In today’s lesson, we’ll focus on
several major global problems.
One critical issue is preserving and protecting
the environment. The burning of fossil fuels (oil,
coal, and natural gas) produces greenhouse gases (gases
that heat up the atmosphere) that deplete the ozone
layer and result in global warming and climate
change (changes in the earth’s temperature and weather patterns).
Some scientists believe that we have
already done irreparable damage to the planet, and now we are
suffering the consequences of rising sea levels and
increasingly frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes,
hurricanes, and tornados. A number of animal species have
gone extinct, and many more are endangered.
To reverse this trend, we must
invest in clean energy (energy sources that do not pollute
the environment) with renewable resources (elements
like water and air, which can be re-used) and utilize manufacturing
methods that are not harmful to the environment.
There are still many regions of the
world where children die of hunger/starvation (die from not
having enough food). Unfortunately, extreme poverty is
common in the rural areas of developing countries, where the
population often suffers from food shortages (not enough
food) and lack of access to clean water.
In the cities, homeless
people sleep on the streets if there is not enough room in local homeless
shelters. There are also many families on the margins of
society (outside the dominant society and culture) who
are living below the poverty line and struggle to
make ends meet every month.
Although many governments
create welfare programs (programs that give money to
poor people) to alleviate poverty, the widening gap between
rich and poor suggests that poverty may never be completely eradicated.
Poverty and underdevelopment
contribute to a host of additional problems as well. For example, many people
die of preventable diseases because they have no access the safe
and effective vaccines that exist. A number of large corporations
use child labor in the manufacturing of their products, as
poor families may feel they have no other option for survival.
In addition, young women from disadvantaged
backgrounds (poor families and situations) are prime
targets for human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
