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A View on Pollution

In Hawaii pollution, although mentioned often, is still not being lowered. As of present day there are no visible direct effects on us, so we decide that it is not our problem to concern ourselves with. However, this is false information; we have seen a massive hole form in our comfy, protective layer of ozone, we have seen deforestation, we have seen massive oil spills kill, we have seen the death of one of nature’s most beautiful artworks, the great barrier reef. This is why we, as millennials, need to find ways to reduce the amount of pollutants we place into our atmosphere; Pollution will cause damage to everything – ozone, jungles, forests, deserts, cities- but it is most destructive to the ocean and this is where change can begin.        

   In order to comprehend how air pollution affects the ocean directly, one first needs to understand the basic chemistry behind water’s composition. Water as a molecule is comprised of Hydrogen and Oxygen, which makes water a neutral solution; it is neither acidic or basic on a PH scale. What this means in simple terms is that water is extremely unreactive. When air pollution - burning of fossil fuels - enters the atmosphere the ocean’s water can become acidic. This process occurs by the aromas of the fossil fuels in the air dissolving into the water. Now to many people this may seem as though it’s a great solution: we are no longer breathing in chemicals! However, this is causing large damage for marine life. All marine animal shells are formed from a compound called Calcium Carbonate. When Calcium Carbonate is in water it remains solid and in a combined form but when it is in an acidic solution it will start to dissolve. Therefore, fossil fuel secretions are directly affecting marine life by taking away many animals only defense mechanism. Animals with no defense mechanism soon will lead to an extinct animal; the ocean missing one simple snail can mean the difference in the entire world’s ecosystem.

           Plastics – made of althea same elements as fossil fuel ( https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/How-Plastics-Are-Made/ ) - are another leading factor in ecosystem changes. Although all people know plastic is bad for the environment, everyone still chooses to use it multiple times throughout the day; I am no exception. Plastic is a universally used substance in the world of today: containers, water bottles, bags, utensils, lighters, electronics. Plastics would not be as large of a pollution problem if we all where not wasteful human beings, but we all are. We throw everything away after one time uses, nothing can be used twice according to most. Everything being thrown means that plastic accumulation in landfills is rapidly increasing and not allowing anything time to biodegrade because plastics already have a high life span and tend to accumulate very quickly. Being that the bulk of everything we use is made of plastic it tends to suddenly be left on streets or be blown out of landfills and all of this leads to garbage in the ocean. Does anyone remember the video of the turtle with a straw stuck up its nostril? This is a great representation of how plastics directly affect marine life. All plastics that end up in the ocean can have damaging effects on marine life: six pack rings stunt the growth of shells, bags cause animals to become entrapped, and any animal ingests microscopic particles of plastic. All of this once again leads to marine life losing mechanisms needed for life which leads to extinction, then altering the entire planets ecosystem negatively.

           Not only is plastic endangering all ocean and world ecosystems but also any other material you can think of; plastic is just the most abundant. Any material from rope to metals are also damaging pollutants. All these materials become entrapped in currents throughout the oceans and are dragged thousands of miles away. This places most things in the middle of the ocean; there are even places where it accumulates, such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This amount of debris in the ocean is taking away marine life habitat and endangering their food sources through contamination but also leading to increased beach pollution. On recent beach clean-ups not only have I collected thousands of plastic bottle lids but also glass jars and masses of rope that where too heavy to move. All these materials are causing harm to the ocean and its beaches. No longer are beaches sand but tiny particles of plastic – this can be witnessed in Hawaii on multiple beaches: Waimanalo, Makapu’u, and Sandys to name a few. If nothing is done to lower the amount of pollution, we as millennials alone are producing, we will all be living in landfills and not neighborhoods.

           If the oceans are to alter the ecosystems of the world, as they already are, we see many changes. Some of these environmental declines include climate change and rising sea levels. If sea levels rise as many scientists have predicted Hawaii would cease to exist. There are already man islands enduring these problems in the south pacific such as Easter Island and all the Solomon Islands. If climate change reaches the temperatures projected the Ozone - protects us form the sun’s UV rays – will diminish into nothing. When all of this occurs Earth will no longer be able to sustain life. In order to stop this from occurring we together should all take steps towards protecting our planet instead of destroying it and ourselves.

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The Cyberbiography of Sara

The internet is a platform that allows anyone to explore thousands of different topics, ideals and opinions. Within the internet there are locations where people from many different backgrounds and upbringings can share anything on their mind; this is where I tend to spend most of my time. Outlets such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube are places I spend a large percentage of my day. The questions that all this brings into perspective is “How has the internet and everything connected to it shaped me as the person I am today?”.

           It may be hard to believe but I do remember a time in my life when no one I knew (at the time my parents and sibling) had a cell phone; most of the world around me only had land lines and computers that occupied the space of an entire desk. This time without instant knowledge, no wireless Wi-Fi and no data on phones, allows me to appreciate the internet in a different way than the younger generation will in the future. Although, I also understand that there were times when internet did not exist. The internet did shape my entire childhood; I did not grow up using books for research, instead I used to google. This one sentence explains how internet has shaped me as a person. I never knew the practice of researching through books or writing hand written essays or even leaving a question un-answered. Everything has always been right there when I needed to know the answer. Allowing me to become a very impatient person. I am fast moving and as I get older I see people younger than me acquiring these same traits.

           With technology advancing, everything I will ever need to know will be within my fingertips, in fact it already lays within in them, a Cell Phone . On this device, like most people, I do not use it for many intellectual purposes; most of the time spent on this device is on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat. However, I am not saying this is bad, these apps allow me to stay in contact or even meet new people I may have never met. They open my perception of the world; I can witness over population in China or a beautiful day in Hawaii in a click of a button. I am allowed to form opinions and voice them to the world and people will actually see. Devices like cell phones also allow me to move to Hawaii to attend school. A small town North Dakotan girl would probably never move 3000 miles away if they only had letters to contact their family, which by the way takes a minimum of three weeks to send and receive one letter. All the Apps I use and more allow me and everyone else in the world today to stay in contact with family and friends, again, through a click of a button.

           In conclusion the internet has made me a very impatient person but also allows me to take advantage of the world. I am able to speak to people thousands of miles away as if they were standing right beside me. I am able to partake in history by voicing my opinions. Finally, I am able to enhance my perception of the world and how I choose to live my life based on that perception.