By Gianni Risper
Natural disasters are plaguing the Earth we live on. The way we are mistreating our planet has to stop. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, monsoons and 60-degree winters are just the first signs of what could be the end of the world.
For eons we have stripped our planet’s resources and as time passes we get better at it. And this is only part of the problem. Our world revolves around transportation and for a while now we have been using fossil fuels to connect a world of over 7 billion. Oil reserves have been a point of concern for people and countries alike. Wars have been fought over oil, one of the Earth’s most precious resources. Empires have been built around it and people will go to any lengths to get it for themselves.
While the growing demand for oil continues, the price of the oil increases and the oil reserves continue to deplete, causing the rush for scientists to create alternate fuel opportunities. But this causes problems as well.
Ethanol, an alternative fuel source made from corn has been becoming increasingly more popular causing farmers to plant more corn. In my opinion, farmers should be making use of all of the available farmland anyway. What is happening is the corn that should be going to make food products are now going to make ethanol. To cover the expense, the price of corn has risen, as our government gives farmers money to explore ways to make the food product into energy.
As a result, the price of food has gone up, as well as other staples, which we depend on for survival. This increases the prices of food, which causes inflation. This was the scenario before the end of World War I. Farmers had to feed the soldiers so they over planted to keep up with the demand. When the war ended the farmers had all this extra product so they went bankrupt after the world price for staples went down. This was the first catalyst of the Great Depression.
The best source of energy I can see is the use of electricity to power the things which we use to rely on fossil fuels. We have been able to harness electricity from water, lightning, and other means. It has no polluting side effects and it seems that the world sees it as an eco-friendly safe way to power our survival. It would be for the greater good if we all took steps to cut back on pollutants.
We need to evaluate what we are doing to the world we depend on for survival. We exist hand in hand with Mother Nature.
Gianni Risper is a 15 year old student at Eastern High School.