Third Post For The First Nine Weeks Due 10/25/2013)

[Mr. Dove]

Please respond to this topic post to complete your first post for the first nine weeks. PLEASE RESPOND TO ONLY THIS POST. If you wish to appropriately comment on your classmates post then respond to their thread in this discussion. 

[Hannah Bingler]

Topic: Over-fishing in oceans.

Summary: Ever since the early 1800's humans have taken the ocean for granite and over fished until the point of extinction of some species, but in the mid 20th century the problem became a lot worse. In the mid 20th century, international efforts to increase the availability and keep the price down of healthy foods has led to concerted government efforts to increase fishing capacity. Large, profit seeking commercial fleets would set out all across the world and try to catch as many fish as they can as fast as they can and be able to process them quicker than their competitors. But in 1989 the fishing industry had reached its max when over 90 million tons of fish were taken from the ocean and ever since then the amount of fish being caught has declined. Marine biologist estimate that by the year 2048 all the worlds fisheries will have collapsed, due to a study of catch data. Thankfully though, over the past 55 years as the number of fish caught has seemed to decrease, we have realized that the ocean are very sensitive and  are affected by over fishing, climate change, and habitat destruction.

Opinion: I think that if every fisheries slowed its consumption of fish and gave them time to repopulate, even though they would loose some money, in the end the pay off would be much better because the eco system would have become stronger and the fish would have repopulated some, giving us some more fish to catch. Even if that happens though, we would have to constantly be aware of how many fish are in the sea so when we need to back off fishing for a while we know before its to late. I also think that this is a perfect example of the tragedy of the commons. Because all these huge fisheries that  are causing the decline in fish species are only in it for the money and will take as many fish for as long as they can to get more money.

Citations: http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-overfishing/ 

[Caroline Firer]

a) Sustainable use of natural resources/ Emerging technology

 

b) Wal-Mart's latest sustainability check in has them making them some changes in order to become more sustainable. The first step they are willing to take is  increasing the use of recycled materials by working with packaging and requiring less of it. Also they are promoting recycling of plastic as both products they can see and items they dispose of. The second step they are taking is offering products with greener chemicals. This means that they are working with suppliers to use greener substances for any household or cosmetic item. Reducing fertilizer use in agriculture is the third step that Wal-Mart plans to take in becoming more sustainable. Suppliers for Wal-Mart are being required to develop a fertilizer optimization plan that emphasizes goals to improve performance based on Index research.  This program plans to reduce fertilizer use on American farmland. Another step they've created is Expanding the sustainability index to international Markets. By the year 2014, Wal-Mart plans to make their process in sustainability global by having they're branches in different countries participate in the same steps I've been explaining. The last step Wal-Mart plans to take is To Improve Energy Efficiency by providing tools for suppliers to help regulate the energy used to produce products in the greeting card, small plastic toys and television fields.

c) I chose this article because it made me happy to see such a big company take a few simple steps to become more sustainable. When a company as big as Wal-Mart does a few things to be more "green,"

theyre influence would be a lot more great than if a local business took those same steps. Everyone could benefit from reading this article because I had no idea that Wal-Mart was partaking in the Green movement and I think it would change the way some people viewed Wal-Mart. They're trying to better not only they're products but their entire efficiency of the business which is a pretty big deal.

 

d)Staff, Daily Green. "Wal-Mart takes strides towards sustainability." The Daily Green. Daily Green staff, 16 september 2013. Web. 8 Oct 2013. <http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/walmart-sustainability-2013>.

 

[taylor burley]

       Deep Sea Ecosystem May Take Decades to Recover from Deepwater Horizon Spill

 

A. Pollution Leading to Possible Extinction

 

B.   The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico can take decades to recover. The oil reached the sea floor and damaged important natural resources and animals. The biodiversity has been dramatically reduced. The oil spill covered 360 square miles with the most dramatic reduction of biological abdundance and biodiversity.

 

C. I chose this article because of how severe this problem is. And it's not the only time this has happened. I know accidents happen, but I think we need to reallly think and design a prevention plan so we don't eliminate our sea life completely. It's a big deal because we are ruining sea life, of all kinds (plants, animals, the water itself, ect.) when we really don't need to.

 

D. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130925092237.htm 

 

[Alanna Breeden]

A. Climate System

B. This article is discussing a way to reduce the temperature of the Earth.The way they were discussing, was a man-made variation on a volcanic eruption. The volcano in question was Mt. Pinatubo. Scientists were researching a way to spray aerosol sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. It is a cheap, easy and accessible way to cool the planet, but Ken Caldeira states that we should focus on the root cause of global warming.However, until we have the aircraft to place it into the atmosphere, we are at a standstill. Putting the sulfur dioxide would be sprayed in clouds over the ocean to make them whiter, the whiter they are, the more sunlight they reflect, successfully lowering the temperature in a certain area. A few negatives that were discussed, were affect on ocean life, crop growth, and rainfall, especially acid rain when the water in the sulfur clouds falls. Even if these negatives were considered less important to the beneficial parts, many countries aren’t in a decisive yes or no. Nothing can happen till a decision is made.

C. I chose this article because it seemed like an interesting topic. We have been discussing the environment and how certain things could affect that, and  I believed that this was an interesting thing to think about when dealing with aquatic ecosystems. This article made me think more about ways to lower earth’s temperature without harming it more than we already have. If I were in this situation, I would weigh the pros and cons of using sulfur dioxide in the clouds, but focus more on eliminating the main source of global warming, the greenhouse effect. I like this article because it clearly states the positives and negatives of using this method. I think everyone could benefit from this article, and should read it. We need to know more about what we are doing to the earth, and what measures might have to be taken because of it.

D. Bernstein, Lenny. “Scientists studying solar radiation management as a way to cool the planet.” Washington Post 08 September 2013

[Hunter Critzer]

A) Environment, pollution and human health

B) This article talked about the old landfills that were very bad for the environment, compared to the modern, more efficient, and cleaner for the environment ones now-a-days. The major differences between the two stated in this article were the liners,leachate collection systems, and gas collection systems! The liners and leachate collection systems are used to keep waste and other harmful materials from leaking into the environment and water ways. The gas collection systems are in place to keep harmful greenhouse gases from contaminating air leading to global warming and unhealthy air to breathe. Overall, the skillfully engineered, modern landfills are much more efficient, safer, and better for the environment and humans everywhere!

C) I found this article to be very informational and interesting! It is nice to read about even trash businesses working to create a healthy, more sustainable way of life. If we had continued with the landfills of the past, the world would have been very polluted and difficult to live on in the future! Now, people are working together to save the environment, which is important to me because I love the outdoors and would hate to see it all be harmed. I think this article would be good for anyone who does not think we are doing anything to save the environment. It shows that even trash disposal companies are trying to do their part in saving the world!

D)National Solid Wastes Management Association. "Modern Landfills Are Safe for the Environment." Garbage and Recycling. Ed. Mitchell Young. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.

[Lauren Cosner]

A. Pollution

 

B. A European study has found that air pollution is related to low-birth-weight babies. The study included more than 74,000 mother-children pairs in 12 countries. The air circulating in the mothers home also contributed to the birth-weight. After the study tested many different factors, it was estimated that every 5 microgram per cubic meter was related to an 18 percent increase in lose birth weight. Low birth weight can be translated into negative effects in adulthood.

 

C. I chose this article because I would not consider air pollution to be a major factor in birth weight. Only thinking of the obvious harm such as smoking and drinking, this article made me realize many other factors also contribute to a baby's health. I enjoyed this article because it made me think and gave me a greater knowledge of my surroundings. Mothers all over the world could benefit from reading this article and becoming more knowledgeable of how their child is being affected. I do not believe this topic would be relevant to children my age, but possibly in the years to come it would be relevant.

 

D."Air Pollution Linked to Lower Birth Weights." Well Air Pollution Linked to Lower Birth Weights Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013

[Zach Lazen]

A) Arctic Warming

B) According to recent research at the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado, Arctic temperatures are higher than they've been in the last 44,000 years. About 5,000-10,000 years ago there was a period called the Holocene Thermal Maximum where the Arctic was closest to the sun, having record radiation and hot temperatures ever recorded in that area. During that time period the ice caps in the Baffin Island area did not melt, despite the high temperatures. Recently, many of these ice caps have begun to melt, revealing ancient vegetation on the stone. Carbon dating tests were done on 365 of these samples and scientists found that some of the vegetation was 40,000 years old, far beyond the date of the Holocene Thermal Maximum, meaning that even during that time it was not warm enough to melt the caps. The fact that the Arctic area isn't nearly as close as it once was proves the contrary idea, that global warming is caused by natural effects, is wrong. The only answer for this is a higher release of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which if levels were to stay constant, would be very treacherous to our global environment.

C) I chose this article because it displays the severity of pollutants and how our increasing human population is so damaging. I never realized how much of an impact our race has made to our home planet, and this article truly opened my eyes to the fact that global warming rates will continue to increase if we do not decrease our carelessness to the planet that keeps us alive.

D) http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=arctic-warming-unprecedented-in-last-44000-years

[Wade Goodrich]

A) Sustainable Use/Pollution and human health

B) This article is about an oil pipeline, owned by the company Tesoro, which ruptured, spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of crude oil onto Steven Jensen's wheat farm. While this particular oil spill did not pose a threat to anyone, it did get people thinking about whether oil pipelines are monitored well enough. Currently oil companies are supposed to be alerted as soon as a spill starts. However, there are no government regulations to say how well these alert systems should work or how fast the company needs to respond to any problems. While they claim this instance was not a problem ecologically

C) I chose this article because I believe that energy and fuel are very important issues, and some of our largest problems, ecologically, stem from them. Politicians constantly argue about whether it is better to use the natural resources we have here in America, or to develop new forms of energy production like wind and solar.

If we are going to continue using crude oil (and it certainly seems like we will) there will have to be more and more regulations to protect the environment. Unfortunately most large corporations are focused solely on making more money, and not on protecting the environment. I believe that giving up crude oil altogether would be a better solution than implementing crazy regulations and technologies to keep a centuries old energy source in common use. Internal combustion has no place in a modern world. The technology should have died out centuries ago. It is unfit for its environment. This article showcases why.

D)"Oil Spill in North Dakota Raises Detection Concerns." The New York Times. N.p., 23 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

[Henry Warrick]

A.Environment, pollution and human health

B. A dangerous number of trees are being cut down in Peru and the amazon rain-forest, and though some are trying to push against this by stopping the operations and taking the equipment, the officials are too corrupt to let them. In many cases private forest investigators have gone in and stopped villagers in the act of logging and they've taken their equipment. But in Peru and much of South America, the legal system is very corrupt and the judges keep getting paid off. The judges have made the private investigators give back the equipment and sometimes they even get mad at the investigators. The wood is illegally sold to China and other countries and the business of illegal logging, apparently, is booming. In one case, a local judge was offered $5,000 to forget about the investigation of logging at hand, he accepted, and later was found and issued only a warning. Experts say that if the illegal logging continues  at the rate it's at now, there could be major problems for the forests in peru and the amazon. The illegal logging is destroying ecosystems and making several places unlivable for organisms.

C. I chose this article because I've been following the trends of illegal logging for a while and this case really stood out. Many areas in South America are corrupt and it's only hurting the environment  The Peruvian government needs to start cracking down on the illegal logging and stop taking bribes. I believe that if it doesn't slow down over the next for years then a lot of what once was a rich ecosystem will be destroyed and sold illegally. The cops need to start setting up checkpoints and catching the men who are illegally logging. I liked this article because it shows that people really are noticing the logging issue and they're trying to stop it. Many people could benefit from this article because they could want to try and get more involved with the issue of illegal logging in areas closer to them too.

D.William , Newman. N.p.. Web. 24 Oct 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/19/world/americas/corruption-in-peru-aids-cutting-of-rain-forest.html?pagewanted=1&ref=earth>.

[Shannon Simko]

1. Climate system

 

2. This article is emphasizing its problems on humans and how we are changing the climate. This is all evident from the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations within the atmosphere. Resulting in a world "warming", increase in sea levels, decrease in snow coverage, and ocean temperatures rising are just a few to list that what is occurring in result of us humans. Studies have shown that over the last 60 years, the increase of greenhouse gasses was more than 50% human related.

 

3. The first thing that came to my mind when reading this was the movie The Day After Tomorrow, it is about global warming and climate change. If that movie doesn't give us a wakeup call ( not saying its accurate) then I don't know what will! If humans are causing this permanent damage to our climate and we can't bounce back from it, what do we do? It's scary to think that we would have to get over 6 billion people to make the effort in saving our planet, so the real question and thought this article left me with is were to we begin from the already basics we are doing? (recycling, reusing, etc)

 

 

4. McGrath, Matt. "IPCC Climate Report: Humans 'dominant Cause' of Warming." BBC News. BBC, 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

[Ryan Jacobson]

A. Earth System Science

B. Life on Mars has always been a question that has popped up here and there. Four million years ago, Mars was believed to have a rich atmosphere in CO2, but somehow it lost its gases and caused the planet to cool. Scientist believe that this method or whatever happen to Mars can be a solution to Earth's global warming problem.

C. This topic interested because with all of the global warming speculation going on its hard not to think of the possibilities that are out there as an alternative for our planet. There's speculation of potentially moving human life forms to Mars. But if there's a solution that can prevent global warming we should definitely look into it.   

D.  "Carbonation On Mars." ENN Original News. Ed. ENN. Environmental News Network, 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

[Sebastian Glickman]

A. Energy Saving

B. The article is about New York City taking action in creating less green house gases by removing their streetlights and replacing them with LED bulbs. The LED bulbs last longer and save money. It is said that the standard bulbs will last an average of 6 years and the LED bulbs can last up to 20 years. That prevents bulbs being thrown out as often. This is only part of their attempt to create a less harmful environment by 2017. They have already begun to replace some of the lights.

C. I like the idea of switching out the bulbs. One LED bulb can last longer than using 3 standard bulbs, which would only make it about 18 years. While it may seem like such a small thing to do, just switching light bulbs, it's New York. There are so many street lights in New York that this will really help them and the environment. Less bulbs in the trash. If people read this they would realize that the smallest things can have big impacts in the long run. People can buy LED or energy saving light bulbs for their homes. If New York is replacing all 250,000 street lights with LED bulbs, then I think everyone else can replace ones they have in their homes.

D. Gregory, Kia. "City to Fit All Streetlights With Energy-Saving LED Bulbs." The New York Times. N.p., 24 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/25/nyregion/city-to-fit-all-streetlights-with-energy-saving-led-bulbs.html?ref=earth&_r=0>.

[Zach Lockhart]

Zach Lockhart

 

Emerging Technologies and Sustainable use of natural resources

 

Are electric vehicles better for the environment?  Not according to Ozzie Zehner, a scholar at the University of California at Berkeley who worked on GM’s EV1 electric car in the 90s.  He claims that the disposal of  batteries will have a greater affect than burning gasoline will.  Apparently, the batteries contain chemicals that could harm the environment and the mass numbers being made and thrown away, will surely hurt.      

            This news is welcome to many.  After years of searching for alternative fuels, scientist think they have found one.  Now studies are popping up showing otherwise.        

            There are also economic problems.  Car manufacturers aren’t making enough profit on electric automobiles.  In order for there to even be a future market, they are going to have to find a way to make a steady income. 

            Zehner finishes with this: “I don’t have anything against EVs personally,” he says, admitting that they’re fun to drive. “I just don’t think they’re green.”

 

http://cars.chicagotribune.com/fuel-efficient/news/chi-are-electric-vehicles-environmental-option-20130715

[Mary Elam]

Mary Elam

A.) Coral Reefs Regulating Climate 

B.) Scientists have led to a new discovery that coral reefs may have a major role in regulating local climate and keeping the ocean from increase in temperature due to its chemicals. Australian marine scientists have predicted that the coral creates a sulphur-based molecule that benefits to multiple aspects of the ocean's environment, such as maintaining a steady temperature and cooling ocean's in times of overheating. They've also stated that coral is what gives the ocean it's distinct smell with the chemical dimethylsulphoniopropionate, or (DMSP) for short. Coral is the first to be classified as an animal DMSP producer. Scientists conclude that without coral and the chemical DMSP, cloud formation would start to take a major effect in oceanic areas. Since clouds help regulate heat temperatures of the ocean, the disruption of these clouds would cause huge heat stress to the sea. 

C.) I decided to review this article because the Great Barrier Reef in Australia has been my number one place of interest for many years. I didn't realize how much of an effect coral has on the ocean. Originally, I thought it was just an incredible natural formation of the sea that was just satisfying to admire. Now that I've read this article I know the role it plays and how it is a huge factor in keeping the ocean at a steady regulation, based on the DMSP chemical. 

D.) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131023165248.htm

[Kaona Ayres]

Oil Spill in North Dakota Raises Detection Concerns

Themes: Natural Hazards; Environment Pollution, and human health

Summary: Last month, the end of September, a farmer in North Dakota detected a 865,000 gallon oil spill on his land that consumed 7 acres of his farmland. Seeing how the hole in the underground pipeline was only a 1/4th of an inch wide, this spill could have gone on for weeks. Tesoro Logistics, owner of the pipeline, promised Mr Jensen, the farmer, to clean up the issue and restore his farmland. This leak, however, and that fact that it went so long undetected (not to mention that it was caught by a landowner rather than a Tesoro worker) raised concerns among the public regarding proper oil pipeline monitoring to prevent such inland spills. This incident was one of the largest in the United States. It was not considered such a big deal due to the fact that  it occurred in an isolated area rather than a highly populated one. The new idea now for pipeline monitoring is to extensively watch more important, environmentally sensitive regions while monitoring less populated areas less rigorously.

Reaction: Honestly, I had no clue that inland oil spills were even a thing. I chose this article because oil spill usually direct alot of attention. However, i hardly heard of this one, if at all. I now understand that it is because this one was inland and posed less of a threat to the environment yet it is still harmful. This article related directly to our unit on hazardous waste by human means. I would like to see what means of monitoring pipelines are incorporated into the new plans and to eventually live in a world where oil spill are not an environmental problem at all. Im very happy to know that this was not an ocean oil spill because the effects would have been much more devastating to the environment and marine life.

Dan, Frosch. n.d., n. pag. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/24/us/oil-spill-in-north-dakota-raises-detection-concerns.html?ref=earth&_r=0>.

[Abby Lipscomb]

A) Biodiversity
B) This is article is about the importance of biodiversity. It uses patches of grassland for an example of how important it is. Each patch had as many as 16 or as little as one kind of species of grass. They came to the conclusion that with having the diversity of genes the plants had a better survival rate. They have a wider set of traits allowing them to thrive in almost any environment. Biodiversity loss is ranked one of the most negative affects on an ecosystem.
C) I chose this article because explains exactly how biodiversity does make a difference and can change the world. The article contrasted the biodiversity of grass species to the earth. This article helped me open my eyes to see how everything is so connected. Even something so small can affect and make a huge impact in the long run. Everyone could benefit from reading this article. Kids my age should read this too because we are the future and we control where our environment will go. As humans we are in control of everything.
D) Biello, David. "How Biodiversity Keeps Earth Alive." Scientific American 3, May 2012. 25, October 2013.

[Sarah Hale]

A. Natural Hazards

B. The Northeast has recently witnessed a sharp decline in the amount of bats present in the ecosystem. Once thriving nightly with thousands of bats flying around at any given time, people are now noticing their absence. In 2006, a disease called the "White Nose Syndrome" was introduced, ultimately killing millions of bats. It was caused by a unknown fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans), and it quickly spread. Bats sleep close to one another, and with hundreds of other bats surrounding them. This obviously is not a good combination when such a contagious disease is present. The disease actually causes bats to arise from their winter hibernation, forcing them to fly about looking for some sort of food. However, the bats are not accustomed to winter temperatures, and so they unfortunately die.

C. This article made me realize the effects of overpopulation and carrying capacity. The disease itself was caused strictly by the infected bats being close to bats who were not infected. This obviously resulted in the disease transfer, which spread it and killed millions of bats in the process. I can see the relation between this sort of scenario with animals and also how humans go through the same thing if a contagious disease is introduced. I think this is important for kids our age because it makes them aware of not only the ability of animals to spread disease but also how this could very well happen to humans if such a disease were to infect us.

 

D. DAVE TAFT, . N.p.. Web. 31 Oct 2013. <http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/25/a-thrill-now-sadly-rare/?ref=earth>.