During the Environmental Science course, multiple topics came to light about the current state of both our environment and the our world. The media was also able to clearly process the topic. The four media articles chosen cover the effects of the human population on animals, problems with fracking, the Environmental Protection Agency's standards for ozone and pollution, and also problems with some clean energy sources, such as geothermal. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay “Humans have caused 322 animal extinctions in the last 500 years” provides a stark primer on the effects of the human population; in the last 500 years man has managed to cause the extinction of over 300 animal species. Most of the extinctions have occurred in the last two centuries, around the same time as the start of the Industrial Revolution. The article goes on to state that by 2100 the human population on earth would reach a staggering 27 billion, more than three times the current population. Several scientists expressed concern about the findings, going on to state that “animals matter to people, but [on scale and balance] they matter less than food, work, energy, money, and development” (Galetti 1). The environment also plays an important role in the economy, as some developing countries, such as Namibia, account for up to 14% of economic development. However, the article leaves on a note of hope, as humans can still endanger animals, as mentioned is the bald eagle returning to soar in the skies. Another issue, described in “America's Fracking Dilemma: Not in My Backyard,” delves into the problems of oil and natural gas extraction, fracking, in the environment. Fracking provides a large amount of crude oil, about 8.5 million barrels, as stated in the article, and has led to a decline in imports. Unfortunately, local communities located around fracking areas have had their water supplies contaminated, causing pumps in the area to shut down. Various deputies and environmentalists clashed on the topic. Governor Hickenlooper of Colorado said, “We have an obligation to develop energy in a way that is safe for our residents…and protects our health and the environment.” Many residents have expressed concerns about fracking in their communities, and hopefully fracking companies can negotiate and settle to protect their environment. Conversely, reducing pollution in the United States could have costly effects on the economy. In the article “EPA's New Ozone Standards and the Case for Optimal Pollution” the EPA's proposal to reduce parts per billion of ozone pollution in the atmosphere could amount to a large sum of about 270 billion of dollars per year for Americans, potentially putting millions of people out of work and higher energy prices. The article goes on to state other controversial arguments, implying that environmentalists need pollution to do the work of an environmentalist. The article continues to argue that the economic benefits to companies from reducing emissions diminish as they continue to reduce pollution more and more. The article ends with the note that there is a best level of pollution, but nevertheless the EPA will continue to impose its mandates on the public. Clean energy is also having problems of its own, with one of the new ones.