Scrapes #1: Southern California Wildfires
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Summary:
Wildfires in southern California have started to become a serious problem and will continue to be an ongoing threat. California in recent years has been facing very severe droughts with very hot spring and Summer's and dry Fall's. With drought already being an issue, wildfires create a bigger issue for the state and its residents as they can prove to very unpredictable. The Santa Ana winds spread the fire around the flames not making it easier for firefighters to control the devastating wildfires. Seeing no signs of an end in the future, climate change will leave a big impact from years to come. Southern California is affected by two types of fires and spreads to the populated & unpopulated areas but still leaving a lot of damage. Although they may be different they still consume the same amount of acreage which is very terrifying. Fires caused by Santa Ana winds are more of a problem for humans as it hits more developed areas making an issue over time. The combination of dry desert air and mountain ranges are a bad making it very dangerous for any environment. Opinion: I can really relate to this topic being born in San Diego and experiencing the fires over the years. On October 2003, our family experienced the after effects of fires with ash everywhere in the air and couldn't escape it. This is a very serious issue as it creates not only a problem for us but for the wildlife decimating everything around. We need to take note of the problems of Climate Change as its effects are becoming a reality. Solutions must be found for this as California cannot handle anymore of these random attacks! What we should do about it: We need to find a solution now as we all are affected and the preservation of our environment is important for the future. San Diego for many years has had to deal with dry streaks of no water and proves to be very concerning. We need to keep all our plants hydrated to prevent them from dying and drying up. Most of the solutions are simple things that we can do to prevent any man made accidental fires such as properly dousing out campfires. disposing possible still lit cigarettes and no to Yard Waste Burning. These are simple things that people like you and I can do! Every year wildfires devastate thousands of places in the US including San Diego, it it important to prevent wildfires anyway possible to help our beautiful city. You Stay Classy San Diego! http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/09/150908180449.htm |
Scrapes #2: Which Cities In the World Are Closest to Nixing Fossil Fuels?
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Summary:
For many decades, humans have relied on coal, oil and other natural gases to fuel our electricity. However with climate change becoming more serious every year with us being at higher risks, we have begun to stray away from these resources as they prove to be harmful to our environment. Cities around the world have now started to take this issue very seriously making more green friendly adjustments to their source of energy. They have begun to join in pledges for emission cuts and rely ONLY on renewable energy such as wind power, solar, hydroelectric and etc. Although it may be a slow process for all these cities to become more eco friendly, it is still a start for making a better future.
Many cities from all around have taken a survey on what they have started to use rather than fossil fuel or any other nonrenewable sources of energy. Cities like Oslo, Norway have changed their energy methods and almost completely run on hydroelectric energy alone which is amazing. The movement for change has begun, cities like Hong Kong who have relied heavily on coal and gas are seeking better energy and are willing to put more money in just for this to happen. There will be a United Nations Climate Change Summit at Paris in 2015 where they will discuss "for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, a binding and universal agreement on climate, from all the nations of the world" (Wikipedia). Whatever it takes to become more green is the goal for our nations as they begin to estimate when they'll fully change, but for now it is only a destination. Opinion After reading about this, I am very excited to know that many cities have created goals for a more green future. Places are becoming more aware of the dangers of climate change and have taken the initiative to change their energy source to something that is renewable like hydroelectricity or wind power rather than burning natural resources. United Nations has taken a positive step by discussing in Paris on how to work together and help prevent more harm to planet Earth which is amazing to hear. I really believe that in the next 20 years, the decisions now will leave a great impact on our environments.
What should we do about it? We as the United States need to make a change as well since we were one of the countries who made the least amount of progress when it had come to change. Places like Iceland and Norway hace changed their source and mostly using renewable resources which have a better effect on our environment. What we should be striving for is to make the US only rely on resources like solar energy to have electricity in the near future. Cities have estimated how long the process could be to change everything and we should be thinking about the same. Hopefully the United Nations meeting in Paris will be the first stepping stone into revolutionizing our environment.
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Scrapes #3: What's next for Yellowstone's Grizzlies
Summary:
For Yellowstone park, the animals are very important to these national landmarks especially for the grizzly bear. Luckily the grizzly bear is under the federal Endangered Species Act which helps prevent the extinction of animals and does not it allow to go under a certain number left. This was established 40 years ago in 1975 when the grizzly bear was being threatened due to habitat loss and hunting leaving it at high risks. Laws have been ordered to help prevent future problems for the animal by doing punishment of jail time or fines for poaching. With the effort into protection, the grizzly has continued to grow in population and doesn't seem to stop any time soon. Many have supported to have the delisting of animal as its population has regrown back with many people prioritizing its survival.
Opinion:
In my opinion to this somewhat controversial topic, I believe that the grizzly bear indeed should still be on the Endangered Species Act as you never truly know if it will be threatened once it has been taken out of that listing. The beast has been the symbol for mostly North America and should be properly protected from further harm. I believe that these programs are indeed great as they help retain our animal's futures and preserving their existence. Grizzly bears are not the only animals who have needed this type of protection, some other animals are on the verge of disappearing if protection is not done now. Having these different types of animals are important to keep these species here for many generations.
What should we do about it?
After reading this article, we should strive more into helping protect our animals from ever being in this type of position. The Endangered Species Act was able to help bring back the population of the grizzly bear over a 40 year span and now they are roaming around freely with more than 700. Poaching needs to be prevented y watching out for the wildlife as many would love to see them unharmed in their natural habitats. Initiatives have already been taken with laws and fines regarding the killing of endangered animals but this needs to be spread internationally. Not only does Yellowstone have some issues but other places suffer from poaching and excessive sport hunting like Africa and China. We can start slowly by helping such as cleaning up our local parks to prevent human harm to the animals and by not polluting into our lakes as it can affect the animal's food source.
For Yellowstone park, the animals are very important to these national landmarks especially for the grizzly bear. Luckily the grizzly bear is under the federal Endangered Species Act which helps prevent the extinction of animals and does not it allow to go under a certain number left. This was established 40 years ago in 1975 when the grizzly bear was being threatened due to habitat loss and hunting leaving it at high risks. Laws have been ordered to help prevent future problems for the animal by doing punishment of jail time or fines for poaching. With the effort into protection, the grizzly has continued to grow in population and doesn't seem to stop any time soon. Many have supported to have the delisting of animal as its population has regrown back with many people prioritizing its survival.
Opinion:
In my opinion to this somewhat controversial topic, I believe that the grizzly bear indeed should still be on the Endangered Species Act as you never truly know if it will be threatened once it has been taken out of that listing. The beast has been the symbol for mostly North America and should be properly protected from further harm. I believe that these programs are indeed great as they help retain our animal's futures and preserving their existence. Grizzly bears are not the only animals who have needed this type of protection, some other animals are on the verge of disappearing if protection is not done now. Having these different types of animals are important to keep these species here for many generations.
What should we do about it?
After reading this article, we should strive more into helping protect our animals from ever being in this type of position. The Endangered Species Act was able to help bring back the population of the grizzly bear over a 40 year span and now they are roaming around freely with more than 700. Poaching needs to be prevented y watching out for the wildlife as many would love to see them unharmed in their natural habitats. Initiatives have already been taken with laws and fines regarding the killing of endangered animals but this needs to be spread internationally. Not only does Yellowstone have some issues but other places suffer from poaching and excessive sport hunting like Africa and China. We can start slowly by helping such as cleaning up our local parks to prevent human harm to the animals and by not polluting into our lakes as it can affect the animal's food source.
Scrapes #4: Big Trees first to die in Severe Droughts
Summary:
Many national parks including Redwood and Sequoia National Park have been very big attractions for California emphasize their attraction of the majestic trees. However this may start to change with the increase in droughts due to climate change. With research showing that these eco-friendly giants will end up suffering the most and will be the first to die if it proves to be more severe than predicted. Through global analysis of how the trees respond to drought, in all the cases it showed that it had indeed left an affect onto the trees. This shows that the climate change will leave an intense mark onto the tree's lifestyle progressively making it worse. Another issue that can prove to be very harmful is that when trees of that size are able to hold in that huge amount of CO2, it can be bad because when it dies it will release all of it. The amount of trees dead in California has raised to 25 million in California because of the affects of drought receiving a lack of water. The Bark Beetle has taken advantage of their weakened state and begun to devour them which is not helping the issue either. Showing that the trees are suffering a slow painful death and basically are affected negatively on every aspect by drought. Some forest management strategies have indeed been made to help with this but it is merely scratching the surface as more effort needs to be put into helping the trees. Opinion: Reading about the affects of climate change onto the trees, I wasn't aware of how vulnerable the giant trees such as Sequoias and Redwoods were. I originally thought that they were the ones who could withstand this intense change for them but I was sadly proven wrong. These trees are important to have as they create a large amount of oxygen through photosynthesis for the environment rather than some normal typical tree. Besides that, these trees are very important as they are tourist attraction and one of the things that everyone should see once in their life as it is one of nature's beauties. This is a major problem as I hadn't realized what would happen if a tree like that did go down, with it being so large the amount of CO2 its been storing would be released adding more carbon into the atmosphere. The trees are doing their part by helping maintain planet Earth, what do we need to do? What should we do about it? After seeing what happens to the giant trees when drought hits them, we must take an initiative to take better care for them as they play a big part for the future. Although some have already started doing forest management strategies like forest thinning and controlled burning this still isn't enough apparently to help. The one solution for helping the trees is not by LIMITING CO2 but rather by STOPPING it totally. Our government is already making progress for helping with the issue but even though what we do is small, it still helps regardless. Trees are helping us survive everyday...now it's OUR TURN! |
Scrapes #5: Hot Oceans are killing Coral Reefs around the World
Summary:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) had announced of a global coral bleaching event which had only occurred in the year 1997 and 2010 that bleaching had occurred in all three of the world's oceans that support coral. With all of this occurring in El Niño, this is a serious global issue as it shows that climate change is indeed hurting our corals. With the rising temperatures underwater, this is starting to slowly kill our coral reefs in the Pacific, Atlantic, and the Indian Ocean. The living conditions in El Niño are too heated for any type of reef to be able to survive in those conditions as it is way too intense. This will result in the coral reefs looking all white as this event starts to become more common if the temperature continues to rise. As coral begins to die, there will no longer be support for the algae to help them and will create a dead reef of nothing but coral. This causes problems for other variables such as the destruction of the reefs lead to islands not having first line of protection from possible storms. Coral reefs also house a wide variety of marine life and help support fisheries & tourism in these areas. 2016 according to research doesn't seem to be getting cooler anytime soon and hurt more environments such as the Caribbean and Hawaii and will continue to destroy countless reefs. Mark Eakin, the coordinator of NOAA's Coral Reef Watch has shown warnings and concerns of what may happen in the possible future with the thermal stress on the environment. This can be very stressful as the countdown for our coral reefs may have a very limited amount of time. Opinion: Doing a similar research project on the topic of coral reefs and how they are being affected in today's society, I can see now that they are indeed not going to be here forever. Climate change has played an affect on different areas of land on Earth but it is even affecting the life under water as it hits the coral reefs. Coral reefs play a very important part in our lives as many people don't know that we rely on them as they provide a majority of our food that is caught. Without the coral reefs, many marine life will have nowhere to live or repopulate which will cause the disappearance of the occupants there. They also hold as a type of protection for many shores and islands as they absorb a lot of any possible harm that can occur. The coral reefs are an essential part of marine life and the loss of them can prove to have a devastating blow to everything around them. What should we do about it? We need to start taking this topic seriously as this will leave a complete change if we lose the coral reefs since it is difficult to get back than lose. By preventing any activities that will worsen the affects of climate change, can make a big change and not allow it to skyrocket which could kill it all in no time. Mark Eakin of NOAA'S Coral Reef Watch has shown concern for the matter and foreshadows that by the end of this year, almost 60% of the coral in Hawaii could suffer a terrible fate that nobody would want to happen. Seeing that many reefs aren't safe from this issue and it will only continue to get worse by 2016 if we don't try preventing things such as: more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, human interference, runoff and etc. By doing our part to try and help, we would be able to help keep our coral reefs around longer than we expect now which would be very great for everyone. |
Scrapes #6: Catching Big Mama Fish Curbs Ocean Fertility
Notes
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Summary
Bigger fish are essential as they provide a lot to their environment and humans as well. The positive to big fish is that they create more eggs and with more eggs this allows more offspring of bigger fish to be born. The types of fish that are valued such as this are called BOFFFF's which are Big, Old, Fat, Fecund, Female Fish which are able to provide a lot to the environment. These fish have more carrying capacity than some other fish and are able to create bigger eggs which leads to more development for them. They are sadly targeted more however due to them being viewed as a prize or popular food source by humans. This can lead to negative effects as well with the decrease in BOFFFF's can change the spawning cycle of the fish and can decline in future years if not fixed. Smaller fish means less baby fish born and less fish in the waters than before. The amount of fish taken needs to be limited as they provide a lot.
Opinion
In my opinion, the BOFFFF's provide me with an idea of what the possible future can be if there isn't a limit set on the amount of big fish taken from the waters. Although it is common sense, I never thought about the benefits that big fish (like blue fin tuna) provide. Seeing now that they are the main providers in offspring, they play an important role in fish generations to come. Bigger fish means greater carrying capacity for them and more huge amount of new fish to be born. These fish are important as we don't want to slowly drive them to extinction from our reckless acts of killing them for sport or because they are a popular food item. We need to realize what they provide for the environment helping keep big numbers of large fish still in the water. BOFFFF's are very important and need to be maintained in order to have big fish still around for years to come!
Scrapes #7: Stop Burning Rain Forests for Palm Oil
In the Tripa forest in Indonesia's Aceh province, the rare Sumatran orangutans were dying. Fires were set intentionally in order clear the land faster for the planting oil palms (trees whose fruit yields palm oil which is commonly used for biofuels, cosmetics and food). This had been a very a controversial time as this had not helped the conservation and helped deforestation. The plant is a major cash crop for poor farmers in developed countries as it has become the main export for them gaining almost $40 billion a year. This leaves a bad affect as the destruction of all the trees will lead to a release of so much Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere (approximately 558 million metric tons in the atmosphere by 2020). The most promising program to pay developing countries to not cut down trees is the United Nation's Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) program. This past January, the Environmental Protection Agency found that biofuel derived from palm oil does not meet renewable fuel standards. Companies have already taken initiative like KFC and replaced palm oil with other vegetable oils. Taking our money elsewhere if it ends hurting the endangered ecosystems just for palm oil.
Opinion
In my opinion that we must fix our ways in order to provide the best future for ecosystems especially for the rain forests. We must not destroy an entire area just to get one resource (palm oil) as animals and many other organisms are in there as well unaware of their possible demise. Animals who are getting hurt are the orangutans who are friendly animals trying to keep away from harm such as humans and we are burning their homes. Finding alternatives is the best solution as this does more harm than good to the ecosystem even though this is the developing countries main cash crop. I'm glad to see that places like KFC have already changed their ways as they have shown concern for the matter and it is a great start. We should focus on what goes on behind when we purchase items like this.
What should we do?
We need to focus on trying to find more greener alternatives instead of using palm oil. Palm oil has left only devastation in order to gain it by destroying rain forests filled with innocent organisms living their daily lives. We need to support programs who are trying to make an effort in change such as REDD who helps pay developing countries from doing more harm to the environment. Finding alternatives like vegetable oil will reduce more Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We must convince the United Nations how this should not be tolerated at all as it does unbelievable amount of harm onto the area and everything around it. This is an issue that we can help to try and fix the cause, these little contributions can play a big part at the same time.
Scrapes #8: "Carbon X Prize: Can we make Carbon Emissions Green?"
Summary:
There is a competition under the X Prize Foundation that requires green innovators from around the world where teams must create a product using CO2. The winning will have to convert the most CO2 emissions into the highest value products and each team will have to make a business case for their approach and at the same time be minimizing the use of energy, water, land and other inputs that have consequences for the environment. Carbon Dioxide is a green house gas and is bad for the environment as it leads to global warming by heating up the Earth's atmosphere. The effects of the gas have already made a difference as there is an acceleration of ice sheets melting, intense storms, wildlife having to move due to heat. With determination, optimism and working hard to develop more efficient methods will help us fight the climate change issue. The goal for this competition is to be able to turn something like CO2 into something useful such as fuel or even a new product that will benefit planet Earth. The organization has embraced those who are trying to contribute to their cause even if it may not be a fully formed idea just trying to help would make the difference in figuring out a solution. The competition chooses from a wide array of teams and slowly picking those that benefit the most from using CO2 and receiving prizes such $5,000 and for the winning group. This competition is called the "$20M NRG COSIA XPRIZE", that is sponsored by COSIA (Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance) and NRG.
Opinion
This a great competition as it benefits them and the environment which is a great cause for planet Earth getting rid of Carbon Dioxide. This is an interesting concept as this will allow individuals to strive and make more eco-friendly efficient products that will help the environment. Carbon Dioxide is a very serious issue as too much of it will harm the atmosphere creating more problems for other parts of the world like polar ice caps melting and etc. This is serious as animals in our areas will be harmed by having to move to colder areas if it continues to get more hot and drought leaving them with no source of resources. More harm can be done if we don't take advantage of this competition that will help rid of these greenhouse gases. Carbon Dioxide will not stop to harm the environment and it is up to us to help save our planet from any more damage that has been caused, this is a good start with this competition that will help. Like Bunje had said, With the right amount of passion, focus and investment, we can and will find the portfolio of solutions necessary to address climate change.
What should we do about it?
We must strive to do more activities like this as it will overall benefit planet Earth with issues such as Carbon Dioxide that are one of the many things that hurt the environment. This inspires others to go out and inspire people to try to make the world a better place at the same time getting rewards out of it. People at high schools should start signing up for these type of programs which allow bright minds to start early and help out in anyway that they can. Advertising more to help make the environment a better place for the future even if it doesn't mean being part of a program. Just cleaning up and retaining to do anything green will make a contribution. Community service even works with canyon clean ups, beach clean ups and more just for any person to do easily but still helping out Earth. Using the idea of competition and reward is a clever way of promoting green developments and should be used more as many people can get behind this idea.
Scrapes #9: Teenage exposure to pesticides may lead to abnormal sperm, new study says
Summary According to a study that was published by researchers at Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University the environmental pollutant (Organochlorine) may be affecting the sperm of adolescents. The issue is trying to be solved now as the exposure to the chemical can be long term harmful as it could affect their fertility later in life. They had ran an experiment on to study the sperm and blood samples from 90 men living in The Faroe Islands (North Atlantic). The population in this area mostly consumes a sea-food rich diet which have a high exposure of pesticides such as DDT. They were also able to see that both the adults and those of age 14 had significantly higher rates of sperm disomy when researching their experiment. Finding that those males contained higher levels of organochlorine chemicals in their blood showed the same kind of sperm abnormalties. Organochlorine pesticides such as DDT were used a lot during the 1960s (Banned in the US), but in other areas of the world it is still exposed by the chemical and leave people exposed due to eating it (from meat, fish, and dairy). "Most people can reduce their exposure to PCBs and DDT by cutting back on foods that are high in animal fats and choosing fish wisely", Perry says. This needs to be payed close attention to as this could possibly affect the growth rate of the human species for years to come.
Opinion In my opinion as a male this is very concerning as this type of issue concerns me in this as it could possibly affect my future. I find it very unbelievable that something such as a pesticide can somehow hurt humans as well, but according to the evidence from their research there is indeed an affect on humans. This can be a negative effect onto the human population as it could possibly decrease the growth rate for the future which is concerning for men. This shows that we must put in more research in figuring out how to prevent the spread of Organochlorine as it could hurt us more later on in life if it can pass down to our children. Now I am very concerned of what I consume now as I am not sure what may contain these pesticides in it or not. Although it may be banned in the US, it still manages to affect us regardless of that so that makes us more vulnerable to this problem.
What should we do about it? We need to put in more research into figuring out how to remove this from our food as it will affect our future. Trying to get rid of those pesticides would be useful as they are exposed to our food source. Consuming more of it will leave more organochlorine into our body which is affecting a very important part of our body: Sperm. With reduced amount of sperm, this can affect the amount of children that people can have which is going to leave a butterfly affect onto our population. There is proof showing how this hypothesis can be seen as true and needs to be dealt with now before more people are exposed to the pesticides effects. Just by being more conscious of what we eat such as meat, fish and dairy is a start to reducing the amount of people affected by it. As seen here, pesticides are a clear threat to us as well and not just animals...
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Scrapes #10: Mooooove Over, Cows! Kangaroo farts warm the Earth, too
By James Gaines
Summary
Since the 1970s, it was suggested that Kangaroos do not "fart" but rather emit methane, this proves to be false. Methane is naturally created by bacteria (animals such as Cows, Kangaroos and other plant eaters that help them digest grass and leaves). Research had shown that during the 70s and 80s, reasearch showed that kangaroos don't produce as much methane as others but still produce methane. These animals who produce methane which is a greenhouse gas leaves an impact on the environment 23 times greater than CO2 making it concerning. New findings have shown that the marsupial may be producing the same amount of methane like many other animals which may be little bit of a concern. The greenhouse gas cannot be taken lightly as it is seen as a problem, cows have already provided an issue for the planet as it produces up to 200 liters of methane a day with 1.4 billion in the whole world. Researchers have had hope to reduce the effects of the Kangaroos to take out much of the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere as much as possible.
Opinion
In my opinion, this issue should be seen as a concern with Methane involved as the gas can pose as a threat that people should indeed be worried about. I was not aware that the gas is in other animals besides cows as they are mostly known for containing methane but I have been proven wrong. I now see the greenhouse gas as a real threat being 23 times worse than CO2 which is a problem that the planet should not have to deal with as well. So working on a way to prevent future harm to the atmosphere is the ideal thing that we need to put into focus as knowing now that the edition of Kangaroo releasing it will add on to harm. The bacteria releasing it within its body could possibly be depriving the host of some nutrients that it should receive from the food which is a little bit of a concern for them as well. Figuring out ways to prevent further methane in the atmosphere is the focus.
What should we do?
Mentioned as well earlier that the main focus of figuring out how to prevent future methane into the atmosphere is the focus. More greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is not what we necessarily want as there is already enough CO2 in the air and don't need more than that. Figuring out a way to limit the amount in Kangaroos and Cows would be a great start as it could leave lack of nutrients due to the bacteria. We should also focus on not letting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere as it we would only just be adding onto the atmosphere being harmed. Doing less activities that would lead to the harm of air would help us in our efforts to prevent further global warming which is what should be aimed for. The preservation of Earth's atmosphere is what is most important as retaining our planet Earth is priority number one for us.
Scrapes #11: China's New Policy
By Mara Hvistendahl
Summary
Last week China ended the rule of limiting families to just one child but may lead to a sudden baby boom which will soon spark economic growth. Although this will allow them the freedom to give birth to much children as they pleased, many parents have decided to stick with one as they have already become acquainted with that standard of living. The policy however has created a population full of men due to the one child having sex-selective abortions which is an issue. This problem has lead to future change for the demographic as it will take decades to fix this with a huge change in the amount of boys to girls. The one-child policy was based on a mid-20th century Western promise: Slashing the birth rate would yield a "demographic dividend" of abundant working-age people with few dependents to support. The change of the amount of children had left a big mark onto the population with today as 12 percent of China's population is over age 60, with a paucity of young people to provide economic and social support. Sex selection, in fact, had been linked population control since at least the 1950s, when research emerged showing that around the world, couples kept having children until they had a son. This has been a serious issue as it has changed the demographic tremendously for many areas and isn't to be taken lately.
Opinion
In my opinion this is a very serious issue as this has left serious change onto the population with the rule of one child policy hurting the demographic. The change is very different with China as they had done same-sex selection which would alter nature's selection and morally isn't right. However it is very interesting as when they had taken out the one child policy, many people had already become acquainted to this certain standard of living even though they now became free to have as many as they pleased. I had also found it remarkable and shocked that this way of living has been going on for many years and makes sense seeing why many have gone so used to this lifestyle. This is very sad as it doesn't allow children to live their life without being judged for who they are at birth and is truly unfair to them.
What should we do?
What we should do is developing a much better strategy of lowering the amount of the population. This isn't the right way of limiting factors and rather should be doing it by choice and allowing the public to know of future consequences. This allows those to be aware of everything and give them something to be scared about and not letting those to do abortions even though they do want a child. Continue to not allowing the identity of the baby before it is born being identified as this will lead to less abortions. This will work as families will not keep killing unborn children and would allow them to be able to develop a life at least. Another thing to do is create laws to not allowing these types of incidents to occur such as the killing of a child or trying to kill the child although it may not be born yet. Whatever can help with this issue should be of the highest importance as this will hurt the human population for the future and we should not have that happen.
Scrapes #12: Tuberculosis is 2nd to HIV in world deaths
By Julie Steenhuysen
Summary
In Chicago, tuberculosis infections has finally met AIDS/HIV's match becoming the now leading cause if death from disease. Scary statistics show that during the year of 2014, approximately 1.1 million people had died due to the disease which is on a global pandemic scale. This shows that there is concern for it as it continues to thrive in today's world despite some treatment being made and survivors of the disease. Effort must be put into more solutions for Tuberculosis if something wants to be done about it as it still remains a major threat. Many countries continue to face harm from the disease with 205 countries trying to find a solution to this issue. Much funding has gone into more research for cure or anything to reduce the affects of TB and is of the highest concern for people. Tuberculosis is much more common in areas with lack of resource and poorer countries such as India and China making it a bigger threat to those areas as they now are somewhat helpless from preventing it.
Opinion
In my opinion I am shocked to learn that tuberculosis has passed HIV/AIDS as the biggest disease threat which is also a very big concern. I feel like more work needs to be done into maintaining control as spreading it could lead to future harm for different areas. It should be a little bit of a concern as HIV/AIDS has always lead as the most major concern but having Tuberculosis pass it should be seen as a concern for it to finally be passed. It is also scary to know that over 1.1 million people have died due to this in recent years and should be focused on. I believe that a drug to counteract the affects of the disease is of the highest importance. I would be worried at all times about this mess as I am not sure if this is indeed being taken seriously and may possibly affect me if nothing is done about it.
What should we do?
What we should be doing now is putting much more of an effort into finding a cure or creating a drug that will allow humans to withstand the symptoms of Tuberculosis. It is a serious threat and researchers should focus on the urgency of the matter as it finally had passed HIV/AIDS which has been the top threat for a long time making it a big deal. I believe that the spread of awareness should be key as not everyone realizes of what the future may hold if no one takes it seriously with plenty more people to die every year. After the spread of awareness, this will allow many to get behind this movement and start funding. This will overall help out the fight against Tuberculosis which will be one step into decreasing the amount of deaths from it slowly.
Scrapes #13: From Calm Leadership, Lasting Change
By Nancy F. Koehn
Summary
Rachel Carson's book "Silent Spring" has played a big role in starting the environmental movement as it had forced the government and businesses to confront the dangers of using these pesticides. She was battling breast cancer during the time while caring for kid and was dealing with the issues of the backlash she had received from the public as many people resented her. She had found a job in 1935 having a job for writing radio scripts about the ocean for what would become the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Dealt with a surgery to remove a tumor she had in her breast while the following year publishing "The Sea Around Us" which is an unbelievable time for her. Realizing that if she had been quiet with her book "Silent Spring" this would have not shown concern for the planet and the environment around. She argued that synthetic pesticides like DDT and heptachlor were being applied in profligate quantities without regard to their effect on human health, animals and the environment. Many environmental rules were placed in order to keep a clean environment such as the EPA banning DDT from use in the United States, The Clean Water Act (1972) and the Endangered Species Act (1973) which were influenced by Rachel Carson's book. She was able to create a positive change for the world despite difficulties she had gone through.
Opinion
In my opinion this is a very important article as it had taught many people that one person can definitely make a difference for the world. The world was in dire need for someone to step up and question our planet because of the decisions we were making not aware of the future consequences. The world needs someone like Rachel Carson as she was brave enough to challenge everybody and show that we all are hurting our environment unintentionally and will be the cause for the failure of planet Earth. It is also very amazing that she was able to do all this while facing medical problems in her health and not worry about all the negativity she was receiving at the same time. She truly influenced the way we think about Earth, if she didn't speak up for her concerns, who knows where we will have been today in the present. Maybe the world would look completely different for her to not say anything at all, maybe we would be living in a completely polluted world surrounded by filth everywhere. With the help of Rachel Carson, we have started to care for where we live.
What should we do?
What we should do now is to continue on with what Rachel Carson had preached about which is by showing concern for Earth. Raise awareness of what we are doing to hurt the environment,the world needs to know the error of their ways. Cleaning up areas that may be polluted, protecting environments for areas that may be inhabited by endangered species and keeping our oceans cleaned as it gives homes to majority of our animals. Figuring out more solutions to keep the world efficient but still staying green as it will be good in the long run. Some ideas may be difficult to go through with it but however even small things can help make a difference in changing the world one step at a time.
Scrapes #14: Toxins in your Hair
By Lindsey Blomberg
Summary
There has been a popular keratin-based hair-straightening treatment called Brazilian Blowout that would allow them to transform unruly curls into frizz-free, smooth hair for months. However there is one moment where hairstylists in Portland, Oregon began to experience shortness of breath, eye irritation, and nosebleeds when using their products which lead to many complaints. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that the products contained the toxic carcinogen formaldehyde which contains ingredients that can be threatful fumes. The Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution had 6.3-10.6% levels of formaldehyde, soon enough many workers began to complain about the issue of burning eyes and throats, loss of smell and shortness of breath when performing the treatment. Becoming a danger has it linked to nose and throat cancer and leukemia which is an issue, this reintroduced the "Safe Cosmetics Act" that gave the FDA the ability to restrict harmful chemicals in beauty products. With this new discovery of the chemicals, the company had to change to find a better alternative which is better for the environment.
Opinion
In my opinion this is a very interesting article as we do not usually think of this as a threat to people but it actually is somehow. Learning about the Brazilian Blowout, I am now concerned about my own well being especially with my hair as this seems to be very threatening. Thinking about it over, people get their hair done around the world everyday and I can see why this is concerning with people as this may affect their own personal health which can lead to much problems. I believe that this type of problem shouldn't have even happen at all as the company should have been more careful with what is in the material. They could have also been sued if the problem had gotten out of hand and lead to harm that could have been avoided which is unfortunate. These acts are great for the environment and humans as it helps put restrictions on things that could have lead to much more harm but did not.
What should we do?
What we should do is become more conscious of what is in the materials that we use everyday as they can cause serious harm to our health if not taken carefully. Something that may be used by hundreds of people could be in harms way if we don't test these certain materials as it shows recklessness and can lead to those getting sued. More work needs to be done for finding safer alternatives to these types of products as you never know how many people use it or can be hurt severely from just using a simple product such as a lotion or shampoo. Besides companies to be more aware of their products, it is also our job to read everything about what we are buying and using as we are responsible for these issues as well.
Scrapes #15: Lead in Lipstick
By Dina ElBoghdady
Summary:
During a recent federal analysis showed that 400 shades of popular lipstick contained trace amounts of lead within in it showing the concern of cosmetics. Now consumers have begun to question if they can truly trust their own product with cosmetics and has lead to much upset with paranoia. Popular cosmetic companies such as L'Oreal and Maybelline have been considered to be one of the most widely known products but unfortunately are also some of the companies suffering with contamination of lead according to test show by the Food and Drug Administration. For years to come, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics had been pushing the government to set limits for lead levels in lipstick but the FDA seem to not believe that there is any safety concern involving this matter but consumer groups beg to differ wanting action. Many reports have come up over numerous times comparing the issue of lead in lipstick to that of candy as it seems to have been contained within it as well. The lead contained in the lipstick was not intentionally put into the cosmetics but were in there as some of the lipsticks are mineral-based which have traces of lead in it due to being naturally found in soil, water and air. Lead is an issue as it builds up in the body over time, and with the amount of lipstick applied every day this can lead to significant amounts of exposure levels to the lead. However nothing was done about the issue due to it not being that big of a rising threat with the amount of lead concentration and must reach five parts per million.
Opinion:
In my opinion, I find this as a very scary problem thinking about how much individuals apply lipstick to themselves and knowing that it had contained lead traces within it. I would be afraid to ever put on makeup (even though I still I wouldn't do it in the first place) but if I was a girl knowing that, I would be very concerned for myself. I also find it unbelievable that they would still be advertising these types of products, having millions of people buy it everyday and letting them use it unaware of what it contains in it. I find it very unfair to those individuals as they could possibly be hurting themselves in the end as it is being applied onto their lips and eventually slowly building up in their body. I believe that there should be change that needs to be made as majority of the cosmetics containing the lead is in the most popular products such as L'Oreal which is even bought from people such as my mother and sister!
What should we do?
What we should do now is to work on more better alternatives to cosmetics that we use everyday as it would allow people to have a not stressed out mind about it. Figuring out a way to take out traces of the lead should be the first thing on our list for the future as people's health can be harmed if something isn't done. Research should be done to be done in being able to extract it from the cosmetics making it less likely of any health problems. We should also be focusing looking more onto cosmetics that have low amounts of lead concentration rather than the ones that are just high valued name brands as it is a smarter decision to do. We do not necessarily need to focus on what is hot at the moment or what is in all the time but rather put focus onto what is indeed best for us to have. This is a very high concern as it could be a common threat which is something that we do not want to have at all.
Scrapes #16: Everyday Exposure to Toxic Pollutants
By Wayne R. Ott and John W. Roberts
Summary
Most environmental laws in the U.S. seek to control only the release of potentially dangerous wastes into the air and water, not the amount of contact people actually have with those pollutants. Regulators seldom knew with any certainty the number of people affected by a given pollutant, the severity of exposure or the specific sources of the worrisome chemical. In 1980 one of us (Ott), along with Lance A. Wallace of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, launched the first serious efforts to assess everyday exposure of the general population to toxic substances. The program was carried out by the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina and other contract research organizations, later expanded to include some two dozen studies in 14 U.S. states. With studies produced results that were disturbing: most citizens were likely to have the greatest contact with potentially toxic pollutants not outside but inside the places they usually consider to be essentially unpolluted, such as homes, offices and automobiles. Wallace discovered that the average concentration of benzene inhaled was nearly three times higher than typical outdoor levels. Although assessments of the risks to health are somewhat uncertain, it is clear that less contact with toxic volatile organic compounds is better than more. Better airflow can also help exposure to carbon monoxide, a product of incomplete combustion that robs the blood of oxygen and can be particularly harmful to people with heart ailments when inhaled at levels often found indoors. People sometimes apply inappropriate pesticides directly to indoor surfaces, unaware that they are causing their own high exposures. The pesticides and volatile organic compounds found indoors cause perhaps 3,000 cases of cancer a year in the U.S., making these substances just as threatening to nonsmokers as radon or secondhand tobacco smoke. Sadly, most people-including officials of the U.S. government-are rather complacent about such indoor pollutants.
Opinion
In my opinion, there is much needed attention when it comes to the topic of everyday exposure to toxic pollutants as it is obviously all around us. Although we may be around these items on a daily basis, it doesn't necessarily mean that we are indeed safe or even trust what is around us. No matter where we go, there is always something toxic around us that can harm us in some way regardless of what it may be. Exposure to different types of chemicals can lead to different human defects or problems such as twitching, low sperm count, reproductive issues, Mad Hatter Disease, and much more that may be more severe than that. More emphasis needs to be placed onto this as you never know what you may be buying can lead to killing you due to us assuming that it is overall just safe.
What should we do?
What we should be doing is working on a way to spread the word of this missed issue as I feel like the general public has the right to know of what is truly going on. Placing it on our labels at stores as people are unaware of what they are spending money and what is contained in the ingredients of their products. The general public will assume that "It's in the store so it must be safe" but in reality they aren't aware that they can still be harmed. Steps need to be made for finding safer alternatives as we will benefit in having a better future and not one where humans are hurt by their own products. Awareness is the key to helping rid of the issue that we are creating on our own and will open our eyes to our mistakes.
Scrapes #17: Do Low Doses of BPA Harm People?
By Elizabeth Grossman
Summary
The main question is that "Are people exposed to doses of bisphenol A in their canned foods and other consumer products that can harm them? Or are the amounts too low to cause any harm?". This has become the major debate as it is being waged as federal officials are trying to decide whether the chemical, known as BPA, should indeed be regulated. BPA is considered to be the most controversial chemical in consumer products as it has been used to make polycarbonate plastic as well as food and beverage can liners and some paper receipts and dental sealants. BPA is harmful as it acts like an estrogen with it being able to disrupt hormones in laboratory animals, it alters how their reproductive systems and brains develop, and sets the stage for breast and prostate cancer. BPA is also found to be in 90 percent of the Americans that have been tested which is a major concern. Doing animal studies, it was shown "exposure levels much higher than has been measured in most human blood samples and its therefore not sufficient evidence on which to make claims that humans are at risk at current exposure levels". Chronic disease in human populations is not something traditional toxicology is designed to handle. It doesn't look for risk factors. In addition, the biologists say BPA, like other hormones, seems to have effects at low doses that don't occur at high doses. That doesn't happen with the other chemicals that toxicologists are accustomed to.
Opinion
In my opinion, BPA is seen as one of the most controversial chemical in consumer products and is deserving for it's name as it is proven to very harmful. I find it very scary knowing facts about it such as how 90 percent of the humans tested were all found to have BPA within their body. This shows that this has become an epidemic as who knows how many of us around the world have succumbed to BPA and what harm it can do in the body. It is a serious problem as it can be found everywhere in consumer products as it has been used to make polycarbonate plastic and is in food and beverage liners, receipts and dental sealants. It comes in different forms which people on a daily basis use not realizing what they are exposed to. It is even affecting the animals as it is leaving them to be exposed and will not cease to hurt humans as well.
What should we do?
What we need to do is spread awareness on this topic as BPA will continue to get worse if nothing is done about it anytime soon. BPA is not something that will cease anytime soon, so we need to figure out ways to find greener methods for the replacement. It is located in all types of different materials that we use everyday making it a common threat for people around the world. If the news of this issue is spread from one person to another, this will allow it spread all around and will allow more work to be done. This should be one of the highest concerns for our own as we have become the main target for this terrible chemical that has left so much devastation to our kind.
Scrapes #18: Flame Retardants linked to Lower IQs
By Dina Fine Maron
Summary
Almost after manufacturers stopped using certain chemical flame retardants in furniture foam and carpet padding, many of the compounds still lurk in homes. Researchers investigating the health impacts of prenatal exposure to flame retardants collected blood samples from 309 pregnant women early in their second trimester. Spikes in the levels of one class of flame retardant, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDES) correlated with behavior and cognition difficulties during early childhood. They found that children of mothers who had high PBDE levels during their second trimester showed cognition deficits when the children were five years old as well as higher rates of hyperactivity at ages two to five. Chen says that although the lack of blood level data in the children is a limitation, other researchers have measured both mother and child PBDE levels and found similar deficits, strengthening his conclusions. Children are considered to be at particular risk of encountering hazardous dust because they spend so much time close to the floor and often put their hands in their mouths. The particular flame retardants investigated in Chen's study, which were typically used in polyurethane foams and carpet pads, were phased out of manufacturing in 2004, but they are still on old furniture, remain in the atmosphere and settle into dust in the home. Furniture-makers have continued to use flame retardants because of a state law-the California Technical Bulletin 117.
Opinion
In my opinion, this is a big deal as many items are flame retardant within furniture foam and carpet padding, with the issue of compounds still lurking in homes. Many health issues are involved when it comes to flame retardants as they have pretty severe issues to the human body. I believe that the world and what we create is becoming more of a concern as they are proving to be more harmful than helpful to us. Now what kind of lifestyle is this if there is no trust in what we buy from a store as there may be chemicals or materials that will leave long-lasting effects onto our bodies. Same goes to flame retardant items, why would I want to have one if it may be linked to hurting my future children and their IQ. Basically it is going against what is advertising on keeping my own well being safe.
What should we do?
We need to try and avoid using flame retardant product if it is indeed confirmed that they do lower IQ and do harm. There are so many items that contain this material which seems to be a problem as many people are unaware and are using it around there kids who seem to be affected the most by it. Finding a way to still have fire retardant items but yet keep it safe to be around as well would be the answer to our problem. Keeping our children away from these types of materials for the meantime as they can have long lasting effects if we don't mark it as hazardous for children. Another item added to concern is Flame Retardant products and needs to be worked on to keep a safer future for the youth and ourselves.
Scrapes #19: Arsenic in Drinking Water
By A. Mushtaque R. Chowdhury
Summary
In the 1970s and 1980s the Bangladesh government, along with international aid agencies spearheaded by UNICEF, undertook an ambitious project to bring clean water to the nation's villages. Too many children were dying of diarrhea from drinking surface water contaminated with bacteria. As early as 1983, dermatologist Kshitish C. Saha of the School of Tropical Medicine in neighboring Kolkata (Calcutta), India, had identified the skin lesions on some patients as arising from arsenic poisoning. Today around 30 percent of Bangladesh's tubewells are known to yield more than 50 micrograms of arsenic per liter of water, with 5 to 10 percent providing more than six times this amount. The first sign of poisoning, which may appear as long as 10 years after someone starts drinking arsenic-laden water, is black spots on the upper chest, back and arms , known as melanosis. Drinking water with high levels of arsenic can also lead to neurological and cardiovascular complications. In response to the crisis, the government created the Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation and Water Supply Project in 1998, to which effort the World Bank provided a loan of $32.5 million. In truth, even the poorest nations-perhaps especially the poorest-should check the quality of their water constantly.
Opinion
In my opinion like many of the issues going on, this is also a very serious topic as well with water being all around us. Water is required in all living organisms in order to survive and if that resource is threatened than our safety could be in grave danger. Water purification is important as even the barely contaminated water can lead to someone sick or possibly worse cause them to die. Whatever works to create purified water is important especially in poorer countries because they don't have all the opportunities or technology that someone from the U.S. has. I believe that more effort needs to be done in getting the proper technology to countries that are suffering the most from poor water quality because it is our duty to help the less fortunate.
What should we do?
What we need to be doing is working on finding a way to create simpler cheap solutions for providing clean water to poorer countries. What we can do is do donations in providing more technology for poorer countries to be shipped out there as it will help those that cannot afford it but need it the most out of anyone. All we would have to do is be caring for one another and give back to the less fortunate. Another method that we can do is by teaching those poorer countries on how to make cheap solutions as they can learn from it and spread the word as more countries will put in effort into making their areas safe. We all need to step up and contribute to those in need as it is our civil duty to help those who need it.
Scrapes #20: Down Go The Dams
By Jane C. Marks
Summary
By 1916 engineers had damned Fossil Creek, redirecting water through flumes that wound along steep hillsides to two hydroelectric plants. By 2001, however, the Fossil Creek generating stations were providing less than 0.1 percent of the state's power supply. Decommissioning dams (particularly small ones, as is the case in Fossil Creek) is becoming a regular occurrence as structures age, provide an inconsequential share of a region's power, become unsafe or too costly to repair, or as communities decide they want their rivers wild and full of fish again. Today about 800,000 dams operate worldwide, 45,000 of which are large-that is, greater than 15 meters tall. Most were built in the past century, primarily after World War II. In the U.S., where hydropower dams must be re-licensed every 30 to 50 years, the rate of dam removal has exceeded the rate of construction for the past two years alone, about 8- dams have fallen.In most places where dams have been eliminated, the stories of the Kennebec and the Loire have been repeated. Water clarity and oxygen levels increase as flow comes back, and aquatic insects thrive again. In some cases, dams have blocked invasive species from moving upriver and into zones above the dam. In places where flood control is crucial, government organizations have had to devise safety strategies before dams could come down. Societies will continue to balance the pros and cons of dams, weighing their utility and benefits against their destructive costs.
Opinion
In my opinion being able to control all these potentially dangerous wastes into the air and water is what we need to focus on at the moment. Pollutants are a very big concern for the environment and need to be regulated in order to have a more safer future. It was a very big shock to learn that studies had shown most of the citizens had the greatest contact with potentially toxic pollutants not outside but inside! This is very disturbing to learn as we are in more contact with these pollutants than we think and can be huge concern as many are not aware of this fact. We need to be aware of these things like this as our body is exposed to so much already such as how better airflow can also help exposure to carbon monoxide. Pesticides are a big issue as well and these types of chemicals can be terrible as it can lead to harm which can be permanent lasting.
What Should We Do?
We need to learn from this issue as it is a major concern to know we are more surrounded by these potentially dangerous wastes than we think. We need to be more safety conscious when it comes to everything around us as there is so much that can harm us and we are exposed to this. We must raise awareness of what is going on around us as not many know the truth that we are more vulnerable to potential toxins than we think. People are in harm's way and it is by something that they have been surrounded by for most of their days spent. Many things can hurt the human being and that opens our eyes to show that pollutants need to be regulated if we don't want increase harm than there needs to be. Many harmful things surround us everyday and what we need to do is keep note of it but yet try and avoid this as much as possible if we ever want a reduction in future harm to our bodies.
Scrapes #21: Plastic Contaminates Table Salt in China
By Sarah Everts & Chemical Engineering News
Summary
Researchers analyzed fifteen brands of common table salt bought at supermarkets across China, had found the grains of seasoning micro-sized particles of the common water bottle plastic polyethylene terephthalate, as well as polyethylene, cellophane, and a wide variety of other plastics. The highest level of plastic contamination was found in salt sourced from the ocean: The researchers measured more than 250 particles of plastic per lb of sea salt. They had found tiny particles of plastic within the salt that was sourced from the briny lakes, wells and salt mines. Shi and colleagues argue that plastic contamination originates from the vast amount of plastic pollution floating around marine environments where sea salt is sourced. According to Shi's team, if a person were consuming Chinese sea salt at the maximal salt dose recommended by the World Health Organization, then that person would ingest about 1,000 plastic microparticles annually.
Opinion
In my opinion I find it so surprising that there is such thing as plastic contaminating table salt in China. I find it shocking that this could even occur...AT ALL! It is scary as consuming table salt that you have bought from the store could contain materials that will stay in your body for awhile as it will take a long time to digest. If we don't do anything now then many people can become sick from not being able to digest all of these microplastics are a big problem. After watching videos on what is inside dead seagulls filled with plastic, I am scared to find out how much may be in humans. Especially how China is a big import to different countries is a problem as many other countries could be affected in the near future. This is a problem as this can be a threat in the future and could possibly slowly be killing themselves without knowing.
What should we do?
What we need to do is investigate on what is inside in our salt as we are able to prevent small threats like the plastic issue. Spreading awareness of what we may be consuming is important as it will leave others to consider what they may be buying. It will also cause companies to become slightly curious if they do contain plastic and do further investigation on their own products. Figuring out how we can tell companies is the goal as they would be heavily concerned to because they can be sued if the truth gets out that they may contain plastic. Preventing plastic within table salt is what we need to do prevent future harm for our race.
Scrapes #22: China-India Smog Rivalry a Sign of Global Menace
By Angel Hsu & Jason Schwartz
Summary
Air pollution kills around 7 million people every year, accounting for one in eight deaths worldwide, according to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) released March 25. According to the 2014 edition of our Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a biennial ranking of countries produced by Yale and Columbia universities, India and China both tie for dead last in terms of populations affected by poor air quality. But with dangerous air pollution in other parts of the world, narrow attention on just China, India or China-versus-India is problematic. It contributes to diplomatic noise while distracting useful investigations into a global problem that is killing a lot of people - and not just in the developing world. Industry and the transport sector, which are the primary sources of air pollution, have grown particularly fast in emerging economies like China, India and Brazil. The regulation and monitoring of emissions has simply not kept pace. Although scientists and public health advocates might agree on what thresholds for safe air quality levels look like, enacting policies and targets to achieve them is much more complicated. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), 8 global goals ranging from poverty alleviation to HIV/AIDS reduction, set upon halving the global population lacking access to clean water by 2015. Despite all of the media attention, national air quality measurement capabilities remain weak in most countries. Improving public health and the vitality of the environment will require decision makers to get serious about monitoring and reporting standards. While taking China's lead on transparency may seem ironic, it is no joke that Beijing has made substantial efforts to improve the air quality information it has provided its citizens in recent years.
Opinion
Air pollution has always been a serious issue but is now being seen as a global menace as it has been able to kill around 7 million people every year and is held accountable for killing one-eighth of people. That is indeed pretty scary and was not ever aware that this statistic was this high of a chance for people. Reading about how India and China are both tied for dead last in terms of populations affected by poor air quality is seriously unfortunate as they both have the highest population of people on planet Earth. This means that many individuals are heavily affected by poor air quality as it kills them leading to a higher death rate in recent years as it will definitely not stop anytime soon. I find it obvious that we need to trace it back to the source and figure out how to deal with them and reduce the amount of air pollution caused. As the primary sources of Air Pollution are from Industry and Transport, we must figure out greener solutions on how to make it more friendly rather than just allowing it to suffocate us to death.
What should we do?
What we should do is figure out a greener way in removing all of this terrible air pollution that is just hurting the planet creating more negative effects. Most importantly at least trying to create less in areas in the lands of India and China as it seems that they are indeed having the hardest times dealing with all of these emissions being spread in their areas. It is a serious harmful issue and must be stopped or if anything at least reduced cause this may be a growing issue in the future. I say that the Environmental Protection Agency becomes more heavily involved in the matter as it will not only be India and China resulting in deaths but later on much more populated areas will be subdued to the same fate with becoming affecting by the harmful air quality. I have grown to learn that many things are harmful to the world but what we have to do is try and create a difference by spreading awareness as we are in the age of Social Media where we can spread information in a heartbeat.