Have you ever accidentally broken something valuable that belonged to your best friend? The guilt you feel is awful, and now you are frantically thinking of a way to make it up to her. You ask yourself, ‘How am I supposed to replace something with such meaning?’ You go outside to take a breath of fresh air, but while sitting on your porch, you realize the temperature feels different. It’s the middle of winter, and it’s 70 degrees. You look up at the stars, but only a few are clearly visible. You think, ‘Oh it’s just the weather,’ and go back inside. The problem is this: The weather changes and light pollution are both a part of global warming. Not only do we need to realize there is a global catastrophe threatening our existence, but we must also do something about it. Global warming is not freak spontaneous occurrence; it is a problem we have brought upon ourselves through disregard of our environment. I use the word “we” because this crisis was not caused by one single person. It was caused by all humanity.
Before we clean up our mess, we must understand what exactly we have done wrong. Many actions we perform every day have effects that result in one main cause of global warming. Carbon dioxide and other gases are released from simple things such as driving our cars and turning on a lamp. These gases naturally warm the surface of the planet by trapping solar heat in the atmosphere. The result is referred to as the greenhouse effect. This should be considered a good effect because it keeps the Earth warm and habitable. Nevertheless, we have abused the good nature of this process by generating excess greenhouse gases. The outcome is simple: temperatures are rising and polar ice caps are melting. Some people may think, “Well that is just too bad for the polar bears,” but the melting ice affects humans just as strongly. As the ice melts, ocean water levels rise. If this continues, many areas of largely populated land, such as California and the United Kingdom, will be under water. John Houghton, the co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, comments, “Global warming is now a weapon of mass destruction.” Our effects on the world have the potential to be more destructive than any type of war.
Another main cause of global warming, as said by NASA scientists Michael D. Mastrandrea and Stephen H. Schneider, is the destruction and clearing of our beautiful forests. God, of course, was very intelligent when He created trees and plants with the purpose of taking in what we put out. As we cut down these trees, there is less intake of carbon dioxide from the environment, so the gas is discarded into our once uncontaminated atmosphere. Also, when forests are cleared away, many natural habitats are destroyed. According to conservation biologist, Chris Thomas, from National Geographic, the lack of these habitats will most likely lead to the extinction of many species by the year 2050. Is this truly the way to handle a beautiful gift? What is the environment in the first place but a gift from God?
Have you ever thought about life on Earth after you’re gone? What about the lives of your children? Many times I have thought about these things. It sickens me to consider the hardships in the lives of my potential children and grandchildren. I am not sure I want to bring new life into this world because I would feel guilty for leaving it with to deal with this. This is our world. It is not something we can just throw away or leave for someone else to take care of. We damaged it and we are the ones who need to repair the damage.
You may be thinking how. How are we supposed to repair the damage? Hopefully none of you are thinking about going home and never using electricity again because that is just irrational. It would be impossible to completely discontinue all carbon dioxide emissions, but there are so many effortless ways to alter our actions. Unplugging things when you are not using them and turning off lights when you aren’t in the room are ways to conserve electricity that take literally two seconds. The only effort needed is the lifting of a finger. According to Rany Aker and Cindy Putnam from the Heath Goods website, most families pay between $280 and $310 for water heating every year. Your water heater uses more electricity than almost every other appliance in your house! Shorter showers are a very good idea.
Lastly, I’m sure all of you have been told to recycle at one point or another, but you might not have been told why it’s important. Our trash is discarded into landfills that are filling up fast. Many solids such as plastic and metal take a long time to decompose. Meanwhile, we are consuming things, such as water from plastic bottles, at such a rate that our trash cannot catch up! Recycling is not in the least bit difficult. All you need to do is find a place where you can take your items to be recycled.
I know all of these methods of repair are easy because I’ve done them all myself. I admit to being reluctant when I first heard all the hype about “being green.” I didn’t know what any of it meant or why I should care. As you can see, I know more now. I became interested because I realized our world is NOT going to last forever. What if the valuable item you broke was the environment? Now you know ways to make it up to your friend. It is your responsibility to repair the damage.
Cited Information
Guardian Unlimited. 2007. Guardian News and Media Limited. 7 October 2007
NASA. Mastrandrea, Michael D., and Stephen H. Schneider. "Global warming." World Book Online Reference Center. 2005. World Book, Inc. 7 October 2007
National Geographic. 1996-2007 National Geographic Society. 26 September 2007
http://www.healthgoods.com/education/Healthy_Home_Information/Water_Conservation/hot_water_conservation.htm
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