Presidential Letter

By: Jackson Murray

Topic: Pollution

Dear President,

Pollution is a very important problem occurring around the world today, especially in our own backyard. It is the contamination of the earth’s environment with materials that interfere with our health and quality of life, natural functioning of living things and their surroundings. I understand you will be busy with other presidential matters, but don’t lose sight of environmental problems that have affected the world for too long. The amount of pollution in big cities and even small towns can contribute to diseases and ailments like cancer and asthma as well as shorter life expectancy. You have the ability and resources to combat these and other devastating, pollution causing complications. With your help I believe that pollution can be limited, even wiped out with new laws and creative alternatives.

The first step you could take is developing and enforcing anti-pollution laws. Introducing these would greatly reduce the amount of waste that works its way into environments. Our cities are a primary concern due to the congestion of automobiles, factories, and littering. These are just some of many contaminants constantly bombarding the places where we work and live. According to Emily Beach at the website “Livestrong.com,” in the article Health Effects of Poor Air Quality, “Much of the pollution that's affecting our air comes from human activities. It is a result of manufacturing, transportation and a dependence on fossil fuels like gas and coal. Exposure to pollutants like smog, sulfates, nitrates and carbon can have a significant impact on both human health and the health of the earth.” It’s time for us to take responsibility for our actions.

I feel that being president means you should know The United States is one of the top five most polluting countries. Many locations in the U.S. have large amounts of environmental pollutants, causing unbreathable air and undrinkable water. According to The British Broadcasting Corporation at their website “bbc.com,” “some 92% of the population live in places where air pollution exceeds WHO (World Health Organization) limits, which can contribute to lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes.” The amount of people gravely affected is important to know. It is the equivalent to three million people worldwide dying each year. That is a tragic figure that cannot be ignored.

Although many still do not believe pollution is a major issue in America, will you take charge and make the right decision regardless of popular opinion and political parties? If we do not make a positive move now, it may be too late. Studies show the numerous potential problems that could harm the U.S. if renewable energy is not developed. Renewable or alternative energy sources may be the answer. The Union of Concerned Scientists lay out the benefits of renewable energy on their very informative website “ucsusa.org.” “Benefits of renewable energy use include: little to no global warming emissions, improved public health and environmental quality, a vast and inexhaustible energy supply, jobs and other economic benefits, stable energy prices, and a more reliable and resilient energy system.” The way I see it and I believe you will too, these finding suggest our future could be really great. But once again, I must stress, it is important to act now!

In conclusion, I strongly believe that as President of The United States, you should take control of environmental issues concerning pollution. With your example, I believe other leaders will join you and work to make their countries environmentally healthy. If the U.S. is going to maintain it’s status as a world power, you need to prevent health and economic problems caused by pollution and protect our future generations. I believe in you and so do many other Americans.

Sincerely,

Jackson B. Murray