Please read the article below and discuss where responsibility for global issues such as oceanic acidity, declining species, adn global warming lies. Is it at the individual, regional, national, or international level (or none or all of the above)?
University of Chicago - Oceans Growing More Acidic
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I definitely believe that the responsibility for trying global issues such as increasing oceanic acidity, declining species and global warming etc. lies at all levels-personal, regional, national, international or other. I think of it foolish to assume that one issue, let alone many issues-issues that are far-reaching and deep in their impact could be solved from one single sector. These difficult issues need the attention of as many intelligent and strong willed minds as possible. Much of the work that goes into studying and understanding the changes in the earth, changes in our atmosphere and changes with animal species must be performed over a long period of time, sometimes under challenging conditions, and this work will require many passionate and dedicated individuals.
It is also up to the rest of the population; ordinary people like you and me to understand that the way we live has a very severe effect on the earth on which we live. The emissions coming from the vehicle driven every day and the little piece of paper or toothpick or cigarette butt that is thrown out the window has an accumulative effect after a while. We need to take care of where we live instead of thinking that we’re only one person and it doesn’t make a difference. Knowingly continuing to pollute and destroy our planet without trying to do something about it is like poisoning our own drinking water source. Every single one of us added up equals A LOT and that is the equation that needs to be considered before tossing more trash out the window. It takes each individual doing their part to help keep the earth clean. The burden of fixing the environmental problems we face should not be dropped in the lap of one person or organization and expected to be remedied like a doctor mending a broken arm. It’s akin to sharing an apartment with someone who is messy, but you are neat. If they never help with the cleaning, it will always be left to you. It isn’t fair for you to have to pick up the roommates mess just because they aren’t willing to pitch in. However, if both of you do a portion, each of you won’t have as much to do and the work will get done faster.
The major environmental issues facing us today will not see an improvement without the cooperation of all and between all. This means that when a company makes a container from recyclable materials, it is our job to toss it back into the recycle bin after use, and then it becomes the job of the local waste management company to make sure it gets recycled and in turn the company makes another container from recyclables and the cycle is completed and continued. This means poachers need to cut the crap. This means people on vacation, snorkeling in Hawaii need to keep their feet of the reefs. This means everybody needs to stop using plastic bags and many other temporary, throw-away items made from plastic. It means we need to either ride a bicycle once in a while or just stay home instead of driving around everywhere. It also means we need to start respecting the natural lands we have left instead of developing on every last piece of acre available and encroaching on ever more species of animals. There isn’t just one thing people need to do in order to help improve our earths and her inhabitants’ futures. There are a lot of things we can do but firstly we need to change the way we see (or don’t see) the world around us and we very urgently need to start seeing our planet as a living organism that we are impacting with all that we do. Our planet is an existent structure that is an extension of each one of us. We all live here together and must get along and utilize the same space. I just wish some people would do me a favor and quit kicking my earth in the shins. It does appear that a strong number of folks are coming to terms with the condition of our earth and our responsibility to it and that’s encouraging.
I think the responsibility for global issues such as rising oceanic acidity, declining species, and global warming lies with everyone. If individuals do not get involved in taking care of the environment there is no motivation for regional, national, or international communities to get involved. I don’t think any one sector of the government or the community can do this without the cooperation of all the levels from individual to international. It is not enough for just an individual to work on pollution or other environmental issues because they will always have a limited impact. A single person can only do so much but many individuals working together can do a lot. By the same token, if a single region cleans up it’s act, pollution from the region next to it can contaminate the clean region or a single person in the clean region that does not cooperate can pollute the whole region for everybody. The same logic works on the national level, if only one nation or a couple nations work on these problems, the pollution and contaminates from other nations can affect the ones trying to make a difference. You can see how it really takes everyone cooperating together to impact issues that are large enough to be called global.
On the other hand, many countries have been conscious of the environment for many years, but many other developing nations have so many other huge issues to worry about that they really can’t concentrate on the environment. I think it is unfair and inappropriate for countries that are more developed and have more resources to preach to those countries that may have immediate life or death issues to conquer. There are also other countries that have just recently started really adding to the world’s pollution like China. Is it right for us to expect China not to do what we have been doing for years? I think we have to reach some kind of a compromise with such countries. Nations should think about justice when dealing with each other. We need to balance the global public interest with the individual national interest. Some how we need to balance these issues so our planet can survive.
Sources cited:
Martin, Suzanne. “Class Lecture” Gateway Community College, Phoenix.23 April.2009. Lecture
Position Paper # 11 Global Responsibility
The assigned article regarding the new awareness that ocean acidity is increasing at a higher rate is creating a stir in the marine environmental circles. I think that before people become too alarmed, it is the responsibility of the researchers to conduct a more intensive study related to this issue and also the history of the ph in the ocean. There may have been some conclusions drawn prematurely. Professor Wootton, an Ecology and Evolution professor from the University of Chicago, who conducted the study said; “We actually know surprisingly little about how ocean acidity is changing over time, we need broader network measurements.”1
At times I am skeptical of the motivation behind some environmental claims. Does his statement set a foundation for more funding to address the problem? How much on the scale of environmental impact does this take priority over other pressing environmental issues? There are many environmental issues going on in many areas of the globe that most of us are unaware of. I believe that it is important, on a global level for countries to work together to utilize our resources and safeguard our environment for future generations.
Any international travel will bring to light that some countries take their responsibility for caring for their environment more seriously than others. When I visited Russia, it was very hard to walk the streets of downtown St. Petersburg for the air pollution. Just last week, I spoke to a relative that is residing in Hong Kong and she said that it is very difficult to get away from cigarette smoke; it is legal to smoke in most public places. These are just two examples on a national and civic level, where if there was responsibility taken on each of these levels, that part of the environment would improve.
On a personal level, if we all do our part to help where we can, it all adds up. I believe that responsibility starts with those that are in a position to be the watchdogs for environmental issues, endangered species or global warming. The responsibility for these people to educate and develop a long-term plan to address each of these areas, be that personal, civil, national or global, is the first step. Planning is important, but implementing the plan takes a lot of teamwork. National, private, local and personal responsibility and funding to implement the plans that the “experts” recommend can go a long way to tackle some of the issues that are facing each of those areas. The best place to start exercising responsibility is to do what I can to help make this world a better place to live in.
Sources Cited:
1 http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7745714.stm
My belief is that global issues such as oceanic acidity are an international responsibility. My thought is that the United States puts out rules and regulations regarding the standards for our ships, barges, fishing boats etc., however those regulations are not necessarily followed by other countries.
Because we all share the same waters we should all have to abide by some set of rules. Unfortunately, internationally we cannot even agree on how to keep peace in the world. So how then will we decide to keep agree on the issue of responsibility with our natural resource of world bodies of water?
I think the big issue will come in a few years when the countries that rely on the ocean as a major food source realize that this source is no longer available to them. However, right now your main public, unless it is publicized on the Oprah Winfrey Show, does not really understand this problem.
I actually just saw a show on ocean dead zones. The first thing I thought while watching the show is that I am thirty eight years old and why am I just hearing about this. I realize that global warming has come to the forefront in the media. I suspect that a large part of the problems with our ocean is global warming.
The question is how do we fix this? And shouldn’t this be something that is being discussed a NATO. Honestly our ocean health is a huge issue. I don’t think people really understand the impact that this is going to create for future generations. Does the majority of the public even care?
Our world is just so spoiled by the existence of natural resources that we have taken advantage of these resources with no thought on how the “dead” zone is actually going to affect our future. And can you really tell me that our President of the United States is really thinking about this issue and its affects?
I think we need to stop thinking about whether or not we are going to charge tax on import items coming into our country and talk more about is there going to be an ocean left to travel on? Are there going to be issues with air quality and food sources for our children and grandchildren?
We need to be more responsible as a world, we all share it equally and this is an international issue.
Position Paper #11
Global Issues
I believe that the responsibility for issues such as increasing acidity in the worlds oceans, species decline, and global warming is definitely a problem for everyone on the planet. I believe that the people of the world think that global problems don’t directly effect them, or that the effects will be apparent until after their lifetime, or that they are just one person in a world of billions…what kind of difference can they really make.? What they need to realize is that if everyone in the world made even a slight change and started recycling, carpooling, and conserving energy, their carbon output would be drastically decreased. If everyone did the same thing there would be a huge drop in the carbon going into the atmosphere. That is how, on an individual level, people can help remedy this situation. Regionally, areas can encompass and harness the natural power available to them and use it for clean energy, such as wind, solar, hydro…etc. On a national level, the government could give bigger tax cuts to individuals that are utilizing clean energy to help boost and support change. Internationally, the United States can lead by example and show the rest of the world that we can fix this. It seems that these issues are showing up in the news a lot more lately which is encouraging, it means that people are actually starting to catch on about the trouble we are getting ourselves into. On the news today President Obama was saying that global warming is happening 10X faster than anyone thought or expected, and that if the temperature of the Earth rises just five degrees, the ice caps will melt quickly and bury the costal cities around the world. I am happy to see the recognition of the topic and happy to see many people are beginning to try to change it…..I just hope we aren’t too late!!
“The sky is falling, the sky is falling! yelled Chicken Little. This article makes that point for me. We are always hearing how someplace in the world, some change in nature is occurring, and in a study of only eight years, in a relatively small area of the ocean, this case is being presented to us as just such a change, one having possible catastrophic consequences. Well, maybe, maybe there will be terrible consequences of a change in the ocean’s acidity. In fact, since we need our oceans, I will go so far as to say that it is almost certain to have a negative effect, but where, when and most importantly, how? Should we do anything with the limited scientific data this study has so far accumulated? How can we know what to do, when to do it, and where to do it without more information?
I would argue that taking any action, with the limited amount of information currently available, is not only rash but dangerous. The only community that should act at this time is the scientific community, national and international, with the financial backing of both private groups and government entities. More data needs to be collected and studied. The studies should be broader in scope, to include ocean areas other than in the temperate zones, as well. Will the results be the same everywhere? If so, then an argument can be made for human involvement and responsibility for said changes. If the results are not the same, then other factors must be discovered and studied before acting to make any changes.
I would also argue for a majority agreement among the scientific community, on the data. For example, many scientists today believe that our climate is warming, with dramatic and possibly dangerous consequences. However, a recent report states that far from melting, as previously reported, the ice cap is growing. While I don’t know if that report is the result of one or several studies, it clearly demonstrates my point, which group of scientists should we believe?
I do believe that all of us have a duty to take better care of our world, starting with the private citizen, all the way to the international community. Creating awareness is the right place to start. A concentrated effort to ‘go green’ is underway and spreading around the globe. Awareness campaigns have led to better and more successful efforts, in the management and care of our world. We should all do our part and doing so will, ultimately, benefit all life on earth.
Global warming in my opinion is an issue that is needed to be addressed by all people who need this earth to survive. This situation didn't come to be over night and shouldn't be expected to be taken care of in a hurry. However, now that is has finally come to our attention it is important that people are given resources on how to make a change. I was talking to my son the other day he asked some important questions. For example, how could we start helping the planet? My response was "Well by cleaning and recycling." Then he started asking, "Recycle what and how ?" Needless to say we also do not have a recycling been in our apartment complex. I also as a single mom (in a hurry most of the time) have questioned who could I call quickly call to figure out how I could get my apartment complex involved. But that question doesn't linger for to long because it doesn't take long before I have to finish other obligations. I am the type of person who really didn't think global warming and the pH levels changing in the ocean could really affect my family. Yet, even if I wanted to help, what would be my first step? I think these are the questions that a lot of people have, but don't ask anyone but themselves. I know I haven't because I think it just isn't that important. Also how can apartment complexes implement effective recycling for every tenant? How can the government get involved and make sure everyone has a recycling been in their home? Especially the local grocery stores should have a recycling bin inside so the clerk can monitor what is being put in it. The bins should read "Recycle Because our Kids Deserve to Breath to." This subject saddens me because so many things that are so small can be changed, but attention will not be given to this subject until the matter is in urgent status.
In my opinion anything that happens with the increase of oceanic acidity, global warming and other issues is definitely humankind, and involves regional, national, and international levels. We are responsible for what we are causing. Although there might be other reasons of this issue but for sure, on our part we are not doing everything possible to control it. Nature is something very precious and to lose something like that can be very extreme. Scientists and biologists are doing their part in studying what they can but other population isn't doing anything about it. It seems like everytime there is an oil spill, they could've avoided it. But its not going to be until we lose this amazing resource from nature that we are actually going to say that we could've done something about it.
Change is all around us, but global warming is causing the world to have more change in these few years than it had in the last decade. At first when global warming was discussed it really didn’t matter, now it is becoming a huge problem. Although I know many people that haven’t taken it seriously and they have to realize that little by little our world is going to come to an end because of us. We are destroying the universe by using cars just to go a few blocks for an errand, litter on the streets, not recycling and etc. If we all helped out a little we would make a big difference. Since many people believe that if they don’t recycle it won’t do make a difference, but thousands of individuals think that and they all caused us a few years. In my house we didn’t have a recycling bin for a while, but I knew the difference it made so I didn’t throw my paper in the trash, I saved them up and put it in the recycling bin at school. Hundreds of people are trying to help others by giving them more options for them to decrease global warming.
I believe it involves regional, national and international because everyone should do their part as their country. Scientists have researched that the pH levels have changed in the ocean. They have done their part and try to fix up the problem. I believe that if we all cooperate like carpool on some days we are helping a lot. Even though several people read what is happening to their future, and they believe that it isn’t true. We need to educate as many people as we can and inform them that this is a serious problem for everyone.
I often wonder if riding a bicycle to school and throwing a plastic Pepsi bottle into a recycle bin would prevent the glaciers from melting and the lakes from evaporating. Nevertheless, I do believe that a certain responsibility lies within each person to help preserve the environment, and we better start now if we enjoy the way of life we currently have. Moreover, I find it rather convenient for humans to start “worrying about the planet” now that we know of the imminent events that our actions will provoke instead of before when we nearly drove the whale and many other species into extinction. Obviously, many people choose to act now because all these changes represent a future threat to our cozy lifestyles and not because they respect the planet. In my opinion, these issues (oceanic acidity, declining species, global warming) affect every person in a global scale, therefore everyone is responsible for doing something about it, whether we like it or not. We must educate ourselves and start respecting mother Gaia and all of her living creatures. We must stop killing animals just for fun: bullfighting, duck hunting, cockfighting, etc. We must invest in planting trees instead of increasing urbanization. We must start fully using alternate energies such as eolic energy and other renewable sources. Not only must we make sacrifices as individuals but also as whole societies. I’m eager to see if great corporations are willing to sacrifice millionaire profits if it depends on them to make a drastic decrease in industrialization and mass production, which are some of the reasons the temperatures of the planet have risen faster than usual in the last century. Sadly, we humans have a reputation of learning when the worst have happened, and I believe this isn’t going to be an exception. I wonder if I turn my computer off before going to class is going to help prevent the inevitable. Earth is constantly changing, not entirely because of us, but because it is a natural cycle. The planet has frozen and overheated before, and we were not there to witness it. Perhaps another advanced civilization was wiped out of existence for similar reasons and we don’t even know about it. We humans have become the cancer in the Earth’s lungs. Someday the planet will cleanse and we might not make it, and we must learn not to see this as a negative event. In the meantime, we need to be thankful for what we have left and try not to harm this planet (our home) any further.
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