Save Penguins from Extinction!

African Penguins
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/gree
n-living-greennews-wednesday-52709.html

This blogpost was written on the article “A Penguin Species Faces Extinction” from the site Common Dreams, originally from The Boston Globe. Published by Derrick Z. Jackson on Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

“Honk Honk! hee-haw!” Most people do not know it but that is what sound most penguins make. In the article A Penguin Species Faces Extinction it talked about how many species of penguins are going extinct (10/18).

In particular it talked about the African Penguin (Spheniscus demersus). The African Penguin is a species of penguin, confined to southern African waters that is also known as the "Jackass" Penguin for its donkey-like bray.  

So why am I talking to you about Jackass Penguins? Well like most other flightless birds and a lot of other animals they are going extinct.  This mass extinction of a lot of animals is all because of the extra warmth on the planet.

In the article, a scientist named Trivelpiece said, “Think of a freezer, if it is at 30 degrees, you have ice cubes. If your freezer is at 33, you have water in your trays.” This analogy was really easy for me to understand. It shows how a little bit of warmth can be so dramatic.  

In Biology we learned that the extra amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is making the earth warmer.  This is caused by burning of Fossil Fuels and deforestation.

The African Penguin population has dropped by almost two-thirds in just over the last 8 years. Another statistic in the article was that from 1920 to 2010 the African Penguin decreased from 1,000,000+ to about 50,000

In the process of finding this article I found a site that you sign an online petition that says, “We ask Aker BioMarine to put a moritorium on krill fishing and give penguin populations time to recover.” Penguins and other animals depend on krill as a food source; but they are in danger because of the growing demand for health supplements and food for fish farms.  I thought that this would be really cool if  everyone could sign. You can do so at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/982/473/478/save-penguins-from-extinction/.

Article- https://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/09/07-2

Galapagos Sea Lions are in the Doghouse

      http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/endangered-galapagos-sea-lions-are-threatened-by-dog-diseases

                Would you ever think that seals could get disease from nearby dogs?  In the article Endangered Galapagos Sea Lions Are Threatened by Dog Disease by Jason Koebler, it explains how this could be an unfortunate possibility.  This situation concerns the Galapagos Seals the live on San Cristobal Island.  These seals ignore humans but they are attracted to the smell of the dogs that wander on the beach.  Since the Sea Lions are now regularly in contact with dogs, it is a possibility that the seals will come down with distemper, a disease carried by the dogs.  There are many new dogs that come to the islands which have not been checked for the disease.  Sadly, even though there are laws banning the importation of new dogs, they are not enforced.  “Galapagos Sea Lions are at a high risk for catching diseases that affect dogs, and a particularly bad outbreak could quickly spread throughout the population,” according to Patrick Brock, a biologist who spent 18 months studying sea lions on the Galapagos.  The Sea Lions are known to be in close quarters with each other and because of this, the disease can be easily spread and the population could suffer.

                Another issue being faced by the sea lions is scarcity of food.  When there is a shortage of food, the seals will usually travel long distances in search of prey and will have more interactions with humans and domestic animals.  At one point these seals were specified on the endangered list, not because of decrease in population, but because of the immense risk of food shortage and disease at the time period.  Presently, officials are working hard to keep seals and dogs apart.  The problem of the quickly increasing dog population leaves a possibility of an outbreak in a matter of time.

                Sea Lions are an important part of the marine food chain, they are near the top.  They also serve as an important population control mechanism for large bodied fish and an important food source for sharks. This topic relates to the topic of food chains and food webs that we have been learning about it class.  If this single organism was removed from the food chain there would be many negative effects regarding other organisms in the marine food chain.  Our ecosystem is extremely fragile and can be drastically changed even by the elimination of a single organism.  What I would like to know is if other animals could be at risk for similar situations.  I would also like to know if this will become a huge problem as the population of domestic animals continues to increase.

Fish Are Friends Not Food!

http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/conserving-fisheries/

http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/seafoodguide/

                                                                                 

Have you ever thought about where the sushi on your plate came from? Or where the little fishies in your fish tank came form. Well now all of our aquatic friends are quickly disappearing because we are hunting to many of them. In the article Observing Wild Fisheries written by an anonymous author in 2012 on the Natural Resources Defense Council it describes how we are overfishing to much, polluting and destroying the habitats of many of our favorite fish like cod, tuna and snapper. In the article it says “Without swift action, ocean ecosystems will continue to deteriorate -- and so too will the sustenance, jobs, and recreational pleasures they provide.” If we don’t do something now the fish population will cease to exist.

This decrease in fish population will affect the ecosystem in the ocean extremely. The animals that eat these fish will die off because they have no food. Also the things that the fish eat like small sea creatures and sea plants will soon overpopulate. Not only will the decrease of fish influence the ecosystem in the ocean but it will also affect us. We will lose the food we get from fish, the jobs we get from fishing. Also when you go out fishing for fun it will not be so fun with no more fish in the water.

There is a way to fix this though. If we enforce laws and certain restrictions then soon the fish population will get bigger. It says in the article that the United States enforced laws and restrictions on fishing and in the past two decades they have seen lots of progress. Because of this rebuilding of the laws on fishing the amount of money earned from fishing has went up close to 30%.

 I found out that there are things I can do to save the fishes to. I can spread the word to people and making sure that our lawmakers abide by the laws set forth for fishing. I can also eat sustainably caught seafood.

In an article related to this piece it talks about seafood that should be eaten and seafood that should not be eaten. This article is the Sustainable Seafood Guide which is also on the same website as the other article. It says that seafood is good for you because it has lean protein, which has great health benefits. In science class we talked briefly about how fish can affect you. Also it says that fish can cause illness because it contains high amounts of mercury. Because lots of the large fish that we generally eat are decreasing in population you might consider eating seafood that is smaller like mackerel, sardines and squid.

In both articles it states that America has more laws on what fishes you can catch and the way you do things. American fish is usually better to buy since America has stricter fishing laws that other parts of the world. Another big thing to look out for when looking for fish to eat is learn how it was fished. When it is fished with a hook the fisherman can throw things back and it does not disrupt the ocean floor. In the other way they use huge nets that drag and may disrupt large areas of organism. Also it catches unwanted sea creatures that are not needed and are just put to waste. Something really interesting that I read was that you should look for specific packaging. You should get seafood that is in flexible pouches because it is more environmentally friendly. That is it for now but remember fish are friends not food. 

Who Wants to Drink Polluted Water?

The article by The New York Times called Spill in China Underlines Environmental Concerns is about a chemical spill. This chemical spill had taken place at a fertilizer factory upstream located in Handan, China. This spill had forced them to shut off the tape water, which sent residents into a scramble for bottled water. This spill occurred on December 31^st and affected a handful of cities and more than 28 villages. The officials were irritated because the spill hadn’t been recorded until 5 days after it occurred. This spill brought attention to the growing problems with the water use and pollution in Northern China. The region had suffered from a drought for decades and doesn’t agree with how industrial companies should operate along rivers. Yin Qingli, a lawyer in Handan that filed a lawsuit in January against Tianji said, “Problems with water weren’t so serious before, but they have become much worse with industrial consumption.” Tianji is another fertilizer factory which uses water to convert coal to fertilizer.

In 2009, the water source had bacteria in it so we had to shut down all the tape water. Everyone was panicking and running to the store to buy bottled water. In this case though we were informed about the water problem right away and it was addressed right away.

In biology, we are learning briefly about some bacteria and a lot of bacteria are located in water. There is controversy over whether there should be factories, factories harming the environment, along or close to water sources. I think there should not be. The chance that the water will be contaminated is very high and it isn’t worth the risk.  

Living in Fog

    We have all heard that air pollution is a big problem, but Beijing China takes it to a whole new level.  Air pollution in Beijing China is at a dangerously high level because of the immense factories burning coal. The article China’s Plan to Curb Air Pollution Sets Limits on Coal Use and Vehicles by Edward Wong, published September 12^th 2013 describes this problem and what China’s ways are to approach it. In China “the concentration of fine particulate matter in Beijing reached 40 times the exposure limit recommended by the World Health Organization.” This problem is spinning out of control and China needs to find a way to decrease it.

 

    There are a lot of ‘coal-dependent’ industries in Chinas industrial structure. These factories burn a large amount of coal and release the waste back into the air, making the air think and hard to see, almost looking like a foggy day. China burns half of the coal consumed in the world, which means China produces a lot of air pollution that is very harmful to not only the people who live there but the environment.

 

   The Chinese have a lot of talks and debates about this topic but nothing seems to actually get done. What it seems the decision is to take high polluting vehicles off the roads and limit the burning of coal. The plan is that by 2017 all high pollutant vehicles are to be off the roads. So far this is the only major documented action China has taken.  

 

   I believe that this is a very weak idea to help solve this crisis. Vehicles are not the main source to this problem, and getting rid of them would only help very little. The big source of air pollution is the factories in China.  Chinese official should have spent more time focusing on what to do with the factories instead of worrying about pointless vehicles.

 

    The author of this article seems to have a similar view as mine. Wong uses quotes from another people and organizations in his article that ridicule Chinas way of handling this matter. There is no positive reinforcement, no “Hey good job for trying China!” type of attitude but mostly hint at how China is not taking this seriously enough.  I completely agree with Wong.

 

Reading this article and learning about the extent of Chinas air pollution made me immediately think about the movie The Lorax we have watched in biology class. In the movie the Onceler comes into a beautiful forest and sets up factories. As the number and size of factories grows so does the pollution. Soon the sky has turned a permit gray with thick fog instead of the once clear blue sky.  The polluted sky in the movie looks very similar to the ones in China.

   Chinas air problem also reminds me of other movies. In a movie, after there is a big explosion or a city is destroyed the air is all cloudy with debris flying everywhere. This image is what some places in China look like. The air is very thick with pollution that you can barely see.

 

   All in all China is in a big predicament.  Air pollution is at a very unhealthy level and people’s lives are in jeopardy. China claims to be constantly taking about this issue but they have only taken basic actions. I believe that China needs to look more deeply into where most of the coal burning pollution is coming from (the factories) and try to decrease it at the core. They need to realize that their air pollution is not just affecting China but the rest of the environment.

 

picture source: http://guardianlv.com/2013/10/dutch-artist-daan-roosegaarde-plans-to-vacuum-up-beijings-air-pollution/

 

article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/world/asia/china-releases-plan-to-reduce-air-pollution.html?_r=1&

Has the Bay Lost Hope?

The article can be found at   http://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/issues/dead-zones/nitrogen-phosphorus


The Chesapeake Bay. Was full of life now the question is how can we save the lives that are there and bring in new lives? The article was written by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and says what is wrong with the bay and how it can be fixed.  There is too much phosphates and nitrogen in the water from pollution, from many different things about 300 million pounds of these polluting nitrogen go into the water each year. Which in turn is causes surplus of algae and is killing the animals and plants in the water. Also the bay is dangerous for humans or animals to be in because of all of the waste and toxins in it. This is causing a circle effect that needs to be fixed, fast.

The high levels of phosphates and nitrogen comes from the run offs of agriculture like fertilizer or manure (40% of nitrogen all of the nitrogen pollution in the bay and 50% of  all phosphorus pollution in the bay) . When these get into the water they give the algae food to bloom. With this excess amount of nitrogen and phosphates in the water it causes a blooming ground for a surplus of algae to bloom. The algae are very detrimental to this bay's habitat. The algae block the sunlight from making it to the sea floor which in turn cause the plants in the water to die from not getting enough sunlight. Then when the algae die and decompose they suck up oxygen from the water resulting in so called "Dead Zones". Dead Zones are areas in the water were there is little or no oxygen, this stresses the fish and shellfish in the water resulting in them dying. Plus there are strands of poisonous algae like blue algae that are very dangerous and detrimental to animals or humans. They can make humans sick but they are very dangerous to animals like dogs. The toxins attack the animal's liver and nervous system eventually causing the animal to die. Algae like this make the water's of the bay even more dangerous, disgusting, and inhabitable.

Agriculture isn't the only factor into the bay's issues. Storm water, Sewage/Industry, Septic, Air Pollution, and Storm Water are the other factors that are polluting the bay. These factors also effect the bay majorly. These combined make up the other 60% of the nitrogen pollution and 50% of the phosphorus pollution. These factors remind me of the Lorax.  In the Lorax the town was throwing all of the polluted water into the lake were all of the fish were and from this all of the fish died off. Thats almost like the Sewage/Industry water that they put in the bay or the run offs of fertilizer and manure that go into the bay because the cows poop close to or in the water causing it to contaminate. This also reminds me of the Lorax with the air pollution from the factories or the cars and machines that they used in the movie that contaminated the environment. The same thing is happening with the bay where the factories and cars around it contaminate the water.

There are ways to fix this disaster in the Chesapeake Bay. The agricultural pollution can be fixed by just farmers corroborating. The farmer's can fence in their cattle so that they won't get close to the bay and pollute it with their manure. The farmers can plant cover crops (plants that maintain the soil's fertility and quality. They also can also manage water from seeping into the soil so that that won't later contaminate the bay.), the farmers can plant buffer strips to keep the water runoffs from the fertilizer away from the bay, and they can limit the amount of fertilizer use so that not so much will run off and get into the bay. Just by doing this it can cut out 40% of the nitrogen in the water and 50% of the phosphates in the water. These measures can definitely help save the bay.

The other pollutants (Sewage/Industry, Septic, Air Pollution, and Storm water) can be reduced by doing these things. The factories around the bay can upgrade storm water systems and sewage treatment plants. The factories around the bay can also use nitrogen removal technologies on septic systems and reduce air pollution by reducing energy use from power plants and vehicle pollutions. By taking these measures and the agricultural measures the bay's pollutions can drop by a large margin.

By doing all of these things the bay can be saved. But there is some important numbers to think of 98% and 80%. These are the percentage of oysters and seagrass that have been killed since the pollution in the bay has started. This is very concerning numbers since we already know from class that if one species dies off in a food chain, everything can die off as well. This is already starting to happen in the bay. And if we don't manage to stop these pollutions soon the bay and all of it's inhabitants can die off and the entire bay can become one big dead zone of just death, sludge and pollution. But if we work together and try to fix the hole that has been dug in the pollution of the bay. Maybe someday people can go back swimming everywhere in the bay and life will flourish in the bay. Or it can stay the same as it is now staying on Environmental Protection Agency's list of dirty waters and eventually get worse and worse. But this can be stopped and fixed, if we just work hard to do so. The bay still has hope, let's fix it while it still has hope and an opportunity for to be fixed.

Chickens and Super-viruses: Not a Dumb 80's Movie

Chickens and Superviruses: Not a Dumb 80’s Movie

This writing piece is written on the article “How Your Chicken Dinner is Creating a Drug-Resistant Superbug” from the site The Atlantic, a popular news website and magazine. It was written by Maryn McKenna with the hope that word will spread about the theory which is being developed about a recent strain of drug-resistant urinary tract infections in women. “But the origin of these newly resistant E. coli has been a mystery -- except to a small group of researchers in several countries. They contend there is persuasive evidence that the bacteria are coming from poultry.” This quote from the article effectively sums up the problem which was been giving women some moderately serious problems within the past few years. http://m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/07/how-your-chicken-dinner-is-creating-a-drug-resistant-superbug/259700/

When Christopher Columbus first came to America, the most effective weapon he had against the natives who lived here was one that he brought unintentionally. He accidentally brought several different deadly diseases with him to the New World, the worst of which being smallpox. As the natives had no immunity or effective treatments for the virus, many were wiped out or became deathly ill. But why were the Europeans immune to the virus? To answer this, we look to Europe’s past, which had many dark times involving disease and the plague. But what set Europe apart from the rest of the world and made them bear the brunt of all deadly diseases for the world? The answer- domesticated animals. Spending large amounts of time living, spending time with, and eating domesticated animals can lead to the development of ghastly diseases, something which wasn’t really relevant until recently. Although this is a topic which I recently discussed in my history class (i.e. yesterday), this fact has a usefulness which can be applied to modern-day problems. In the last few years, a spike in UTIs in women can be traced back to one major culprit- chickens.

When Adrienne LeBouef went to her doctor, Dr. Jehan El-Bayoumi, she knew she had a UTI in her system by the burning and the urge to go to the bathroom. What she did not know, however, was that she was one of many women (and men), who, within the past few years, have been excellent examples of the growing problem of antibiotic-resistant E.coli strain.

Now we must ask ourselves, what is causing the bacteria to become resistant to the treatment? We look to an in-class discussion had by my very own biology class several weeks ago.

We discussed how bacteria such as some strains of Staphylococcus were eradicated by the accidental discovery of penicillin, while in the present day, some have become completely immune to the fungus. The answer to this inquisition- evolution. Since we have been battling E. Coli for so long with the same types of antibiotics and treatments, it has been able to develop its own natural defenses to stay alive.

I think it is nearly impossible for one to question the validity of this article, however absurd the title of it may be. We in the science world should have expected that, although we had the E. Coli problem under control for some period of time, it would eventually adapt to the problem it was faced with. We look to Werner Heisenberg’s “Uncertainty Principle,” which has, more recently, developed into what is referred to as the “Observer Effect.” It states that the act of observation and subtle experimentation will, even if the subject is unaware that it is being observed, change the actions and decisions of the subject.

This very much applies to the recent problem with the E. Coli bacteria, as it has changed as a result of many observations and experiments over the years. When this particular strain of E. Coli was analyzed, it was discovered that it is a form of what is commonly known as ExPEC (extraintestinal pathogenic E. Coli), an evolved form of E. Coli which spreads to and infects other parts of the body aside from the gut, including the urinary tract. When chickens are killed for food, some of the helpful (helpful for digesting, that is) E. Coli in the gut attach to the meat, and when humans eat this, it becomes a bacterial infection when it does not stay in the gut as it is supposed to.

The next time you eat chicken, or any processed meat, make sure you know the quality of the meat, as well as the way it was produced, and how the animal was raised and slaughtered. These important things to note may save you immense discomfort and future problems as the advanced E. Coli strain spreads. If we raise awareness of this (by doing something as simple as sharing this highly informative and descriptive article with friends) we can stop a major issue before it affects the population at large.

Escherichia Coli (E. Coli)

Image from Wolfram Alpha

Where Did All The Ice Caps Go?

The article by NASA is about the ice cap's summer minimum and how it's declining "This year's sea ice extent is substantially higher than last year's record low minimum. On Sept.16, 2012, Arctic sea ice reached its smallest extent ever recorded by satellites at 1.32 million square miles (3.41 million square kilometers). That is about half the size of the average minimum extent from 1981 to 2010." The article goes on to say that though this year's minimum is an improvement from last year's it is still on the track of the predicted decline. The reason it's part if the predicted decline is because according to the article "There is always a tendency to have an uptick after an extreme low; in our satellite data, the Arctic sea ice has never set record low minimums in consecutive years."

These low minimums are caused by the greenhouse effect which is cause by the ever increasing build up of CO₂ in the atmosphere causing solar radiation to get caught inside the ozone. If the ice caps keep decreasing it could cause species like the polar bear to die out. This would mess with the food web of this particular area. If they died out seals would have less to no predators which would cause over population. I believe that this article has a strong argument and more people should be aware of the effects on the environment.


http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/arctic-sea-ice-minimum-in-2013-is-sixth-lowest-on-record/#.Um72NMvD_qA

Regulations to Limit Carbon Emissions? It's the Thought That Counts...

The article "New Clean Air Rules Would Do Little" can be found in The New York Times. This Article was written by Burton Richter on October 23, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/opinion/new-clean-air-rules-would-do-little.html?ref=globalwarming

       In the article "New Clean Air Rules Would Do Little," published on October 23rd to The New York Times website, author Burton Richter enlightens us on how effective or, in this case, not effective the laws about limits on carbon dioxide emissions would be.
     
       Richter explains that; "President Obama's recently proposed regulations to limit carbon-dioxide emissions from new power plants have been much heralded by environmentalists because they would make new coal-fired power plants too costly to operate. In truth, they accomplish almost nothing."  He later goes on to explain that these rules would only apply to new power plants but there aren't many power plants that have been built recently and there aren't many plans to build much more in the future. So, basically, these new laws won't have much of an effect on decreasing emissions of carbon dioxide because there are so many older power plants that are still emitting tons of carbon into the air that have no limits.

        The new rules state that new coal-fired power plants must capture carbon dioxide from smokestacks before it is released into the environment and then send it to a location where it would be held underground for long-term isolation. The Environmental Protection Agency says this method is ready to be used large-scale use, but Richter says that most experts  "'not yet,' because it has not been tested at the required scale." 
            

       

      There is definitely controversy in the article over whether these laws are effective or not. My opinion is that these laws really aren't helping that much. They aren't putting any restrictions on the previously existing coal-firing power plants that emit tons of carbon into the air. They are restricting the new plants, but there really aren't that many that have been built recently so they aren't really making much of a contribution.

     I thought this article was extremely relevant because it is current and it is what we are learning about in biology. We are learning about the carbon cycle and we learned that carbon is considered a greenhouse gas. This means that it traps in heat from escaping the atmosphere. This increases global temperatures which is extremely dangerous for our environment. If we don't do something about it now, the affects on our planet will be devastating. 

   

   The article was pretty interesting and it made me think of the movie we watched in class, The Lorax, because it is a lot like this where in both situations there are people trying to undo the horrible damage that has already been done. There's no way we can just cut down carbon emissions from a couple plants and expect things to be better in no time, but just like in The Lorax when they plant that last Trufula seed, we are working towards making our Earth the much cleaner and better place it once was.  If we want that to happen then we need to take larger and more effective steps towards limiting our carbon emissions like using our cars less and putting better regulations on power plants. Then maybe our earth can go somewhat back to normal.

       

       

The article “Yosemite's largest ice mass is melting fast” can be found in the Los Angeles times. This article was written by  Louis Sahagu October 1, 2013, 9:12 p.m. http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-glaciers-20131002,0,7692754.story#axzz2imURlhBY

Yosemite national park has been feeling the impact of climate change on its huge glaciers. The rise in temperature over the years has played a visible toll on Yosemite's largest ice mass; Lyell Glacier. This Glacier seems to have been dying for more than a century and may come to an end. But why and how?

Greg Stock is the parks full time geologist and has been studying Lyell Glacier for many years. He has discovered that, as said in the article, “Lyell has dropped 62% of its mass and lost 120 vertical feet of ice over the last 100 years.” Stock said, “We give it 20 years or so of existence — then it'll vanish, leaving behind rocky debris,” This is devastating information to hear. The fact that over 50% of its mass has been lost is astonishing. This melting simply can not continue to happen. Yosemite's glaciers are important wildlife in the United States and it would be awful to see them go. Something needs to change and that needs to be the climate.

As temperatures rise ice melts. What I really should be saying here is as we burn more fossil fuels we kill more glaciers. This is the reality whether you like it or not. carbon dioxide plays a huge role in global warming. When we burn fossil fuels we spit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Although there is naturally some carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere humans are interfering and altering the carbon cycle by putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than can be taken back into the Earth. Carbon dioxide and other GHGs (greenhouse gases) act like a blanket, making the earth hotter than it should be. An increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will cause an increase in temperature.

The burning of fossil fuels is the main human activity that gives of carbon dioxide. Everyone in the United States is a culprit of burning fossil fuels. You do it every day. Whenever you are riding in a car you are burning fossil fuels. Gasoline and diesel are fossil fuels and they are burnt around the world in order to travel. This accounts for about 30% of all transmissions of carbon dioxide. Also, when you are using electricity you are burning fossil fuels. Electricity accounts for about 40% of all transmissions of carbon dioxide. These things play a huge role in our everyday lives, this is why it is said that, while talking about the depletion  of glaciers, “This is the beginning of the end of these things.”

It is not just Yosemite that is feeling the heat. All around the world, for example in California, Washington, Colorado, and Wyoming, glaciers are diminishing. As said in the article, “If carbon dioxide levels continue to rise, the earth will eventually become ice-free” This is huge! Think of the impact that no ice will have on the entire world. For one many arctic animals will be stripped of their habitats. Also, the melting of all the ice will cause sea level to rise. You can wave good by to your trip to the Caribbean . Because of its low elevation the Caribbean will be lost in the waves.

This article, “Yosemite's largest ice mass is melting fast” can easily connect to my biology class. We have been learning a lot about carbon dioxide, the carbon cycle and the negative impact of the combustion  of fossil fuels on the atmosphere.

Also, in biology class, we watched the movie The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. It is a story about a man who only cares about his business. In the process of producing his products he is burning fossil fuels. In the end these fossil fuels and pollutants destroy and pollute the environment so bad the animals are forced to leave and there is nothing left. This is the same as when humans burn fossil fuels. This burning of fossil fuels causes a rise in temperature and is destroying the glaciers. If we act the way the man did in The Lorax we will be left with nothing as well. 

I believe that this is a very important topic that needs to be recognized and changed. I would not want to live in a place that is hot all the time with no snow or ice. That wouldn't be a very good winter. We can’t run away from this problem or this matter will continue to get worse and worse. We need ways to cut back on the combustion of fossil fuels. When you are leaving a room think to turn of the light, make an effort to walk more instead of riding in a gas guzzling car. These are small things but little by little they will make a difference. Do you want your children or grandchildren to never know what snow or ice is? The ice is melting a small bit every minute, what will you do to make a difference?

"Is It Hot In Here or Is It Just Me?"

The article "What is Global Warming?", can be found on environment.nationalgeographic.com under environment and global warming. 
http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-overview?rptregcta=reg_free_np&rptregcampaign=20131016_rw_membership_n1p_us_se_w#


This article is showing that global warming is a very scary thing. It is a scary thing because global warming is causing the sea levels to rise, the glaciers to melt, and the Earth to get warmer. This is mostly due to greenhouse gases. Green house gases are gases that go into the atmosphere and trap all the heat into the atmosphere. This in turn is warming up the Earth.

Global warming or climate change was first recognized by Joseph Fourier who stated that the Earth would be much colder if the Earth didn't have a atmosphere. He said that the Earth would be 60  degrees cooler if we didn't have it.  In the year 1895 a chemist named Svante Arrhenius said that you could warm up the environment by making more carbon dioxide.

In the article, it said that this was a concern because some living things won't be able to adapt as quickly as they need to, to survive. Even though the difference between today's average temperature and the average temperature during the ice age is only 9 degrees, it still makes a huge difference. Some ecosystem could have a organism that has to stay at a certain temperature to live, but it could die when the temperature increases

Another major concern is the fact that it will make storms harsher and more dangerous. For example, Hurricane Sandy was a bad storm, but if the temperature keeps rising there will be more and more storms like that.  One more thing that the article talks about is the affect on farmers. It affects the farmers when the temperature rises. You will have longer droughts and this can affect the crop output and that can ruin someone's business or their life.


"What will we do to slow this warming? How will we cope with the changes we've already set into motion? While we struggle to figure it all out, the face of the Earth as we know it—coasts, forests, farms and snow-capped mountains—hangs in the balance." What this quote is saying is we can't really stop global warming at this point in time, because we have already got it going in a way which we can't stop it but only slow it.  Some ways we can slow global warming is if we stop burning fossil fuels by using eco friendly cars. The horse is already out of the barn on this issue.


What I think about this article is that it is completely true in every way. It talks about  how we have gotten ourself into a mess and we don't know what to do. I also think global warming is a huge concern in my opinion. What I am most concerned about is the fact that a city like Boston can be underwater in a matter of centuries. This might just become true because the ice caps are melting and this is causing the sea level to rise. I feel like Boston is a very important city to the world because it has so much history. It's possible that my great grandchildren won't be able to ski on the mountains because all the snow will be melted. If there is no snow, kids and adults wont be able to experience the joys of winter.

http://fabiusmaximus.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/global-warming-31.jpg.

Living in a Toxic World

Original Article: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=toxic-waste-sites-take-toll-millions-poor-nations

 

Exposure to toxic waste and chemicals cause serious health problems for people in countries across the globe. The problem is most widespread in developing areas of countries such as India, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Two new studies on this topic uncovered alarming results that show just how much of an effect toxic waste can have on the health of the people exposed to it.

 Toxic Waste Sights Take Toll on Millions in Poor Nations, an article written by Dina Fine Maron for Scientific American in May 2013, explains the two studies on the effects of toxic waste. One conducted by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and the other by Chatham-Stevens and his team of researchers. 

These studies showed that living near toxic sites can cause health issues and defects to everyone exposed. The authors estimate that “more than eight million persons in these countries suffered disease, disability or death resulting from exposures to industrial contaminants in 2010.” They analyzed what effects exposure to chemicals such as lead could have on children living around hazardous sites. They believe that this could cause elevated blood levels beyond what is considered safe, and in 2010 almost 800,000 children were exposed to lead at 200 different sites.

In biology class this year we watched Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, an animated movie about a man that doesn’t care about the world around him, and only worried about what’s best for his business. This movie focuses on what can happen when people are careless about the effects they are having on the people and the environment. In this same way, toxic waste sites can be hazardous to not only the people living around it, but also the animals and plants as well. 

 Also in class we are study ecology, the study of interactions between organisms and their environment. Toxic waste sites contaminate the environment of the organisms living around it, and can have effects on the animals themselves.

 This topic is not something I see a lot of on the news, and I think that needs to be changed. This issue is very important because it affects many people across the world. According to the data found by the Icahn School of Medicine and Chatham-Stevens and his team, mostly children under the age of 5 are affected by toxic waste, and left with health issues that will carry through the rest of their lives.

 I believe that the effects toxic waste sites have on the communities around them need to be more well know. Maybe eventually we will find a way to stop the health issues caused by these sites.

 

Picture Citation: http://martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/aug2009/toxic-waste-dumping.html

The Worst Disaster in History

The article “Catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico: Devastation Persists” (http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs) talks about the big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and about what we can do to help and prevent it from happening again, in the article it says, “It’s been more years since BP’s Deep-water Horizon rig blew up in the gulf of Mexico, killing 11 people and unleashing the worst environmental disaster in U.S history.” Not only can oil spill affect the animals living in the waters it can affect people in many different ways.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector

Three years later and the Gulf of Mexico is still dealing with the worst environmental disaster in U.S history. 11 people lost their lives that day when the BP’s deep water Horizon exploded. 82,000 birds, about 6,000 sea turtles, approximately 26,000 marine mammals and many fish were all harmed by the spill.  More than 2 million gallons of oil spilled and covered almost 1,000 miles of the shore line.

 

 

The oil spill reached the shores of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. There were so many marine lives that were trapped because of how thick the oil was. In the article it says, “BP flooded the ocean’s surface and depths with nearly 2 million gallons of chemical “dispersants”, these chemicals can actually make oil more toxic to ocean life.” The oil won’t just affect the wild life living on top of the of the ocean surface, the oil can also go deep into the ocean closer to the bottom and also hurt those animals as well.

The gulf was a habitat to many animals that now could be threatened or endangered after this tragic event. People tried to keep the oil away from the shores.  The “offshore ecosystem” still has some devastating impacts. The oil soaked the gannets, brown pelicans and the eggs; the oil on the birds made it impossible for them to flap their wings and to be able to fly out of the water.

In a way this event kind of reminds me of the “Lorax” movie that we watched in class. It reminds me of it because the oil ruined so many animal habitats just like in the “Lorax” when the Thneed factory started cutting down the trees in the truffle forest, all the Brown bar-ba-loots lost their habitats. We need to find a way to prevent oil spills from happening. Oil Spills happen every year, having spill-prevention technology will help protect animals and their habitats.

 

There are so many things you can do to help prevent more oil spills and save many species. One way we could help prevent oil spills is to lower the demand for oil, that way the cargo ships don’t have to go across the ocean and have that as a risk factor. This will also prevent people from drilling into the ground for oil. Oil spill usually happen because the people drill off the shore, many of them are just small leaks, there are some big leaks and occasionally an enormous one, like the tragic on in the Gulf of Mexico.

 

 

 

Fishermen Are Not Too Kind

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/24/dolphin-slaughter-fueled-by-illegal-shark-trade/

     When we think of fishing we think of sticking a little worm on a small hook and throwing it into the water, hoping to catch a five or six inch long sea critter. But when you think about trying to catch sharks, you would most likely assume that you wouldn't use worms as bait. But would you ever think of using dolphins? 

Azul, Mundo. A Shark Is Puller on Board a Peruvian Fisherman's Boat after Being Baited with Dolphin Meat. N.d. Photograph. Nationalgeographic.com, Peru.

This is a picture of a shark being pulled onto a fishing boat after being baited with dolphin meat. 

     In the article "Dolphin Slaughter Fueled by Illegal Shark Trade", it states that over 15,000 dolphins are caught and killed each year, in Peru alone, to use a shark bait. Understandably, shark meat is considered a fine delicacy in Asia, but is it really worth the slaughter of thousands of dolphins?

     In order to find reasons, undercover reporters set out with some fishermen in Peru to record how the act is performed. The article states "Fishermen track dolphin pods, and when they’re within shooting distance, they will aim a harpoon into the group and fire. Once they’ve hit their target, the fishermen will hoist the dolphin onto their boat and slice off the animals’ skin, sometimes while it is still alive. Other times, the animal is clubbed to death."
     Although, the killing of dolphins is said to be illegal in Peru, fishermen called it their "open secret" because the practice was outlawed in 1996, but the fishing industry typically does not enforce the law because Peru is not the only country that is known to practice this. Other fishermen in places like Indonesia, Vietnam, and Tanzania also tend to use dolphin meat as shark bait.
     A quote from Hardy Jones (the executive director of Blue Voice) states "Using dolphins as bait? That's like using Albert Einstein as a traffic bump... It's an extraordinary act of cruelty."
     If this continues, it could end up as a result of extinction of dolphins. Though it is rare, 15,000- 20,000 dolphins being killed each year in one area alone, puts a major dent in the population of the species.  

I chose this article because we just finished up learning about food chains and I thought it was an appropriate example of  how an organism eats another organism which causes it to decrease in population. I personally feel that it is wrong to be putting not only the dolphins themselves, but the population in danger. I think that the law that was passed about not being able to harm the animals should be more strongly enforced all over the world.

Polar Bears Aren't the Only Ones Feeling the Heat

Polar Bears Aren't the Only Ones Feeling the Heat

            This article shows us the animals and plants that are not as cute as polar bears and other animals that get so much attention of climate change. Eleven organisms were named in total from around the world that scientists never really thought would get affected by climate change this quickly. As written in the article  “Higher temperatures in the southern United States endanger Christmas tree plantations. During the 2011-12 season, heat and drought killed 80 percent of seedlings and 10 to 20 percent of mature trees”. This quote is describing the loss of Christmas trees in 2011-2012 and is just one of the startling facts of the danger of climate change that is affecting so many organisms. Two plants were named in the article and nine animals were named and described how badly they were getting hurt by the drastic climate changes happening around the globe. Some include the Moose, Orangutan, Koala, North Atlantic Right whale, Sea turtles, Bengal Tigers and more. Do you want these animals to be extinct because of us? I certainly do not.

        

    After reading this article I was very surprised by the fact that some of these organisms were getting affected and or that I have never heard about it before. For one, the Koala.  Many people this animal is regarded as cute, and personally I can see why. What is so peculiar though is that they are being affected by global warming in a very serious way. The eucalyptus leaves they eat are giving less nutrients to the Koalas, which comes down to them eating more leaves to get the same nutrients they were getting in the past. Overall, this means the Koalas have to work more to get the same amount of energy.

         

      The Bengal Tiger is also another organism getting badly affected by climate change. The Bengal Tigers on the coast of Bangladesh and India could have their entire habitat wiped out. If the seas rise around 28 centimeters 96% of the tiger’s habitat would be underwater. This area is also one of the largest stretches of the mangrove forest so if it were to be flooded with water many other organisms were to be greatly affected. Not to mention a large portion of cities and towns could be flooded with a little water if the sea were to rise 28 centimeters. What is also frightening is that we have also diminished the tiger’s numbers greatly from hunting and deforestation so who knows how much longer the Bengal Tiger will even be on Earth?       

         

Another animal that I was surprised to be affected is the sea turtles. The sea turtle sadly is just one out of many turtles being affected by global warming (6 in total). Rising sea levels pose a major threat to the turtles.  The waves are washing away the nests left by the turtles and are killing the babies before they even hatch. Second, as the temperature raised the sand temperature also rises, which would cook the eggs in the sand causing them to incubate incorrectly. Also the hot sand has an effect on the male to female ratio allowing more females to be developed than the males. This means in one breeding season the males have to work almost twice as hard as the females due to population differences.  

          The article also brings up an interesting new idea of spring, and this idea could be quite a sad one. The Songbird, another animal affected by climate change, could make the springs to come a whole lot quieter. The Songbirds rely on important migration pattern from the South to their arrival to the North. Since 1950 though, spring has come one a half days earlier on average. This caused the peak of food to be before breeding season in the spring which allowed many young chicks to starve. In the present this does not seem like a large problem, but if the Songbirds predicament continues to get worse we might have a silent spring.

         

          After hearing about all these animals being affected by climate change defiantly makes me want to stop it as soon as we can. Over the last couple years I feel that we have tried to ignore this topic or simply felt that it was untrue. I have always thought that climate change was real because of the evidence provided by scientists. What frustrates me though  is why people say it is untrue because the people that go against it from my experience say its fake or a lie and give no rhyme or reason.

           

         

          Climate Change is a very serious topic, but it also reminds me a lot of middle school. I can remember projects I had to do that required us to research global warming and show some of the effects it has had so far on the Earth and also what we were doing to the environment. The events that stood out to me the most was the conversations with substitutes we had about the topic. Occasionally a science teacher would be out sick or not teaching and after the period was almost over almost every time someone would ask about global warming and each time it felt like a different answer. Each sub (that I remembered) throughout middle school seemed to have a very different opinion from one another, and one would completely agree with the idea while some would call it all lies which I found quite interesting and why it is so controversial.

Finally, knowing this information I believe that we should act. As a community we should do our best to lower carbon emissions and to leave a smaller presence on the environment. There are many solutions to this by using different light bulbs and using different fuel sources, but is that enough. To be truthful I have no idea. We could be honestly be wasting our time and the Earth could already be lost because it is too far down the road. This should not though stop us from trying to save the organisms from losing the new set of organisms shown in the article or even saving the Earth.   

         

         

         

         

         

 

            

Author Tim Wall Oct 22^nd 2013

Unexpected Victims of Climate Change

http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/unexpected-victims-of-climate-change-131016.htm