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<title> The rapid turnover to a more environmental adapted society </title>
This essay will deal with some of the major causes behind the growing concern for the environment. In just a couple of decades the awareness of environmental matters has increased from next to nothing to becoming an important question. In dignity, the issue is now comparable to those of unemployment and health-care, just to mention a couple of examples. It has become a matter not only concerning just a few environmental activists, but also ordinary people and politicians as well as companies. In my essay I'll focus on the development in Sweden and mention a few examples of what has changed in recent years, as well as stating some of the causes behind the development.

The focus of who should be said to be responsible for the damage caused by the human species has in the latest period of time drastically changed. Only about twenty years ago, almost only industries were thought to be blamed, but over the last period of time, we have come to realise that everybody need to take their responsibility.

One visible change in this direction was when ordinary citizens began the recycling of waste, something that among other things was initiated by the detection that harmful elements were leaking out and polluting the groundwater. It was also because of the awareness of the untenable in expanding the waste grounds and that the alternative - burning waste - as well was causing harmful elements to spread. It all started with paper and bottles being recycled, but has expanded into covering almost any possible waste - plastic, batteries, tin cans, hazardous waste, composts, cloth (to second-hand shops, that has existed for a longer period of time though) etc. etc. The rapid growth of sorting waste material is both due to a wish from the public to take their share of responsibility, but just as much because of the help from the local authorities as well as stately founded laws. For example I can mention the one that producers themselves have to take responsibility for the package used for their products.

The recycling trend mentioned above is a good example of what can be attained when the social organisations as well as the public cooperate. An example of a quick turnover of industries way of manufacturing into a more environmental adapted one, is the changeover from chlorine bleaching to non-chlorine bleaching of paper. Here the consumers almost only by virtue of their power as consumers made the change so immediate. As soon as they found out about the harm that this was causing the sea among other things, they simply ceased buying the products. This made them unprofitable and the paper industry changed its way of producing. This was a matter of fact an example presented by the Swedish minister-to-become of the European Board of Ministers, Margot Wallström. She as well is a good example of the importance the environmental questions has gained in recent years. That one of the top ministers in the Swedish government gets this kind of public function, the one of Environmental Minister in the EU.

It is however not only because of individuals themselves finding out about various harmful elements in the environment, or by decisions taken by politicians, that makes us aware of the facts that make us change our way of thinking. Of great importance is the research made by scientists, whose results are spread and influence our minds. 
Some things we could not possibly be aware of without their work, are the thinned out ozonosphere and the fact that many elements are causing diseases and disturbances in the nature. Just to mention a couple of examples there are acidification of forests and lakes and mutations of various species. The changeover to lead-free petrol is for example much due to this kind of information.

Why people "all of a sudden" care about the environment has many explanations, where I have mentioned a couple above for you to get an overview. It is a combination of many different causes, however I think the main one, simply is the one of surviving and the concern we have for our children. If we did not know that our way of living would harm us in any way, we probably would not try to change it. This is explained by the fact that a more and more comfortable way of leading our lives is what we always have striven for and also what causes the problems we are facing. 

References

Holm, Fredrik and Thunberg, Bo. 1993. Nya Handla Miljövänligt!. Katrineholm:Naturskyddsföreningen Förlag AB
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