Have you ever realized how certain human activities can impact our environment? We might not notice it sometimes, but the daily things that humans do can affect the world we live in. We have to take care of Earth, because if we don't, there might be several consequences in the future. We have to take care of our environment because if this is not done, it could result in not only affecting the country you live in, but it could also affect the world globally. This should not be taken slightly, because without a good environment our generation and the following ones will not be able to live a healthy life. The consequence of this is global warming which has also proven to be a cause of many diseases. Rejecting environmental protection can result in issues such as global warming, which has been linked to the spread of various diseases. It is very important to prioritize environmental issues to make sure there exists a sustainable and healthy future for all.
Many of us are aware that we should take care of the Earth more because not all of us, but many of us pollute it which deteriorates our health as well as the life of other species. According to the article of “Environmental Defense Fund”, many scientists have said, “humans are the main cause of climate change: burning fossil fuels, producing livestock, clearing trees and increasing the amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere” (9 ways we know humans caused climate change). These facts have been proved because it has been observed that many people do these without realizing that this is damaging the Earth. Many people around the world have sadly died because of the amount of pollution present in the air, especially those living in third world countries such as people in my country, Honduras. Lots of people have sadly died because of all the pollution in the air, especially in countries like Honduras. According to “The Guardian,” “Honduran authorities have raised the threat level to its highest in most of the country’s departments because of the public health risks, and advised people to close windows and stay indoors to avoid exposure to contaminated air” (Honduran city's air pollution is almost 50 times higher than WHO guidelines). For example, in big cities with bad air quality, people are getting sick with respiratory problems and other health issues. In Honduras, where there's a lot of pollution from factories and stuff, people are getting really sick. The “Interactive Country Fiches” states that “the main health problems identified in Honduran children under five years of age and in housewives are acute respiratory infections and eye problems. An important risk factor for these diseases is exposure to smoke from biomass fuels, especially firewood, inside the home” (Pollution / Honduras). Studies have shown that breathing in dirty air can make you die sooner, so we need to do something to protect our environment and health.
Some ways in which we can all help contribute to the environment is by stopping wasting water, recycling, not throwing trash, not burning fossil fuels, picking up plastic from the ocean, planting more trees, reusing plastic materials or not using it at all, just to mention a few things.. These are just some ways in which we could contribute to the environment and avoid damaging the planet in which we all live. If we do not take action now, there will be more species in danger of extinction and diseases that will become hard for scientists and doctors to find a cure because with more contamination more viruses arise.
People also affect the planet when they release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, “the process through which heat is trapped near Earth's surface by substances known as greenhouse gases” (What is the greenhouse effect?). This causes heat to be stuck in the atmosphere. The consequence of this is that this causes the temperatures in the planet to rise which not only affects the planet, but also us humans who live in it. We need to try and take more care about our planet because if we let time pass and don’t take action, it might be too late. The increase of temperature on the planet is causing more natural disasters like floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and many more. Since temperature is rising, it’s becoming more difficult to grow plants and trees start to fall, which is bad because trees generate the oxygen we breathe. As stated by the “European Union,” “2011-2020 was the warmest decade recorded, human-induced global warming is presently increasing at a rate of 0.2°C per decade” (Causes of climate change - European Commission). This also has an impact on animals and the habitats they live on because of how temperature is affecting the planet. Polar bears are in danger of extinction because the ice is melting and this is causing them trouble since without ice, they can’t continue to live. This is only one example of the many animals around the world that are being affected because of temperatures rising. We should all contribute in helping our planet stay healthy, this way we can live in peace.
As a human being that has been there to see the ways in which many people cause pollution. I have realized that these environmental problems will continue to affect the planet because some people have a different mindset and they are not aware that some things they’re doing are causing pollution. This is a major problem that can affect everybody around them in a negative way. I am sure that what we all want is to live in a world where the environment is healthy enough for all of us humans. In the article of “World Bank” it is said that “ Pollution stunts economic growth, exacerbates poverty and inequality in both urban and rural areas, and significantly contributes to climate change. Poor people, who cannot afford to protect themselves from the negative impacts of pollution, end up suffering the most” (Pollution). This article also states that “Pollution causes more than 9 million premature deaths, the majority of them due to air pollution” (Pollution). Many people don't change their mindsets because they think that they are the only ones doing things that are going to have an impact on global warming and that what they are doing doesn't affect that much, but it is important for all of us to unite and try to help in protecting our planet. Humans that act without thinking about the consequences know that this may not affect their lives but in the near future, their actions will affect the new generation. According to “The Washington Post,” “Since the beginning of the industrial era, mainly due to human activities like burning fossil fuels that emit heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. Researchers have called to reduce fossil fuel consumption and limit Earth’s future warming to ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius, stating that further warming will make climate disasters significantly more extreme and impossible to adapt to” (Patel). For everyone to have a better future, it’s necessary that we all put our part. I strongly believe that we should all take into consideration the fact that damaging the planet we live in can seriously affect the health of many people.
Many people around the world don't realize that our planet needs our help. We should all try to work together as a group to protect our planet. There are many factors that affect the planet, but humans are the only ones that can suggest ideas in which we can have a better and therefore a healthier life. I also think that part of this is having empathy and putting yourself in other people's shoes, for example the people in the streets who suffer the consequences of natural disasters caused by climate change and human activities. For our own good, I believe we should all be motivated to contribute to helping our planet, even if it’s picking up a piece of trash. So let's come up with ways in which we can stop global warming and save millions of lives. It's super important to make sure everyone knows how crucial it is to take care of the environment. Not everyone realizes how urgent it is to protect our planet. Working together can help us keep the Earth safe for the future. There are lots of things that can harm the environment, but it's up to us to come up with new ideas to make the world a better and healthier place. It's important to understand and care about the people who are affected by natural disasters caused by climate change and human actions. Doing little things like picking up trash can actually make a big difference in fighting global warming and helping people. Let's all come together to support eco-friendly practices and get involved in projects that aim to protect our planet for everyone's well-being.
Works Cited
“9 ways we know humans caused climate change.” Environmental Defense Fund, 9 May 2024, https://www.edf.org/climate/9-ways-we-know-humans-triggered-climate-change. Accessed 22 June 2024.
“Greenhouse Effect 101.” NRDC, 16 July 2019,
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/greenhouse-effect-101#gases. Accessed 21 June 2024.
“What is the greenhouse effect?” NASA Science,
https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/faq/what-is-the-greenhouse-effect/. Accessed 21 June 2024.
“The Importance of Trees - Learn Value and Benefit of Trees.” SavATree, https://www.savatree.com/whytrees.html. Accessed 21 June 2024.
“Causes and Effects of Climate Change│National Geographic.” YouTube, uploaded by National Geographic, 28 August. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4H1N_yXBiA.
“Causes of climate change - European Commission.” EU Climate Action, https://climate.ec.europa.eu/climate-change/causes-climate-change_en. Accessed 21 June 2024.
“Pollution.” World Bank, https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/pollution. Accessed 21 June 2024.
Patel, Kasha. “This visual shows how climate change will affect generations.” The Washington Post, 21 March 2023,
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/03/21/climate-ipcc-report-te mperatures-graphic/. Accessed 21 June 2024.
“Pollution / Honduras.” Interactive Country Fiches, https://dicf.unepgrid.ch/honduras/pollution. Accessed 22 June 2024.
“Honduran city's air pollution is almost 50 times higher than WHO guidelines.” The Guardian, 17 May 2024,
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/article/2024/may/17/honduran-citys-ai r-pollution-is-almost-50-times-higher-than-who-guidelines. Accessed 22 June 2024.
