Эссе Анастасии Кисляковой на международном конкурсе
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Title: Local impact on a global issue
Topic: How can climate change be controlled?
Author: Анастасия Кислякова
School: School № 1
Level: Less advanced
It is not a secret that the earth - our Global village - is confronted with a lot of problems. Among the most vital ones I can name but a few-freshwater shortage, poverty, global economic crisis, terrorism, drug traffic, spread of mortal diseases, a bunch of environmental issues. For me it is obvious that the problem that needs immediate action is the problem of global warming. I would like to tackle this issue as I am sure it is of everyone’s concern - the dangerous consequences are too serious to be neglected or underestimated.
What is climate change and is global warming really dangerous? The scientists and recent researches give a definite answer and their predictions are alarming. If man goes on polluting the atmosphere with excessive carbon dioxide - the main greenhouse gas - it will be difficult to preserve the ecological balance and to stop global warming. On the other hand, every year over 100000 square kilometers of forests - the lungs of our planet - are cut down for different uses. It's alarming as forests help to control the world’s weather, and to take carbon dioxide from the air. Deforestation means there are fewer trees and more greenhouse gas in the atmosphere!The consequences of climate change are awful - global warming may cause the rise of sea level (due to melting of ice-caps) and flooding of huge populated areas while some areas will be suffering from intense droughts, climatic conditions will change so dramatically that people and animals will have to change their behaviour and habits in response to new reality. A lot of animals and plants will die out being unable to quickly get used to these changes.Certainly there are a lot of factors contributing to climate change and global warming - air pollution in all its forms, burning things, deforestation, volcano eruptions, solar activity. Some of the factors are difficult to influence or reduce but human factor connected with air pollution can be controlled. Ecological balance is crucial for man’s survival and much depends on our ability to make conclusions and take immediate actions.But if the problem of global warming is difficult to solve, can an ordinary person make a real difference in the world? I think the answer will be affirmative if everyone starts with himself. Why not work out a set of simple rules and follow them on a day to day basis? The "green code” I come up with is simple but very efficient. Here are my top ten efforts that a common man could do to decrease the global warming impact. Firstly, remember to turn off lights and appliances which are not being used at the moment to save energy. The less energy the family uses- the less oil or gas will be burnt. Secondly, walk or ride a bike whenever possible instead of using transport. For example, my family goes to the country- cottage by bikes in summer. We go green! Fewer cars on the roads mean less fumes of carbon dioxide. Then it is a good point to use both sides of a sheet of paper to reduce paper waste. Everyone can save trees this way. Fourthly, don’t use your stove to heat your apartment. It is better to seal windows for winter instead. Energy conservation is the key point here. Moreover, it is advisable to use food wastes from the kitchen to make compost for the garden. We have a compost pit in the country- cottage and in the granny’s village. Another effective point is to take a shower instead of a bath and to turn off water when you brush your teeth. You can’t imagine how much drinkable water is wasted this way! One more good thing is to separate waste for recycling- some things are easy to recycle; others will take up a lot of energy. Personally I always reuse plastic bags as I know that it takes about 2 years for cellophane to get bio-recycled in the soil. My last advice can sound funny, but never open the refrigerator just to see what there is to eat.
I know - every little counts if you want to make a positive impact and contribute to a good cause! Start with yourself and make you local impact on a global issue.