Colloquium Blog #4

In your estimation, what is the most pressing global environmental issue facing us today? Why? If a wealthy benefactor like the Rockefeller Foundation gave you $100 billion to address a global problem, how would you allocate the funds? Would you dedicate 100% to the most pressing issue, or partition the money among many different issues?

The most pressing global environment issue facing us today is the one on sustainability. America is the most affluent country in the world. It is to no surprise why we produce the most waste. It has gotten so bad, that America is even sending some of its trash to other countries. This may reduce the amount of trash buildup in the U.S., but simultaneously it is worsening the waste issue on a worldwide scale. This buildup has a severe impact to the environment. The main issue at hand is that most of waste is not biodegradable, which means that it cannot decompose at a steady rate, it will take years upon years. This explains why so much of it continues to be piled up on top of more trash.  Many animals are dieing because they either are ingesting pieces of trash that are extremely hazardous, or are even eating other organisms that have already done so. In turn, this comes back to the humans because if animals are getting sick, this means that so will the we, in time. We all need to come together to produce less waste as well as strictly  enforce methods of ridding vasts amount of trash, in a way that creates a smaller carbon foot print. 


If a wealthy benefactor like the Rockefeller Foundation gave me $100 billion to help solve this ongoing issue, I would spend a good chunk of it on waste cleanup and the treatment of many animals that have been injured and/or sickened. Before this issue can be ultimately resolved, we must first pick up what was left behind. This will take a lot of money and dedicated people who are willing to volunteer and save the planet. Many organizations need to unite to attack this waste issue from all sides. If this doesn't happen, then it will only persist to worsen, to the point where the horizon would be just another mound of trash, flowing out it into the sunset, and if you ask me, than is not at all a romantic site to see.