When I first watched the video clip, I was not surprised or shocked as other classmates were. I was rather familiar with what Leonard argued because it was what my father used to say. My father, as the one who loves nature and abhors the "toxically manufactured" products, often told me as Leonard did in the video. Though I generally agreed with my father's opinion, there were always some points that I could not agree with. He viewed the situation too pessimistically, and Leonard makes the same mistakes in her arguments. Confined to the “inevitably” negative consequences, she ignores other possibilities which may lead the result more positively.
Especially in case of the resource matter, she says that the whole Earth is running out of the resource due to the excessive consumption of the people. She claims that Americans are using more than what they are supposed to use and this irrational waste of resource will lead the Earth to be a desolate planet. At this point, however, she ignores the fact that people are putting their efforts to find out substitute energy and technical way to alleviate environmental destruction. Of course, it is true that the resource we have is limited so that we should not waste it. Nonetheless, her exaggerated description to alarm people might be brainwashing them which will lead not other creative point of view, but another biased one. As long as she continues her arguments based on her series of logical guesses, she also has to approve the other logical possibilities as well.
Considering the fact that this video clip is also biased and has its own confined point of view, it would not be appropriate to solely use this as the class material. Still, the fact that the video breaks traditional stereotype of people makes it still attractive as a class material. Therefore, instructor, as the one who gives chances to think, not thoughts, has to be prepared for the counter-example or counter-argument which can balance thoughts of the students.
1. THB instructors should provide balanced point of view, not their own to their students.
2. THB it is not the individual consumer’s duty but the government’s to solve the environmental problems.
3. THS discussion-based class about politically sensitive issue at school
I like motions two and three - especially two. Leonard raised this issue by suggesting it was the "government's job to take care of us." Lot's of idealism and human nature to battle through in #2.
답글삭제It's interesting that you and your father have different opinions. You seem very liberal, and even hopeful and optimistic that we are doing enough to solve this "crisis." I think "we" in the developed world in this day and age are definitely not in a crisis. But are we creating one in the third world, and for future generations? Very likely.
I've heard it from somewhere else that current global warming issue is not actually serious as what we are thinking. Some people say that the crisis is manipulated in sake of the developed nations. They say that those developed nations have so-called "eco-friendly technologies" and undeveloped nations do not have. So, those people's stance is that the crisis is manipulated for the developed nations who have technologies and to foster the world to use their technologies only.
답글삭제What do you think about it? I'm confused about environmental issues..