Going Green

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently reported that the years 2001 thru 2009 are among the ten warmest years in a 130-year record. Furthermore, the report reveals that in the past century, global temperatures have increased by 0.06C per decade. Seemingly minute, this change in temperature triggers drastic and undesirable effects in the world’s ecosystem. In addition, world population continues to grow steadily every year. In the past fifty years, the population has increased by 3.7 billion. In 2009, the world population was estimated by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) to be 6.8 billion and by 2025 is projected to increase to at least 8 billion. The top three most populous countries are China, India, and the United States. Two of these countries also belong to the top three in PRB’s list of countries with the highest carbon dioxide emissions. The continuous increase in human population has a direct effect on the biodiversity of the planet. As the World Wildlife Fund reported, many species are continually being added to their list of endangered species, with tigers, rhinos, and even the monarch butterfly among them. Because of poaching, disregard for the fragile ecosystem, and, basically, mistreating the natural habitats of these animals, we have managed to paint a pretty bleak picture of what’s in store for us.
Fortunately, many governments have heard the pleas and warnings that scientists have been sounding out for decades. New policies to conserve the environment are being developed by governments all over the world. The Australian government has released their plan for 2010 under the Caring for our Country program which is designed to protect and restore their valuable and unique environment. In the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference, delegates used CamelBak reusable water bottles instead of disposable cups, with the CEO of CamelBak, Sally McCoy, stating that "each year, Americans alone dispose of more than 50 billion plastic water bottles, and only a fraction of those are recycled.” Theil (2010) discloses plans made by several rich states to assist developing countries in halting deforestation, one of the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions. His article further reveals that protecting and restoring rainforests is a much cheaper way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In November 2008, the UK government passed the Climate Change Act which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by the year 2050. Watson and El-Ashry (2009) proposed to create a Global Methane Fund in order to reduce the amount of this particular greenhouse gas.
Meanwhile, at home, there are a vast number of ways to cooperate in this global effort to restore and heal our planet. For instance, the simple act of conserving water can help in restoring environment by lessening the burden that we place on it. Considering that there are billions of people on Earth who all use water, this burden can prove to be too much for our planet. Also, the cost of water treatment and the carbon emissions from these processes can also worsen the global condition. Following the example of the UN delegates who used reusable bottles during their convention, the use of reusable items such as shopping bags, utensils, and the like can be practiced. The well-known concepts of reusing, reducing, and recycling are still effective. When choosing appliances and household items, one should also consider if the item is energy-efficient. Another method to majorly reduce greenhouse gas emissions is by choosing to walk instead of driving to a nearby destination. If it cannot be helped, cycling or hopping on the next bus would be preferable to driving private vehicles. Although many would consider these methods a nuisance, it is merely because most people are not used to this way of life. However, once these methods have become as natural as breathing, we could soon realize that things have, slowly but surely, taken a turn for the better.