Tell me, when was the last time that you were able to look out of your window and there wasn’t heavy traffic or a thick black cloud of smoke intoxicating the sky? The last time that you were truly able to breathe in fresh air? Can’t recall? Neither can I.
As we get older and older, the planet is getting warmer and warmer. So what does that mean for places like Gambia , where the people can’t bear anything over 35°C?
Our weather right now seems quite hot, but we still have our fair share of cold days, rainy days- sometimes even storms! If we continue the way we are now, everyday will be scorching! Rain will be unheard of, so plants will die, then animals, and, finally, humans.
If we continue like this, everyone will be consumed by a smog so great that we won’t be able to tell the time of day! If we pursue our current ideals, that the economy is worth more than the preservation of humanity, we will all die. Earth will become uninhabited, as the end of the human race is inevitable.
As we speak, CO2 levels are rising, ice caps are melting, and trees are being selfishly cut down in our bushes and forests only to be wasted on failed sketches and wonky desks. We use more and more energy and produce countless amounts of fossil fuels by driving to places that we could walk to within five minutes.
But we aren’t the only problem. No, it’s those in power, who insist on creating various factories to fill their pockets, who travel regularly in order to purchase the latest trends, who encourage an oblivious, materialistic society to raise their popularity. So we are not the only problem. But that does not mean that we can allow such selfish behaviour to rule our lives.
The concentration of CO2 polluting the atmosphere is currently the highest it has ever been throughout history. A notable cause of this is deforestation.
Eleven percent of greenhouse gases are caused by the simple action of chopping down a tree. Whole cities like Banjul are flooded, because there simply aren’t enough trees to absorb the water. Cliffs are eroding!
And I know that we’re replanting them, okay? But the best way to avoid dealing with the fallout of catastrophe is to prevent it in the first place.
Believe it or not, humans are actually very self-destructive creatures. We smoke, but then moan when we develop a lung-related ailment. We drink, but then complain at the pounding in our head.
Many mental health professionals have stated that the best way to cure such behaviour is to get to the root cause. So, that begs the question, why? Why do we insist on annihilating the planet with our toxic fumes? When you find an answer, create a solution and stick to it.
It is said that throughout history, Venus was destroyed by global warming. Unlike Venus, I fear that Earth will not live to tell the tale.
Right now, our actions matter more than ever. So, let’s work together, all united to put an end to this vicious, Sisyphean cycle. Let’s not mess up what could be our last chance.8
