Deforestation Is Destroying Our Forests

Over the past few weeks, the news and social media have been flooded with startling images and facts about our beautiful Amazon Rainforest. It's no secret that it's in serious danger. Of course, we have faced deforestation before, it seems like a constant battle, similar to global warming. However, the deforestation rate of the Amazon right now is higher than it has ever been in 11 years.

This past year has been one of the worst for the Amazon. In an article by Alaa Elassar, a CNN reporter, she tells us rates haven't been this high since 2008, and that in the past 12 months or so we have lost roughly 3,769 square miles of the Amazon Rainforest.

Elassar tells us that the Brazilian Environment Minister, Ricardo Sales claims that illegal activities, such as cattle grazing, agriculture, wood extraction and trade, and illegal mining, are adding to these high rates.

She also adds the minister tells us Brazil needs "a sustainable economy alternative for that region of the Amazon" to unsure deforestation rates go down because many people depend on the illegal activities adding to the deforestation to get by.

Although the Amazon is in dire need, it has a reputation that brings it more attention than other areas. The beautiful rainforest isn't the only place struggling against deforestation, and we can't let them sit in the Amazon's shadow until it's too late.

If we take a look at Canada's forests, specifically located in northwestern Ontario, there are what appear to be "gashes" in the forest. In an article by Ivan Semeniuk, he tells us these are called "logging scars". He says they go unnoticed for the most part because you need a bird's eye view to see these harmful bare patches.

Photo of logging scars taken by Trevor Hesselink using a drone

Semeniuk tells us that 10.2% to 23.7% of the area said to be restored after logging and deforestation is actually logging scars and open areas. These areas are being overlooked and data would suggest the forest is fine when in reality it is far from being fully restored and still suffers from these scars that can last for decades.

The article also says because these areas are counted for as forest, harvesting of wood continues because based on the facts the Ontario government releases, cutting down a reasonable amount of trees from their forests isn't harmful. However, because the thought amount of forest is inaccurate, cutting down trees is very harmful. These scars have not had enough time or attention to grow back and proceeding to chop down the forest is only going to make the condition of these beautiful woods worse and worse. 

Photo was taken by Trevor Hesselink of continued logging and wasted trees preventing new growth

Ivan Semeniuk mentions that this deforestation is also effecting not just the forest itself, but the animals who depend on the forest. He tells us animals like the woodland caribou are at risk of being put on the endangered species list, and depend on dense woods to survive. If these animals don't have a sufficient place to live, how are they expected to survive?

Once we can stop the destruction of these beautiful areas, the amazing Amazon Rainforest, and the underappreciated woods of Canada, we can take appropriate actions to acknowledge the problems and restore them to what they used to be. Planting new trees, and reducing signs of human presence is key to helping these forests. 

"Creative Common Photos of Amazon Rainforest." Photos for Class, www.photosforclass.com/search?text=amazon+rainforest.

Elassar, Alaa. "Amazon Deforestation Rate Hits Highest Level in over a Decade." CNN News, 19 Nov. 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/americas/brazil-deforestation-amazon-2019-trnd/index.html.

Hesselink, Trevor. "Images." The Globe and Mail, www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-logging-scars-show-impact-of-deforestation-in-canada-is-worse-than/#c-image-0.

Semeniuk, Ivan. "'Logging Scars' Show Impact of Deforestation in Canada Is Worse than We Know, Research Finds." The Globe and Mail, 3 Dec. 2019, www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-logging-scars-show-impact-of-deforestation-in-canada-is-worse-than/#c-image-0.

Rivers Are Running out of Clean Water

What if I told you the clothes you are wearing helped contribute to water pollution? You'd probably ask me, how can that be? An article by Johnny Vatican states that it takes 7,000 liters of water to produce one pair of jeans. He also tells us that the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry, oil being the first.

Globally, water pollution is a major problem. Vatican tells us that over half a trillion gallons of fresh drinkable water are used a year to dye clothing and fabrics around the world. He says dyeing clothing uses many harmful chemicals that contaminate the water used, which is then dumped into lakes, rivers, streams, and more, contributing to 20% of industrial water pollution globally.

The chemicals used to dye your pink shirt in that top drawer at home are more harmful than you think. Not only are chemicals being put into the environment, but some of these chemicals are known to be able to cause cancer. Johnny Vatican includes in his article that chronic exposure to dye chemicals have been linked to cancer and hormone disruption in both humans and animals. He continues to say Azo dyes are some of the most commonly used dyes, yet the most toxic and can cause cancer.

Often times global issues, in this case water pollution, don't seem relevant when they don't directly effect us personally, however water pollution is more present in our lives then we think. On November 14th, the Greater Salem Chamber of Commerce held a Southern N.H. Water Forum. An article by Julie Huss explains the meeting.

Huss tells us Jim Ricker, a speaker at the forum, provided data on water sources in New Hampshire, and said that many public and private water supplies are contaminated. He explains illegal dumping, and even things like farms and apple orchards that use pesticides are cause to some of these contaminations. However Ricker says some of the polluted water is naturally occurring, like high arsenic levels due to the type of bedrock in the ground, which can be seen in Salem and Windham New Hampshire.

Mindi Messmer, another person present, shared information about particularly high numbers of children with pediatric cancer in the seacoast area. She said this is cause of a combination of things, but water pollution being a big one. She says children are more susceptible to harmful components contaminating the water we drink.

The problem of water pollution is closer to home then we thought, and luckily we have people in our community taking action, such as those who attended this forum, but who is going to step up to the plate and help the world? So many people are without clean drinking water and just because it's not us struggling, it doesn't mean we can't take action.

Works Cited

"Creative Common Photos of Water Pollution ." Photos for Class,
www.photosforclass.com/search?text=water+pollution.

Huss, Julie. "Southern NH Water Issues Center Stage at Forum." The Eagle-Tribune, 14 Nov. 2019,
www.eagletribune.com/news/southern-nh-water-issues-center-stage-at-forum/article_
eabee0f8-9aaf-532a-9e6a-56aeeb965bdd.html.

Vatican, Johnny. "Clothing Industry A Big Contributor To Global Water Pollution."
Medical Daily, 6 Nov. 2019, www.medicaldaily.com/clothing-industry-big-contributor-
global-water-pollution-445402.

Why the Ocean is Depending on us

The ocean is an incredible part of earth. There's so much no one knows about it, making it a ominous, and interesting place. We may not know everything about it, but there are a few things that couldn't be more obvious. Among those is the blunt fact that the ocean needs our help. Just as we are destroying our forests and land, we're destroying our oceans alike.

I recently watched a Ted Talk on dead zones. I learned that dead zones are areas in oceans effected by hypoxia. Hypoxia is a deficiency in oxygen. Nancy Rabalais explains in the Ted Talk how these occur. They're mostly from nitrogen that finds it's way into the water. The most common way nitrogen gets into the water is from fertilizers used for crops. These fertilizers run off into rivers where they're eventually deposited into the ocean and over time form these dead zones and currently there is three times the nitrogen in the Mississippi River than in the 1950's.

An article by environmental reporter, Tony Briscoe, states that there is around 400 coastal dead zones worldwide. In these dead zones there's an abundance of blue-green algae. This algae is toxic and thrives in these nitrogen rich areas, making it that much harder for life to go on.

By reducing our "nitrogen footprint" we can help these areas and hopefully begin restoration. Not using corn oil, eating less meant and using non-ethanol gasoline are steps you can take to help this process. Eating organic foods, with no preservatives and extra fertilizers that run into the rivers is also another way individuals can help.

While dead zones and "nitrogen pollution" are a major problem, we also have to focus on the other types of pollution in our oceans, like the tons of plastic. Another Ted Talk delivered by Andrew Forrest focuses on plastic and how we can solve this problem. He said something rather disturbing when he informed us that by 2025 there will be one ton of plastic for every 3 tons of fish. Plastic does not belong in oceans, never mind in such a great quantity.

Andrew Forrest is working on a way to stop the production of new plastic and instead push to make a shift to only producing plastic from recycled plastic. He's proposing his plans to major companies and hopes this will be the last effort needed to bring this change. In his Ted Talk Forrest mentions a website, #NoPlasticWaste. The website includes many facts and visuals and encourages people to help Andrew with this movement. One of the astonishing facts on their website is that there are 51 million microplastic particles in the ocean- 500 times more than the stars in our galaxy.

Image from #NoPlasticWaste

Reducing how much plastic you use and dispose of is a great way to help our oceans and sea life. Recycling and making sure you know where your plastic is going is another important step to ensure plastic doesn't end up in our ocean.

Pollution as well as climate change, the subject of my last weeks blog, are taking their toll in more ways than one. In a third Ted Talk delivered by Kristen Marhaver, she explained the damage coral reefs around the world are undergoing. She mentioned how The Great Barrier Reef lost 2/3 of its coral due to bleaching. When the temperature rises to high for these unique creatures, the stress is too great and the algae leaves the structure. What is left behind is a colorless skeleton that starves and dies.

In an article from The Washington Post , I read that if the Earth warms by 3.6 degrees fahrenheit,  99 percent of the coral could and most likely will die. The article also said we are almost there. We need to take actions to improve these conditions so these reefs can be rehabilitated.

All of these issues with our oceans are very serious  but if we handle them we can restore the amazing vast waters before it is too late. We must act before we reach the point of no return. I don't want to be the reason so many amazing creatures have to suffer, and you shouldn't want that either, so do your part in helping these seas return to their former glory.

Briscoe, Tony. "What Are Algae Blooms and Dead Zones?" Herald-Mail Media, 19 Nov. 2019,
www.heraldmailmedia.com/news/nation/what-are-algae-blooms-and-dead-zones/article_8335f80a-
789e-54cd-8c75-e37bc3b1b8ff.html.

Forrest, Andrew, performer. A Radical Plan to End Plastic Waste. Ted Talk, 2019.

Marhaver, Kristen, performer. Why I Still Have Hope for Coral Reefs. Ted Talk, 2017.

Mooney, Chris. "Scientists Are Weighing Radical Steps to save Coral." The Washington Post,
18 Nov. 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/climate-solutions/amp-stories/scientists-
save-coral-reefs-climate-change/.

Rabalais, Nancy, performer. The "Dead Zone" of the Gulf of Mexico. Ted Talk, 2017.

"A World Free of Plastic Waste. It's Possible. But We Need Your Help!" No Plastic Waste, noplasticwaste.org/.

The Environment Needs Us... Are we Going to Answer?

You're surrounded by bare rock and little trees, the wind blows your hair in every direction. You're on the top of a mountain. You look out at the rolling hills and beautiful landscape. You soak in so many shades of green. The sun glistens off the distant water, clear enough to be a mirror.

This is my average weekend, sounds amazing right? Nothing will ever change my love for nature and it's incomprehensible beauty. However, my understanding of how I could lose this amazing gift is starting to sink in.

I read in an ABC article that the Union of Concerned Scientists  says that 1,500 gigatons ( a unit of measurement for one billion tons) of carbon has been emitted since 1751. Over half of the carbon emitted has been emitted since 1988.

The numbers are concerning and it raises the question of what are we going to do about it? Are we going to sit around as we watch each other destroy our beautiful planet or are we going to be responsible and take care of the very thing that has been supporting our life since forever?

You may be wondering, what can one person do? How could I affect the planet? Honestly, if you were acting alone, you wouldn't make a dent, but that's the beautiful thing in this issue. People are starting to come together to take steps in the right direction, and you can join them on this march by doing your part.

Paper bags, metal straws, and biking to the store are actions that almost anyone can do. Limiting your household waste and carbon footprint is a big deal when it comes down to it. Next time you decide to just "pop down to the store for some ice cream" remember you're aiding in the warming of the earth every time you allow carbon to enter our atmosphere. The ABC article states that its estimated the Earth can only take another 100 - 150 gigatons of carbon before going past the point of no return.

In the article by ABC News, the author, Julia Jacobo makes the point that when enough people move in this direction, sooner or later important political figures will start to notice and help in the fight for our planet.

Jacobo also argues that knowing where our money is going is vital if we want to bring upon this change. She states that a mere 100 worldwide companies are responsible for 71% of greenhouse emissions worldwide since 1988. These include well known businesses like Shell, Coal India, and many other companies involved in the oil and coal industries. She also continues to talk about how certain banks, such as JPMorgan Chase, have spent billions of dollars in the fossil fuel industry.

Supporting banks or other companies similar won't help the planet in any matter. Knowing who you are spending your money on can help a great deal. If you support green companies devoted to bettering the planet, we can achieve this goal that much faster.

The planet is in dire need of us to take action and responsibility to help turn around the current path we're headed down, so it's time we do just that. Every person can make a difference if we put in the effort. What better cause is there to support?




Jacobo, Julia. "What You Can Do to Help Prevent Climate Change, According to
     Experts." Abc News, 28 Sept. 2019, abcnews.go.com/US/
     prevent-climate-change-experts/story?id=65721423.