While there are plenty of small ways that everyone can help limit coral bleaching, this includes everything from conserving more water which leads to less oceanic runoff to contacting your local government representative and expressing your concern for the reefs, there stands one major ‘solution’ to the problem of bleaching- preventing climate change. While this may seem like a daunting and near-impossible task at first glance, there are several things that every human being can do on an individual level. The most definitive step everyone can commit to in their daily lives is limiting their carbon dioxide emissions. COTAP (Carbon Offsets to Alleviate Poverty) is an organization that seeks to limit both the glaring issues of global poverty and
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First up, reducing your carbon footprint from driving, Of course, the most crucial step that can be taken by an individual is driving less and using other alternative modes of transportation, such as walking or riding a bike. On the Environmental Protection Agency’s website has estimated that a whopping thirty-two percent of all carbon dioxide emitted in the United States in 2015 came from the combustion of fossil fuels for transportation (EPA). It cannot be stressed enough of how great of an impact it would make if the entire population of the US were to decrease the amount of driving done daily. The amount of CO2 being released into the air would decrease at a substantial enough amount that the current rate of global warming would decrease enough to play a key role in preventing more widespread bleaching. Another step that can be taken if it constant driving is unavoidable in your daily life is purchasing an electric car instead of one that runs on fossil fuels. Electric cars emit no CO2, meaning a swap from a diesel truck to an all-electric will have a tremendous effect on the environment, meaning less global warming and consequently, less …show more content…
Governments across the globe arguably play the largest role of humanity’s impact on the environment. The greatest power that national governments possess is their ability to pass and enforce legislation, and in this case legislation focused on protecting the environment. This legislation is divided into two major categories: national and international. National legislation is laws that are enforced solely in the country in which they are passed, meaning they have no influence in other countries. Most countries have specific departments or agencies of government that solely focus on the creation, application, and enforcement of environmental policies. In the United States, this agency is the Environmental Protection Agency, also known as the EPA. The EPA was created by president Richard Nixon through his signing of the National Environmental Policy Act on January 2, 1970 (Madrigal). Since its creation, the EPA has since carried out its duties, with some of its most important pieces of legislation including the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act. For the topic at hand however, we will solely stick to the Clean Air Act as an example of how national governments can help limit the damage done to coral reefs. The Clean Air Act was first passed in December of 1963 under then-president Lyndon Johnson (Bruce,
First up, reducing your carbon footprint from driving, Of course, the most crucial step that can be taken by an individual is driving less and using other alternative modes of transportation, such as walking or riding a bike. On the Environmental Protection Agency’s website has estimated that a whopping thirty-two percent of all carbon dioxide emitted in the United States in 2015 came from the combustion of fossil fuels for transportation (EPA). It cannot be stressed enough of how great of an impact it would make if the entire population of the US were to decrease the amount of driving done daily. The amount of CO2 being released into the air would decrease at a substantial enough amount that the current rate of global warming would decrease enough to play a key role in preventing more widespread bleaching. Another step that can be taken if it constant driving is unavoidable in your daily life is purchasing an electric car instead of one that runs on fossil fuels. Electric cars emit no CO2, meaning a swap from a diesel truck to an all-electric will have a tremendous effect on the environment, meaning less global warming and consequently, less …show more content…
Governments across the globe arguably play the largest role of humanity’s impact on the environment. The greatest power that national governments possess is their ability to pass and enforce legislation, and in this case legislation focused on protecting the environment. This legislation is divided into two major categories: national and international. National legislation is laws that are enforced solely in the country in which they are passed, meaning they have no influence in other countries. Most countries have specific departments or agencies of government that solely focus on the creation, application, and enforcement of environmental policies. In the United States, this agency is the Environmental Protection Agency, also known as the EPA. The EPA was created by president Richard Nixon through his signing of the National Environmental Policy Act on January 2, 1970 (Madrigal). Since its creation, the EPA has since carried out its duties, with some of its most important pieces of legislation including the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act. For the topic at hand however, we will solely stick to the Clean Air Act as an example of how national governments can help limit the damage done to coral reefs. The Clean Air Act was first passed in December of 1963 under then-president Lyndon Johnson (Bruce,