Reflection
In the ecosystem on the left, air quality is threatened by nuclear power plant emissions and exhaust from engine combustion. In the ecosystem on the right, there are no evident emissions from power plants or any automobiles in sight. Climate change is indicated in the left ecosystem by the absence of animals who have left the area to escape the warm and muggy conditions that have encompassed the area. The acid rain in the background shows another effect of climate change as the rain in this area was not always so persistent. The right side has both animal and plant life on land and in the river, as well as naturally formed clouds and sunshine. This shows that climate change is stable in the ecosystem. In the left ecosystem, water quality is polluted by runoff that occurs because of the nearby clear cut forest. It is also polluted by human use that leads to bodily waste in the water and contributes to the fish that are lying dead atop the water. In the right ecosystem, the water is blue and healthy because there is limited human use and the nearby forest has not been clear cut. The effect of waste is shown in the left ecosystem by the trash thrown in the river and the pipe that serves as a point source of pollution that is pumping waste straight into the ecosystem. On the right side there is no trash in the river and there is now dumping of waste occurring at all.
While I was creating my art, I wanted to show the two ecosystems separately while keeping them close together for close comparison. I chose to unite the two versions of the ecosystems together through one flowing river. I made the land and the river run together as if it were one picture, but by changing the colors I was able to convey the differences in the ecosystem. I used bright and vibrant colors to depict the clean ecosystem, and dark and dreary colors to convey what the ecosystem would look like if it continues to degrade. I found it important to draw the poor ecosystem on the left so that when people see it they can imagine a "before and after" theme. I want to make it clear that even though an ecosystem may appear like the one on the left, it is certainly possible to restore it to its' former glory. I believe that Earth is the most valuable possession that each of us as human beings share. We all own the planet together so it must be a collective effort to keep the Earth and all of the ecosystems at the quality they were before the tragedy of the commons. Earth gives us life so out of respect for the privilege of living on this planet, we should treat it well so it can last for many more generations.
While I was creating my art, I wanted to show the two ecosystems separately while keeping them close together for close comparison. I chose to unite the two versions of the ecosystems together through one flowing river. I made the land and the river run together as if it were one picture, but by changing the colors I was able to convey the differences in the ecosystem. I used bright and vibrant colors to depict the clean ecosystem, and dark and dreary colors to convey what the ecosystem would look like if it continues to degrade. I found it important to draw the poor ecosystem on the left so that when people see it they can imagine a "before and after" theme. I want to make it clear that even though an ecosystem may appear like the one on the left, it is certainly possible to restore it to its' former glory. I believe that Earth is the most valuable possession that each of us as human beings share. We all own the planet together so it must be a collective effort to keep the Earth and all of the ecosystems at the quality they were before the tragedy of the commons. Earth gives us life so out of respect for the privilege of living on this planet, we should treat it well so it can last for many more generations.