Environmental issues are some of the most pressing concerns of today, however discussion surrounding the problem is surprisingly scarce. This is because many people don’t understand why they should care about the planet, seeing as in their lives nothing is different. To counter this, this article will highlight 4 reasons as to why you should care about our environment.
1. Because it’s exactly that: OUR environment.
Just because you personally may not be experiencing the devastating effects of climate change, doesn’t make them any less real. So far an average of 2.15 million people a year have been displaced from their homes due to climate change- related weather hazards. The recent hurricanes that hit the Americas and caused massive disturbances in so many lives were also linked to climate change, and so is the ongoing drought in South Africa where it is predicted that people will no longer have running water from their taps in the coming months. Furthermore, we share the environment not only with other humans but with a plethora of species that all need the planet to be healthy in order to survive, just like us. It was revealed in April that two thirds of the Great Barrier Reef, which is home to at least 7000 different species of birds, fish, coral and more, has been destroyed due to water temperatures being too high. This is just one example of how the collapse of the environment is causing the death and extinction of numerous eco-systems.
2. Your great-grandchildren are assured to experience the effects.
10% of the world’s population live by coastline, which means in a few decades 10% of the world’s population will have no home to call theirs, thanks to sea levels which are predicted to rise by 2 metres by the end of the century, meaning even some of the worlds most populated cities, such as Mumbai, will be under water. With the world’s population also expected to increase to 11.2 billion by 2100, this loss of space will lead to serious overpopulation which will further deplete our resources, leading to more climate change, and so the vicious cycle continues. Even within 20 years, global flooding is set to triple, meaning the number of people exposed to flooding will rise from 21 million to 54 million. In our lifetime, catastrophic events will occur that will lead to future generations living in a world unimaginable to us today.
3. The environment cares about you.
This planet has been around for 5 billion years, and has been supporting life for 300 million of them. Natural resources are essential for the survival of any organism and earth has generously let us used them for all this time. And now as a repayment, in the last 100 years humans have taken advantage of and destroyed this gift. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are beyond redeemable as the damage caused cannot be undone. And yet despite this we continue to use resources foolishly and ignorantly.
Although the damage is irreparable, we can still contribute to slowing down the destruction of the planet through everyday tasks such as recycling plastic or walking instead of driving. If we don’t take action, the earth as we know it is assured to be inhabitable in a few hundred years, ending the lives of our legacies, species that have lived alongside humans since the first man and the obliteration of resources that have kept us alive and happy for as long as science knows.
