A student's view on halting global warming

(The following essay was written by a winner in the Environment New Jersey Earth Day Essay Contest. Entrants were asked to write on "Why We Need to Stop Global Warming," and winners were selected from a pool of 150 submissions from across the state.)

As you solemnly look out your waterfront beach house, you see thousands of dead sea mammals and fish on the rocks' tides. On this winter morning, you see your grandchildren sitting on the porch outside, beads of sweat rolling down their faces. They can't go to your back yard anymore, since all the Atlantic marshes have dried up.

Although forest fires are very rare in the eastern coastal area, they have now become a common occurrence. You sadly tilt your head at the blazing sun and imagine how life would be in the future.

The question of global warming is not a question of whether to take an action or not, it is something we need to address as soon as possible. If we don't act fast, we will not only destroy our ecosystems and plant life, it will possibly lead to the loss of the human race too.

When the time comes for global warming to show its great effects, it would be too late to for us to use our technology or economy to protect the world itself. The continued reliance on nonrenewable resources would eternally damage our earth.

We should stop burning fossil fuels, which is the leading cause of global warming. We should use hybrid cars and rely more on solar or wind power. Better yet, we should conserve energy and do the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

People feel that their lives have improved dramatically since the development of cars; however, they don't recognize the harm caused by the pollution from vehicles. The goal of using less energy will help protect us from global warming, but it can also be a common objective that we can rally around across all the states in this nation. Each of us could take part in the solution for global warming by taking action to conserve and use renewable energy.

With the help of our government, we can establish laws to ensure that everyone is held accountable. Furthermore, our government can promote awareness and encourage action to address global warming throughout the world.

We could spend our time debating the potential effects of global warming, or we could spend our time finding solutions. The future is in our hands.

Christina Chiu

eighth-grade student

Churchill Junior High School

East Brunswick

first-place winner

Environment New Jersey Earth Day Essay Contest