The Earth, a shining blue, green, and white sphere hanging in the otherwise sparce and lifeless void of space. Like a sapphire our planet glitters in a satin cloth. Our world, billions of years old, an oasis in the cosmos to the human race and trillions of other living organisms, has been our companion, our mother, our protector, our nurturer since the birth of civilization. From the Earth humanity has arisen, and we have grown to fill and explore its every landmass. We humans have taken much from the Earth, but given very little in return, yet it does not waver from its devotion. It is in this time that we are facing the most sobering enevidability of we do not change our selfish ways. The Earth is dying, slowly slipping into the darkness as humanity tarnishes this paradise.

Having lived upon this planet for about two decades, (20 trips around the sun) I've seen many changes take place just in my short lifetime thus far. During that time, I've seen society do very little to acknowledge the environmental crisis that faces this world. I've witnessed major ecological disasters like the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, The Gulf War, and most recently the Oil Spill on the Galapagos Islands, my inspiration for writing this article. Governments and societies in general have continued to stagnate in a position of overall apathy and general shortsightedness in regards to the deteriorating status of the environment.

It sickens me to see foolish humans wantonly destroying forests and killing endangered animals for something as petty as human greed and childish infatuation with rare novelties. Such gross ignorance is a travesty that will be looked upon with great regret by future generations. The things that we so brazenly take for granted today will be gone - forever. Once something is extinct, it's gone, you can't just make more. Children will have to look in historical records for information about animals like the African rhino, the humback whale, The African gorilla, and the Galapagos turtle. Thousands of individual species on our planet go extinct every day! This is a sad fact, and the ultimate injustace of the whole issue is that it is entirely preventable.

Buring of fossil fuels, coal, and chemicals like chloroflorocarbons has significantly deteriorated the air quality of the planet, as well as caused a thinning of the ozone layer, bombarding the surface with cumulatively toxic ultraviolet radiation. Human industry has excellerated the increase in global temperature resulting in the eventual melting of the world's glaciers by the end of the twenty-first century if no action is taken to reduce green-house emissions. There are places where planet Earth has been so ravaged with pollution, the ecosystems of these areas have been irrevocably destroyed. Over 5 Million acres of Amazon rain forest is cut down each year, a swath the size of the state of Rhode Island.

Alternatives to fossil fuels that are accessable to the general public include windmills that generate electricity through mechanical action, and solar panels that create electricity through light/heat induction. Another source of power that comes straight from the space program, includes Fuel Cells. Fuel Cells are being implimented in some vehicles.

"Why should I care if all the ice melts?" If you live anywhere near the coastline of any landmass on the planet you are particualarly in danger. If the water raises just 20 feet, places like Rio de Janero, New Orleans, Tampa Florida, The Netherlands, Manhattan, Venice Italy, Bangladesh, the Nile Delta, just to name a few WILL be submerged. Global warming has been linked to the increase in more drastic weather changes and natural disasters like longer hurricane seasons in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, droughts, floods, and tornadoes. El Nino and La Nina pacific temperature anomalies have produced greater havoc and influence on the climate of North America, and indication that there are worldwide climatic changes occurring. The very state I live in has been in the worst drought that it has experienced in 150 years of recorded history.

When I reflect on the damage that we've done, a tear comes to my eye. This really sucks and pisses me off! People just don't give a shit, and that is truly a shame. Most folks are content to sit on their bloated duffers drinking beer and watching football than bother with clean air petitions, movements to save endangered species, and recycling programs. Efforts by environmentalists are almost in vain, political leaders tend to put these issues at the very bottom of the agenda list behind more pressing concerns like military and arms development, tax collection, satisfying lobbists, foreign policy, and campaigning. The United States is one of the worst offenders. Politicians are the only one's capable of making laws that will ensure that the planet is a healthy place to live in. There are some environmental laws and established preserves across the world, but what is being done is only a tiny fraction of what needs to be done to restore the balance of things.

I often wonder why people choose ignorance over rationality in such matters. I can not change the minds of everyone, of political leaders, or people who take a blind eye to the truth, but at least on this website I can make a plea to all those that read this in behalf of planet Earth. People of my generation and after must live with the mistakes of our ancestors, and if just more people take this seriously we can help to save this place we call home today from being totally annhillated by tomorrow. The population of humanity is not growing smaller. There are over 6 billion of us here now, and usable free surface area of the planet is reducing. There is still vast open lands that have not been colonized or raped of their natural resources, but these wildernesses are dwindling. I often ponder what the near-distant future will be like when we just can't take anymore from Earth. We've taken it all, and she has nothing to give back. If anything, prior to things getting this dire, a very strong effort should be made to persue space travel, including interstellar travel and technology capable of terraforming Mars. Humanity will implode quickly if we can't find a place to sustain ourselves after the food runs out and the sources of fuel are burned.