In a recent TedX conference I had the opportunity to attend, Sam Van Leer, a conservationist, explained how our actions would ultimately have long-term effects on the global environment for generations to come.

We always hear people stressing about how our environment is going through severe climate changes due to our steadily increasing carbon dioxide emissions, but we tend to ignore this, choosing instead to live unburdened by such inconvenient knowledge.  As I began to think about the implications climate change had on the city of Miami, a place that we call home, I realized the severity of the issue.

As I observed the actions of my peers, I began to understand how our lack of initiative is destroying the Earth. I walk around school and I see recycling bins empty, but trash bins full of paper and other recyclable material. There are various community service projects to help clean our environment specifically our Florida beaches, but students continually ignore these opportunities.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), recently released assessments on the progression of global climate changes. According to an article on the United Nations Environmental Programme online news center, carbon dioxide and greenhouse emissions have increased greatly in the past decade.

Upon reading this article, I contend that it is vital to become aware of the implications of our actions. It is evident that all though there are a few individuals who seek to better the environment, I believe more people need to take part in this effort and not take our resources for granted.  As a community, that would be directly affected by the consequences of global warming and sea level rise, we need to take an active approach to this predicament that is going to plague our descendants for generations to come.

Although our modern day society has many problems, the environment is definitely becoming a more important priority due to the fact that we are not paying as much attention to it. Environmental degradation is consistently accelerating; this matter evidently requires the world’s full attention if crises are to be averted. We must turn our focus away from superficial matters so that we can concentrate on raising more awareness for our city and ultimately our planet.