Letters to the Next President

Our Fervent World

Mr. President, America is currently facing many consequential issues that you will be solely held accountable for. Citizens look at the future with uncertainty and skepticism because our economy is greatly suffering and we are unaware to look for answers. A new leader will present change and hopefully address the issues at hand. To begin, one of the most concerning predicament is global warming. Already the effects of it are staggering, and if drastic changes are not made soon, our world will greatly suffer. Global warming is a fairly new concern that deals with the unnatural heating of the planet due to burning fossil fuels that trap heat in the atmosphere. One of the effects is floods, storms and droughts as a result of excess water from melting oceans. In fact, global warming is so massive that if something is not done about it, we will not have a planet anymore. This particular issue is extremely important because it involves the whole world, not just the Unites States. If this is not taken control of now, the consequences are disastrous.

Some evidence of global warming is in the deep oceans. The Antarctic ice shelves are already breaking up. In 1998, A piece fell off that was the size of Connecticut on the Larsen Ice Shelf (Ross Gelbspan, “Global Warming Is a Serious Environmental Threat”). In North Korea, many suffered from malnutrition due to flash floods that destroyed crops. In 1997, heavy rains wiped out half of Bolivia’s crops. A typhoon in Vietnam caused 2,500 people dead or missing. The devastating list goes on of how global warming is already causing chaos.

Believe it or not, global warming affects health. According to “Global Warming Will Severely Harm Human Health” the stressed climates bring heat-waves and extreme winters which cause “death from stroke, various cardiovascular illnesses, heat-stroke, hypothermia and influenza” (Paul Kingsnorth). An increase in temperature will also increase the amount of insects and small creatures. They may carry “vector-borne illnesses” which can be terribly harmful. Also, a new disease called Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (a rodent-borne disease) has recently spread. In addition, “malaria will spread from affecting 45 percent of the population, as it does today, to affecting 60 percent by the latter half of the 21^st century”.

Statistics like “40 percent of the world’s forests have been destroyed” are eye-opening and discomforting. Because we are not taking care of the world, and improperly using its natural resources, then something like global warming was bound to happen sooner or later. If this problem is not fixed quickly, continuing droughts, floods and disease will ruin the steps we take to rebuilding our economy. An economic boom will result in renewable energy sources and climate-friendly products. Living in a world that has been taken for granted affects my generation. We have to pay the consequences of neglect for so many years. We can get active in helping global warming if alternative energy sources are used, gas emissions are decreased and being aware of nature are steps taken. If we can keep our planet healthy where global warming is not longer a issue, than we have accomplished a great amount.

Real DNA Information Available on the Web

Harvard Gene Project to Reveal DNA Secrets of 10 Volunteers

Esther Dyson and eight other volunteers are going to be the first people to have their genetic information posted online today. Your DNA consists of a 6-billion letter code that is unique to each individual. The Personal Genome Project is a web site that hopes to have over 100,000 volunteers. Geneticist George Church from Harvard University says that “the aim is to jumpstart research linking genetic mutations and disease.” Not only will this be helpful for medical research, but families can look to see if any mutations could have been passed down to them or other loved ones. Another idea is that if you want a job, then a look at your genetic information could be critical to certain specialties. Some medical benefits are more advanced ideas about human biology, and knowledge of human origins. On the other hand, your DNA is as personal as it gets, so making it available to anyone on the internet may be difficult for some people. A need for privacy of yourself and your family is a necessity, and that should be understood and respected. Overall, this project will improve the understanding of the human body, and will be extremely beneficial.

Why Should Foreign Languages Be Studied?

Some Questions About Foreign Language Study

An old article from 2 cents worth by David Warlick called “Some Questions About Foreign Language Study” proposed the question, what is the most practical language for students to learn? This led to a study conducted that concluded many people thought Spanish had the most benefits. However, only 116 people were involved in the study so the results might have been different if more people were asked. Anyway, some people’s insight was to chose a foreign language based off of the type of profession you wish to pursue. This makes sense, but what if you change your mind? Also, I would think a variety of skills are useful, so why limit yourself to just one? Learning a new language really broadens your horizon and you get to learn about new cultures which makes it easier to relate to the world around and appreciate it. While it’s difficult to determine what language will be the most useful in the future, what matters is that you have exposed yourself to new ideas and your thinking changes as a result. The process of studying foreign languages brings experiences that stretch far beyond the classroom. In the end, that’s what matters most to productive learning; making connections with the outside world and relating to things on a higher level. So, whatever language appeals to you is the key into a world you never knew about.