Lara 1

Anahi Lara
Professor Melisa Malvin
English 114A
December 6, 2015
Running Out
The environment is a provider for every species on earth to survive. 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 USGS, About 71 percent of the Earths surface is watercovered... 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 there was
plentiful, however as we started to neglect using more water that 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, run
out of land as more populations have expanded, and glaciers to melt. The melting of glaciers has
also caused for the ocean levels to rise even higher with more water but is not potable. Human
beings have caused global warming; we have disregarded the changes in our climate and
utilization. We need to stop and consider that if we dont make changes into 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.
In an inspiring advertisement picture representing a very powerful illustration and
meaning towards the topic of global warming, the image is formed into an hourglass where on

Lara 2
the topside, illustrates wildlife in the arctic suffering from the melt of ice caps while on 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 dont 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.
When the earth was starting to develop, people had their basic needs at their hands. There
was no question if there wouldnt be enough but actually having an overabundance of supplies.
People such as the settlers that came to the Americas many years ago didnt care of how much
water they would consume. On how they moved in and settled in any part of land they claimed to
have as they chopped trees down and built their houses. As well as 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 a beautiful scenery where there was so much space, the open land, small town houses,
breathing the fresh air and feeling the suns 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 cities 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. Peoples houses are now just landfills. Their lawns

Lara 3
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 found my chosen 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 Bangs 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. As how I see this format, the cars are giving an indication that those are the ignorant
people who seek poverty and 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 is affecting 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.
In the ads description, it focuses on time. As the description states, We are running out
of time, act now before its 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

Lara 4
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 dont 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.
We can consider that 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 dont 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.
Global warming is a very simple but most devastating topic to discuss. 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 shouldnt 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

Lara 5
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.

Lara 6
Work Cited:
Alexandru. 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