Wellness Journalism: Critically Impacted

Treat your environment the way you would want to be treated.

Let none of us remain ignorant to the impact of the environment on human beings, nor the impact of human beings on the environment. We can no longer afford it.

Everything we do is done in the environment, and everything we do has an impact on the environment. We have changed the face of the planet, people. We have carved the terrain and molded it to our liking, and disliking. We have polluted our air and our oceans, run entire animal species into extinction, and even altered the climate.

Our lifestyle requires the burning of fossil fuels (non-renewable resources that alter our atmosphere) to produce energy. Out of the many causes of global warming, climate science writer Derek Markham describes the top three:

• Methane emissions
• Releases of carbon dioxide from both fossil fuel burning power plants and transportation
• Deforestation

Methane is naturally released when we alter the earth’s surface. Needless to say, we are famous for this type of altercation: coal mining, agriculture, landfills, construction. The increased population in recent decades has caused a spike in methane released into the air.

Starting about ten years after the industrial revolution, measurements of carbon dioxide percentages in the earth’s atmosphere began to rise exponentially. With our fancy factories and classy cars, we add more energy to our environment in the form of increased greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide emissions. The rise in human use of electricity and other energy consuming power sources has a direct correlation to the rise in carbon dioxide levels.

Deforestation is another cause of increasing carbon dioxide concentrations. Trees are important because they decrease the amount of carbon dioxide and increase the amount of oxygen in the air through the brilliance of photosynthesis. In sharp contrast, our ignorance has caused the number of trees throughout the world to plummet in the past few hundred years. Whether for paper, lumber, or clearing land in general, we have been cutting down the trees. As a result, the pollution we generate from factories and power plants has an even greater affect on the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

As methane and carbon dioxide in our atmosphere increase, so do the temperature and toxicity on the planet. We are really stepping on our own feet in a tragic, very pathetic sort of way.

The world is wide, but it is made up of individual inches—of which you impact many. Stand up! What you do or don’t do to contribute to your environment makes a critical difference. In spite of the fact that human activity on earth has taken on parasitic proportions, we are designed to have a symbiotic relationship…we are meant to honor and care for each other. It is not too late. Reduce your carbon footprint, and take steps to leave a positive impression on the planet! This month's LiveWell blogs will help.

Wellness to the rescue...