This is one of the last APs for our Senior year STEAM class! This class is called Frontiers, and we spent our first unit learning about Ocean exploration, anatomy, the climate, and our future as a planet. We learned key terms like Geo-engineering, Ocean Acidification, Oceanic Zones, and any other aspects of ocean life, functioning, and how humans impact our oceans and climate. We watched a documentary featuring Jacques Cousteau - a renowned Ocean explorer and climate activist. We learned about his contributions to our knowledge of the Ocean and its inhabitants, and also our global progress in climate change awareness. We also had an FE where we visited Urban Rivers. There, we got to experience first hand the work they are doing to re-instate river banks, via floating plants structures. It is a part of their 'Wild Mile' project. We learned a lot this unit. For this project, we were challenged to use our knowledge of the Oceans and push it forward. We were to come up with a question, summarizing specific research we would like to conduct, which included both secondary and primary sources. For my research, I was interested in finding whether or not individual actions really make an impact on the climate. I also sought out to find if it is only up to individuals, or if there are other parties that play significant roles, as well. You can see my 3 page paper, below. Enjoy!
Who is responsible for the fate of our Earth?
From young ages, we are taught the three R’s; Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We are told that these three things can save the world, if everyone were to do them. However, can and should the fate of the climate and the human race, really be left in the hands of the individual? Or does the responsibility fall on someone bigger? According to NEEF, the global temperature has risen almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the early 1900s and the sea level has risen almost 10 inches and shall continue to rise at staggering rates (see graphs below). This can be drawn back to many things but a main reason is the rise in the human industrial impact and our usage of Fossil Fuels. The damage seems to have been primarily done by major corporations but they don’t seem to want to take responsibility. In recent years, there has been an enormous call for action and it looks like, for right now, the responsibility to fix these mistakes has been placed on individuals. Simple solutions have been proposed like the three R’s, but are these enough to reverse the damages? Do individual behaviors really make an impact on the climate?
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| Global Surface Warming |
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| Global Sea Level Rising |
To begin to find the answer to these questions, a synthesis matrix was used to organize a list of 5 secondary sources and 5 supporting ideas to my research. The first topic of research was to find a more in-depth list of ‘at-home’ climate solutions, than just the typical three R’s. NOAA had the most detail and they suggested composting (overall limiting of waste), Reduce - Reuse - Recycle, biking more - driving less, educate, volunteer, conserve water, choose sustainable food, shop wisely, conserve electricity, garden (plant trees), and reduce use of harmful chemicals.
After finding these, the next topic of research was to find the ‘true impact’ of these solutions, and to see if they really are as effective as they seem. Block Club Chicago explained how the city of Chicago’s recycling rate is low at 8.8%, compared to other major cities like San Francisco and Seattle who’s recycling rate is at 60-80%. So, if recycling is your main choice of impact (and you live in Chicago), it really wouldn’t make much of a positive environmental difference. The effectiveness of certain solutions clearly depends on your geographic location and external research.
The next piece of the puzzle was answering the question, should the fate of the climate be left in the hands of the individual or someone bigger? Upon looking at a couple of sources, the conclusion came to be that it is neither the responsibility of one or the other (individuals or corporations/policy makers), but both. Again, from NOAA, they say that, “Protecting our planet starts with you”, however, it can’t just end there. From the Sierra club, they state, “Yes, actually, individual responsibility is essential to solving the climate crisis … but the environmental movement needs to sustain a way to do both: agitate and organize for systemic change while also still encouraging individual behavior changes.” And lastly, from WEF, they say that, “Without the support of policymakers, businesses and other organizations, the transition [into the future] may not happen quickly enough to stay under the 1.5° Paris global warming target."
Finally, where do we go from here and how do we transition into the future? The answer is the continuation of individual, corporate, and policy responsibility, as well as renewable energy. Solar, Wind, and hydro power could reframe our future, and it is very possible. WEF states that 100% clean renewable wind, water, and solar power should be implemented no later than 2050, and at least 80% should be implemented by 2030. Cities will also be transformed into ‘super grids’ and we will no longer use Fossil Fuels.
In Addition to the secondary research, there was also primary research that was conducted. In order to get individual perspective, a survey was sent out, asking everybody a series of questions. The questions were:
1. What, in your opinion, is the most pressing matter in regards to the climate and the preservation of the Earth?
2. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?”
3. If you have, have you ever tried to implement it into your daily life?
4. How did that go? How effective or practical was/is it?
5. Are there any other simple climate solutions that you have heard of?
6. How effective do you feel like those are - are they influential enough, do they actually work, do you think people are moved to abide by them?
7. What do you feel is the best way to spread knowledge about climate change?
8. Do you think these simple solutions are enough - especially if everybody implemented them -, or are there more powerful decisions that need to be made? Explain.
There were a lot more responses than anticipated, however, most people had the same or similar responses.
Many people’s first concern relating to the Earth was Global warming - related also to sea level and temperature rise, Ocean preservation, and our heavy reliance on Fossil Fuels. When asked if they had heard of the phrase, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, 16/16 responders said ‘yes’. The typical answer for if they had ever implemented this into their daily life, was a lot of agreement that they tried to but it was either too hard to keep up with or they felt like it didn’t really make enough of a difference.
There were also many other ‘simple’ solutions that people listed that were not explicitly mentioned in the secondary research; these included turning off the lights, not having children, shopping locally instead of online, ‘unplugging’ for a bit, using reusable products, investing in greener homes, transitioning into walkable cities, putting pressure on corporations and policy makers and, “uh use more nuclear fuel but don't let it go boom cause that's bad”. When asked if they felt like those solutions were influential enough to actually work, the main response was, “Not enough people feel the urgency”. This leads into the many ways that we need to spread education and the urgency to the mass population, some of them being media, advertisements, TV, News, and exposés.
The last responses that were given were the conclusions on who should take responsibility for climate change. Two responses that were similar and basically summarized everyone else’s statements were: “I think if everyone took part in these solutions, while it wouldn’t fix the problem, it would heavily cut down its growth - I think bigger measures are needed to be able to completely fix the planet,” and, “Both need to happen. People need to do small practices, and there are big legal decisions that also need to be made. For example, not burning as much oil.”
In conclusion, it is neither just individual or corporate responsibility, but both. The whole population as a collective needs to come together to move us forward, into a sustainable future. So, simply put, the future of the climate and the planet rests in everybody’s hands, since everybody living on this earth is affected by the consequences of not taking care of it. Lastly, this research connects to SDG 14 because it shows who needs to take responsibility and who the responsibility has been currently placed on. It shows how most individuals are willing to do something for our ocean, climate, and species conservation - now it is time for those in power to do the same.
Sources
“A Warming Ocean.” NEEF, https://www.neefusa.org/nature/water/warming-ocean.
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “What Can I Do to Protect Coral Reefs?” NOAA's National Ocean Service, 10 Aug. 2009, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ocean/earthday.html.
Bauer, Kelly. “Chicago Recycling Rate Gets Even Worse at 8.8%. New Laws, More Composting Could Change That, Report Says.” Block Club Chicago, Block Club Chicago, 15 Nov. 2019, https://blockclubchicago.org/2019/11/15/chicago-had-a-recycling-rate-of-just-8-8-last-year-new-laws-more-composting-could-change-that-report-says/.
“Yes, Actually, Individual Responsibility Is Essential to Solving the Climate Crisis.” Sierra Club, 4 Dec. 2019, https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/yes-actually-individual-responsibility-essential-solving-climate-crisis.
Written by Johnny Wood, Senior Writer. “Renewable Energy Could Power the World by 2050. Here's What That Future Might Look Like.” World Economic Forum, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/02/renewable-energy-future-carbon-emissions/.
“Goal 14 | Department of Economic and Social Affairs.” United Nations, United Nations, https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal14.
Blog Conclusion
Overall, I enjoyed this project. I like all of the research I conducted, especially making and sending out a survey to people - I felt so official. I think I did well organizing my findings, though this project did take me a while. I was very interested in the topics of the Ocean, and it still fascinates me how little we really know about the Ocean.
