Our planet is claimed to be the only habitable planet in the entire cosmos; it is supposed to be in a Goldilocks zone, where the water stays at the right temperature to provide life. Our Earth, however, has been in a perpetual state of near-destruction due to our own acts. Destruction is a heavy word, yet it's accurate since we continue to abuse our precious home. Deforestation and pollution, which are the basis of climate change, water contamination, and other environmental challenges, have occurred on Earth. In the name of progress, we unravel and flatten forests and mountains to build cities, polluting rivers and oceans, but can it really be labeled progress if what we're doing is destroying our only home? Is it really progress if future generations only see the ruins of the planet we worked so hard to build because we damaged it? People exploited resources by not regulating their consumption, and as a result, abrupt changes in the environment affected their lives.

Carbon emissions have continued to rise fast, according to Our World in Data; we currently emit more than 35 billion metric tons each year. These emissions contribute to the rapid rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which causes global warming. Industrialization is regarded as one of humanity's "progresses"; it has resulted in job creation, poverty eradication, and increased access to education and health care; however, industrial processes have a harmful effect on the environment, such as air pollution, an increasing amount of waste, desertification, and chemical pollution.

However, I'm not suggesting that we stop the progress that industrialization brings; rather, I'm urging that we find a better method to develop without harming the environment. In the prehistoric age, for instance, we didn't stop hunting because we weren't hungry; instead, we learned to harvest, so we will find a way to create a better way of living.

We should use the abundant resources this earth has to offer prudently. One of the simplest methods to begin the change and offer a sustainable lifestyle, not only for ourselves but also for future generations, is by recycling. Among the steps we can do to improve our environment are planting and energy conservation. Small steps can lead to a major change for the better. Just like a small flutter of butterfly wings can create a typhoon halfway around the world, we too can make a wave and wash the world into a new era filled with life and abundance and far from destruction. We must protect our world because this is our only home.