model set by developed countries, coupled with the fact that developed countries always promote themselves as a symbol of human civilization, and backward countries promote environmental protection and conservation, which one is more powerful?In the face of real enjoyment, people are selfish and short-sighted after all.Therefore, today's world has become more and more closely interconnected, and to solve environmental problems, the first and foremost thing is to abandon the example that the developed countries have provided for the whole world.Can developed countries start on their own?