Ms. Dudzinski’s 9th Grade English class. Grade: 94. Current observations: I was very into politics (this was shortly before the ’92 election), and somewhere I had learned some demagoguery that would later serve me well in debate class. The overall point I was trying to make was and is sound, but on rediscovering this recently, I couldn’t help laughing at my (ignorant) scare-tactic of running out of oxygen. And where did I get this “con-environmentalist” term? The assignment was clearly intended as an exercise in persuasive, opinion-based writing. The lack of citations is irksome to me.
Sickening and outright disgusting factors are heavily contributing to the demise of our environment. But there is a major misconception on that point, and that is that we are killing the earth. Mother Earth cannot, and will not, be killed by us. Rather, we are making the earth unfit for human habitation. Contrary to popular belief, the human being is not master of his (or her) environment, rather his (or her) environment is master of humankind. One day the earth could revolt against us, because of things like the destruction of the rainforests and the hole we are causing in the ozone layer.
Those opposed to this particular belief, which is the belief of millions of others worldwide, believe that nature will heal herself. True, she will heal herself, but only after almost all humans on earth have been destroyed, and no further damage can be done. Another thing the “con-environmentalists” say is that we need the rainforest land for agriculture, which is true, and there are many valuable jobs in the lumber industry dealing therein, and that lumber, particularly the wood from mahogany and teak trees, goes out worldwide for the making of furniture. These are all valid statements. About the ozone layer, those “other” people sometimes say that we are not causing it, that we have nothing to do with it, and that it is a cyclical thing that has happened before. That is possible. but [sic] nothing else said by the “con-environmentalists” is believed by this writer to be true facts.
Fact: in 1990, rainforests worldwide were being felled at the horrendous and deadly pace of 72,000 acres a day, an area the size of the state of Ohio! Everyday [sic] that much wood is being cut down! The deadly effect of this is that, within a matter of years, as the earth goes, we will be running out of oxygen. No oxygen means no life. That also means that, without the use of such weapons as nuclear warheads, we will have actually destroyed all life on earth. That is how serious the problem could become, if we let it.
The ozone layer is a layer of the earth’s atmosphere, that, without, we [sic] would be a drastic problem. From the use of cfc’s and other similar agents, a wide hole is being rent into our ozone layer over Antarctica, and it is meliorating yearly. The ozone layer is there to block the sun’s ultra-violet light, which is a known carcinogen, and also causes cataracts in the eyes. Without this precious ozone, we would not be able to go outside without fear of burning up. This is a grim possibility, and we would not live long in this condition.
Destruction of the ozone layer and the rainforests are two of many conditions that will help contribute to the demise of our very existence. You may ask, “What can I do to help my environment?” What you can do is support politicians that are environment-friendly. Do not support the so-called “environmental President”, George Bush, who was late to the Rio summit and would not sign crucial bills protecting our environment. Do not use aerosol cans, because they contain the harmful cfc’s that are destroying the ozone layer. Do not purchase furniture products made of the rainforest trees, teak and mahogany mainly, and, on a broader environmental scale, purchase recycled goods and recycle your paper, plastic, glass, oil, etc. With global cooperation, this earth of ours can, and will, be saved.
Posted with : Social Discourse, Nature, Sustainability, Environment, Wildlife