Project Conservation
When mankind first inherited the Earth, it was abound
with greenery and living creatures. Man
was supposed to live in harmony with nature and preserve the Earth for generations to
come.
However as civilizations grew and progressed, man soon forgot his debt to nature. He
started
to destroy beautiful natural habitats in his quest for wealth, power and progress.
Preservation
of nature was the last thing on his mind. All this has set the scene for the environmental
problems we face today.
Large scale fishing mining, hunting, logging, land clearing and industrialization have
resulted in
environmental disasters. Only now have we become conscious of the extent of destruction to
our environment. 'Conservation', 'endangered species', 'recycling' and 'pollution' are now
hotly
debated topics.
Too much fishing and consumption of marine life may cause the depletion of an important
source of food. Uncontrolled mining could result in the depletion of fuels and minerals. A
declining supply of food and fuels will affect human existence as these are essential
needs in our
lives. Hunting and poaching endanger the existence of wildlife and may cause the
extinction of
rare animals. Presently, statistics show that forty to fifty species of animals perish and
vanish
from the face of the Earth each day. As the food chain is slowly broken, even more animals
and
plants will face extinction.
Logging and industrialization are the main
contributing factors to pollution. With the
destruction of our rain forests - the "Earth's lungs" - the Earth is slowly
losing its supply of
oxygen. Each year, an area of rain forest the size of Switzerland disappears as trees are
chopped down for wood and land is cleared for development. Factories built near rivers and
streams often channel their waste into them, polluting the water. Toxic fumes emitted from
factories are released into the atmosphere. The resulting pollution of both our water and
air are
health hazard leading to contaminated drinking water and respiratory problems. These
affect
not just human beings but other living creatures as well.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) used in spray aerosols and refrigerators are damaging the ozone
layer, a
think blanket of ozone gas 25km above the Earth. There is now a hole the size of the
United States of
America and global warming is a very real problem today.
Mankind, now painfully aware of the environmental problems, has founded various
organizations such
as the World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and the Nature Conservancy to save the Earth.
Tougher laws
with stiffer penalties to protect our environment have been made by concerned countries.
Campaigns
have been launched to make people aware of the importance of conserving the environment.
Environmentally friendly items which are recyclable and biodegradable are now the trend.
Honda's electric car the EP.
Everyone has to play his role. To save the Earth, to do his geography project, and make it
a better place for our children. Mankind
has to think of the consequences of their actions. Is the Apocalypse approaching? Let us
not wait to
find out.
Welcome Miss Wan!
Our lives are on this project, so grade it well
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