As global temperature rises, pollution piles up, and fossil fuel emissions increase, many people around the globe are left wondering how they might be affected by the Environmental Crisis at hand.
In the Gulf of Mexico, Blue-Green algae envelop the coastline annually, causing a rapid decrease in the oxygen levels in the water altogether, leaving piles of dead fish on the beaches of the states bordering. This is a result of the runoff down the Mississippi River from the usage of nitrogen fertilizers in farms located in the Midwest. Currently, Florida suffers from these toxic algae blooms, affecting fishing and local sales in areas that thrive off fishing sales and exports.
Not only is the coastline being affected, but local areas, such as North Augusta, are affected as well. Though it may not be as drastic as toxic algae bloom, an increase in temperature and plastic pollution are seen because of the global climate crisis at large.
Local environmental activist and North Augusta High School alumni, Annie Reed, says “By 2045, reproduction will be greatly affected by microplastics.”
Microplastics are tiny, toxic particles from plastic that are littered everywhere over time. They have been found in food, waterways, oceans, and in the stomachs of species around the globe. These microplastics contain toxic materials and chemicals that directly affect a person's reproductive organs.
Reed says “There is well over the size of a credit card worth of plastic inside the fish located in the Savannah River because of the amounts of waterway litter.” This not only directly affects the habitats in the CSRA but also the people who fish for food and even swim in the Savannah River.
Reed also says, “It is mid-October, and it is still 80 degrees outside, and our news reporters are more focused on other issues to address the steady incline of temperatures globally and locally.”
NASA scientists at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies state that the average global temperature has increased by a little more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1880, but that in the past century it has become more drastic. With the rise in outside temperatures comes the rise of water temperatures as well.
This could result in the melting of the ice caps in the Arctic Circle, thus causing oceans to rise, affecting coastline living due to flooding. “That is only a fraction of the problem with the rise in temperatures,” says Reed
By reusing wasteful materials, reducing fossil fuel emissions, and recycling plastic and other toxic substances, people can work towards reversing and reducing their carbon footprint on the Earth. There is hope for a better, greener future.
Pictured: Litter evidence in our home.
Photo Credit: Emma Carter
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