ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
In relation to Earth Day and the gradually worsening state of our planet, these resources will be focused on environmental issues like climate change, pollution, and deforestation.
Topic: Climate Change
Climate change is simply defined as the long term change in Earth’s average weather patterns locally, regionally, and globally. While climate change has occurred on Earth in the past, causing both warm and cool phases, those were the result of natural processes that cause change in greenhouse gas concentrations. Our current climate crisis; however, is occurring much faster than ever before due to the fact it’s also attributed to non-natural processes like burning fossil fuels. If climate change continues at this pace, the Earth will become less and less hospitable for all living beings due to increased wildfires, droughts, and tropical storms. To do something about it, you can read on and contribute to the organizations below:
Organization: Brightest. Brightest is a social organization that compiles a variety of virtual events and opportunities to increase community engagement. They have a compilation of events related specifically to climate change in the link below.
Organization: 350.org. A global grassroots organization that works in over 138 countries to prevent climate catastrophe. They host events, meetings, rallies, protests with other major organizations to create a sustainable future for everyone. For opportunities directly for NYC, you can visit this link, and for the organization in general, you can visit the link below.
Organization: Greenpeace. Greenpeace is a global campaigning organization that utilize peaceful protests and creative communication to expose environmental problems and promote solutions. You can take action on their site by signing up to be a volunteer or sign petitions in the link below
Organization: Sierra Club. Sierra Club is one of the oldest and most influential environmental grassroots organizations in the U.S. They have a variety of campaigns and resources you can look at and take action for in the link below.
Topic: Pollution
Pollution refers to the presence or introduction of contaminants into the environment that are harmful or can have poisonous effects. These contaminants are detrimental to all living organisms and ecosystems. It can not only cause chronic respiratory and cardiovascular health problems, be hazardous to wildlife, but it also contributes to global warming, depletes the ozone layer, and contributes to increased dangerous weather conditions like acid rain.
Organization:American Rivers. American Rivers is an organization dedicated to creating a future where there is clean water, and healthy rivers everywhere for everyone. They have lists of river cleanups all across America at any given time, and you can find them all in the link below.
Organization: Fronteering. Fronteering is a volunteer organization that specializes in projects abroad to preserve the environment, wildlife and indigenous people throughout the world. They have a variety of internships and volunteering opportunities abroad to provide volunteers with raw and real experiences. You can find them in the link below.(Please note that these internships do cost money as they’re abroad. And please follow all safety precautions at this time and make sure you are fully vaccinated. We are not encouraging travel, just providing you with an organization you may take note of and participate in, in the future.)
Organization: City Parks Foundation & NYC Parks. City Parks Foundation is an organization dedicated to cleaning up and transforming parks so they can become vibrant and dynamic centers of urban life. They are currently hosting the “It’s My Park” event where they offer volunteers an opportunity to give back to their parks by cleaning, painting, weeding, and more. You can find a list of opportunities below but please be aware that some of them have age restrictions.
Organization: DoSomething. While DoSomething is a digital platform that encourages people to make real world impacts for a variety of issues, they also provide campaigns specifically for environmental issues that you can earn hours for. For example, picking up cigarette butts, recycling old clothes and cans, and hosting cleanups of your own. You can find a list of their campaigns and filter for environmental ones in the link below.
Topic: Deforestation
Deforestation refers to the permanent removal of trees to make room for something other than the forest. This issue is becoming more and more prominent as cities expand and the demand for urbanization increases because more land is required. To obtain that land, most people look for forests to cut and burn down to make more room. This not only results in a loss of biodiversity and animal habitats, but also increases overcrowding and contributes to climate change due to a decrease in carbon sinks. If deforestation continues at the rate that it’s currently at, in 78 years, we’ll have no more rainforests.
Application: Ecosia. Ecosia. Ecosia is an online search engine that plants trees for the searches you make. You can make use and/ or download the application in the link below
Application: Forest. Forest is an app that helps you stay focused, and everytime that you do stay focused, you get to plant a virtual tree in your virtual garden, and plant a real one at the same time. As of now, you can only plant 5 real trees but there are upcoming occasional events that’ll allow you to plant more. Download on your phone in the link below.
Organization:One Tree Planted. One Tree Planted is an environmental charity that makes it easy for individuals to give back to the environment so that they can create a healthier climate and help restoration efforts around the world. For just one dollar, you can help plant one tree anywhere around the world. You can also find planting events across the U.S. on their website. You can donate and you can find planting events in the links below.