Why Does One Take This Course? What Are Some Environmental Issues of Concern? (Feb 5)

I am taking this course because I wanted to drop my first period Phys Ed, and so, I needed to pick up a replacement class to be allowed to play high school sports. However, I believe this class suits me better as well because it is more academic, and I am very interested in the environment. Furthermore, the mark I achieve in this class will be included in the marks sent to universities, and so, this mark actually matters, unlike Phys Ed (which is an open class).

By taking this course, I hope to better understand environmental issues that pertain to both our generation and generations to come. Over the past few years, citizens of Canada, and of the global community, have felt an increasing pressure to turn green (use renewable resources, cut down on pollution, and alleviate the effects of ozone depletion and climate change to name a few). I believe it is very important to understand the scientific concepts behind the planet on which we live.

The fact of the matter is that if we lack the understanding needed to alleviate and eliminate the effects of such environmental issues, there is no way we can set forth solutions to saving our world. Therefore, it is a necessity to become educated in Environment and Resource Management in order to create such solutions.

There are many issues with which I am concerned. For instance, climate change has caused a drastic depletion in glaciers. Because these glaciers are melting, two major problems are presented. First, these glaciers contain a great deal of the earth’s fresh water, and so, if these glaciers melt, this fresh water will come into contact with the saltwater oceans that are surrounding it. Second, this great increase in water will cause an increase in the water levels of the earth. Hence, millions upon millions of inhabitants of coastal regions will have to migrate elsewhere due to the rising water levels and flooding in their regions.

Note that in the paragraph above I refer to the condition of a change in temperature as “climate change” rather than “global warming”. The fact is that while many regions of the earth are increasing in temperature, there are regions that are becoming colder due to the heat transfer caused by the convection of oceanic currents. Nonetheless, the average temperature of the earth is increasing.

The bottom line is that there are great deals of very important issues that pertain to our environment, and so, it is my goal that from this class, I will obtain the knowledge to understand our environment, and at the same, help set forth and participate in solutions to saving our planet.