Student Article High School Science Journal Author: Alex Nizhnikov

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August 05, 2007

Earth, our most invaluable resource, is being put under siege by humanity’s
incessant desire for material goods. . Science and technology have exhausted
the basic necessity to provide our species with adequate nutrition daily,
but the human drive to survive will slow down and  reverse the effects
previously thought irreparable. With careful planning, humans can give the
earth a fighting chance to battle serious environmental issues.
       The advent of the Industrial Revolution at the beginning of the 20th
century yielded some of the most unsanitary and polluted chemicals ever seen
on the face of the earth. As a result of this, many unintended consequences
have risen. Due to global warming, hurricanes, tornadoes, and weather
patterns in general have become more intense and more frequent. This in turn
leads to environmental degradation of the planet. Ecosystems all around the
world are being subjected to unnatural cycles of change. All of these side
effects relate back to sustainability and how humans must practice acquiring
a sustainable supply of resources for an indefinite amount of time without
decreasing that resource. Sustainability is the most important reason
regarding living conditions among humans. Though humans have the technology
to make life more comfortable, if it is not practiced in a safe, manageable
way, the earth will waste away.
       All hope should not be lost, however. The positive things that technology
and science have created will outweigh the negative someday. Medicines that
fight cancer and anthrax are being created in laboratories. Scientists use
the same grammar rules that an English teacher would use to create these new
bacteria-fighters. Genetically-modified foods that have a higher crop
production are being introduced into all parts of the world. These plants
require less water and space to produce the same yield that organic plants
would. Advances in improving human health has led to a higher life
expectancy and a lower infant mortality in countries.
       Science and technology have shown the direction that the earth needs to go
in. By implementing science and technology, human suffering could end one
day. Agricultural productivity increases in areas that had become too saline
such as the Sahara Desert.  Contaminated places like Moab, Utah with its
radioactive mines or in New Orleans, Louisiana where flooding after
Hurricane Katrina devastated the area. Mass transit moves people around town
more efficiently while using biodiesel to cut down on toxic emissions to the
environment.  Detrimental inventions such as the automobile that use fossil
fuels to power the way people live are now being redesigned for more
efficient methods of getting around places.  Biodiesel is the most prominent
candidate to take over regular gasoline within the next decade or so.
Although, machines that have been proven to run purely on water have been
created, they still require time before they can be mass produced.
       The human mind is far too smart for its own good. Constant ways of
producing harm to the human body are created naturally or in a laboratory.
The human mind is built to adapt and what once was thought to be an
invulnerable obstacle such as HIV/AIDS, there is now treatment to help slow
the growth of the virus. Human innovation will come up with a cure for the
pollution in the world as well as inside themselves.  It is up to those
bold, daring, and creative enough to think outside the normal parameters of
what was once thought impossible.
A new and radical way of waste management could be hidden within the power
of the tiny carbon nano-tube. The proposed idea is that carbon nano-tubes
can be used to create an elevator into space. While the technology is still
in its infancy, once the ability to create a machine that can continually
add layer upon layer of nano-tubing, attaching containers of waste could
easily jettison the refuse into space. Biological waste, however, can be
thrown into a compost heap and decomposed. The resulting compost can be used
for agriculture or landscaping purposes. Living in a world so vastly
polluted with chemicals, humans have found themselves more vulnerable to
more and more diseases.
       Disease has always existed side-by-side with humanity but new chemical
agents that can produce a myriad of health problems is an issue.  One of the
more recent discoveries in helping battle drug-resistant bacteria is using a
type of bacteria-fighter called antimicrobial peptides. The way scientists
use these peptides is the same way a writer would using grammar. By using
grammar rules, scientists have defeated a plethora of bacteria including
anthrax. Once a vaccine for a drug has been developed the bacteria can
mutate itself into a more powerful and resistant version of what it once
was. These peptides can be “rewritten” ad infinitum to fight any mutation of
a disease.  New discoveries such as the antimicrobial peptides help ensure
that the risk for humans is reduced vastly.
       The human mind is far too smart for its own good. Constant ways of
producing harm to the human body are created naturally or in a laboratory.
The human mind is built to adapt and what once was thought to be an
invulnerable obstacle such as HIV/AIDS, there is now treatment to help slow
the growth of the virus. Human innovation will come up with a cure for the
pollution in the world as well as inside themselves.  It is up to those
bold, daring, and creative enough to think outside the normal parameters of
what was once thought impossible.

 
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