The earth’s climate has gone through periodic cycles of glacial advances and retreats, but the global warming happening right now is particularly significant because it is being caused by our pollution.
Every year over 1.2 trillion gallons of untreated sewer water is dumped into US waters annually. The widespread problem of pollution is jeopardizing our health. According to the World Health Association More than three million children under the age of five die each year from environmental causes which only further proves the significance of the problem at hand.
For years we have been destroying our earth through lack of awareness and pure ignorance, and we are reaching the breaking point.
As humans, a majority of our population believes that the sole purpose of life is to accumulate wealth through whatever means necessary, and that is the mindset that has been destroying our planet for decades.
Big businesses have had little restrictions placed on them regarding the amount of pollution they release into the air until very recently. Just 100 companies are responsible for more than 70% of all greenhouse gas emissions since 1988 according to a recent study at Harvard University.
It seems like every week we hear about a new report how man-made climate change is going to be the cause of significant problems like the collapse of the ice sheets or lead to the extinction of even more animal species as if the one million that have already gone extinct weren’t enough.
There is a good chance society could collapse as early as 2050 if we do not see serious changes in the near future. There are an increasing amount of awareness projects happening all around the world to help with climate change, but what is being done now is not enough.
Australia is going through devastating times with over 25 million acres of land being engulfed in flames. The bush fires are impacting more than just us, over one billion animals have been impacted as well. For example, it is estimated that over 30 percent of the entire population of koalas have been killed because of the fires.
Giving donations to charities who help fight the fires or organizations that help the families who have had their homes destroyed is a way you can help stop these devastating fires that are hurting our environment. On top of making donations, there are other ways you can make an impact which are just as easy as making a donation.
There is no doubt that vehicles are major contributors to pollution. When cars burn gasoline they emit pollutants into the air, and we see the clouds of smoke coming out of cars exhaust pipes everyday. Cars account for 75% of carbon monoxide pollution in the United States, and with little effort that could be significantly reduced.
If we reduced the amount of cars on the road by carpooling we could help the environment is a drastic way.
On top of carpooling, recycling is another way you can easily make a difference. By just recycling your papers and plastics you can reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses that would be emitted into the air due to the process of breaking down the materials.
We have to make these changes now if we want to continue to call this planet our home.