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Page 1 - Alaina M., Roycemore Roots and Shoots Club, Linden P., Andrew M., Linda Wallin, Claire Bermaum, Mariana M., Inika

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Page 3 - Anika Chandola, Laxmiprasad, Anika B.

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Page 6 - Celsey O'hare, Brynne O'hare

Blood In The Water: My Experience With Red Tide And Climate Change

Ever since I was little, some of my happiest days have taken place at the beach. Even now, I’ve braved the iceberg waters of the Pacific to boogie board the rollicking waves. But my earliest memories are playing in Florida’s blissfully shallow tide pools, catching glimpses of turtles, and collecting starfish that washed up on shore. Glistening waters and clear sapphire skies graced my summer vacations for years. Until a couple of months ago.  

I had traipsed down to the beach, expecting crystalline sands, per usual. Instead, the stink of rotten tuna sticks wafted toward my nose, as a steamy, tepid air arose from the puke-and-crimson-colored waves. The sand, once a perfectly blank canvas, was now colored a sickly gray, reminiscent of cold concrete. A hoarse cough unleashed itself from my throat as the back of my esophagus tingled with irritation. My brow wrinkled at the sight of seaweed strewn across the gray sand. Nearby, a pufferfish lay deceased at the tideline, black horseflies eating its flesh. And down the beach, as far as the eye could see, were hundreds of dead fish.

Red tide is one of the many devastating consequences of global warming, and essentially, the climate crisis. As we humans use fossil fuels to heat our homes, and power our cars and factories, emissions are released into the air. The atmosphere traps these emissions, which contain harmful gases such as methane and carbon dioxide. This dangerous mix of components wraps the earth in a “blanket”, the same way you would wrap yourself with a towel or robe. However the “blanket” causes the earth to get too hot, and creates adverse effects on the ecosystem and our way of life.

Take the red tide, for example. As Earth’s oceans get warmer, they create the perfect breeding ground for dinoflagellates, a microscopic form of life responsible for the blood-like coloring that sometimes appears in the sea. It also qualifies as a neurotoxin, killing fish who swim in nearby areas. Humans are often impacted as well, because the red tide can cause a brash cough and a runny nose. There are dozens of consequences resulting from the climate crisis, and it is up to us to stop it. Without immediate action, the IPCC states that by 2030, the effects of this global warming will create an irreversible chain of events that will possibly destroy our normal life as we know it. That is if we keep going at the rate we have been going. Already, so many entrepreneurs, businessmen and women, and philanthropists have pledged to do whatever it takes to reduce the carbon emissions made by their own companies. For example, in 2007, Google made a plan to reduce their carbon emissions 100% by the year 2030. They are very much on track to meet and exceed that goal.

However, I now believe it is up to the future generations, current generations, and my generation, to take action. The climate crisis is severe. That’s the honest truth. There is no time for discussing what the world will look like in the future, because the situation gets worse every minute we talk. So start small. That’s what Greta Thunberg did. One day she sat outside the Swedish Parliament and refused to go to school. Not until things get better, she said. Now, she has a fully grown movement across the globe! She has been resilient in the hate of red-faced, orange-skinned politicians who attack her for standing up for what’s right. All of us should be as passionate as Greta and other climate activists. In time, we can be exactly like them. We not only must be strong in front of the people who tell us NO, but shout back YES!

We can’t let the world be washed away.

Signed, Celsey O’Hare