Global warming is a serious issue. In-arguably, more people need to be made aware of how seriously it’s affecting us; it needs to become common knowledge and not something people have to go out of their way to research. Some companies and professionals people claim that global warming isn’t an issue humanity needs to be concerned about, but it is happening. Research from worldwide natural scientific research proves that not only is global warming an issue that is becoming more prevalent; it is in fact a serious and dangerous problem. There are many reasons attributed to climate change, including vastly unmonitored pollution and consumption of natural resources and fossil fuels. Rainforests in the tropics take in massive amounts of carbon, and release large amounts of clean, breathable oxygen. It is not common knowledge that the destruction of a single tropical forest (such as those in places like Indonesia and Brazil) can immediately emit as much carbon as emissions of carbon released over a five year period from plants powered by fossil fuels worldwide; in fact, 20% of the overall carbon emissions come from the destruction of the rainforests on the planet.
This issue does have many roots in morality. Regardless of scientific implications, the destruction of tropical rainforests makes millions of dollars for the people doing the damage. Money is a very serious motive and the long-term devastating effects are not reason enough for the profiteers to care enough about the ramifications of their actions. Their desire for wealth is bred by greed, and they don’t look into the bleak future they are creating with their financial gain. It is disappointing that these wealth-mongers control the decisions that they do, because they are obviously selfish and superficial and have no regard for future generations.
A good way to raise awareness to this issue individually would be through some form of social networking. Writing a post and informing friends about how the effects of rainforest destruction, as well as promoting ideas about ways to conserve and recycle paper would be a terrific way to get the word out. It would also be a great idea to contact local businesses, explain the benefits of using recycled paper products for office use, restroom towel use, etc. There are several good ideas on the Greenpeace website about effective ways of doing this, and one could refer businesses and peers to this site. At local festivals or Earth Day events, one could set up a booth to educate people. Also, fliers (made of recycled paper) could be put up in local coffee shops, libraries, etc., where the general public would have access to this information. If you have children, you can find instructions on the internet on how to make paper out of newspaper pulp, engaging curiosity and reinforcing the idea of conservation. One small action can affect many others; persistence is the key to spreading information.
This is a tremendously important issue and will absolutely take more than one person to solve. It is a good idea to find out who is responsible for the destruction, explain to others what is going on and ask if they are aware of the implications of the destruction of the rainforests. Affirmative actions could include the writing of online petitions and collect electronic signatures, email government representatives, teachers, and business owners. Raising consciousness to the matter and explaining the importance of the situation is very important. Emphasis on thinking on a global level and acting on a local level is key. I urge the readers of this blog to take what was written to heart and to please take one small step to begin slowing the damaging threat of carbon emissions.
Source:
N.A. (N.D.). The Climate Threat From Deforestation. Retrieved May 22, 2011 from greenpeace.org.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/forests-for-climate
