Climate Change
Imagine life in 100 years if we keep on destroying the environment by cutting down trees. First, there would be no ozone layer, so everyone would be wearing suits to protect themselves from the sun. Global temperatures would be at an all time high. You would have to wear a mask to breath because the air is so badly polluted. All of the rain forests have been cut down. Does that sound like a good environment you want your children and grandchildren to be living in?
According to national geographic, areas of trees the size of Panama are being cut down each and every year. To harvest these trees, heavy equipment is needed, which releases carbon dioxide. When more trees are cut down, the carbon dioxide level increases because there aren’t any trees to convert the carbon dioxide back into oxygen. With more and more carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere, global temperatures will rise. Conserve-energy says that one and a half acre of land is being cut down every second the rate of global warming is sure to start increasing dramatically.
Cutting down trees also destroys animal habitat. When the temperatures rise, species can go extinct. Rising temperatures also means rising oceans, which can cause coastal flooding and destroy habitat. The removal of trees also can cause desertification, which means, that the land that was once a forest is now turning into a desert. Desertification can lead to soil erosion, fewer crops, or flooding, which leads to less animals.  Although you may think that a few little animals going extinct is no big deal, it can be. According to Alverno, the predators of the Kaibab Plateau were removed from the area in an effort to increase the local deer population of only 4,000 at the time. In a way their operation worked. The deer population swelled to around one hundred thousand, however, there was hardly any grass left for the deer to eat. Eventually the deer were almost completely wiped out by disease and starvation.
Others argue that climate change because of deforestation’s high carbon levels is an issue that is not important at the moment when there are “more important” issues going on. The Guardian claims that climate change is like a flip of a light switch. It’s just a matter of time before the light turns on and global temperatures soar. If nothing is done to protect the earth soon, it will be too late to change anything and we will be stuck with the mess that we created.
There are things that we can do to protect against climate change and deforestation. Although some changes completely change our lifestyle, there are some small practical things that we can do. EPA says that if you switch your five most used light bulbs to energy star approved bulbs you will save about $70 per year, while at the same time saving the environment. EPA goes on to say that if you purchase the full line of energy star approved appliances and gadgets, you will save over $11,000 per year. Lastly, spread the word about climate change. Tell people about what will happen in 100 years if we keep up our habits.
In conclusion, deforestation is happening on a massive scale, it is causing global warming, and leading to animal extinction. We can prevent global warming and animal extinction by making very slight changes in our life style that even make us money. If we don’t stop our harmful ways, our own children won’t see the once beautiful Earth that we ruined. Just think about your children and grandchildren living in the world that you destroyed.