Interesting essay. I just would like to know if you think that only educating citizens is sufficient to address the energy crisis?Certainly, it is part of the solution, as wasted energy is a part of the problem, and educating citizens not to do so is a step forward. However, in view of the fact that energy demand is set to explode in the coming years due to an increased reliance on technology coupled with a growing population, is only education sufficient? Or are their other things society can do to address this particular crisis?

I am sure that every author here has come up with a different idea on how to tackle the energy crisis and I agree with most of them, but I also know for a fact that people in general do not care much about global issues like the energy or even the climate crisis. Most of them would prefer to believe that as long as they are “OK” , whatever happens around them is none of their concern. How wrong that belief is, was exactly what I was trying to prove in my essay. It is only when people realize that their everyday life affect everyone else’s, that improvement will be marked. I am aware that there are many ways we can solve this issue, but if people do not believe that there is in fact an issue and that it depends on them to move things forward, whatever you say, or whatever you make them do they just will not listen. This is why I am saying that maybe the first step is to go back to basics and play by the simple rules. Let’s first educate people and make them see what a big influence they have and then we can move on to taking other, bigger steps, because only then, they will not be overlooked...Thank you for the comment :) I think this is the greatest part of this competition...you get the chance to share your opinion with other people and find out what they think...I am sure that this is when bright ideas come to life! :) Good luck

Hi Victoria

First of all, congratulations with your essay. It was well written and you really have some interesting ideas. However, there are some topics which I would like to see a little bit more clarified.

(1) You say that - in an attempt to reduce the food crisis - countries have to boost their own food production which will result in an enriched economy and more competition for the farmers and you give here the example of Africa where financial support results in stability. You say that every country has to boost its own production. I wonder, however, how every country could be able to do this. In developed countries, not much space is left to increase food production - and more productivity on the same space is not reachable because such techniques are already used. Because such countries are very industrialized, it would really take very big efforts to switch some parts of the country to agriculture. And if we would take the efforts, it would take long time to reach the goal.

(2) You say that this would result in an enriched economy. However, I have the impression that this is the idea of countries in autarky/economic self-sufficiency. And doesn't this result in a lower degree of well-being/wealth? One of the basics of economics is that some globalisation of countries or the specificiation of one countrie to a certain sort of products increases wealth. And that aspect is total contradictory...

(3)Concerning the energy crisis - and this is a bit in addition to John - you say that we have to educate people and let them be aware of the impact their individual person has on the climate and the use of energy. In a reply to Johns' essay, you say that this has to happen becaus otherwise people won't listen and do something if they are not aware of their own individual impact. I wonder, however, if this is the case. Are people not aware of their impact? The simple rules (lights, television...) are ubiquitous in the media, Al Gore even made a worldwide known documentary about it, every day you read/hear about the problem and the impact of the individual. And this is already going on for some years... So, I think that people are aware of their own impact, but still they don't listen... So, how would you activate people to reduce their own energy consumption?

I look forward to receiving you reply, thanks in advance and success with your essay!

Sincerely

Brecht

Hey Brecht,


Thank you for your comment :) I have to say it was interesting reading it.
I did say that countries need to boost their own production instead of importing food from foreign countries. However, by saying that, I meant mostly the developing countries. Obviously the food crisis is a global phenomenon, but in the so-called developed countries the crisis hasn’t reached its peak and the consequences can’t be seen as much as in other places (Third world countries for example). For such areas I said this course of action will most probably mark an improvement. As for the time that this is going to take, I can’t really say. But i don’t think that anybody can come up with a magic-wand solution, anyway. It has been made clear that the crisis is going to last for years, therefore nobody expects a solution that can fix it for couple of days, instead.
Honestly, I don’t really understand exactly what you mean in the second point. If a country is in economic self-sufficiency, doesn’t that automatically mean that this particular country will most probably be in a better state than most of the other countries, even in a time of crisis. In such case, the solution about boosting economy obviously doesn’t apply for regions where economy is already more or less stable.
You make an excellent point by saying that many actions have been already taken for letting people know about the impact they have on the climate crisis. Unfortunately, however, this is not the case everywhere. In Bulgaria, for example, people still don’t take the climate crisis issue too seriously. Our TV stations have just started making commercials about the problem and trying to bring awareness. I guess, however, if this movement continues to go strong for some time, people will eventually get more and more interested in the subject, or so I hope! :) As for the people who are aware of their own impact, but still don’t make any change in the way they live....well...judging by the people around me, there is also the habit factor. People are aware that changing few things in their daily life makes a difference. They know, for instance, that they have to turn the TV off when not watching, but they simply have the habit of always leaving it on and for some time they don’t even realize doing it and by the time they notice enough energy has been wasted. Therefore I don’t believe it’s going to be easy, I mean, you don’t go and change people’s habits over night, right? Everyone has to make a bit of an effort. And for those who, for some reason, fancy that one person doesn’t make a difference i would say to them “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop”
Mother Teresa


Regards,

Tolly

viktoria the best

Hi Victoria,

BRAVO!!!!!
Congratulations with your essay, i am really proud and happy about your interesting ideas and humanitarian point of view.
I deeply wish they are more young people as you in Bulgaria and all over the world, who are concern and have great ideas, which at one point will make difference and change to better the place we live!

Good luck with your essay and all the best.
Svetlana

I think the different simple steps you suggest people should take to help the environment are really good and worth considering.Congratulations! Although not everybody in our neighbourhood turned off their ligts on the 28th, most people did, which means that more and more people are concerned about the energy crisis and are aware that something should be done.
Good luck
Gergana Lalova

Good work, Viktoria and interesting ideas.We have to learn people to save food and energy.Well done:)
Regards,
Gregory