A bittersweet goodbye...
Only one more class, then the following week the final, and then I will have officially completed my Environmental Science class at Riverside Community College.
What would you like to do if money were no object? Personally, I would love to work outdoors. I'd love to spend my days hiking, walking along trails, and working with nature. This is why I have chosen a career in Environmental Science. I want to live my life doing what I enjoy most, no matter what others have to say.
After all that we discussed this semester in my class, in my opinion, the following are the most important worldwide environmental issues today;
- Climate Change
- Resource Depletion
"Earth's population will be forced to colonise two planets within 50
years if natural resources continue to be exploited at the current rate... A study by the World Wildlife
Fund... warns that the human race is
plundering the planet at a pace that outstrips its capacity to support
life." (The Guardian). Plain and simple, Earth's natural resources will not last us forever and we're using them up as if they will. One report states that 1/3 of the world has been destroyed by humans just over the past 30 years... imagine the Earth in another 60!
Our oceans will have no fish, we will have no fresh water to drink, we will have no oil, our forests will be wiped out, and most animals will become extinct. Before things run out, the world will most likely start wars over what natural resources are still left. The U.S. makes up just 5% off the world, yet we consumer 20% of its natural resources, or in other words we consumer 15% MORE resources than we should. What happens when more people want to start living like Americans? Then we will really be in trouble.
Obviously we can't just create another inhabitable planet, so our only smart choice is to start saving the only planet we have!
What society can do to help preserve our Earth's resources is by recycling, buying only items that can be recycled or that are made from recycled goods. Do not allow yourself to buy unnecessary things, buy locally, and use energy efficient products. Don't waste water or electricity. Avoid plastic bags. There are a TON of things you can do to help preserve natural resources. Educate yourself, and take one step at a time.
Educate yourself, and then those around you so that they too can start making changes to save our planet.
That is exactly what I am going to do!
That is exactly what I am going to do!
- Waste/Pollution (Air, Water, and Land)
Contaminated drinking water, air quality so bad you're asked to stay indoors, oceans filled with trash, and landfills exceeding their limits; these are things happening now, and if we continue to live the way we are living, it will only get worse. If you watch the documentary gas land, you'll see that in some homes water is so contaminated that it actually catches on fire. The air here in Riverside is so bad it's been known to cause respiratory problems. Ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? Eventually the ocean will be uninhabitable, killing off animals, and taking away our once beautiful ocean. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2010 Americans generated 250 million tons of trash. In the U.S we don't incinerate our trash, we crush it and bury it. So in just one year, 250 million tons of trash was buried beneath our feet, covered to make it look as if it was never there. But there it is, not decomposing but sitting there for years and year to come.
What can we as a society do about pollution? Drive less, plant trees (again!), become educated on the topic and then educate others, use less energy, Refuse Reduce Reuse Recycle!, buy locally, compost, reduce your personal amount of waste, volunteer to help clean up what's already out there, use less plastic! As an individual, again I will first make the above changes in my own life, then educate those I know and hopefully start a domino effect and start getting more people to HELP SAVE THIS PLANET!
The combination of people, pollution and climate change results in a loss of habitat and extinction of many plants and animals. Sea levels rise, introduction of new species wipes out original species, breeding becomes difficult or impossible because of habitat disruption, people feel the need to hunt animals for various reasons, among other things result in the endangerment or extinction of species. In 2007 a scientist by the name of Wilson said that he believes by the year 2100, half of all plant and animal species will be extinct.
There was actually a 12 year study conducted in the Chihuahuan desert in Texas, where "a kangaroo-rat guild composed of three closely related species" was removed. Quickly the shrublands turned to grasslands, supporting fewer plants and birds. Note hat these species were not key-stone species, but imagine a key-stone species becoming extinct, the drastic changes that would take place. No more kelp in the kelp forests? We are negatively impacting biodiversity.
As a society we need to better protect the already endangered species, and protect those who are not yet endangered. We need more protected wildlife areas, we need to stop removing and altering habitats, introducing exotic species, over-harvesting, and over-exploiting. We also need to try our best to stop global warming, and polluting the environment because these directly affect the environment and all living organisms.
I'm not sure how many times I can say this, but as an individual I would start will educating those I know, and those in the public willing to listen.
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Most of the stuff I learned in my Environmental Science class I found interesting. There were a couple thing however that I found very interesting! -
* Finding out my ecological footprint the first week of class was great! I would have never guessed that it would take 5.1 Earths to provide enough resources for everyone to live the way that I do. I highly suggest everyone take the short test to find out your ecological footprint.
- Endangered Species
The combination of people, pollution and climate change results in a loss of habitat and extinction of many plants and animals. Sea levels rise, introduction of new species wipes out original species, breeding becomes difficult or impossible because of habitat disruption, people feel the need to hunt animals for various reasons, among other things result in the endangerment or extinction of species. In 2007 a scientist by the name of Wilson said that he believes by the year 2100, half of all plant and animal species will be extinct.There was actually a 12 year study conducted in the Chihuahuan desert in Texas, where "a kangaroo-rat guild composed of three closely related species" was removed. Quickly the shrublands turned to grasslands, supporting fewer plants and birds. Note hat these species were not key-stone species, but imagine a key-stone species becoming extinct, the drastic changes that would take place. No more kelp in the kelp forests? We are negatively impacting biodiversity.
As a society we need to better protect the already endangered species, and protect those who are not yet endangered. We need more protected wildlife areas, we need to stop removing and altering habitats, introducing exotic species, over-harvesting, and over-exploiting. We also need to try our best to stop global warming, and polluting the environment because these directly affect the environment and all living organisms.
I'm not sure how many times I can say this, but as an individual I would start will educating those I know, and those in the public willing to listen.
..............................................
Most of the stuff I learned in my Environmental Science class I found interesting. There were a couple thing however that I found very interesting! -
* Learning about the dangers of household chemicals was also something I found to be interesting. You don't really think about what your floss is made of, or how it is that Febreze makes odors "disappear" until your told to research it. Everything in our homes has at least one chemical that is dangerous, or even deadly. Immediately after learning about these chemicals I switched my mouthwash and began trying out a few home made alternatives to store bought products.
* One thing I never really thought about was the pollution inside your home. Then I was taught in class that the inside of your house actually contains MORE pollution than the outside. This is something I also found interesting, and have since bought a couple houseplants to absorb this unwanted pollution!
* All of that trash that gets buried in our landfills never decomposes. You can literally dig up a newspaper from 60 years ago and it will till look as it did 60 years ago. This is because oxygen is not aloud in the ground where our trash is buried for safety reasons. So our trash really never goes away... this should make you want to reduce your amount of waste drastically right? Eventually our homes will be on top of 50 feet of garbage and our kids will be rolling down hills of trash covered in grass to make it look like nothing's there.
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We have one planet...
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We have one planet...
Just one, and we're living our lives as if we have an infinite amount of Earth's at our disposal. We can't just think about now, we need to think about the future. I want my children, and their children to see wild animals, not just in books or zoos, but in the actual wild. I want my children to know what a real rainforest looks like, and what it's like to live in a world where you don't have to wear a gas mask to breath. A world where the ocean is still beautiful and inhabited by sea life. A world where drinking water isn't scarce, and where climate change is no longer an issue. Where land fills aren't piled so high you can't see beyond them.
It takes just one person to realize we need to start making changes now, but we need everyone to work together to get these changes happening world wide.
Sources:
http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/top-ways-stop-global-warming-3138.html
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm
http://www.earthtimes.org/encyclopaedia/environmental-issues/endangered-species/
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/animal-extinction--the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-397939.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/jul/07/research.waste
http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/top-ways-stop-global-warming-3138.html
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/nonhaz/municipal/index.htm
http://www.earthtimes.org/encyclopaedia/environmental-issues/endangered-species/
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/animal-extinction--the-greatest-threat-to-mankind-397939.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2002/jul/07/research.waste
