Man is believed to be the main cause of environment deterioration

Huge droplets of sweat trickled down his forehead profusely. Although naked, he was fanning himself with a bamboo hand-fan as fast as he could as he sat on his chair in the verandah. He glanced towards his right, where the green grass used to be, where trees were healthy and productive, where he and his father used to work on the earth together- it is all gone now. What is left of it is only a dry and barren land full of soil. His heart sank as he reminisce upon the past when Mother Nature was still a pleasant environment to live in. Well, this man is not alone. To date, there are many issues pertaining the environment that causes detrimental effects to mankind. Some parties believe that man is the main cause of environment deterioration. I agree with this statement purely because human activities like industrialization, agriculture and advancement in science and technology instigates many harmful effects to the environment.

Although critics believe that global warming is caused by Mother Nature herself, there are many reasons why mankind can be blamed for global warming. United Nation's Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change (IPCC) reported that only two percent of the temperature increase per decade is caused by nature's cycle, but ninety-eight percent is fostered by the many activities of man. Carbon dioxide, or better known as CO2, is mainly the contributor to this issue. It is emitted during the combustion of fossil fuels especially in industrial sites. Deforestation as an act for 'cleaning up more spaces' for agriculture not only reduces the amount of trees that uses up CO2 for respiration, but the combustion of the whole forest produces by-products like soot and carbon dioxide. Besides, a study from NASA showed that products of the digestive system from grazing animals (as an effect of deforestation) emits a high amount of methane gas, a very potent greenhouse gas that is believed to trap twenty times more heat compared to carbon dioxide. In short, the selfish greed of humans in order to accumulate more wealth through industrialization and deforestation have certainly heightened the amount of heat-trapping gases in the air.

Some parties believe that eutrophication is caused by nature, itself for the sunlight that penetrates directly into the lakes induces more aquatic species to reproduce on the water's surface, yet this is not the case as eutrophication is mainly associated to agriculture. One is aware that agriculture is an activity that uses intensive amount of fertilizers and pesticides in order to increase crop yield. However, its detrimental effects can be seen when the traces of these chemicals run into the soil and eventually flow into freshwater lakes. Aquatic plants and species are unable to live in a poisoned environment. Hence, these little forms of life slowly dies, depleting the amount of freshwater species while increasing the rate of decomposition in the lake. As a result, decreased amount of oxygen and increased turbidity in the lake occurs.

Critics asserts that as Earth gets older, the layer of atmosphere will too get thinner, however, a study from University of Birmingham proved that the depletion of ozone layer is caused by humans. Today, technologies like refrigerator and air-conditioning system are considered as a 'need' instead of a 'desire' in every household. These advanced cooling equipments emits a gas called chloroflurocarbon (CFC). CFCs are potentially harmful to the environment because it binds with O3 particles that make up the stratosphere, and would 'pull' them away from it. This leads to a hole in the Earth's stratosphere, and is hazardous towards the human health as UVB (Ultraviolet Body) radiation is able to pass through and penetrate the Earth, resulting in cancer like basus carcinomas, a malignant skin cancer, and also cortical cataract. Ironically, mankind's desire to live a 'better life' has put the Earth and also themselves in various health complications.

To sum up, environment deterioration is definitely caused by human activities like industrialization, agriculture, and advancement in technologies. One must be aware to always care and protect the environment because we have only one Earth to live in. Safety measures and steps like recycling, using unleaded petrol and using HCFCs emitting refrigerators can help us combat the many analogous brick walls that hides the treacherous side of the effects of environmental hazards. To quote Mahatma Gandhi, 'You must be the change you wish to see in the world.' I am sure that none of us here would like to live our lives in future constantly in apprehension, for the air that we breathe in is polluted, the water that we drink is contaminated, and the sun that shines on us are actually cancerous rays. Every party must work hand in hand to save the earth. A little effort goes a long way.