Environmental Protection

Without a doubt, pollution is one of the biggest threats to our ecosystem today.  Environmental pollution releases unwanted pollutants into the two most important aspects of our Earth: air and water.  This problem is primarily caused by people and our engineering.  Whether we like it or not, pollution is an issue, and ignoring it (as it has been by many thus far) shall not make it disappear.

Air pollution is an issue, particularly in the tourism industry.  Trains are considered to be the most environmentally friendly form of transportation, followed by cars, and finally planes. Planes are predominantly harmful to the environment because not only do they release carbon dioxide (the same as cars and trains), but they also emit vast quantities of greenhouse gases.

Water pollution is caused by large companies dumping toxic waste and chemicals into nearby rivers.  Moreover, since landfills are increasingly finding it difficult to cope with the amount of waste, the oceans have become the new dumping site.  This is further aggravated by the litter and trash we leave on the ground, either along the coast, or that which travels within air currents.

Our society is well aware that pollution is a dangerous as well as serious problem, yet it is a problem that the majority of the population do not care about.  Without meaning to sound too cliché, we blame society, but at the end of the day, we comprise the society in which we live. 

Therefore, it is important to raise the universal environmental consciousness in order that more people may help to reduce the negative effects of climate change.

Environmental destruction is not caused by ignorance or mistaken policies.  It is the inevitable result of a socioeconomic system that has put profit before people and must constantly expand to survive.  The US, the capitalist powerhouse of the world, produces 30% of the world’s pollution, and uses, on average, 25% of the world’s natural resources, but is doing little to change these patterns. 

Part of the problem is that the capitalistic mind-set so many of us appear to be enchanted with has meant that the need to own the latest, quickest and most desirable technological advancement has come at a price.  We no longer work with nature.  Instead, we work against it.  We no longer seem to care about where things have come from, the distance they have been transported and the damage this has had on our atmosphere.  All we need is the newest product our culture has indoctrinated us into believing that we need to survive.

Take a step back from this propagandised state and the truth is clear. 

Our treatment of the environment kills.

But still think pollution doesn't directly affect us?  More than 100 million people a year are affected by the consequences of pollution, and this has resulted in numerous fatalities.  Consider this further: children contribute to 10% of pollution rates, but are prone to 40% of all global diseases resulting from contaminated sources necessary for survival.

The solution?

Protect the environment by going back to nature and using only what we need, rather than mass producing various artefacts we have been told we cannot live without.  Rainforests once covered 14% of our planet.  Today, it is a mere 6%, and this is declining still.  Forget capitalism.  We need to move into a new era where we accept our roots as humans, and live alongside nature, rather than exploiting it for our own personal gain.  Only by addressing global capitalism can we hope to avert further catastrophe.