Large-Scale Problem: Our Broken Global Food System

The world's existing food system is failing half of the people in the world. It is estimated that a billion people suffer from hunger, lacking the carbs and proteins and fats, a billion suffer from hidden hunger, lacking needed vitamins and minerals, and a billion people suffer from over consumption, causing diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Scientists believe that in the coming years the cost of food will greatly increase creating problems with migration. People won't be able to feed themselves without destroying the environment. The scientists believe that we will need to turn to genetically modified crops and cloned livestock to transform the global food system in to a sustainable system. Education and technology will also need to be given to the developing nations and reducing food waste is a must. On average Americans throw away 40% of their food!!! In developing nations staying active and eating right will help prevent over consumption also eating locally will help reduce our carbon footprint and supporting groups fighting to end world hunger is also a great way to help. One way to help is going to The Hunger Site and click the button that gives a donation of food to needy people in developing nations, and its free to click!!!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=our-broken-global-food-system

Estuaries Could Provide 13% Of The World’s Power

Estuaries and 13% of the World's Power Needs

According to researchers at Stanford University, estuaries could provide 13% of all the worlds energy needs. An estuary is where fresh water and salt water converge, when this happens there is a slight rise in temperature. This energy has the potential to be a renewable goldmine. As many would suspect such a process sounds like an environmentally risky operation. However, the researchers are working on a generating system that does not involve damaging hydro-electric type dams. The chemistry is there and this sounds like a promising system. With the current rush to green energy, especially in light of Japan's nuclear woes, I believe we should pursue all the tactics we can come up with. Despite being just in the planning stages 13% is large and optimistic number and we should keep our hopes up!

Grass Fed verses Grain Fed Cattle

Over the past 24 years, beef cattle has been passed through the Cooking Light Test Kitchen as standard, grain-fed supermarket meat. Today however, more shoppers are seeing the option for grass-fed beef in regular grocery stores. While many are happy this is now a more accessible option, the grain-fed industry is dealing with attacks by good activists. Promoters say the grass-fed cow is actually better for the planet because it eats from a pasture instead of staying on a diet of grains and supplements intended for weight gain. It is also shown that the meat from grass-fed cattle is better for the consumer because there is less overall fat. This process is also considered to be less inhumane on the cattle by critics. Even though this seems like an easy decision when buying beef for dinner, the grass-fed meat can be a lot more expensive than the average grain-fed beef.

Research shows that by switching to grass-fed beef, one person could save 16,642 calories per year. While many people see the benefits, they simply are not willing to pay the extra amount.

I think that everyone should have staying healthy and protecting our environment high on their list of priorities. The grass-fed beef is definately the better option. Not only is it helping our environment, but it is the healthier choice for everyone. If price is the problem, perhaps families can choose to only have beef for dinner once a week and limit their portions so that finances are not an issue. In the end, the grass-fed cattle is more beneficial than the grain-fed.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/03/29/grass.grain.beef.cookinglight/index.html

Why Birds Fly into Power Lines

A sensory ecology framework is used in a new research study to discover why birds fly into prominent structures, such as power lines, fences, communication masts, wind turbines, and buildings. Scientists have previously found that birds fly into power lines because they have blind spots in their field of vision. When in flight, birds may turn their heads to look down, either with the binocular field or with the lateral part of an eye’s visual field. Behavior like this may be usual for them and results in certain species being at temporarily blind while flying. Also, reflections in windows of buildings may startle a bird and encourage it to “attack” the window. In a new study, it was found that even if birds are looking ahead, frontal vision may not be as good as side vision because vision in birds may be tuned for the detection of movement rather than simply seeing things in front of them. As for reducing the collisions, there is little to be done.

http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/42485

Hot Zone - A warming planet's Rise of Disasters

This article basically said that because of rising temperatures from CO2 and other emissions that cause global warming, organisms that spread disease are finding it a lot easier to survive in more parts of the world. This means that it will become a lot easier to catch deadly diseases and viruses such as West Nile Virus from mosquitoes and other animals all around the world. Again, I believe that we need to put an end to our CO2 emissions for a while and create green energy. If everyone in the world took a week or so off from traveling or producing pollution earth could gain some major ground. This problem is so hard to fight though because it is all about the core temperatures of the planet which are not changed easily.

Turning tough trash into friendly fuel

In her search for a better way to put fuel in your tank, biological engineer Ratna Sharma-Shivappa is working on a chemical juggling act: She is trying to break down the problematic woody material in grasses without harming the energy-containing carbohydrates that the plants also contain. If she can perfect the process, it could lead to inexpensive biofuels that are made from inedible crops—not from corn like most of today’s ethanol. This research if proven, could change all energy as we know it for the better. We would be able to use almost all plants as a source of energy to perform our everyday needs. The technology to do this does not even cost a great deal of money so it is a very feasible task with little barries and risks that could produce a great yield. I think that more research like this needs to be conducted worldwide to further our sustainability.

http://discovermagazine.com/2010/dec/07-turning-tough-trash-food-friendly-fuel

Made in China: Air Pollution

The article said that air pollution from not just Chinese factories, but worldwide, doesn't just evaporate. It circumnavigates the globe and stays in the air. Along with CO2 other bi-products are released making it even more harsh. Only the CO2, which is the main cause of global warming, can be recycled through the photosynthesis and cellular respiration. To fix this we need to stop the air pollution coming from factories because we already have enough from cars and other emissions. If we changed our power source back to steam we could become a lot greener, or by using windmills. The barriers to this are great, but the change is a much needed one.
http://discovermagazine.com/2011/apr/18-made-in-china-our-toxic-imported-air-pollution

Save the Polar Bears!

Global warming is hitting polar bears hard because it is causing large amounts of ice habitat loss.  Global warming is causing populations to decrease, swimming conditions to become more dangerous, fewer hunting opportunities, and of course, loss of polar bear habitats.  The U.S. Geological Survey predicts that two thirds of polar bears will disappear by 2050.  Because of the record low surface area of summer ice in 2007, some believe by 2012 summer ice may be completely gone.  Not only has population decreased, but also, average polar bear weight had dropped by 15 percent, causing reproduction to also drop.  On top of their numbers decreasing, polar bears deal with retreating sea ice platforms that causes 
drowning and less space for living.  When the ice becomes too far away, swimming such long distances tires out the bears and eventually leads to drowning.  The overall scarcity of food is also causing populations to drop and can even lead to cannibalistic behaviors.  In 2007, due to the many harmful effects of global warming, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to list the polar bears as a threatened species.  With so much against the bears as it is now, they may soon be moved to the endangered species list.   Since the main threat to polar bears is their habitat loss caused by global warming, the only solution is to curb greenhouse gas emissions and find alternatives to fossil fuels.  It is not too late to help erase the damages global warming has caused.  The only issue with this solution is time, since we have been promoting global warming, without realizing it, for over a hundred years already.  It will take the efforts of everyone to reverse global warming and save the polar bears.  In my opinion, global warming is negative without even bringing polar bears into the picture.  However, with information provided concerning the polar bears, it is awful to imagine a world where we harm our own life, which in this case, are the polar bears lives.  Global warming should be fixed no matter what, but definitely also to help save the polar bears.

http://www.nwf.org/Global-Warming/Effects-on-Wildlife-and-Habitat/Polar-Bears.aspx

Seals found Far from Home

Harp seals from Canada are showing up a long way from their native habitat. It is common for a handfull of juvenile harp seals to end up stranded along the coast of the northeastern United States, but this year 100's of adult harp seals have been spotted, found, or rehabbed along the northeastern coast of the U.S. This year, over 10 seals have been found, or sighted in North Carolina, which is highly unusual for this type of animal, these seals are very rarely this far into the southern United States. Seals are very common near New England, and off the coast of New England, where the most common type of seal is the harbor seal. More than triple the amount of seals typically found Canada, have been showing up alongside coasts in the United States. The harp seals are known as ice seals, which means that they live in snowy, icy, cold climates, but they are migrating to warmer areas for some unknown reason. Many researchers are saying that the seals are are moving into the coasts of the U.S, is because of food, and the climate change in their native habitat. All researchers and scientists are trying hard to figure out what is happening to the seals, but they, along with many people, are worried for what this can or will mean for humans and animals and the future. Regardless of what the real reason is, all scientists and researchers are nervous, and waiting to see what happens.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2011-03-21-canada-harp-seals-usa_N.htm

Dead sardines in California had eaten toxic algae

About 5 days ago, found their way into King Harbor in Redondo Beach, CA (near Los Angeles), used up all the oxygen, and died of suffocation. While the harbor tries to vacuum and scoop up the vast number of dead rotting fish, scientists are trying to figure out what happened in the first place. University of Southern California found that the gut contents of the dead sardines contained high levels of domoic acid, a powerful neurotoxin produced by the diatom (microscopic plant) Pseudo-nitzschia. Sardines feed by filtering plankton out of the water with their gills, so unlike other fish they are able to ingest toxic algae directly. Dr. Caron’s lab did not detect domoic acid inside King Harbor itself, but the fish might have eaten the toxic algae offshore, become disoriented, swum into the harbor, used up all the oxygen (a million fish use a LOT of oxygen), and died. I think that it is a cause for concern if these numbers of fish die of a toxin. Just think if the toxin is able to affect other fish and what will happen to them.

http://deepseanews.com/2011/03/dead-sardines-in-california-had-eaten-toxic-algae/

Project Green Wolf

This past weekend I went to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg, Virginia. While I was there, I noticed a sign in our room about Project Green Wolf. Normally when you stay at a hotel, your towels and bed linens get changed and washed everyday. Great Wolf offers ways to conserve and help the environment by allowing guests to use the same bed linens and towels if they want to. When you arrive, of course, you have new bed linens and towels. My towels were washed but we decided not to have our bed linens changed. At home I don't wash my bed linens everyday so why would I need it there. Great Wolf Lodge is the first and only hotel chain to have all of its US properties Green Seal Certified. Other than the guest linen recycling, Great Wolf Lodge has laundry facilities that recycles most of its water, low-flow showers, toilets, and faucets, waterless urinals, and pool filtration systems that recycles most of the water used in the water parks. All of their paper products are post-consumer recycled. They are also partners with National Geographic Kids to educate young minds about the environment. There are many more things that Great Wolf Lodge does to help the environment. I thought this was very interesting because seeing that this lodge is a huge place with a water park, you would think it's carbon footprint would be huge. It's really cool to see a hotel chain take the time to come up with this wonderful idea. Project Green Wolf is an awesome thing and more hotels should take this kind of idea on.
http://www.projectgreenwolf.com/

Wind Power to Fuel Environment and Economy

A 500 megawatt wind park being created near Ocean City, Maryland is rumored to not only create massive amounts of energy, but thousands of jobs in the next five years!! The Public Service Commission is forcing state utilities to sign contracts agreeing to use the energy produced from wind farms off of the coast for twenty years. How is this even a bad idea? Creating this wind farm would be a win-win-win situation, the people purchasing the electricity buy it for cheap, it boosts the economy by creating many jobs, and helping the environment. The idea for this could not have come at a better time, right now people are having a difficult time getting jobs and providing for their families so hopefully this will help those in need. Plus, it is time that people get involved to help restore our Earth and make it healthier.
Sources:
http://www.wbaltv.com/r/27153647/detail.html

Bees in Trouble!

The United Nations Environment Programme says that bees are being threatened and the cause is because of pollution and agriculture. It is also said that there are fungal pathogens that are being passed around globally that are affecting the populations of the bees. The United Nations Environment Programme says that the decline in the populations of bees presents problems in biodiversity of plants and also food security. The United Nations Programme states that the decline in the population is a warning sign of other environmental damages and hopes that farmers will be offered incentive to take on more eco-friendly farming techniques. I once again agree that incentives are a good idea because more people will be inclined to take action. I think that it is important to take action because biodiversity is at stake and humans rely on bees for many things.

Source:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/science/nature/news/article_1625137.php/UN-Bee-colonies-worldwide-under-threat-from-chemicals-and-pollution

Michigan Takes Steps Toward a Healthier Earth

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed two bills, offering a program to help farmers and the environment work together. The program is set up to reward the farmers that go along with these programs. The programs will offer help to farmers, making them more aware of environmental issues and what they can do to prevent further damage to the earth. Farmers a part of this program will have to attend seminars, have their properties evaluated, and devise an action plan in order to be certified. Farmers that go along with this program will be protected from some fines and penalties.

Many people are for these bills, hopeful that they will help in preserving the earth. Others, however, are skeptical if the "big farmers" are truly concerned with the environment or if they are accepting this program in order to avoid trouble for pollution they have caused. Snyder hopes to pass other laws in attempts to better the environment. So far the new program has approximately 1,000 certified farms and many other farms are in the beginning processes of the project. By 2015, approximately 5,000 farms will be certified, making up about 80% of Michigan's farms. I think that this is a very good idea! In my opinion I think that it is important to educate people about the ways they are destroying the planet, but it is equally important to teach them alternative ways to do things. Hopefully other states will see what Michigan is doing and pass more bills like this. I think overall that some farms may be looking to the program in order to avoid fees, but I believe it is a smart idea to have an incentive for the farms for doing good things.

Armstrong Recycling Helps Un-crowd Landfills

The Armstrong Recycling World Industries has taken over 100 million square feet of ceiling tiles out of landfills.  This program is designed to help the environment by taking old used ceiling tiles that people are going to throw out, and making them into new ones to save money and the environment.  This program is the first and lengthiest of its kind.  This program is becoming so successful that all building owners need to do is ship old ceilings from renovations and repairs to the nearest Armstrong Recycling Plant instead of taking anything to a landfill.  Also the company pays for the shipping of old ceiling tiles, and they use raw materials to manufacture the new stuff.  Since 1999 this company has recycled over 50,000 tons of old used ceiling tiles.  All of those put together would take up more than 14,000 dumpsters worth of trash that would have originally be sent to a land fill.

The President of Marketing, Joann Davis-Brayman says that, “The Ceiling Recycling Program is designed to help reduce the impact on the environment by redirecting used ceiling tiles from landfills back to Armstrong," and also that, "This creates a closed loop manufacturing process and offers a valuable end to what typically would have been discarded."

Costa Rica's Ocean Prorected

The amount of marine life that is protected in Costa Rica’s ocean has expanded immensely.  There has been a total of 2,900 underwater square miles that have been made safe, protecting endangered species such as sharks and turtles.  This change will also protect a chain of underwater mountains near Cocos Island.  By doing this it will help conserve an entire underwater ecosystem. 

                This marine ecosystem is located 342 miles away from Costa Rica in the Pacific Ocean; and it takes about 30 hours to travel in a boat from land.  The Cocos Island its self is only 12 miles in circumference.  Although there are some abundant species that do live there, this agreement of protection will help guard them from anything that might have affected them without it.

                While Environment Minister Teofilo de la Torre was signing the decree he said, “This is an important step because it is the second marine protected area we have created.  We have increasing responsibilities in the sea, so this government is working to increase the protected areas.” This will provide anything that is required to take care of needs that might be necessary for managing the protected environment. 

                This new protected area is five times larger than any other reserved area around the Islands, and it will also be surrounded by a non-fishing zone.  There have been many fish that have made a decline in the population, leather back turtles being one of the main species.  Scalloped hammerhead sharks are also on the endangered species list.  One of the main reasons that they are endangered is they are accidentally caught in commercial fishing operations.

"This has been a long journey," said Quesada. "We have worked with a host of national research, conservation and fisheries organizations to determine the fairest and most environmentally responsible expansion scenarios. None of this would have been possible without the invaluable scientific and management contributions of the Cocos National Park Administration, the University of Costa Rica's Center for Marine Investigations, Pretoma, Marviva, Forever Costa Rica and, above all, the leadership of President Chinchilla, and her ministers."

Disposable USB Sticks

A Russian company recently developed a disposable USB flashdrive, call Flashkus. It's made out of very little cardboard and can be torn off and handed to just about anyone. It's very low cost and you can personalize them by writing straight on the cardboard. USB's are often given away at merchandising fairs and conferences. Handing these out would be a very good marketing strategy because the company would definetly get some attention for them. However, I do not think it would be a good invention for students who often use them multiple times for many different reasons. I think it would suit a large company looking to give away products, and also for teachers to give to students who do not have a USB or for emergencies. The concept of these cardboard USB's is cool, but I don't think the general public would buy into the idea.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/02/cardboard-disposable-usb-sticks.php#

Apples Help Animals Live Longer?!

Scientist are reporting that giving test animals apples improves their lifespan up to 10%. There is a healthful antioxidant substance in them that improves lifespan. Most antioxidants can cause undesirable changes in the aging process, and cause some diseases. Bright friuts and vegetables, like tomatoes, blueberries, broccoli and apples are high sources of antioxidants. Studies with test animals hinted that they are likely to live longer if they are apples. A study with fruit flies, showed that apples made their lifespan longer, and helped preserve their ability to walk and move around. This is really interesting because if it can help animals, it can most likely help people live longer also. I think people need to eat more apples, so they can live longer, and share information with future generations. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302121702.htm

The Future of Online Shopping?

The article I found on this subject didn't have much substance, but it got me thinking. The bicycle in the picture was made from 3D printing technology. In other words, an electronic schematic was sent to a special printer, which constructed the pieces of this bike out of nylon. While the technology is uncommon and expensive now, think about the possibilities in 10-20 years! If this kind of service was made publicly available, we could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, because there wouldn't be such a high need for delivery trucks, trains, or planes. Companies like UPS and FedEx could make offices where you could go to get a product printed from materials at their store. In that way, we also wouldn't need as many factories churning out products, burning coal and electricity.

Original article:

http://www.grist.org/article/2011-03-09-your-next-bike-could-be-made-out-of-nylon-and-3d-printed-at-home

U.S. Dependence on Imported Oil Could Hamper Economic Recovery

With the increase in current gas prices there is a renewed focus on the United States dependency on imported oil. With the continued unrest in the Middle East, oil prices have risen to a high of over $100 a barrel. These high prices are leading the fears of a deeper recession, possibly a tip back to the economic problems of 2008. The former President of Shell Oil, John Hofmeister, has argued that the country should pursue more offshore drilling, which was reduced after the Gulf of Mexico crisis. He said it was, "absolutely critical to reduce dependence on the Middle East." While I completely agree that we need to end our dependency on the Middle East, I think this would be the wrong way to go about it. We need to invest more government spending on research towards alternative energy sources, rather than continuing to rely on oil. For the time being it is necessary to rely on fossil fuels but this needs to be changed as soon as possible.

Ric O'Barry's Work Continues

"The Cove", the Academy award winning documentary we watched in class, has gotten a TV series. The film focused on a dolphin slaughtering operation in Japan, as well as the effects of mercury poisoning. The new animal planet series, "Blood Dolphins", focuses completely on O'Barry's efforts to stop slaughter of dolphins around the world. The first two episodes deal with dolphin slaughter in the Solomon Islands, and it looks like a great program for anyone who was interested in knowing more about what Ric does. Also, months after the documentary gained so much attention, the Cove was released from investigations, and the dolphin hunt has resumed. Ric is still very actively involved in stopping what goes on there.

Here is the show's website:

http://animal.discovery.com/tv/blood-dolphins/episode-guide.html

Poor Dieting Affects Babies Health!

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have been researching and found that children who are born to mothers who consumed an unhealthy diet while pregnant, have a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Dr. Susane Ozanne said "What is most exciting about these findings is that we are now starting to really understand how nutrition during the first nine months of life spent in the womb shape our long term health by influencing how the cells in our body age." People know that environmental factors affect the baby, but nobody realized that having an unhealthy diet could cause that much. The gene, Hnf4a has been linked to type 2 diabetes, and is regulated by maternal diet through epigenetic modifications through our DNA, and having a poor diet raises the rate of it. This is really interesting because people know that you need to eat healty, when your pregnant, but I never knew what could really happen if you had an unhealthy diet. More people should be informed about this, so they can take all precautions while they are pregnant so they can have a healthy baby.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110307151911.htm

Dead Dolphins?

During this winter a high number of bottle nose dolphins have been found dead, washed up on the shores of the United States. Scientists don't have any explanation to why this is happening. Everyone wants to jump to conclusions that last year’s BP spill is the cause of all these dolphins deaths, but it is still too early to tell exactly what the reason is. Since January first, 80 dead dolphins have been found washed up on the shores. Dolphin die- offs occur every few years, but this one stands out because of the 80 dead dolphins found, 42 of them have been babies. Scientists are considering cold water, ocean biotoxins, and diseases, and they haven’t ruled out the BP spill quite yet! Im not sure why the dolphins are dying off, hopefully scientists will find a solution so the dolphins can live.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110302-baby-dolphin-deaths-gulf-oil-spill-bp-science-environment/

Pesticide in womb may promote obesity, study finds

Studies show that twenty-five percent of babies born to women with relatively high concentrations of a DDT-breakdown product in their blood grew unusually fast in their first year of life. According to the study, the babies weighed no more than the average weight in the womb and their mothers were not overweight either. However the mothers did have DDT-breakdown present in their blood. In Spain, 500 mothers were recruited starting in the first trimester of their pregnancy. The blood collected from the women when they first arrived had high levels of several common persistent chlorinated pollutants. Researchers are continuing to follow the children born into the study who are now around four years old and most of them are overweight. Although most of them are not obese, they will still be followed to see if they will become obese.

This is probably only a coincidence. Considering the state our nation is in today, there are probably going to be several babies who will become obese one day. The results of this study prove that it’s only a coincidence; some of them were normal weight, some overweight, and some became obese. This research, in my opinion, has been a waste of time. The researchers did nothing but prove that the people of today are extremely unhealthy and many are heading towards obesity.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/64032/title/Science_%2B_the_Public__Pesticide_in_womb_may_promote_obesity%2C_study_finds

New Plastic-Eating Microbes

Daniel Burd, a 16 year old from Canada recently discovered microbes that "eat" plastic
that ultimately reduce the amount of time needed for plastic to decompose. Since plastic is one of the greatest threats to our environment today, this new discovery is essentially changes enviornmental issues forever. According to the Clean Air Council, Americans use 1 billion shopping bags yearly, amounting to 300,000 tons of waste left in landfills. Notwithstanding, the amoung of bags recycled consistantly remains at 1%. Burd considered that plastic eventually has to decompose, and searched for a faster process. He immersed ground plastic in a yeast solution to encourage microbial growth, then isolated the most productive organisms. Once six weeks had passed, the plastic decomposed by 43 percent.

If this discovery turns out to be successful, not only will it improve our current recycling efforts, but it will improve our enviroment for the future. Even though this could prove to be an improvement to pollution in our world, ultimately people need to be aware of what they are doing to the environment by using plastic products instead of reuseable ones.

Article: http://blog.enn.com/?p=853

New Compostable SunChips Bag

Recently, Frito-Lay Company came out with an improvement on their product to ultimately reduce waste with the compostable SunChips bag. The same idea was attempted last year, but customers complained about the loud noise the bags made. This prevented the sales of the new SunChips to be profitable for the company. Nonetheless, this didn't stop workers at Frito-Lay. Instead of giving up, they decided to put engineers to work to create a newer version that had the same effect, without the noise. Currently, the compostable bags are only available for SunChips Originals to observe consumers' reactions to the newly improved bag.

I think the new product will be very successful this time around. Not only are consumers enjoying the product they've always loved, but they are also protecting the environment in the process. If more companies like Frito-Lay follow in their same lead, our environment will have a more promising future.

VIDEO!!!

http://www.sunchips.com/healthier_planet.shtml?s=content_compostable_packaging

Article: http://blog.enn.com/?p=864

Noise Distracts Fish from Their Dinner

Underwater studies show that too much excess noise distracts the fish, three-spined sticklebacks, from eating. Scientists put speakers in the water at volume levels similar to those produced by recreational speedboats and the tests revealed that the fish become significantly clumsier and distracted with the extra noise. Even though the sticklebacks did not abandon the task completely, they still became less efficient in their feeding efforts. In a tank, these mistakes may seem a little silly, but in real life, it could cause the fish to consume harmful items. Noise pollution may not be a problem only for the sticklebacks, but it may eventually become a problem for marine mammals. Even though scientists know relatively little about the effects on fish, they do know that they are critically important to the human population because they are a main food source.

As much as we try, there is no possible way to reduce noise pollution in rivers and lakes enough to “save” the sticklebacks. It is true that there are potential risks, but so far, they are not so much of a big deal. This is America and people love boating, so how could we efficiently reduce the risk of killing the sticklebacks?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110228183849.htm

Eagle Lives to Fly Again After Hitting Windshield

Here's a great success story for everyone. Wiegle the "Window Eagle" survived this confrontation with a semi-truck. The endangered bald eagle was feeding on a dead deer on the side of the road when it heard the semi-truck coming towards it. Instead of flying the opposite way, Wiegle flew straight into the windshield of the semi-truck. The crash gave the bald eagle pulmonary issues and internal bleeding. The eagle was rushed to many different centers to see if any of them could help. The eagle had to go through a month of rehab until it was cleared to go back into the wild. First, she had to make progress as she flew, ate on her own, and was able to navigate on land. The eagle was set free in Bear Lake, Idaho, where Wiegle came from. I think that it is great that they saved the eagle, especially since its an endangered species. Also, I think they should have given some credit to the truck driver. If it wasn't for the driver, the eagle wouldn't be alive. All in all, I think Wiegle learned her lesson.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41912047/ns/local_news-boise_id/

"Rivers in the Sky"

Atmospheric rivers are found in small regions of the atmosphere, they have the ability to transport very large amounts of water vapor.  On average they transport enough water to flood Maryland up to a foot deep.  It is possible that these rivers could possibly cause flooding in certain areas, and it is predicted that if this were to happen then there could damage done worse than hurricane Katrina.  The rivers also contribute to very strong winter storms.  NASA is investigating the rivers in the sky with unmanned aircrafts to find out what they are and learn hopefully the main reasons they are there.  Further research could help us get more accurate weather predictions in the future, if there is a way to monitor the movement of the rivers. 

                The new unmanned aircraft called the Global Hawk has many devices for measuring a number of different things.    For example there is a remote sensing instrument that detects heat radiation released by oxygen and water molecules to determine their density and temperature.  This tool operates at microwave frequencies which allow it to easily go through clouds to get to the atmosphere; it will be very beneficial for studying the behavior of weather and the rivers in the sky.  The aircraft its self is very durable it has the ability to stay in the air for more than twenty-four hours and it is able to go into places with very high and low altitudes where it would dangerous for humans to travel.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/jpl/news/earth20110210.html

Great White Sharks Swimming to Extinction?

In a recent study, the population of great white sharks is decreasing. The famous predator is already listed as an endangered species, and as studies show, it is becoming even more endangered. In the article, it states that "the loss of great white sharks would have a significant negative effect on the health and functioning of California's marine ecosystem. The way that the statistics of the shark population for this survey was conducted by researchers attracting sharks to a vesseland used a seal decoy and a small piece of bait so that the sharks that bite into the bait. When the sharks bite into the bait, an automatic camera takes a photo of the shark to see what type of shark it is. Each shark has a unique dorsal fin, so this makes the statistics of the study more accurate. The researchers came up with 219 sharks over a period of time. This does not mean that there are only 219 great white sharks left, but only in that general area. I think that we should try to save our famous friends because if they become extinct, all of the world's marine ecosystem will be negatively effected.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41989081/ns/us_news-environment/

Tequila plant holds promise as arid biofuel source

A plant known for its role in producing tequila is now looked at as a source of bio-fuel that would not compete with food crops. Agave plants can endure extreme temperatures and droughts and have little need for irrigation. These plants are capable of producing large amounts of bio-fuel, and can be grown in roughly 20 percent of the world. This plant could help bring an energy revolution. There are over 200 species of this plant, but two varieties of it are able to produce amounts of bio-fuel that far exceed that of corn, soybeans, and wheat. Even without irrigation they are capable of producing large yields of fuel. I think that this source of bio-fuel should be put to use. It is an eco-friendly energy source, and if it can produce such large amounts of fuel, then it should be used. Hopefully this plant will be put to good use.

http://www.enn.com/agriculture/article/42436

Interesting Facts

I thought I'd make this blog more of an awareness thing than an actual article. We all realize humans have a pretty negative affect on the environment, but look at these facts and see what you can do to help even more. If 25% of American families used 10 less plastic bags a month we could save 2.5 billion bags a year. Really, invest in some reusable bags. They may cost more but in the long run they pay off, Bi-Lo gives a 5 cent discount for every bag you bring in each time you shop. Think about it! Each year we throw away 24 million tons of leaves and grass, leaves account for 75% of our solid waste in fall. Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of gas. Come on, how simple is recycling. Don't be lazy, just do it. About 1% of every landfill is filled with disposable diapers which take 500 years to decompose. Solution? Don't put your kid in diapers! No, I'm totally kidding I think there are diapers made out of recycled material now. Okay, these last two are truly ridiculous. If you don't change your ways a little after reading this, you have no heart. Just kidding again but really. Each year we use 50 million tons of paper, thats 850 million trees.RECYCLE for crying out loud. And lastly, each day 40,o00 children die from preventable diseases. Maybe it's time to change what we're doing. http://http://library.thinkquest.org/11353/facts.htm

UNC "Green" Graduation Regalia

Fashion designer, Alexander Julian, decided to give the University of North Carolina's regalia a makeover. Stating that since they were only worn once, the gowns should be made of recycled fabric. Working with Oak Hall Cap & Gown, he used 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles to create the country's first ever eco-friendly regalia. The new "True Blue" gowns cost around $55, only $5 more then the original gowns.

I think this is a very good idea and other colleges and high schools should look into switching to "green" material as well. Graduation is an important date in any students life, but after the ceremony, they're just left in the closet. So making them out of recycled material makes sense to me.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/alexander-julian-designs-green-unc-graduation-regalia.php

Tobacco Smoking Impacts Teens' Brains

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302152820.htm

Tobacco smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the US, with more than 400,000 deaths each year, and yet teens still smoke. Smoking usually begins in the teen years, and approximately 80 percent of adult smokers became hooked by the time they were 18. Meanwhile, teens who don't take up smoking usually never do. In a study, 25 smokers and 25 non-smokers between the ages of 15 to 21 were asked to perform a test that activated the prefrontal cortex which is the area of the brain that guides decision-making. The results of the study were; the greater a teen's addiction to nicotine, the less active the prefrontal cortex was, suggesting that smoking can affect brain function.

Tequila Plant Holds Promise as Arid Biofuel Source

A plant more commonly used in the production of the alcoholic drink tequila could be used as a source of biofuel production without competing with our food crops. These plants are called agave plants; they can produce high yields in extreme conditions. The world is about 20 percent *semi-arid and there are around 200 agave species worldwide, this crop could bring about an energy revolution, say experts. Mexico has 80 million hectacres of arid and semi-arid areas with no productive potential. In this land 5,600 million tons of dry biomass could be obtained from agave. This dry biomass alone is said to be enough to meet the United States' transport fuel needs. When these plants are used to produce tequila sometimes close to 80% of the plant gets thrown away. Felipe Barahona says, "we would be putting to good use the wastes of industries that are already running." This is important because to obtain oil from jatropha or ethanol from sugarcane these plants would have to be farmed, agave can be used because it is already being produced. I think anytime you can use the resources you already have more efficiently you are on the right track to a solution. It would be great if we could use this plant to produce energy because of how easy it is to grow. Apparently, in areas where nothing else will grow the agave plant will. We can really use this to our advantage as more research is done.

*Arid- lack of water

http://www.scidev.net/en/news/tequila-plant-holds-promise-as-arid-biofuel-source.html

Japan to Build 10,000 EV Charging Stations/Vending Machine Hybrids by 2012

Japan is notorious for its fascination with vending machines -- as of 2008, there were 5.5 million of them across the nation. And these aren't merely the candy bar and soda variety, either -- Japan has vending machines that sell live crabs, grow lettuce, are covered in moss, and dispense smart cars. And by this time next year, it will have 10,000 vending machines that charge electric cars.
Ten Japanese companies said Monday they plan to install electric vehicle chargers at the sites of beverage vending machines across Japan in a cost-cutting tie-up. The consortium includes Forking Co., a major vending machine operator ... Forking has business ties with companies which own a combined 1.2 million vending machines across Japan, or about a half of the national total, company official Reiko Kobayashi said. The firms plan to install some 10,000 electric vehicle chargers at the sites of the vending machines in the first year of the project, which is due to start at the end of March, she added.
Smart. Pick a cultural touchstone and ease in the new technology (remember, even in Japan, conventional wisdom is that electric cars are far from a sure bet) at highly-visible, much-used nodes that the public is intimately familiar with. I guess the domestic analog would be something like installing EV charging stations at fast food drive-thrus, or TVs showing Jersey Shore.
I think this will do very well. By giving people the option to recharge their cars as conviently as pumping gas, more people will be encouraged to buy them. The Nissan Leaf is already available in Japan and hopefully, this new technology will help it become a more popular car.

Icelandic Geothermal Energy

Iceland’s largest energy company is considering selling its vast geothermal and volcanic energy to the European market. By the end of this year, the Iceland energy company, Landsvirkjun, will complete a study of building a sub-sea cable that could deliver as much as five terawatt-hours annually to Europe, enough electricity to power 1.25 million homes. Geothermal energy comes from the earth, and is also renewable. Iceland’s geothermal power is cost effective; it could save millions of dollars. This form of energy is also environmentally friendly; it could replace current energy sources that put thousands of tons of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. Eliminating some of these greenhouse gases is a big step towards an eco-friendly world. I believe that using geothermal energy is a great idea. It saves people lots of money and is clearly a better alternative source of energy than the majority of current energy sources. Hopefully in the future more energy companies will use geothermal energy.

http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/42439