Environmental Issues for the Year 2020

have been destroyed” (1). National Geographic also explains that the rainforests help produce
rainfall; hence, by cutting down trees many countries like Nigeria and Ghana have experienced
decades of droughts and, consequently decades of hunger (National Geographic 1). Here, it is
possible to observe how the action of cutting down trees generates a chain of bad events. This is
the year 2010 and 80% of the forests are already gone. By the year 2020, most of the forests will
be gone and with them many rivers, lakes, lagoons, ponds, etc. Another example can be found in
Central America. The Central American countries are rich in natural resources; however, as a
result of a poor political administration, many multinational and national companies have
deforested large areas of land. Nicaragua is a Central American country that is rich in water
resources; however, most of them have been contaminated. Nicaragua possesses a lake that could
supply Central America with water in the future; nevertheless, national companies that pour out
their byproducts to the rivers that are connected to the lake have contaminated those rivers and
the lake. Besides that, people do not have a strong sense of responsibility towards nature and do
not deposit their garbage in trash cans, contaminating the lake that provides the vital source.
Environmental issues are strongly linked to the economy of the world. Why Because
since water is one of the most important natural resources, big corporations have looked into
privatizing the potable water system. Privatization of water has already started to take place in
many states. European corporations have already bought many American water supply
companies. In 2000, the largest water company in the world, Suez, bought the American water
company United Water Resources. Also, in 2003, a German corporation bought American Water
Works (U.S SERC 1). If inflation rates go up year after year and if the privatization monster
appropriates more American ground, by 2020, many low income families will not be able to
“Environmental Issues for the Year 2020” ‐‐ An essay submitted for Earth Day 2010
Copyright 2010 Naima Lopez Abdalah