Our world is changing faster than anyone predicted. We live in a time of fast development, economic growth and globalization. However, it is also the time of uncontrolled environmental problems that are rising year by year. Shrinking drinkable water supplies, burning forests, melting ice caps - these are only a few of them. Some people say that the most serious and urgent environmental problem nowadays are endangered species of plants and animals, while others emphasise that some issues are demanding more attention. This essay discusses both perspectives and proves that an ecological crisis is a complex issue.