ENVR 1301-Jessica Barboza

  Over time, people in the United States have completely changed how they think about nature and the environment. In the early years, Americans mostly focused on using resources to survive and build the country. Nature was something to manage, harvest, and control. Ideas about conservation emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, emphasizing the careful use of forests, wildlife, and water so that resources wouldn’t run out. Leaders like Gifford Pinchot promoted “wise use,” which meant balancing resource extraction with long-term planning, but the main goal was still economic growth (Theis & Tomkin, 2018, Ch. 2).   As the country grew, industrialization and urbanization made environmental problems harder to ignore. By the mid-20th century, Americans began seeing that pollution and uncontrolled development could harm health and quality of life. Books like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring raised public awareness about chemical pollution and its impact on people and ...

 Definition of Microplastics When I first heard about microplastics, I was honestly shocked. These are tiny pieces of plastic, usually smaller than a grain of rice, that end up in our environment and even inside our bodies (Plastic Soup Foundation, 2019). They can come from larger plastic items that break down over time, synthetic clothing fibers, or even tiny microbeads in personal care products. What’s really scary is how invisible they are—some are so small that we can breathe them in or eat them without noticing it (Haab & Haab, n.d.). Where They Are Found Microplastics are literally everywhere. They float in the oceans, rivers, and lakes. They’re in the air, in the seafood we eat, and even in our drinking water (Watson, 2024). When I looked around my own home, I realized how many everyday items contain plastic: drink bottles, packaging, wrappers, electronics, and even my clothes made with synthetic fibers (Dudas, 2018). It’s crazy to think that so many things I touch every...

  Air Pollution and Its Effects   Air pollution is something we all experience, even if we don’t notice it. It affects humans, animals, and plants in ways that can be serious. Learning about it makes me realize how important it is to care for the air we breathe every day.   Sulfur Gases (SO2 and H2S)   Sulfur gases like hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) can harm the environment in different ways . H2S usually doesn’t reach levels that hurt plants, but accidents at natural gas facilities can cause damage locally (Freedman, 2018, Ch. 16). SO2 is more common in cities and near factories. Even short exposures of 0.7 ppm for one hour can damage plants, while long-term exposure at 0.2 ppm can also harm them (Freedman, 2018, Ch. 16). It surprised me to learn that plants can be affected by amounts that seem so small!   Humans are less sensitive than plants, but people with asthma or lung problems can feel the effects at lower levels (Freedman, 2018, Ch. ...