With climate change becoming increasingly evident, schools should prioritize the environmental crises, rather than the teaching of logarithms.
As global temperatures increase, the Earth’s weather patterns are drastically changing, which intensifies various climates. As we have seen here in California, droughts have gotten longer which has the potential to ruin ecosystems and hurt farmer’s businesses. A factor in global warming is due to the burning of fossil fuels, which warm the atmosphere. We should be learning about how we are affecting the environment because we are the next generation and schools should be educating us on current mistakes so that we can fix them in the future.
Every year over 8 million tons of garbage are dumped into the ocean. Fish consume it, get stuck in the plastic and it damages their habitats. Fertilizer from farms also finds its way into the ocean which created algae blooms that sucks up the oxygen in the water. Sealife is the main food source for millions of people and with so many species becoming endangered, plus the fish containing plastic people are going to suffer from the food source. So many students do not even know this is an issue because they are focused on the core curriculum. How is there ever going to be change if the next generation is not aware of the rising issues?
Urbanization is another big issue that is hurting the environment because of humans. Animals cannot cross to different territories because of blocks such as freeways and buildings. Local biologists estimate that mountain lions will be extinct in the Santa Monica mountains within the next 20 years due to human impact. The mountain lions cannot cross the 101 freeway to mate with other mountain lions, so they are confined to their own habitats. Furthermore, the fires in the area have killed a few of the mountain lions and some have even been hunted. The only reason I am aware of this is because I take AP environmental science, but without it, I would not know about what is going on in our community. Students are so preoccupied with their schooling that they do not have time to watch the news or read articles for fun. People will only begin to realize how much the environment is hurting when it directly affects them and by then it will be too late.
There are numerous small things that people do every day that harm the environment. For example, when people wash their face they are most likely releasing microbeads into the ocean, which fish then consume. Jeans take 2,900 gallons of water to produce, and water is a luxury to many countries, so constantly buying new pairs is unnecessary. Instead, visit your local thrift shop where you can buy quality jeans for cheap. Moreover, the jean factory then has to ship the plastic-wrapped products which release fossil fuels. There are numerous environmental costs to products that society just does not see. Most people do not think about the impact their purchases have on the environment. I mean I sure did not until I took an environmental science class.
Our district must educate us on the impact we leave on the environment so that when we are grown up and have kids, we will live in a healthy earth that our kids can have a pleasant life in. So for now, recycle more, use reusable items, read about how you can help fight climate change and reduce your ecological footprint.
