Month: November 2014

Categories
Environment

Act Now and Stop Global Warming

Global warming is an issue we have been trying to tackle for a very long time. As the years go by, we come up with innovative new solutions to reduce the threat of global warming. By enacting these solutions, we can reduce the impact of global warming.

Global warming is currently the biggest threat of our time. We have tools that can help end it, but as we wait longer, we are running out of time to prevent its worst effects. Increased amounts of extreme weather have been occurring all over the United States. Floods in the Midwest, and severe droughts and wildfires in the West are some of the dangers of global warming that alert us to take immediate action.

Since California is the world’s 12th largest source of global warming pollution, we can make a huge difference by taking initiatives to solve global warming. With more energy efficient buildings, fuel efficient cars, and renewable energy such as wind, solar and geothermal, we can begin to reduce global warming pollution. Activists are trying to encourage the simplest and easiest ways to help, such as carpooling or recycling. If everyone does their part, we can reverse our mistakes and stop global warming.

Categories
Environment

Plastic Bag Pollution

In the past few years, dozens of cities in California have issued a ban on single-use plastic bags. The public has become more educated about the problems that come with using them. The movement to stop plastic pollution is growing, and residents are now trying to outlaw plastic bags statewide.

California throws away over 123,000 tons of plastic bags each year and most of them end up as dangerous litter in the ocean. The waste endangers marine wildlife, who mistake the garbage as food, and choke on the hazardous pieces. Also, toxic pollutants leak out from the plastic and are absorbed by fish and aquatic animals. To make matters worse, scientists say that the plastic is not biodegradable. Something that we use for 10 minutes can contaminate the ocean for hundreds of years.

As more people become aware of the consequences of using plastic bags, they are spreading the news. Currently, 1 in 3 Californians have stopped using plastic bags in their lives. So far, the effort to end the use of plastic bags is making great progress. Today, over 100 communities in California already have or are in the process of enacting the ban. Now, residents are trying to take it even further. Many are in support of raising it to a statewide ban. Hopefully, the entire state of California will soon be free of pollution from plastic bags.

Categories
Environment

Worst California Drought On Record

California is currently experiencing its worst drought on record. Dozens of cities have enacted strict limitations on water usage and declared fines on violators. In the drying woodlands, fire crews had to fight 140 new wildfires in the week of August 17 alone. For the last three years, the rains have not come, sending nearly the entire state into a drought emergency. Farmers depended on reservoirs to help their crops through the season, but when that failed they pumped up thousands of gallons of water from underground aquifers. But now, the aquifers are being used up at devastating rates. The dry area stretches across a dozen states and includes fields that account for 1/3 of the country’s cattle and half of its fruit, vegetables, and wheat production.

As someone who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, my family is one of millions that are directly affected by the drought. Prices for produce and meat products have risen this year. As of July 2014, 60% of California is officially in extreme drought conditions. The 38 million residents of the Golden State have been forced to cut their water usage by 20%. This severe drought endangers dozens of communities in and around California. So far, no permanent solutions have been found, but as a society the only thing we can do now is to conserve water and hope for the best.