Environmental Club: September Meeting

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-Anna Cait

Environmental Club: September Meeting: "St. Jude's Ranch for children: NO hallmark, Disney, or American greeting Get a basket in front office Bring in greeting cards from old occa..."

Sustainability

Sustainable development is the process of research to find a resource that supports today's human needs while protecting the environment now and in the future. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development

The natural resources attributing to climate change are being used at great rates in the United States as well as many other countries. Greenhouse gases emitted from the use of oil are not only a threat to the environment, but also our dependence on oil is becoming more and more hazardous. http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/energy.htm

The BP oil spill is a prevalent example of how we have taken advantage of our earth. The Gulf's plant and aquatic life has been devastated by the estimated 94 million gallons of oil spanning the waters. Not only has the life within the ocean been affected, but those whom reside on the Gulf coast have, too. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2010-06-09-1Aoilhowbad09_CV_N.htm The income of these areas have been hit hard due to their dependence on fishing, tourism, etc. Lately, I have been seeing commercials advertising Florida's, for now, clean beaches to attract tourism. It is so sad to see area's and people's lifestyle become in jeopardy due to man's selfish and greedy methods. Oil is a non-renewable resource. Who knows how long oil will be able to flow from an oil rig at 25,000 barrels a day? New sources are eminent to our future on earth. Dependence on oil needs to shift with advancements in biofuels quickly. The changes we do see like hybrid cars and the small use of ethanol in place of oil are not enough. Advancements need to be made in order to increase the use of biofuels and decrease the amount of oil used. Less rigs would be necessary as a result. A decrease in the US alone would be unbelievably beneficial. If a waterway were to be exposed to a spill again there is a good chance the life within the water would not survive again.

Littering is a big problem in the US, as well as many other places. I find it difficult to drive half a mile without seeing some form of trash on the road. People do not realize that they are directly affecting themselves when they throw their McDonald's bag out of their window. Trash has germs, that is why we call it trash. It is bad. Diseases can result when certain things are eaten by animals. Water is contaminated by litter as well. Waste can seep into soil, trashing our water that we drink and bathe in. Animals are greatly affected from littering, too. Swallowing the wrong thing can kill an animal. Laws are set up and littering is illegal. Signs are posting reading that a $500 dollar fine will be faced if you liter. Do you really think that every piece of trash on the road comes with a fine like that? No. Since that is not easily enforced, the only way for it to stop is if people stop being lazy and selfish. Littering should be a stronger topic in environmental issues. If brought up more, maybe someone will decide to wait until they find a trash can next time. We're all paying the fine that you aren't receiving for throwing your trash out the window. It affects us all. http://www.greenecoservices.com/littering-facts-and-statistics/