Let the Smitsonian preach to the second and third world where they consider rivers to be sewers.
We are certainly not perfect but I am tired of going on guilt trips for every world problem. I ,and the US, are not responsible for the actions of others and when most of the world live and act like pigs I will not be made to feel guilty for their actions.
Hmmm.
I have no guilt, either about my own behavior or that of the world's. Responsibility is a two-edged sword in my opinion. As with education, there are the ignorant and naive, and the more informed. In most cases, the un-informed and third world countries and their populations are eking out not much more than a subsistence living. Frankly, I doubt they have the GDP to be creating the larger percentage of the pollution the planet is contending with. And even where there is a large GDP (CHINA) they still live for the most part in Third world conditions from a percentage of their population.
It will always fall upon the shoulders of the educated and successful societies to attempt to help improve the lot of those less fortunate. That isn't a left-leaning or religious slant. It's one based on the reality that we are all sharing this place we call Earth.
Assuming one has children, does the parent allow behavior to continue that is harmful to either parent or child? When an adult witnesses behavior(s) which are not socially or legally acceptable, does the adult turn away and ignore the problem? Now I understand in today's society it has become (sadly) the norm to accept any and all behaviors, poor judgement, etc. as our (US) society moves in a direction of what IMO, has become an excess of PC-righteousness. And how often do we see it mimicked around the world.
So I've digressed in to a rabbit hole which was deeper than I first thought as I took to the keyboard. All the point of this diatribe was to basically say to ignore a problem will eventually lead to becoming part of the problem ones self. I try to do my part individually but as the saying goes, it takes a tribe to raise a child, not just the parent.
Ignoring the "pigs" at our front door will eventually lead to them wanting in the (our) house. I'd prefer to keep them in the fields . .