Environmental Science 1301- Cali Copper

Sarah Dudas’s TED Talk, Microplastics Are Everywhere, opened my eyes to the overwhelming impact plastic pollution has on our environment and health. She mentions that in just 65 years, we have produced an estimated 8,300 million metric tons of plastic, yet only 9% has been recycled so the rest ends up in landfills, oceans, and ultimately, our bodies!! Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that never fully decompose, making them a major environmental and health concern. Microplastics are plastic particles that are less than 5mm in size, about as small as a grain of rice. They come in two forms, the first is called Primary microplastics are intentionally manufactured to be small, such as microbeads in cosmetics or fibers from synthetic clothing (Dudas, 2018). Secondary microplastics are a result from the breakdown of larger plastics due to exposure to sunlight, ocean waves, or friction over time (Plastic Soup Foundation, 2019).According to Dr. Erik van Sebille in “Charting the Garbag...

Air Pollution Basics When coal, oil and other fossil fuels are burned it releases Sulfur Pollutants like sulfur dioxide and it can combine with water droplets to form sulfuric acid which then leads to acid rain that destroys our environment. Acid rain damages forests, buildings, monuments and poison lakes. Freeman also adds that acid rain affects human health, irritating lungs and making the conditions of asthma worse. (freeman p.268) Nitrogen Pollutants, mostly known as nitrogen oxides are produced by power plants, industrial facilities and car engines when they are burning fuel. These gases contribute to acid rain and formulate ground level ozones that are harmful to breathe. Over time, they can also lead to respiratory problems and harm ecosystems by making soil and water too acidic. (Freedman, p. 370) Have you ever been to a big city and the air felt hazy? Well it is probably because of the big traffic releasing high levels of Nitrogen pollutants. Vehicle exhaust, industrial poll...

A. Define alternative energy refers to the energy sources that are renewable and not derived from fossil fuels. Common types of alternative energy include solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and biomass energy. Because they assist lessen reliance on finite fossil fuel supplies and emit little or no greenhouse gases, these sources are regarded as more sustainable. B. Many people, especially environmental scientists are pushing for alternative energy for the many environmental and economic benefits. Alternative energy reduces the huge carbon footprint from our ways of energy production which has shown to be a factor in climate change and pollution. The fuel mix has changed over the years but now is still dominated by fossil fuels. "Over 30% of the world’s energy consumption comes from oil, and much of that goes to transportation uses. In 1973, almost 87% of the global energy consumed was from fossil fuels. Today, that value is closer to 80%."Fossil fuel combustion releases...