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By Noona Oh
Opinions Editor
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The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, "Nothing is permanent except change."
In many aspects of life, change can be a positive sign of advancement and the passage of
time. Even nature cannot achieve permanence and is forever changing. However, humans
have caused many of today's changes in nature, and earth's ecological systems have continuously been showing signs of stress and disruption of their natural balance.
One of the most impending concerns today is the issue with one of the essential
elements of life: water. Water shortages and excessive drought have plagued many regions throughout the world.
Georgia's most apparent signs of droughts during the summer have been the dipping levels of bodies of water and the water restrictions placed on general use and landscaping.
With the state tightening its grip on the water flow of the Chattahoochee River, which provides much of our drinking water, Georgia is left butting heads with
neighboring southern states which share the same source.
In another water phenomenon, huge icebergs, some with sizes comparable to
Massachusetts and Connecticut, have continued to fracture off the Ross Ice Shelf of Antarctica. Many scientists worry that ice caps of both North and
South Poles are melting rapidly due to global warming. They theorize that if Antarctica, which holds 75 percent of earth's freshwater, melts it will raise sea
levels 200 feet above the current level, flooding coastal cities and states.
However, Antarctica has been melting for decades but sea levels have stayed at a
steady level. It is an undeniable fact that people need water to survive and live. Everyday,
each person consumes over 100 gallons of water to bathe, to drink, to wash, etc. and developing countries are struggling to maintain a dependable source of water. As
populations are booming with development, countries are building dams to preserve the freshwater supply and keep it landlocked.
Currently, China is constructing one of the world's largest dams, the massive Three
Gorges Dam, blocking off the flow of the Yangtze River into the East China Sea.
Scientists predict that as a result the East China Sea's temperature will increase over the years.
Oceans need a constant flow of water from rivers to provide a balance to the ratio of
freshwater and nutrients. As more and more dams are built the freshwater supply is not
replenished causing a gradual warming. Nature has a way to balance everything and make
it possible for life to exist and continue. Since freshwater is not cooling down the tepid oceans, Antarctica is melting to achieve equilibrium.
The melting of Antarctica is not a great life-threatening dilemma itself. However, it is a
sign for the need for change as populations and the demand for resources increase. We
need to be frugal when considering human necessities. It is important not to squander food, to conserve water and forests and develop technology for alternative energy
methods.
Hydrogen and solar power are the most promising sources of energy for the future.
However, our technology is not advanced enough to adequately utilize them. Hydrogen power is just in its early stages of development, and solar power requires a huge surface
area of panels to intake only a small amount of energy. America also consumes too much
wood to build houses and apartments and paper products. We could substitute steel and
concrete which last longer, are sturdier and create fewer problems with termites in place of lumber.
As the world's population has brimmed to a staggering six billion and counting,
humanity's goals should be for now and the future to work toward efficiency. By doing so,
we benefit in the long term and ensure better lives for ourselves by avoiding preventable natural disasters. |
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