Friday, September 17, 2010

Neglecting Elemental Lessons

As children, our parents often use common proverbs to teach us valuable lessons. Who as a child never heard a parent say, "Actions speak louder than words" or "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink"? These proverbs often stay with us our entire lives and help to mold us into thinking and caring adults.

One such proverb that I heard many times as a child was "better safe than sorry." The meaning of this statement is obvious: It is better to take precautions early on than to laugh them off only to find oneself in a heap of trouble later on. It is very reminiscent of another proverb: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

As I gaze out onto the world today, it seems that contemporary society more and more is turning its back on this type of common knowledge that has served our species well for centuries. One topic that appears on this blog frequently is environmental concerns and specifically, global warming/climate change.

When it comes to global warming, doesn't it make sense to be better safe than sorry? Wouldn't it be better today to heed the warnings of scientists EVEN if it turns out they are being a bit melodramatic? Wouldn't it serve our species and others to work toward a sustainable future EVEN if things aren't as bad now as they are said to be?

Isn't it better to be safe TODAY than sorry TOMORROW?

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