EDUC 168

Example Argumentative Essay

The Coral Reefs Need Protection Now

These days people are talking about environmental problems; it’s on the news, in the magazines and
around the coffee shops. There are many problems to choose from -- global warming, destruction of the
rain forests, acidic oceans and car pollution, just to name a few. One of the most serious environmental
problems today, however, is the destruction of the coral reefs, and much of this destruction is very
preventable. There are many measures that need to be taken, but one of the most important is the creation
of an underwater police force. For this reason, I believe that the UAE government should take a
leadership role and start an underwater police force to help protect the coral reefs and educate careless
and malicious scuba divers.

Having an underwater police force could help protect the reefs. Firstly, having a police force to
monitor scuba diving activities will help protect the coral reefs from damage. Consider that many scuba
divers are simply careless, hitting corals when they move their fins. Did you know that during a one-
hour dive, a diver can move his or her fins over 200 times? This is very alarming and needs to be
corrected; people need to be accountable for their actions. A police force could monitor popular dives
spots and issue tickets or citations for divers who are not diving correctly. Secondly, a police force could
help is to prevent divers from harming or stealing marine life. For instance, many divers try to steal
tropical fish with a net or the simply kill marine life with a knife, which many divers carry. For example,
I was on a dive in the Philippines where I saw a diver take his knife out and kill a moray eel, known to be
completely passive and no danger to any diver. I was so upset, but there was nothing I could do: I had no
authority. The police could have stopped the diver. Having the police underwater is only one part of the
solution, however.

Not only can the underwater police protect the reefs while underwater, they can also help educate the
public about the importance of the coral reefs before they go underwater. In my view, many divers
damage the corals and the marine life because they do not know any better. For instance, many divers
come from countries that have no coral reefs, and they simply do not understand how delicate and how
important the corals and the fish really are. Most of all, many of the people from urban areas don’t
understand how long it takes for coral to grow, which can be up to 1,000 years. This police force can
also take the opportunity to visit schools and meet with children as young as four years old to help them
understand the coral reefs at a very young age, so that when they are adults they can be responsible and
caring towards the corals. In the USA, for example, the police go to schools to talk to students about
drugs and road safety. Why not go and talk to them about the corals? After all, it is much easier to
educate a child about the coral reefs than it is to change the habits of adults.
EDUC 168
Example Argumentative Essay

Many would argue that the dive shops should be the ones to protect the corals. After all, they are the
ones who depend on the corals to earn a living. This is an understandable point of view. However, the
dive shops are out the make money, and owners are often reluctant to be strict with divers because they
might lose money. For this reason, I believe that an objective police force with a set of rules and
regulations are best suited for the job. In addition, people could argue that it costs too much money and
time to create a police force because equipment and training are very expensive. Although this is true,
what could be more important than the reefs that are home to important marine life? Nothing is more
important in my opinion and the money and efforts for the police force would be well worth it. In the
end, the money would be well spent because if there are no coral reefs, less tourists will visit, which
means less money earned for local businesses.

The environmental problems in the world are growing more and more serious, and we must be strong
enough to take action and find real solutions. When it comes to the survival of the coral reefs, nothing
could be more important than taking strong action, action that will help protect them from careless and
criminal scuba divers. Nothing could be more important than creating a police force to educate people
and enforce laws underwater.