Feb 5

Our Planet

Imagine if money grew on trees. We would do whatever we could to protect them and plant as many as possible. Unfortunately, money doesn’t grow on trees, but oxygen does. And yet, we cut down 41 million of them each day. That’s the same as a forest the size of 20,000 football fields being cut down every day.

Now imagine if the oceans were filled with wine. We would keep them as clean as possible. We definitely wouldn’t be dumping over 22,000 tons of plastic into them every day, right?

If we continue to mistreat the planet and its ecosystems, by the year 2030, we will have caused irreversible harm. Global temperatures will have increased by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), which is enough to cause the Greenland ice sheet to melt, rainforests to collapse, sea levels to rise, heatwaves, typhoons, and mass extinctions.

The ocean produces, on average, 70% of the Earth’s oxygen from photosynthesizing algae alone. Dumping plastic into the ocean, among other harmful actions, creates what are called dead zones. These are patches of water covered entirely by plastic and debris, which prevent microorganisms such as algae from photosynthesizing and creating oxygen.

Additionally, keeping glaciers and ice sheets intact is essential to our survival on this planet. They reflect heat from the sun, regulate sea levels, and trap carbon dioxide. Without them, the Earth would heat up at an uncontrollable rate, sea levels would rise, and the air would slowly become toxic. Another factor to consider is that when glaciers formed millions of years ago, they also trapped diseases and microorganisms that have been dormant for centuries. If the glaciers are allowed to melt, these microorganisms and pathogens will be released back into the environment, becoming hostile and posing an incredible threat to us and other species.

Forests and trees play an incredible role in our ecosystem. Not only do they fertilize the soil we plant our food in, but they are also home to a multitude of species. Yet we cut down approximately 41 million trees per day and plant back about 5 million. But what would happen if we cut down all the trees? Within the first day, oxygen levels would drop to a dangerous degree. Ecosystems would collapse, and species such as bears, wolves, and birds who rely on trees would face rapid extinction. In a month, we would see an increased amount of flooding, a massive temperature spike, and soil degradation, which would eventually lead to food shortages.

Together, the ocean and forests of our planet produce about 98% of the oxygen that we breathe. So why are we so focused on political disputes, mass production, and drilling for oil when we should instead be focusing on saving the planet that we have called home for over three hundred thousand years?

- Max Miao 2024