Do Now: Ebola

The outbreak of the Ebola virus has raised alarms from neighboring countries. Ebola has been estimated to have killed 2,288 people and is expected to infect thousands more in the upcoming weeks. Ebola is contracted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids. This includes semen, urine, sweat, saliva, and blood.

Ebola is challenging to overcome for the effected countries and communities because of their lack of health infrastructure. This makes it near to impossible to control, contain, and purge the disease. In order to help control Ebola from spreading, the international community should send aid workers, medicine, supplies and information about proper burial techniques in order to help overcome the Ebola outbreak. Although there is no known cure or vaccine, the international community can help by sending medicine to treat the symptoms and make the victims of Ebola more comfortable and in less pain. It is vital for the international community to step in and lend a helping hand because if not, Ebola will continue to spread and eventually affect places and countries not apart of the African continent.

The spread of Ebola has affected my way of thinking my making me see how important doctors are. It has made me see how long vaccines take to be accepted and legalized in order to treat diseases. Ebola has caused companies and scientists to speed up the process of developing a vaccine and even so, it will take a long time. The spread of Ebola has also made me realize how vital it is to have clean hygiene and take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of other diseases as well.

Information Source: http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2014/09/12/how-can-we-help-fight-the-ebola-outbreak/

Image Source: W, R. L. “Ebola’s Spread.” Weblog post. N.p., n.d. Web.

California is Not FLOW-ing

Californians are biased towards our state because of many reasons. But, the most important reason is our weather! California experiences all four seasons: a warm summer, a leaf-changing fall, a cold winter, and a fresh spring. California is also acknowledged for it’s “Mediterranean” climate, which describes the rainy season during early October till early March followed by a long temperate climate outside of those months. Unfortunately, for the last three years, California has had little to know rainfall. Most places determine droughts differently. But no one has denied the fact that California is indeed in a severe and unpredictable drought.

Droughts are natural responses to the changes in our climate and the response to global warming. Permanent changes are the only way to prepare for unpredictable climate changes and prevent people from being vulnerable during these changes. Relating to California, California is known for being an environmental leader in many issues and topics concerning how the world and country should protect the environment. Sadly, California is still wasteful and inefficient when dealing with water usage. Heavy flow toilets, old shower heads and washing machines, and water thirsty plants and crops are just a couple factors that affect the environment and the future droughts.

The California drought has affected many counties and cities in California. The map to the right shows the areas most affected and in the worst conditions due to the drought. The Bay Area is highlighted in the maroon color showing how damaging and intense the drought is in my area.

The documentary FLOW shows how water has been made to economically benefit the country and has been used for our financial advantage. Doing so, this does not take into consideration the health disadvantages and the contribution the over consumption of water has on the environment. FLOW demonstrates how wasteful everyone is and how the world needs to take steps to change their behaviors.

Some things individuals everywhere, especially in California, can do to help the environment and the draught are:

1. Turn off the sink while brushing your teeth.
2. Fill up water bottles at home instead of buying pre-packaged water bottles from the grocery store.
3. Take shorter showers.
4. Combine loads of laundry to minimize the use of the washing machine.
5. Switch to low flow toilets
6. Save clean bathwater in a bucket to water plants and trees.
7. Turn off the tap while washing dishes

FLOW also expresses how tap water is significantly healthier for the human body than store bought water bottles. I know personally that store bought bottled water is very convenient, easily accessible, and the “cool” thing to do, but bottled water is unregulated and most companies do not even know what is in the water concerning chemicals and toxins. Families in the Bay Area are very health and environment conscious so knowing this information and experiencing the drought first hand gives them plenty of reasons to improve their households and improve water usage.

Works Cited

“Bottled Water vs Tap Water: Advantages and Disadvantages.” Bottled Water vs Tap Water: Advantages and Disadvantages. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“CDQAP’s DROUGHT INFO PAGE for California Dairy Producers.” California Dairy Research Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

“Current Conditions.” California Drought RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.

Nijhuis, Michelle. “Amid Drought, New California Law Will Limit Groundwater Pumping for First Time.” National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 17 Sept. 2014. Web. 19 Sept. 2014.