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News Report: Microplastics In The Air

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Source

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/04/microplastics-pollution-falls-from-air-even-mountains/

 

Microplastics In The Air

Microplastics have been a big issue for a while, we know that it ends up in the sea, and even the marine species who live there but now its traveling through the air as well.

 

Who/What/How/When/Where/Why

What:  Scientists discover large amounts of tiny plastic particles falling out of the air in a  remote mountain location.

  • This is really important because it is the first time microplastics have been discovered on a mountain top
  • There aren’t many people in this region, which suggests the particles were transported by wind, through the air, from more populated areas at least 59 miles away
  • The area is considered pristine wilderness but the team found an average of 365 pieces of plastic per square metre, suggesting that people are probably breathing in toxic particles even in fresh mountain air.
  • Microplastics are very small pieces of plastic waste. Their presence in oceans and waterways has received a great deal of scientific and media attention in recent years. However, not only are they in the oceans but they travel in our air too.

How:

  • Researchers spent five months collecting samples from 4,600 ft above sea level in the Pyrenees mountain range which forms a natural border between France and Spain.

Where:

France’s Pyrenees Mountains

When:

Published Monday April 15th

Who:

National Geographic article was written by Stephen Leahy  

 Scientist that published this study where

Study called: Atmospheric Transport and deposition of microplastics in a remote mountain catchment.

Why:

  • Because microplastics can be the next atmospheric pollutant.
  • Researchers say Pieces of plastic small enough to sail into the atmosphere can be virtually impossible to clean up, suggesting the only viable solution is to produce less in the first place.

 

Impact of the event or finding/ relevance to society:

 

  • People are exposed to microplastics through food and air  and these findings raise some worrying questions. Additionally,  there needs to be a better way to approach single use plastic.

 

Relevance to the course:

  • This is related to the course, because this has to do with the environment. Even though we do not know the overall health impacts of microplastics on humans, we do know that it is a toxin and a pollutant. This raises a lot of worrying  questions for us and for the future of our planet.

 

  • Researchers say Pieces of plastic small enough to sail into the atmosphere can be virtually impossible to clean up, suggesting the only viable solution is to produce less in the first place.

 

Any permanent questions raised by the story

  • What are the health impacts of inhaling these microplastics?
  • This raises questions on how often we need to purify our air?
  • Is living in cities healthy ?

The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE)

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The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) is a three-day celebration of wildlife and nature through fine art, conservation education, sporting demonstrations, food, drink and the people who honor and respect them all. The largest event of its kind in the US, SEWE makes its home in Charleston, South Carolina and plays host to hundreds of artists and exhibitors, plus experts in wildlife and nature art. Everyone is eager to share their art and insights with more than 40,000 attendees.

I happen to be one of the attendees this year. It was an incredibly satisfying experience where I got to learn more about wildlife especially the Harris Hawk. I learned that the Harris Hawk is a conspicuous bird of the desert and savannah environments. They have the capacity to capture both large prey such as jackrabbits and small, maneuverable birds. Unfortunately, it has disappeared from some former areas, such as lower Colorado River Valley; some attempts have been made to reintroduce the species. In the past, it was threatened in some areas by illegal taking for falconry.

I think going to these events really makes you aware of the importance of conservation and wildlife. Conservation not only protects native plants, birds, and animals, but it also protects us as well.  Deforestation now has taken its course and has been affecting the planet. All these animals depend on the forest to live and survive. The need to conserve resources often conflicts with other needs. For some people, a wooded area may be a good place to put a farm. A timber company may want to harvest the area’s trees for construction materials. A business may want to build a factory or shopping mall on the land. All these needs are valid, but sometimes the plants and animals that live in the area are forgotten. The benefits of development need to be weighed against the harm to animals that may be forced to find new habitats, the depletion of resources we may want in the future (such as water or timber), or damage to resources we use today.Development and conservation can coexist in harmony. When we use the environment in ways that guarantee we have resources for the future, it is called sustainable development. There are many different resources we need to conserve in order to live sustainably.

Additionally, as I was walking around, I came across one of the many organizations at the SEWE event which was the South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP). They are a non-profit public interest law firm, dedicated to the protection of South Carolina’s environment. They are the only such organization that focuses exclusively on South Carolina which I found that really interesting.

Overall, SEWE’s impact on Charleston and the state continues to grow, as does its popularity. Each year, it generates an estimated $50 million; it provides the public with easy and affordable access to wildlife and nature conservation programs; it increases awareness about the need to protect our natural environment; and, it celebrates our collective love for wildlife, nature and our role in enjoying them for generations. Conservation is important for our future and the future of our kids.

Ocean Acidification

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The documentary film, “Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification”, directed by Tristan Bayer and Daniel Hinerfeld explores the shocking environmental effects of Ocean Acidification and its real life consequences. The documentary was made to raise awareness about the largely unknown problem of ocean acidification, which poses a fundamental challenge to marine life and the health of the entire planet.

Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification defines Ocean acidification as the process by which the pH of the ocean is decreased (becomes more acidic). The driving force behind the acidification of our oceans is widely attributed to the continuous burning of fossil fuels and subsequent release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As the levels of carbon dioxide increase in the atmosphere, more and more is absorbed by the oceans. This carbon dioxide reacts with hydrogen monoxide, or water, and results in the formation of hydrogen ions, increasing the acidity. In other words, since the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide has increased in the earths atmosphere causing the ocean to acidify.

The film begins with footage of all the marine life that’s in the ocean, from white sharks to jelly fish. It talks about how incredible the ocean is and how so many people depend on the ocean in so many ways, some ways are obvious like food, recreation, and transportation. Additionally, the ocean protects our shores and it protects our coastal lines from storms. Oceans regulate climate, provide the world with most of its oxygen and has the power to create life. However, due to ocean acidification, it is transforming the chemical of the ocean. In decades, rising ocean acidity may challenge life within the ocean on a scale that has not occurred for tens of millions of years.

Since the industrial revolution, the ocean has roughly absorbed one quarter of the carbon dioxide produced by burning fuels. If we continue to put vast amounts of carbon dioxide, animals ranging from shellfish, crabs, lobsters, shrimp to mussels and oysters will start to die. Corals and reefs are also being put at risk, because, OA is messing with the skeletal density of these corals, therefore, they are dying.  all these life form animals are being put at risk. If we continue to eliminate these animals we are interrupting the food web, this interruption can effect the livelihoods of people. Specially, on the people that rely on the ocean for their food system.  If we continue to profound the oceans chemistry, we will see drastic consequences.  The film poses the question how can we as a society move beyond fossil fuels?  It is by reducing the use of carbon dioxide, or using energy more efficiently like the use of natural energy from solar panels. This new promising green revolution may help us protect our economy and our environment but only if we chose to engage and shift to these new changes.

Overall, if we don’t take action, Ocean acidification does and will continue to have major effects on the overall health of our oceans and by extension, it is no exaggeration to say, human society as a whole, effecting everything from coral reefs to kelp forest, and marine life.

https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/acid-test-global-challenge-ocean-acidification/