The ocean is in trouble

Many people think of the ocean as a thing that will always be there and that nothing can harm it. This is not true. Scientists are coming forward with new information stating that the ocean is in grave danger. The scientists predict a grim future in the years to come if we do not change our ways. This is because of the many issues plaguing the oceans such as; ocean acidification, loss of marine diversity, climate change, pollution, and overfishing. Of these problems, climate change and ocean acidification are of the utmost importance. Ocean acidification is depleting the food supply, which makes up the lower levels of the aquatic food chain. If the plankton die off, it could potentially screw up the entire food chain. Original Article

Endangered Species and the Ecosystem

http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/endangered-animals-of-the-world/24#Is it important to save animals from extinction?

If a species is endangered this means that they are under threat or near extinction, while extinction means the end of existence for a whole entire species of animal. We need to help out IUCN or formally known as the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources for the good of our ecosystem. This helps keep our ecosystems from being vulnerable and weak. The good news is that some species have made a comeback. The bad news is that many more species are now under threat, including indicator species and evolutionarily unique species. When an indicator species becomes threatened, endangered, or worse, extinct, this means an entire ecosystem faces collapse. To prevent this from happening it is important to realize the planets biodiversity, which deals with our variety of plant and animal life, as well as all the habitats they live in, and the food they must consume to survive. Due to the fact that certain animals only eat certain plants and the fact that those plants may need those certain animals to pollinate or spread their seeds, this means that the plant without the animal or the animal without the plant could cause a whole species to die out. The more species too disappear, the more entire eco-systems become vulnerable and would eventually fall apart. They eventually fall apart due to food chains in an environment becoming broken.

Warm Weather Puts Trees On Fast Forward

Warm Weather Puts Trees On Fast Forward



A red maple produces flowers unusually early on the campus of
the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, N.Y.



Unseasonably high temperatures have enticed pollen from American elm trees, early green flowers from shrubs, and clouds of deep pink flowers from red maples, pointing to the early arrival of spring in central New York and reflecting what is happening all across the eastern United States.

 Many plants are developing flowers, and grasses that are growing two to three weeks earlier than usual, bringing about a long and intense allergy season.

 Dr. Donald J. Leopold said, "This warm weather might be really pleasant and some people might find it comforting," , he is the chair of the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse, N.Y. he also said, "But when the weather is really altered from typical conditions, there are always winners and losers among all types of both plants and animals. With the many plant and animal species in the East, some will benefit and some will be adversely impacted with these unusually warm conditions."

Article taken from - Click Here

Developing Renewable Energy Resources of Landfill Gas

Every year the average person puts out about 1,130 pounds of waste every year. Sounds like a lot right? Well that's because it is. But what if I told you all that waste, didn't have to go into a landfill, where it's just going to sit, forever. When the waste in a landfill decomposes, it releases two main greenhouse gases, Methane and CO2. Methane is a gas that can be used as fuel and landfills are increasingly starting to realize this. Landfill gas is the source of power for more than a million homes and of heat for over three-quarters of a million homes in the US. Methane is 20 times more potent than CO2 as a greenhouse gas for trapping heat. But according to the EPA, 60 to 90 percent of the methane produced by a landfill is captured by a typical landfill gas energy project. The amount of waste we give off would still be incredibly high, but if we have to start saving the planet, we might as well start somewhere. 

A Mini-Eden for Endangered Orangutans

The dwindling population of Orangutans is now somewhere around 50,000. The reason for the decrease in the Orangutan population is the destruction of the rain forest that they live in. Orangutans used to live throughout all of South East Asia but now they are populated on a few islands in Indonesia. As the destruction of the Orangutans habitat the more and more they are starting to come in contact with humans. Since this is happening people are hunting them for food or to keep them away from there crops. Scientists are now using camp leaky which was a rehabilitation sight for orangutans, to bring the endangered orangutans too. This is one solution to the problem. A barrier could be that we can’t keep up with the deforestation and the orangutans will be killed before we can rescue them. I think that the people in Indonesia need to stop and look at what they are doing to the animal’s environment. The solution to bring them to camp leaky is a great idea because the apes won’t have to worry about their habitat being destroyed.

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/in-a-mini-eden-for-threatened-orangutans/

MPAs Keeping Sea Turtles Safe

In this article the author discusses the effectiveness of marine protected areas for sea turtles. These areas are used to protect animals by prohibiting fishing or killing of the animals. Currently, 35% of the sea turtle population is in one of the many marine protected areas. This number is much higher than scientists expected because the number of marine protected areas in shallow waters is very small. There are different types of marine protected areas some are very strict on the regulations, these are used for science. Scientists studied the movement of 145 turtles, they found that the majority of the turtles ended up in a strictly enforced marine protected area. For a long time there was debate about whether marine protected areas were helpful, this research has shown that they are helping the turtle populations.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120319095043.htm

Greenhouse Gases Have Reached the Tipping Point

Greenhouse gas levels have reached a dangerous level. Current levels of greenhouse gases equal to carbon dioxide are 390 million parts per million. This level is considered to be a tipping point in the science world. Tim Flannery, a climate control expert, says "The amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere is already above the threshold that can potentially cause dangerous climate change. We are already at risk...It's not next year or next decade, it's now." We need to act fast to control our emissions. In the 1990's, carbon emissions grew by less than 1% per year. From 2000-2008, these emissions grew at a rate of 3.5% per year. No part of the world showed decline. That's unacceptable, considering the know and proven scientific dangers shown to come along with global climate change. Climate change is also affecting natural disasters, as the disasters attributed to being caused by climate having risen 20% in two decades. We are not only killing the environment, but ourselves as well.

Article:

http://www.globalstewards.org/issues.htm

Rising Sea Levels Seen as Threat to Coastal U.S.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/science/earth/study-rising-sea-levels-a-risk-to-coastal-states.html?_r=1&ref=earth

Water Temperatures and Coral Reefs

This article discusses the harm of rising ocean temperatures on the coral reefs. Some reefs are currently apart of the MPA or Marine Protected Areas. Scientists did research to find out if the reefs that are in these areas are being affected as well or if it was only the unprotected reefs. After researching more than 8,000 coral reefs they found that the reefs in the protected areas as well as the ones not in them are being affected. Although the protected reefs can be recovered easier from the damage of the temperature, study author John Bruno says, “..this does not appear to be an effective general solution.” Elizabeth Selig believes that, “..we need to rethink our current planning for MPAs in order to maximize the benefits they can provide." Protecting these reefs is a great plan when trying to protect them from overfishing and pollution and things of that nature, but it is difficult to protect them from a location independent variable, such as the warming of the water. I think it is very important to continue to do research and find an effective way to protect these reefs from local issues as well as larger ones.  The Article

“Capsizing icebergs pack the punch of a nuclear bomb”

A recent study shows that as a consequence of global warming there is anticipated trouble in the Polar Regions on Earth. It is being shown that massive icebergs are potential danger for nearby countries. Stating within the article that, “Tumbling icebergs can release energies on the level of an atom bomb.” It also states that one of the icebergs is approximately the size of the state of Connecticut. The thing is that global warming is what is supposedly causing all the uproar. In what ways can we, as a whole, slow down global warming before it is a little too late?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46735809/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.T2PuIxEgd2B

Study: Climate Change will Exacerbate Respiratory Diseases

A new study suggests that as the Earth gets warmer, the danger of respiratory disease in humans increase. The higher temperature by itself doesn’t make a person more likely to get sick with diseases such as asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and other infections of that degree. The problem will come from the increase in ground level ozone in urban areas, higher particulate matter in drought-stricken areas, and the ranges of communicable disease expanding into the higher latitudes. All those are factors that will lead to more humans becoming sick. Respiratory diseases may grow exponentially during climate-change related to events such as heat waves or bad air pollution days. During those moments that some populations will need the most help unless we prepare now.

From: David A Gabel, ENN

Published March 15, 2012 01:58 PM

http://www.enn.com/enn_original_news/article/44135

Is Seaweed the Future of Biofuel?

Scientists have been looking for a safer and more efficient source of fossil fuels to be able to use instead of oil. Lately, they have been looking into the use of seaweed. Researchers have discovered that by using seaweed, it could not only give us another source of bioethanol, but it could help clean the oceans by ridding it off excessive nutrients.

I think that using seaweed as a fossil fuel is a very good idea because not only would we be able to have another source of bioethanol, but it would give us an option to be able to renew our own source and to save lands that we are getting our fuels from now for other things.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120305132534.htm

Rising Sea Levels

(This map covers all of coastal U.S)

Did you know that about 3.7 million Americans live within a few feet of high tide?  Did you know that we are close to, therefore affected with the 3.7 million lives that are at risk of being hit by coastal flooding because of the rising sea level.  This will eventually happen in coming decades because of global warming. The most vulnerable state is Florida! What is going to happen to all of our favorite beaches that we like to go to during the summer? Eventually if we don’t act now while we can we will be paying even more than necessary trying to save land at the last minute. I don’t think there is a solution to completely stop rising sea level but I do believe that if we lower down on global warming (caused by pollution), we may decrease just how rapid the sea level is rising.  While coming up with “green” ways to live and actually enforcing them we then need to think of ways to protect our land from the sea levels; as New York is already trying to do by using pumps at sewage stations and raising them to higher elevations.

Enough talk, it is time to do.  What are you doing to help stop global warming? Do you believe you can make a difference?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/science/earth/study-rising-sea-levels-a-risk-to-coastal-states.html?ref=earth

Low Frequency Active Sonar

A low sonar is being used to detect enemy submarines by the United States Navy.  The sound has proven effective for find other submarines.  What they do not realize is this sonar is messing up the sonar that other whales and dolphins use.  The frequency is so loud that it can permanently harm and even kill whales and dolphins.  The animals sonar waves get intermixed with the waves from the Navy detecting machines and cause disorientation. The sonar waves can also kill whales and dolphins driving them to land.  Several law suites  have been filed and they have gotten the Navy to end testing early in Hawaii.  The testing was only ended early but will pick back up next year.  We need to find a lower level of sound we emit for our sonar to track other submarines.  Endangering our sea life is no way to try and keep our lives safer.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/177/nature-and-animal-conservation

A real life Jurassic Park?

Here is the plant that has been brought "back to life"

Silene stenophylla, a plant that has been extinct for over 30,000 years has just been brought back into existence by Russian scientists. A frozen fruit of this plant was found in a squirrels burrow pre-ice age! Growth hormones revived its tissue and made it able to be a living plant. Some think that Global warming may help scientists find more of these burrows in the Siberian permafrost leading to other plants being discovered and re-created. This raises questions about what will be re-created next? To quote Stanislav Gubin, "If we are lucky, we can find some frozen squirrel tissue, and this path could lead us all the way to mammoth".

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/real-life-jurassic-park-30-000-old-plant-233300326.html

Earthquake prediction.

The earthquake last year in Japan shocked everyone in Japan and left everyone unprepared. 15,000 people ended up dead. Scientists believe that an earthquake of the same 9 magnitude will happen in North America in the near future. They have been monitoring a fault that has seemed to be quiet for a while now. But it has actually been losing more and more layers which is what will cause the earthquake. Scientists are not sure when this will happen but they are seeing more and more changes with the fault. The only think we can do is wait and keep ourselves updated on the new news on the moving rock. I think it is scary to think about but if we keep ourselves informed, we will be able to be prepared for it.




http://discovermagazine.com/2012/extreme-earth/01-big-one-earthquake-could-devastate-pacific-northwest

4 Ideas to Make America's Energy Supply Safer and More Efficient - David Bell

      A group of experts have thought of four ideas that are going to make America's energy supply safer and cleaner. Transporting is the cause of 27 percent of carbon emissions in America. Scientists say that electric vehicle sales should grow causing carbon emissions to reduce at a fairly high rate. Also, scientists are suggesting downsizing nuclear power plants and make them even more safe and cheap. Another idea is to extract frozen gas from permafrost or from the ocean floor and power new turbines. Natural gas is one of the cleanest burning fossil fuels and the U.S. has about 284 trillion cubic feet of it. The last idea is powering cars with pond scum. Algae is a very efficient source of biofuel and some species contain up to 60 percent oil. All of these ideas could be used to help us sustain our earth and live healthier lives.  http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8395173318787760504#editor/target=post;postID=2288324167903560032

New Solar Panels

Many new installments of solar panels have been built in the U.S. due companies forming more resourceful and cheaper ways to build these costly but energy saving devices. Companies last year found new ways to make to build panels cheaper as well as being granted more funds to keep them growing in quantity. The picture above shows a larger scale installment in California just last year in 2011. The number of large-scale installations grew from 2 in 2009 to 28 in 2012. These panels take in light from the sun and generate it into electicity. If we keep finding better ways to install these, they will be coming to most states in the near future.



http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/14/new-solar-panels-blossomed-despite-a-tough-year-for-the-industry/?scp=2&sq=environment&st=cse

Exelon Merger: Final Hurdle

Exelon passed its final hurdle with a approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  They had a  $7.9 billion dollar merger with Baltimore-based Constellation Energy that granted them the chance to divest three of Constellation's powers plants totaling 2,648 megawatts.  The two companies have also agreed to sell 500 megawatts of base load energy in a contract that lasts until 2015.  The CEO of the company will leave a combined company operating an energy fleet that is 87% low emission generation that includes nuclear, hydroelectric, wind solar and natural gas energy. While the U.S. Environmental protection agency provides a tougher stance against hazardous air pollutants and mercury emissions the new company could have an advantage because most of its fleets either are non-emitting or outfitted with the necessary environmental controls.

Trees Blocking Billboards

Charlotte's largest billboard company is wanting to remove trees that are blocking their adverstisments. Adams Outdoor Advertising has submitted 21 applications to remove these trees. On March 1, a law went into effect that gives companies more leeway to clear vegetation that obscures roadside signs. In some cases only a small hand full of trees need removal. However, in other cases as many as 92 trees need to be cut down. Many enviromentalists want these trees to stay. Some feel that the billboard itself should be moved, not the trees. Adams Advertising argues that companies pay them to post billboards to advertise their product. The trees that may be chopped down will make billboards more noticeable and seen by tens of thousands of motorists each day. They are simply trying to do their job. The city has a 30-day window to comment on the applications, which will be reviewed by the N.C. Department of Transportation.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/03/13/3093148/charlotte-company-files-first.html#storylink=cpy

Air pollution may increase stroke, heart attack risk

A recent study shows that people who are around high quality pollutant air can increase the possibility of a stroke, and in a large-scale population increase the chance of a heart attack. It is stated that 20% of the polluted air that was breathed by people could have been reduced based on an individuals' environment, something an individual could have prevented. Possible solutions could be to move to a lower air-quality environment, or to not remain in high air quality environments for a long duration. Barriers to the provided solution is that people can't control where they live, and are not aware of the high air quality environment they are in. I believe that this should be studied further to find more solutions to prevent more strokes from happening. I think the solutions are unreasonable because people cannot control the amount of polluted air that they breath.

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/15/health/air-pollution-stroke-heart-attack-risk/index.html?iref=storysearch