The Planet is in Trouble and Only we can Help
nulla tempus arcu purus
5
vel auctor massa
Today, we can see that technology has taken a huge step forward. We can communicate from different countries simply by sending a text message. A few decades back, the first cell phones were just coming out, and they looked nothing like today's smart phones. There is a vast variety of examples of how far technology has gotten. However, there is a price for all of these luxuries, and we are already paying it.
Our planet is now suffering from a huge amount of problems including air pollution, land pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, light pollution and thermal pollution. These are all major problems that should not go ignored, but are being ignored. The root of the problem is quite simple to find as we are the cause. Businesses these days focus on one thing, their income. Most businesses will do whatever it takes to increase their income, no matter how high the price. The major problems our planet faces are air pollution, deforestation, and species extinction.
Air pollution is a mixture of natural and man-made substances in the air we breathe. This type of pollution is typically separated into two categories: outdoor air pollution and indoor air pollution. Outdoor air pollution involves exposures that take place outside of buildings. Examples of this include: fine particles produced by the burning of fossil fuels, noxious gases (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, etc.), ground-level ozone (a reactive form of oxygen and a primary component of urban smog). Indoor air pollution involves exposures to particulates, carbon oxides, as well as other pollutants carried by indoor air or even dust. A few examples include: gases like carbon monoxide or radon, household products that contain chemicals, building materials such as lead, outdoor indoor allergens like cockroach or mouse droppings, and mold or pollen. The most dangerous type of air pollution is outdoor air pollution as it affects, humans, animals and plants alike. According to a growing body of research, air pollution also plays an important role in the development of heart disease and in triggering cardiac events. All businesses use energy and most use harmful chemicals to create their products. They could start to look for alternatives to diminish the harm they do to the environment.
Deforestation is the permanent destruction of forests in order to make the land available for other uses in order to make the land available for other purposes. Each year, an estimated 18 million acres, which is roughly the size of Panama, of forestland is lost each according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Other statistics taken by the FAO say that about half of the world’s tropical forests have been cleared. It has been estimated that 15 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions come from deforestation, according to the WWF. Businesses that sell furniture for example, should get involved with foundations like The Redwood Forest Institute, that helps preserve trees.
Lastly, the majority of animals that exist currently are endangered on the verge of extinction. This is definitely the biggest problem the earth is facing considering that every time a species disappears it disturbs the balance in nature. Food chains put this into perspective. For example, grass is eaten by grasshoppers, who are eaten by frogs, then are eaten by snakes, and finally eaten by eagles. If humans keep hunting eagles, they will eventually go extinct, causing the population of snakes to increase greatly. As a result, the population of frogs will dramatically decrease, putting them at risk of extinction. This is one of the many examples of an imbalance that can be created in nature. Many industries out there hunt animals to use them in their products. In China, sharks are continuously hunted to make shark fin soup. Thylacines, colloquially known as Tasmanian Tigers, went extinct in the wild in the year 1936. The company Diemen’s Land Company was mostly responsible for the Tasmanian Tiger’s extinction.
If we all come together we can change the world, and even improve it for ourselves as well as future generations. Everyone should become conscious about who they are purchasing from and how their choice might affect the planet. The future of our planet lies in your hands.