It's time to share all of the hard work you've done investigating and writing about your issue. Copy and paste your article as a comment in this post after you have shared it with me. Reply to at least 3 students. Find a positive craft move that they made and compliment them on it.
Picture this a bunch of students protesting for a boys volleyball team and girl football team. Also them protesting for trans rights in sports. But they are shut down. It all starts with Title IX.
ReplyDeleteTitle IX was made to help promote equality in schools. Title IX states that both men and women must have the same opportunities given to them. You may be surprised that colleges have problems trying to give men and women the same amount of scholarships due to so many players on football teams. But since Title IX girls soccer has gone up by 20% and basketball up by 15%.
One problem with Title IX is with Trans gender students. Should Title IX still apply to them? A man said “Times are changing, So should laws.” Another man said. “Maybe we just need Title IX altered a little.”
Next up for gender equality in sports we have boys volleyball. For a boys volleyball team school’s could be more successful. People would be interested to come and it would get some kids of video games. But the downside some school’s won’t have enough money for a boys volleyball and girls football.
Another problem related to sports is sportscasting. How many times have you heard a woman sportscasting? Not very many times I’m sure. 40% of all sports participants are women, and they only received 4% of woman sportscasting.
Racial wages are a big problem around the world. For years Black people and many others have experienced major imbalance of pay compared to white men. This sort of racism has caused people to lose their jobs before. Most of the time black and white men could be equally qualified and the white man would still get paid more most of the time.
ReplyDeleteYou may be surprised to hear that black women only get paid 61 cents for every dollar a white man makes, also black men only make 81 cents. This gap in very significant to their individual income. It also turns out that a black man only has a 25% chance to get a job if a white man is in competition with them. Knowing this statistic, some places have to fill a quota of how many african american people need to work there so they don’t seem like a racial biased business.
Considering that in the past they had to work their whole lives without any compensation the situation now could be seen as better or worse. It could be seen as worse because over all these years they still are not seen as equal to white people. Also it could be seen as better since now they can live a pretty normal life.
Some individuals devote their lives to the cause of trying to change this. Economics professor from stockton University stated some ways on how you could help. One of the ways she stated could help is to strengthen labor laws and supporting workers rights.
A woman in Sante Fe was interviewed , she wanted to help our planets problem with pollution, but she was tight on money. In her interview she said, “I live on a budget, I do all I can to try to have affordable options in every category. I just want to do what I can to contribute to a solution.” The little solutions may not seem very effective, but the more people do the more solutions our planet can find.
ReplyDeleteIn the late 19th century, plastic was invented as an easy, cheap, and light way of packaging. Businesses took advantage of plastic and started packaging almost everything in it, not realizing how much it would affect our planet. Now that 5-6 rotating patches of garbage are floating in our ocean people have decided to decrease their plastic usage.
A company called Tenith Innovations is creating a new type of technology to persuade people to become less dependent on single-use plastics. Instead of using plastic, paper and styrofoam for packaging, this company found a way to use banana leaves. Over half of the world’s plastics and paper are used once, then thrown away. Tenith Innovations uses all natural chemicals to increase the durability and preserves it to have a life span of 3 years.
When plastic gets into our ecosystem it starts to cause a lot of problems in our environment. Including water pollution, air pollution, and pollution in our soil. Micro plastics can even get into our bodies through water, food and air. If you use the banana leaves as an alternative for packaging it’ll last longer. In addition, if someone litters with it it will decompose and won’t case any damage to our planet/environment.
Recently, airlines have become more cautious on the amount of single-use plastics they've been using. Airlines use a lot of plastic in the cabins and lounges. Stir sticks, straws, cutlery, sauce packets, and etc. The japanese airline, ANA, is collaborating with US-biotech trying to develop more effective bio-fuels to reduce the amount of pollution going into our air. The airline Emirates is planning that by June to reduce 82 million single-use plastics in their cabins and lounges.
Research says that by 2050, there will be an estimated 13 billion tons of plastic waste in our environment. That is equivalent to the weight of 1.18 billion African Bush elephants (each weighing about 11 tons). If only a small portion of people/businesses are putting in an effort to reduce plastic pollution, it’s going to be a very long process. Although, if everyone pitches in just a little, our planet could take a turn on the right path.
Those who would like to alleviate these problems, there are multiple steps you can take to reduce your reliance on single-use plastics. Almost everything bought in a store has some type of plastic in/on it. Bringing your own reusable supplies/items including water bottle, take-out containers, cloth bags, and etc, are all simple ways to become less reliant on plastic. Since plastic was so easily mass produced, why not mass produce a type of packaging that's biodegradable? Shopping at farmers markets and buying loose fruit and vegetables in bulk involves no plastic at all. “We have a responsibility, every one of us… We may think we live a long way from the oceans, but we don’t. What we actually do here, and in the middle of Asia and wherever, has a direct effect on the oceans- and what the ocean do then reflects back on us”. Don’t watch everyone make an impact on our planet’s pollution, take action and make an even bigger impact.
“Every breath of air we take, every mouth full of food we take, comes from the natural world. And if we damage the natural world, we damage ourselves.” Continue damaging our natural life support, or take action.
I like your facts and quotes.
DeletePart 1- Greta Thunberg is not your typical 16 year old, but she is influential in ways that people much older than her are not. In fact, her actions were so powerful and effective that she was reportedly a 2019 finalist for the Nobel Peace Prize. That made her one of the youngest nominees and she also earned the No.100 spot on the 2019 list of the most powerful women in the world. As a teen climate activist, her goal is to help save the planet by informing others and taking actions into her own hands.
ReplyDelete“Climate change is happening, humans are causing it and I think this is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us.”States Bill Nye.
You might be wondering, what is climate change? Well, climate change occurs when changes in the Earth’s climate system result in new weather patterns that stay for a long time. We see it everywhere and it is currently affecting the lives of everything on earth poorly.
In an interview with Devin Thorpe, climate scientist Dr.Katharine Hayhoe shared her thoughts on the topic by saying, “If our body’s temperature goes up one and a half degrees Fahrenheit we are running a fever. We go to a doctor. If it was three or four degrees we go to the hospital. And that’s what’s happening to our planet. It’s running a fever. And that fever is affecting us.”
This woman warns that not only is climate change urgent, but that a difference as small as two degrees matters and people need to be informed of that.
In that case, what’s the big issue? The extreme temperature levels are causing a variety of issues. The biggest ones being human health, freshwater, sea levels, marine life, and wildlife.
First of all, the arctics could eventually become ice-free from the rising temperatures. This will cause thousands of arctic animals to be threatened, sea levels to rise, and increased flooding. This is also because the ocean absorbs about 30% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels. The United States Environmental Protection Agency says when averaged over all of the world’s oceans, sea level has risen at a rate of roughly six-tenths of an inch per decade since 1880. With all of these ocean outcomes and rising acidity in the water, marine life is threatened as well as coral reefs.
Next, as the Earth continues to warm, crucial habitats might not be welcoming or livable for some plants and animals putting them at risk. The World Wildlife Fund for nature
Part 2- reveals that up to half of plant and animal species in the world’s most naturally rich areas, such as the Amazon and the Galapagos, could face local extinction by the turn of the century due to climate change if carbon emissions continue to rise unchecked.
ReplyDeleteLastly, humans may be the biggest concern of all. The reason being all of the threatening impacts that are currently here or possible coming. Such as the world's water and food supply, human health, and the environment. Being exposed to waterborne and insect diseases, poor air quality, and extreme heat is not only a problem to humanity but it’s life-threatening. The website Conservation International says that 800 million people are already vulnerable to climate change and it will only continue to grow if something isn’t done.
Therefore, if we don’t stop contributing to the greenhouse effect, which is the natural process that warms the Earth's surface, a lot will be at stake.
“You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes,'' says Greta Thunberg in her speech at a UN conference for climate change.
The truth is, fixing the problem starts with noticing it and doing everything you can to make a change.
What, you may be wondering, can you do? It only takes a little to make a lot happen if everyone would take a stand. Simply taking shorter showers, turning off unused lights, recycling and reusing, limiting electronic use, eating less meat, and using public transportation as often as possible could be a start.
The big question many people speculate is if it’s too late to help. According to NASA, even if we stopped emitting greenhouse gasses today, global warming would continue to happen for at least several more decades, but it’s never too late for change.
As far as everyone knows, this might be the most serious issue this generation and future generations will ever face.
“I don’t want you to be hopeful, I want you to panic,” exclaims Greta Thunberg,” And act as if the house was on fire,”
In reality, climate change is affecting each and every thing, living or not, on this planet and if something isn’t done soon, the world you all know will change forever.
Your ending is very strong, and so is your introduction
DeleteIllegal assault rifles and pistols are being made and sold everyday. One man, Joseph Roh, has been doing this for a couple of years. He was illegally manufacturing AR-15s and selling them. He was selling these weapons to convicted felons who are not supposed to own guns. This means he was selling them illegally. This is dangerous because these guns were made for fast fire rate and easy concealment. He was eventually caught by ATF detectives and put in prison for what he did.
ReplyDeleteJoseph Vince from ATF states,” ARs are dangerous because they can be bought illegally.” He also says they are dangerous because convicted felons are buying these weapons over the counter.
Most of the shootings in the United States involved some sort of AR. These horrible shooters use these guns for their magazine size. In most ARs, there is at least a 30 round magazine, but larger ones can be bought. This means that the weapon can be shot more than 30 times before needing to be reloaded. This many rounds in a single gun can make these weapons some of the most dangerous on the market right now.
You may be surprised to find that ARs aren't the only high capacity weapons. Another style is handguns or pistols. A pistol or handgun is a weapon that is meant to be shot with only one hand. The rounds used in pistols are typically smaller than the rounds used in ARs. Although they are smaller, the ammo typically has a high velocity, making them very dangerous.
Pistols are much smaller than rifles, making them much easier to conceal. With pistols being so small, it's easy for someone to carry one of these without anyone knowing about it. On the other hand, if someone were to carry around a rifle, everyone would know they are carrying it. This means that pistols, being so small, can be more dangerous than rifles in some cases.
One way we can prevent all of these dangers, is to keep these weapons out of dangerous people’s hands. Joseph Vince says,”The only way to keep all of these dangers off of the streets is to take these weapons away.” He says this because most of the killings have been committed with semi automatic rifles and pistols. Joseph also says,”most assault rifles are chambered in large calibers.” This means that these guns can do so much damage.
John Gramlich states,” around 40,000 people have died from ARs and pistols in past years, that's too much!” We need to take action against this problem if we want to save lives and live in a safe place.
Good job I agree with you!
Delete“I lined up the kids, held up a sign so they could follow me through the hall, just like a fire drill. I heard shots from one direction. Luckily, we were already heading in the other direction.
ReplyDelete-Diane Wolk-Rodgers, a history teacher a Majory Douglas High School.
Words that could have been prevented.
Gun control and gun rights is a highly debated topic, anyway you look at it. The 2nd amendment says: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. But yet, at least according to Sean Gregory and Chris Wilson, “No other developed has such a high rate of gun violence.”
As well as that, “In 2018, there was at least one mass shooting month.” , according to Raymond Arke and Geoff West.
But what did we do to cause all of this, you ask? “The NRA used to drive most gun legislation.” says David Farrell. He also says that “In the early 80’s, there was a slump in handgun sales. The NRA started marketing self defense. Then we see a rise in mass shootings.”
But that’s not all. Raymond Arke and Geoff west say that “No gun laws have been made, with the exception of the bump stock ban, have been made recently.” You may be surprised to find that most 3 year olds are strong enough to shoot a gun, according to Chris Wilson and Sean Gregory. They also say that some states have sought to prevent doctors from talking about guns in the house.
And I’m not saying that we should get rid of guns, or you should be able to do whatever we want with them…
Just that we got ourselves in this mess.
Part 1: Picture this: On March 16, 2019 near the Philippines, a young beaked whale died of starvation. When scientists examined the stomach of the whale they found almost 90 pounds of plastic packed inside. The whale was eating plastic that had polluted the ocean and had no room in its stomach for real food. Sadly about 100,000 marine mammals die each year because of plastic pollution, and this number is increasing. Plastic pollution is becoming more and more common.
ReplyDeleteIt all started about 5,000 years ago. Ancient Sumerians used metal straws to get to the liquid down below fermentation byproducts. Then, in 1888, Marvin Stone filed the first patent for a drinking straw. Marvin Stone first used ryegrass as a straw, but it kept disintegrating. Then, he invented paper straws. By 1890, paper straws were being mass produced.
In the 1930s, Joseph Friedman invented the first straw that could bend, but it was still paper. Then, hospitals started using bendable straws, because people could be laying in bed, and still drink. Next, John Wesley used celluloid to make plastic. Plastic straws and many convenient throw-away plastic products like shopping bags were invented shortly after that.
Across the world the average person now uses 1.6 straws per day, and about 2 million plastic bags are produced every minute. It is surprising that we use over 500 million straws in America everyday. These statistics would be fine except for the fact that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in our ocean. This suggests that something needs to be done.
Plastic straws and bags harm ocean animals more than other pollution. Plastic straws can easily be blown around and eventually end up in the ocean. They can also be mistaken for food, and be swallowed or get stuck in an animal. Plastic bags also blow around easily, but they look even more like food to animals. Some animals don’t have very good eyesight, so they could easily mistake plastic bags for jellyfish.
If plastic bags or straws don’t get eaten or stuck in animals, they sit in the ocean for a long time. The problem with this is that the sun’s UV rays along with the waves and saltwater make the plastic break up into tiny pieces called microplastics. Some microplastics are so small that you can’t see them with your naked eye, but they are still there. Tiny creatures such as plankton eat the microplastics, because they look like food. Then, the tiny creatures get eaten by bigger fish. Next, those fish get eaten by bigger fish, and the plastic keeps moving up the food chain. Eventually humans may eat the plastic if they consume the animal.
In response to these issues some cities and companies are taking action to reduce plastic pollution. In July 2018, Seattle was the first city in the United States to totally ban plastic straws. Instead of plastic straws, people that live in Seattle have switched to compostable or reusable straws. They believe that compostable and reusable straws are better for the environment and our ocean. With the goal of reducing plastic pollution, many other places have also switched from plastic to reusable materials or compostable plastics. Some of these places are Kenya, McDonalds, New York City, Boston and Santa Barbara, California.
Some people think we shouldn’t ban plastic straws because they are recyclable. Unfortunately, that isn’t quite how it works. The problem with recycling plastic straws is the they are so small people forget they are plastic and don’t recycle them. They also think that they are too tiny to make a difference. If straws do get recycled, they don’t always make it through the mechanical recycling system because they are so small and very lightweight.
Plastic bags are also recyclable, but recycling bags costs a lot of money. “We spend literally hundreds of millions of dollars in the recycling of plastic retail bags, including stretch film, dry cleaner bags, bread bags, ice bags = you name it,” says Matt Seaholm, executive director of the American Progressive Bag Alliance.
Part 2: Banning plastic bags is another solution, but it would be inconvenient, because most people use them as bacteria-free shopping bags. The problem with reusable bags is that most people don’t wash them, and they can carry and spread bacteria and germs. It also takes more fossil fuel to transport and make paper and reusable bags. Despite the inconveniences, if plastic bags were banned, it would help save the environment, and make ourselves healthier.
DeleteWhat could be done about this plastic waste problem? One thing that could be done is making more bans on bags and straws. This has advantages and disadvantages. If plastic straws were banned people would have to use other straws such as reusable or paper straws. Reducing the amount of plastic straws could help the environment. However, reusable straws would need to be washed between uses and paper straws cost more money which could potentially increase the cost for businesses. “There’s no getting around that a paper straw will cost about a penny more than a plastic straw,” states David Rhodes a paper straw manufacturer for Aardvark Straws, “For large corporations, that equals hundreds of millions of dollars, but the cost to the marine environment, you can’t put a price on that.”
Also, banning straws would impact disabled people who need a straw to drink. One possible thing to do about this is only give straws to disabled people or people who ask for them. This would make it so that handicap people could still feel included and we would also reduce the number of straws used. It would be even better if we only gave straws to the people who need them, but instead of plastic straws we could give them compostable, reusable or paper straws.
There are many other steps individuals can take to make the amount of plastic used less. Individuals could use reusable bags or straws and carry them with them if they think they might forget. When someone goes out they could simply ask for no straw or pick up plastic when they see it. Another thing anyone could do is tell people they know about plastic and how to help with it.
“Plastic straws are really bad for the ocean. It’s estimated that we use over 500 million every day in America, and most of those end up in our oceans, polluting the water and killing marine life. We want to encourage people to stop using plastic straws for good. If we don’t act now, by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish (by weight).” says strawlassocean.org.
Reducing plastic straws and bags would help the environment and help save whales and their fellow ocean friends from going extinct.
In our society, gun violence is becoming a daily occurrence. This includes mass shootings, homicides, and suicides. On may 23, 2014, at Itsla Vista 6 students were killed and 13 others were injured. The family members of the victims asked for gun law reform. They believed that if the guns were not so accessible, their family members would still be alive today. Many other families of victims from different acts of gun violence feel the same way.
ReplyDeleteThis story shows that many people think there should be a change in gun laws. They believe that stricter gun laws would result in less violence in our society.
According to ProCon.org “The Second Amendment is not an unlimited right to own guns.” This article also stated from a Supreme Court majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote, “like most rights, the right is secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.
Also ProCon.org stated that there were a total of 572,537 total gun deaths between 1999 and 2016. Guns are also the leading cause of homicides at 67.7% and also by suicides by 51.8%.
On October 2nd, 2019 Presidential Candidates agreed on Universal background check. At the convention, both Giffords and March for Our Lives activist groups each talked for half an hour about what they felt needed to be changed about the current gun laws.
At the convention Julian Castro spoke out about his ideas he stated “There should be a higher tax on ammunition and guns.” He proposed that these higher taxes would give between $600-700 million to gun violence research and protection programs.
To buy a gun in the state of Wisconsin you most likely will have a background check performed. If you buy a gun from a licensed dealer you will have to have a background check because it is required. If you are to by a long rifle gun, the background check will go through the FBI and the NICS. For handgun purchases, the background checks will go through the DOJ.
You may be surprised to find that guns are easily accessible. In Wisconsin, “private sellers are not required to perform a background check when transferring a firearm” stated Giffords Law Center. This makes it easier for people that shouldn’t have guns to buy/own them.
“There are some ways that we can use to try and reduce gun violence in America” says Sean Greogory and Chris Wilson from TIME. They suggested that buying a gun could be like buying a car. According to the CDC, gun violence has become as lethal as car accidents if not more. They also said that to start this, “they could put into effect more rigorous requirements for owning a firearm.”
Both Wilson and Greogory also suggested that passing gun laws that will really reduce gun violence. They stated that “not all gun laws are created equally.” This being said a study by “JAMA International Medicine, in early March found that strong firearms laws in states, such as background checks for private sales reduced gun homicide rates.
It does not appear that there is any one way to reduce gun violence, but, the Center for American Progress has and idea. They stated “the worst mass shootings were caused by assault style weapons with high capacity magazines.” They believe that weapons that putting regulations on these types of weapons would reduce gun violence.
On February 14, 2018, there was a shooting in Parkland Florida. The shooter, Nikolas Cruz left 17 dead and 17 more injured. He did the job with an AR-15. Another shooter, on November 14, 2019, in Santa Clarita, Florida, left 3 dead, one being the shooter himself, Nathaniel Burhow. In his shooting, he used a handgun that police officers refer to as a “ghost gun.”A gun like this is constructed with miscellaneous gun parts, so the gun with have no serial number. This makes the gun extremely difficult for the police to track.
ReplyDeleteAn AR-15 is a very complex weapon. It is semi-automatic, which means one pull of the trigger fires one bullet. Standard magazines contain about 15-30 rounds and are interchangeable with most other rifles. What sets them apart from handguns and shotguns is that they have a buttstock and muzzle to provide more stability and accuracy for the shooter.
Handguns, or pistols, are different, but not so different one could be classified as, “less dangerous.” Most handguns are semi-automatic, just like the AR-15. The biggest difference is that a handgun is smaller and way easier to conceal than a bulky rifle.
Did you know that there have been over 250 mass shootings in 2018 and 19 alone? Most people think that every shooter uses an AR-15 or some other rifle. But that is only partially true. While semi-automatic rifles are popular, handguns are way more common in shootings than rifles.
In 2019, there have been over 50 rifle shootings. While these shootings have been the higher casualty wise, there have fewer of them. Also in 2019, there have been over 95 handgun shootings. These incidents have less death on average compared to the rifle stats, but the total death count is on par with rifles.
“The overwhelming majority of firearms that we deal with are handguns. They are more accessible. They are easily hidden, and the key to a lot of crimes is being able to conceal these guns anywhere. With the handguns, you can conceal them and they not be detected, and we absolutely have far too many illegal firearms on the street.” This was said by Anton Bell, a Hampton Commonwealth attorney, in an interview with Peter Dujardin for the Daily Press. Bell brings up major issues that people are not being exposed to nearly enough.
Bell, among many other experts, think that handguns are equally to blame for the spike in gun violence. All in all, people like Anton Bell, believe that illegal handguns fly under the radar and something needs to be done about them.
You have a very good hook!
DeleteSchool are becoming an expectation to our generation. Some experts believe it’s because of the location of the gun or where they are able to get the gun. Most suspects get the guns from their parents’ gun safe. Experts also say some even are able to get the guns illegally. In this case, Parkland High School’s shooter, Nikolas Cruz was able to get his gun from his father’s gun safe.
ReplyDeleteYou may be surprised to hear that only 3%-5% of violent crimes are perpetrated by someone with mental illness. Experts also prove that ⅔ of the school shootings are with a parents gun. In fact, reports have shown that 300 million guns are in homes across America. Experts say this will impact they rate in school shootings a lot. “ We need to stop scapegoating mental illness everytime someone commits mass murder.” - Natasha Bhuyan M.D. Bhuyan also believes “Stripping away rights from citizens with mental illness is tantamount to outright discrimination.” “We have to do everything we can do to keep our kids and communities safe.” Tony Evers said this after 3 school shootings happened in the state of Wisconsin. Experts say one of the reasons a student brought a weapon to school is because they were suffering from being bullied.
Illinois made it clear that they needed a new law to prevent these shootings from getting worse. The new law is student must participate in a school shooting drill. They believe this will give students an understanding of what to do if this were to happen at their school. Experts believe that if the parents lock up their guns and put them in a safe place that it could also help prevent school shootings. Another impact on preventing school shootings would be to install metal detectors in schools. 91.5% of schools in America don’t have metal detectors. Experts say that gives the schools a higher risk of students getting injured. They believe if schools installed metal detectors it would most likely prevent a student or faculty member to bring a weapon to school.
There are many solutions to stop school shootings an expectation to our daily lives.
On October 1st, 2017, Natalie Grumet attended the Jason Aldean concert in Las Vegas, Nevada when disaster struck. Shots were being fired from the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino. As the shots were being fired, Grumet felt a hot sensation in her jaw. She realized seconds later that a bullet had shattered her mandible. She remembered thinking “everything will be ok.”
ReplyDeleteThis occurrence is a sad reality for many people recently. As of December 2019, 1228 have died
in one of the 179 mass shootings. Some of the most innocent places, schools, are now fitting active shooter drills into their annual schedule. One of the largest controversial topics of today is whether shootings happen due to mental illness or access to guns. Steven Paddock, the gunman of the Jason Aldean concert killed 58 people and injured 413. Paddock had never had any previous record with any mental illness. The overall rate of mental illness among mass shooting gunman is 48%. Below 50% of all shooters had had experience with mental illness. In an article by The New York Times, it stated ⅓ of Americans own at least one gun and ⅔ of gun owners own two or more. In Alaska, 60% of households own at least one gun. Alaska is also one of the states with the highest percentile of gun-related deaths. According to Psychology Today, “mass shootings are directly correlated with gun ownership and access.
To stop these mass killings there are many things you can do. One of the things you can do is protest until the government raises the legal age to obtain a gun. This will prevent people who have brains that are not fully developed from getting a firearm. This is a beneficial change because people with an undeveloped brain may act without thought. Another thing you can speak up about is the ban on handguns. 64% of all homicides are committed with a handgun. This would cut the number of murders immensely. One last thing you can do is educate yourself and others about the dangers of these types of weapons.
The recurrence of these deadly events may never come to an end without help from the community.
A girl named Marisela grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico. Surrender, as a waitress. She was the oldest of all of her siblings. Then, one day she came home to terrible news. Her Father had been murdered. Two weeks later, her family decided to get out of their hostile situation and decided to move to the U.S. Present day Marisela is a police officer in New York City “living her best life.”
ReplyDeleteImigration is one of the most controversial topics in the world today. Especially immigrants trying to get into the U.S and become a legal citizen.
There are many different types of opinion about immigratrion in the u.S Some people think there should be no immigrants in the U.S On the other hand some people think that immigrants are one of the many things that help the U.S thrive and become successful.
Some reasons why people think immigrants should be allowed into the U.S are that immigrants lower peoples wages.
While that is true. It is only true to a certain extent. Immigrants only lower people wages that directly competing against immigrants. Therefore, not everybody’s wages are decreasing and at risk because of immigrants.
While they lower wages for people directly competing against them surprisingly they increase peoples wages middle class and above.
New Yorker.com also says that the U.S need more dependency. What do they mean by dependency. They mean that the baby boomer population is starting to retire. After you retire you get social security money. If we have more people that are retired than in the workforce. Then, the U.S might become corrupt in that topic. The New Yorker.com also says that the U.S Dependency rate has gone up about 2% every year. In 2017, the dependency rate was 25%. New Yorker.com also states that in 2060 the dependency rate will creep up to 42%.
Another thing tied with dependency rate in the fertility rate. The average fertility rate per year in 2.1%. During the years that the baby boomers were born the fertility rate was 3.7%. This year it was 1.76%. If we are losing more workers and the fertility rate is lower than average years in the past. Than we might not be able to give the retired people their social security money . Which some people live off of.
If you want to further your knowledge about U.S immigration and have a more educated opinion on this topic. I suggest you do your own research and see what you can find, because it might change your whole view and idea about this topic.
There are many issues tied with immigration like dependency rate and social security money, and some of those issues might not get solved. However, coming to a sense is a great start to solving big problems like immigration.
Richard Coy, an Arkansas beekeeper has been having issues with Dicamba since it was legalized a few years ago. Dicamba is an herbicide, or type of pesticide that has killed most of his soybean plants and bee colonies. That specific herbicide kills broadleaf plants and weeds, including pollen rich weeds around his fields bees harvest from. This means those weeds are no longer safely accessible to bees. That resulted in his, and many others, bees to die off.
ReplyDeletePicture this, hundreds of bees on the ground, dead, in front of their hive. This is Colony Collapse Disorder. It can cause 30% to 90% of a colony to die and pesticides play a large part in it. Even though pesticides can rid crops of pests like certain insects or weeds, they can kill most of a bee colony in as little as a week.
If pesticides come into direct contact with a bee it dies immediately, never returning its hive. When bees come in direct contact with pesticides, land on a plant treated with pesticides, the bee could return to its hive while infected. That bee could then infect the entire colony. Resulting in damaged bee nervous systems and deformed or dead bee larvae.
Dicamba has been terrorizing bee colonies for about three years now. According to an article by Liza Gross; Darren Cox, a Utah beekeeper and 2018’s head of American Honey Producers Association, they are “very concerned about Dicamba and the impact it’s having on the honey industry and health of bees.”
In a year, honey bees pollinate more than $15 billion worth of crops. Honey bees aren’t the only bees doing all the pollinating. There are more than 25,000 other bee species throughout the world. Sadly they’re all being affected by pesticides.
One thing you could do to help is to stop using pesticides in gardens. If that’s not and option for you try using different types of pesticides. Pesticides come in multiple different forms including solutions, emulsifiable concentrates, granulars, dusts, soluble powders, and wettable powders. Dusts, soluble powders, and wettable powders leave a residue on plants which can easily harm bees so it’s best to avoid those.
If you have bees and are able, try moving them at least 4 miles from fields using pesticides to avoid drift off. Aswell as moving your hives, try putting a screen over hives when spraying pesticides. Be sure to put a dish of water under the screen with your bees to make sure they aren’t dehydrated. Bees also overheat easily so don’t keep them under the screen for longer than needed.
All of the pesticides being used means there aren’t as many safe plants bees can harvest from. One thing you can do if you don’t have a farm or crops is build a bee garden. You could plant flowering plants or allow your lawn to grow out a little. That would allow flowering, pollen rich, weeds like dandelions and clover to grow.
“There’s this fundamental recklessness and foolishness to introducing (pesticides) and continuing down this path.” says senior scientist Kendra Klein. Pesticides are a dangerous and ruinous thing to deal with if not handled responsibly.
Part 1-Co-author of “Why Some Parents Experience a Child’s Coming Out as a Loss” Wesley C. Davidson’s son James came out to her. She had many questions, “Would he be beaten up? Would he be fired at his job if his supervisors found out that he was gay? Would he have to live in a gay-friendly neighborhood? Would he have to be guarded in his mannerisms and not display any public affection toward the same sex in public?” Natalie, 63 found out that two of her three children were gay. “It took a big toll on me emotionally. I lost weight and was drained all of the time.” These moms didn’t understand their child’s sexual orientation or sexuality, and what it meant.
ReplyDeleteWhat is sexual orientation? The dictionary definition is, “a person’s sexual identity in relation to the gender to which they are attracted; the fact of being heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual.” The dictionary definition of sexuality is, “capacity for sexual feelings.” Also meaning, “a person’s sexual orientation or preference.” They are different as well as the same, different meaning that sexuality defines how we see ourselves and how we physically relate to others. Sexual orientation is used to refer to a person’s emotional, romantic, and sexual attraction to individuals of a particular gender.
Sexual orientation and sexuality are also similar, similar meaning, they both mean that someone could be heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual, or a diferent sexual orientation not listed. Sexual orientation includes gay, straight, lesbian, bisexual, and asexual, and many more. Sexual orientation is different from gender identity. Sexual orientation is about who you are attracted to/who you feel drawn to. While, gender identity is about who you are.
Queer is a term in the LGBT acronym. What does queer mean? The dictionary definition is, “strange;odd.” Another is, “a homosexual man” But the way it’s used matches this definition, “denotation or relating to a sexual or gender identity that does not correspond to established ideas of sexuality and gender, especally heterosexual norms.” Queer used to be used as an insult to homosexual people. Some people still find it offensive and some use it with pride. The people who find it offensive are the ones who were called queer as an insult.
Asexual or asexuality is a term not many people know and if they do, they sometimes don’t know the correct definiton. The dictionary definition is, “without sexual feelings or associations.” Which means that asexual people don’t have any sexual attraction or feelings. Many people think that asexual people don’t want to have relationships with anyone. But, that’s false they do feel love, they just don’t feel sexual attraction. Asexuality is not the same thing as celibacy. Being celibate is a choice while being asexual is not. Research shows that 1 out of 100 adults are asexual.
Some people don’t want to be labeled at all. If you do change your label it doesn’t mean that you are “confused” or “lying”. Many people change how they identify this is called “fluidity”.
Part 2-Some parents think of their child’s coming out as a loss. Some parents mourn as if they had just lost a child. But, sometimes children know they are disappointing their traditional parents by being gay or bi. Jonathan L. Tobkes, M.D. and Wesley C. Davidson came up with the “Three L’s for Grieving” They are “loss of a traditional life”, “loss of an easy, safe life”, and “loss of a child”. Some parents view being gay or bi as a choice, some realize that it isn’t a choice, but unfortunatly some do not realzie this.
ReplyDeleteWhat, may I ask, should you do if your child comes out to you? Love and accept them unconditionally. Try to react calmly, thank them for being honest. Reassure them nothing has changed, listen and ask lots of open questions. Normalize it, reassure them you aren’t on any moral high ground. Take it seriously- don’t deny it. Sometimes if the child is younger parents will deny it and say , “It’s just a phase.” Try not to make it about you. Remember, it’s about them not you, but get help if you need it. Remember, don’t feel offended if you aren’t the only, main, or first person they came out to.
Try to talk to your child about sexuality. If you can, try to avoid giving messages that are contrary to the messages you are giving. What makes it hard to talk about sexuality? Parents never talked about it. So, you have no positive role models. Sometimes kids are embarrassed by the subject matter. If you try to pry about your child’s sexuality you will only push them away. But, parents also have a hard time talking about it, too. They sometimes are afraid to know all the answers.
Other things parents should try to avoid when talking to children about sexuality are. Presenting opinion as fact. If you do this and they realize it, you may no longer be viewed as a trusted adult who they could turn to. Don’t punish your child if they have different views than you. Try to present all sides of an issue. They could develop their own views in a vacuum of ignorance.
What parents should at least try to do if they have a hard time accepting homosexuality is, learn more about your hang-ups. Find out where you picked up your views and attitudes, view these things with a more critical eye. Educate yourself about issues you should be discussing with your child, look at all sides fairly. Let your child know that you aren’t perfect, that everyone has prejudices, that they struggle with. Try to know when you can’t be fair about a specific topic, and invite someone else to talk with your child about the topic.
Hopefully, now you understand your child’s sexuality, and prepared for if they come out to you.
In order to combat the growing problem of plastic waste in our oceans, Boyan Slat invented a floating barrier. It features a U-shaped design and is two thousand feet long. The barrier was placed in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is essentially a large island made of plastic.
ReplyDeleteIt travels by wind and wave propulsion, capturing any plastic that crosses it’s path. The barrier also moves at a speed of about four inches per second to outrun the plastic.
Boyan Slat has also been questioned by critics wanting to know how effective the barrier really is. There are concerns on how it affects marine wildlife and if it distracts from the goal of preventing plastic from entering the ocean.
Plastic pollution is a common issue in today’s society. Studies show that many people have become worried about their plastic usage and are looking to buy eco-friendly products. Seventy-four percent of Americans think the government should do whatever it takes to protect the environment.
Beach cleanups can be seen happening a lot more often. Communities are coming together to clean their local beaches and ocean. “There is satisfaction to say, ‘I removed ten pounds of trash from the beach.’ Even if it’s only ten pounds, that’s ten pounds that isn’t going to go into the ocean.”- Kara Lavender Law.
Humans aren’t the only ones being affected by plastic. Marine animals don’t realize that plastic isn’t food, shelter, or a toy, so it often ends up harming them. Whales, sea turtles, and seabirds all commonly mistake plastic for a meal and end up eating it.
Single-use plastics are another culprit in plastic pollution. Some examples of them are plastic bags, water bottles, straws, cups, and utensils. The reason there's an abundance of this type of plastic is because of how convenient they are.
However, there are steps that can be taken. Consumers can bring reusable bags with them to stores. They can also use a reusable water bottle. Finding solutions for using less plastic in their daily lifestyle is important.
Consumers can also think about the products they are buying. Experts suggest looking for products with minimal packaging that come in something reusable. Products in cardboard packaging are good because it is usually biodegradable and recyclable.The most effective ways to combat plastic pollution are to be a smart buyer and to use less plastic. Small changes can make a big difference.
Not all plastic is bad, but a lot of it is unnecessary. Or, as Stian Alessandro Ekkemes Rossi puts it, “Plastic is good if it’s used smartly, and bad if it’s used poorly.” Plastic doesn’t need to be completely eliminated, it just needs to be put to use in better ways.
The world might never be free from plastic pollution, but society can start doing things now so that the amount of it doesn’t grow. It is up to the human race to determine what the future of the world will look like.
Many women are giving birth earlier because of climate change. Because hot weather boosts hormones that start labor. These thousands of babies are at risk of developing issues like breathing issues, infections, and even brain development, but are these premature births happening because of greenhouse gasses or because of solar radiation?
ReplyDeleteActions just as simple as driving your car, turning on your TV, taking a shower, the shining sun, earth's orbit, and volcanos. All these types of things are causing climate change, both natural causes, and human causes.
The human causes contribute to the greenhouse effect causing heat to be trapped in our atmosphere and warming our earth. In The New York Times article, Dr. Perovich says “If I had gotten a report card like this as a kid, I would have been grounded,”.
Throughout the world, humans have already emitted 34.8 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This CO2 is worsening the greenhouse effect (which is when the sun emits solar energy that is absorbed by earth’s surface and atmosphere and partly reflected into space but it's not able to go back into space because greenhouse gasses trap it) because it's trapping the heat like a blanket.
The many types of greenhouse gases that humans produce are carbon dioxide(CO2), Methane(CH4), Nitrous Oxide(N2O), and others. Even though the majority of scientists say that humans are the dominant cause of climate change, they still aren’t responsible for all of it.
The other main cause of climate change is solar radiation. Things such as the earth’s orbit and the sun affect how much solar energy hits the planet, and the amount of sunlight that hits the planet can cause the earth to either warm or cool.
Even though there is very little effect on what the sun does to the earth, changes in solar radiation still affect climate. But over the last 11-year cycle the effect has been lower. Because the sun is still the earth’s main source of heat, even little solar outputs can affect the climate.
There has been a slight decrease in the sun's energy output but instead of cooling, the earth is warming. If the sun were warming the earth it would heat all of the atmosphere, but instead, the stratosphere (the second layer of the atmosphere) is cooling while the troposphere (the first layer of the atmosphere - layer closest to the earth's surface) is warming. This is happening because of greenhouse gas heating, not the sun.
Some ways you can help prevent those greenhouse gas emissions are by, riding your bike or walk more, limit your consumption of red meat, burn less fossil fuels, educate yourself on the topic and speak up! Doing this you will minimize your carbon footprint. As Francois Hollande says “We have a single mission; to protect and hand on the planet to the next generation.”
If you do something as simple as not letting the water run when you brush your teeth you can help save the babies' lives because every little thing helps. But if you don’t do these simple little things babies could keep on being born prematurely with possible health defects. If someday you want to have a child it could even possible effect them.
I really like your first quote, it adds a lot
DeleteBea Johnson is a woman who wants to help the Earth. She created the Zero Waste Program, wanting to live a zero waste lifestyle. She is doing this by using the 5 r’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot.
ReplyDeleteIt all starts when you drive somewhere, throw something away, or leave a light on. Soon greenhouse gases will be released into the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are a key factor of the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is where greenhouse gases like methane, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxide act as a blanket in the atmosphere. When the sun shines on the Earth, most rays are supposed to bounce back. The blanket of gases however is trapping the rays making them unable to bounce back. What are the factors that are creating greenhouse gases?
Agriculture is a big lading factor. The greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture are bigger than they are from burning fossil fuels. Picture this: There are an estimated 1.5 billion cows on Earth. Every year, one cow produces 70-120kg of methane which is a greenhouse gas. If 1 cow releases about 100kg of methane, 1.5 billion cows would produce 150 billion kg of methane each year. All of those big numbers, and Methane is only 10% of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. “Agriculture is one of the biggest causes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Cars? Planes? Trains? Nope. Cow farts.” Says Zazie Beetz
Carbon dioxide is the most abundant greenhouse gas. You can measure how much gases are being produced by you and your family by looking at your carbon footprint. Your carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gases you produce in your life. Many things produce greenhouse gases like driving a non-electric or non-hybrid car, leaving a light on if you don’t use a form of renewable energy, throwing trash away, and so many more simple tasks.
If you’re wondering how these things produce greenhouse gases, here is how. Say you’re driving a normal car with gasoline. You are constantly burning fossil fuels and they’re going into the atmosphere. The gases that are released directly from the tail-pipe are gases such as nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. When you drive and electric or hybrid car, you’re producing zero gas emissions. Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made of biomass. Biomass is a renewable energy made from plants and animals. Garbage, wood, crops and other items are also used to make biomass. Biodiesel helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by cars and machines. “Burning oil is like taking furniture from your house and setting it on fire for heat.” Says Elon Musk.
Leaving lights on, and other sources of electricity on produces carbon dioxide and other gases. The reason this happens is because most electricity comes from power plants, and power plants are the biggest sources of greenhouse gases. There are many natural sources of energy like solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy. These are all renewable energies that come from the Earth.
When you throw away trash and don’t recycle, that garbage rots along with millions of other pieces of trash in landfills. When this trash rots, it produces methane and carbon dioxide. The gases that are released from the garbage contribute to smog which can worsen health problems like asthma. Other health effects can also be caused like birth defects, cancer, and respiratory illnesses.
ReplyDeleteThose were only a few facts. There is still so much more to the greenhouse effect and climate change.
You might be wondering, what can you do to help? There are many things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions. You can start by eating lower on the food chain. You don’t need to become vegan or stop eating meat, but lower your red meat intake. By doing this, you will be lowering the methane emissions into the atmosphere.
Another thing you can do is wash your clothes in cold water and donate clothes rather than throwing them away. They rot in landfills and produce greenhouse gases like methane.
A third thing you could do is pay attention to what you buy. You should try to avoid buying things with a lot of packaging. Plastic bags are a big pollutant, so bringing your own reusable bag is also good for our planet.
When you’re home or in a building with electricity, switch off the light when you’re done using it. Doing this will not only lower your electricity bill but it will lower the carbon dioxide and other gas emissions.
If you’re able to, walk to the store, or wherever you’re needing to go rather then drive. Walking or riding a bike is a great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions like nitrous oxide. There are many times that you can’t walk somewhere, so if there are multiple people needing to go to the same place, try carpooling.
And finally, and most importantly, you can spread awareness. Sure doing these things will help, but spreading awareness about climate change to your friends, family, and peers will make people more aware. If everyone tries to help reduce greenhouse gases by shutting off lights, walking more and driving less, eating less, and more there will be a change.
If you use Bea Johnson's 5 r’s: Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot in your life there will be a change. Climate change doesn’t just affect us, it affects our whole Earth. It will change the lives of our future generations. Do you want to help save our planet?
Sophia Jackson- a religeous, gay woman- was terminated from her field of work because she went to church with another woman. Sophia Jackson was working at a rehabilitation facility where she was called to her boss’ office. Her boss, also a religious woman, explained her concern about who Sophia went to church with. Sophia decided to go on leave, and was terminated during this time
ReplyDeleteYou may be surprised to find that this story is one of many. A majority of states don’t have explicit laws prohibiting this form of discrimination. Discrimination comes in many forms, whether it be against a gay person or straight, and can come from many places like where they work or wherever they go.
Although the fight to protect LGBT people from this form of hate has been great, there are still issues that they face today legally. “Half a decade after the Supreme Court’s same-sex-marriage decision, the justices and crongress are still trying to figure out what federal law should say about LGBTQ rights.” Emma Green, a writer for TheAtlantic, wrote in her August 17th issue, “America Moved On From Its Gay-Rights Movement―And Left a Legal Mess Behind”.
Did you know, 30 out of 50 states don’t have any laws prohibiting discrimination against sexual orientation or gender-identity? Though people claim that “discrimination isn’t real”, many people of the LGBTQ commnity report workplace and housing discrimination. 22 out of 50 states have laws prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ people. “‘Because it doesn’t look just like Jim Crow,’” said Doug NeJaime during an interview with TheAtlantic. “...conservatives argue that ‘it then doesn’t merit attention.’ But, he said, ‘there’s lots of reasons why discrimination against LGBT people looks different than other forms of discrimination.’”
Another form of discrimination is religeous beliefs. A new amendment allows agencies to refuse service to anyone of the LGBT community based on religious or moral beliefs. This not only includes hospitals and potential workplaces, but people of the church, too, can refuse to let gay couples practice religion in their church. And though federal laws protect LGBT rights, Georgia’s governor wants to pass laws with exceptions for “religious liberty”.
Discrimination is still a problem, whether you believe in it or not. To avoid contributing to this issue, try to be understanding of people in your community. You may also find that everyone is opinionated and obligated to their opinion. So, whatever you believe in, try to understand their side of the story.
Legality of anti-discrimination laws are still in the air. And, it actually may never be solved.
Although same-sex marriage is legal throughout the U.S, many couples are still denied marriage. An example of this is a case that has recently occurred in Texas, involving a judge who refused to do marriages for homosexual couples. Picture this. A gay couple goes to her office to request marriage. However, her workers were instructed to read a document stating that Hensley wouldn’t be able to perform the wedding. The document read, “I’m sorry, but Judge Hensley has a sincerely held religious belief as a Christian, and will not be able to perform any same-sex weddings.” (“Texas judge gets a warning for refusing to perform gay marriages”)
ReplyDeleteAlthough they didn’t take the same steps to avoid the issue, other justices in Texas stopped doing weddings after gay marriage was legalized in 2015 by the supreme court. Although this could be interpreted negatively, circumstances have been worse in the past. In 1996, President Bill Clinton banned recognition of same-sex marriage in the U.S, making same-sex marriage illegal. However, you may be surprised to find that individual state governments had different stances from the U.S government. For example, in December of 1996, the state of Hawaii recognized that gay and lesbian couples are entitled to the same rights as heterosexual couples. However, many states agreed with the U.S government, passing their own individual amendments banning same-sex marriage.
In truth, courts play a major and important role in the progress of rights for gay couples. Citizens can assist the further advancement of homosexual marriage by voting for court representatives and members that support the LGBT+ community and same-sex marriage during elections.
Although Judge Hensley was based in Texas, denial for marriages of the same sex still happens in other states. “If you’re going to perform marriages, you must perform marriages for everyone.” Thea Whalen, Texas Justice Court Training Center Executive Director states. (“Texas judge gets a warning for refusing to perform gay marriages”) Most individuals representing the government receive their position partially in thanks to voters, thus allowing the people to vote in judges that won’t allow denials of marriages to happen.
Did you know that a guy died from “shooting up” heroin? Are you thinking that he is a black, non-working, unmarried guy? You may be surprised to find that you are wrong, he is a white male, who had two kids and a wife. He also worked in a special education school that teaches life skills. While he did have a past with drugs and alcohol, his co-workers never saw him as a ‘drug user’’’, this might be his last lesson to his students and co-workers. Don’t do drugs.
ReplyDeletePicture that you are a darker skin color in a mainly white neighborhood. People would give you weird looks and keep a good eye on you. This is because they are racially biased towards those of darker skin. While most people have a bias towards those of darker skin color the facts just don’t lineup. Hundreds of thousands of people are impacted by the opioid crisis most are those of darker skin color .
Black males are 29% more likely to serve time, While Latinas are 16% more likely, while white have 4% chance due to the bias of people. The U.S.A. has less than 5%of the population but we have 25% of the incarcerated population. Because of the biases of people, it targets black neighborhoods. The number of Americans behind bars has grown by 350% from 1917 to 2017. By 2017, 2.2 million+ Americans were in jail or prison, 60% were black or Latina.
The adults are not the only ones impacted. 1 in 9 black children has a parent who is incarcerated, 1 in 28 Latina children are also impacted, while about 1.8% of white children have a parent who is incarcerated. The first marijuana prohibition was due to the fear of Mexican migrants in the West and Southwest.
Most people wat believe that the War on Drugs is not racially biased. While most people won’t change their views. But not all Black and Latinas are very nice and want the best for their kids/grandkids. Some people try to not judge. Ever heard of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ lots of people has the bias due to folk knowledge.
While most people won’t change their ways, some will. While it's better to change, it's hard to change.
“The IPCC report has an estimate that basically says the best guess in no contribution [from natural variability] with not that much uncertainty,” said Professor Gabi Heger at the University of Edinburgh. “To stand up and say 100% of global warming is because of human activity, I think on its face is just indefensible,” said Rick Perry, the U.S energy secretary.
ReplyDeleteWhich one is correct? Is it mostly humans causing climate change or is it just natural? People say it’s natural, but they also say it’s humans. Even after you figure out which group is causing climate change, how do you reverse or stop the damages? As Juan Quiñoneswould say, “What would you do?”
You may or may not be surprised that humans are the main cause of climate change. There is a 95%-100% probability that more than ½ of modern warming is due to humans. That was 1951-2010. Now we do cause 95% of climate change.
We contribute this much by burning fossil fuels, cutting down trees, also known as deforestation. We also raise animals. Such as cows. They release methane into the atmosphere which is 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide (CO²). The cement that we make also releases 2% of our CO² emissions.
Not only are humans cause most of the global warming, but with global warming also comes to the existing ecosystems and animals that come with it. Such as the sea level rising. With the sea level rising animals, such as sea turtles, lose their nesting beaches or places where they raise their young. With the temperatures rising, more females are being born, mating and birth are happening earlier. So the effects of climate change that are caused by humans are at a very high standard.
You may be asking, “What about natural causes.” or “We can’t be blamed for all of the climate change.” Well, natural causes can vary between sources.
Such as the Milankovitch cycles. This is where the Earth’s axis tilt changes slightly. It takes tens or hundreds of thousands of years to do this. “The cycles are unlikely to cause climate change to happen,” says one scientist. There are also volcanic eruptions. They do release CO², but it is 50 times less than humans.
You have natural and human causes of climate change. Humans are the leading cause of it. Humans causes take a shorter time versus natural causes. This is a couple of months versus hundreds of years.
You may be asking “What about the climate change that’s already here?” or “How do we stop making climate change worse?” Experts say lowering CO² levels will make climate change get better. They say riding bikes or walking will benefit us in more than one way. If you have to use a vehicle then carpooling is a way to get somewhere and save gas.
In the article “Quotes about climate change from world leaders” one world leader said, “We are the first generation to be able to end poverty and the last generation that can take steps to avoid the worst impact of climate change. Future generations will judge us harshly if we fail to uphold our moral and historical responsibilities.” This was said by Ban Ki-moon the Secretary-General of the United Nations. This is something that’s true. We can end one thing, but when it comes to climate change, we hardly do anything. So, if you were able to change one thing about your lifestyle, what would it be? As Juan Quiñones would say, “What would you do?”
Picture a beautiful, clear ocean. Well, that may be possible. Boyan Slat has designed the world’s first system for cleaning the ocean’s plastic. The first system launch was on September 8th, 2017. He states that by 2025, 60 systems could reduce half of the Pacific Garbage Patch’s plastic pollution.
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge step with helping our ecosystem, but there may need to be more.
8.3 billion plastic straws alone are currently in our ocean. Certain experts believe that there is a clear need for plastic alternatives in our daily lives.
It is proven that compostable products only degrade in wet and warm climates. This means that the plastic will only degrade, depending on where you live. But, there is another way. If the product is sent to the right facility, it will break down naturally. This plastic isn’t meant to be thrown in the sea.
Next, there are Biodegradable plastics. These are also very common for plastic alternatives. They release less carbon into our air than typical plastic, but experts are still nervous about them.
Bioplastics do take a lot more work to accomplish the job than typical plastic. Sadly, they are a part of the floating waste in our oceans. This is because some people aren’t sure about the true meaning of them.
People believe that our current alternatives aren’t very good. “There are many easy swaps we can all make that will help begin to cut plastic pollution,” states eartheasy.com.
So, although there are negatives, the majority of experts believe that alternatives to plastic can help our plastic problem.
Companies sell specific products to minimize the plastic being used. A common reusable substance to make such products is glass. Glass is 100% recyclable, and it is also made of sand, where as plastic comes from fossil fuels.
Another product, which is on the market, is called Soap Nuts. These nuts grow in the Himalayas, and are used to clean laundry. They are sparing plastic jugs of detergent, from the ocean.
These two products are not the only ones. Stainless Steel Straws, Beeswax food wraps, and Plastic-free gum are all working hard to help save the environment.
“Although there’s plastic all around us, there doesn’t have to be.” States an expert from wonderopolis.org, “Look for plastic alternatives whenever possible. When there’s no reasonable alternative to plastic, be sure to recycle the plastic you use…” Plastic alternatives can be a great step to solving our plastic problem. But, experts say to make sure you know where your alternatives turn up in the end.
Part 1
ReplyDeleteScience has proven that plastic is harming the planet. But do alternatives to plastic help or do they harm our environment just the same?
Picture this, Sharon Barak, from Israel, has made her own alternative to plastic. She made a plastic that feels, looks, and is just as strong as plastic. But, Sharon’s plastic break down, and it degrades naturally, even when it’s in the water. It’s very safe, you can even drink the water once the plastic breaks down, which takes only seconds. It took many years to finally find the right material. She invented this in the recent years. She made this product in Israel, and she is that person who says she wants to change and help the planet. She made this because she understands that plastic is bad and that it is harming our planet, animals, and ourselves. She and her team say if her “fake” plastic will become popular and mass produce everywhere, they could help the world.
According to an expert in Food and Rural Affairs Committee, “All food and drink packaging, whether plastic or another material, has an environmental impact.” Plastic has impacts on the planet right now, but if we use alternatives to plastic, those products will have effects on the planet as well. They might be good, they might do nothing, or they may be bad.
According to evidence, it shows that the first we have to slow down the production of plastic. Then, it can start to be cleaned up. Plastic is being produced fast, and in a few years it will be produced even faster.
Plastic alternatives… they may work, or maybe not, it depends who you ask. An environmental group called “Green Alliance”, says humans are more likely to throw away biodegradable things in the world because they think it doesn’t matter. Some research says that bioplastics won’t degrade naturally when it’s in the oceans anyway.
Many alternatives have been becoming more popular in recent years. For example; steel straws. There are 8.3 million plastic straws on the beach itself. Steel straws are reusable, transportable, stainless, etc. This can reduce the plastic straws used in the world.
Another alternative is glass; it is less expensive, easy to clean, recyclable, easy packaging, etc. We already use glass for many objects. For example, vases, drinking cups, windows, etc. The only problem is some glass is fragile.
A less popular alternative is edible forks and spoons. You can eat the “silverware” and it’s made from “cutlery” which is made from flour, sorghum rice, and more. You could make them flavorful if you wanted to. There are many alternatives that you have an option to make personal.
Part 2
ReplyDeleteYou may be surprised to find good alternatives can keep things “fresh”, but some other alternatives have the chance to become trouble. For example, landfills are overpopulating and oceans are still filling with waste.
All alternatives depend on the material used. Certain materials will go in one place; for example, a landfill, but another material could go in the opposite place, like the ocean. We should be careful when choosing our options for alternatives.
Bioplatics won’t change the amount of plastic in the ocean right now. But, if plastics can be reduced, we can stop even more plastic from going into the ocean.
A few articles mention that some bioplastic has to be sent to a special “industrial compost site”. For example, petroleum. It is an alternative, but it is not good to send waste to other places because it is supposedly “messy”. But petroleum is less expensive too. There are pros to alternatives and cons that go along with them. Pros can over power cons but cons can also overpower pros in different situations.
Majority of experts believe plastic alternatives will be a safe, greener option, but the problem is the consumers. Studies have shown that people will be less concerned with plastic pollution if there are alternatives. Biodegradable plastics don’t break down in water, so people still need to be careful.
To find out more, this reporter researched companies that sold alternatives. These companies/online websites are advertising alternatives to plastic that are reusable, safe, and easy to use. Popular alternatives are steel/metal straws, “Luumi Silicone Bowls”, bamboo straws, etc. You can buy these products for a good price too.
There are steps you can take to help. Try to slow down/stop buying single-use plastics, like plastic sandwich bags. You could use silicone ones instead, or you could use reusable jars that you have lying around. You would save money by using materials you already have. A good step to take would be to understand that you should still care about the biodegradable plastic just as much as you do to real plastics. Recycling should be just like normal too, so there should be no extra concerns. Try using something new and see how it works for you. A single person may not be able to save the world, but if you tell other people how they can cooperate to maintain a healthy planet, while you do the same, it can help the planet.
“There are many easy swaps we can all make that will help begin to cut plastic pollution”, an eco-friendly plastic alternative company states. “As more of us demand non-plastic options from companies we buy from, the amount of plastic being mindlessly produced and tossed will finally begin to decline.”
With the help of plastic alternatives, we can help save the planet from going into plastic pollution debt.
Picture this, a clean Earth, less greenhouse gases, less endangered sea animals, no more plastic lying around everywhere. This picture could come true, but it needs your help.
ReplyDeleteIt became clear to Chad Onai, the senior captain of Na Kalahi’s cleanup foundation that something needed to be done about our environment and fast! To learn more a group of seventeen highschool students spent the day with Chad Onahi to have him answer their one question.”How is plastic pollution shaping both our oceans and our future?”It turns out the students hadn’t realized the full content of the situation. Due to the ocean’s currents they learned that many of the Earth’s plastic ends up on their home lands of the Hawaiian islands. They had spent the rest of the day cleaning one of the many polluted beaches. By the end of the day their question had one clear answer which was if people continue the same habits things will only get worse.
That was one of many story’s of plastic killing our planet. Plastic can take up to one thousand years to decompose, which can drastically change our climate.
Considering the ocean contains seventy percent of the oxygen we breathe and ninety seven percent of the world’s water supply we need to help reserve the numbers. But however the numbers are being harmed by man made pollution everyday. But it doesn’t help as toxic chemicals enter the ocean every minute causing poor water and air quality, as well as affecting the lives of living things.
In particular Plymouth university found plastic pollution effects seven hundred million different types of marine species. While an estimated one hundred million marine life species die each year due to pollution.
In fact every seabird on Earth most likely has eaten a piece of plastic in their life or has plastic in their body systems. Over four to twelve million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year. This leads to living things being caught in plastic bags, packaging as well as eating plastic debris. Which is only making the problem worse.
Let alone many people live the life of “wishcycling” which is the assumption that everything in the blue bin gets recycled. However that's not the case because over the course of a year only nine percent of plastic is recycled, twelve percent is burned, and the other seventy nine percent ends up in our environment.
On the other hand millions of particles scatter across the ocean , while adding the estimated eight million pieces that enter the ocean every day.
Though in reality we won’t be able to take back the amount of plastic in the ocean you could start to reduce the amount of plastic you use and start to slowly save the ocean and land.
Regarding the amount of plastic and debris in the environment right now it is very simple for anyone to reduce their usage of plastics.
You may be surprised to find that once you think about it many of the plastics people use are only used once. So for people to use things such as plastic bags, takeout containers and other packaging materials that are only used once, it can stay in the environment for hundreds of years until it is decomposed.
Recycling is one of many ways people could take action. In order to do that people need to know the proper use along with the proper dispose of their recycling.
Not only does recycling help save the environment but also reserves our natural resources. Eventually if nothing gets better people will be left with no natural resources.
Recycling is a form of awareness which projects a ripple effect about saving the Earth as well as others, and passes it on from person to person.
Imagine the amount of plastic you waste a year. “The problem may never change,” Chad Onahi stated. But you could be the person who resolves the problem.