Environment

As the dominant species on earth, humanity is the world's leading consumer of natural resources, and the world's leading producer of pollutants. We have a profound effect on the environment and the beings that coexist with us. Thus, we must carefully monitor our activity regarding the environment, so as to prevent harm to the earth as a whole, in particular its wildlife.

One major environmental issue is that of global warming, which is the heating up of the earth's atmosphere as a result of the entrapment the sun's rays by greenhouse gases released into the air. This "atmospheric buildup of CO2 and other greenhouse gases is largely the result of human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels" (Environmental Protection Agency). Thus, in order to protect the planet as a whole, we need to reduce our use of fossil fuels and chlorofluorocarbons, which are damaging the environment.

Otherwise, the effects could be disastrous. As the environmental group Greenpeace explains, "A combination of melting ice caps and thermal expansion of water in the oceans means that many low lying island states will be submerged." Furthermore, much of earth's life can only be supported in a certain temperature range, and numerous species would die from even a slight change in temperature.

More specifically though, humanity has caused the destruction of organisms' natural habitats and through its direct actions. Deforestation kills millions of trees per year and slash and burn agricultural practices are reducing the size of the world's rainforests at an alarming rate. When an animal's natural habitat is destroyed it stands little chance of survival. The European Environment Agency explains that as a result of habitat destruction, "whole species or populations of plants and animals have disappeared causing a loss of genetic resource that is not only regrettable from an aesthetic or philosophical point of view but also threatens man's food supply." Hence, our actions not only injure plants and animals, but also ourselves.

Global warming and habitat destruction are just two of the many examples of our negative influence on the environment. As humans, we must remember that we too are members of wildlife, and are part of the delicate balance of nature. When we actively alter that balance, we can be playing an active role in the earth's undoing, as species become extinct and the world's landscape is altered. It can only be hoped that the world's policy makers will realize the key role humanity plays in the environment, and that they will legislate in order to preserve the earth's integrity. Indeed, without their leadership, the world will surely become a seared and fetid wasteland that can no longer support life.

Euthanasia

Dictionary.com defines Euthanasia as "The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment. " The Catholic Church took an ardent stand on this topic when it released its "Declaration on Euthanasia," that was approved by Pope John Paul II. It states that "no one is permitted to ask for the act of killing, either for himself or herself or for another person entrusted to his or her care, nor can he or she consent to it, either explicitly or implicitly. Nor can any authority legitimately recommend or permit such an action. For it is a question of the violation of the divine law, an offense against the dignity of the human person, a crime against life, and an attack on humanity." Obviously the Church feels very strongly that everyone has the right to life and that no one but God can make the decision to take somebody's life away.

In spite of its good intentions, the Catholic Church fails to consider the question of death from the viewpoint of a dying person. If an individual is in extreme pain and wretched, anticipating death, he or she too has a "right to life" and the "dignity of the human person," and ought to be able to choose how their life should end. If people do not wish their families to see them go through undue suffering, that is not selfish; in fact, in dying, those sick people have saved their loved ones and themselves great anguish. It makes me sick that the Church would call someone a sinner because they knew that they would die in great agony, and chose instead to die with less pain.

It would be understandable if the Church made the claim that solely people who are insane should not be able to decide to be euthanized, as these people would not be making properly informed decisions. However, people of sane mind, who know full well the permanence of their actions and have discussed the issue with their families should be able to decide whether or not they want to live in pain, only to ultimately die anyway, if they can avoid the tortuous first portion.

Speaking of this matter in such simple terms as I have is not common in today's society. Critics come up with complex arguments about how approving euthanasia is a gateway to approving all suicide or even murder. That would be like me asserting that allowing people to kill in self-defense can lead to approving of people killing when there is no threat at all. Or, commentators claim that doctors simply support euthanasia for their own monetary benefit. That would be like me arguing that many doctors support people getting sick so that they could get a wage increase. These claims just don't make sense.People need to use simple logic in thinking about this issue. One, people should ask themselves: Is it not terrible for a person to die in extreme pain? And, two: does it hurt anyone else for that person to avoid dying in pain? I cannot see any answers to these questions besides: 1) yes, and 2) no. And, if these are the answers, then it would be selfish, indeed "an attack on humanity," to consider euthanasia immoral.