Why You Should Care (Beware, it's kind of lengthy. Watch the videos posted for a summary!)

      So as you know, throughout this semester we are going to be posting information on the massive impact that food industry has on our environment. As you read our blog you may think wow, that’s insane, but why should I care? How does this affect me? For me, the reason that we must protect the environment is obvious because I can’t imagine my life without it. But if you are the type of person who isn’t big on the outdoors, I understand why you might be less willing to get up in arms about let’s say, someone throwing their plastic bag on the ground. But really what it comes down to is this; do you like to breathe? And what about clean water? I’m assuming you like that. You owe that to our environment. The ocean and trees save our lives everyday, literally, and yet humans are destroying them at an alarming rate. Humans are idiots.
     Now going back to that plastic bag, because we don’t live by the ocean, there isn’t as large of an emphasis placed on littering because we can’t exactly see the destruction it causes. But do you know how much damage that plastic bag can do? If that plastic bag catches a good breeze and it manages to reach the ocean (or really any body of water) it will sit right underneath the surface of the water where it can’t decompose, because plastic needs direct sunlight to decompose. So who knows how long it will actually stay in that body of water if someone doesn’t pick it up. Now let’s say that bag is in the ocean. Animals are opportunistic eaters, if they see something that resembles food, they are going to take a chance and eat it. Scientists are discovering that a reason so many sea turtles (among hundreds of other marine animals) are dying is because the sea turtles think that the plastic bag is one of their favorite food items, jellyfish. Once the turtle eats the plastic bag, the bag fills up the turtle’s stomach where it obviously can not be digested. And because the turtle feels full, it does not eat anything else. So the sea turtle slowly starves to death. We are screwing up the incredibly delicate balance within the ocean, especially in regards to the food chain and the horrific results of this are too numerous for me to put into one blog post. Watch this video to learn more of why you should care about the ocean.
     Scientists have varying opinions on how large it actually is, but have you heard of the trash vortex in the North Pacific? This particular article estimates that the ball of trash in the ocean (that is kept there because of water currents etc) is the size of Texas, but I have heard of people estimating it to be the size of the entire country. Read this article to find out more of the dangerous effects trash, in particular plastic, has on our oceans.
     So what can you do to protect the environment and reduce your footprint? Do the basics that you have been taught throughout your life. Turn off your lights, unplug your unused electronics, reduce the amount of meat you eat (future blog posts will reveal the reasoning behind this), eat environmentally friendly sea food (see the side of our blog for more information) don’t waste water (watch this video to learn why you should care about water conservation), RECYCLE (really guys we have recycling bins at school, don’t be lazy), dispose of your garbage properly, pick up after your dog (yes, especially if you live by a body of water, it is extremely important to do this), don’t use Styrofoam (did you know that it takes Styrofoam so long to decompose, scientists aren’t even sure how long it takes? California and some other states are actually trying to ban it) STAY EDCUATED ON THE ISSUES, and never, ever underestimate the power of the individual. Keep a lookout on our blog for more useful tips and information in your quest to GO GREEN.