Day 4: Our pale blue dot
by Chris Smith
April is a time to celebrate our little blue planet we call home. That is because April is Earth Month and April 22nd is Earth Day. It is a time to raise our awareness about the environment and how we can all make a positive impact. Whether carpooling or biking to work, planting trees, or recycling, there are so many ways we can be conscious of how we can help Mother Nature. Let us take a look at a few things that affect our world.
Climate Change
Most of us have probably heard the term “climate change,” but what does that mean? Climate change is the long-term change in temperature and weather patterns that affect the Earth globally, regionally, and locally. Since the 1980s, each decade has been hotter than the previous one with 2023 being the hottest year on record. The global average temperature has increased by 1.45°C since the late 1800s. While it is true that naturally occurring phenomena such as the Sun’s activity, El Niño, or a large volcanic eruption can cause climate changes, scientific evidence continues to support that humans are the main cause - specifically, the burning of fossil fuels.
Ocean Science
If space is the final frontier, the ocean may be a close second. Less than 20 percent of the ocean has been explored or mapped. A larger percentage of the moon and Mars surfaces have been studied! Additionally, it is a mystery how many species live in the ocean. The ocean covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and holds about 97 percent of the Earth’s water. Because of this, the ocean has a great impact on our climate.
Via currents, the ocean transports heat, which is absorbed from the Sun, from the equator to the poles. This process affects the world’s temperatures, weather, and food supply both daily and long-term. As much as the ocean affects our climate, the climate can also affect our oceans. Due to our warmer temperatures, ocean levels are rising and glaciers are melting. Also, the increased carbon dioxide because of increased greenhouse gasses causes ocean acidification. These can have a profound impact on marine life and our planet.
Weather
Perhaps “Rainy days and Mondays” always get you down. Or maybe you are “Walking on Sunshine.” Weather will be a part of life in any event and maybe some songs too. The different events that occur in the lowest part of the atmosphere are what cause weather all over the globe. Changes in air pressure control weather events in a certain area. High pressure may mean clear and blue skies whereas low pressure forms clouds which may bring rain. Using different scales of meteorology, from microscale to global scale, forecasters can provide their prediction of upcoming weather events. Ever-changing atmospheric changes make it nearly impossible to predict the weather more than two weeks ahead.
Sustainability
Sustainability, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is based on the principle that everything humans need for survival and well-being is dependent on the natural environment either directly or indirectly. To that extent, in pursuant of sustainability is to ensure conditions that are beneficial to both humans and nature can harmoniously exist. With climate change and greenhouse gases being the biggest barriers to sustainability, there are many ways change can be made besides driving less or recycling:
Unplug unused electronics to reduce energy consumption.
Check for and fix water leaks around the house to reduce the energy used to pump and treat water.
Eat less meat to reduce greenhouse gases.
Volunteer for community clean-up or a restoration project.