The environmental tragedy that I chose to ask about was the
Great Pacific Garbage Patch. I posted a video and an article about it. Here are
the links:
Question: Were
you aware that environmental tragedies of this magnitude still exist today?
Comments:
1. “I didn't realize that these types of tragedies occurred
anymore since they are not well publicized. Although, there are a lot of people
that speak out against pollution and other environmental issues. It's kind of
strange that with some jobs, particularly ones in public health, they are
constantly working to prevent tragedy and the only time they are noticed is
when they are not doing their jobs well and a tragedy occurs. That's is
probably why we don't hear much about environmental tragedies like this and
Love Canal.”
2. “No. That’s disgusting and disappointing. It makes me
feel hopeless like we are helpless like there is nothing we can do about it and
the world is self-destructing.”
3. “No, that’s bad. It freaks me out that there is more
trash in the world that it is bigger than the state of Texas.“
4. “I was aware of environmental tragedies like this. I
think it sucks, but it is a lot harder than we realize to change. We have the
convenience of throwing away this box and we throw it in the trash and don’t know
where it goes after that. It’s a societal thing that will be really hard to
change.”
5. “I didn’t know this existed because I’m so sheltered here
where I live. I had no idea that what I did here could effect the ocean. After
watching this video, I’m going to pay a lot more attention to what I do with my
trash.”
6. “Yes, I was aware. We talked about this in AP
environmental science. I think people don’t realize how much of an impact trash
makes on the environment. People just throw it away—out of sight out of mind. I
think if people knew how it is affecting our environment and what it could
potentially do to us, people would be more aware of how they are disposing of
their litter.”
7. “Yes. I think it’s disgusting that people can’t take care
of their trash and they throw it into the environment. They don’t realize how
it is affecting the environment because people are so sheltered from things
like this that are happening.”
8. “Yes. It pisses me off. It’s surprising to me that
nothing has been done about it. Everyone knows about it so why isn’t anyone
doing anything? I get mad when people litter and I hate it when I see trash on
the beach.”
9. “I had no idea things like this still happened today. I
thought that we were way past things like improper disposal of toxic wastes or
littering because of all the laws there are now. I guess I should be more
informed about environmental disasters like these.”
10. “Yes, I’ve heard
of that. Well obviously I think that it’s bad and our world is going to suffer
from it. I want to tell someone to do something about it. I hate when people
litter in California because I know it goes straight to the ocean and hurts the
environment. It is sad that things like this still happen.”
My Responses:
1. Based on the impact environmental tragedies have on you
and your family how likely are you to take action against disasters like this
one?
If I am
unaware of environmental tragedies like Love Canal or unaffected by them
because they did not occur near where I live, I am probably not likely to take
action against them. However, I am from a beach town and my awareness of the
Great Pacific Garbage Patch and the effects of littering on the ocean have
changed my behaviors and opinions. I believe in recycling and keeping beaches
and streets free from litter in order to take action against disasters like
this one.
2. Were you aware that environmental tragedies of this
magnitude still exist today?
I was aware
that environmental tragedies still exist today; however, I was not aware that
tragedies involving the improper disposal of toxic waste such as the Love Canal
incident existed. From the news and classes I’ve taken, I have been informed
about tragedies such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and oil spills and
other such tragedies.
3. How do environmental tragedies affect you on a daily
basis? Why should we care about them?
The Great
Pacific Garbage Patch does affect me on a daily basis because the harmful
toxins and debris from the plastic enter the food chain when fish digest them.
The pollution of the ocean affects me daily when I live at home because I live
right next to the ocean and I want to keep it clean. Environmental tragedies do
not necessarily preoccupy my thoughts on a daily basis, but they do affect
millions of people every single day because there are so many going on all the
time. For this reason, we should care about them and try to do what we can in
our own circles of influence to stop these environmental tragedies from
happening.
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