Global Climate Change

          This winter, the weather has been insanely unpredictable. One day, it’s freezing outside with -30^oC ice storms, the next day it’s a nice 4^oC outside, and the snow is melting. These erratic patterns of weather are one of many signs of global climate change. Scientists all over the world have proven that the temperature of our planet, for the most part, is increasing slowly but surely. The temperature may not be increasing by much, but even the slightest change is significant to our planet. For example, it only takes a 5^oC decrease in global temperature to cause an ice age.

            For some reason, there are still some naysayers out there who don’t believe that global warming is happening. The evidence, however, is right in front of our noses. Take the example highlighted in the article “Warmer seas ‘are making fish smaller'”. This article explains how, due to global climate change, many different species of fish are not growing to be as large as they used to. The people who deny global climate change say this is because of the availability of food, and also the increase in fishing. However, when looking at it logically, the variety of species affected are not all from the same habitat, meaning they don’t all consume the same food source and are not all fished equally. The only thing they have in common is the increased temperature of the water they live in.

            There is a specific reason why people aren’t quick to believe global climate change; it’s because we are to blame. Human activities make up for a lot of the increased global temperature. Deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels are two of the major ways that humans contribute to the increased temperature, and these are two things that our society ‘cannot function without’. Renewable energy is too pricey for most people and deforestation fuels the world’s materialism.

            Despite all this, I still believe that we have the power to change this. Even if each individual takes the time to do a few things to be more ecologically friendly, such as turn the lights off when not in the room, carpool, or waste less paper, it will make an enormous difference. This is a time when the world must come together and make a huge change. Otherwise, what might happen to us? Sooner or later, we’ll run out of fossil fuels to burn, or else we’ll have completely destroyed our ozone layer, and the sun will burn up our planet. Whether the result of global climate change will be as disastrous as the film 2012 depicts, or if something else entirely happens, no outcome of this can be good unless we try to fix it now, before it’s too late. 

Mental Illness

           

          Mental illness is one of the most misunderstood types of illness that exists today. It is a very broad field of medicine, encompassing all sorts of disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, as well as anxiety, amnesia, ADHD, addiction of any kind, and many others. Often, these disorders go undiagnosed or unnoticed for one simple reason: people are uncomfortable and afraid to talk about mental illness.

            When a person is afflicted with a physical ailment, be it a broken bone or stomach pains, they are often quick to head to the doctor’s office to be diagnosed and taken care of. This behaviour is simply normal, and what is expected of most people. For some reason, people suffering from mental illness do not react the same way. Perhaps this is because they don’t realize that they have a mental illness, or maybe they are unable to pinpoint exactly what is wrong. Either way, you don’t very often hear of anyone heading to the doctor’s office for a ‘mental checkup’ on a regular basis. People are much more willing to share their physical problems than their mental ones.

            It’s easy enough to see why someone might not want to admit to being mentally ill. The sensation of experiencing mental illness is already overwhelming enough without the fear of being publicly shamed and viewed as ‘weak’. Take depression, for example. Depressed people are often viewed as feeble individuals, despite the fact that this is not the case. They have no control over their feelings, and their ups and downs are unpredictable. By publicly making them feel weak, we are ensuring that people suffering from depression and other mental illnesses never come forward and ask for help, which could have disastrous consequences.

            We, as a society, are not only to blame for making mentally ill people afraid to ask for help, but we are also to blame for not noticing the symptoms ourselves. From personal experience, I can honestly say that the signs and symptoms are noticeable, and it isn’t difficult to put the pieces together and realize that a friend is going through a tough time. By saying nothing, we deserve to be blamed for the consequences that follow. Suicide is now among the top three leading causes of death, and the scariest part is that suicide attempts are almost 20 times more frequent than suicide successes, meaning that suicidal thoughts are in the minds of a large portion of the world’s population. Basically, by speaking out about mental illness, we can save lives. The world needs to stop avoiding the elephant in the room and just address the problems in front of us, if we ever want to solve them.

Abortion

         

            We live in an ever-changing world where the media rules. What people see on television, on the Internet, in magazines, and elsewhere can very quickly change the way they act or see the world. Young or old, we are constantly ingesting whatever the media spits at us and processing it in our own ways. Our society has become so addicted to social media and television that many controversial issues have arose based on the ‘values’ displayed there. One huge issue is sex, more specifically, unprotected sex. With television shows like Teen Mom, Gossip Girl, and Jersey Shore on the air, it’s hard to miss all the scenes of sexual relationships, and none of these scenes show the cast members using protection. This displays a subliminal message, whether the show intended it or not, that sex is no big deal, nothing to worry about, nothing to plan about. No wonder so many people are having unexpected pregnancies.

            With this rising number of unexpected pregnancies comes a rise in the number of abortions. An abortion, by definition, is the voluntary termination of pregnancy by removing the embryo or fetus completely from the uterus. This is where the controversy comes in. Some people believe that abortion is an excellent thing and, naturally, others are strongly against it. Those who are against abortion consider a fetus or embryo as a baby, therefore by terminating a pregnancy, a baby’s life is being ended before it even begins. These people are referred to as ‘pro-lifers’ since they advocate for the rights of the unborn baby and insist that it shouldn’t be harmed.   On the other hand, it’s hard not to see the positive side of abortion. It is extremely beneficial to pregnancies that result from rape or incest, as well as to pregnancies that may harm the mother in the long run. Teens who get pregnant by accident would have a chance to finish school and get their life on track if they would have abortions. Pregnant women addicted to drugs or alcohol would be able to eliminate the risk of bringing an addicted or handicapped baby into the world.

            I think, in a sense, some women who choose to have abortions are also pro-lifers, because choosing to have the baby might make life hard on the both of them. Rather than a life of suffering for both mother and unwanted child, the mother makes a wise decision to have an abortion. No matter what people think about abortion, I think it should be legal, and accessible to every woman. Ultimately, they are the ones who choose their own paths, and what’s right for them in their lives.