Oil Drilling Disaster

    

Hendry, Patrick. Took a walk on lunch break to create a collection of industry

     and "gas punk" type photos. UnSplash, 25 Jan. 2018, unsplash.com/photos/

     6xeDIZgoPaw. 

    This week, I read a New York Times post, which is an article that focuses on the Plan to Open Arctic Refuge to Drilling.

 

    The main idea of this article is that  in Washington — The Trump administration on Monday finalized its plan to open up part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas development, a move that overturns six decades of protections for the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the United States. And Opponents say that opening the refuge to development would be a step backward in an era when the world should be burning less oil in order to avoid drastic global warming. They also say drilling could harm vulnerable wildlife in the area, including polar bears, which are already struggling because of climate change, and Porcupine caribou herds that use the coastal plain as a calving area.

 

    One idea that I found interesting was that drilling opponents have also said that the Interior Department downplayed the risks of climate change in its review. For example they had said “the agency estimated that the refuge could produce as many as 10 billion barrels of oil over its lifetime, but argued that the effect on greenhouse gas emissions would be minimal, since most of that oil would simply displace oil being produced elsewhere in the country. In comments submitted to the agency, the attorneys general from 15 states, including New York, called this displacement theory “completely unsupported.”(NYT)

    I thought it was interesting because if people seem to care about the Earth, it’s animals and global warming, why would you want to continue the use for fossil fuels and oil? Going through with the oil drilling plan will cause harm to vulnerable wildlife in the area, including polar bears, which are already struggling because of climate change, and Porcupine caribou herds that use the coastal plain as a calving area. Going through with this will cause so many animals to lose their homes and food sources. 

    I disagree with this idea because although the administration’s push to open up the refuge has been backed by lawmakers in Alaska, as well as by local energy firms and other Alaska Native groups, who have said that drilling could provide much-needed jobs and revenue for the state, where oil production has declined since the 1980s. Wonder why? I still believe that these kinds of benefits are not enough to almost destroy animal family homes.  

 

    One piece of evidence that supports my view comes from the New York Times article on the oiling drilling in the Arctic. It states that as part of the process, the Department of Interior was required to conduct a review of the potential environmental effects of drilling. The final version of that environmental impact statement was released in September and recommended that oil and gas leasing be allowed in the 1.5 million acres of the coastal plain. But it suggested that there were ways to blunt the effects, such as limiting the use of heavy equipment for one month of the year during caribou calving season. This supports my view because environmentalists have criticized the agency’s review as insufficient, saying it was largely based on older research and failed to address several concerns. For instance, critics have noted, the environmental impact statement does not provide an estimate of how many polar bears could potentially be killed or harmed by exploration in the coastal plain. Proving that it really doesn’t need to happen.

  

Works Cited

Hendry, Patrick. Took a walk on lunch break to create a collection of industry and "gas punk" type photos. UnSplash, 25 Jan. 2018, unsplash.com/photos/6xeDIZgoPaw.

Plumer, Brad, and Henry Fountain. "Trump Administration Finalizes Plan to Open Arctic Refuge to Drilling." New York Times, 17 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/17/climate/alaska-oil-drilling-anwr.html.

Air Quality Differences

Chen, Max. when i goto my familiar position for take photos. this picture was what i saw. Air pollution make me can not point out the direction of my home. what can we do make this view will not happened again ? UnSplash, 2 Dec. 2018, www.nh.gov/epht/environmental-topics/air.htm.

    

     This week, I read New Hampshire Public Health Tracking, which is an article that focuses on air quality.

    The main idea of this article is that they are focusing on what air quality is, what causes it, how they track and measure the air, and the health risks in poor air quality.

One idea that I found interesting was New Hampshire had quite a lot of measuring points, 14 around the state.

 

    I thought it was interesting because while doing more research about air quality I looked into Brazil's air quality I noticed that they did have a good amount as well. Knowing that it is also a whole country instead of just a state like NH, which also made me wonder what our pollutants were, and whether they were different or the same.

    It made me wonder what the pollutants are and what causes them, so I looked up some more information about this idea.

 

    On the website New Hampshire Environmental Public Health Tracking on air quality, I found more information about what air quality was, what causes poor air, where it is measured in NH, and what are some health impacts on having poor air quality in your area. 

    One piece of information I found was things that can cause bad air quality are Carbon Monoxide, Lead, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ozone, Particulate Matter, and Sulfur Dioxide. In NH they measure the air quality in Concord, Keene, Laconia, Lebanon Airport, Londonderry, Mount Washington Base, Nashua, Portsmouth, Seacoast, Miller State Park, Mount Washington summit, and Pembroke. This information/facts supported the information in the original article/text.

    Like I had said before I was wondering about what was causing these pollutants in the air, and with my research I found that in Brazil has a tendency to have a heavy reliance on vehicles, and as such much of its year-round ambient pollution levels would stem from the fumes and smoke emitted from automobiles. Not helping with that Many of these vehicles are of an older and more ancient variety, more prominently so in rural areas. Besides running on the aforementioned unique ethanol based fuels, other sources of vehicular pollution would come from ones that run on fossil fuels, particularly low quality diesel fuel, all of which give off their fair share of pollutants. 

    I thought about that for a minute and I thought that, well as an American teen I know that the majority of the U.S also uses vehicles to get around. But then knowing that we have more advanced cars with eco friendly abilities, Brazil does not have that. They do keep up with their measuring of the quality and are slowly get better air. 

Works Cited

Chen, Max. when i goto my familiar position for take photos. this picture was what i

saw. air pollution make me can not point out the direction of my home. what can we

do make this view will not happened again ? UnSplash, 2 Dec. 2018, www.nh.gov/

epht/environmental-topics/air.htm.

Ministério Público de Estado do Acre, Companhia Ambiental do Estado de São Paulo

(CETESB). "Air Quality In Brazil." IQAir, www.iqair.com/brazil. Accessed 14 Jan.

2021.

State of New Hampshire. "Air Quality." New Hampshire Environmental Public Health

Tracking, www.nh.gov/epht/environmental-topics/air.htm. Accessed 14 Jan. 2021.

Our Poor Ocean

  

   This week, I watched, which is a TED Talk called A Radical Plan To End Plastic Waste

that focuses on how plastic in the oceans affect it’s creatures and plants within, and

how we can help. The main idea of this talk is that plastic overall is such a bad tool to

use and produce, because no matter where it goes, it harms its surroundings. One idea

that I found interesting was that Andrew Forrest said recycling would make a huge

difference and help, because we would stop having the “need” to make more plastic.

    I thought it was interesting because it would honestly work if everyone put in their

part. With recycling all the plastic we use into other plastic bottles or containers we

wouldn’t have the “need” to make more. And just simply keep reusing, Andrew Forrest

also came out and said that if we were to raise the price of plastic it  would encourage

companies to recycle and reuse plastic and not to buy it “fresh”. Recycled plastic is a

cheaper choice than buying new plastic and is way helpful towards the environment. 

    It made me wonder how much plastic really is in the ocean, so I looked up some

more information about this idea. On the website Condor Ferries, I found more

information about the dangers of plastic. One piece of information I found was that

more than 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine animals die from plastic pollution

every year. This information supported the information in the original TED Talk I

watched. It is showing you how when plastic makes its way to the ocean it can really

affect its surrounding, showing that if we simply just recycled and put our part in we

would be saving so many animals who are eating or trying to eat this stuff. 

Works Cited

Chan, Gary. Close up of a recycle garbage bin logo at Pershing Square in Los Angeles,

California. UnSplash, 24 Aug. 2017, unsplash.com/photos/YzSZN3qvHeo.

"Plastic in the Ocean 2020." Condor Ferries, www.condorferries.co.uk/plastic-in-the-

ocean-statistics#:~:text=There%20is%20now%205.25%20trillion,their%20way%20into

%20our%20oceans. Accessed 21 Dec. 2020.

Woodhouse, Dustan. Take a walk a few KM's from your next resort, here is what the

beaches of the world really look like these days. UnSplash, 21 May 2018, unsplash.com/photos/RUqoVelx59I. Accessed 21 Dec. 2020.

A Safe Way To Help

 

Moretti, Wendel. Low Angle Photo of Man Riding Bicycle. Pexels, 4 Feb. 2019,

     www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-photo-of-man-riding-bicycle-1869643/.

     Accessed 9 Dec. 2020. 

    This week, I read “What You Can Do To Help Prevent Climate Change, According To

Experts”, which is an article that focuses on how things we do as everyday humans affect the

Earth, how important climate change really is and ways we can help prevent it as much as

possible. I found that the main idea of this article is what you can do to help put a stop to climate

change.

    One idea that I found interesting was how in New York City, lawmakers increased the on-street

bike network by 330 miles, making it easier for commuter to opt for a greener way of getting

around the metropolis.

    I thought it was interesting because it is such a simple thing to be done yet so helpful towards

the environment, with so many people nowadays driving to their destinations the more gases

that come from your exhaust are dispersed into the air. So I find that by adding more biking

areas on the roadways and making it safer creates an immense opportunity for people to want

to bike to work or to their lunch date than drive. 

    I agree with this idea because it is a safe way to get involved with helping your climate/

environment. And with thousands of people driving all the time you can imagine just how

many nasty gases are in our air, polluting.

    One piece of evidence that supports my view comes from another article I found. It states

that "The most recent American Community Survey 5-year estimates covering the years

2013-2017 show that about 872,000 people, or 0.6% of all workers in the United States, bike

to work". This supports my view because it is showing just how many people do decide to

take that extra step to help preserve the Earth. Deciding to exercise their way to work, instead

of polluting the air with thousands of others. 

    Another piece of evidence that supports my view is from the same article from above, it is

from the cite United States Census Bureau.  It states that “Biking to work is more common

inside the principal cities of metropolitan areas (metros) than outside principal cities and outside

metros”. Meaning it is more likely for people who live in cities or larger towns to bike to work/

their activities, than someone who has to travel a farther distance to get to work.  This supports

my view because it is showing that the city communities actually do use their bike lanes that

have been painted on the pavement for their safe traveling to work. 

    I find that adding more bike lanes onto roadways is a great way to help prevent climate

change, it is lessening the chances of cars being turned on for the day and upping the opportunity

for bikes to be pulled out. But why is this important, why do we care about stupid bike lanes?

Well, climate itself plays such a big role in our lives, it controls whether we can grow crops for

food or not, and even what we wear for the day. But our climate is also affected by the

atmosphere, a layer of gases, when there becomes a development of too much greenhouse gases

they get trapped in Earth's “bubble”. Creating the Earth to get hotter. But what are greenhouses

gases so we can try to stay away from them as much as possible? They could include things like

carbon dioxide, methane and ozone, water vapour, nitrous oxides and fluorinated gases.

Works Cited

Burrows, Michael. "May 17 Is National Bike to Work Day." United States Census Bureau, 14 May 2019, www.census.gov/library/stories/

2019/05/younger-workers-in-cities-more-likely-to-bike-to-work.html#:~:text=May%2017%20is%20National%20Bike%20to%20Work%20Day%20and%20events,S0801)%2C%20bike

%20to%20work. Accessed 9 Dec. 2020.

Moretti, Wendel. Low Angle Photo of Man Riding Bicycle. Pexels, 4 Feb. 2019, www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-photo-of-man-riding-

bicycle-1869643/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2020.

"Why Is Climate Important?" National Centre for Atmospheric Science, ncas.ac.uk/learn/why-is-climate-important/#:~:text=Climate%20affects%20nearly%20every%20aspect,conditions%20in%20any%20particular%20place.

Accessed 9 Dec. 2020.