Sunny California



One of California's many solar farms.



All of us know that our now acquired need for electricity takes up a lot of resources to be provided to us, so my question would be, Why aren’t we trying to find different sources of power? There are natural resources that can be used to provide us with our electricity, so why are we not all switching to these ways? Well one state is moving forward and it’s California.

California is the nation’s largest solar producer and are moving forward to have one-third of the state solar powered by 2020. I feel like more states should be taking this step forward to switch to natural resources of power, and thanks to California’s aggressive move forward with solar power the rest of the U.S. is now realizing “that solar is here, not a technology of the future.” I’m glad that California’s use of solar power is encouraging other states to move forward with the use of alternative sources of power.

This article relates to class because resource depletion is one of the six major environmental problems. I believe that switching to solar power would lower of resource use and help out the environment dramatically.

Our Air is Being Polluted!

How would you like to be breathing in this air?

I have never really given any thought to the air that I am breathing in every day, but after reading this article I have started to. What is in the air that we are breathing, and is it killing us?

It is true that in Texas alone (Texas containing the most operating plants in all the nation) there are 400,000 tons per year of ozone-forming pollution, more than 227 million tons per year of carbon dioxide, huge quantities of soot and other fine particle pollution, and almost 14,000 pounds per year of mercury. So with pollution being one of the top environmental problems why is nothing being done to stop it? There has been something done. A suit was filled on behalf of Sierra Club for Texas's evasion of the Clean Air Act that has been in affect for forty years and is to be followed by all of the nation. Earthjustice associate attorney Khushi Desai had this to say about the lawsuit: 

"We maintain that Texas's continued evasion of its Clean Air Act obligations has unduly compromised the health of its own citizens, as well as those residing in downwind states, for far too long. Our suit says that EPA must, as the law requires, finally address Texas' failures and take action to implement national air quality standards in the state."

After talking in class about our top six environmental problems I was surprised to hear that Texas was contributing so harshly to our pollution problem. I was also unaware of the Clean Air Act. With pollution essentially being against the law then how has Texas evaded it for so long? And how is it that pollution is still such a major problem?

It is true that breathing in this polluted air can make you SICK! A girl by the name of Raviya Ismail went to a hearing in Texas about air pollution (How ironic is that?) and after only a few days was beginning to feel run down with burning eyes and labored breathing that she believes it was caused by breathing in this polluted air! With this problem putting people at risk I am glad to hear that it has finally been acknowledged and will hopefully be dealt with very soon because it is not only the occupants of Texas that are suffering but also all the occupants in states surrounding it. That's a lot of people breathing in polluted air!

About Me

As a class each of us have to start a blog and make posts throughout the year. Our first post has to be about yourself. My two favorite things to do is reading and writing; I would love to get one of my books published some day. I also spend a lot of time watching TV, movies, and videos on Youtube. I don't really like school because of the early mornings. In environmental this year I want to learn about the world and the environmental problems we are encountering right now.