1
Nevaya Drotz
Liberty University
ENGL 101
Dr. Bruce Boeckel
September 19, 2022
Preserving the Environment: Humans must take Action
Each year the Earth loses 1.2 trillion tons of ice (Mulhern, 2022). If humans continue on
the current trajectory, the earth is going to expire sooner rather than later. People who do not
want to go to greater measures to protect the environment may argue that it is too costly and
restrictive. They may want to leave the issue to a future generation. Additionally, some also point
to the fact that pollution does not have an impact on our health other than minor irritations. There
is a middle ground, though, that would ensure the protection of people’s freedom, but also
protect the Earth’s longevity. Through minor routine changes, recognition of ending climate
change, and the willingness to work together to diminish pollution, humans can protect the
environment for generations to come.
The idea of dramatically changing daily habits to reduce the effect of climate change
seems unrealistic and unfair to many people. This thought poses a logical question to many. That
question asks why humans living in current times would have to worry about Earth expiring
when it clearly will be around for many decades to come. People also argue that ending climate
change is not free of costs. All of the technology that is created in hopes of reducing climate
change comes out of the government or individuals’ pockets and is extremely expensive. A
2
Harvard Business Review explains that people do not have to make changes to the products they
buy, the homes they reside in, or the cars they drive because climate change does not yet affect
people directly (Markman, 2018). Art Markman states, “…it is not certain that the influence of
human activity on climate will have the dire consequences that some experts have projected”
(Markman, 2018). Richard Heinberg explains that the cost of new technology such as nuclear,
wind, and solar-powered generators, electric cars, and batteries is outrageous. He also makes the
point that technology fails all the time so humans have no guarantee that the expensive technical
advancements will last. He poses the argument that humans are just buying time while building
new technology advancements (Heinberg, 2021).
In addition to the opposition to climate change for practical reasons, some argue that
pollution does not greatly affect them because the side effects are only minor. Some individuals
believe that pollution may actually be good for the earth. Air Pollution: Bad For Health, But
Good For Planet, states, “They can add nutrients, for example, to the oceans or the land” (Harris,
2011). This is referring to aerosols that can be created from pollution. Smart air lists three
advantages of air pollution: air pollution decelerates climate change, assists plant growth, and
keeps polluted cities cooler in the summer (Smart Air, 2022). describes National Geographic
short terms effects of air pollution as, “…discomfort such as irritation to the nose, throat, eyes, or
skin” (Rutledge et al., 2022). In essence, these authors describe why humans do not necessarily
need to take immediate and expensive action toward climate change and pollution.
The concern about costly climate change resolution does not go unseen. Asking
inhabitants to radically change their way of a life and resort to electric cars or solar panels seems
questionable. Building technology that is expensive, time-consuming, and might not be needed
in the future may not be wise. Individuals should not be anxious about climate change or
3
pollution because it does not have a critical effect right now and may not have as devastating of
an effect in the future as predicted. These stances are valid, and the cases presented against the
argument for acting on climate change right now are logical. Moving forward to end air pollution
could risk numerous jobs and companies. To that end, it is reasonable to argue that some more
extreme actions should be left to the time when it truly matters, if it ever does.
It is not reasonable, however, to argue that humans should do absolutely nothing about
climate change. Many want to pass the issue off to another generation, but the cycle will just
continue. It does not have to be huge life changes like some are calling for. But if everyone does
a little bit now, climate change will not be as big of an issue in the future. Ending climate change
is not free of change, but it can be less expensive. There are too many negative effects of climate
change to argue that some of the costs are not worth it. Worldwide Fund for Nature explains that
climate change is important because it is affecting the world greatly right now. Animals are
losing their habitats because of the warming Earth. Climate change is affecting rainfall so that
means that flooding and droughts will become more frequent. This will lead to a lack of clean
water. The article specifically states, “From more extreme weather to increasing food prices, to
recreation and decreased opportunities to appreciate the natural world, people everywhere will
feel its effects” (WWF, 2020). University of California, Davis, lists eighteen things’ humans can
do about climate change. Some of these include using a personal mug or bottle, turning off lights,
cutting food waste, reducing the use of plastic, and trying to save water. The more energy
conserved, the more energy saved (Kerlin, 2022). “The Global Environment Facility has agreed
on $700 million for projects and programs to help developing countries protect marine
biodiversity, fight wildlife trafficking, tackle dangerous uses of mercury, and fortify defenses
against climate change in the agriculture and fisheries sectors, in basic services such as drinking
4
water, and other areas” (Al Bawaba, 2020). No citizen should be forced to buy an electric car
instead of a gas-powered car. That is extremely expensive. But all people can make the small
changes that are listed above to protect the environment and stop climate change. The cost to
decelerate climate change does not have to just fall on the shoulders of people. As the quote
above states, the Global Environment Facility has pushed 700 million towards preserving the
environment and ending climate change. If a loved one was in the hospital and the bill was too
high, they would find a way to pay it because health is important. The environment has a high
bill, but humans need to help because the environment is important. People should not want to
wait for future generations because they deserve a better environment than what will be left if
humans today do not act. Through small acts of conservation and recognition of the effect of
climate change, humans can preserve the earth while still saving money and keeping their
freedom of choice. The same is true for pollution.
It is irrational to focus on the short-term effects of air pollution. While they may only
consist of small irritations, there is much research to prove the damage pollution does to humans
over time. Individuals would be correct when saying some air pollution can benefit the
environment, but it is not worth the toll it takes on human health. An article titled, Pollution and
Children's Health, states, “Pollution was responsible in 2016 for 940,000 deaths in children, two-
thirds under age five” (Landrigan et al., 2018). Not only does pollution have a toll on humans,
but the World Health Organization says that high amounts of air pollution can have several
negative health effects. There are increased risks of lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory
infections. Air pollution exposure, both short-term and long-term, has been linked to negative
health effects. People who are already unwell are subject to more severe effects ("Health
Consequences of Air Pollution on Populations," 2019). “Air pollution can damage crops and
5
trees in a variety of ways. Ground-level ozone can lead to reductions in agricultural crop and
commercial forest yields, reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and increased plant
susceptibility to disease, pests, and other environmental stresses” (Executive Office of Energy &
Environmental Affairs, n.d.). Children, the elderly, and the poor are more susceptible to disease
from air pollution. Pollution is not healthy for anyone and there is no way of knowing the side
effects for a particular person. Factories that emit these toxins are not worth the lives of so many.
Not only is it bad for people, but pollution is destroying the environment every day. There are far
too many disadvantages to putting the environmental issue aside. Humans and the environment
need clean air and healthy surroundings to flourish.
The debate surrounding the preservation of the environment is fraught with
understandable arguments both for and against putting the work in. The fact of the matter
remains, however, if humans do nothing now, the earth will have a much shorter life span. It is
unfair to generations ahead and it is unfair to the animals, humans, and plants now. The
advantage of preventing climate change and air pollution is that it strikes two birds with one
stone. Preserving energy, taking care of the environut, not burning trash, and many little things
are what will preserve the earth, animals, and human life. If humans can work together,
acknowledge climate change and pollution, and fix small life habits, the earth will have a longer
lifespan.
6
References
Al Bawaba. (2020, June 12). United States : GEF pours in $700 million for urgent
Environmental Action. ProQuest. https://www-proquest-
com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/2412433923?accountid=12085
Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs. (n.d.). Department of Environmental
Protection. Mass.gov. https://www.mass.gov/doc/health-environmental-effects-of-air-
pollution/download#:~:text=Air%20pollution%20can%20damage%20crops,(such%20as
%20harsh%20weather)
Harris, R. (2011, November 11). Air pollution: Bad for health, but good for
planet? NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/2011/11/11/142218650/air-pollution-bad-for-
health-but-good-for-planet
Health consequences of air pollution on populations. (2019, November 15). WHO | World
Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news/item/15-11-2019-what-are-health-
consequences-of-air-pollution-on-populations#:~:text=Exposure%20to%20high
%20levels%20of,people%20who%20are%20already%20ill
Heinberg, R. (2021, August 6). Why climate change isn’t our biggest environmental problem,
and why technology won’t save us. Post Carbon
Institute. https://www.postcarbon.org/why-climate-change-isnt-our-biggest-
environmental-problem-and-why-technology-wont-save-us/
Kerlin, K. (2022, August 31). . UC 18 simple things you can do about climate change
Davis. https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/what-can-i-do/18-simple-things-you-can-do-
about-climate-change
7
Landrigan, P. J., Fuller, R., Fisher, S., Suk, W. A., Sly, P., Chiles, T. C., & Bose-O' Reilly, S.
(2018, September). Pollution and children's health. Science Direct. https://www-
sciencedirect-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/science/article/pii/S0048969718338543?via
%3Dihub
Markman, A. (2018, October 11). Why people aren’t motivated to address climate change.
Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2018/10/why-people-arent-motivated-to-
address-climate-change
Mulhern, O. (2022, May 29). 11 interesting facts about climate change.
Earth.Org. https://earth.org/data_visualization/11-interesting-facts-about-climate-change/
Rutledge, K., McDaniel, M., Teng, S., Hall, H., Ramroop, T., Sprout, E., Hunt, J., Boudreau, D.,
& Costa, F. (2022, July 1). . National Air pollution
Geographic. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/air-pollution
Smart Air. (2022, March 8). Smart Air Knowledge Does air pollution have any advantages?
Base. https://smartairfilters.com/learn/smart-air-knowledge-base/does-air-pollution-
some-advantages/#:~:text=Air%20pollution%20helps%20plants
%20grow&text=Nitrogen.,cause%20plants%20to%20grow%20more
WWF. (2020, August 11). 10 reasons why climate change is
important. https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/10-reasons-why-climate-change-
important#:~:text=Climate%20change%20won%27t%20just,everywhere%20will
%20feel%20its%20effects
