I think we can all agree on how beautiful the coral reefs are on our planet. They contain so much wildlife and to see it first hand is just a whole other experience. One thing on my bucket list is to snorkel to see the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world and is actually one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The reef is located off the coast of Queensland, Australia in the Coral Sea. 

Now you may be wondering why I am bringing this up in my blog. Well, the Great Barrier Reef is actually dying and has been for years. As you can see in the picture below, some of the coral is already bleached and losing its color due to being stressed by heat and acidity. Approximately half of the coral reef has been killed off by coral bleaching since 2016. Think about it…about half of the entire Great Barrier Reef, which is longer than the Great Wall of China, has been killed in the past 4 to 5 years. Now imagine the impact the next 4 to 5 years could have on this reef.

I don’t think individuals realize what an affect coral reefs have on our ecosystem and the water on this planet. Without coral reefs, there could be a traumatic effect on our planet. For example, 80% of the air we actually breathe comes from the oceans according to Michael Crosby, a marine scientist and the president of Mote Laboratory and Aquarium. Therefore we are going to need the ocean to help us breathe, which means we have to take care of the oceans and the reefs that live there. 

Now, why are we as people in charge of making a difference? The reefs are actually dying because of human activity, such as overfishing or simply anchors and nets scraping the seafloor. Then of course, burning of fossil fuels has heated up the planet everywhere and the oceans are the ones consuming most of that heat. In order to ultimately save the coral reef is to help stabilize the climate change that has been happening for years. We have to fight this problem now or it will be too late. In order for you to help save coral reefs and help make an impact, please click here to see so many ways you can do so. 

Without the beauty of the reefs and the oxygen coming from our healthy oceans, our world is going to look drastically different.

I think we all have heard about conserving the energy around our homes. I know when I was little my parents would get upset when I have lights on in rooms that nobody is even in. It was pointless to keep those lights on when it wasn’t needed. I didn’t really understand much about energy conservation until recently and I think it’s super important for me to share more about it.

Energy conservation is a process of simply just using less energy, such as turning the lights off when you leave the room. By doing certain tasks, we are able to reduce the demand on limited supply. This allows for the supply to rebuild itself in that time. In recent years, Americans have been noticing that other citizens need to recycle more, pollute less, and most importantly, conserve more energy. We can conserve more energy by using energy efficient products and driving less. 

Now why is this all that important? Without conserving energy, we are depleting the planet’s natural resources, plain and simple. Although, this may take decades to happen, “the depletion also comes at the cost of creating an enormous destructive waste product that then impacts the rest of life.” The goal for citizens is to reduce the amount of energy they use, help replenish supplies, clean up damage from past energy processes, and many more. Now we all know this is important, but how do we accomplish this exactly? 

There are so many options for us to do to ensure we are saving energy. It’s as simple as turning off a light when it’s not needed. Here are some other ideas:

Drive Less and Carpool 

No matter where we go, we see cars everywhere! I drive to work and to get coffee, and in a small town like mine, we drive just to get our minds off something. We simply can just cut out all of the unnecessary driving, you’re saving gas and reducing carbon. In the summer, try bike riding more often or even walking. You’re able to get great exercise! Even at Penn State, try walking to different classes or downtown instead of getting an Uber. 

Shutting the Doors

I know my dad would always get upset when I would run inside and outside multiple times, but I never fully understood why until recently. By shutting doors, you’re actually conserving energy. For example, shutting a door to a room with an air conditioner allows you to save energy and money. 

Switch Off Appliances When They’re Not In Use

This is so easy to do and it’s probably one of the things we don’t do enough! Walk around your house and see how many lights are on in rooms that no one is in, or how many computers, coffee machines are plugged in. Even when they’re not in use, they still use electricity. Simply turn off the light when you exit, and unplug your computer when you’re done! 

Now there are so many other options to conserving energy, you just have to think a little bit. A little search on the web will do you just fine; just start with these few tips!