Close to a final Draft

For many centuries we humans have had an ungrateful relationship with our planet. Ever since the creation of civilizations (a society depended on cities) the earth’s natural resources has been used and then abused. The future demise and the current status of the planet is caused by humans ignoring the ecological sources of their material needs. In other words we choose to ignore the ecological crisis caused by for example the production of our clothing or the pollution caused by automobiles. Our greed and our pleasures are far more favorable then saving the planet even though it would be a small impact. It’s too late to even start making changes because our civilization is too dependent on fossil fuels, animals, and factories. Pro-longing the situation would lead to more damages on the planet’s atmosphere. The demise of mankind will be much greater if the global situation would be pro-longed.
The demise of mankind will be caused partially because humans ignore the global situation. Natural Disasters occur all over the world and preparations before the disasters are ignored. “Hurricane Katrina wreaks catastrophic damage along the US Gulf Coast, leaving 80 percent of New Orleans underwater and causing estimated $125 billion in economic damage.” (Nierenberg 27) News were spread before Katrina that leveys that sorround New Orleans were weak and if a hurricane hits, it will break and cause major flooding.
The ozone layer is an important part of the atmosphere and climate system. It limit’s the amount of UV radiation from the sun entering our planet. A weakened ozone layer melts ice caps, alternating the climate system and also reduces plant growth. “Experts predict that at current levels of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide alone is at 375 parts per million-the earth may warm by as much as five degrees Celsius…sea level rises of as much as 20 feet,” (Ice caps melting faster than forecast at pravada.ru) The ice caps melting, water level rising and especially the holes in our ozone layer are examples of permanent damage to our planet. If our industrial civilization are prolonged our sea levels will be higher and UV radiation will reach the extreme.
Habitat destruction often occurs because of our greed and is another example of irreversible damages made. Animals use these natural habitats as a source to survive. It’s their homes which we are demolishing. “There are many causes of habitat destruction, including logging, mining, oil drilling, and exploiting other natural resources; clearing land for agriculture and cattle ranches; development for residential areas; and roads,” (Destruction of Natural Habitats at national zoo.si.edu) Prolonging this problem will just extinct many animals and kill many plants.
One of the most important necesitie for human survival is food. Most humans are carnivores (meat eaters). Recently a disease called Mad Cow has spread through the meat industry killing cattle and some restaurant customers. “Livestock are also eating each other. Although regulations in the United Kingdom prohibit feeding meat and bone meal to cattle to prevent borine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or mad cow disease) … In the United States, for example, it is still legal to feed beef tallow to cattle. Producers also give cattle cow’s blood, chicken, chicken manure, feather meal, pigs and even saw dust.” (Nierenberg 30) Although we have the knowledge about the infected meat, such companies like Mcdonalds still sell their double quarter pound cheeseburgers. It’s disturbing to hear that cattle are being fed their own kind and chicken manure.
Now a days condominiums are built over destroyed habitats for the pleasure of tourist and visitors. In addition to condominiums, large strip malls are slo built destroying more animal habitats. “The Sign says ’Future Site of Shady Acres Condominiums.’”(Bill 99) Like the story of The Lorax, many of animal habitats are destroyed for human needs. The Onceler chopped down trees to make clothing, so he can be rich. He did not realize the habitats he is destroying not only by cutting the trees but, spilling acid in the river and by polluting the air. In Calvin and Hobbes the forest was destroyed for condos so other humans can rent it. The illustration shows contruction sites and the destruction of the soil.
The fish population is drastically decreasing due to fisher men. Food is important in a civilation especially if it can feed many. Fish is especially popular to coastal civilizations. “In the oceans, too, fish populations will gradually recover from drastic over fishing. The last time fishing more or less stopped - during the second world war, when few fishing vessels ventured far frompart cod populations in the North Sea skyrocketed. Today, however, populations of cod and other economically important fish have slumped much further thatn they did in the 1930’s, and recovery may take significantly longer than five or so years.” (Bob Holmes 3) The fish has been the most important food resource since the dawn of civilizations. If surveyed, approximately 90% of the people would believe that there are an infinite amount of fishes in the ocean. The way fish is gathered, the fish population would drastically decrease.
The ecological status of our planet and or other species don’t seem to matter once we humans fufil our materialistic needs. Either through food and condos, we humans don’t seem to realize the effects of our decisions. It won’t be long until uncontrollable natural disasters occur due to alternated weather patterns or there won’t be anymore natural resources to benefit off.
five or so years.” (Bob Holmes 3) The fish has been the most important food resource since the dawn of civilizations. If surveyed, approximately 90% of the people would believe that there are an infinite amount of fishes in the ocean. The way fish is gathered, the fish population would drastically decrease.

The ecological status of our planet and or other species don’t seem to matter once we humans fufil our materialistic needs. Either through food and condos, we humans don’t seem to realize the effects of our decisions. It won’t be long until uncontrollable natural disasters occur due to alternated weather patterns or there won’t be anymore natural resources to benefit off.

Humans seem to fill their closets with clothes over clothes. Following trends that last a couple months. Technology will not stop improving and so won‘t clothing. The more types or clothing the more machinery work and the more fuels used. Fuels to make the clothing and fuels to transport the clothing to other countries. “As technologies change, so will clothing. Many people, including futurologists have extrapolated current trends and made the following predictions:
Man-made fibers such as nylon, polyester, terylene, terycot, lycra, and Gore-Tex already account for much of the clothing market. Many more types of fibers will certainly be developed, possibly using nanotechnology. For example, military uniforms may stiffen when hit by bullets, filter out poisonous chemicals, and treat wounds.
"Smart" clothing will incorporate electronics. Clothing may incorporate wearable computers, flexible wearable displays (possibly leading to fully animated clothing and some forms of invisibility cloaks), medical sensors, etc.
Present-day ready-to-wear technologies will presumably give way to computer-aided custom manufacturing. Low power laser beams will measure the customer; computers will draw up a custom pattern and execute it in the customer's choice of cloth as well as choice of desirable fit.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clothing) Clothing seems to be one of the major factors of surviving especially to people who live in exteme climates. Since history started clothing has been used for protection and in present times clothing is just a fashion statement. Image is what people judge themselves with and with better clothing, the better they think people will see them as. But those are ignorant to see where those shirts or pants are made and how it was exported to the shops. Tags explain where it originates but tags don’t describe the amount of energy used to ship it and make it.

Agricultural Machines are used to harvest many crops. Farmers use these well upgraded machines to save their own energy and it‘ also a fact that production is 10 times faster. It‘s also true that these machines consume fossil fuel. “The basic technology of agricultural machines has changed little in the last century. Though modern harvesters and planters may do a better job or be slightly tweaked from their predecessors, the US$250,000 combine of today still cuts, threshes, and separates grain in essentially the same way it has always been done. However, technology is changing the way that humans operate the machines, as computer monitoring systems, GPS locators, and self-steer programs allow the most advanced tractors and implements to be more precise and less wasteful in the use of fuel, seed, or fertilizer. In the foreseeable future, some agricultural machines will be capable of driving themselves, using GPS maps and electronic sensors. Even more esoteric are the new areas of nanotechnology and genetic engineering, where submicroscopic devices and biological processes, respectively, are being used as machines to perform agricultural tasks in unusual new ways. Agriculture may be one of the oldest professions, but the development and use of machinery has made the job title of farmer a rarity. Instead of every person having to work to provide food for themselves, less than 2% of the U.S. population today works in agriculture, yet that 2% provides considerably more food than the other 98% can eat. It is estimated that at the turn of the 20th century, one farmer in the U.S. could feed 25 people, where today, that ratio is 1:130 (in a modern grain farm, a single farmer can produce cereal to feed over a thousand people). With continuing advances in agricultural machinery, the role of the farmer will become increasingly specialized, and rare.” (wikipedia,Agricultural_machinery) It’s obvious that machines and technology will drastically advance and will make manuel labor obsolete but, these machines will also depend on fuel. Currently agricultural machines used often destroyes the soil as it puts pressure on it. Agricultural production would be more productive with newly advanced machines but, more fuels will be consumed and soil will be destroyed more. But, the agricultural world especially in the US will ignore that situation and will continue with machines and the use of fossil fuels. If production is more efficient then saving the soil and our ecosphere will be ignored.



It’s significant to begin new lives. Lives based on a better relationship with the earth, a life that will follow a continous circle which the earth would be comfortable with. Humans have to “stop and smell the roses”, that is if there are any left. It’s time to put and end to an indutrial civilization that’s relied on fossil fuels and the destruction of our land. Greed and Selfishness will get us anywhere on the long run and will only laminate human extinction.

Citations

1) Nierenberg,Danielle.(ed)State of the world 2006.worldwatch institute.Norton,new york.2006

2) “Ice Caps melting faster than forecast” pravada.ru

3) “Destruction of Natural Habitats” zoo.si.edu

4) Watterson, Bill. “Calvin and Hobbes”

5) “Clothing” winkipedia.org

6)”Agricultural Machines” winkipedia.org

Opposing quote

"U.S. Geological Survey states how the earth endowed over 3.3 trillion barrels of conventional recoverable oil."

"Since the dawn of human histor, we have used a total of about one trillion barels of oil."

Exxon Mobile Article