Next Generation Diplomacy

Extinction of Hidden Gems in The Ocean By: Yvonne Rennesia Gulo \ It's holiday time. Where should we go? Abroad country, or stay and explore them? Bali will be the first one when they decide to visit Indonesia as their destination. Why must Bali? Because Bali has beautiful beaches and a lot of kind marine biota. But, some spots were not taken care of, and the ecosystem underwater was broken and destroyed. We could not see any shimmering fish anymore. According to greeners.co, Every year's divers dive around the ocean in Indonesia until they finally realize that the sea is destroyed. One of the divers, Raty Ning, shared her experience and opinion about her favorite place. I have been diving through many oceans since the mid-90s. Back then, the water was so clean and beautiful to see. When it comes to the 20s, the dramatic difference starts to appear. Especially for the last five years, Indonesian seas have been very polluted and dirty. We can see the discrepancy between past and...

The Numbers Are In: This is the Best Time in Human History By: Jeremiah Cutright If you had the opportunity to choose one time period in all of human history up to today to be born into, what time would you choose? Would you grow up in Egypt to watch the Great Pyramids being built? Would you philosophize with Socrates, Plato, or Aristotle in ancient Greece? Maybe you would wish to sail the seas searching for new lands and trading routes. Or perhaps you would like nothing more than to have a seat at the table during the drafts of your country's constitution. Whatever your fantasy might be, there is only one correct answer: today. For some inexplicable reason, we seem to romanticize the past. It is well understood that we romanticize our childhoods because we look back on simpler times when we didn't have as many responsibilities. Life was comparably easy, but this doesn't explain why our societies as a whole romanticize times before we even lived. Although it can be excitin...

Clean Water Crisis in Indonesia By: Yvonne Rennesia Gulo According to the water.org website, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country globally and claims Southeast Asia’s largest economy. About 18 million Indonesians lack safe water, and 20 million lack access to improved sanitation facilities. Governments worldwide are trying to navigate and solve the COVID-19 Pandemic, but in Indonesia, they lack access to life’s most critical resource – water. One of 34 provinces - Java Island - has issues that they are still trying to solve. For many parts of Indonesia, one problem has become increasingly frequent: drought. Some of the worst water shortages are felt on Java – Indonesia’s most populous island, home to more than 60% of the population, many of its largest cities, and much of its agriculture. Java is one of the most populous counties where individuals decide to live. Millions of people living in Java have to face   the truth that they have struggled for years to access water d...

Poverty in ZA By Gavin Glassman In 2017, my family took a trip to South Africa. My mom is from Cape Town, which was our destination. We were having a great time. We visited all kinds of beautiful places, such as Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. Several days into our trip, we started to see the upsetting side of society, and when we went through the Langa township, it raised the question; is Apartheid really over? First, we had to get past the walls surrounding the shantytown. These walls were painted with inspiring messages, which show the toughness of the residents, who deserve all the praise in the world. Not only do they deserve such recognition, but they also deserve much better conditions than those in which they are forced to live. But once we got past that wall, every step taken came with a new realization of the world in which we live. First, it was the small metal shacks, which served as housing. Not one of the shacks was much larger than a full bathroom. Yet these peo...

Water Quality in India and its Impacts By: Blessen Kuriakose Clean drinking water is often viewed as easily attainable and accessible to some, while many view it as a luxury. Though it is necessary to sustain life, many take it for granted. Countries like India exemplify the actual value of drinking water and its importance to life. Freshwater is commonly found in India in surface water sources such as wetlands, lakes, rivers, ponds, springs, cave waters, etc. USGS defines freshwater as the "supply the human population, animals, and plants with the fresh water they need to survive." Though freshwater is necessary for sustaining life, it is found in slight traces throughout the planet, with only 2.5% of the water on earth being freshwater. Much of this freshwater is often contaminated and polluted by human intervention. In countries like India, clean drinking water is commonly found in scarcity. With a population of nearly three times that of the United States, only less than ...

What Chemicals can be found in Long Island Water By: Will Concepcion Contamination of Long Island Water For 2019-2021, Long Island has been one of the most prominent contestants for having the most contaminated water in New York. According to Desiree D’lorio, “NYPIRG’s Environmental Policy Director Liz Moran says Long Island’s drinking water contains high levels of harmful contaminants like 1,4-dioxane, PFOS and PFOA.” These chemicals are in the water that almost 16 million people drink in Long Island. As a result, those who drink said water often have discomfort and are more susceptible to illnesses. Thanks to technological advancement, finding these harmful chemicals and other things in drinking water has been more accessible than ever. This furthermore leads to the questions: What chemicals are inside Long Island’s drinking water, and what are the regulations set in place for drinking water? Chemicals in Long Island’s Drinking Water The chemicals in the drinking water are hazardous ...