Humans have a tendency to take most opportunities in life for granted. Unless we have faced some severe hardship, we never really realize what we have until it is gone. This, however, cannot be true when it comes to our planet. More specifically, the health of our planet. We grew up on one planet and Earth may be the only planet out there that can sustain human life. And here we are, destroying the only home we have.

We need plants and trees to breathe, yet deforestation is a huge problem. Rain forests with possibly hundreds of undiscovered species are being torn down as these words are being written and read. We are cutting down parts of this planet that we need to survive. How does that make any sense? Homes for countless species are being destroyed on an everyday basis and humans are the only ones to blame. Natural causes can also destroy homes, natural selection is something we cannot control. Our bad habits, however, can be controlled.

The issue of global warming is one that has been avoided and pushed to the side for quite some time. Now we have to take a stand and realize that this problem is a lot bigger than we realized. Soon it will be too late to fix. Recycling bottles and paper is not enough. Although it will help with other causes, we need to do much more than recycle. Habits need to change.

Our constant bad decisions lead to massive holes in our ozone layer which allows stronger sun rays to shine on the poles and melt away the ice. All those species living up north are losing their homes and their lives due to our bad habits. Soon we will lose our homes too. Do you really think the ocean can hold all the water from the ice melting? Do you really think our bodies can handle the sun without protection from the ozone layer?

All the pollution caused by humans is slowly destroying our world. For as long as planet Earth has been around, humans have inhabited this planet for an extremely short amount of time. In this time, we have managed to hurt our planet faster than any other natural cause. From mass extinctions to running out of fresh water to overfishing to deforestation, we are losing our one and only home.

If we were able to see true pictures of our planet, I am sure many of us would be appalled at what we have done. Those pictures of our planet shown on media sites do not accurately represent the state that our planet is in. We have taken advantage of its size, thinking this planet could handle a little bit of pollution here or there or that it is large enough to have enough resources so we can take a little more water out of the stream.

But imagine if every person thought like this. With over seven billion people on this planet, those resources deplete in the blink of an eye.

We cannot take advantage of our planet anymore. We need to realize how much harm we have caused and fix it before it is too late. This planet is the only one we have. It will not be around for much longer if our habits continue on the course they are on. Educate yourselves and realize what needs to happen.

Make a difference. Save planet Earth.