Profile: Ansh Patel

Hey everyone, my name is Ansh Patel, and I am a rising junior at Monroe Township High School in Monroe Township, New Jersey. I love going on long runs in Thompson Park which is only a 5 minute drive from my house. Part of the reason why I find these runs so enjoyable is the scenery. I love feeling the wind go through my hair and all the background noises that make it seem like I am in the true wilderness. Sadly, Thompson Park is not completely pollution free and there is plenty of litter on the ground that endangers the wildlife living there. Even though there are countless trash cans designed to prevent pollution, many people still litter not knowing the true effects of their actions. When large groups of people start thinking like this it becomes a real problem and can turn a once beautiful place into a trash can. That is why I want to educate people on the consequences of pollution. 

The more I pay attention to my surroundings, the more I realize that we are slowly killing the planet. The root cause of this is pollution, more specifically, air pollution. The anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is causing global warming of the planet. The results of such warming are destructive and life endangering. The lives of millions of people living in coastals cities are in danger. Global warming will lead to rising sea levels and those cities will be submerged and people will be left homeless. Humans won’t be the only species affected by global warming, many endangered species will go extinct, and as a result, entire ecosystems will collapse. 

My goal is to bring awareness to the different sources of pollution and help inform the public on how they can help to live more sustainably. The first step to solving any problem is to educate those around you about it. With the spread of knowledge, people will be inspired to influence change. A change that can lead the human race into a new era in which we live sustainably with all the other living organisms on Earth.