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Lets make our world better
Everyday we make a choice. Sometimes the consequences of our actions are hidden. But in order to live in a happy future we have to act consciously now. I want to show you where we are now, and what actions we should take to get closer to our sustainable future.
Let's look at some basic thing such as water and elecricity.
Nowadays we could not imagine our everyday life without water and electricity. We need water to cook, to do laundry, to wash cars, and to brush our teeth. Same for electricity, we need it to light our homes, to charge our devices, and to heat our dwellings in the winter.
However, do we use resources in a sustainable way? Unfortunately we forget that some resources like coal and gas are not renewable and if we would use it unwarily we would run out faster than any of us could imagine.
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US energy consumption VS CA citizen energy consumption
In this chart we could observe the difference between average citizen's energy consumption in CA and USA. Unfortunately that is not all energy that we consume throughout the week. Nevertheless, the point is that usually we don't notice how much time we actively consume electricity. But unlike time, consequences of our actions are not that invisible.
This map shows areas in the United States whose air quality is worse than it should be to consider itself as safe and clean air. As we can see everyday air quality of The US is getting worse. PM2.5 level is higher than it should be and the ozone level is rising up as well.
What about water?
CA VS US
This table shows average water use for citizens of the USA and CA per week. Maybe at first sight it doesn't seem much, but if we look closely we will see that most of our water use is wasted. In the USA there are now many practices of using gray water, and as a result water that could be reused is going to waste. Also another source of water waste is leaks. Every other household had at least one leak in its lifespan, and as a result approximately 10 000 gallons per year is going to waste. Before the housekeeper noticed a problem.
Additionally it is important to remember that even the smallest leaks never go without consequences. As a result of negligent use of water supplies in our everyday life the water quality in the watersheds is getting worse.
Water Quality in CA
This map shows the water quality in California. We could see that areas marked as red zones are suffering the most due to the poor water quality.
What should we do?
Be the change
Conserving water and energy plays an important role in ensuring our sustainable future, while also reducing utility costs. But the most important advantage of reducing our water and electric consumption is that all these practices reduce the impact on the environment, which is our main goal. Every little change could become crucial in the long run. Important thing is to be ready for the change. By working together, we can create a more sustainable world for ourselves and future generations.
Internship Reflections
I joined this internship with a strong desire to learn more about the environment. I learnt about this internship through my high school teacher, she said that it is a great opportunity to increase my knowledge. And she was 100% right. Internship gave me a great possibility to take a look inside energy, how it works, and what influence it has on our lives. Internship provided sources to learn about energy through visual data, articles and videos. Also one of the main focuses of the internship was to teach interns to use maps as a tool of visual storytelling. Every little detail created a great journey that taught about environmental justice. Additionally, the internship had 5 workshops each had its own theme that were linked to one another. Also another thing that really helped to understand my personal influence on this world was learning google sheets and doing research and experiments that showed me my own energy and water consumptions. And I can say that these 15 weeks were unforgettable experiences that showed me another side of our world. I am glad that now I can share my knowledge and little by little make a change for this world. Our planet needs to be saved and it is my responsibility to do what is in my reach. I am grateful to The Energy Coalition for teaching me and showing me all that I have strength to make this world a little bit better.