The author of the lesson, Journey to the end of the Earth, believes that everything connects. 'Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves.' She takes the example of the microscopic phytoplankton that can be found in the region. These microscopic organisms will die in a situation where the temperature and the acidity of the oceans change even a little. These microscopic organisms can be found at the bottom of the food chain and thus their disappearance would cause the food chain to collapse.
A further depletion in the ozone layer would affect the activities of the phytoplankton. This in itself speaks volumes about the need to take care of the small things. You take care of the phytoplankton when you ensure that global warming is controlled and the depletion of the ozone layer is stopped. This is 'a great metaphor of existence', a 'parable' that reminds us how everything connects, even the small things.
We need to be concerned about the melting of the polar ice-caps invisible though it might be from the comfort of our living rooms, the fact is that when this happens it is bad. The retreat of the glaciers and the collapse of the ice shelves is an indication that global warming is a real threat to humanity and the planet as a whole!
Everything connects, the melting ice shelves in a faraway continent, the health of microscopic phytoplankton, the opening of Drakes passage, the disruption of the Gulf Stream, the Polar Bears, the Crabeater seals, all of them are connected. Our very existence is dependent on the health of the 'small things'.
You could also read the following posts:
1. https://rodrickwrites.blogspot.com/2019/07/analyzing-journey-to-end-of-earth.html
2. https://rodrickwrites.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-importance-of-antarctica-according.html
3. https://rodrickwrites.blogspot.com/2022/06/what-are-geoff-greens-reasons-for.html
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