Death of a Loved One
The degradation and destruction of Earth is accelerating out of control as a result of human influence, and presents a major crisis that stems from modern society. It can be attributed to overpopulation, pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of natural resources and contamination of the planet’s oceans. In countless regions across the globe, oxygen-producing forests, teeming with life, are being systematically erased from the landscape to provide the lumber to house the growing population. Just as scores of diverse animals are being killed or driven from their natural habitats on land, death is spreading beneath the waves in the form of disappearing coral reefs. With the its exploding population, China’s unchecked use of coal burning as a cheap energy source is a major factor in contamination of the environment. Lacking a clean alternative, China’s practice contributes to the already dangerous levels of atmospheric pollution.
The exponentially expanding population must be the source of pollution simply because without the manipulation of man, animals’ impact on the environment is negligible. Moreover, the sources of energy provided for the people are often cheap and unclean. For example, China has an approximate population of 1,329,349,388, the largest in the world. In order to sustain this obscenely large body of citizens, China constructs, on average, one coal-burning plant per week. Since its main concern is to provide its citizens with enough energy to survive, the daunting prospect of developing “greener” sources of energy is not appealing. Unfortunately, as increasing numbers of humans are produced, the task of finding places for them to live has a higher priority than that of researching cleaner energy production methods. The total population of Earth is in the neighborhood of six billion people, most of whom use some form of transportation involving the combustion of fossil fuels.
Pollution, in the form of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) levels, is something that we are largely ignorant about. Humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere drastically mainly through the burning of fossil fuels. The combustion of these emits carbon monoxide particles (a colorless, odorless, toxic gas) which, when released into the air, react with oxygen to form carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, it is helping to ensure the eventual destruction of the environment through increasing temperatures. The warmer climate is causing the accelerated melting of the polar ice caps, which will eventually raise sea levels and cause widespread flooding. CFC’s, or chlorofluorocarbons, are the main cause of ozone depletion. Mainly used in industry in the forms of refrigerants, propellants, and cleaning solvents, these nasty chemicals have created a hole in our protective atmospheric layer that allows the entrance of harmful solar rays. These would be as serious if we had the natural resources to sustain our population while we searched for a solution. Unfortunately, we are consuming them faster than is healthy for our planet.
Compounding global overpopulation and pollution, depletion of natural resources magnifies the damage of “man’s footprint” on the planet. Deforestation causes flooding and washes away vital nutrients necessary to produce food. Contamination of Earth’s oceans further disrupts the fragile and essential life cycle upon which all forms of life, including man, depend. The Amazonian rain forest has some of the most diverse wildlife in the world, second only to coral reefs. Yet, for all the majesty and beauty surrounding such a natural wonder, we feel the need to cut it down to make houses and toothpicks. Deforestation is occurring on a large scale in the rain forests of the world, the Pacific Northwest, and developing third-world countries that are in desperate need of revenue. The removal of trees at such a pace that is now considered normal, even necessary, is causing loss of an abundance of oxygen-producing plants and trees. In combination with our constant pollution, lower oxygen levels will help to further the series of catastrophic events that is the evolution of the human race. Furthermore, the annihilation of the rain forest, the second most biodiverse region on Earth, is causing the loss of many precious species that are critical to the maintenance of the balance of life. Lamentably, in the most biodiverse places on the planet, the coral reefs, similar bouts of death and near-extinction have become commonplace. The endangerment of the animals and plants in the rain forests and coral reefs result in an unacceptable and highly devastating disruption to the “circle of life.” Combined with overpopulation and pollution, depletion of natural resources and ravaging of plant and animal life implies a nauseating consequence.
The unfortunate causes of environmental death are all interconnected. Overpopulation leads to use of cheap energy sources. Use of cheap energy results in major atmospheric pollution. Pollution is helping lead to global warming and therefore increasing natural disasters. Increasing amounts of destruction from natural disasters necessitates more resources to rebuild and provide for unlucky survivors. Depletion of natural resources leads to loss of plant and animal diversity. Fewer plants and animals means more room for ignorant, dirty humans. It is a vicious cycle that cannot be stopped. Regrettably, “the central problem of our age has therefore become the destruction of man’s total environment.”