The environment of planet Earth is being damaged and the causes of environmental degradation are mostly attributable to humans. Natural resources are exploited to provide energy, food and technology to an ever-growing global population. In the process, the globe is warming at an unprecedented rate, water and air are being polluted, and forests are being destroyed; however, awareness and education are encouraging environmental first aid research. The climate change underway today, affecting every continent and ocean, has both human and natural causes. Land development to support human activities, cutting of forests and the use of fossil fuels represent the human contribution to the problem; while volcanic activity, the intensity of the Sun, the Earth's orbit and the interaction between the atmosphere and oceans are natural causes. Greenhouse gases are natural and help keep the planet warm by trapping heat in the atmosphere, but burning fossil fuels and deforestation are exacerbating this effect. Since the Industrial Revolution, rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have caused global temperatures to rise, and at an even higher rate over the past 30 years (EPA). The consequences of global warming include a dramatic increase in the number of hurricanes, tropical storms, heat waves, and terrible droughts in the southeastern and southwestern United States, Europe, and Africa (Colemen and Kerbo); melting ice in the Arctic and melting glaciers worldwide, rising ocean temperatures and sea levels, and ocean acidification caused by higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (EPA). The Earth's water and air are polluted by enormous quantities of toxins produced and expelled into the atmosphere and... middle of paper... and the Earth, the environment, millions of animal and plant species and ourselves, but it will take a huge effort from a huge number of people. Global citizens must get involved and make their voices heard to save the planet and humanity. Works Cited Bozon, I. H., Campbell, W. J., & Lindstrand, M. (2007). Global trends in the energy sector. McKinsey Quarterly, (1), 46-55. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Coleman, J. W., & Kerbo, H. R. (2009). The environment. In Social Problems (10th ed., pp. 398-405). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.Earth Day. (n.d.). The History Channel website. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from http://www.history.com/topics/earth-dayGlobal warming. (n.d.). Environment (deforestation). Retrieved October 10, 2011, from the National Geographic website: http://einvironment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview