Global temperature has been on the rise and what many people are unaware of, is how badly this really can be. Former President Obama mentioned this and how it shows a trend, 2015 and 2016 were the hottest years ever recorded in North America and in many different regions of the world. Some of the reasons that this is can be so dangerous for our planet is it can effect the human population as well as the animal population such as fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. In the last 40 years we have lost about 58% of these animals. Reason being for this devastating loss is due to the polar ice caps melting at rates that defy even the direst predictions and the threats of rising sea levels loom.
Population growth has been on the rise in many different areas of the earth, and there are key factors that have influenced this population growth such as changes in fertility and mortality rates. For many countries the fertility rate has dropped which means that for some countries, the population will actually decrease. The countries that are among those of whom are shrinking are Japan, Italy, and South Korea. The countries that are in the most impoverished areas will continue to have a population increase, due to a rise in fertility. Population growth is not the only factor to blame when it comes to humans demands on the earth because as the population growth continues, so does our need for resources. As experts continue to study the carry capacity of the earth, they are seeing that its the largest population that can be supported indefinitely. One of the biggest concerns is when will the time come that we will be unable to restore the balance between humans and nature? Predictions show that by the year 2030 it will take the equivalent of two planets to meet the demand for resources, and by the year 2100, we may need more than four planets to support human needs (which is a very scary idea to think about) Our planet is running out of natural resources which us humans need to survive and with the unprecedented rate, its hard to know what steps our planet needs to take to prevent this.
There is plenty of evidence that shows the effects of unchecked population growth is everywhere.
Impact on other species- the changes in the ecosystem are resulting in the mass destruction of many species and their habitats. An outstanding number of 477 vertebrae species have gone extinct since 1900 which means that its declining over 100 times faster than normal rates of extinction.
Impact on ecosystems- aquatic ecosystems are heavily contaminated by chemical and human waste. Our oceans are 30 percent more acidic than they were just 200 years ago, which is due to human-generated pollutants and the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which then some of it is absorbed into the ocean.
Impact on the food supply- When it comes to fishing the amount of times it happens is 250% faster than the fish are able to regenerate, this leads to scientist projecting that a global collapse of all fish species is going to happen by 2050 and that will lead to major food shortages.
Land degradation and contamination of drinking water- The availability of freshwater is declining rapidly, and contaminated water remains the greatest single environmental cause of human illness. Unsustainable land use and climate change are increasing land degradation which includes erosion, toxic chemical infiltration, nutrient depletion, deforestation and other issues.
Energy consumption- Based on total population use, the United States is the largest consumer of liquid fossil fuels and natural gas and among the top four consumers of nuclear power, coal, and hydroelectric power.
Air pollution mean the presence of substances not found in perfectly clean air. Wonder why our earth gets polluted? well it’s due to natural events, living creatures, and toxic by-products and this has always been the case. There are six among the most widespread air pollutants that have been proven to seriously affect health and they are sulfur dioxide, particulates, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone and lead. Photochemical smog is also a major factor when it comes to air pollution, smog is a brownish haze produced by the photochemical reaction of sunlight with hydrocarbons, nitrogen compounds and other gases in vehicle exhaust. This smog can sometimes be called ozone pollution. Air Quality Index (AQI) is a measure of how clean or polluted the air is on any given day and if there may be any health concerns when it comes to the current air quality and this is because the AQI focuses on health effects that can happen within a few hours or days after breathing polluted air. Acid deposition which has been known as acid rain is a wet and dry acidic components that fall to the earth.
Air pollution can cause many different health effects and a common one is asthma, this a long term chronic inflammatory disorder that causes tiny airways in the lung to spasm in response to triggers. The rates of people developing asthma has increased in the last 20 years and many people point fingers/blame the increasing pollution rates (poor and nonwhite communities have been put to blame more than others) and other things that are put to blame for this are triggers such as dust mites in mattresses, chemicals in carpets and furniture and also airtight modern buildings.
Update on my Journey
This week I had a bit of a slip up and noticed that I was buying more packs of cigarettes then the week before this was due to me going out a lot and partying with my friends because whenever I do drink alcohol it does trigger my want for a cigarette. What I did to help myself was continuously smoke my juul (which I know is not the greatest substitute) and preoccupy myself with a different activity, which like I said before always helps me out. This chapter actually really can relate to my goal because I contribute to polluting the air with my cigarette smoke “Environmental Tobacco Smoke” whenever I have a cigarette around someone who does or doesn’t smoke I am creating a dangerous environment for them and giving them secondhand smoke. These types of factors decrease my want for a cigarette and help me realize the damage I am not only doing to myself, but to others as well for example the people I care for the most such as my friends and family.
Lizzys Truth 