Question Week 2

1. I believe the most important environmental problem in the world is the desctruction of habitats and nature. Plants especially play a huge role in the renewing cycles that take place on earth. Plants are responsible for converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, which the animal kingdom depends on for life. Plants also take harmful molecules out of the air where they can cause damage to the atmosphere or the beings that breathe them in, and place these molecules in a cycle where they are not harmful but rather beneficial. As more and more plant life is destroyed, the important cycles of life begin to break down and can not meet the depend placed on them. In additon, destruction of habitat forces animals from their homes and into communities of people where they cause problems. People then go on the offensive against these "invasive" animals and end up completely eliminating them from the area. We need better protection for the open space that remains in order to sustain the earth and its natural cycles.

2. Living in an "environmentally friendly" way means living a life in which one conciously tries to limit one's negative impact on the environment. This can include recycling more, consuming less electricity, buying energy efficient products, or walking or cycling instead of driving a car. In order to have the greatest impact on the environment these steps should be taken by everyone; however, it is not moral to try to convince others to change their lives to help the environment if you do not make the same changes. It is more important to do the change yourself than to try to convince others to do the same as you can only control the actions of one person (yourself) and people are more likely to listen to example than speech. "Be the change you wish to see in the world" is a quote everyone who wants to live an "environmentally friendly" life should live by.