Whether or not you believe that 2012 marks the end of the world, there is one thing we know for sure that the ancient Mayans accurately predicted: climatic shifts. Global warming, rising sea levels, and new weather patterns are just some of the environmental issues Earth faces this year. The past year, especially, serves as an indicator for what we can expect to experience. So, believer or nonbeliever, be prepared to see what 2012 has in store.
When we think of global warming, we tend to be skeptical. However, it doesn’t take a December 21, 2012 conspiracy for scientists to study changes in Earth’s atmosphere. We revert back to textbook explanations of carbon dioxide emissions trapping heat in the atmosphere causing glaciers to melt, and therefore, sea levels to rise. We also blame deforestation lowering levels of oxygen and removing essential nutrients from the soil inadvertently for the environmental shifts we’re noticing, but these are only the beginnings of the laundry list of environmental injustices mankind has created.
The world’s population reached seven billion this past October. But seven billion means nothing in comparison to the resource use (or perhaps misuse) this large population demands. Our exponential growth is directly correlated with the means we use to sustain such a large amount of people. In the United States alone, people use 110 gallons of water per day, which is divided up among showers, bathtubs, sprinklers, sinks, and dishwashing, even though the average person only requires 2.5 quarts of water to maintain basic health.
Another billion people also means more cars on the highway, which also means a larger demand for fossil fuels to power those vehicles. Not only will the atmosphere trap more heat when these fossil fuels are burned, but their scarcity as a resource takes a toll on your pocket.
“I think we can expect more unpredictable weather, things like longer droughts, latent hurricane seasons, more snow…probably less agricultural output which means prices will raise in the economy,” AP Environmental Science teacher Mr. Dempsey said. And a rise in prices in the economy, as we’ve seen at the gas pump, affects everyone.
Think about all the worksheets your teachers seamlessly hand to you and dozens of other students, multiply that by about seven periods per day, and there you have hundreds upon thousands of trees cut down only to be thrown away at the end of the school year. Now, think of the amount of Snapple cans and water bottles you witness thrown away during the year. How many do you think are actually recycled? If not, then where do they go?
If there is one concept that cannot be stressed enough, it is that there is no “away.” Every water bottle tossed in a landfill, every plastic bag you find rolling in the street does not simply disappear. They harm organisms, contaminate the soil, and even affect our water supply. So what can you as a student do to help? For one, you may believe the daily water bottle is a necessity, but reusable bottles do just the trick. You can save money and a water bottle from making its way to the ocean.
Recycle. It’s as simple as that. Paper, glass, and canned goods don’t require any extra energy to be placed in a recycling receptacle rather than a regular garbage can. If you’d like to take it a step further, the next time you go food shopping try to buy from local businesses. Purchasing locally reduces the amount of fossil fuel emissions, and with our population reaching seven billion, every small reduction counts.
As just one out of seven billion, you may feel like your ecological footprint doesn’t make a difference—that you cannot single-handedly save the world. But it only takes one to start. We’re a community, and it’s our responsibility to keep our community clean and sustainable for the future. Massapequa can be an example for the rest of Long Island, and it begins here.