Anthropology 2281

Audra Shantel

Bodily
Big Writing Assignment #5: Global Problems, Local Action
The global problems that we are facing in general would be climate change,
pollution, waste disposal, Habitat Loss (Deforestation), overharvesting, and water
pollution (Conserve Energy Future, 2016)(Assigned Readings and Learnig
Objectives) just to name a few. As we evaluate how we can solve these global
problems we need to think about conservation, sustainability, and environmentally
responsibly behaviors (ERB). Conservation is described as preserving or repairing an
environment so that it can be maintain/restored to its natural state (English Oxford
living Dictionaries, 2016). Sustainability is making sure that we are not depleting
our natural resources so it can last over a long period of time (Dictionary.com,
2016). Environmentally responsible behaviors are ways that organizations or large
groups can/are reducing their environmental impact (OSullivan, 2012) These are
ways that we can help protect the environment in which we live. As humans, we
work to get food and other necessary thing for survival as we do so we are causing
a negative impact on the wildlife. Primates are greatly affected by their loss of
habitat, being hunted, and even being kept as pets. This makes their biodiversity
very low. Biodiversity is calculated by number of species and how common they are
in an area. (OSullivan, 2012). Over the course of this paper I am going to be talking
about the types conservation, sustainability, and ERB that are being done in Utah,
Salt Lake City, and at the University of Utah (U of U).
One Global problem that the University of Utah is addressing is air quality,
heat and society. I was able to go and listen to one of the representatives of the U of

U at the being of this semester. He talked about the U of Us air quality program and
how they are putting it into action. They are making students aware with of the
problem and providing them with ways to help improve the air quality. Some of the
ways that they are getting students involved is by giving them a discount with the
UTA. They are also making the U of U campus a bicycle friendly campus so they
have alternate ways to get to school. They are also improving the air quality with
their Greenhouse Gas Breakdown that is located on top of the south biology
building. This is helping them reach their goal of clean air by 2050.
In Salt Lake City, they have a lot of different ways that they are helping the
environment. One way is through transportation. Their goal is to provide a safe and
efficient multi-modal transportation system for the movement of people and goods
and for the vitality of the community (Salt Lake City ) They are putting in bike lanes
that are helping with the air quality in Salt Lake City. Another way they are
sustaining the environment in Salt Lake is the planting of more trees so that there
are trees to be here for years to come. In the tree conservation facts (a link on the
Salt Lake City page) talks about how having trees help provide air quality and make
oxygen that we can breathe. (Garden guides , 2016). Salt Lake City also has a goal
of being waste free by 2040. They state that right now businesses and multi-family
properties generate about 50% of the waste and that only 10-15% of that is getting
recycled. (SLCC Green , 2016)
In Utah, they are working on conservation and sustaining the environment
through HEAL Utah, Great Salt Lake Audubon, and Breathe Utah. HEAL Utah was
created so that Utah could be a heathy and safe environment for all those who live
here. They inform Utah citizens of problems that are happening in the environment
around them like overflowing at the dumping grounds or the amount of pollution in

the air. This helps to get the community involved. Next is the Great Salt Lake
Audubon this is the oldest conservation organization that Utah has. It has been
around since 1912. It is a volunteer organization and their main objective is to
provide ways that the citizens of Utah can become aware and to get involved.
(Sustain Utah ) Then last but not least we have Breathe Utah which is centered
around air quality in the state of Utah. They search for ways to solve the problems
that are causing the air quality to be low. The also focus on an outreach program
that educates the public. (Breathe Utah, 2015) These are just some of the many
ways that Utah is being conservative, substantive, and ERB.
In Conclusion, the general public needs to be aware of these issues because
we are all responsible for the damage we are creating within our own environments.
For Utah one of the big issues that they are pushing to improve is the air quality.
Breathe Utah is big into letting the people know what the causes are and how they
can help to prevent/improve it. Air Quality does not only affect us but it also affects
the animals as well. If we continue polluting our air and dont come up with ways to
counter act it. We will make it so there is very little oxygen for us to breathe but not
only that it will also destroys the Ozone layer in our earths atmosphere. It is also
includes destroying the habitats for primates and other animals all around the
earth.
The reason that biodiversity, conservation, and sustainability are addressed
in the primatology class is to help us (as students) to understand how we can help
the primates from going instinct. For example, the primate that I chose to focus on
during this semester is the Mandrill and one of their big factors of extinction is
because of deforestation. In Africa, they are cutting down trees to export the timber
for sales to help the economy there.

What I learned during this semester is that I am a contributor to the

extinction of various primates with the simple things that I do. Somethings that I am
willing to make changes for is to recycle more. I have never been big on recycling
because I have never seen a need to but I can see now the impact it has on the
environment around me and even on the environment that is on the other side of
the world. By doing this it will help on the air quality and help prevent some trees
being cut down. Just doing that however is a small dent in the bigger picture. I can
help support groups who go out and educate the public about the extinction of
primates and explain to them what they can do to help. I can also help the groups
that go to places like Africa to help with their deforestation problem and educate
them on other ways that they can boost their economy instead of just selling timber.
I have learned a lot about primates and how I can help them by doing the small
things and passing on the knowledge that I gained from this class.

Works Cited
Assigned Readings and Learnig Objectives. (n.d.). Retrieved from Conservation
Biology and Biodiversity: file:///C:/Users/shant/Downloads/Conservation
%20Biology%20and%20Biodiversity%20Open%20Stax%20College.pdf
Breathe Utah. (2015). Retrieved from We all Breathe Our Air:
http://www.breatheutah.org/
Conserve Energy Future. (2016). Retrieved from Environmental Problems :
http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/15-current-environmentalproblems.php
Dictionary.com. (2016). Retrieved from Sustainability :
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/sustainability
English Oxford living Dictionaries. (2016). Retrieved from Conservation:
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/conservation
Garden guides . (2016). Retrieved from Tree Conservation Facts:
http://www.gardenguides.com/114375-tree-conservation.html
OSullivan, A. M. (2012, March). SLCC Library . Retrieved from Environmentally
responsible behaviour in the:
http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.libprox1.slcc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?

sid=1e446a0a-cef0-4ea8-b9a3730476f439e7%40sessionmgr4007&vid=2&hid=4202
Salt Lake City . (n.d.). Retrieved from Transprotion Division :
http://www.slcgov.com/transportation
SLCC Green . (2016). Retrieved from Business and Multi-Family Recyling Ordinance:
http://www.slcgreen.com/business-recycling
Sustain Utah . (n.d.). Retrieved from Great Salt Lake Audubon:
http://www.sustainutah.org/orgs/great-salt-lake-audubon/