Essay Topic: Imagine that it is the year 2050. Although governments and their citizens were warned about the dangers of the greenhouse effect as early as the 1970's, they did not take the necessary steps to prevent it from worsening. As a result, global warming and ozone depletion continued unchecked. In a well-organized essay, describe what life would be like in the year 2050 under these conditions. What would be the state of the climate? What would the nations of the world look like? What would be the day-to-day living conditions of the people of the world?
| Sang Fong |
| Jacky |
| Nihorka |
| Ewa |
| Sergey |
| Bleta |
| Qicheng |
| Yakov |
| Dunelle |
| Julio |
| Natalya |
Sang Fong Lau
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
In the year 2050, the global warming effects on the climate will become complex. The rain, the stormy and the sunlight will increase day by day. On the other hand, some cities such as New York or Hawaii will become hot. In this kind of city, people will easily get different kinds of disease. The global warming will affect the nations of the world. The forests will disappear because the water will get polluted. The animals will disappear because they lost their home (the forest) and their food and water. The global warming will affect human life.
Before the year 2050, the government and people still didn’t care about global warming problems. They still thought that the world of economics was important to solve the global warming problem. So, they make the global warming problem increase day-by-day and year-by-year. The climate becomes complex.
In the future, the weather change everyday. Sometimes, when you go outside on the street then the rain will come fast and then stop faster. Sometime, when you watch TV, and then see that outside it is raining, soon you turn your head to see the weather then it’s sunshine. In 2050, everybody will not know the weather is good or not on that day.
The global warming will make the forests disappear. In the future, the water will be polluted. We all know that plants need water. Many plants can’t grow well. The result is all plants death. The forest will disappear. The world will look like a desert.
In the future, no forest or plants can grow up. In the desert, you can’t find any other animals (not including humans) alive. The reason is many animals such as birds and monkeys need forests to become their home. They can find food in the forest, and they can find a place to protect themselves and their children. However, the global warming makes the sunshine and then all plants will die. Around the world, you will see just the death city around the sand land. No forest and no animals in there. Only have human alive.
The world will be without plants and animals. In this dead city, the alive one is human. However, all humans will be still hungry. They can’t buy or find foods the city. The reason is the farmer can’t product enough food for them. Farmers can’t easily grow any plants in the desert. Although, government support gives many machines to farmers, the land is dead and without enough water. It’s hard work to product food. So in the future world, making food will be science’s main job. They will produce a kind of chemical food. The chemical foods are small such as a medicine. When human eat too much the chemical food, their stomach will get hurt but it’s will be the only food for us to eat in the futures.
In the year 2050, we can’t breathe the fresh air on the street. The reason is the global warming affects the air polluted. In the city, which is near the equator. People go outside, they must dress like spacemen. They must dress with clothes with sliver color because this kind of color will protect our skin. In the street, all people look like spacemen. They need to bring an air pollution-clearing machine. They need to wear sunglasses because the sun is too shiny and bright. Everyone must bring clear water to go to the street. The reason is the sun is too shiny and that makes the body easily lose water. We all know that water is so important to the human body. We can survive without eating for three weeks. However, we can’t live without drinking water for three days.
In the city, which is near the cool place, people will dress differently that the hot place city people. They will dress that clothes can help them swimming in the water. The reason is the global warming makes the North Pole ice break. A lot of water has come from the ice oceans. So, when people go outside, then they need to wear some machine to help them swimming. They will look like a frogman. These people will build their house under the ocean.
The global warming will affect our lives more than economic. My story is just imaged . However, if we don’t take care of this problem, then we will get in trouble in 2050. Our earth will be like what I imaged.
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Jacky Wang
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
Oxygen and air are the most precious resources to all the lives on the earth. Human beings can survive for weeks or even months without food and for days without water. However a few minutes without air can kill us. Today in the year 2050 air pollution and the greenhouse effect threatens our nature the most and keeps on destroying the ecology of the world. The greenhouse effect is the term used to describe the role the atmosphere plays in helping to warm our planet's surface. How did that happen? It happened because since the early 1970's, the government did not take the necessary step to prevent it from worsening, and now we are facing worse consequences.
Now, in the year 2050 the temperature of our planet is going up. This is helping to melt the polar ice caps and the glaciers and because of that now the sea levels are higher by 2-4 inches worldwide. As a result, we have to face very dangerous floods, which destroy our plants, crops, trees, and even our houses. After these big floods, people don't have anything to eat because of the lack of food. The climate of our planet is getting worse and worse each day. The global warming has increased the temperature and decreased the life conditions. The flooding has destroyed many cities, islands, plants, and trees. High temperature has caused the death of animals, birds, insects, and people. Also the main bases of food are crushed. The government has to do something to make it better so we can live our lives as we want.
There are many reasons why the global condition is getting worse and worse. The main reason is that the homeostasis of the earth has been destroyed. The homeostasis has been destroyed because of the pollutants and chemicals. The greenhouse effect is a good example for that. According to the reading of the article “Greenhouse Effect” by Loretta Kasper, the result of the greenhouse effect could be a worldwide rise in temperature, estimated at 2° to 6° C (4° to 11° F) over the next 100 years. This problem began during the Industrial Revolution where society changed agricultural to industrial practices, created new chemical compositions (oil, coal, gas, carbon dioxide), and added gases that absorbed infrared radiation and were released into the atmosphere. As a result, the earth's atmosphere kept on changing and the temperature of the planet kept on rising and now the global warming factor has no solution. Because of that the greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide) increased, resulting in the depletion of the ozone layer.
According to the reading of the article “Greenhouse Effect” by Loretta Kasper, carbon dioxide and other gases such as methane and chlorofluorocarbons have been increasing in the atmosphere for the past thirty years and, for this reason, the climate was changed. It is the result of human actions because the ozone layer is under a threat from chemicals that people use on the earth. Increased use of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, coal, and deforestation produces carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also produced from car and airplane emissions and from using computers and cell phones. Chlorofluorocarbons are the guilty chemicals contained in aerosol cans, refrigerators, air-condition systems, some packaging materials. 98% of gases are caused naturally animals and plants letting out methane.
Unfortunately, even though people knew that all these pollutants and chemicals could destroy ozone and break the balance in the atmosphere, we did not do anything to stop it. These pollutants and chemicals cause a lot of damage to humans and other natural things. Because of the ultraviolet radiation people are now suffering from skin cancer and eye diseases. Ultraviolet radiation is also killing trees and the food chain. Humans and also the animals are starving to death because of less food.
In my response, I think it is never too late to save us from the greenhouse effect but the nations have to put more work and determination into it. Governments can permanently reach possible solutions, such as population control, alternative energy or transportation, recycling, having less factories and more plants, using the solar and wind energy instead of the fossil fuels, and raising the price of gas and cigarettes. However, I think we citizens also have the responsibility to take care of the greenhouse effect and environment in addition to government. We have to work together as a team. If we can do that, we can live on a better condition earth. People can live healthier.
In conclusion, it seems technology is coming too fast toward us. We need to slow down and take the time to consider whether it is good or harmful for the earth and us. All the bad consequences we have are really a good lesson for us. We really have to think about how we can save our planet from the greenhouse effect and go back to normal. The worst consequences of greenhouse effect could lead to human destruction, food destruction, and also to the animal destruction. We really have to take this problem very seriously, not like the early 1970's government took it. Otherwise the greenhouse effect problem can easily destroy our planet. I know it is very hard today to take things back from the people that they are used to, but still we have to decrease our technology. Although decreasing technology might make our economy go down, what are we going to do with the money and technology if we do not have our home? We must start conserving energy and protecting the environment.
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Nihorka Hernandez
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
Nature is the paradise that has been created for all living creatures that live on the planet earth. Natural resources such as the tropical forests, ocean and rivers, atmosphere and various animal species are part of nature. It is our responsibility to conserve nature as well as we can. Many years ago, life was simpler and people did not have the technology for a better life. As a result, human beings had to use the natural resources such as animals for transportation and fire for heat and light to carry out daily activities. In some ways this was excellent because there was less pollution created. In other ways, this was awful because technology helps each individual to live more easily.
Scientists saw global warming as one of the most serious problems in the world. Global warming means increasing temperature on the earth and therefore climate changes. These changes happened so fast that governments and their populations were warned about the dangers of global warming. Throughout the years, the earth has been losing all her natural beauty, as well as resources such as plants, ocean and rivers, and animal species. Global warming is destroying plants, fruits and food. I feel and think that in the past human beings were more careful about the environment. We are now in the year 2050, life is very difficult because global warming changed for worse.
The earth is covered by a gaseous blanket, the atmosphere. The atmosphere contains the Ozone layer, which is like an umbrella over the earth. The ozone layer is a form of oxygen, created when ultraviolet radiation from the sun meets oxygen in the atmosphere. However, the greenhouse effect and air pollution are destroying the atmosphere cap and the ozone layer. Life in 2050 is hard for human beings of this world because the temperature has increased so high that it has affected the environment, human health, social systems, and the global economy in ways never before experienced.
In 2050, the sea has risen and has endangered coastal areas in the Americas and Europe and also increased one to three feet along the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Most Islands are devastated. Furthermore, in California, there are lower groundwater levels and an increase in salinity levels in the San Joaquin Delta and a one to two foot increase in sea levels. In addition, 50% of the fish supply such as trout and salmon have declined in the Rockies and Pacific Northwest because the fish are not fresh. This means that the rivers are dry and the ocean has received a lot of ultraviolet radiation.
Unfortunately in this time, drought conditions have increased and there are changes in precipitation. Water supplies have been affected and quality, which have affected agriculture, fisheries, recreation and drinking water. In the Midwest, wheat and soybean yields have been reduced. If the world keeps going as it is, our life will be very difficult because the greenhouse effect will affect water, food, sea, animals and forests.
The tropical forests in the United States have died off as the temperature rises. Drier soil has also resulted in more forest fires. In the Great Smoky Mountains, 15% of the tree population has been reduced. People are destroying whatever is left of the earth's plants especially trees to build houses. If people do not stop the devastation of tropical forests, will be imminent and the earth will not have enough oxygen for creatures on this planet and all the few survivors will die.
Furthermore, diseases have spread further and faster. Warmer weather is creating conditions for the insects and rodents that carry malaria, encephalitis, hantavirus, cholera, dengue fever, and other infectious diseases. Lyme disease, spread by ticks, is also becoming more prevalent. Heat related illnesses and deaths have increased by 50% in whatever is left of major cities.
In addition, now in 2050, we have realized that the technology of computers, cars, airplanes, TV and refrigerators has given human beings a comfortable life. However, pollution has affected the natural atmosphere. Furthermore, global warming has also meant a serious impact on the United States economy. The cost of property damage and lost productivity are affecting states and even whole regions. According to Munich Reinsurance Co., the world's largest re-insurer, damages from severe weather and flood catastrophes cost $272 billion in the 1990's, three times more than in the previous decade. In 2050, the climate is changing frequently and this has affected everything on earth.
The earth is our home. If we do not take care of the earth now, the temperature will rise so high that it will force people to live in the mountains. There will be more increase of heat waves, droughts and other extreme weather events. There will also be a global sea level rise of as much as three feet. Finally, there will be an increase in the range of disease carrying insects and rodents. As a result, all living things will be wiped off from the phase of the earth.
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Ewa Samborska
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
It is the year 2050. This is not a good time for life on the earth because the weather on the land has changed. Ultraviolet radiation is the basic problem for all the lives in the world. People have discovered new energy like a fuel that we use in every day life.
We have a few basic gases that are made by people’s actions: carbon dioxide, methane and ozone. The ozone layer is like an umbrella of gas on the earth, which is produced when ultraviolet radiation from the sun meets oxygen in the atmosphere. People in the past used a lot of dangerous gases like aerosol cans, freon in refrigerators and air conditioning systems. All those chemicals and pollutants used by humans were sent to the atmosphere and destroyed the ozone, which protects the earth. They broke the balance in the atmosphere during the past.
According to the reading of “The Greenhouse Effect” by Loretta F. Kasper, carbon dioxide and other gases like methane and chlorofluorocarbons have been increasing in the atmosphere for many years. During that time the climate changed. The ultraviolet radiation made the temperature more than 130 degrees. It made it very hard for people to live with that heat. People have many health problems like skin cancer or eye disease.
The sun on the earth is shining stronger than ever before. People try to protect themselves; they don’t go outside during the day. They change their life style. Right now ]darker than many years ago and they have many skin and eye diseases.
Also right now we have trouble with melting ice on Antarctica. Many cities which were built near the water have disappeared because we have many floods. People were forced to move to higher lands near mountains.
Until 2030 people on the earth used all fuels like oil, coal and other resources. People were forced to use something different for a fuel. They discovered that we could use energy from the sun. All machines and cars are now using energy from the sun. And that is very safe for our atmosphere.
Another result of global warming is that people don’t have a lot of drinking water because there are many droughts on the earth. People have done experiments with food, because ultraviolet radiation destroyed crops, plants and trees which form the basis of the food chains that maintain life on the earth. Specialists from the food made a lot of organic food, which is not healthy for our body. Many people die after they eat that food. Also we have many fires in the forests because they are dry and we lost many animals who lived there.
My response:
In my opinion people should do something about the greenhouse effect before it is too late. If we do not stop using all bad chemicals, which are sent to the atmosphere then ultraviolet radiation will increase many diseases like skin cancer for people and global warming for nature. I think the natural environment in 2050 will be destroyed. Earth is our home and we need to protect it. People now don’t understand the danger with global warming.
In this year 2050 many people realize how big the mistakes that we made in the past were. Why didn’t we do anything about the greenhouse effect? Why we didn’t stop sending all bad gases to our atmosphere? In my imagination, the future will be different from this, the present time. I think global warming will affect the future if we people don’t do anything about that problem. Without ozone around the earth the ultraviolet radiation will make many diseases for people and all life on the earth. The global warming will destroy plants, fruits and vegetables. After that we will have more diseases.
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Sergey Laktionov
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
If you analyze the world where we live you will come to the conclusion that Nature is a perfectly balanced creature. Everything in this balance goes in strict mathematical order. As the well known mathematician Isaac Newton once said:” If God created the Universe then he must be an outstanding mathematician." This is an extremely strong quote because you can write down everything that happens in the nature on a paper in mathematical equations. This is the way it was 10 billion years ago and it will still be the same 10 billion years from now. When the numbers and structure of these equations change, the great cataclysms happen ....
It is 2050 right now and the time for the next cataclysm has
come. The living conditions on the Earth
are terrible. The ground doesn't give food and the species of the sea and animals are
dead due to acid rain. All natural resources are ending and everything
alive on the face of the Earth is starting to disappear.
Unfortunately the reason
for this catastrophe is not a huge meteor or alien attack; the reason for it is the
human being. People destroyed their own planet by their lifestyle and there is no
one else to blame.
The problem began during the Industrial Revolution when
changed agricultural and
industrial progress created new chemical compositions (oil, gas, carbon dioxide) and added
gases that absorbed ozone which were released into the atmosphere. As a
result of this action the Earth's atmosphere kept on changing and the temperature of the
planet kept on rising and now the global warming has no solution. Because of
that the greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane)increased, resulting in
the depletion of the ozone layer. As a result other significant
transformations happened around the world. The sea level increased and a lot of countries
suffered flooding and some even disappeared. The tropical regions lost their
vegetation and this caused deforestation on the planet. The deserts around the world
started expanding with frightening speed. The beautiful sea coast of The
Mediterranean Sea has become a wild desert just in 10 years. Skin cancer has become the
"Black Death" of the 21st century. Children were born deformed because of the
radiation and more children died from severe diarrhea caused by dirty water.
These environmental conditions pushed people to hide from
sunshine and air. The governments all
over the world started building
underground facilities for the most important
people, but still a lot of people had to live on the ground. Little by little the
underground government's power was weakening outside of their bunkers. Consequently new
leaders of the so called “ Abandoned People” arose and wars between “underground” and “on the ground”
people began all over the world.
100 years ago no one was thinking that such a needed thing as The Industrial Revolution would lead to destruction of our nature. Even 50 years ago it was not too late to fix this problem, but right now in 2050 people can do nothing in order to change anything and everybody feels sorry that they did nothing when it was the right time.
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Bleta Gola
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
Global warming is very dangerous to the environment and to human beings. Global warming is sometimes referred to as the greenhouse effect. The Greenhouse effect is the absorption of energy radiated from the Earths surface by carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to become warmer. The Greenhouse effect is causing the temperature to rise on earth, creating many problems that will occur in the coming decades. In the year 2050, the greenhouse effect will become worse and problems will affect people around the world.
Global warming is caused by human pollution, factories, cars, and the destruction of the Amazon forest. Every year a large portion of the Amazon forest is cut down. This action is not helping humanity and the environment. If we don't stop destroying the forest the world will become hotter than it has ever been. In the last century the temperature of the earth has risen about one degree . In the middle of the next century the temperature will rise about five to ten degrees more.
The rise in temperature is already causing problems. For example, insects that are normally killed by cold weather would continue to breed all year. The extra insects in the summer will cause diseases. The epidemic of the West Nile virus in New York could be a result of the rise in temperature. Another problem that is arising is cancer caused by the exposure to the sun. Cancer rates due to excessive exposure to the sun are rising. Australia presently is right now at a high risk of skin cancer because the hole in the ozone is over Australia.
In the year 2050, the earth is going to be quite different from the way it is now. The pollution is sure to get worse. In the present time, humanity is working to find solutions to some of our pollution problems. For example, car companies are now building solar powered cars that don't need gas. The factories are trying to use chemicals that won't harm the environment as much as in the past. Even though humanity is trying to solve these problems there will still be a pollution problem in the year 2050.
I believe that in 2050 people will not be able to breathe the air as easily as today. The air will be more congested. The ozone layer would probably be more depleted. The forest will probably be non-existent. The world in the year 2050 will be affected by natural disasters. The rise in temperature will cause the ice glaciers to melt and the sea will rise, which will cause many disasters to low level coast lines and the people living there. The sea will probably reclaim the delicate wetlands. Wildlife will also be affected by global warming. Many creatures will become extinct. The environmental future is not a pretty one to look forward to.
Even though our environmental future is not safe and humanity will find a way to over come all the new hazardous problems, probably many people will die because of the destruction of our precious nature. However in general, humanity will find a way to survive the pollution and carry on with life. Humans are survivors so some of our environment problems will be solved by the year 2050.
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Qicheng Huang
If government and citizens do not
take the necessary steps to prevent the Greenhouse Effect from worsening, the
temperature of the earth will increase to levels higher than before and most of
the ice in North and South Poles will disappear. This will cause the sea level to increase rapidly, flooding most
of the land on the earth. The water
will evaporate and become moist clouds covering the globe and blocking the sun
light from outer space. Under these
conditions, global warming and ozone depletion will make all living things on
the earth survive difficultly in the year 2050. After forty years of air
pollution, global warming will make the weather changeable and
unpredictable. Sometimes it will be
raining and snowing, continuing for weeks, months and years. Nobody will know what tomorrow’s weather
will be like because the greenhouse effect has increased the temperature of the
earth. In addition, storms will be
blowing everywhere around the world.
Through the long time of raining, the moist steam will come together
again and become a very destructive storm.
On the other side of world, the wet and cold steam will easily combine
together into a huge snowstorm. Under the recycling of raining
and snowing, the earth’s temperature will decrease to the freezing point
because most of the energy will run out. Inside the wet and cold globe,
the nations of the world will look like ice worlds filled with water covered by
white ice. Suffering a long time of
cold temperatures, the trees, flowers and grass won’t adapt to the difficult
conditions of life. A big piece of the
rainforest in South America will be under water and will disappear forever. On the other hand, the seven continents that
are beautiful and living earth will be invaded by water little by little until
all land is covered totally; then about 30% of the land of the earth will
disappear. All lives on the earth will
live under water. The greenhouse effect will make
our environment change rapidly, and then people living on the earth will face
the difficulty of global warming as a huge problem. The sources that provide human energy will decrease faster than
before because of the changing weather.
Crops will die in the very cold weather and without heat from
sunlight. Livestock will not survive
because they won’t be able to adapt to the conditions. Under those environments, humans will have
to find a way to get enough food to survive.
In order to find food, some scientists will change crop genetics so
crops can grow in the cold and changeable weather. Those genetic crops will grow up in examination rooms faster
without using soil. Especially, the sea level will
rise higher than ever and cover the highest buildings around the world. As a result, people will change their living
conditions. Using technology, they will
try to build new homes under the water.
Step by step, new cities will appear under water. After the crops die in the severe
environmental conditions easily, people will build the warming houses for
them. Using machines, the food will be
manufactured faster than before. People
will live safe and stable from the change of living conditions that resulted
from global warming. The greenhouse effect will
change all living things on the earth; otherwise people will face more
environmental problems than before.
Humans will still remain alive by changing their living conditions,
although their living place will have changed by severe climate changes. Making our world more
comfortable and beautiful is our dream.
Everyone has a responsibility to leave a good environment for our
children to live. As a result, people
should be aware of the problems that are caused by global warming and make a
fundamental step to prevent air pollution right now.
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Yakov Kovalev I am a believer. I strongly believe that human race will
survive; despite all climatical, geological and political changes. In fact, the
human race is the top branch of evolution. It means that we are the fittest
species in the whole world. We will survive, unless we screw up so badly that
we blow ourselves off the face of mother Earth. I will build my version of year 2050 on
the “greenhouse” effect and, as one of its outcomes, Polar ice melting. Human
beings were born to face extreme situations: Ice Ages, now Polar ice melting, floods,
draughts, wars, epidemics. Humanity is
still surviving. I think that we,
humans, have to be put against the wall
in order to survive, otherwise we become soft, unable to stand for ourselves. We
will lose survival skills. Every human being needs an extremity, a thrill in
his or her life, to make it more colorful.
And the Polar ice melting is not the worse possible scenario we can
imagine. At least it gives us some possibilities for survival which I will
discus further down.. As you might know, because of the
“greenhouse” effect, the temperature of surface of our planet is rising.
Therefore polar ice caps are starting to melt. As it says in the article
“Answers to Sea Level Rise are Locked in Ice” by Jack Williams in USATODAY.com
“Imagine the 48 states and maybe half of Mexico covered with ice and you have
Antarctica. It is a continent of about 5.4 million square miles. Ice, averaging
1.6 miles deep, covers 97.6 % of Antarctica, giving it 90% of the world’s ice and
70% of all of the globe’s fresh water-in the form of ice. If all of this ice
melted, sea levels around the world would rise by about 200 feet.” The result
of this melting can be devastating to all human beings. Historically,
from the very ancient times human beings had a tendency to settle down on lowlands,
near a river or an ocean. It even became genetically. Look where we live now. All of our big cities are built near the
ocean or a river. Now we have cars,
airplanes, railroads, and the water has lost its meaning as a major
transportation path. But, we keep living near the water. In the future, there is a big chance that we
might suffer from such irresponsible act. When the polar ice caps start
melting, the sea level will rise, forcing us to move to the highlands. We will
have to leave lowlands which have rich soils, drinking water, woods, and we
will need to slowly migrate to the less attractive highlands with extreme
weather conditions, poor food and water supply. The human race will struggle to
survive. Millions will die during cataclysmic events, others from starvation
and fights over a good piece of land. Humanity will be thrown into chaos, the
stone age. But we will survive. We will
combine our forces and think of a way out of it.
There are many possible ways of our future evolving. I would like to discuss one of them. Billions
of years ago life was born in the water. Basically we are all children of
water. I do not know why the evolution turned toward creating an intelligent
life on the surface and not in the water. Also I don’t know why we have a great
fear of the water. I think that we have to turn our eyes to ¾ of our planet, the oceans. We should
consider a possibility that the oceans might become our second home. We need to advance our marine technologies, start to explore, integrate
ourselves into the oceans, become a part of them. If we are able to do that, a
whole lot of possibilities might open in front of us. Oceanic water is full of food: plankton (a pure protein), various kind
of fish, algae and seaweeds, and it holds almost all elements of the chemical
table. Also if the depletion of the ozone layer continues, we might get
protection under water thickness. We do not have to depend on the weather conditions
because underwater there are no seasons, no extreme temperature changes; almost
perfect conditions for us to survive. Of course the ocean is a new environment for us, almost unexplored. Nobody is waiting for us there with open
hands. We have to make sure that we
integrate ourselves into the new environment with as little harm as
possible. And who knows, we might start
a new branch of the human race- homoamphibious. Some day we might call the ocean – Our Home.
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Dunelle Lominy Nobody
knows exactly what will happen in the future except God, the creator of the
world. However, many scientists believe
that we can predict things in the future, and that is done based on the current
situation of the world. Scientists
believe that if things continue to deteriorate at a steady pace, by the year
2050 the world will face a great disaster that may affect life on earth. And
that will be the result of the greenhouse effect. According to the article “On the Kids Site”, scientists
are not fortune-tellers. They don’t
know exactly what will happen in the future.
But they can use the special computer programs to find out how the
climate may change in the year ahead.
And the computer programs tell us that the earth may continue to get
warmer. If the climate becomes warmer,
the results may be disastrous. A very
warm climate may cause polar melting.
Polar melting may in turn cause flooding around the world. Flooding may then displace many populations
and the nations of the world will have limited space to grow food and hold
people. There would be many demographic
problems and famine would cause death in many places. Another problem that may be caused by the greenhouse effect
is the depletion of the ozone layer. If
measures are not taken now to reduce the amount of gas and pollutants emitted
to the air, more regions of the ozone can be affected. We know that the ozone layer is important in
protecting the earth against dangerous radiation from the sun. If we continue to be careless, by year 2050
there will be more skin cancer and cataracts and other eye diseases. According to the article, “the
Greenhouse Effect” in the book
“Interdisciplinary English”, ‘1% depletion of the ozone layer may result in an
extra 70,000 cases of skin cancer every year worldwide’(37). These numbers may give an idea about what
the problem would be. However, if we consider
other ways that the ozone layer depletion can affect us, we will understand
that by year 2050, the problem would be enormous. According to the
same article in the book, “Increased
ultraviolet radiation is harmful to all life on earth”(37). The article continues to say that
ultraviolet light is harmful to plants.
Our food depends on plants.
Everything that we eat, whether it is processed or not, comes from
plants or animals. The animals we eat
feed on plants or other animals that eat plants. So we need plants to live.
Besides that, plants help in the oxygen cycle by the process of
photosynthesis where they take in the carbon dioxide that we exhale and give
off oxygen. We need that oxygen in
order to live. If no measures are taken
to prevent the depletion of the ozone layer, by year 2050, we will not only
have more people with skin cancers and eye diseases, but the ecosystem of the
earth will be destroyed and it will be extremely difficult to sustain life on
earth. The food chain in the sea would be affected also. The
article “Greenhouse Effect” also talks about plankton as the basis of the food
chain in the sea. It seems that
ultraviolet radiation can kill plankton also.
All other marine creatures feed on plankton or those which eat plankton. Their destruction would also affect us in
many ways. For many people, their
income depends on the fish industry and parts of our food also come from
fish. According
to the Internet article “The Hard Numbers on Climate Change” in the Worldwatch
News Release, “During the 1990’s the economic toll from natural disasters toped
$608 billion, more than the previous four decades combined; as sea levels rise
and weather extremes become more common in our decades, our vulnerability to
natural disaster will continue.” We can
see how serious the problem is now and what it will be in the future if we do
not take good measures. Based on what we have discussed about the greenhouse
effect and its consequences like global warming and ozone layer depletion, we
can see that life will not be great by the year 2050 if we do not control our
actions. Many of us could be alive at
that time and even if we are not our children will be alive. We do not want our children to live in bad
situations. Therefore, we need to take
actions to prevent anything like that from happening. We need to take different actions. We need to control the amount of carbon
dioxide that we release in the atmosphere.
According to “The Greenhouse Effect”, this gas and others form a blanket
that prevents heat from going back into space.
They are the causes of global warming.
We need to use less fossil fuels and stop destroying our tropical
forests. This is the responsibility of
people around the world, and it should be reinforced by laws and
governments. Chlorofluorocarbons or
CFCs cause global warming and damage the ozone layer. If industrial countries can help others to use other alternatives
that can save us a lot of trouble.
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Julio Cardenas We probably have done more environmental degradation
in the last century than we have in all human history. Our future is inevitable
if our present way of thinking continues. During the past 40 years, many people
had implemented the earth’s salvation to the United States government according
to the environmental, greenhouse effects, and earth homeostasis problems. If
the Government does not fight against industrialization and technology, I
think, in 50 years from now, we are going to lose so many important plant and
animal species that we will be pushing to maintain the balance we have broken. During
the ESL 91, class discussion with Professor Kasper about the greenhouse
effects, I improved my knowledge about environment contamination and earth
balance situation. The outcome of the world in the year 2050 will be one of two
ways, if we do not pay attention to the solutions presented in classroom by
conservationists to improve our environment. For example, AL Gore’s “Earth in
Balance” and Rachel Carson’s “ Silent Spring”, both stated that we have to care
about nature. After reading and
discussing global warming, I have two different visions of what the world will
look like in the year 2050. I would say that we will be in deep trouble in the
future. However, if we pay attention to the solutions we can improve our
environment. I separate the earth’s future in year 2050 into two different
categories, one optimistic (better) and the other pessimistic (bad or
catastrophic.) On one hand, I
base an optimist and positive category supported in what I have learned during
class about Al Gore and conservationists that are working hard to repair the
damage that has been done. The` problem now is cleaning up what we have already
destroyed. I believe that the future will look better than it does today. I
really do not know. Sometimes I fear global warming, because the fact that
global temperatures may cause destruction in our atmosphere is very scary. However, by the year 2050, I hope the world
will have reversed itself in caring for the environment, so that it will be
safer and the ozone layer will improve. I also am hoping that more state of the
art fuels will replace jet fuels and gasoline motors. On the other
hand, a pessimistic category can be catastrophic. People who do not care about
our future are not only killing our surroundings but also ourseves. For
example, hunters who kill animals to sell their skins to the textile companies
and make expensive clothes. In addition, forest destroyers who cut the trees to
build houses and make papers are also hurting us. If we close our eyes to the
realities of what is really happening with the earth, these will be a list of
changes perhaps in the year 2050. We
will see a great environmental change. The human effect on the natural
environment will be vast and impossible to stop. Global warming probably will
destroy our ecosystem. I consider that vegetation will also be a rarity and the
winter will be out of “balance” due to global warming. The Antarctic will be
smaller due to the collapse of a number of ice shelves. The deforestation will
continue, leading to increased erosion of the land, destruction of coral reefs,
but maybe increased production in coastal areas. Deserts will continue to grow
and there will be increased urbanization. Unfortunately, I think the pollution
levels will be dramatically higher and many of our few remaining natural
habitats will be gone unless there is a change in human behavior. According to Professor Kasper and our class
discussion about environmental problems, she states that one thing that happens
in one area of the world later affects other parts. Global warming and the
greenhouse effect do not just affect the environment in pollution, they also
affect it in other ways. All the
environmental problems that we have now, probably would have effects on the
next 50-years. In addition, it will be fundamental in human life in ways such
as environmental, biological, sociological, psychological, economic, and health
in relation to diet and nutrition. Our
insensitive care of nature will present biological effects in the
next 50 years. I think that if we do not pay attention to Al Gore, we will be
destroying ourselves to the point of extinction. If we do not take drastic
action, I can see a time when the only lower species of animals such as tigers
and pandas, as well as a number of other large mammals and plant life are going
to disappear and we will see them only in zoos and botanical gardens. The
future sociological and psychological changes depend on the choice that we, as a society,
make right now, because if we continue with our current way of destruction and
environmental abuse, the world seems most likely to become a troubled place.
There will be wars for food, water, oil and other resources until 2050. There
will be hardly any cars moving. People will migrate from the cold North and the
dry South to moderate zones. It will be even harder to travel to national
frontiers. I fear that man under a lot of pressure to survive will become even
more ruthless with nature than he is today. The
world will also be affected in economical (technology,
business and marketing) and health (diet
and nutrition)terms. Both economy and heath are related
to the changes that will occur in the 50 years. Business will be slow and
companies will lose money. Government will pass rules or laws to stop
pollution. For example, automobile gasoline will be eliminated to prevent
environmental pollution. Large metropolitan areas like New York City,
Los Angeles and London, will start building parks with a lot of trees and salt-marsh environmental centers in
harmony with nature to protect our environment. We will develop the technology to renew our earth. Technology will be
developed to use less energy and prevent pollution. The pollution will be
dangerous and the global warming will destroy plants, fruits and food. People
will not be able to breathe the air. The water will be polluted; animals,
especially fish, will not be able to be consumed. There will be a lesser amount
of produce because of the earth’s deficiency. There will be no fish. People will
get sick very easily and depend on more medicine than now. The population will
explode, the forests will not exist, and the oxygen will be less. However, if
we contribute to the world in a positive way as Al Gore suggests, it is
possible that by the year 2050 we will have cures for cancer, heart diseases,
and several other major diseases. In my response, the reason that motivated me to do
this report was not just to accomplish my ESL assignment, but it is that I have
a very strong opinion when it comes to protecting the environment and the
creatures that are forced to put up with the destruction of our earth. I hope
that anyone who has the time to read this paper will do the same or become at
least a little more responsible for the preservation of our environment. I hope that you as my essay reader learn
many things from this essay that will help you to fight for our environment. I
am very much an optimist. I wish and pray for transformation in the way in
which humans live their lives. I hope they become more and more connected to
Nature and more deeply linked to her source. When this occurs, then life on
earth will be one of equilibrium and peace. I think we will find ways to
maintain, at the very least, the current level of environmental quality. I hope
by 2050 man has learned to live in harmony with the environment. If we do not
accept the responsibility, I cannot even imagine the result. It all depends on
us. If we work harder to protect our earth, our future will be excellent. We
have to make major changes through individual motivation, government,
industrialization and technology. If nothing is done to save the planet, the
Earth will be dead as far as conservationists like Al Gore and Rachel Carson
are concerned. We have to be more
conscious of the environmental problems and provide solutions such as
alternative fuel sources, in a larger effort to reuse and recycle. The world
might be a much more beautiful place (I am the eternal optimist...I do not want
to envision the opposite of this... it is too scary). In
conclusion, definitely the world will
change during the next 50 years. I hope that we humans will meet our
responsibility to pay attention to the environmentalists and will be properly
taking care of our Mother Earth. These
are my two visions of how the world will look in the next 50 years. One is a
desolate place, with extreme heat and cold, no green and very few animals
remaining. If the Government does not take care of the environment soon we will
have global problems such as environmental, social, psychological,
economical and health changes. The other
one will be a fertile green earth, with healthy vegetation, more rainforests,
and more animals in more tranquility. It
is easy to imagine the various negatives of our world. However, I am very
optimistic. I know that we humans are going to listen the environmentalists,
and on a day like today, in the year 2050 I will see our beautiful planet
secure. On a good day, I will see all present universal problems solved and a
stable population using natural resources intelligently and protected. I hope
that it will be a beautiful healthy place to live! Things are looking bad right
now. However fortunately more and more people are becoming alert to what is
happening to our earth.
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Natalya Naprejeva This is the year
2050. What might happen in years to people and to the earth if they don’t
change their attitude about nature today? Will be life easier and better or
worse and more difficult? I think we
have to start thinking about it and make our choice today or tomorrow might too
be late. Over 100 years ago, the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius
predicted the possibility of human –caused climate change. Since then, humans
have become more and more dependent on fossil fuels. In fact, the seven warmest
years on record have been since 1990. Carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere
has increased about 30% in less than 300 years. The earth is used to slow
changes. Slow changes give us time to adjust; quick changes may cause chaos. Today there is more carbon dioxide
in our atmosphere than ever before. And if everything stays the same the carbon
dioxide will double by 2050. These changes will enhance the greenhouse effect
and the earth will get warmer. Also there will be an increase in global
temperature by 5 degrees Centigrade. Warmer temperatures will affect people’s
health and nature itself. Increased temperatures will cause the melting of polar
icecaps which will cause the sea and ocean levels to rise. For example, the ice cap on Mount Kilimanjaro
may be gone in twenty years and about 1/3 of Kilimanjaro’s ice field has disappeared
in the last twelve years. The effects of this will be seen in the ocean spread and
in the numbers of flooded areas. Saltwater would affect drinking water and food
because the rising sea level will contaminate wells and lakes from where
drinking water comes. People would be forced to migrate by millions, especially
from some islands. Millions of climate refugees could be created by a sea level
rise in the Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, China, India, Viet Nam, Bangladesh
and Thailand. Warming will also affect plants and animals. Some of normal association
animals and plants would be disrupted.
Birds and insects may die if temperatures gets too warm and plants may
be killed under freezing temperatures. Tropical and subtropical plants will be
dominant in a very warm world. As for people, global warming may mean extra sneezes in
2050. A survey by the Woodland Trust, a U.K. conservation group, says the
climate-changing phenomenon is causing the season of “hay fever” to start
sooner and last longer. These symptoms would affect people’s quality of life.
The humans are conducting the largest experiment in history- to see what will
happen to our health and the health of the planet when we make changes in our
climate. It is a massive change in the Earth’s environment, changing the
atmosphere, a delicate system that has taken billions of years to develop. If people continue to use chemicals that destroy the ozone
layer, they will not able to stay on the beach in 2050 because of the increased
dangerous ultraviolet radiation. More people will have skin cancer and eye diseases
such as cataracts. Since 1960 the world’s population has gone from three
billion to six billion. In the next fifty years it will increase to 9 billion. The
biggest step people would take in 2050 is to make autos go further on a gallon
of gas and drive hybrids, highly efficient cars that would save money and
improve their quality of life. Today our planet is getting hotter. This global warming is
changing our climate and human conditions on the earth. And human activities
are contributing to this warming. How much will happen in the next fifty years depends
on when and how people change their attitude toward nature.
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ESL 91 Spring, 2003 Student Work
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
ESL 91
Spring, 2003
ESL 91
Spring, 2003