Some people think that governments should hold accountable for environmental preservation as
individuals
play an insignificant role. In my opinion, protecting the Earth is the responsibility of both politicians and
individuals
.
There are two major reasons why governments play a vital role in environmental protection. The
first
reason is that some environmental issues are too big for
individuals
to deal with. In fact, to solve serious problems,
such
as global warming, prolonged droughts, violent storms, or other extreme weather events, they require a monumental amount of manpower and many resources, including large numbers of experienced scientists and the use of modern technological devices. Only authorities have sufficient funds and resources to invest in
this
. The
second
reason is that politicians can enforce new laws against actions that damage the environment and impose strict punishments, in the form of long-term prison sentences or heavy fines, on corporations or
individuals
that violate the law.
For example
, one of the major factors leading to environmental pollution is the overuse of plastic products, like bottles and bags, and
this
can be stopped if the government imposes a ban on all companies using plastic packaging, bringing about immediate large-scale changes.
However
, I believe that ordinary citizens
also
need to take responsibility for environmental protection.
Firstly
, the change in everyday actions of each person may have minimal effects, but if millions of
individuals
spring into actions simultaneously, which can make a significant contribution to protecting the environment.
For instance
, citizens in many countries around the world,
such
as Netherlands or Denmark, have shifted towards using bicycles and subway trains for their daily travel
instead
of private vehicles, which has so far helped to reduce a tremendous amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, and improved air quality.
Secondly
, the problem of polluted oceans poses a serious threat to our planet, which has been tackled in many places, thanks to groups of young people who voluntarily spend their time cleaning up beaches or even diving into the water to pick trash.
For example
, many students in Nha Trang, a coastal city of Vietnam, spent nearly their whole summer holiday in 2018 keeping the beaches of their hometown clean by collecting all the trash from tourists and even banned Chinese people from entering certain areas to prevent them from littering.
In conclusion, for the reasons mentioned above, I believe that protecting the environment is the obligation of both governments and
individuals