The ozone layer is an invisible layer of protection around the planet that protects us from the sun’s harmful rays. This crucial layer is depleting because of pollution, mainly Chlorine and Bromide found in Chloro-floro carbons (CFCs). When these toxic gases reach the upper atmosphere, they make holes in the ozone layer. The biggest hole is above Antarctica.

Layers of the atmosphere

In the 1970s, ozone depletion was a huge concern. Several countries, including the United States, banned the use of CFCs as aerosol propellants. However, global production of CFCs has grown rapidly as new uses were found for these chemicals. Refrigeration, fire suppression, and foam insulation are the major uses for these chemicals today. When these items are thrown away and/or broken, the CFCs get released into the atmosphere.

One atom of chlorine can destroy more than 100,000 ozone molecules. This is a major issue because the ozone cannot be replaced fast enough. The hole over Antarctica reoccurs every year from August to October. Recently NASA scientists have documented proof that the hole is actually recovering because of the CFC phase-down. If efforts keep pushing to use fewer CFCs, the ozone layer is projected to heal in the (non-polar) Northern Hemisphere by the 2030s. The Southern Hemisphere will heal by the 2050s and the polar regions by 2060.

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Over the last 150 years, there has been a 68% erosion of beaches within the Mid Atlantic and New England regions. Recently, Nor’Easters, hurricanes, and other coastal storms have increased in frequency and size. When large storms hit, parts of the beaches are swept away. Beaches in the Mid-Atlantic and New England are eroding about 1.6 feet per year. The worst case was found in southern Virginia where the coast eroded about 60 feet per year. These alarming rates have inspired some towns to take their own initiative.

Many coastal towns have started bringing new sand to their beaches in order to reconstruct the damage. Beach restorations are slowing erosion, on a minor scale. Recent studies have shown that these efforts have dropped the percentage of beach erosion from 68% to 60%. In New Jersey researches found that houses crammed agast beaches have also slowed erosion. All of these restoration efforts cost thousands of dollars and only offer a short-term improvement. Major storms will continue to strengthen and sea levels will continue to rise making it hard to stop or slow the erosion.

Sea level rise is also a huge problem when it comes to beach erosion. The sea level is projected to rise 3 feet, by the end of the century. If the sea level continues to rise at a rapid rate most of the coast will be underwater in the near future. More than 90 coastal communities are already battling repeated flooding. In less than 20 years, that number is expected to roughly double to more than 170 communities. As the sea level continues to rise and the coastal storms continue to strengthen many communities, in New England and the Mid-Atlantic, will need to evacuate because of erosion and flooding.

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Corn is one of the most widely produced and consumed crops in the world. One Washington Post article by Roberto A. Ferdman stated, “The grain is so ubiquitous that it would take longer to list the foods that contain traces of it than to pinpoint the ones that don’t.” Corn is used in everything but is not sustainably farmed. Corn production involves inefficient water usage, causes runoff from pesticides, and impacts sensitive land areas.

When corn is growing, many pesticides are sprayed. Once the plants get watered, runoff is created and ends up in the nearest body of water. If corn production continues to rise, the Mississippi riverbed nitrogen pollution will increase 34% over the next couple of years. Mass production of corn also wastes tons of water. Seven to eight thousand gallons of water are lost daily from evaporation alone. States like Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas have seen a drop in groundwater because of the high corn production. Continuing to produce corn on a large scale will eventually dry up the groundwater and pollute many important bodies of water from pesticide runoff.

Another huge problem is the impact corn production has on sensitive land areas. Modern machine irrigation and pesticides have killed the idea of crop rotation. In the past, the crops were rotated to keep different parts of the land healthy for the next year. If the soil gets overworked, it will become unusable and nothing will be able to grow on it. This is happening in many places where corn if farmed regularly.

Corn is a huge product that is consumed all over the world. If corn production keeps moving in the same direction, there will be many environmental consequences. A few states have seen a large decrease in groundwater and a large increase in pesticide pollution. These are the biggest problem because if the groundwater gets used and the pesticides keep polluting major bodies of water, many ecosystems will be damaged and organisms will die. Another issue is the overworking of the soil causes unuseable conditions for production. This will cause many parts of the U.S. dead old farms where nothing can grow.

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Rising temperatures and lack of rain are causes hundreds of thousands of trees to die in the Rocky Mountains forests. Global warming has boosted existing stresses that will eventually cause a dramatic reduction in the number of tree species. The main causes for the mass tree casualties include bark beetle infestation and higher wildfire risk. The mortality rate of trees has doubled in old-growth, with no compensating increase in the number of seedlings.

Increasing temperatures are reducing the amount of water available for the trees to flourish. Earlier snowmelt and snowpack reduction produce enough water for the beginning of the growing season, but by the end of the season, there is a shortage. Drier Conditions make the soil unable to sustain the tree life growing within. Poor soil quality makes it hard for the seedlings to grow, so the tree population does not expand easily. By 2060, the soil is projected to be climatically unsuitable. Lack of rain also causes better conditions for a wildfire. The percentage of wildfires has exploded to 73% more frequently, which translates to 18 more every year. As the temperature increases, conditions become drier causing more trees to suffer each year.

Bark Beetles are one of the biggest killers. Warming temperatures cause the beetles to reproduce more within the population. The beetles burrow into the trees and eventually kill them. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that around 100,000 trees die every day in southern Wyoming and northern Colorado alone because of bark beetle infestation. In order for this number to decrease, the population of beetles needs to stop growing.

If the global temperature continues to rise and the conditions continue to become drier, the population of trees in the Rocky Mountain forests will soon diminish.

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