Interconnectedness. For the past few weeks, we have been learning many new things. After looking back, I started to realize how everything was connected. For example, we learned about the natural cycles. These cycles are supposed to happen naturally. When humans interfere, we cause what people call it, the “butterfly effect”. One thing could trigger another thing, in which would trigger even more things. In this world, everything is connected. Even the animals are connected. Let’s look at a dying specie. A certain specie dying may not be big to you, but it is. This specie could have been the main food source for another specie, and so that specie dies off too. In simple terms, killing the shrimp population can result in the death of thousands of whales. Furthermore, this would mean a virus inside a certain animal could spread like wildfire. Through something like bioaccumulation, the virus may spread to from rats to another specie such as even humans. Now, back to the human interference problem. We have cause way too many deaths and harm to the environment over the past centuries. Let’s look at global warming. It was caused because of pollution. Now, the globe is starting to heat up and causing an imbalance in this world. Things like wildfires, melting of the glaciers, and the sea rising is all contribution of the destruction of our planet. Our careless ways have cost this world an arm and a leg. Why? Because everything in this world is interconnected.

Now let’s look at sustainability. In a recent assignment, we found out have many worlds it would take to sustain a population with a lifestyle like ours. My result was 5 worlds. Many others had something similar to my results. Furthermore, lots of others in this world live a lifestyle like mine. We do not have 5 worlds, we have only 1, and we are destroying it. I learned in science that many normal human activities are resulting in negative effect. An example is how we are causing water pollution, global warming, air pollution, and etc. To view it more simply, society is in a boat with one side sinking. The people on the side where it is not sinking are cheerfully living life because their side isn’t sinking. Eventually the boat will fully sink. In reality, the boat is the earth. This is why we are learning about how to make life better for future generations. An example was when we watched a video that told us the problems that we as a specie caused. The video then further explained how we could contribute to make the world a better place. I learned that things as small as even walking, relying on transit, and biking instead of riding a car could make an impact. Like I mentioned before, we don’t have 15 worlds, not even 5; but only 1. In conclusion, I am grateful that I was taught these things and now, I’m ready to make a difference to help this planet.

Media that helped me:

“An Inconvenient Truth” video and worksheet that helped me interact with the principles.

A view of society (explained above)

A picture that illustrates how everything is connected from local to global

The company of the bus I ride to school everyday (so that I can contribute to sustaining Earth)