Greetings everyone! Hello, my name is Dhruv Tikku. I am currently a second-semester freshman at Penn State at the main campus University Park. I grew up in Westfield, New Jersey, which is only a thirty-minute car ride from New York City. Living so close to New York City gave me the opportunity to meet many diverse people from so many different backgrounds, which has helped mold me into the person I am today. Ever since a young age, I have always had a fascination with science and the desire to help others, leading me down the path of medicine. I spend a large amount of time at the Jersey Shore with my grandparents, and I would consider it my second home. Coming from a very industrial and heavy-polluted area, I am interested in learning how we can work to better communities and areas that are lagging behind in their balance with the environment.
I found the topic of sustainability as one of the most important issues discussed in the first module. I have spent so much time on the beach and in the ocean that it becomes hard to watch our constant bombardment of toxins into the ocean. While we cannot stop the advancement of the human race, we can benefit off of the ocean without harming it and the organism that live there too. Our oceans offer many different forms of benefit, such as power and food through fishing, but by doing too much of each, we start to deplete it. There even are current areas in which animal species and water conditions, such as in various third world countries, are near dangerous low levels. By making the right laws environmental policies, we can ensure that the ocean’s balance is not thrown off too far to be irreversible.
Hello Dhruv, my name is Brenton and I grew up a stone throw away in PA. Some of my family lives near the Jersey Shore though. I found your interest in geography as it relates to the ocean particularly interesting. My cousin who lives in New Jersey has worked for a power plant for some time and always talks about how he would never go to certain parts of the shore because of the pollution.
I think often times people are less aware about the impact ocean pollution has on the environment or even our food supply. The pollution in places like Somalia seems to outweigh the overall impact of carbon emissions in the United States for example.
Here is a link to my post:
http://geog030.dutton.psu.edu/2016/01/15/41617/
Hi Dhruv! As a native New Jerseyan, I find the beach to be almost a part of the culture of New Jersey culture. I agree, if we do not start being careful about keeping the beaches and water clean, the wildlife in the ocean will die off. Without wildlife, the natural water cleaning process and other life processes within the ocean will die off and become unbalanced. We see this happening, most obviously with coral reefs. I would be interested in finding out what people are currently doing to help the ocean by finding new ways to dispose of toxins and trash.
Here is the link to my post: https://wp.me/p3RCAy-aQJ