Dear Kearny HS Students: We Are Out Of Water

California is going through a drought that seems like it'll never end. The drought has only been noticed recently, but it's been going on for much longer than you might have thought. The drought has been going on for longer than 20 years, and only now are we feeling the effects that we should have prevented years ago. We have lost so much water that we only have enough water for everyone for one more year. There won't be enough water for even half the population in San Diego though there are ways that people have come up with to limit water use, in order to conserve. There would be restrictions on water use that would be punished by a fine of up to $500 if you don't listen to the restrictions and waste more water than necessary. These restrictions would regulate water use, restricting the times that you can hand-wash cars and water your lawn. There are some always in effect, such as the rule that you can't hose down a sidewalk with water to clean it. These aren't all of the restrictions, though. There are restrictions that even affect the rich that control companies with buildings that have water circulating through them. They would be required to fix any leak in their water pipes' system immediately otherwise there will be a large fine they'd have to pay. We may be too late in taking action against this drought, but we are doing our best to deal with what we have and fix what we can.


A picture showing where we're at in the drought
sdcwa.org

a picture of dry, cracked earth lacking water.
Countrynewscenter.com

Plastics, Greenhouse Gases, and Sustainability

Plastics and an increase in greenhouse gases through man made means have many negative effects to planet Earth because it changes the environment organisms have evolved to thrive in for billions of years in the time span of a few hundred years. The effects of these things are drastic and sudden, and may eventually compromise the food chain through extinction of animals we need to survive.

Plastics find their way to oceans through humans that dump their trash there, where the plastics break down in a process known as photodegradation. As plastics degrade into smaller and smaller pieces they begin harming the ecosystem. It's allowing insects that live on the sea to lay more eggs with the plastics increasing the land they can lay eggs on as well as harm sea life such as fish that breathe in the degraded plastics.

Human-produced greenhouse gases affect Earth in most likely the most detrimental way. With more greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect increases in strength, allowing Earth to retain more and more heat. This is a very harmful effect because many animals and insects evolved to thrive in very specific conditions. For these conditions to change so fast and so much, they may very well go extinct. It also hurts crops that are temperature specific, changing where they can be grown and maybe even changing fauna that live in places that will be the most affected.

Plastics and greenhouse gases are sustainability issues because they will harm future generation's ability to survive.

Getwellstaywellathomelife

An example of plastics used in everyday life

A portrayal of the greenhouse effect
www.ecy.was.gov