Term Paper on "Stratospheric Ozone Study Indicates"

Term Paper 5 pages (1759 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Stratospheric Ozone Study Indicates: More is Needed for Full Recovery Report Released on the UN International Day to Protect the Ozone Layer (Business Wire)

The article concerns a report by the Global Environment & Technology Foundation, which is aimed at informing government officials, business leaders and the public on the stratospheric ozone issue. The report focuses on solutions rather than only explicating the problem itself. The ideal is then to make all interest holders aware of strategies that can be implemented to mitigate the problem of ozone depletion.

On a personal level, I find the article both encouraging and scary. In terms of the first, it is encouraging that a report of the kind summarized in the article exists. Other encouraging signs are that the depletion of the ozone layer is receiving widespread international attention. Governments, manufacturers, and other powerful stakeholders are taking the problem seriously, which means that something is done about the problem on a large scale.

What is however scary about the report is the fact that even though all the projected strategies and changes are in place well ahead of schedule, this is still not enough to make a significant difference. In fact, at the time of writing, in the year 2003, the ozone problem has reached even larger proportions than those measured previously. What I also find scary is that fact that the problem does not remain constant or localized, but has spread to the Arctic as well. How soon before these problems become significant for us?

I do think however that it is wonderful that scientists and governments are working together to help us as human beings to overcome the problem. I do not believe that it is too late yet, and reports such as the one in the article are beneficial to help us face our environmental problems and deal with them in an effective and sustainable manner. Only by facing problems such as these can we truly achieve not only environmental stability, but also a sense of humanity and respect for every living thing on earth.

Article 2: Conservation Efforts Fuel School Rivalries (Amy Forliti)

This is another encouraging article, although the title is somewhat misleading. The title appears to suggest a negative sense of competition. Upon reading the text, however, it becomes clear that this is not the case. Forliti expounds the efforts of various colleges to conserve energy and fuel. The rivalry occurs in terms of an old competitiveness that has revived because of similar efforts in conservation by the different schools. Ms. Forliti refers to this as "friendly rivalry" - schools are comparing numbers and outcomes to determine which effort resulted in the most benefits and savings to each school.

Examples of these conservation efforts include Carleton College's Wind Turbine and St. Olaf's effort to provide the school cafeteria with pesticide-free food. Sustainability of the latter is ensured by returning waste to the crop fields, thus keeping this from going to waste in landfills. Other efforts include Oberlin College in Ohio, which monitors electricity and water consumption in their dormitories, Conchise College in Douglas, Arizona, with their new energy-saving solar field, and Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, with a fossil fuel and electricity saving co-generation plant. The latest planned project at Carleton is the conversion of vegetable oil into biodiesel fuel for oncampus vehicles.

What is particularly inspiring about the article is the attitude of the campus personnel in supporting their students' efforts towards energy and fuel conservation. Lecturers are passionate about teaching students the principles and importance of conservation in a practical way. Furthermore, lecturers understand the importance of cultivating the correct inner paradigm in their students: one where the seriousness of the environmental crisis is understood and internalized. In giving the gift of such wisdom to students, these colleges are creating a bright future for the human race.

Article 3: Wind-Power Projects Halted (Kari Lydersen)

Ms. Lydersen's article focuses on proposed wind farms in Wisconsin. These led to a dispute between wind farm developers, the military, and in some instances the public as well. The wind farm project in question has been delayed pending a military investigation into the possible harmful effects of the proposed wind farm on military radar signals. The project developers on the other hand claim that many such farms already exist in the vicinity of military operations without any apparent harmful effect.

At first I found it deplorable that such a bureaucratic process should impede a sustainable energy project such as the one proposed. Wind is after all one of the groundbreaking ways in which sustainable energy can be created and used for a variety of purposes. However, when I read further I was somewhat surprised to find that wind farms are not always the harmless energy source that they claim to be.

What was interesting in the article is that not only the military, but also several members of the public and conservation agencies, were against the project. Reasons they cite for this is that, in addition to creating a visual and environmental hazard for near-by residents, wind generators could have a harmful effect on the wildlife of the vicinity. This is not something I took into consideration when beginning to read the article.

This article was therefore particularly interesting to me, as it made me aware that issues involving the environment and our interaction with it more often than not have more than one side, and sometimes even more than two sides. Clearly the proposed project addressed in this article is wisely delayed as all the issues are taken into consideration. One could only hope that military and government officials will set aside bureaucratic importance in favor of what is the best solution for all involved.

Article 4: If you're a person of color, you're more likely to be affected by pollution (Ericka Souter)

This article addresses the human interest aspect of pollution. Ms Souter focuses on the work of an environmental activist called Peggy Shepard. As the title of the article suggest, issues of race and poverty play a large part in how environmental pollution affects humanity. Shepard is a resident of Harlem, New York, where many of the city's poor, colored citizens have made their home. The problem is that, because of its low status in society, this community and its needs in terms of environmental health is often overlooked. Indeed, Souter cites a third of the city's bus fleet, two sewage plants, and several sanitation and truck depots as contributing to the environmental health hazard experienced by the community. The article emphasizes that New York City is not the only problem area; poverty and environmental health hazards appear to go hand in hand across the world.

Peggy Shepard however decided to do something about this unacceptable situation. As the co-founder of West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT), this decision bore fruit in the form of government grants and clean-up actions in the Harlem environment. At 57 years of age, Ms. Shepard continues to work towards a better environment and health for her community, as well as towards empowerment and knowledge for the rest of the world.

A find the article both horrifying and deeply inspiring. Ms. Shepard, as part of a poor community, hardly had any resources to begin her campaign. Yet she did not let this stop her, but used her conviction of what both she and her community deserved as human beings to make a difference in her world. As such, she has empowered not only herself, but is continuing to empower the whole world, and especially poor communities, in finding resources to help themselves and improve their environment. Stories like these always give me hope in terms of actions that can be taken to make life and the world better for everybody.

Article 5: Overpopulation is "main threat to planet." (Steve Connor)

Even more than poverty, overpopulation is probably both the most controversial and most neglected issue that concerns humanity and the environment. This is also the subject of Steve Connor's article, the gloomiest of the five discussed here. Mr. Connor warns that environmentalists ignore the overpopulation issue at the peril of the future human race. The problem is however that the issue is not only a practical one, but also a moral and political one, including the elements of equity, fairness, and humanity. The scientists cited by the author substantiate the fact that the vast growing numbers of human population will before long have unsustainable energy needs, even if very stringent measures of energy conservation and sustainability are implemented. According to the article, one earth can simply not sustain the needs of the 9 billion people projected to inhabit the planet by the year 2050. Instead, the article suggests that firstly the issue needs to be recognized for the danger it holds to future sustainability, and secondly that practicable and humane solutions need to be implemented by humane measures such as family planning. Surely being politically correct takes a second position to… READ MORE

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