Term Paper on Ecological Problems

‘I
think that I shall never see
A billboard lovely as a tree
Perhaps unless the billboard fall
I’ll never see a tree at all.’
(O.Nash)

To my opinion, one of the most considerable problems of the world is the ecological one.

All of us face it every day, and no one can find the solution of it. We pay the price for the benefits of our industrial society. The risk of a nuclear accident, a waste train derailed, a chemical works explosion, a poisoned water supply, lead dust in the playground or asbestos in the home, are hazards we face daily. Cancer deaths increase our concern. Official secrecy makes matters worse.

Poor control of pesticides on the farm, the sites of dangerous factories, land disposal plans for nuclear waste – facts hidden from nearby communities. We suffer the accidents, noise, and stress of cities choked by traffic. Every day we waste energy and live in a throw-away dreamland.

… Large areas have lost many birds, plants, and animals. Otters, kingfishers, many orchids, cowslips and other once-common species are threatened. Since 1949 we have destroyed 95% of our wildflower-rich meadows. Heaths, fens, mires and ancient woods have largely disappeared.

Agribusiness, forestry, and motorways are to blame. Across the globe, life support grows more fragile. Poisons banned in the West are sold to the Third World. The rainforests are sacrificed because food and fuel are scarce. Wild species and vital seeds are lost. The climate is altered. Nations foolishly pollute the air and sea – upon which we all rely.

Humankind long believed that, whatever we did, the Earth would remain much the same. We know now that is untrue. Nature is under threat. If we don’t fight these threats, who will?

One country’s pollution can be every country’s problem. So we all need to work together to safeguard our environment.

We have a moral duty to look after our planet and hand it on in good order to future generations.

That does not mean trying to halt economic growth. We need growth to give us the means to live better and healthier lives. We must not sacrifice our future well-being for short-term gains, nor pile up environmental debts which burden our children. Where there are real threats to our planet, we have to take great care. Prevention can often be better and cheaper than cure. The earth has enough for every man’s need but not for every man’s greed.

Once I’ve heard that nature to be commanded must be obeyed and I’m sure that’s the only key to the problem. The man has lost the capacity to foresee and to forestall. If he doesn’t stop, he will end by destroying the earth. If everyone understands this, we can save the planet if not. I don’t even want to think what can happen if we don’t come to misunderstanding. The more we exploit nature, the more our options are reduced, until we have only one: to fight for survival. There are specific ways of overcoming these difficulties to be done quickly.

Global ecological problems solving will come after local environmental problems solving. Globally it means that rhythms of human life should coincide with the pace of the planet. And just in this case, there won’t be other ecological problems. And another severe fact: all people are equal before the global environmental issues. Man is considered to be one of the most influential species on our planet. And that’s true. Man is a complex being: he makes deserts bloom and lakes die.

I would like to finish with one of my favorite statements: “Nature is a book which must be read and understood in a proper, right way.”

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