Cleaning Up the Planet  | Poll Results | Advocate.com

||   Cleaning Up the Planet   ||
Results for the following question: Who is most responsible for cleaning up the planet?

Government
 31.3%

Business
 16%

Individuals
 46.6%

Undecided
 6.1%

Total Votes: 425

Comments:
These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Vulchak
Of course, but what do you think about that?,

Kramsat
Most Interested facts about that you can read here:,

antivirkaspersky7
U need antivirus?

Anonymous
There are just too many ways to view it. I think its everyones responsibility but no one really wants to do it.

dgreatone
Environmentalists are the most responsible for cleaning up the planet. If they themselves did half the things they said needs to be done more people would follow by example. Most environmentalists refuse to practice the environmental utopia they want to force on everybody else, thus leading people to question global warming.

Mike in Michigan
I see this as an 'all of the above' but the government needs to set the bar.

Qris J
Individuals. Government & business will do no more than what we demand of them.

Christopher
I'm talking as in all Individuals as a whole. The individuals in Government, the ones who are in Business and all of those who aren't. We all share the world here and if we all want to continue to be, then we need to be together.

Sean M. Blake
We are all accountable to the planet and would benefit from doing whatever is necessary and within the guidelines of the law to clean it up!

Geoffrey / Rogers Park, Chicago
Global, macrocosmic change begins with the person, the individual. If the individual refuses to act, then governments and corporations are rendered impotent. However, if the individual is truly motivated to make a difference, the herd can be prompted to follow.

Anonymous
If you look at the whole picture every one of us as individuals are responsible. If we are members of government or business we can use our influence to make changes in the work we do as well as at home.

Angel
Individuals - Every single one of has a responsiblity to clean up the planet.

Charles
The mess is too big for any individual to clean up. We all have our part to do, but nothing much will be accomplished without concerted, global government action.

Anonymous
Businesses are most responsible because businesses are the biggest polluters. They should be required (in order to operate as a business) to do so in a non-polluting and a non-damaging way. Instead, they are "encouraged" to volunteer--when everyone knows the bottom line is the Almighty Dollar, not doing what is right for the environment--or for humanity, for that matter.

Anonymous
Governments and business's can only suggest or mandate (law) what to do. Without indiviual support, cleaning up this planet of our's will fail!!

Brian, Columbus
If I have to pick from only these choices, the next best one to the truth is us as individuals. The real answer is the planet. Yes the planet itself. It has for millions of years cleaned up after itself and does a pretty fantastic job at I might add. This "green movement" has become another religion, and it's as annoying, cultish, and sometimes untruthful as any of the major religions. I read about 5-6 pages of this issue and threw it away, and I have never discarded an issue before. All we need to do is use some common sense (although I know some people just do not have it). Stop the fucking preaching and biased rhetoric. This entire movement is about one thing, and ONE thing only. The redistribution of wealth and resources. It will only, and is only making the poor more poor. If you can't see that now, and it's already pretty obvious, you unfortunately soon will.

Anonymous
If the government does not pass and enforce strict laws, corporate greed will continue this planet into a cesspool.

freeringtones
я вам пишу, чего же боле?

Troy Stansel-Garner
If one lives green, votes green, and buys green, we can all make a difference and let the Government officials and Corporations know we care about the earth and will hold them accountable for how good a steward he, she, it is.

Anonymous
If governments don't do more regulating, the efforts of individuals will amount to very little.

M.
The question is bogus. Cleaning up the environment requires a coalition of goverment/s, international organizations, NGOs, non-profits, businesses, communities, political parties, and individuals. The Globe requires a global approach.

Anonymous
Everyone is responsible, but government has to be more proactive about it.

C. Granger
MOST responsible? Did I miss something, do some of the above groups NOT use the planet? There is no most responsible. It is up to every entity whether individual or organizational to clean up the planet.

Rick C
Stop pointing fingers at corporations or other groups. As societies we have allowed these actions We all should take responsibility for these choices. We made the mess we need to clean it up

Mike
I think that government, business and individuals are all responsible for cleaning up the planet. We all live together here on this planet so we shoule all clean it up. The government should lead the way.

Anonymous
The government sure as hell isn't going to do anything about it, so I think that us as individuals will clean this world up.

Steve in Chicago
I think that government is equally responsible as well as individuals, but big business is the culprit. Government has given big tax breaks for these guys to take jobs away from this country (makes sense, huh) and then we're left with left employment and the toxic mess they leave behind.

James "JJ" from Ventura
Individuals can influence the government and business and at the same time take personal responsibility.

Anonymous
all of us, but breeders mostly.

Anonymous
How about "All"? That should be a choice here....

TP Harris
All of the Above! One can't just say that the government is responsible or business is responsible or individuals must be responsible and the other two don't have to take their share of responsibility...we ALL have to be responsible. We are the government, we are business and we each must do our individual parts to clean the planet.

dredz
The answer is simple....EVERYBODY is responsible for cleaning up the planet!

Tim M
The government is a construction of mainstream society that is (supposedly) elected by its peoples to carry out policies it has promised. Likewise business has been created merely as an order whereby wealth is distributed accordingly. Government inaction and Pollution Output from business cannot be blamed; society itself must provide the catalyst for change. Even so, support for a government or business is given by the masses. Simply not buying a product of a particular corporation or throwing your vote in behind a reliable candidate is sufficient; if everyone follows such an example, undesirable companies and political entities would not exist.

Michael C Sweeney
Americans have got to stop taking their Luxo Tanks for granted and think about what they are leaving their children. My eldest son lives in Germany and is studying the theory if cold fusion. My middle son lives in the Tahoe area and have never owed an auto, he is 29. My thrid son moved to a metropolitan city (Chicago) London to study so he could take advantage of the marvelous mass transit sytem they have in that country. I sold my car in 2000 and now only use mass transit.

Anonymous
Business and it's historical disregard is the major contributor to our environmental issues. They should be the ones leading the cleanup efforts, especially when it comes to the cost of such efforts. That having been said, we should all be concerned enough to put in what effort we can to do something positive about it.

Anonymous
Every one is, but the people who make the most mess should be responsible for cleaning. Of course if a government makes that mess then the taxpayer will have to pay, but if a company makes that mess then that company will have to pay. If an individual makes a mess they should clean it up to, it's just common sense. If a homeowner breaks city property, you can bet the city will send them a bill, and we should do the same to the city or any other company for messing up our environment because the environment doesn't belong to them, it belongs to all of us.

Josh Correia
It's a cliche we've all heard on more than one issue and on more than one occasion, but every little bit helps. I think that it involves all parties that are listed above, but it must start with the individual. Recycling, conserving water, supporting or organizing area clean ups are all small things individuals can do, to help get the ball rolling. We [the individual] must raise a voice to businesses and governments; we all must work together to achieve whatever clean up goal we have set for the sake of the planet and everyone, who shares in its beauty and the resources it provides us.

Loren
government has the bigger part, because it can make businesses and private citizens do the work that is in their power to do... otherwise, it wont get done enough to make a difference...

Rycharde Powell
Government is the most Responsible for Cleaning up the Planet. For they can make law that crack down on Business & Others that mess up the Planet. But it is up to the People To stop the Government from Fucking up the Planet with WAR!! By Voting for someone that Believe in Freedom & Peace For All People!

Ginelle
I think we are as individuals. If we don't take responsibility for our individual habits such as throwing our trash on the streets or at the side of the road (as an example), how can we expect our business leaders and political leaders to take the full brunt of the responsiblility. In the end we pay more for taxes because the government ends up cleaning up our messes. All in all, it is everbody's responsibility to act responsibly by recycling, by using our cars less, by limiting our use of energy such as electrical power, by pitching in and pitching out the stuff that is hurting our home.

David Walters
I believe that since the governments of the WORLD are ultimately responsible for contaminating, polluting, and destruction of the planet; THEY should PRIMARILY be responsible for cleaning up their "dirty work". Starting needless "Blood For Oil Wars" don't help either! Individuals, groups should do a part of the clean up for our mental well-being. Basically, the self-serving governments spend all their money in polluting the planet - then THEY can spend MORE OF THEIR OWN MONEY to clean iot up!

Anonymous
They are causing the destruction of the planet, they should clean it up. But let's not forget the government allows them to do this, and continues to allow it.

Wallace
The government has to take the leading role in passing legislation that forces change. If left to individuals, nothing will get done. People are not at the level yet to steer the needed changes, to hold businesses, farms, and other polluters to change their ways. When the government takes a proactive lead, and says that these things will stop, and there will be consequences for hurting the environment, we (individuals) will feel more empowered to get involved, as we will know we have the law behind us.

Anonymous
It is clear that we cannot depend on government or business to take the lead in cleaning up our environment and reversing the current crisis of global warming. We can't depend on them to help rectify the situation because they are both complicit in causing the problem to begin with. That is not to say that they should not be pressured to move towards solutions for the problem, but it is going to take individuals to change the habits of a lifetime in order to stop and if possible reverse the damage we have done to the environment. In addition to living green, we need to bring pressure to bear on our politicians and on the business community to change their ways and to seriously address this problem. The individuals power at the ballot box and of the pocket book should be brought to bear to force our government and business to work toward viable solutions to the crisis we face. It will take a concerted effort by individuals to accomplish this.

Keith Andrews
This is a gay question? Governments will have to take the lead. Once we get started momentum will carry it. But it needs a kick-start from Uncle Sam.

Anonymous
However, all are responsible.

John Bosch
Businesses are most responsible for cleaning up! Factories, foundries, and mills have dumped FAR more waste on the Earth than all the individuals combined. If every single person on the face of the planet stopped littering and went total "green", we would STILL be overwhelmed by trash FROM THE BUSINESSES.

Michael Bergin
From little acorns big oaks grow! Unless individuals take personal repsonsibility, then motivate their employers, then their community and then their representatives at local and national government levels nothing will change. Social change has always only come by individuals getting together in groups and then bigger groups and so on. Look, from Stonewall to today and the changes that have occured... still a lot more to do, but thats how it works

Anonymous
All three are responsible. I voted for Individuals because they are also government and business!

David
I suppose it's my distrust of Government and Business to pull through that makes me feel it is up to the individual to take care of, well, pretty much everything, including "cleaning up the planet".

Anonymous
Government--People won't do it on their own, especially here in America. American's change when the Government forces them to change. And we all know Texans aren't going to give up trucks on their own.

Travis Colten Yocom
Since the only chance to get anything done in the area of cleaning up the earth and keeping it free of pollution is through enforcement, I'd say the government. Yet this current administration proves even there the job can't get done because of the Bush-Cheney favoring of business over science or health. Hillary and Obama have the right idea: harness the greed of industry into the green movement by creating a whole new sector of business. It is the old horsewhip argument: the makers of horsewhips lost their jobs with the advent of cars, but the economy adapted to the new situation. Would anyone ever want to ride in a carriage driven by a horse in this age? I think not. The same for the electric car when it retires these gas-drinking dinosaur cars of today.

Mary Johnson
Each one of us has a responsibility to do what they can to clean up the planet. We individually made the mess of the planet.

Anonymous
Business pollutes our planet more than anyone. Present laws should be enforced making business clean up their messes. On a personal basis, I pick up trash on my walks. Everyone can carry a sack do that to help.

Joe
It takes gov't intervention to force business and individuals to clean up their act. Personal freedom is a beautiful thing, but sometimes people and businesses act in their self-interest, and not in the interest of the community.

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