Environmental Justice (more)

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Climate Activist Jailed in India as Government Clamps Downs on Dissent

Yasir, S. (2021, February 15). Climate Activist Jailed in India as Government Clamps Down on Dissent. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/15/world/asia/climate-activist-jailed-india.html 

This article covered the current Farmers protests in India by the Shik people and the arrest by the Indian government of 21-year-old girl Disha Ravi. Ravi is being accused of distributing a tool kit of resources for the protests. This tool kit is a Google doc that was created by Greta Thunberg,  Ravi is claiming that there she did not distribute this tool kit, and at most edited two lines of it. The article gives some background on the farmer’s protest in India and how the government is trying to silence people who are protesting legislation set to remove protection from farmer’s trading to the free market. Overall most of these protests have been peaceful but there has been one that got slightly violent. The arrest of Disha Ravi is being hailed as a Crackdown on free speech by the Indian government and a protest of environmental justice.

 While this issue is not an environmental justice issue in the traditional sense it is the convergence between Justice and Environmental action. Disha Ravi is a climate activist who has put a lot of her life into trying to bring more action towards the issues of environmental justice and getting young people involved in the race against climate change.  Her arrest speaks to larger societal issues within India and how the government is not all working to combat climate change.  This article saddened me because in most places news of environmental justice is typically good, while this environmental justice issue is the antithesis of progress and it shows how we are still needing to convince people that environmental justice is a larger issue that needs to be taken seriously.  Personally, it seems evident that other nations should stop in at this moment to help Disha Ravi. This treatment of individuals who are simply protesting for what is just in the world is completely ridiculous and needs to be incorporated into larger issues of environmental justice. 

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The Problem of Environmental Racism in Mexico Today is Rooted in History

Porter, J. (2021, February 11). Perspective | The problem of environmental racism in Mexico today is rooted in history. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/02/11/problem-environmental-racism-mexico-today-is-rooted-history/ 

This article discusses the similarities between the environmental racism that is faced in the United States on the environmental racism that exists in Mexico and discusses how the Black and Afro-Indigenous communities on the Costa Chica, east of Acapulco, and Guerrero are more susceptible to environmental harm such as bad air quality, water pollution and lack of natural resources because of the systemic racism that exists in Mexico.  The article gives background on the history of enslavement in Mexico and tells the story of the African slaves that were brought over to Mexico to be enslaved and work on plantations and how they freed themselves and formed small communities to be able to support themselves.  Unfortunately, these communities lack funds, and adequate resources to pull themselves out of poverty, and systemic environmental racism is more prevalent there.  The article concludes with the idea that systemic racism needs to be fixed in Mexico in order to save the environment or at least remove the disproportionate harm from the predominantly black communities.

 I was a little shocked by this article mainly because I did not realize how prevalent systemic racism is in Mexico, as the diversity in the US always seemed to be much greater than in Mexico. I thought as Mexico is a more homogeneous country and forgot that the same histories of racial discrimination and slavery still exist in the United States are also a problem in Mexico. This article is fascinating mostly because I had no idea of the history of systemic racism in Mexico and not knowing there were predominantly black communities in Mexico.  I believe that stories like this need to be told and that for environmental justice to occur in many locations it is a necessity to not only listen to the voices of these people who are demanding justice but learn why they are demanding justice

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UN Environment Assembly Set to Galvanize Global Action for Nature

UN Environment Assembly set to galvanize global action for nature. (2021, February 10). Retrieved from https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/un-environment-assembly-set-galvanize-global-action-nature 

This article was an interview with the president of the United Nations Environment assembly about the changing goals for this year and the progress that was made. Within the article, Mr. Sveinung Rotevatn who is the president of the UNEA-5 says that while we are not on track to meet our goal to keep global warming under two-degree, that does not mean there has not been progress. Rotevatn covered how carbon capture has become incredibly popular in Norway, and how there is a link between environmental justice and the expansion of these policies. He talked about environmental justice as a global issue, because of the discrepancies of where the majority of environmental damage has taken effect. The article also covered how environmental justice must include a focus on human rights and gender inclusion. 

It was interesting to read an interview with the current president of the United Nations Environment Assembly. I agreed with what he said within his interview and believe that there does need to be a push for gender inequality to become a larger part of the fight for Environmental Justice. Rotevatn seemed knowledgeable about the issues he was speaking to and it is incredibly important that he does understand the importance of environmental justice. I wish he spoke more about the long-term discrepancies in who will face the most environmental justice, as there was an opportunity for him to shed additional light on these issues that he missed. I also wish that this body had put out a plan on how they feel tackling environmental justice would be best handled. The article itself was interesting because it pointed out the shift between different environmental policies and how much further we have to go to save our climate.

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World Could Lose Coral Reefs by End of Century, UN Environment Report Warns

“World Could Lose Coral Reefs by End of Century, UN Environment Report Warns | | UN News.” United Nations, United Nations, news.un.org/en/story/2020/12/1080582. Accessed 14 Feb. 2021.

In this article, it talks about the importance of coral reefs and what they do for our planet. They also protect coastlines from erosion from large waves and storms that can impact the surface such as homes and buildings, also sink carbon and nitrogen and help recycle nutrients. The decline in coral reefs will affect more than just the marine life, we need them as much as the marine life needs them. Finally the article talks about coral bleaching which plays a huge role in the extinction of coral reefs.   

I think it is very important for articles like this to be out for the public to see. It’s important because the reefs don’t just benefit the ocean but it also benefits us, as stated before it helps with barriers from storms, creates homes for fish, and cleans our carbons sinks. More articles like this to bring awareness to our coral reefs can help people understand the threat that climate change and pollution is causing to our reefs. I believe if more people realize the issues then we can decrease the amount of pollution that goes into the oceans to hurt sea life, and also the pollution that goes into the atmosphere that creates greenhouse gases that cause the waters to warm up. 

 

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Warming, Acidic Oceans May Nearly Eliminate Coral Reef Habitats by 2100.

American Geophysical Union. “Warming, Acidic Oceans May Nearly Eliminate Coral Reef Habitats by 2100.” Science Daily, 18 Feb. 2020, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200218124358.htm.  Accessed 14 Feb. 2021. 

This article by the American Geophysical Union explains how the sea levels are rising and the temperature and acidic waters could eliminate all coral reefs by 2100. Scientists predict that 70-90% of the coral reefs will be gone in the next 20 years because of climate change and pollution that is ra[idly increasing. Habitat lands are being threatened everyday by climate change effects, but there are many people and companies who are trying to help to slow down the process so they don’t become extinct. Finally, the article stated that coral reefs are going to be the main species to be impacted from climate change are coral reefs. 

In my opinion I thought this article was really sad, it was a tragic realization to know that it’s possible for the majority of our reefs could be gone in the next decade. Although it is very hard to stop the increase in climate change, there are many other ways to slow down the process such as decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that are warming up the Earth’s surface, also pollution has a big impact in the declining of the coral reefs because it affects the waters and the marine life, which circles back to affecting the health of the reefs. This ongoing cycle will just proceed to get worse and worse if we keep doing what we are doing.

 

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Report Sounds an Alarm on Ongoing Decline of US Coral Reefs

Calvan, Bobby Caina. “Report Sounds an Alarm on Ongoing Decline of US Coral Reefs.” AP News, 10 Nov. 2020, apnews.com/article/science-climate-atlantic-ocean-climate-changeoceans865d4f4a67fb7afe376f3cf39df26390. Accessed 14 Feb. 2021. 

In this article, Bobby Caina Calvan talks about how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Maryland stated that coral’s health in Florida, and Hawaii are in really bad shape. The reefs are also important in Florida especially because they create a barrier to stop bad storms such as hurricanes. West Florida has been very worried about the decline in reefs, due to the many hurricanes that occur and the high population that lives along the coast that can be impacted by the hurricanes. Finally, there has been an outbursts of algae blooms along coastal waters of Florida due to pollution from people. 

This article did a really good job of explaining the other impacts coral reefs have on our planet besides being a tourist attraction and keeping our ocean life healthy. I never really thought of how they can create barriers to stop hurricanes from coming on land and causing damage to the land and peoples homes and buildings. Also I thought it was interesting that universities do daily studies and tests on the coral reefs to keep track of the health and maintain them when they are struggling to survive.  

 

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Hawaiian Reefs Lost Almost Half Their Fish to Pollution and Fishing

Alberts, Elizabeth Claire. “Hawaiian Reefs Lost Almost Half Their Fish to Pollution and Fishing.” Mongabay, Elizabeth Claire Alberts, 21 Sept. 2020, news.mongabay.com/2020/09/hawaiian-reefs-lost-almost-half-their-fish-to-pollution-and-fishig/ Accessed 14 Feb. 2021. 

In this article by Elizabeth Claire Alberts, she talks about how there has been a 45% decline of the fish population in Hawaii due to the coral reefs dying. Each fish has their duty to help keep the coral reefs healthy and if several fish that have impacts on the reefs start to die, then the coral will also die because the fish aren’t maintaining the reefs. More unhealthy algae will start to grow on the croal, to add on, if the coral starts to die rapidly then the fish that are alive have nowhere to hide from predators, and get the food the coral provides. The West Hawaii lands are sectioned off in groups based on areas and are each protected by the state laws. Finally, the Oceans Target program has claimed to fix 30% of Hawaii’s reefs by 2030. 

I really liked this article because it gave me insight and educated me on the different projects that are being performed in Hawaii in order to protect their reefs from collapsing. I found it really sad how the fish are declining as well, which can really impact humans and the reefs, as the article stated, fish helps keep the coral alive and healthy and the coral provides shelter, protection, and food for the fish. So without the balance both populations will decline. Hawaii has many coral reefs that are attractions to tourists which means that many humans who visit these reefs have an impact on the pollution so the protection acts are good because it gives limits on what tourists can and can’t which leads to healthier coral. 

 

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US Plans to Protect Thousands of Miles of Coral Reefs in Pacific and Caribbean

Fritts, Rachel. “US Plans to Protect Thousands of Miles of Coral Reefs in Pacific and Caribbean.” The Guardian, Rachel Fritts, 4 Dec. 2020, www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/04/us-pitches-coral-protections-thousands-miles-climate-change-threat. Accessed 14 Feb. 2021. 

In this article by Rachel Fritts, talks about how the US plans to protect over 6,000 sq miles of coral reefs habitat around the US. Climate change has been the most severe threat to the coral reefs so far, it has threatened about 12 species of coral across their range. Climate change has caused ocean acidification which has caused the growing to stop growing, coral bleaching increasingly caused by warmer water, and also overpopulation, bad fishing tactics and a significant amount of pollution has all had an impact on the species declining. Today Florida has only 2% of the original coral cover, along with the Carribean that contains most of the rest. The new habit protection act is trying to help save these reefs from the damage caused by climate change and pollution. The Center for Biological Diversity sued Trump’s admissions for the lack of the protection on the reef species. Finally, the US is trying hard to slow down the process of the reefs declining by putting them under the Endangered Species Act. 

In my opinion, I think this is a great article and shows how people are trying to save the reefs. If our reefs start to rapidly decline then it will impact our oceans severely, and it would also affect us because our marine life provides a majority of the world’s food. I think more people should be aware of the issue and more people try to help. The population can help by picking up their trash so it doesn’t go into the ocean. Also I was happy to read how the US has acknowledged the problem and are partnering up in more protection acts with other states and countries. This could really have a good impact on our reefs and hopefully keep our reefs from declining. 

 

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California’s Coral Reefs

Gray, J. (2020, June 7). Reef A palooza california 2020 postponed until next year. Marine Depot. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://blog.marinedepot.com/2020/06/reef-a-palooza-california-2020-postponed-until-next-year.ht 

 

This article demonstrates an organized program that highlights the importance of marine life, and ways to keep the environment safe and healthy. The organization allows people to educate a bunch of people on ways to keep the coral reefs bright and healthy. An advantage of why people should be educated about the effects of the coral reefs dying is because people can then take more action to try and save the reefs from going extinct. Also one program that is colliding with the reefapalooza organization is SCAMS which helps encourage many advantages and allure for coral reef protection. Due to the recent global pandemic, this event has been postponed, but there are still a bunch of acts being taken care of to provide information and to spread awareness for the coral reefs.   

 

In my opinion I think it’s important that there are companies that are taking action on the effects of the loss in coral reefs. With more people educated on the horrific events happening for the coral reefs because more people will be aware and will help contribute to the regrowth of the reefs to keep them from going extinct.  

 

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Oceana Protecting the World’s Oceans

Oceana. (August, 2020) Corals of the pacific. Oceana Protecting the World’s Oceans. Retrieved November 15, 2020, from https://usa.oceana.org/corals-pacific 

 

Although California isn’t home to many shore coral reefs, it is home to thousands of deep-sea coral reefs. California’s deep-sea coral can live up to hundreds of thousands of years, similar to the redwood tree in California. In San Francisco, Monterey, and Channel Islands are populated with many different types of deep-sea coral such as hydrocoral, sea fans, and black coral. These types of coral are very large and can live for a long time. People who dive in southern California see a lot of Hydrocorals and gorgonian sea fans when diving around the coast. Scientists have also recently found a new species of coral called the Christmas Tree coral. The coral got its name from being able to grow 6ft tall and has a light pink, red and white flocked that resembles a Christmas tree. With new discoveries being found in California it shows  the importance the procession laws need to be on the deep waters of California. Finally, divers and scitneset have only discovered 1% of California’s ocean grounds.  

 

In my opinion, I think it’s great we are finding more and more new species of coral reefs in the deep coast of california because it shows there are still productions of coral and most of them aren’t rapidly dying from climate change. Also it’s crazy to me how we have only explored 1% of California’s deep ocean barriers, I can’t imagine what other exotic species and creatures that live in the unexplored waters. I got the opportunity to see hydrocoral and sea fans during my scuba diving experience, so I think it’s great that more and more divers are starting to dive in the Marine to find new species of coral.