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Do I Make Good Climate Choices?

This is a really difficult question to answer and it raises a lot of ideas by asking it. I would say that I make okay, but not great, climate choices. The main ways that I live a climate conscious lifestyle are in my clothing and in my eating. I have been vegetarian for a long time and try to eat as sustainably as possible. I also like to buy and eat local food and most of my food comes from local places. However no one can be a perfectly climate minded consumer. I also don’t buy many new clothes which helps reduce clothing waste and the emissions from new clothing. I ride my bike all the time but I drive, too. While these things make a difference it is really minuscule in comparison to the climate crisis as a whole. I could be the most climate conscious person ever but it really would not make a huge difference.        This is the point where this question gets really interesting to me. Does it even matter if we go vegan, thrift, or use energy efficient travel met...
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Ocean Acidification

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I recently watched the Netflix Documentary Seaspiracy about our oceans, climate change, and ocean life. I’d really recommend watching it because it was really informative and I decided to do some more research into a topic brought up in the documentary: ocean acidification. Ocean Acidification is the process of the ocean becoming more acidic. This is caused by the absorption of more and more Carbon Dioxide from the atmosphere. According to NOAA , the ocean absorbs about 30% or the carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere. The ocean naturally absorbs carbon dioxide and before the industrial revolution it didn’t absorb too much to have such a huge impact on our oceans. However, since then, the ocean’s pH has increased by 30%. The more carbon dioxide we release into the atmosphere, the more acidic the ocean becomes(Ocean acidification). By 2100 the acidity is expected to rise by 170%, according to Triona McGrath (TEDxTalks Ocean acidification - the evil twin of climate change | Tri...
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What Would a good reaction to a Natural Disaster Look Like?

One thing that I’ve been thinking about recently is what a good response would look like for a large natural disaster. We’ve mostly been learning about terrible responses to disasters that prioritize the rich and leave the poor rebuilding without support for years after the disaster. As we’ve seen time and time again, government officials often make empty promises while doing nothing. To be sure, cleaning up after a disaster like a hurricane or a tornado is extremely difficult even in the best of circumstances. While there are many examples of terrible responses, it’s more difficult to find good ones. But what would that look like? What should officials strive for and citizens expect after a disaster?        One example of a good response to a natural disaster was the tornado that hit Joplin, MO in 2011. This response was discussed in a 2017 Vox article. This tornado caused billions of dollars in destruction and destroyed or damaged 7,500 homes. While all natural ...
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Line 3 Pipeline

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One recent event that I am both concerned and frustrated about is the building of the Line 3 pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to Superior, Minnesota. This pipeline is a “replacement” pipeline for damaged areas that already exist (Stop Line 3). However, there is no clear plan for removing the damaged parts of the existing pipeline (What Is Line 3?).        You can view more maps of the pipeline here .        Enbridge, the company that proposed this pipeline, is responsible for the largest inland oil spill in the United States. They have a horrible track record in terms of cleaning up their messes and preserving the land. The land that this pipeline is supposed to run through wetlands and treaty territory of the Anishinaabe people. This pipeline would go across lots of untouched and important lands (Stop Line 3).        This pipeline is part of a dying industry and will no doubt have a sig...
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