Mother Earth
By: Rukayah Khediri,
Staff Writer
The one question I ask myself every day, the last thought before deep sleep and the first thought when I awaken to the beaming sunshine is: 'If we're so sure about the destruction of the earth, global warming, and pollution, then why are we not doing anything to prevent it?'
Whether we know it or not, mother Earth is increasingly getting worse year by year. It's quite shameful that even though global warming has been confirmed, people still go around not caring about what they're doing or about how it's affecting the earth. People don't realize the desperation of the situation, nor do they consider the consequences.
Did you know that only 30% of the forests are estimated to still be standing today worldwide? Humanity has once again consumed most of its resources. Human beings, in general as a species, should stop being a diabolical race of domination, constantly chopping down forests for their own selfish reasons. A consequence of this would be the loss of animal habitats. If animals don't have any homes or at least a habitat to live in, they will die. Not to mention that we don't even bother trying to replace the forests. We take most things for granted, including our own homes! Where will the madness end? When we've finally destroyed the atmosphere? What are we going to do when Earth is finally destroyed? Go to Mars?
The consequence of not taking action against this dilemma is the eventual and inevitable extinction of human beings. If you think about it realistically, the government can't take all 7 billion of us to Mars or any other life supporting planet. They'll 'eradicate' a portion of us. Then take whatever remains of us to another planet. Beneath this unrealistic vision, of ‘safety’ lies the grotesque truth.
So now that you've heard all of that depressing news, here are some solutions that could prevent all of that from happening. If we take immediate action against this atrocious fate for humanity, we may have a chance at not completely dying out. First off, “Reuse, Reduce, Recycle!” I think the word “reuse” speaks for itself pretty loud and clear. Reduce on garbage, waste, and stop overusing things. Moreover, stop taking things for granted; one day we will run out of water so it’s better to conserve it instead of wasting it. For example, when you're washing your hair, turn off the water. By doing this, you can save up to 150 gallons a month. Also, another tip is let pots and pans soak in water instead of scraping it off while letting the water run.
Now about shopping, don't buy unnecessary things at the store and grocery store that you rarely use. Try buying things with less packaging so that when you do throw it away it’s not too much waste. Instead of throwing away unwanted items, you could earn a bit of money by selling them or simply give them away to someone who does need them.
Whenever you can, try going green on transportation. Instead of driving your car and polluting the atmosphere, try bicycling or walking if you can. Also try to minimize the pollution by using public transportation. Another thing to be wary about would be littering the earth. Is it that hard to walk to a trash can or a recycling bin and simply throw it away?
In conclusion, I hope this has really made you think about the realistic consequences of what could inevitably happen. I hope that in the future we as humans strive to help the earth instead of obliviously, subconsciously, and surely destroying it for our own selfish good.