1. An answer to one of the following questions (this should be at least a paragraph in length): What was most interesting about the assigned reading/viewing for today? Why?
I found this article really interesting because it did a great job of addressing many different environmental issues caused by climate change. It would seem to me that when people think of the effects of climate change, they tend to focus on the large in your face issues. The first thoughts that pop into my head when I think of climate change are things like mass coral bleaching events and images of chunks of ice breaking off glaciers and crashing into the water as they melt. But this article really helped to show the effects of climate change on a more personal level that felt closer to home. The article talks about toxic bacteria/algae blooms being found in common swimming areas and severe increases in pest populations, which really brings light to issues people wouldn’t normally attribute to climate change.
2. A quote from the text that you found interesting or significant and would like to talk about and commentary on this quote or a question about the quote (this section should be at least a paragraph in length and properly introduced and cited in order to receive credit).
I think the quote “Climate change plays havoc differently in different places” perfectly encompasses the overall message I understand from this article. Climate change will cause both large-scale issues and smaller scale issues, but they are all issues, nonetheless. Perhaps there is a hierarchy to the different effects and damages of climate change and although we may address them differently, they must all be considered and addressed eventually. I like to imagine climate change as an emergency room and the environmental impacts are the patients that require treatment. These “patients” must be triaged appropriately so that the most severe can be treated first.
3. A discussion question to ask the class.
What are some other examples of the environment impacts of climate change that aren’t often considered or attributed to climate change?
