Environment | Teen Ink

Environment

June 4, 2009
By Allison Fleischer BRONZE, Bothell, Washington
Allison Fleischer BRONZE, Bothell, Washington
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

Are you overwhelmed by how many people there are on this planet? Do you know how much CO2 is put into the world each day? We could help save our planet by switching to more fuel-efficient products. Solar energy is the future. Solar energy uses the natural sunlight to heat our homes. Another great thing about solar power is its unlimited and free. Since it comes from the sunlight you don’t have to buy to purchase anything but the panels. The downside is if you live in a place that doesn’t get much sunlight you would need other resources. For example, in Seattle, Washington it is cloudy 226 out 365 days of the year. Unlike California it is sunny almost year round. Just the tiny fraction of the Sun's energy that hits the Earth is enough to meet all our power needs many times over. The most important disadvantages are solar power doesn’t work at night and the stations can be very expensive. Every minute, there is enough energy that arrives at the Earth to meet our demands for a whole year. In one day it provides more energy than our current population would consume in 27 years.
If you live in a place like Seattle another choice may be more appropriate. Another way to cut down on fuel is using wind power. Wind power is also renewable. The windmill works when the sun heats the atmosphere unevenly. Some places become warmer than others. These warm patches or air rise. The other air blows to replace them. This is wind. We can use this energy in the wind by building a tall tower with a large propeller at the top. The wind blows the propeller around which causes it to generate energy. With anything renewable source there are some downsides to wind power. The most important 6 are. The wind isn’t always predictable. The land can be expensive. Some people feel the wind farms are ugly. The blades can kill migrating birds and it can affect your TV if you live nearby. Another reason is because the wind turbines can be very noisy.
Alternative energies are just the beginning on how to save our planet. We need to work to save our non-renewable resources for when we need them most.
A natural rainforest emits and absorbs a lot of carbon dioxide. Human induced deforestation plays a huge role in causing rainforests to release carbon dioxide.
Some climate models run with interactive vegetation and predict a large loss of Amazonian rainforest 2050. The forests are being destroyed at a rapid pace. Almost 90% of West Africa's rainforest has been destroyed. Since the arrival of humans 2000 years ago, Madagascar has lost two thirds of its original rainforest. At present rates, tropical rainforests in Indonesia would be logged out in 10 years and Papua New Guinea in 13 to 16 years. We need the rain forests to produce oxygen and clean the atmosphere to help us breathe. We also know that the earth's climate can be affected. Rainforests also provide us with many valuable plants for medicine and may be a source of a cure from some deadly diseases.

Many thing we use in our daily lives like medicine or coffee can come from the rain forest. Each of us needs to be thoughtful about the way we consume these products and support companies and programs that make a commitment to safe environmental practices. Recycle and re-use whenever possible and help keep the earth green and healthy.


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