Beatriz Gonzalez
Art 3170-02
October 21, 2020
Environmental Conservation
For as long as life has been around on this planet, the need to conserve nature and wildlife habitats has been crucial for the existence of various species as well as our own. It has been found that through the course of the years we as human beings have forgotten what it truly means to take care of this planet. Largely in part due to the fact that we have sacrificed nature for the sake of economic progress. In the article written by Environment California it states that some of the most iconic animals native to America such as the right sperm whale, humpback whale, sea otter, and manatee are becoming endangered species. The same is the case for land animals such as polar bears, grizzly bears, and gray wolves to name a few. It is also important to note that the United States was the first country in the world to implement the preservation of wildlife through its National Parks.
There are various goals which the Environment California campaign has for the future of the Earth's well-being. Some of these goals include reducing the amount of plastic pollution in our oceans by banning the use and production of plastic foam cups and containers. Which most often end up in our oceans and cause harm to whales, dolphins, birds, and fish among other sea creatures. Similarly, they plan on saving our bees and other pollinators by urging California to ban bee-killing pesticides. Lastly, they aim to protect endangered species by advocating for zero-deforestation of tropical forests around the world. This campaign is aware of the fact that it won't be an easy road to achieve all of these goals for society and the environment but they are determined to create much needed change in the state of California.
One of the biggest environmental issues that California has is the huge amount of plastic waste that pollutes its oceans and beaches. It has been found by The Nature Conservancy organization, that roughly 12 billion metric tons of plastic waste will be in our landfills or polluting the environment by 2050. This is definitely an alarming number since the production and incineration of plastic is known to be an immense contributor of climate change. In an effort to reduce such environmental impact, transnational corporations are conducting scientific research as well as utilizing technological innovations as we speak. In order to put perspective into how big this problem really is the organization has provided a couple of relevant statistics. For example, it has been found that about 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans each year. Consequentially, affecting about 530 marine species. It is no wonder why after having recorded these findings the "Plastics Free California Initiative" was approved to be placed on the ballot for the 2022 elections.
The reason why I chose the issue of environmental conservation is because I feel that as human beings we have forgotten the value of other species lives. I say this because it feels as though every time we are out on the street or visiting a beach or wildlife reserve there is always trash and pollution visible. Which indicates to me that as human beings we are not doing our job to keep this planet safe. As I mentioned beforehand, plastic waste pollution is a huge issue in the state of California and I feel that in order to reduce this waste we must all do our part as a community. What I mean by this is that people should put more effort into throwing their trash in designated areas such as trash bins and develop a habit of recycling plastic. Only by safely disposing of trash can we keep it out of our oceans, forests, and communities. Another reason why this issue came to mind is because recently I have seen that many honey bees have been dying near my house. I'm not entirely sure why this has been occurring but I can't help but think that it could have been caused by a pesticide that was purposefully put in their environment to get rid of them. Something which I consider to be inhumane and completely irresponsible. Since it is widely known that bees play a vital part in our ecosystems. For these reasons and many more I felt that bringing awareness to environmental conservation was absolutely necessary. Especially in this day in age when we as a society forget why we are able to live in this planet in the first place.
Works Cited
Conservation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://environmentcalifornia.org/feature/cae/conservation
It's Now or Forever. (2020, April 12). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/california/stories-in-california/stop-plastic-waste/
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