Why Should We Care?

In class today, we discussed Climate Change. What causes it? Why is it bad? How can we help get rid of it? All good questions and there are many answers. Some key points in our class discussion today include the use of cars in different parts of the world, melting ice caps and fresh water, and where factory plant waste goes.

              One of the topics that came up today was how much we use cars, boat, and airplanes to move stuff. America has people driving trucks everywhere on the roads and most of the times it isn’t for work. Trucks and other large cars use a lot more gas than others do. Mr. Schick told us that while he was visiting in Europe, the cars there were all small… nothing like America’s. Also, with cars burning fossil fuels and many more causes the world is experiencing climate change. The ice caps and glaciers have already started melting. Not to mention that the polar ice caps is our #1 supply of the 1% of fresh water that Earth contains. So, not only will we experience climate change in the near future, but we will likely see a shortage of fresh water.

              Another topic was about the factories near the Great Lakes in North America in cities including Detroit and Chicago. Mr. Schick told us that when he lived in Chicago and was traveling towards the Detroit area that he had to pass through Gary, Indiana. He said that this city is probably the foulest place in the United States. Since Gary, Indiana has several steel mills there is an awful stench to this area. My teacher had quite a bit to say about this place, but what I found most disturbing and disgusting was the way in which these steel plants got rid of their waste. Mr. Schick told us that they would just dump everything into Lake Michigan and that when he would drive by all he could see covering the lake was green bubbly stuff covering the water. He also told us that because of this massive waste dumping into Lake Michigan, the fish would just wash up dead on the beaches.