SA long journey starts with a single step. What started four years ago as a journey to prosperity has achieved its mark? How did it go that fast? It appears to me like it was just yesterday when the high school journey was starting. You’ve had to wake up at six in the morning. You are now upperclassmen willing and ready to embrace the future and the challenges that come with it. The new stage of adulthood comes with even greater challenges. With the new found freedom comes even greater responsibilities. It is time to make the world a better place with your little contributions.
Our actions have brought a lot of change on the planet. This has resulted in environmental problems. The increase in the level of industrialization and the growth in population has changed the interaction between people and the environment. Modern technology has severely degraded the environment. There is growth in untreated household wastes which does not make the situation any better. A look into our own livelihoods and we realize the level of pollution we cause to the environment. We dispose of household wastes without seeing the need to treat it. This pollutes the air that we all breathe. We do this without bearing in mind the consequences that come with living in a polluted environment. Researchers have emphasized that a person who lives in polluted air are highly susceptible to contracting lung cancer. Yet we continue dumping and polluting the air and suffering from this diseases. Children are the worst affected. Ironically they do not contribute to this pollution. They, however, are more prone to contracting respiratory problems from the pollution of their older siblings and even their parents.
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In order to derive a solution to this problem, it’s important to look at the root cause of the pollution. Who is responsible for this pollution? Isn’t it better that we prevent the pollution instead of folding our arms and blaming the government? Can the government succeed in curbing pollution if there is no will power from the citizens? In order to understand the problem deeper we need to look at the statistics. According to Roppolo, an estimated 60 percent of citizens in the United States live in polluted air. These citizens live in areas where the air pollution has reached to an unhealthy level to even cause diseases. Statistics also indicate that water sources in the United States are severely polluted. According to Roppolo, the figure stands at about 40% of the lakes and about 50% of the rivers.
A look at this figures sounds an alarm on the danger that we face. The new technologies and the government have chipped in to try and reduce pollution. Despite the rise in the number of vehicles being driven, pollution from nitrogen dioxide has reduced significantly. This can be attributed to government regulations and new technological innovations. The modern car emits lower volumes of nitrogen pollutants compared to the ancient car. According to Roppolo, in the city of New York pollution has decreased by about 32 %. According to Roppolo, the state of Atlanta has also cut down pollution with about 42%. Deliberate efforts have also gone a long way in cutting down the level of pollution. The integrated waste management is one of such programs. The program seeks to deal with solid municipal wastes. It does this by making use of disposal mechanisms that are harmless to the environment. It also seeks to reduce the level of waste in the country. Non-governmental organizations have been conducting training and enlightening people on how best to reduce pollution.
In an actual sense, we have miles to cover to ensure that the environment is restored. By having a vision about what we want for our nation we can each be able to sacrifice for the better good. As you move on to the world it is important that you learn from the past in order to face the future with confidence. According to Roppolo, the generation of World War II had a brighter vision about the future. They saw the world that was ruled by dictators and one that was free from dictators. A world full of dictators would mean that the society had been oppressed and no free thinking. On the other hand, a generation free of dictators would ensure the prosperity of all individuals. They engaged in a battle and a series of battles to secure the future. According to Roppolo, this future was for generations that would come. The generation put everything on the line from the economies of the industrial capabilities. Some paid the ultimate price with their lives and died in the process. In fact, this is referred to as the deadliest conflict in human history. Each one of them gave up individual goals such as comfort to fight for the greater good. The generation that followed did the same this time round with the sole goal of liberating women and ensuring equality. They saw one part of the world marred with social injustices and inequality. The other vision was a world where every human being was equally respected and the children were brought up on a philosophy of no segregation.
A look into this historical events gives us a couple of lessons. It teaches us that we have to unite with the sole purpose of achieving a goal. We need to sacrifice our own individual goals for the benefit of our society. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring the prosperity of the generations to come. It also gives emphasis on the individual sacrifices we all have to make. With the sole vision of having a healthier generation free from pollution, we can all sacrifice in large and small scale to achieve the vision. As I put it earlier the government cannot achieve a significant reduction in pollution if the citizens have no willpower. It, therefore, puts everyone into a task. How do you dispose of your wastes? Are you a part of the problem or the solution? Do you encourage pollution of the environment with activities that could otherwise be avoided?
The above questions are very valid and a critical analysis of the same gives us solutions to the environmental issues we face. The green collar economy is about preserving the environment. It focusses on saving the earth for coming generations (Jones, p12). It involves using the earth’s resources effectively and responsibly. Such projects may include using the rays of the sun to power our industries and waste disposing of responsibly. Using the solar power will help us do away with nonrenewable sources such as petroleum that make earth polluted (Jones, p24). Currently, the economy relies on non-renewable sources of energy. This means that the economy can collapse since as the resources become scarce the prices will increase significantly. The effect will be felt in most sectors of the economy.
The young people are the hub to innovativeness. This means that we can come up with innovative ways to reduce pollution by recycling wastes. Before throwing anything away think of how well u can recycle it to reduce wastes. Instead of using vehicles for shorter distances you can cycle. Cycling is not only an exercise that benefits the body but also cuts down on the vehicle emissions. We need infrastructure that will ensure the transition from non-renewable sources to renewable sources (Jones, p27). This gives rise to the green collar jobs that we all have to embrace. We need to pursue careers that enhance the environmental conservation. The development of renewable energy sources and sustainable production will solve environmental issues and revitalize our economy (Jones, p50).
It is clear that the danger we face is great. The question remains what are we going to do about it? Our forefathers sacrificed to give us the society we have today. We owe it to them to sacrifice and make the world a better place. Remember individually you have a role to play. We can join hands and sacrifice to make the world a better place.
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