Thepatient'sconditionisserious.Symptomsaremultiple.Hisbreathisnoxious.Hehasafever,higherthaneverbefore.Effortstobringitdownarenotworking.Poisonhasbeenfoundinbodyfluids.Whensymptomsaretreatedinonearea,morepopupinotherbodyparts.Ifthiswereausualpatient,doctorswouldbeinclinedtodeclarethemultiplesicknessesaschronicandterminal.Notknowingwhatelsetodo,theywouldjusttakestepstomakethepatientascomfortableaspossibleuntiltheendcame.

　　HOWEVER,thisisnotahumanpatient.Itisourhome—theearth.Theabovescenariowellillustrateswhatishappeningtoourplanet.Dirtyair,globalwarming,pollutedwaters,andtoxicwastesarejustafewofthemaladiesofourveryillearth.Likethedoctorsmentionedabove,theexpertsareinaquandaryastowhattodo.

　　Themediaregularlycallattentiontoearth'spoorhealthwithsuchheadlinesandcaptionsas:"Blastfishingturnsseabedsintokillingfields."A"BillionAsiansCouldBeParchedin24Years.""Fortymilliontonsoftoxictrashayeartradesglobally.""Nearlytwothirdsofthe1,800wellsinJapanarecontaminatedwithpoisons.""OzoneHoleOverAntarcticIsBackandBigger."

　　Somepeoplebecomeaccustomedtofrequentnewsofdangertotheenvironment,perhapseventhinking,'Thatisnotofgreatconcernaslongasitdoesnotaffectme.'However,whetherwerealizeitornot,thewholesaledestructionoftheearth'senvironmentaffectsthevastmajorityofpeople.Sincecontaminationofourplanetisnowsopervasive,itlikelyalreadyaffectsmorethanoneaspectofourlives.Thus,allshouldbeconcernedaboutthehealthandpreservationofourhome.Afterall,whereelsewouldwelive?

　　Justhowwidespreadistheproblem?Howsickistheearth?Howarepeople'slivesaffected?Letustakealookatjustafewfactorsthathelpustounderstandwhyourearthisnotjustmildlyindisposedbut,instead,seriouslyill.

　　THEOCEANS:Largesectionsofoceanareoverfished.AreportbytheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgrammesaysthat"70percentofmarinefisheriesaresoexploitedthatreproductioncannotorcanjustbarelykeepup."Forexample,populationsofcod,hake,haddock,andflounderintheNorthAtlanticfellbyasmuchas95percentbetween1989and1994.Ifthiscontinues,whatwillitmeanformillionswhodependontheseaasamajorsourceoftheirfood?

　　Additionally,eachyearanestimated20millionto40milliontonsofsealifearecaughtandthrownbackintotheocean—usuallywoundedordead.Why?Theyarecaughtalongwithtargetfishbutarenotwanted.

　　FORESTS:Deforestationhasmanynegativesidestoit.Lossoftreesresultsinareductionintheearth'scapacitytoabsorbcarbondioxide,andthisissaidtobeacauseofglobalwarming.Certainspeciesofplants,thepotentialsourceoflifesavingmedicines,willdisappear.Nevertheless,forestdestructioncontinuesunabated.Infact,therateofdestructionhasincreasedinrecentyears.Someauthoritiesfeelthatifthispersists,tropicalforestscoulddisappearinabout20years.

　　TOXICWASTES:Dumpingofharmfulmaterialsbothonlandandintheseaisaseriousproblemthathasthepotentialforbringinggreatharmtomillions.Radioactivewastes,heavymetals,andby-productsofplasticsareamongelementsthatcancauseabnormalities,sickness,ordeathinhumansandanimals.

　　CHEMICALS:Duringthepast100years,closeto100