WHAT IS HAPPENING TO EARTH?

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Our planet is dying, and rapidly, at that. But why?As of now, it is estimated by IUCN that there are as little as 26,000 polar bears worldwide. It is believed that by the year 2050, the population of polar bears will decline by 30%. The reason behind their struggles is because of us.One reason our Earth is spiraling into disaster is due to the burning of fossil fuels. Burning fossil fuels releases excessive quantities of greenhouse gases, along with toxic air pollutants, which is why it is the biggest threat to our planet. According to ClientEarth, fossil fuel pollution has ended up in millions of deaths prematurely every year.Greenhouse gas emissions are harmful, seeing as they are essentially a blanket within the atmosphere that traps any excessive solar heat. This causes the global climate system to destabilize through unnatural warming. Greenhouse gas emissions lead to extreme and harsh weather, health concerns, and detrimental effects to ecosystems and agriculture.Greenhouse gasses have also caused thermal expansion and for polar icecaps to melt, resulting in rising sea levels. Once oceans absorb higher amounts of carbon dioxide than necessary, oceans become more acidic, wrecking coral reefs and intervening with the marine food web.Another reason our Earth is dying is because of AI (artificial intelligence). AI requires large data centers because of its heavy computing, to which these data centers use huge amounts of electricity, primarily from fossil fuels, millions of gallons of water in order to cool down their systems, and valuable minerals, causing pollution and electronic waste.The process of building AI infrastructure requires the mining of important minerals like copper, lithium, and silicon, bringing forth ideas like deforestation, habitat loss, and groundwater depletion. The rapid pace of hardware upgrades means specialized chips and outdated servers are being tossed aside, creating hazardous electronic waste.Yet another reason Earth is failing is thanks to not recycling. Not recycling our trash means that important materials end up polluting natural environments or they get dumped into landfills. A lack of recycling also leads to a rise in depletion of resources.Any plastic unrecycled usually winds up in oceans and rivers. These plastics degrade and get ingested by marine life and birds. Manufacturing new goods from raw materials also produces more emissions of greenhouse gases compared to processing recyclable scraps.

COMPANIES TO SUPPORT

It is heavily encouraged to join organizations or volunteer to pick up trash to keep your surroundings free of pollution, spread your findings to friends and family, and donate to companies that are certified non-profits, purpose driven corporate brands, or donating to local environmental initiatives, such as:World Wildlife Fund (WWF): An organization that funds global initiatives to help sustain ecosystems and endangered species
The Nature Conservancy: An organization that directs their funds towards securing clean water, combating climate change, and saving landscapes
Earthjustice: An organization that uses donations to fund a team of lawyers fighting to enforce climate laws and protect wildlife
Cool Earth: An organization that works with indigenous communities to financially back ethical rainforest protection
One Tree Planted: An organization dedicated to global reforestation, planting a tree for each dollar donated
Polar Bears International: The only organization in the world dedicated to conserving wild polar bears and their habitat_{(Each website is linked)}