A Taste of Change | Teen Ink

A Taste of Change

April 29, 2010
By Julie.3193 SILVER, Stony Brook, New York
Julie.3193 SILVER, Stony Brook, New York
5 articles 0 photos 1 comment

All around us, in today’s day and age, the problem of keeping the environment clean and toxic-free has emerged more than ever before. Many people are aware of the phrase “going green”, but not enough people are actually making the effort to try and live the lifestyle. Global warming is something that occurs naturally and is undeniably going to happen, no matter what we do to try and reverse it. Although, humans have increased the rate of global warming, due to the greenhouse gases we have caused to choke the atmosphere. The truth is irrefutable, changes in climate are showing. A global temperature increase of about 0.8 degrees Celsius occurred between the year 1880, and today. The temperature is still on the rise, predicted by many scientists that 2030 will bring an increase of 0.5 degrees Celsius.(Marshall, UCAR.edu) The effects are mainly evident in the Poles, but sooner or later everyone will notice a difference.
Technology has become a survival tool for humans across the world, but the planet is literally taking the heat for it. Electricity is being poured out and wasted with all of the super bright lights throughout cities, computers that never get turned off, and the five TVs in the house all turned on while nobody is watching them. Electricity burns fossil fuels, which aren’t something humans should take for granted. All of the combustion of gases release toxins in the air, therefore polluting it. Trees are being cut down and not reproduced, but they are the natural structure that can exhume these gases.
Personally, I don’t think plastic water bottles should be made at all, but since they are a mass product, we should reuse each one until we feel it wearing out. Recycled goods are a big way to reuse items that are mostly non-biodegradable. Unfortunately, the public doesn’t see many of them around and have to throw out their plastics instead of sending it to be reborn. Recycling is the easiest way to give back something to the planet in which you are lucky to even be on. It’s a privilege for all species to live on such a place that can repair itself, but we are simply destroying it.
If everyone on Earth does not make a change soon, we will all be in deep trouble. Extinction happens over and over again to all species, are we going to be the next ones? A worldwide effort is needed, now more than ever, otherwise we’ll just keep continuing to hurt ourselves and future generations.

The author's comments:
I was inspired to right this piece right when I saw the contest topic about the environment. I am so passionate about helping the Earth, and inching towards replenishing it. I hope from this piece, or from any piece about the environment, people will become influenced to make a change in their daily routines. I would like for the public to know that a little give and take goes a long way. Turning off appliances when they're not being used as well as throwing plastic bottles into a kirby-can instead of a garbage can, makes a big difference.

Similar Articles

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 0 comments.