Tag Archives: Pollution

Global Perspective

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For my final blog post of the term, I will focus on Global Perspective. A global perspective is a viewpoint that attempts to understand the place of individuals, groups, cultures, and societies in the world and how they relate to each other. An example of a global perspective is studying the implications of economic policies on illegal drug use specifically the supply chain, where the drug is produced, and the local area where the drug is sold.
The link below provides information on the global perspective of climate change. In terms of the math part of this, According to The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 has increased from 280 ppm in the period 1000–1750 AD to 379 ppm in the year 2005. The concentration of methane in the atmosphere has more than doubled from 700 ppb in the period 1000–1750 AD, to reach a concentration of 1774 ppb in the year 2005. The concentrations of hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, SF6, and N2O have also increased. The tropospheric concentration of ozone has increased even though its stratospheric concentration has decreased.

 

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4020-5774-8_1#:~:text=The%20global%20mean%20surface%20temperature,warmed%20faster%20than%20the%20oceans.

 

 

global perspective

 

Waste (in tons) Per Person in Landfills by State in 2019

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One major issue in today’s society is waste production and management. In recent years, there have been many concerns about a rise in pollution and global temperatures. Ocean acidification and air pollution are two direct results of improper waste management, and these have negative impacts on all of us, and many can lead to long-lasting health conditions and problems. As can be seen in the graph, Connecticut had the lowest per capita waste presence in landfills, with 8.7 tons of waste products in 2019. The next lowest state is Massachusetts, with 16.2 tons of waste byproduct in landfills. The trend continues increasing, with several states remaining in the 16-18 ton range. With regards to North Dakota, Maryland, South Dakota, and Vermont, and Maine, the per capita presence of waste in landfills in 2019 ranged from 20.3 to 21.9 tons, respectively. This is an alarming statistic, and the total gap between Connecticut and Maine is 13.2 tons.

Sources Cited:

https://www.statista.com/statistics/591862/least-waste-per-capita-in-us-landfills-by-major-state/

Fast Fashion and It’s Consequences

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Many companies involved in fast fashion and unsustainable practices use outdated and less eco-friendly processes to produce their goods. A a result of these outdated manufacturing practices, the carbon footprint of many clothing brands are alarmingly high. Fast fashion caters to increasingly high levels of supply and demand, so the products are over produced, and then retailers buy them at exceedingly high prices. Whatever is left over are usually disposed of unethically, rather than being donated or up-cycled. Brands like Aerie, She-in, and the like are some of the biggest contributors to this issue. However, there are viable, and fun alternative solutions to this issue that not only are sustainable, they’re also very much within current fashion trends and practices. As mentioned earlier, up cycling is not only an alternative option, it’s also affordable. Thrifting is also a popular alternative, and it’s also way more affordable than buying at full price in-store. Savers, Goodwill, and the Salvation Army are all large and fairly well known companies that utilize thrifting practices. There are several benefits to thrifting and buying clothes which include, but are not limited too, lesser levels of air pollution, less waste production, and healthier oceans. It turns out that polyester, which is used in many fabrics, doesn’t decompose in water, and instead just adds to the pollution of our oceans. Strikingly enough, people throw away 60-80 pounds, on average, of unwanted clothing over the course of their lifetimes. The fashion industry also contributes to ~10% of global carbon emissions. So, it is not unfair to state that thrifting is, in fact, good for the environment, and it’s also wicked fun.

 

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/01/31/sustainability-in-fast-fashion-how-tech-can-minimize-waste/?sh=2f5be76331e6

https://www.swiftfit.net/blog/sustainable-thrift-shopping

Water is Life

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Water is an essential part of the human experience. We are made of water. We use water to drink. We use water to clean. We use water to cook. We use water to bathe. In fact, the origins of life on earth stem from the water itself. Water is essential for life on earth, however, it is being jeopardized by the huge amounts of pollution that humans are creating. Companies and industries are particularly bad for producing waste that ends up in our water. This is a serious threat to human health. Unbelievably “Unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined” (Denchak). While citizens of developed countries may not think twice about the water that they drink, and how they get it, citizens of developing countries are still at risk of being poisoned by unhealthy water. Many people believe that water is a basic human right. In my opinion, the fact that Americans use 5 times more than the global average is pretty sad. Access to water is a human rights issue as well. Another huge problem is that the vast majority of water on earth is not drinkable. Most of the water on earth is saltwater that cannot be used as a drinking source for humans and  “Less than 1 percent of the earth’s fresh water is actually accessible to us”. This means that the amount of freshwater that we have as a resource for the almost 8 billion people here on earth is very limited. While the human population continues to grow, eventually it will get to the point where there simply is not enough water for everyone on earth. This is a very depressing thought to me. I believe that developed counties have a responsibility to help provide developing countries with access to water. If the United States wants to be a great country, it must act like one.

 

Works Cited:

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know

 

Oceans and Marine Systems

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Oceans cover the largest portion of Earth’s surface (71% of Earth’s surface is water and oceans makeup 96% of Earth’s water supply). It’s extremely important to consider and be concerned about our oceans and what climate change and human activity is inflicting upon them. Sea-level rise, ocean acidification, overfishing, pollution, ecological collapse, dead zones, and more. Within each of these larger problems are more sub-problems. Sea-level rise and polar ice caps melting, ocean acidification and the bio-pump, overfishing and bycatch, and pollution and micro plastics (the Pacific Garbage Patch is currently 1.6 million square kilometers). Humanity relies heavily on oceanic processes and marine resources, if more sustainable practices were used and enforced the ocean (and the global environment) wouldn’t be in such a compromised position. The ocean also acts as a HUGE carbon sink so not only do human lives revolve around the ocean in the literal resource sense but it is also taking in so much of the carbon humanity produces. The ocean can’t take in carbon forever, the effects of this are already been seen in phytoplankton and zooplankton, the ocean is becoming warmer and nutrient deficient which will have cascading effects on marine food chains.