By: Katrina Ortiz & Paulette Rivera
With its lush foliage and tropical ambience, it's no wonder San Juan, Puerto Rico has become such a beloved hotspot. As the climate change epidemic worsens, however, the future is becoming uncertain for this beautiful island. Running at a mere 100 miles in every direction, Puerto Rico is a small caribbean island that supports the life of countless plants and animals that are almost exclusive to its unique tropical climate. Drastic increases in fossil fuel usage, greenhouse gasses, and carbon dioxide in our atmosphere are already beginning to take their toll on the rare wildlife, making the impending problem of the after effects of climate change even more unfortunate. Though this can seem like a small problem on a larger scale, especially with the help of organizations like NASA and the Puerto Rico Climate Control Council (PRCCC), the string of misfortunes that follow as consequence of climate change draw concern from locals and outsiders alike.
One of the greatest threats climate change has brought upon Puerto Rico is coastal erosion. A number of things can cause this to occur on a much smaller scale naturally, such as winds, rains, and waves. However, since climate change has been bringing upon much stronger and violent weather, the coastal erosion that would typically occur every now and then along Puerto Rico’s coastline is becoming much more frequent and damaging. In addition to this, the drastically melting ice causing the ocean levels to rise could also mean that the island will flood, putting its wildlife and people at great risk. The quickly warming temperatures are also planned to expose Puerto Rico to more diseases, once again endangering the wildlife and people of Puerto Rico. Finally, climate change will expose Puerto Rico to extreme and more frequent cases of hazards such as tsunamis, hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, and droughts, all of which could bring irreversible consequences to the tiny island.
The greatest concern locals have voiced is the impact this will have on their tourism industry, which is a vital part of Puerto Rico’s economic stability. With their wildlife so greatly at risk, the tourism industry is practically on the route of becoming doomed. Even things as simple as day to day life are beginning to draw concern from the Puerto Rico locals. Considering that nearly 420,000 people and almost all of Puerto Rico’s essential infrastructure live on the coastline of Puerto Rico, it's no wonder the locals are so worried about how much coastal erosion will impact the island for the worst. With climate change putting both the land and their economy at so much risk, locals are unsure of what the future will hold for them.
So, what can be done to help? Seeing as how greatly the wildlife is being put at risk, the best way to go would probably be implementing a stronger wildlife refuge system. Animals that are beginning to reach the peaks of endangerment due to climate loss or changing climates can be kept in wildlife preserves in hopes of keeping Puerto Rico’s wildlife alive. The same can be done for the unique plants that adorn the island, which could be kept in special greenhouses to protect them from the drastically changing environment. Assuming that the issue of climate change has a hopeful conclusion, these plants and animals can be reintroduced to Puerto Rico someday in the future so that they can flourish once more in the island’s restored tropical climate.
And this is where you come in. Climate change can’t be put to an end unless people change the way we care for our environment. Going out of your way to reduce your carbon footprint by doing something as simple as using less electricity or carpooling with a friend to work every day does a lot more than you would think. Be sure to encourage the people around you to do the same! This isn’t a problem we can solve individually. It's time for us to band together and work as a team. Together, we can take the first step in putting an end to climate change and its brutal reign over our planet.
With its lush foliage and tropical ambience, it's no wonder San Juan, Puerto Rico has become such a beloved hotspot. As the climate change epidemic worsens, however, the future is becoming uncertain for this beautiful island. Running at a mere 100 miles in every direction, Puerto Rico is a small caribbean island that supports the life of countless plants and animals that are almost exclusive to its unique tropical climate. Drastic increases in fossil fuel usage, greenhouse gasses, and carbon dioxide in our atmosphere are already beginning to take their toll on the rare wildlife, making the impending problem of the after effects of climate change even more unfortunate. Though this can seem like a small problem on a larger scale, especially with the help of organizations like NASA and the Puerto Rico Climate Control Council (PRCCC), the string of misfortunes that follow as consequence of climate change draw concern from locals and outsiders alike.
One of the greatest threats climate change has brought upon Puerto Rico is coastal erosion. A number of things can cause this to occur on a much smaller scale naturally, such as winds, rains, and waves. However, since climate change has been bringing upon much stronger and violent weather, the coastal erosion that would typically occur every now and then along Puerto Rico’s coastline is becoming much more frequent and damaging. In addition to this, the drastically melting ice causing the ocean levels to rise could also mean that the island will flood, putting its wildlife and people at great risk. The quickly warming temperatures are also planned to expose Puerto Rico to more diseases, once again endangering the wildlife and people of Puerto Rico. Finally, climate change will expose Puerto Rico to extreme and more frequent cases of hazards such as tsunamis, hurricanes, landslides, earthquakes, and droughts, all of which could bring irreversible consequences to the tiny island.
The greatest concern locals have voiced is the impact this will have on their tourism industry, which is a vital part of Puerto Rico’s economic stability. With their wildlife so greatly at risk, the tourism industry is practically on the route of becoming doomed. Even things as simple as day to day life are beginning to draw concern from the Puerto Rico locals. Considering that nearly 420,000 people and almost all of Puerto Rico’s essential infrastructure live on the coastline of Puerto Rico, it's no wonder the locals are so worried about how much coastal erosion will impact the island for the worst. With climate change putting both the land and their economy at so much risk, locals are unsure of what the future will hold for them.
So, what can be done to help? Seeing as how greatly the wildlife is being put at risk, the best way to go would probably be implementing a stronger wildlife refuge system. Animals that are beginning to reach the peaks of endangerment due to climate loss or changing climates can be kept in wildlife preserves in hopes of keeping Puerto Rico’s wildlife alive. The same can be done for the unique plants that adorn the island, which could be kept in special greenhouses to protect them from the drastically changing environment. Assuming that the issue of climate change has a hopeful conclusion, these plants and animals can be reintroduced to Puerto Rico someday in the future so that they can flourish once more in the island’s restored tropical climate.
And this is where you come in. Climate change can’t be put to an end unless people change the way we care for our environment. Going out of your way to reduce your carbon footprint by doing something as simple as using less electricity or carpooling with a friend to work every day does a lot more than you would think. Be sure to encourage the people around you to do the same! This isn’t a problem we can solve individually. It's time for us to band together and work as a team. Together, we can take the first step in putting an end to climate change and its brutal reign over our planet.