Essays *collection*

[~ A7lA DoNiA ~]

Describe a major environmental problem and what you believe should be done about it.



A major environmental problem, the magnitude of which we are just beginning to realize, is global warming.

When people say that the winters aren't as cold as they used to be, or that there was definitely more snow

in past years, they are correct. In addition to these personal testimonials, there is concrete visual

evidence of global warming. Most noticeable is the depletion of the ice caps. In recent years, glaciers

have been receding in greater amounts than in former years. One only has to visit a national park where

this recession is marked with signs indicating where the glacier reached in a particular year. The visitor

can see how much further away from a particular spot the ice is at the present moment.

When the ice caps, made of fresh water, melt, they change the salinity of the oceans, change the

currents, and change the conditions for survival for myriad species. Additionally, invasive species might

move in, affecting the entire ecosystem. This has a domino effect, as all species are interdependent and

survive according to predictable sources of food and living conditions. A specific example recently

described on an environmental calendar told of the effect of global warming on polar bears. The bears

cannot go out on the melted ice, which is how they get their food. This causes them to lose body fat and

even to be unable to give birth to cubs.

Global warming causes flooding, and because the warming of the earth causes dryness, fires increase.

When speaking of the causes of global warming, some experts say that ice ages followed by warming

have been cyclical throughout the eons and that there is not much that can be done about it. However,

most scientists believe that the actions of humans have speeded up this process. They blame the

increased burning of wood and fossil fuels-oil and coal-on an increasing population needing heat for

warmth and cooking. More energy consumption places carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the

atmosphere. Warm air trapped around the earth has been deemed the greenhouse effect.

While we cannot stop the naturally occurring climate changes, we can try to mitigate the rapid warming by

reducing our use of fossil fuels. Much publicity has been given to the love that Americans have for sports

utility vehicles which burn an inordinate amount of fuel and which are not required for the kind of ordinary

driving done by most owners. There are numerous additional ways in which we can reduce our

dependence on these fuels, ranging from insulating our homes, to lowering the thermostat in winter, and

raising it when we use air conditioning. Perhaps researchers can develop alternate sources of energy.

Presently an automobile is being developed that uses gas initially and then automatically switches to

electricity. Theoretically, this car will be able to run for fifty miles on one gallon of gasoline. Additionally, we

can support the scientific study of the effects of global warming. Perhaps we can predict such things as

where floods will occur or where crops will have difficulty surviving and take steps to overcome these

problems.

One thing is certain. Global warming is a serious environmental problem with ramifications that affect

almost every aspect of life.

[~ A7lA DoNiA ~]

Describe how communication has changed in the last twenty years.



Who could have predicted twenty years ago that communication would change as radically as it has?

Today, communication is instantaneous. No longer do we have to use a pen, pencil, or typewriter to write

a letter. No longer do we have to use a postal service to mail it. No longer do we have to wait for a

response that takes several days. Nor do we have to stay near a telephone or search for a public phone

while traveling. Things have speeded up exponentially.

In the last twenty years we have benefited from tremendous changes in telecommunication. The relatively

simple change to portable phones enabled us to roam around the house while chatting, not limited by the

length of the cord that attaches the receiver to the base of the telephone. Then came the beeper, allowing

us to get a message when away from a telephone. Now, of course, there is the ubiquitous cell phone.

Watch the crowds walking along a sidewalk, and you can't help noticing people purposefully striding along

while talking on their cell phones.

What if we must write a message? We now have e-mail. We send these messages immediately after

typing them on the computer keyboard and never have to go to the Post Office. No more ،°snail mail.،±

Perhaps we have a written copy that must be sent but cannot be conveniently sent via the computer.

Simply dial a phone number, push a few buttons, send a FAX. The copy is transmitted to the receiver at

once. The ability to telecommute is almost like handing the copy to the recipient. What a difference twenty

years has made. Just as most of us could not imagine the speed and ease of communication in the

twenty-first century, we probably cannot anticipate the changes that will occur in the next twenty years.

Perhaps we will be able to send instant messages simply by thinking about them, from one brain to the

brain of the intended recipient

[~ A7lA DoNiA ~]

Is reading fiction a waste of time? Why or why not? Explain your answer using specific reasons and

examples to support your position.



Remember the last book that captured your imagination, that transported you to another place and time?

Remember a book that made you fall in love with its characters, made you feel their pain and joy?

Remember a story that taught you an important lesson, that helped you better understand others, make

sense of the human condition? If so, then you can understand why the question, "Is reading fiction a waste

of time?" is such a silly question.

Fiction, unlike a user manual, a magazine article, or newspaper editorial, probably won't offer you any

practical knowledge that you can put to immediate use. It won't inform you of current events or give you

advice on how to cultivate a better garden. It probably won't help you decide which candidate to vote for or

which product to buy. But that certainly doesn't mean it's useless or impractical. Indeed, fiction serves

three important functions for human beings: It helps us be more compassionate to others, it helps us better

understand ourselves, and it cultivates our imaginations. It can also teach us about history, psychology,

even biology and other sciences.

Compassion for others is rooted in understanding and acceptance, and a good story brings us into the

inner world of its characters so that we can understand them. In Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye, for

example, Morrison peels away the layers of her characters' histories piece by piece like an onion until we

see into their core and understand what drives them. They may still do awful things to each other, but she

shows us why they do the things that they do, and we learn that we shouldn't judge others until we

understand their pasts. Their stories are sad and painful, and we learn to love even the outcast Pecola. In

fact, we learn that those outcasts are the ones who need our love the most.

Many stories and novels also help us better understand ourselves. Joseph Conrad's dark and powerful

novel Heart of Darkness helps us see that all of us have a dark side, and that we need to acknowledge

this dark side in order to control it. It makes us question just how civilized we are and indeed what it means

to be civilized in the first place.

Good fiction also cultivates our imagination, which is more important to us than some might think. Without

imagination, we live a sad, empty life. Imagination is central to our emotional health and is a key factor in

our level of intelligence. Facts are one thing; but facts can be of no real use unless coupled with

imagination. Fiction can help us by keeping our imagination fresh and active. In a story like Franz Kafka's

"Metamorphosis," for example, we are asked to imagine that Gregor, the main character, wakes up one

morning and has turned into a giant bug. Crazy? Perhaps. But once we accept this premise and imagine

Gregor as a five-foot long cockroach, we can feel his family's horror and imagine his agony as he finds

himself trapped in his room and abandoned by those he loves.

Is reading fiction a waste of time? That's like asking if laughing is a waste of time. We don't need fiction to

survive, but we do need it to be kinder, more understanding, and more creative human beings.