Environmental Protection
1. Environmental hazards are often too great for particular countries or individuals to tackle. We have arrived at a point in time where the only way to lessen environmental problems is at an international level.
Environmental problems have reached such proportions that people feel international organizations must be set up to intervene in world affairs to resolve these problems. Whether this will resolve the problem is very unlikely as international organizations are just an extension of human behavior. That is, if human conflicts cannot be resolved at home, then they are unlikely to be resolved at the international level. Nevertheless, international organizations do attract attention to the growing problem of aims of the international community to resolve the issue of environmental pollution and support their cause, I do not believe it is the best or only way to protect the environment; in fact, it is only a small part of what is needed in a global initiative.
All world problems, whether it is environmental pollution, war, energy insufficiency, or famine, arise from the abusive behavior of all individuals. Therefore, the solution to all these problems is the need for a collective consciousness. What is meant by this is that each individual must be aware of the impact he or she has on the world and their unique part to play in this world. After all, if one is happy with his life, he will surely not endeavor to harm the environment or anyone else. His behavior will be that of a responsible individual.
What is needed, therefore, is education. Education is the key to all problems and it starts from pregnancy all the way to adulthood and beyond. Furthermore, education means that children all over the world should be allowed to go to schools with good teachers and where teaching materials and methods can be adapted to each individual. Education means raising children to be responsible individuals.
This may sound like utopia, but it is not: if a country had important problems in its educational system, then it should realize that it is contributing to the world’s problems. These are perhaps long term solutions, but they are more realistic solutions than setting up yet another international organization.
2. As a result of countries becoming more and more industrialized, pollution has become a serious problem. Discuss some ways that can mitigate the pollution problems.
To ensure the protection of our scenic global village from environmental degradation by mass-production and mass-consumption (mostly in developed and partially in developing countries) for ourselves and for future generations, it is the obligation of every individual and people to take an active part in environmental protection.
We have often heard that here are dangerous levels of air pollution in major cities of the world all the way form Los Angeles to Seoul. Yet little has been done to solve to solve this problem worldwide. Researchers are telling us that it will certainly cost money to clean up overcrowded cities, but if we do not, there will be a greater price to pay---the price of shortening our own life expectancy.
As a result of continued pollution, we can anticipate higher outlays in health care in the future, not to mention the extra costs of cleaning up our water, and protecting our food supply. Scientists are trying to inform us that in the long run, we will save money and our natural resources by doing what it takes to wipe out trends in pollution now.
It seems to me that it is really a matter of having a sufficiently long term vision so that the activities of societies take into account any damages to the environment. In particular, it is for those economists in government to incorporate the costs of harming the environment. Once we do that, it will be clearer to everyone that it will pay to change the way we currently go about functioning in society.
To make one final point, technologies exist now, clean technologies that produce a lot less pollution. It is just a matter of cost. This is why I think it will be very important for the industrialized world to collaborate very closely with the developing world so that the rich countries do not just export old, obsolete, and dirty technologies.
3. Forests are the lungs of the earth. Their destruction will accelerate extinction of animals and ultimately mankind. For this reason, logging in the world’s rainforests should be phased out over the next decade. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
The world’s forests sample the best scenery and incredible natural diversity available on earth. They provide homes for indigenous wildlife, special historic sites and places of cultural interest. Many of the world’s forests have been developed for tourism and public recreation. The government of the world therefore have the responsibility to decide how best to manage international logging industries and forests in order to protect their special value to animals’ and ultimately to mankind’s survival.
One of the biggest problems facing native forests such as the Amazonian rainforests is illegal logging. The first and most obvious problem associated with the illegal felling of native forests is that it denies a livelihood to many poor people living in forest areas. This in turn robs poor governments of billions of dollars as the revenue created around the sale of native trees is sucked out of the local economy into the bank accounts of those few who are involved in such illegal operations.
A further problem is the environmental degradation that we are witnessing in forested areas of the developing world which are now being stripped bare of trees without any replanting schemes in place. As anyone who knows anything about the laws on nature will agree, forests like any living species must be adequately stocked with healthy tree saplings, or planted with replacement native seedlings. Moreover, forest operators must ensure that young trees are well established and are able to grow freely following reforestation procedures. Only if such measures are carried out can we allow logging to continue into future decades.
The final point that I would like to raise is that wide-scale illegal logging provokes and sustains conflicts in many regions of the world. As much of the logging occurring in developing countries is a consequence of poor governance, at local, national and international levels, governments need to band together to ensure this does not continue to denude our planet. In order to combat illegal logging at an international level we must ensure that trade in timber species is conducted in agreement with international trade laws in endangered species. Only through applying stricter measures in the trade of forests should we be able to protect species that all our lives depend on.
4. Aquariums and wildlife sanctuaries are seen as sources of education and entertainment for families. They are also essential to conduct life-saving research. However, there is opposition to confining animals in this way. Discuss some of the arguments for and against the maintenance of zoos and present your opinion.
The confinement of animals and marine life has always generated mixed feelings from the general public including those who consider themselves to be staunch environmentalists. In this essay, I will try to reflect the positions of those who support the continuation of wildlife sanctuaries and aquariums alongside those who would like to see such institutions removed from society.
As a child, I remember visiting the local aquarium quite frequently with my family to enjoy dolphin and seal shows which were truly entertaining. In retrospect, however, I cannot recall the aquarium staff ever trying to teach the spectators how to protect marine life. That type of thinking was not so popular back then but things have changed in recent decades with the advent of environmental activist groups, such as Greenpeace and eco-friendly zoos and aquariums which have been designed to simulate natural habitats for those animals living in confinement. Needless to say, it is difficult to generalize about zoos and aquariums because to this day, places which are little more than prisons for animals still exist.
Recently, I read the 2002 Booker Award winning novel, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel which enabled me to understand this complex debate over the role of zoos and aquariums at a deeper level. In his book, Martel disclaims the widely held belief that animals living in captivity have a shorter life expectancy than those living in the wild. Instead, the main protagonists in his novel who is a zoologist, claims that the opposite is true and that in fact animals have a higher chance at survival when taken into captivity. This is largely due to the fact that natural habitats are diminishing because of man’s ongoing expansion into what were once un-peopled environments.
Experts in the field of animal and marine research are currently making it possible for mankind to conserve many species that are currently at risk in their natural habitats due to rising environmental hazards such as illegal poaching, water pollution and deforestation. Perhaps we should look on zoos and aquariums as a temporary solution until a time when man can see to the conservation of the world’s ever decreasing natural habitats and the wildlife that should rightfully inhabit them.
5. Tourism is seen as a major industry for many countries. However, it tends to have a deleterious effect on the environment and should be strictly monitored. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Tourism is vital to many world economies and depends to a certain extent on environmental protection and cultural preservation. The tourism industry like various ecological systems is complex.
In this essay I would like to explore how local communities are affected by tourism and what measures can be taken by governments and individuals to monitor and guarantee the conservation of environments of natural and historical significance.
There exist considerable differences between tourist and local perceptions of an area. Tourists are often seeing an area for the first time with a certain amount of openness and enthusiasm, whereas local residents tend to take for granted the area that they live in and often do not take the time to appreciate the unique characteristics of their hometown. This difference in perceptions suggests that local tourism officials have to be conscious of the nature of their local area. Tourism has on many occasions affected areas in the world to such an extent that local residents can no longer recognize their hometown because of overwhelming increases in population during peak seasons and large scale development in the form of hotel resorts, international chain restaurants, airports, highways and so forth.
So how can a local community pull in tourists and revenue without sacrificing its unique local flavor? First and foremost, local residents must implement sustainable tourism with long-term tactics for economic development and not invite the type of tourism which allows outside investors to quickly take control of an area. Sustainable tourism allows for the preservation and protection of local resources.
In reality, the more aware a community is of its unique assets, whether cultural, architectural, or natural, the more visitors it will draw.
6. Fresh drinking water is becoming a scarce and all too expensive commodity in many parts of the world. Discuss the causes and give suggestions for how to ensure adequate water supply for the world’s inhabitants.
The words of Samuel Taylor Coleridge are revealing when we ponder the issue of water scarcity: “Water, water everywhere”, as the Ancient Mariner said, “ Nor any drop to drink”.
It would seem that one of the biggest threats to supplies of fresh drinking water is that, at least in the rich West, it is largely taken for granted. In any case, it is the most frequently-occurring substance with most of the earth’s surface being covered in H2O.
Our toughest challenge of the 21st century may not be pandemic diseases such as AIDS or the threat of nuclear war, but may in fact turn out to be a lack of fresh water. If we are not careful, the possibility of water wars in the future may outstrip our reasons for warring on nations who control other naturally occurring resources such as oil.
At present many people lack access to clean water and even more people lack access to proper sanitation; nearly all of them reside in developing countries. A continuation in population growth, environmental pollution and climatic changes are all likely to contribute to a devastating decline in water supply in the coming years. Similarly, with rapid urbanization occurring all over, the possibility for concentrated waste matter to reach unmanageable proportions is also highly likely in many regions.
Unless we take affirmative action to properly conserve and manage the world’s fresh water supplies, the effects of water scarcity will undoubtedly affect human health and the chances for survival for all of the earth’s inhabitants. Water-related diseases caused by ingesting contaminated water and vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, are spread by insects that use water to breed. Raising much needed awareness about the importance of fresh water supplies and what we can do to further conserve this precious resource will become a top priority to everyone if we wish to survive.
