Saving an Environmentally Changing World

An environment can be described as the complex of physical, chemical, and bioticfactors that act upon an organism and ultimately determine its form and survival. Thisdefinition can be matched with the globalization of the world today. As every country isdependent on another for resources, so is the survival of the environment dependent oncollective effort to preserve life. The signs of a disturbed ecosystem are everywhere; theclimate change, groundwater resource degradation, and novel illnesses. While there areefforts in place to checkmate these disturbances, such as the United Nations decade ofecosystem restoration and the FAO’s(Food and Agriculture Organisation) steps in mitigatingclimate change, more efforts should be channeled towards research, ecosystem conservation, and education.

As a result of their scale, it is easy to feel oil spillages, greenhouse gas emissions, poaching and indiscriminate bush burning are the key issues hurting the environment. TheCarbon Majors Report pinpoints that about 70% of global emissions are attributed to ahandful of companies. However, ignorance is the foremost issue. It is only throughenvironmental education and constant awareness and enlightenment that all people can beaware of the grim situation the world is in. The food and medicine that sustain human lifecome from plant and animal species that are being threatened. An environment that has builteconomies, fed billions, sustained and protected life. All of which sounds like a one-sidedrelationship, a relationship that is winding down ungraciously. It is only right to honeenvironmental knowledge and make the safety of the environment a priority as well.

First, gathering more information about the environment cannot be overemphasized. We now know environmental change can be caused by natural and anthropogenic events. Climate change ushers in a new set of environmental hazards caused by the scientific andtechnological development process. These hazards which are statistically different from thegeneral risks to pre-industrial and industrial societies, can only be controlled through research. Scientific research encourages debate; thereby ensuring the best methods are employed intackling environmental problems as is seen in the theses of ecologists and geographers on theSerengeti plain of East Africa. It also serves as a way to checkmate laxity from topgreenhouse gas emitting companies in keeping up with eco-friendly standards. It is only fromresearch that extinction can be curbed, and potential species replacements can be taken tobalance the ecosystem.

The ecosystem has become so unstable to the extent that climate changes arebecoming apparent with each passing day. It is no news that the world is at a crossroads andalthough time cannot be reversed, prevention is better and cheaper than cure. According tothe Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), US$3.66 trillion has been spent on mitigating globalclimate change from 2011-2018. Although it is worth it, a lot more would have been saved ifconservation was in place, with countries spending an average of about $20 million a year onconservation techniques. The degradation of the environment is widespread, and plans are inplace to restore order and balance. Therefore, conservation methods should become a habitnot only because of what was lost but to preserve what is being restored.

Even though migration to a new planet no longer seems like a long shot, it isparamount to remember that earth is the only planet optimized for human life. And, so far sogood the alternative options are still speculative at best. After all Vaclav Smil, a veryacclaimed energy scientist was quoted as saying “you have to be a delusional Elon Musk tothink that we’re going to leave this planet and terraform Mars, we will never leave thisplanet”. It seems foolhardy to trust in alternative options that haven’t yet come to fruition.

All in all, the environment touches every facet of life and industry making it adifficult theme to centralize. Due to this fact, fashioning out a definite way to save theenvironment without trampling upon some other aspect is hard to do. If life could bepartitioned selectively, things would be different, but that is not the case. The time has comefor the world to endure some sacrifice or pay the ultimate price.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Environment”. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2 Jan. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/science/environment. Accessed 15 May 2021.

OhAiseadha, Coilin & Quinn, Gerry/Gerre & Connolly, Ronan & Connoly, Michael & Soon, Willie.(2020) Energy and Climate Policy-An Evaluation of Global Climate Change
Expenditure Energies 2020, 13, 4839; doi:10.3390/en13184839

Falase, S. Olugbenga.The Nigerian Youth and the Rhetoric of Globalisation Samuel. Ibadan
Journal of Sociology Vol.11,pp.1-5

Morufu, Raimi.Creating the Healthiest Nation: Climate Change and Environmental Health
Impacts in Nigeria: A Narrative Review. Vol. 6, No. 1, 2021 Sustainability in Environment
ISSN 2470-637X (Print) ISSN 2470-6388 (Online) www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/se