A Dream for a Better World

If we compare water as the origin of life, wetland can be considered as kidney of the globe. Wetland is a kind of extremely important and irreplaceable ecosystem on the earth. It has various functions such as water maintaining, water purification, flood prevention, run-off regulation, pollution controlling, climate adjustment and landscaping etc. Wetland is not only the natural reservoir on land but also the breeding and wintering place for various wild animals and plants, especially for rare animals. in addition, wetland which is the precious resource also can provide water and food for human beings.
However, as the population has increased rapidly and the economy also has developed fast during recent years, people start to develop more wetland. Consequently, many regions with abundant water have become the places with water shortage and wetland ecosystem has been terribly destroyed. Over a long time, people develop wetland as wasteland for unrestrained exploitation and they have destroyed vast wetland. The largest lake, called Hulun Lake in the northeast part of China is lack of proper treatment for years and the ecosystem nearby has been destroyed by human beings so the water level has reduced and the wetland area has also shriveled. What is worse, the land near to Hulun Lake has terribly suffered from desertification and even the ecosystem of Hulunbeier grassland and Daxinganling forest has also been badly affected. Baiyangding, the largest wetland ecosystem in north part of China, is called the kidney of north part in China. The lake area has decreased from 561.6 square kilometers in the 1950s to 366 square kilometers at present. The capacity of the lake has also reduced and water level is always going down. Therefore, many wild animals and plants have gradually disappeared. In Heilongjiang province of China, wetland area has decreased too much and surface water of 87 billion cubic meters therefore is lost. In recent years, Qinghai Lake has seriously degenerated due to global warming, over-grazing, unreasonable human activities and management shortage etc. the water level does down 12m on average every year.
Actually, the wetland degeneration in China is caused by the following main factors. First, government has not pay much attention to wetland protection and has not taken enough pressures to protect it. In some regions, people can exploit wetland at random. Second, wetland pollution becomes more terrible. Much industrial and agricultural waste water is discharged into wetland and they do harm to wildlife. Third, people over use biological resources and water from the wetland. Fourth, sediment deposits too much and it can cause wetland degeneration. Fifth, the government has not invested enough money to protect wetland.
At present, the government has taken some pressures to protect wetland. First, people should have right value towards wetland protection. Second, the government has issued some laws for wetland protection. Third, the government has listed wetland protection into economic construction. Although the government has taken some pressures, whether they can put the pressures into practice or not is what people concern. We hope that some achievements for wetland protection can be witnessed by all people.

Global warming is disrupting wildlife and the environment on every continent, according to an unprecedented study that reveals the extent to which climate change is already affecting the world’s ecosystems. Scientists examined published reports dating back to 1970 and found that at least 90% of environmental damage and disruption around the world could be explained by rising temperatures.  Big falls in Antarctic penguin populations, fewer fish in African lakes, shifts in American river flows and earlier flowering and bird migrations in Europe are all likely to be driven by global warming, the study found.  This is the first to formally link some of the most dramatic changes to the world’s wildlife and habitats with human-induced climate change.

Made up of several islands, Cuba is a country that is synonymous with the Caribbean region’s natural beauty. Cuba is known for its endless stretches of pristine white beaches, sunny climate and friendly people, making it a favorite destination for vacations for a very long time now. In fact tourism is one of the major revenue earners for Cuba. Cuba also has a large number of beautiful old colonial buildings spreading throughout the country. The diverse wildlife found in Cuba is another reason for its popularity as a tourism destination. The rich natural bounty found in Cuba has also made it a popular health tourism destination nowadays.

When we talk about deforestation, must of us think about Brazil, and the Amazon rainforest? But there are other places in the world where the rapid deforestation is causing serious damage to wildlife and possibly the climate as well. Indonesia is a prime example, where the orang-utan, one of the most endangered animals in the world, is quickly losing its habitat to deforestation. We need to remember that the Amazon is not the only rainforest in the world that is being stripped for the sake of progress. But can we truly call it progress when damage our future for the sake of commercial or individual benefit?