Speth’s Forces of Change to bring about change in how humanity relates to the Earth
Among Speth’s forces of change that produce massive and random devastating changes to the environment, capitalism carries the day. He suggests that nothing less than a fundamental shift in technology, politics, and economics culture and lifestyles is needed to help alter how humanity relates to the Earth if at all times, which is largely controlled by nature bearing in mind that we cannot see the clock permits us. The fundamental shifts advocated for are tightly bound by capitalist systems that substantially only concentrates on the inculcation of profit maximization strategies while offering very little concern to environmental degradation. Such systems are characterized by enormous energy consumption per capita, translating to more carbon emissions. Since profit maximization is every day’s dream, little effort is put to reduce it.
Japan’s lessons from the nuclear crisis to bring about change for the future of the country
Japan did not make good use of its nuclear crisis to bring about change for the country’s future. Japan aimed to develop mechanisms to ensure more stable, cheaper, and reliable energy production for the country’s future but gave very dismal concern to environmental effects.
Environmental deterioration was driven by the economic activity of human beings
I agree with Speth’s statement that environmental deterioration is driven by the economic activities of human beings. This is particularly significant when environmental degradation is compounded by technological interventions to realize magnificent returns on investments, which are non-friendly to the environment.
Conclusion
Environmental science scholars should campaign for in the world at large, should embrace adoption of economic systems opposed to pure capitalism, aid in laying platforms for the formulation of Earth-friendly energy policies and incorporate environmentally safe human activities in daily human endeavors. The success of these endeavors relies largely on the willingness of major world manipulators to change certain activities, such as bringing coal powered energy production to a halt. It seems absurd for energy movements such as the US power grass-root movements to argue that burn on the opening of new coal, fired plants should be accomplished if china does, Europe does, or if the rest of the world does; if at all, they are concerned with the devastation of the humankind due to environmental encroachment.