Problems we face as a nation

The three most significant problems we face as a nation in the next fifty years are pollution, gun control, and terrorism.
Pollution
Much of the world's air, water, and land is now partially poisoned by chemical wastes. Some places have become uninhabitable. This pollution exposes people all around the United States to new risks from disease. Many species of plants and animals have become endangered or are now extinct. As a result of these developments, our government has passed laws to limit or reverse the threat of environmental pollution.
Factories and transportation depend on huge amounts of fuel. Millions of tons of coal and oil are consumed in the United States every year. When these fuels burn, they introduce smoke and other less visible by-products into the atmosphere. Although wind and rain occasionally wash away the smoke given off by power plants and automobiles, the cumulative effect of air pollution poses a grave threat to humans and the environment.
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