AP Environmental Science

Personal Environmental Manifesto

In this day and age, multiple issues plague the land, most caused by humans own
discord. A large number of those issues are environmental. As we continue to make use of this
planet, we often forget how harmful we can be to it. Because of this, CO2 levels are reaching a
terrifying degree, the oceans are losing their color, and the land we walk upon is slowly
becoming a giant landfill. And thats not even half of it. If we continue to use our land so freely
and neglect to care for it as needed, then these issues may become even more extreme, and more
numerous. There are various environmental topics that I deem important; yet I do value a few of
those more so either for personal or factual reasoning.

To begin with, because of my interest in marine sciences, I do find topics dealing with the
ocean highly important. Right now, a big issue in that area is the dramatic deterioration and
bleaching of the coral reefs. This is due to the increasing acidity and CO2 levels in the ocean, as
well as decreased salinity. The coral reefs have been disappearing, and as much as 27% of the
earths coral reefs have been lost in this past century. Since the coral reefs are such an important
factor in maintaining the oceans stability and current ecosystem, if they are to continue to be
destroyed, then much of the marine lifeplants, algae, fish, crabs, plankton, and so much more
could be in danger. So, not only would one of the most marvelous sights in the world be
destroyed, but also one of the most important parts of the ocean, which could kill off tons of
species. This big issue of coral bleaching and disappearance ties into an even larger problem: the
excess amount of CO2 that is in our atmosphere.

Thanks mostly to human interactions and systems, the CO2 levels in the atmosphere have
been continuing to grow steadily and rapidly. Car emissions, factory pollution, and even the
human population have caused this increase. Focusing on specifically America, we are a very
mobile nation. We rely on automobiles for a large percentage of our transportation; and those
vehicles release an excess amount of CO2 into the air. To continue, because of the massive
amount of factories and low number of eco-friendly businesses that are in operation, we increase
our carbon dioxide even more. And, as for the last point, because of the giant human population,
there is more CO2 released into the air than is used. So, in conclusion, the excessive CO2 in the
atmosphere is mostly the fault of humans: our industrial society and large size. In order to
combat these increasingly dangerous CO2 levels, scientists are researching SRM and CDR
methods. SRM is Solar Radiation Management, and it has become increasingly more sought out,
though its effects are somewhat unknown. CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) seems to be more
common, and there have been some especially large and well-funded projects conducted on it.

The unsanitary way that food is processed is causing many problems for the environment
as well. As food becomes more processed, it is becoming increasingly unhealthy, which in turn is
increasing the percentage of people that are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. And,
this processed food does last longer, but there is still a large amount of it that is wasted. This
wasted food adds up, and so, overall at least 20% of the food we purchase (in America) is
wasted.

Another environmental issue that I find important is the ever-growing concern about
overfishing. Statistically, we are taking more fish out of the water than we should in order to
maintain a safe number for the species to survive. Also, whenever bigger companies fish, they
tend to catch more than what they need, and that by-product is then disposed of in an improper
manner. Usually after hours of sitting on the boat deck, the (most likely) dead organisms are
simply tossed back into the ocean. Because they are not safely placed back in the water almost
immediately after capture, when they still have a chance to live, a large number of creatures die
in this process; sometimes the amount that die as by-products exceed those fish that are caught
specifically for sale or consumption. This is commonly not a problem with the smaller fishing
vessels, though it still may be a slight issue.

One issue currently creating many of the problems in modern countries is the drastic
speed at which urbanization is occurring. As many individuals migrate to the cities, they become
crowded and quite pollutant. Because of the overpopulation in these urban areas, multiple
factories and factory jobs are set into place. These factories are causing much of the issues with
atmospheric contamination, as they release excess chemicals and CO2 into the air. And, as
migration to the cities continues, the rural areas become less populated; this is, of course, until
those cities have to expand in size. Once the cities become excessively crowded, they must
expand their horizons to take up much of the rural land; and with that comes deforestation, the
need to produce more food, and the contamination of nature.

In case it wasnt obvious based on my strong concerns listed above, I would like to focus
primarily on marine sciences (and microbiology, though that isnt very clear) in college. That is
probably why these particular issues stand out to me. Of course, there are numerous other issues
in the environment: lack of fresh water, fracking complications, loss of the bees, pesticide
contamination, and so many others. However, going through each and every one would take an
extended amount of time to write and for the reader to read. So, I will simply halt my thoughts
here.