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A Desperate Call for Environmental Allies |
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I am the leader of Green Way International, an organization dedicated to
conservation efforts and the study of environmental pollution. Regrettably,
the data we gather from all corners of the globe offers no cause for
optimism. The results of our studies and the limited success of our
endeavors serve as evidence that we are engaged in a futile struggle.
Undoubtedly, environmental pollution is not a recent phenomenon. It has
existed since the time when people began to congregate in towns and cities.
In ancient Athens, refuse was transported to dumps located outside the main
urban areas. Similarly, the Romans excavated trenches beyond their cities to
dispose of their waste, garbage, and even corpses. These unsanitary
practices inevitably resulted in the outbreak of viral diseases.
Unfortunately, humanity remains unwilling to acknowledge or rectify its past
mistakes. As cities expanded during the Middle Ages, pollution became even
more conspicuous. In medieval cities, ordinances had to be enacted to
prohibit the indiscriminate dumping of waste into the streets and canals. In
sixteenth century England, efforts were made to limit the use of coal in
order to reduce air pollution. However, these measures had little effect on
the conscience of the people.
I believe that the nineteenth-century Industrial Revolution marked the point
of no return. It brought about the rapid proliferation of industries and
machinery powered by fossil fuels. Undeniably, the standard of living
improved, but it came at a great environmental cost.
Take the example of Cubatao in Brazil, where industrial plants emit
thousands of tons of pollutants on a daily basis, resulting in high levels
of benzene in the air—a cancer-causing substance. In just one recent year, I
discovered 13,000 cases of respiratory diseases, with one-tenth of the
workers being at risk of contracting leukemia. Green Way International hoped
to seek assistance from Brazil's government officials, but our hopes were
dashed. Fearing a loss of revenue from the factories, they attributed the
high mortality rate to poor sanitation and malnutrition. We continue to
provide medical aid to the inhabitants of Brazil's "Valley of Death," but
there is little else we can do to alleviate their suffering.
Our planet possesses its own mechanisms to handle natural pollutants. Decay,
sea spray, and volcanic eruptions release more sulfur than all the power
plants, smelters, and industries in the world combined. Lightning generates
nitrogen oxides, and trees emit hydrocarbons known as terpenes. These
substances cycle through the ecosystem, transforming and passing through
plant and animal tissues, sinking into the sea, and returning to the earth
to initiate the cycle anew.
However, can the earth assimilate the additional millions of tons of
chemicals, such as sulfur, chlorofluorocarbons, carbon dioxide, and methane,
that our industries release each year? If the dying forests in Germany,
Eastern Europe, Sweden, and Norway are any indication, the resounding answer
must be "No!" Oxides of sulfur and nitrogen from power plants, factories,
and vehicles have acidified the soil, destroying the organisms essential to
the nutrient cycle and impairing the trees' delicate root systems. Weakened
trees become more susceptible to drought, frost, fungi, and insects.
Many times, my staff have returned from their research expeditions around
the world, lamenting the gradual but steady destruction of our cultural
treasures. The carvings on the Parthenon, a magnificent structure in Athens,
have eroded due to acid deposition. The Roman Colosseum, Westminster Abbey
in England, and India's Taj Mahal have also fallen victim to insidious
chemicals suspended in the air. The stained glass windows of twelfth and
thirteenth-century cathedrals have corroded, rendering the once-recognizable
images barely visible.
Years ago, I studied a secluded island in the Pacific and discovered its
undisturbed ecosystem, perfectly balanced and stable. In moments of despair,
I once contemplated spending the rest of my days on that island in solitude.
However, pollution knows no boundaries, and upon my arrival, I was greeted
with beaches strewn with trash and lifeless marine creatures. The once-lush
foliage had withered, leaving behind a sparse and limp landscape. It was
then that I realized our dying planet needs allies, not fatalism and
resignation. I made the decision to return and continue my crusade, and I
fervently hope that others will join me in this noble cause. |
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