Dear future president of the United States,

Earth is the only known planet that is able to sustain life. It allows humans to breathe fresh air and drink fresh water. What do the humans do in return? They contaminate that air and they contaminate that water. Humans are killing the Earth and the environment they were provided with. They are killing the plants and the animals that inhabit the Earth alongside them. They don’t see this, but they are ultimately killing themselves. Pollution is not treated as the colossal problem that is. 

More action needs to be taken to reduce pollution because it is detrimental to life on Earth now, in 2016, and will become much worse in the future.

Presently, humans are contaminating the natural environment, which is causing adverse changes.Rather than protecting the Earth, humans are destroying it. There are numerous types of pollution, but only the primary, most severe forms are going to be addressed in this letter. First of all, air pollution is the most prominent and lethal form of pollution. Did you know that although the United States contains 4% of the human population, it is responsible for about 25% of Earth’s greenhouse gas emissions? Our carbon footprints have a dramatic impact on climate change, the environment, and organisms that inhabit the Earth. Air pollution is caused by the excessive burning of fuel, which is necessary for transportation, cooking, and industrial activities. This pollution is the cause of more than 2 million human deaths annually. About 7 million premature deaths every year are also linked to air pollution. Air pollution is the cause of respiratory diseases and cancer. Furthermore, the release of hazardous gases into the air causes global warming and acid rain. This has increased temperatures, droughts, and erratic rains. The acid rain leaches toxic aluminum from the soil, which stresses and kills fish in lakes and streams. Water pollution is another form of environmental contamination that needs to be addressed. About 1.1 billion people are deprived of water and about 2.5 billion lack sufficient sanitation. Most water becomes polluted because of the discharge of sewage and industrial waste into waterways. This makes life difficult, and even impossible for humans and other organisms. Pesticides are another contributor to water pollution, as they contaminate ground water. All of the damage done to Earth’s water bodies is irreparable and has caused the deaths of millions of marine life. Another huge environmental problem is waste pollution. Most litter ends up in the oceans. This waste accumulates in large patches and washes up onto beaches. The litter distributes toxic chemicals throughout oceans, snags and tears corals, and harms animals if they consume plastic or become entangled in the debris. Obviously, pollution is a huge problem that has already done a lot of damage. Something definitely needs to be done in attempts to solve this problem or at least make it a lot less severe. The sooner, the better. 

If pollution continues to increase at it’s current rate, the future effect will be devastating to the life and the environment on Earth. As pollutant levels increase, so will global warming. Temperatures will rise, the Earth will heat up. This will cause the Arctic to become ice-free. Where are the polar bears going to go? With the glaciers melting, the sea level will rise by several feet. This will increase flooding in many regions. As temperatures rise, more droughts and heat waves will occur. There will also be a reduction of soil moisture, which isn’t good for crops. Moreover, climate change will occur. Hurricanes will become more strong and severe, and there will be changes in precipitation patterns. Pollution will cause more human deaths and illnesses. Humans will be more exposed to toxins as pollutants increase. This will have a negative effect on our country economically. All the illnesses will cause financial strains on insurance companies, government funded health programs, and the citizens themselves. Society will face countless economic hardships due to pollution. Humans will no longer be able to thrive on this planet if pollution continues at its current pace. The future generations will be living on a damaged, contaminated planet. The future generations may not be able to survive on this planet due to all the pollutants in the air. Humans could go extinct. All life on Earth could go extinct.

Some may argue that pollution isn’t a big problem. Some people aren’t affected by pollution as much as others. Pollution may not be that big of a problem now, but it is a problem that is constantly becoming worse and worse. Something needs to be done to save our planet, to save us. There are environmental organizations and there is recycling, but this obviously isn’t enough. For example, only 56% of the trash in the U.S. is put in landfills. About half of the landfill space consists of paper. Simply recycling 1 ton of paper can save 3 cubic feet of space. Clearly, people aren’t recycling enough. Levels of pollutants are still increasing at alarming rates.

A variety of measures need to be taken to save our planet and reduce pollution. Pollution needs to be emphasized more in schools. Students need to be taught more about recycling and the effects pollution will have in the future. They need to know that life on Earth could eventually become extinct. More money needs to be invested in clean, renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and windmills. Factories need to have a limit. Cars need to be replaced with bikes as much as possible. Something needs to change. This is so important because this is the planet humans have inherited. This is the planet that needs to be improved for the future generations. Please, Mr(s). President. Help save the precious Earth. Help save the environment. Help save us.

Sincerely,

Lauren M, a concerned student

Citations:

"A Blanket Around the Earth." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

"Future Effects of Pollution." LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 02 June 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Pollution: Causes and Effects - Conserve Energy Future." Conserve Energy Future. Conserve Energy Future, 05 Nov. 2015. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Pollution Facts & Types of Pollution." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"Pollution." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

"Pollution." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

Society, National Geographic. "Air Pollution Facts, Air Pollution Effects, Air Pollution Solutions, Air Pollution Causes - National Geographic." National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

"The Consequences of Climate Change." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.