Charter School of Wilmington

A Web of Wonders

I am a single particle within this vast cosmos, a single particle that is connected to the intricate details of life and beyond. Every breath of mine becomes the wind which tells the tales of ancient Earth. The wind blows soft across the mountain peaks where the eagles nest. The eagle flies, sorrowing through the air only finding it harder to breathe. The air, stamped by years of human labor, kills over seven million birds per year. As the bird falls from mid-flight, it reaches the soil which has been robbed of its riches. The plant that fights to grow from the withering soil is intoxicated with poison, the poison which seamlessly finds its way to the ice blue waters. The fish who live here have become few, and even those who live have become of dull hue as they are strangled by floating plastic. 

I, a single particle within this vast cosmos, am the reason for all of this. I am the reason why the air kills birds, the reason why the soil has become mal-nutritioned, and I am the reason why the poison intoxicates the vast ocean. As humans, we have become dependent on the killers to live our convenient lives. Our energy comes from burning fossil fuels, igniting mother earth and suffocating the air we breathe. We rob the soil of all it is by ridding of the trees that grow there and constructing architecture. We value convenience and easy solutions for our daily obstacles, and, more than often, when valuing convenience, we settle for the environmentally degrading option. 

The earth, which has been exploited for years, is infuriated with rage. We have disrupted its delicate balance, and we must pay the prize. We must understand that one’s miniscule actions become a wave of reactions through the corners of the world. 

I say this as it has become the reality of our world. For instance, in Delaware, a state rich in agriculture, it faces the issue of polluted waterways which continue to kill over 300 thousand fish in the Chesapeake Bay each year. This issue commences from the pesticides we spray upon our plants in the hopes of controlling pest infestation. The runoffs which originate from this, kill marine life. Furthermore, these runoffs hold excess nutrients such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and more which create toxic algae blooms within the Chesapeake and the Delaware River. 

Yet, similar issues are felt globally. Over the past few years, countries in Asia, such as Pakistan have felt the impact of years of environmental mistreatment. With carbon dioxide fueling the air and heating up the world, climate change is of great concern. With severe heat waves, the monsoon, which is usually seen as a period of nature’s growth, has brought heavy rain which floods the streets of Pakistan. These floods aren’t only due to the heavy monsoons, they are also a direct result of the melting of the ice glaciers. On the other hand, the golf of India has been experiencing extreme heat waves which are drying up their lands as they experience less rain; a true display that a miniscule negative action brings waves of negative reactions. 

It doesn’t end there though. Similar to a boomerang, the issues we have created have come back to haunt us as thousands of people die due to the environmental changes we have caused. In 2022, over a thousand Pakistanies died due to the heavy flooding. In India, farmers are finding it harder to create a living as their crops become victims to the droughts. 

It seems we have created a never-ending cycle which has all sprouted from convenience. It would be arduous to break away from utilizing the conventional methods even while knowing it kills our planet and everything within it. This isn’t an issue which can be fixed overnight. The damage has been done, yet this isn’t the end. 

Hope lingers within the air, the soil, and the water. It runs through the cosmic oceans and has given us countless ways in which we can create an impact and pay back for all the destruction we have made on this planet. It will take time and take every little cosmic particle within this world to create the amount of impact we need. We must understand that the reality experienced by those in India and Pakistan could be our reality. We all are connected. It is for this reason that we must unite, and get others to understand that this topic needs more attention. By advocating for change, we allow this issue to be seen by everyone in this world. 

I realized that advocation is the best solution to any issue when my friends and I began a fundraiser for environment reforms. To earn donations, we took the time to speak at community events where we presented the importance of climate change and taught people ways they can change the planet. 

Through these programs I understood how many people cared about the environment and were readily making differences. They, like me, understand that the planet we walk upon and the air we breathe are all connected. We, a bunch of cosmic particles, make up the web that is our life, and it is our duty to take care of it because what goes around comes around.