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Earth’s Lungs This work has been published in the Teen Ink monthly print magazine.


     Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple or more direct than does Nature, because in her inventions, nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous.” The Earth is the dwelling place of all beings. It is the safe haven that sprouts life. Earth and its environment are tangible and visible. Why is it then that humanity strives to discover and comprehend the obscurities but denies a certain level of maintenance to the world?

Habitat destruction is often overlooked because like most things, people do not realize something is going on unless it is right in front of them. Do not expect people to grasp the issue of our environment’s destruction because it is literally global in scale - it’s too big to see the entire problem at a glance.

Every second we lose a piece of the rainforest the size of two football fields to logging, mining, or farming. Giant machines are used to gather a few large trees, wreaking devastation to the surrounding land. The Amazon rainforest not only supplies earth with 50 percent of its oxygen, but is also home to half the world’s plants and animals. It’s been estimated that 9,000 species are becoming extinct each year, creating the largest mass extinction since the end of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

The rainforest is a lush tropic full of mysteries waiting to be solved. Scientists have begun to discover some of its secrets, and oh, the possibilities! The vine Aucistrocladus koropensis is effective in treating AIDS, and. that is just one plant out of millions. The rainforest could contain cures for some of the deadliest diseases today, but how will we find these beneficial plants if they are obliterated?

Henry David Thoreau said, “Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.” It is crucial that humanity evaluate the relationship of society and the environment. With unity, perseverance, and strength, we can save the Earth’s lungs from the catastrophic machines of nature.


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