Environment Paper
pchuxmerbanuelle
DSchummer_EnvironmentalPollution_111217.docxRunning head: ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION 1
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION 3
Environmental Pollution
G328/EVR3410 Human Uses of the Environment
Danielle A. Schummer
Growing up, I can say my childhood was pretty amazing. I had good friends, but even better places that we knew and were free to play. About a mile from our house was this planted forest that was very large and had tall trees. It had clear paths and people went there for jogging and relaxing. For us, this was where we went to ride our bicycles and often raced against each other. Eventually, this was the place that I formed good memories with nature, because of it’s beauty. Apart from the trees, there were other living creatures like birds, butterflies, squirrels, rabbits, deer, and more. This place became a sanctuary for our games due to the vast space and beauty. We also really enjoyed the different sounds the birds made.
As I grew up, this became one of the places that had fast growth and the land became very important for developers. As time went by, the land and the forest were bought and later, all the trees were cut down to create room for real estate developers. Where there used to be fields and flower gardens filled with life, now seems so rocky, congested, and full of garbage. At first, we did not notice if there was any major difference, but all this changed when the rainy season came. Floods became so incontrollable; wind blew without anything to block it and therefore destroyed a lot of things. The weather patterns have also been affected making the amount of rain drop and the garbage has weakened our health. This was an event that really got me thinking about the environment.
In conclusion, through personal experience I was able to learn about the different ways in which the environment is often spoiled. Among them is deforestation, water pollution in rivers and the seas, and lastly air pollution through our carbon emissions. There are also many preventive measures that can be taken to make sure that extreme pollution does not occur (Khopkar, 2014). Among the basic measures is educating people about the pollution and also setting up laws and regulations that will help with combating those that contribute to environmental destruction. This can also help in preventing extreme weather conditions like flooding and acidic rain which is caused by air pollution and deforestation. For me, I arrived at my ecological identity through experience and now am continuing through formal education. I have had my “blinders” on throughout most of my life when it comes to the environment. I know I have a lot to learn. I’ve always loved being outdoors and found nature beautiful and amazing. I’m not sure why it has never been a big concern for me before. Maybe I was thinking ignorance is bliss, but I am ready to confront the issues going on in the world and learn how I can help create change for the better.
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