We, as people, have been given two great gifts. As a member of the human race, I can easily point them out. The first of course, being life, and the second the earth in which we live on. Both are beautiful gifts, and we have been given the freedom to do anything we wish with them. It’s first nature to want these gifts to grow and thrive. So, in the earth’s case why even think of harming it? People may ask this question at times, yet harm still befalls the earth. According to The New Book of Knowledge encyclopedias there is an ever increasing amount of air and water pollution taking place in our environment (due to the burning of fossil fuels and the dumping of waste into lakes).

Today, many people are living their lives to the fullest potential, but in the process end up harming the earth by doing things such as never recycling, littering, and/or constantly driving everywhere no matter how short the distance. However, some unknowingly and others intentionally. I’m not going to bore you with another Al Gore rant on global warming, since this article is meant to stimulate thought, not sleep. But just stop and think, doesn’t what we do to the planet now impact the planet hundreds, even thousands of years from now? Yet people continue to harm it when they know what they’re doing. So, what exactly happens when the planet can no longer take the growing affliction?

There’s no way of knowing for sure,  however it can’t hurt to think what might happen when the world loses it’s supply of water to air pollution. Think of it this way, we dump waste in various lakes and such and move on to another when the lake is full. But what do we do when there are no more lakes left? The ones we use for drinking water will be to toxic to even go near. Forget fighting over oil, people need water to survive. And what will happen when an unforgivable sun bakes an earth without an atmosphere. Certain air pollutants such as CFC’s actually have cause holes in the ozone layer, I’m not saying this is global warming mind you. What I’m saying is the earth without any protection will bake under the sun faster than cookies in an oven.

It’s also a known fact that the sun’s rays emit radiation, so what may happen to the  animals that  thrive on the earth’s climate? Well they’ll either have to adapt or die. But the question is when these animals adapt what will the animals be like? For all we know they could be the next dominant species on earth as the human race withers away in a virtual oven. Yes, this may seem far fetched and distant, but not completely impossible.

When asked about her views on all of this Katelin Petranchuk stated, “I believe we have not lost our struggle against pollution, because the planet is still here.” Her response proves true, as the planet is still here with its leafy forests and domestic waters. But there are others that believe we have lost this “battle”, and that the planet has already degenerated so much that there’s no turning back.

What is your view on this? Do you think the planet can still be saved? If so, why not help with the clean up effort? Every little bit can help. But if we have indeed lost, maybe every effort is simply futile. But maybe that’s the wrong way to view it. Maybe we should still try to help the planet in order to prolong this time of peace before its “inevitable” bitter end. It’s still a load to mull over, but what we do now can possibly impact the next generation or even our own generation.

In our school we have a conservation club meant to help with preserving the planet. Earlier in the year they had a bake sale to help raise money for this cause. If you’re interested why not join the club? Again, it’s little things like this that can possibly help. And who knows? Maybe there’s still hope, and all is not lost.