Blog 5

 

This week’s topic on population, urbanization, and sustainability made me realize how connected climate change is to my everyday life. Before the readings and lectures, I mostly thought of it as something far away from my  daily life, like melting ice or extreme weather in other places. But now I see how it affects where I live, especially with things like hotter weather and droughts in California.

One thing that stood out to me is how human activity is a main cause of climate change, especially from greenhouse gas emissions. Urban areas contribute a lot to this because of cars, energy use, and constant development. I never really thought about how normal things like driving everywhere or using electricity all day add up over time. Just one person in a large urban area can contribute  to so much environmental damage over time, and it is scary to think about how in our  country not much is being done to stop this. 

I also realized that sustainability isn’t just about big changes, but also small actions. Making small changes over time can lead to big change if more people adopt cleaner ways of living. Overall, this topic made climate change feel more real to me and made me think more about my own impact.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blog 2

For class in this week’s discussions made me think a lot about how I personally view sustainability and how I can affect it every day. Before this class, I knew about the big things like climate change and whatnot, but not how it actually works or the details behind it. I didn’t really think about how much individual habits matter until we started talking about environmental issues on a more personal and community level. In my own life, I wouldn’t say I’m extremely focused on sustainability, but I do try to be mindful in small ways. For example, I try not to waste water, especially when washing dishes or showering, and I don’t leave lights or electronics on when I’m not using them. One thing that stood out to me from the readings is how sustainability isn’t just about protecting nature, but also about making sure future generations can meet their needs. That idea changed my perspective because it made sustainability feel more personal and long term. Knowing that my actions change my ch...
Read more

Blog 7

 This week's topic covered many things; however, water availability was the most important thing that I've learned so far. Before this, I mostly saw water shortages as something that happened in places that commonly have desert environments, such as the Middle East and even certain regions of California. However, after learning about the Colorado River, it changed my perspective a lot. Knowing that major water sources support places like California and how they have become overused made it feel a lot closer to home. One thing that stood out to me the most was just how much water agriculture really uses. The crops that are not even directly feeding people use an immense amount of water, and everything from how we eat to what we wear is connected to water use. The idea that countries or groups can control water flow or even weaponize it was honestly disturbing, and it showed me just how much of a resource it really is. Personally, because I live in California, I've experience...
Read more

Blog 9

 For this weeks topic on solid and hazardous waste I started to think more about my daily life. Before this I did not think too much about where my garbage went. I knew it was sent to landfills but was not aware of how landfills actually work. from lecture I learned that waste actually builds up in landfills and can stay there for years, even hundreds of years in the case of plastics.One thing that stood out to me was how much waste we produce as individuals. In California, people generate around 6 pounds of waste per day, which is actually a very large amount when you think about it over a year. It made me reflect on my own habits, especially how often I use single-use plastics like water bottles or takeout containers. I never really questioned it before, but now I feel like I should be more aware. Another part that impacted me was learning about hazardous wastes affects on human health. Things like cleaning products, batteries, and electronics can be toxic if not dispo...
Read more