environmental degradation vs. you

It may be true that one person alone cannot fix environmental degradation, but they can certainly do their part to make a difference and minimise harm to the planet. When everyone on Earth decides to do their small part, only then can we really begin fixing the problem. The facts are that the planet is dying, and without help from the people of the world, its future looks glum. There are many ways an individual can do their part to help the planet, whether it is lowering their own greenhouse emissions, recycling, or simply switching off a light. On the other hand, it is probably impossible to conquer environmental degradation without assistance from higher institutions like schools, organisations and governments.

The earth is dying. In actual fact, the human species will effectively destroy its only habitat, unless we individually make a decision to stop it. Global warming has been increasing in recent years due to many factors, including greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and burning fossil fuels. Global surface temperatures increased by approximately 0.74 °C between the beginning and the end of the 20th century, and climate model predictions indicate global surface temperatures will rise a further 1°-6°C in the 21st century. So individuals really need to start making changes.

There are various ways an individual person can minimise environmental degradation. Some methods have a greater impact than others; however the "every little bit counts" mantra applies to this case. Citizens can lower their greenhouse emissions by riding a bicycle instead of taking the car, recycling appropriate waste, installing "energy-saver" light bulbs, switching to an eco-friendly energy provider, or simply turning off the light when it's not in use. This presents the question: 'How is an individual supposed to know what the “right thing to do” is?' Perhaps one person alone cannot, in fact, do enough to fix environmental degradation. They need help from higher places.

There is only so much an individual can do to stop the environment from falling apart. In order to save our planet, we need guidance from higher institutions. Schools need to give incentives for students to save energy and be environmentally friendly, organisations such as Planet Ark need to continue educating the public on methods of saving the planet, and governments need to implement strategies to make saving our planet a priority, such as signing and ratifying the Kyoto protocol, which aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The potential to minimise environmental degradation due to global warming lies within the individual. Unless we make decisions to lower our own greenhouse emissions, the planet will continue declining. Governments, organisations and schools need to do their part, as well, by guiding individuals and leading everybody in the fight. Not until the whole world is working together, can we truly conquer global warming and environmental degradation.