The environment is a provider for every species on earth. Humans, animals, plants, and other resources need the basic essentials such as water, food, and land in order to sustain their lives. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), “About 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is water- covered … The vast majority of water on the Earth’s surface, over 96 percent, is saline water in   the oceans. The freshwater resources, such as water falling from the skies and moving into streams, rivers,  lakes, and groundwater,  provide people with the water they need every day to  live.” Throughout the years we had been able to sustain the use of water because it was plentiful; however,  as we started to use  more water than we would need, we came too     far. Water has become difficult to maintain due to misuse and global warming; parts of the world  are reaching  into severe droughts. Global warming has caused the earth to run out of water and out of land as more populations have expanded, and glaciers to melt. The melting of glaciers has also caused the ocean levels to rise even higher with more water that is not potable. Human beings  have caused global warming;  we have disregarded  the changes  in our climate We need  to stop and consider that if we don’t make changes to our use of resources,   it will be too late and we will then run out of water, food, and land in order to progress onto the future that still lies  ahead.

An inspiring advertisement powerfully illustrates the topic of global warming. The image is an hourglass where on the top side,  wildlife  in the arctic is suffering from the melt of ice caps,  while the  bottom side demonstrates the intake of human consumption. As the glaciers melt, the people who only care for cutting down trees and building  more roads and buildings consume every drop. With being busy and wanting more and more land, they don’t realize that the water that is not potable is raising the ocean levels, eliminating the land they already have. The people are headed towards poverty and everything that used to be our history and present is starting to slowly diminish.

People such as the settlers that came to the Americas many years ago didn’t care about how much  water they consumed. Whenthey moved in and settled in any part of land they claimed ,they chopped trees down and built their houses. They would  execute any animal that came into sight. It was a matter of survival. Keep moving forward. The use of our resources has come to a point where we reached our limit. Here in California, for example, we are facing the consequences of a drought. Before there was a lack of water, there was an abundance    to be used for drinking and keeping our lawns beautifully green. Outside our very homes we would have a fascinating view of tall trees flourishing and a variety of wildlife to visit. There was beautiful scenery where there was so much space, the open land, small town houses, breathing  the fresh air and feeling the sun’s rays slightly glimmer.

Today, once a person steps out of his or her crowded one bedroom apartment, there are endless roads filled with combustion where one gasps for air. The city’s streets have become mountains of unrecognizable debris. All wildlife has either migrated to a better habitat while others hide in what is left of their homes. People’s houses are now just landfills. Their lawns have died out because of the lack of water. What used to be the most alluring landscapes are now like a concrete desert where all is left is an isolated grey land. The people have become used  to   just  absorbing  whatever  is in front of them  and replace  it with the most needless  materials  such as petroleum,  more cars, and unnecessary  buildings.  The development of the future has focused  on having everything standardized and technologically modified that is supposed to be helpful in reducing  global effects but in reality  it is doing more  damage.

I find this ad very intriguing because it is unlike any other. The way the picture promotes the cause of global warming is framed  in a form of time. As I analyzed the picture  using  Molly  Bang’s Picture  This: How  Pictures  Work, the setting of the picture  is focused  at both the top and bottom of the picture. The background is plain and simple but all the popping colors that stand out are the main points such as the water at the top and the greenery where you see deforestation  and a city. The cars in the bottom center are going towards the city away from the audience.  The cars are giving an indication  that those  are the   ignorant people who are not realizing the damage they are causing to their planet. The water that is falling from the top of the hourglass is slowly running out while the bottom consumes more by the minute. The water at the bottom is also filling up, which refers to the ocean levels rising. The animals such as the seagulls are in mid air trapped in the hourglass where they  have nowhere  else to go. As global warming affects humans,  it affects  everything else on earth. Habitats are being destroyed,  causing animals to lose their homes and  food. Some major species of every kind are becoming  extinct due to the environmental    changes.

The ad’s copy focuses on time: “We  are running  out  of time. Act now before it’s too late.” The description references to the image of an hourglass where time only goes one way. As the top part of the hourglass represents the arctic, it runs the water that was melting into the bottom half as rain. The bottom half is what is consuming all the water and at the same time fills the ocean with even more water. The water cannot be returned to its original place unless the hourglass is turned over.  The text of the advertisement proclaims that the earth is running out resources as time progresses. If we don’t make any changes of how we use our resources such as water especially, it will be too late to recover what is left and we will face severe consequences in the future.

On a daily basis, we waste water on things such as showering for  long periods of time, watering the lawn constantly, letting the water run when brushing our teeth, and even when flushing the toilet. In the article, “How the Average American Wastes Water” by Daniel Wesley, he states “3.9 trillion gallons of water is consumed in the United States per month.” Instead of wasting water, people should really consider that they could reduce the use of water little by little. People can start by setting a timer to how long they shower, water the plants and grass every other day, and don’t let the water run when washing dishes. One has to be patient and considerate to the changes in their life styles. It might not seem like a lot at first but with  time, it can make a major difference towards the environment. The environment will begin to stabilize and people could manage to preserve what is left of their resources.

When it comes to our planet Earth, people such as myself see it as a remarkable place we call home. A home should be seen as a beautiful place where you would see people taking endless strolls at the park watching the children laughing and being cheerful. The Earth shouldn’t be remembered as a rundown wasteland. People will become anxious and will lose control of all sustainability. It will bring chaos and there will not be a future for the next generations. In order to not cause such a tragedy of losing our home, we have to act fast and change our habits. Time is passing by as we go on with our days. We have to stop and consider saving our resources before it will be too late.

Work Cited:

Alexandro. “Global Warming Advertisement.” Award-\Winning Not For Profit Printed Ads.

Topdesignmag.com. 2010-2015.Web. 2 Oct. 2015.

Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work San Francisco: Chronicle, 2000. PDF. 29 Oct.2014.

Perlman, Howard. “How much water is there on, in, and above the Earth?” U.S. Geological Survey. 5 Oct. 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.

Wesley, Daniel. “How the Average American Wastes Water.”  Credit Loan. Visual  Economics.  29 Oct. 2015. Web. 29 Oct. 2015