Another Grammar Gripe

It looks as though many people have forgotten what the difference is
between "effect" and "affect". An effective example of correct usage
would be:

If we effect those changes, the modifications will affect all of us.

In the last few weeks especially, I've been seeing people consistently
using "effect", when they mean "affect": "This won't effect us", that
sort of thing. How far will the language have slid by the end of the
century, I can't help but wonder.