The first issue I have chosen to study is the lack of funding for NASA’s space exploration programs. I chose to write and research this because it is something I have been passionate about resolving for my entire high school career, as I have been interested in outer space research. Currently, the funding for NASA’s space exploration sector is 0.52%, or about 18.5 billion dollars of the US government’s budget. Billions of dollars may seem like more than enough money to the average person, but, when rockets, satellites, and rovers come into question, 18.5 billion becomes miniscule. NASA is known for its groundbreaking, revolutionary technology, as its aerospace engineers are tasked to adapt to the foreign conditions in outer space. Even more impressive, is what NASA has accomplished on such a tight budget. Not only is theoretical knowledge about the Universe acquired from space exploration, but the organization’s discoveries and technological developments have also prompted more sustainable living than ever before on Earth. This sustainability comes in the form of NASA’s spinoff technologies, which are big-name corporations’ adaptations of NASA’s findings and inventions to make their own products more economical, pleasing to society, and Earth-friendly. For example, on the Mars Curiosity expedition, NASA developed special tires for the rover to combat the rough, diverse terrain on our neighboring planet. Engineers of Goodyear Tires took this new tire and applied its mechanics to their own product. Currently, this new, “Mars” tire has ten thousand more miles of tread life than past tires, and minimized the fluctuations cars experience when driving over rough terrain, which attributed to increased fuel efficiency in cars that used the tires.
In just this example, the three pillars of sustainability are satisfied. Most prominent of these is the environment. More fuel efficient cars mean less oil needs to be drilled, as cars can live longer on a tank of gas. Even more, less oil drilled means less drilling sites, which leads to the preservation of sacred land and natural habitats that current drilling sites have destroyed. As for society, people can feel more comfort knowing that they do not have to replace their tires as often, their cars run smother over rough terrain, and they may not have to spend as much money on gas. Lastly, for the economy, gas prices stagnate if not decrease as the driving population as a whole eventually switches to these tires. There are many more examples of NASA spinoffs in medicine, transportation, and consumer goods that have attributed to sustainability. Products like cordless vacuums, solar panels, cell phone cameras, and MRI machines were all born out of NASA’s space exploration, and have largely contributed to efficient living in the environment, society, and economics. Unfortunately, in order to continue producing amazing things like these, NASA needs more money to continue its ambitious projects. Countless projects to explore earth-like planets, other galaxies, and various black holes have been turned down due to lack of funding. Just think: if NASA can prompt solar panels on 0.52% of the US government’s budget, what can it do on one percent?
The second issue I have chosen to explore concerns light pollution. I chose this problem because I have been bothered by light pollution in my own city, and I feel as though city lights are unnecessary and largely impractical. City lights glare throughout the night, obscure the view of the night sky, and are very costly worldwide. The main problem is that a city’s lights, from street lights to building, shine up and out for outsiders to see, rather than towards to the ground. This light placement is detrimental to the environment for a number of reasons. For example, in many beach cities in Florida, young sea turtles hatched on the shores become confused by the conflicting lights from the cities and the illumination of the Moon. The turtles are typically guided by the bright Moon to the ocean, but in a startling number of instances, the sea turtles were found to move towards the city lights, mistaking them for the Moon. The result was a large number of the newborns dying because of new predators closer to the city. If occurrences like this one persist, certain species of sea turtles and other aquatic life will become endangered, if not extinct. City lights and light pollution have also been found to have harmful effects on humans, both psychological and physical. For example, numerous studies have showed that people in the cities experience more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia. This is believed to be a result of cities glaring their lights throughout the night. City-dwellers subconsciously develop the need to be more productive at night, therefore skipping a good-night’s sleep and good days that would have followed. As for the economy, having lights on skyscrapers and other large buildings, when no one is even in the building, is not cost efficient and can easily be remedied. It is unnecessary to have the bright logos of big-name corporations shining in the night. It is also impractical to have streetlights facing upward instead of downward on the street. These lights prove to only serve the purpose of burning a hole in someone’s pocket. It is important to only use the lights that are necessary, and orient them wisely.
The third issue I have chosen to research is the ingredients in Skittles. I love Skittles as a midnight snack, but the amount of sugar, artificial flavoring, and preservatives trapped inside them has very unfortunate effects on my teeth and overall health. I have chosen this issue because not only do I want to keep eating Skittles, but I also want them to be good for me. I have found that making Skittles with natural ingredients would make its consumers and producers more sustainable. The most profound effect that natural Skittles would have is on society. By decreasing the sugar content and making Skittles from real fruit concentrate would be healthier for consumers’ teeth; tooth decay, yellowing, and frequent cavities from eating sweets would be remedied. This may even lead to less trips to the dentist’s office, and less cavity fillings. As for the economy, organic Skittles would bring in a new set of consumers, as it would be friendlier for kids. Sales would most likely increase because parents would want their kids to eat the natural candy, as opposed to candy with artificial flavors that wreak havoc on the digestive system. For the environment, natural Skittles would utilize flavors from real foods and plants in nature. The artificial ingredients in most candies today are tested on animals. Natural food is not. By using natural flavoring and colors, there will be a decreased need for testing artificial substances like Yellow 5 and Aspartame. This will help combat the animal testing issue and keep more innocent creatures safe. As a final note, in this reworking of the Skittles composition, there should be a blue Skittle added to the repertoire.
This semester, I have chosen to go into the lack of funding for NASA in depth for my action plan. I intend to read through the extensive archives on NASA’s website about its countless spinoff technologies. I will also read economic forums that prove how beneficial space exploration has been for businesses, the individual, and the global economy. I think that a challenge I will face is how I can personally have an impact on the resolution of this issue. As of right now, I am only informing people of the sheer magnitude of benefits that NASA has given to the human race, as well as the importance of ample funding.