Environmental Science Essay

Environment is one of the most discussed topics in the international community and is one of the many concerns of political leaders today. Due to this, different environmental issues have arisen such as the climate change, sustainable development, and air pollution. Climate change is the most popular and most discussed issue in the international community today. According to the European Commission, â€Å"climate change is one of the greatest environmental, social, and economic threats facing the planet† (European Commission, 2008). I have learned that climate change is the altering of the temperature of the earth. It is something that we all experience not only in one region of the world but also in different parts of the globe, as depicted in the images that the media are presenting to us. The issue on climate change and other environmental concerns caused the United Nations to form a policy as a countermeasure. Thus, the term sustainable development emerged. In a report of World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) in 1987 entitled â€Å"Our Common Future,† sustainable development is referred to as a â€Å"development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (cited in Bankobesa, 2005). The statement caught my interest because it captured the essence of why our environment must be taken care of. The thought of having the future generation suffer due to the actions and decisions of the present generation does not reflect a very beautiful image in my mind. Maintaining the environment is an obligation for the present generation because of the necessities of the future. Air pollution is another issue that I am very much concerned about. There are outdoor and indoor pollutions, such as black carbon pollutions and noxious gases which could affect the environment and inflict serious health problems to people when inhaled, such as irritation of the nose, eyes and throat, bronchitis, pneumonia, lung cancer, and heart disease just to name a few (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, n. d. ). These issues which have grabbed my attention and concern are all too big a problem to be solved by one person only. As the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN) (2008) put it, we have â€Å"One world, One environment. † Hence, these environmental which affect the whole world can only be addressed when each and every one of us will cooperate with each other. However, everyone must be aware first of the problems of the environment. This is the reason why several promotional campaigns and awareness programs, such as the ads made by Hollywood celebrities, have emerged to encourage the Americans and the rest of the world to fight against their advocacies. By making them more aware of these environmental issues, individuals would be able to do their part in protecting the environment and saving it from disintegration. To increase the amount of help they can give, I suggest that they join organizations that combat environmental issues. I learned that environmental science cannot be separated from the lives of human beings. Although some people may not notice it, environmental science is part of our daily lives and is highly evident. Although some of the effects of these environmental issues are rooted from the changes in nature itself, most of them are provoked by human activities such as smoke belching, illegal logging, improper dumping of waste, and many more. Thus, while we perform the activities that could harm our environment, we are also the ones who can alter the consequences that gave rise to these environmental issues. Therefore, working together towards addressing these problems would only be solved through cooperation and unity. References Bankobesa, G. M. (2005). Ozone Protection: The International Legal Regime. The Netherlands: AJ Utrecht. European Commission. (2008, May 05). Environment: Climate Change. Retrieved May 05, 2008 from http://ec. europa. eu/environment/climat/home_en. htm International Education and Resource Network (iEARN). (n. d. ). One world, one environment. Retrieved May 05, 2008, from https://media. iearn. org/node/205 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. (2008, May 05). Indoor & outdoor air pollution. ELSI Project. Retrieved May 05, 2008, from http://www. lbl. gov/Education/ELSI/pollution-main. html