Pollution

Pollution

"Many substances are toxic at certain quantities but have negligible effects below certain concentrations. Nitrogen, for example, is necessary to plant growth, but added in excess amounts as fertilizer can result in nitrate contamination of drinking water and causes dead zones along coastlines. Carbon dioxide is essentially for keeping Earth’s temperature warm enough for life, but when it builds up faster than the earth system can accommodate, climate regulation is disrupted."

I think this quote is very representative of the attitude most people today have towards pollution. Most don't understand just how much pollution there actually is in the world, so they believe that we are still at a level where it has negligible effects. A campaign to raise awareness of just how much pollution there is in the world today is something I believe will help people to understand our situation and take it a little more seriously. This quote also reminds me of a news story a few years ago when a woman on a competitive TV show had to drink the most water of all the contestants in order to win an Xbox for her son. Unfortunately, she proved this quote by drinking water until it became toxic and killed her. This sad story can be taken as a gruesome metaphor for the plight the Earth is currently struggling with.

https://www.bionity.com/en/infographics/201/lethal-doses-of-water-caffeine-and-alcohol.html

"The toxins that bioaccumulated in the tissues of the prey animals get concentrated in the tissues of the predators who eat them. One of the earliest examples of biomagnification was the accumulation of DDT in bald eagles, top predators in their particular food webs."

As a proud American, this quote hurts my soul because I've only ever seen the bald eagle as a magnificent creature that didn't deserve to be hurt in this way. Talking about biomagnification as well as bioaccumulation in class gave me a deeper appreciation for the delicate nature of our home and I hope we as a people become more careful with what we dispose of so that it doesn't hurt surrounding ecosystems. I've seen a bald eagle only twice before in person, and both times I stood in awe as it glided majestically over 100 feet above me. The problem of biomagnification saddens me and makes me wonder if there'd be more bald eagles roaming the sky today if we had been more careful. This problem can happen to any ecosystem as well as any food chain within it, putting the predators at the top of every food chain at risk.

https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2018/10/02/how-the-bald-eagle-soared-again

"The acids form through chemical reactions in the air when sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides released by power plants and vehicle exhaust mix with oxygen, water, and other atmospheric components. Acid rain damages historic buildings and sculptures, damages forest trees, and upsets ecosystems of lakes and streams through acidification."

Acid rain was definitely something I was unaware of until now, and it's crazy to just think about it. The fact that we create enough pollution to make rain water acidic enough to melt buildings is simply terrifying. I wonder if there have been people walking through rain before and realized that their clothing or umbrella was starting to melt. It is of the utmost importance that we take steps to prevent this phenomenon from continuing to occur in order to preserve the precious beautiful ecosystems being slowly destroyed by this acid rain. Alternative forms of clean energy are imperative to making this effort a success, so electric cars and similar endeavors should be supported and encouraged.

Sources:

1. Robertson, Margaret. Sustainability Principles and Practice. Routledge, 2017.