ENVR 1301 - Michael Barreto

  Activity 4.1 – US Environmental History and Major Regulations The US has had many ups and downs for the environment and it’s safety throughout the birth of the country, continuing on till present day. The US faces many consequences from past actions from harming the environment, and now we’re struggling to reverse damages before they’re permanent. To understand how we got here, we have to go back to when the US was first created, and how endless resources turned into unsafe environmental practices.  At the start of the US’ birth, early pioneers of the country were treated with resources as far as the eye can see. There was no thought of how expanding and settling would affect the land around them, because it was all fresh and new. When one tree was used for making houses, another tree was in sight, when one animal was killed, there was more to hunt. This idea of new territory made the early settlers hungry for more, and their actions were soon met with warnings. When peo...

  Six-Point Critical Analysis of Current Event:  D.C. PLASTIC STRAW BAN BEGINS My blog posting is available online at:  1. Exploratory: Straws are being banned all around America, and D.C. is taking another big leap to protect the earth. Effective Jan. 1, 2019, D.C. banned the use of plastic straws throughout the city, and is switching to better alternatives. Many businesses are switching to paper straws or hay straws that can be recycled, and are finding that not many people notice the change. Some restaurants and bars are also using reusable straws, which can be cleaned and used multiple times. The change from plastic to more eco-friendly materials like paper is helping the city to be better for the environment. By waving out plastic straws, they’re ensuring that more material is recycled, and the city is doing their part in helping the planet. 2. Diagnostic: The reason why D.C. and many other cities are banning the use of plastic straws is because of the impacts they...

My Plastic Use Microplastics are plastics that have been broken down from plastic materials, and have become so small that it’s in almost everything. Microplastic was formed by humans’ constant use of plastic, and their pollution involved with it. When the sun hits plastics, they break down and form small, microscopic pieces that the naked eye can’t see. These tiny pieces of plastic are in our water that we drink, our clothes that we wear on a day to day basis, and even in our food that we eat. The amount of microplastics in the world and the environment is constantly increasing, yet humans aren’t speaking enough about it. Plastic is a very convenient and easy thing to use for producers and consumers alike, it has lots of uses for products, and it’s easy to store things or throw away for consumers. The normalization of plastic across the globe has increased steadily over hundreds of years, and it was “used as far back as 1600 B.C.” when it was first recorded (Haab, S., & Haab, K. (...

Alternative Energy The majority of energy that the globe uses is non renewable, harmful energy that will eventually run out. Alternative energies are different sources of energy that can be reused and renewed, without harming the earth as much as non renewable ones. Non renewable energies are things like fossil fuels such as coal, which cannot be renewed, and create tons of carbon emissions that damage the earth over time. These negative effects on earth are why scientists and regular people alike are finding new ways to power the world. Alternative energy is starting to become a new prominent topic in the world’s search for longevity. These types of energies such as wind, solar, and hydro are all examples of how scientists are figuring out ways to make the world healthier, while still providing power to it. The energies that are being studied can last longer than fossil fuels, renew just as much as they are used, and they are more sustainable for the environment. Although there is con...

  Natural Resources Explanation: In these different types of resources, we see how even though some are natural and come from the earth, they can have negative side effects on it. Things like coal from commercial energy is widely used among the US and other countries, but it’s downsides is that it harms the environment very rapidly and is not renewable. These negative impacts that non renewable, pollution increasing energies have are very hard to reverse and may cause permanent damage. This is why the world is trying to find new solutions to the age-old question - How do we generate electricity and power in a healthier and positive manner? Energies like solar, hydropower, and wind are all a step in the right direction. These energies are healthier for the environment, and have very low environmental impact for long term usage. These energies are the way of the future if we can learn to harness it properly. Transitioning from these hard, unhealthy, but convenient ways of using energ...

  Human Population Activity Country Name: Central African Republic Birth Rate: 46 per 1,000 People Death Rate: 12 per 1,000 People Population Growth Rate: 3.4% Life Expectancy for Males and Females: 51 Years (M) 56 Years (F) Fertility Rate: 6% Gross National Income: $ 1,040 Country Name: Iceland Birth Rate: 12 per 1,000 People Death Rate: 6 per 1,000 People Population Growth Rate:  .6% Life Expectancy for Males and Females: 81 (M) 84 (F) Fertility Rate: 1.7% Gross National Income: $59,590 Compare & Contrast of Both Countries to Each Other:  Both countries are very unique and distinct from each other which we can tell by their population statistics. As we can see in the information, the birth rate of the Central African Republic is 46 per 1,000 people, and Iceland is 12 per 1,000 people. With a birth rate of 34 more people than Iceland, people would think that the CAR (Central African Republic) would be better off and more advanced. This isn’t the case though, because ...