Solutions Journalism: An innovative and sustainable approach to a new age of reporting
Photo Taken by: Zander Sunberg
For millennia humans have thought of and have implemented complex solutions to many different problems, but most of these solutions have recently had detrimental impacts on the environment . Inventions like the car and the cell phone have helped to solve human problems and to push people towards new ways of thinking, both positives, but these devices have also come with some drawbacks humans have not recognized until now. Technology has allowed us so much good but it has not come without some inherent challenges that humans have had to adjust to.
The same narrative is true of the environmental community. There has been an on-going battle with the fossil fuel companies about the true efficacy of their practices. Similar to cell phones and cars, we currently draw many positives from fossil fuels like increased and faster modes of transportation, easily accessible nutrition and produce, and the ability to operate normally in conditions we were previously not able to (i.e. the Arctic), amongst other benefits.
However, this need to benefit from fossil fuels has come too far. We have detrimentally impacted the systems of the Earth and are consequently suffering because of those impacts. We walk a fine line of benefiting and losing from both technology, like the cell phone, and the presence of fracking/fossil fuel mining. Both inventions provide so many obvious positives for humans, however we are continuing to discover that the cell phone and the use of fossil fuels has massively negative impacts on human health.
It is clearly time to move away from coal, gasoline, and other fossil fuels as our primary sources of energy. We must also continually embrace renewable sources like solar, wind, and nuclear energy as the future of our planet relies upon finding clean ways to use/produce energy. Many organizations have been started in a continuous effort to bolster awareness of environmental issues and the detrimental impact humans continually have on the Earth. It is organizations like the Solutions Journalism Network who help to bring attention to the underrepresented environmental issues we are facing in the world today.
The Solutions Journalism Network works to report on social issues that include environmental coverage. The coalition of journalists work rigorously to bring interesting stories and captivating coverage about the environment to the public's eye. So much goes unreported or unheard-of, but with the help of the Solutions Journalism Network readers are able to stay up-to-date with environmental affairs.
Works Cited:
https://www.solutionsjournalism.org
Photo Credit: Zander Sunberg
