Protecting our planet must be a priority

Sandra
Meridian Junior College
Singapore

As I got up from bed and stretched out my arms, I felt the beautiful warm sunshine kissing my face. I twitched a little and enjoyed the affectionate rays of the sun, as I heard the sweet voices of young birds greeting me with a happy morning song. 'How wonderful it is to live on this planet', I thought, as I beamed with delight.

Yes, we live on a beautiful planet, but this could fast be merely a work of fiction if we do not do anything to protect it. At present, our Mother Earth is plagued with diseases in the form of global warming, depleting natural resources and increasing amounts of rubbish, just to name a few. If the situation gets worse, future generations will not be able to see the wonderful world in which we now live.

Global warming has caused temperatures to rise alarmingly and, as a result, the sea level has been increasing because of melting icebergs. With heightened levels of technology and urbanisation, we consume natural resources such as oil, gas and wood, at startling rates that do not allow the Earth to replenish them naturally. Moreover, we produce an enormous amount of waste each and every day. If that is not enough, our precious fauna and flora are fast becoming extinct because of our exploitation of the environment. So, isn't it time we do something to protect it? However, I'm not going to be an extremist and preach that all of us have to retreat back to our Stone Age days in order to save our Earth. Instead I believe that all of us merely have to do our part.

Each and every individual existing on planet Earth can, and should, get involved in protecting it. On a daily basis, we read newspapers, move around in our fast fuel-consuming vehicles, drink from paper or plastic cups and consequently, produce a lot of waste. The amount of waste a person creates per day has almost doubled to 4.4 pounds in the last 35 years. To curb this problem, we can recycle materials or reuse them. This is not as easy as it sounds, but it is possible. For instance, we could print on both sides of paper, reuse whatever plastic or paper bags we get or use reusable containers instead of aluminum foil to store leftovers. We could also put in a little effort to throw our waste into recycling bins. If everyone did this, we would achieve two things: a reduction of waste and the saving of forests.

In addition, we need to conserve oil and natural gas. Some scientists claim that all the oil in the Earth will be depleted within the next 50 years if consumption is not reduced. We could salvage the situation by recycling motor oil and by using public transport whenever possible.

On top of that, water resources are also depleting. As we all know, of the three per cent of Earth's fresh water supply, only around 0.33 percent is available for human consumption because the remaining amount is frozen in polar icecaps and glaciers. If our water consumption is excessive, our rivers and lakes could be degraded and polluted and there is also the possibility that desertification could occur. Therefore, we should save water and this can be done by ensuring that the shower is turned off while we soap ourselves; that the tap is also turned off when we brush our teeth; and by taking the car to the car wash instead of washing it with a running hose.

However, there is a limit to how much an individual can do to save the environment. As a community, we could also play a part. Schools can undertake several projects, such as beach cleaning and planting trees. In Singapore, students participate in community involvement projects, which range from helping out charity organisations to preserving our natural environment. For example, secondary school students are often involved in beach cleaning. Students are encouraged to join up with other projects, such as preserving swamps, in order to both learn more about the environment and to conserve it. Furthermore, residents could also plant trees in their surroundings to both beautify the environment, as well as to clean the air, since trees and other plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis.

Countries can also help in protecting the planet. Many countries exploit the environment in order to attain economic growth. Although there are alternative ways, this is the fastest way for a country to achieve economic prosperity. Many economically less developed countries, such as Mexico, allow American firms to relocate their dirty and heavy industries to Mexico. These industries produce gases, which pollute the atmosphere and aggravate the problem of global warming. Moreover, for a country to thrive, it has to urbanise. For urbanisation to occur, land has to be cleared for factories to be built and, as a result, the natural environment is damaged. This is true for almost all countries, even economically more developed countries such as Germany and South Korea. Therefore, some level of environmental degradation occurs in order for a country to develop. But, this can be compensated for. When the country booms, it can allocate funds to conserve the natural surroundings.

There are ways in which the country can flourish without damaging its surroundings. One such means is ecotourism. Tourism is a tertiary industry that brings a lot of revenue to a country. Therefore, countries can preserve their natural environment to attract visitors. For example, many people flock to Australia to take a look at its phenomenal underwater sights, the amazing coral reefs. Another measure is to develop new technology that protects the environment. In Singapore, used water is recycled and thus, Singapore is less reliant on its neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia, for its water supply. Also, a country could use hydropower instead of using commercial electric power.

However, some countries find it difficult to concentrate on the environment when their country is beset by civil war or facing extreme poverty. When such adversities are faced, they could be excused from being environmentally aware. The same cannot be said of economically more developed countries, such as the United States of America.

The USA is guilty of releasing more greenhouse gases than any other country and accounts for more than a quarter of those produced by humans internationally. But it declined to sign the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. The Kyoto Protocol is but one international measure aimed at alleviating the problem of global warming.

On a global level, countries could join hands in protecting the planet. For instance, there could be international limits on the catch of fishermen to ensure that there is a sustainable fish supply. However, countries are usually self-centered and only concerned about their own progress and usually ignore the environment.

Nevertheless, there are supranational bodies such as the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, the United Nations Environment Program and Friends of the Earth, that strive to protect the environment. These organisations seek to ensure that animals and plants do not become extinct and that our environment is not unnecessarily exploited. They could aim to garner more support from individual countries because awareness needs to be created first before change can happen. Furthermore, the UN can closely monitor countries and issue warnings if nothing is done to assuage environmental degradation.

In conclusion, much effort needs to be taken, especially by countries and international bodies to protect our planet. If not, future generations will not be able to experience Mother Nature as we do. There is too much talk and too little done to protect our planet. Instead of merely stating reasons for the conservation of our planet or the ways to do so, one has to be proactive. If a single person starts to do his part for our Earth, they could influence a group of people who might influence others as well. Therefore, we should all rise and fight to save our planet, bearing in mind, of course, that we can never return the Earth to its natural state. But, what we can do is protect it from further harm, which might come even in the form of extinction. However, all this can only be achieved, if the individual, you and I, is willing.

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