Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Week 14 - The Environment

The environment isn't an issue that takes place on a weekly basis - unless it is a natural disaster like last week's typhoon. This week I would like you to post on an environmental issue that is a global. Please try to vary it up; I don't want to see 17 or even 5 posts on climate change. Claim your topic by posting the title first. Then come back to that same post and choose edit comment to input the content of your post. From species extinction to household cleaning products, these are all things that have a profound and cumulative impact on our lives. Go out there, find an environmental issue that strikes a chord with you and post on it here in this thread. Remember your two external references and remember to comment on a classmate's post. There are only two posts remaining, so bring your A-game, por favor.

24 comments:

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    1. A little late but this is my post for the week.

      The extinction of species has been an ongoing occurrence ever since the end of the age of dinosaurs. However, I will argue that we do not care that the animals are becoming extinct, due to us being greedy, as well as uninformed about the dire consequences of what could potentially happen if certain species were to disappear and go extinct. 



      Firstly, most of the developed world is focused on growing the economy, which is not necessarily a bad thing, however the growing of an economy means destroying many ecosystems which cause species to become on the verge of extinction. The problem with this destruction of ecosystems is that the majority are completely misinformed or just plain ignorant in what could happen if these ecosystems and species were to disappear. When we see gas prices go as low as 82 cents per litre(1), one turns their head amazed at how low they’ve become, rushing to fill up before they rise again. Why should I pay tons of money to develop alternative energy sources when I can just go save my own money and buy gas at next to nothing? I see people, including myself, jump at the opportunity of low gas prices, but not try and save our backyard - that being BC- from being destroyed by the northern gateway pipeline? The answer is simple, greed. We jump at the first opportunity to save a penny, but not help others who beg for change, or those animals in desperate need of help? People see informercials about things such as pipeline and how it will benefit our economy and how it is a good thing. What they don’t see is what will happen in the future if we continue to behave and treat our environment this way? I for one do not want to see a world full of trash, overpopulation, and trees become a thing of the past due to acid rain(2).

      When there is inequality in the world, the unequal must do whatever it takes to live. Take for example when a man in Hong Kong must feed his family and survive for under a dollar a day. If this man encounters a panda bear in the wild and knows that its value on the black-market will outweigh the consequence of killing an endangered species. Like in class discussions, it was mentioned that if one were to educate this man, they would learn that if they keep the panda and create a living place for it, people from all over the world will come and visit the bear for years to come. It reminds me of the concept of “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”, where education has the greatest value.

      If we can somehow educate the world of the harsh consequences they are doing to not only themselves but as well as the ecosystems of many animals by polluting the water and land, using fossil fuels, and exploiting large areas of land for the demand of exotic products like Brazilian hardwood. With the rapidly expanding economy and rapidly declining biodiversity of many ecosystems, it is very easy to be greedy and only worry about what matters to you or what pertains to yourself. However, this greed won’t last forever, and nor will oil. But will it be too late to switch to alternative energy sources like solar energy when the world realizes what they are doing to their own planet? 





      Sources: 1 - http://www.ontariogasprices.com/barrie/index.aspx
      2 - http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/science/what-climate-change-could-do-to-the-earth-in-50-years

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    1. This is my weekly post…
      This week I have chosen to talk about nuclear and electronic waste. Nuclear waste is generated at every point of the nuclear fuel cycle. Much of the waste that is produced will stay around for hundreds of years, and many of the nuclear plants that are closed down still need much protection just because of how dangerous the area could be if something was to go wrong. When we look at electronic waste, we can see what happens with what we dispose of in terms of electronics. Laptops, phones, and more are thrown out on a daily basis across the more developed areas of the world. This can result in the release of hazardous materials such as lead, mercury, heavy metals and many other toxic substances. One of the bigger differences with electronic and nuclear waste compared to most other environmental issues like pollution, is the fact that it’s not directly noticeable. When looking at electronic waste we can look at the following. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, in 2009 there were almost 30 million computers, 23 million TV’s and 129 million mobile phones were disposed of. (1) Those were very big numbers for 2009, however we all know how much technology has improved over the years. Phones have become more prominent than ever, it’s rare to see anyone with older style phones anymore. TV’s have become flat screen, HD, 3D, and now even curved TV’s. In 2009 it was very rare to have more than one flat screen HD TV. We are now almost in 2015, and we are noticing that as we get new electronics, we seem to be oblivious to what happens to the old electronics. So what is the solution to the growing problem? Well, it is still very hard to tell because this is a fairly new type of waste that can very much impact us in the future. There are people still working to try and find the affects and solutions but from a personal perspective, the best way to take care of it is the way we are doing it right now. We have companies around the world who deal with taking our electronic waste and using the useful parts of the waste as recycling.
      The toxins that are released from nuclear and electronic energy can potentially be very deadly, however it’s hard to tell if you’re being affected by it. A common argument against nuclear energy is that some of the waste can be dangerous for tens of thousands of years. The nuclear companies have made it very clear that they make sure there is no harm to future generations. They also stress that they are not the only corporations that produce waste. (2) Another common argument is that we should be sending our nuclear waste into space. The response by nuclear companies has pointed out the major flaws in this idea. They mainly say the costs are way too high to perform something of that nature. The danger is also amplified by transporting dangerous waste and also the danger of a launch failure is very possible. This has been tested since the 1970’s and we still have no major progressions. (2) The bottom line for nuclear and electronic waste is that we are currently taking care of the waste in the best way we know how to deal with it. Hopefully we develop new ways to dispose of the waste in a faster, and safer way, however right now we are not able to. As the population continues to grow, the more people will rely on electronics and nuclear power will grow. So at some point in the future we will need a new way to keep people safer with this kind of waste.

      Sources:
      1) http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/manage.htm
      2) http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/nuclear-fuel-cycle/nuclear-wastes/radioactive-wastes---myths-and-realities/

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  3. Waste Disposal (plastic and garbage)

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    1. This is my weekly post

      It is no secret that the global population is increasing exponentially (1). This massive growth in population requires an ever-increasing food supply. As a result, more farmland need to be cleared in order to make way for the plantations and pastures required for feeding the world. Our incredible need for resources has driven one of the worst environmental issues of our time; deforestation, also known as forest conversion.

      Deforestation is no small problem; about half of the world’s tropical forests have been cleared for other uses. Roughly 18 million acres of forests are cleared each year; to put that in perspective, that’s approximately the size of Panama. If the current rate is kept up, all of the world’s rainforests would disappear in a century (2).

      Agriculture is the biggest contributor to ever-increasing loss of trees; other industries, however, like pulp and paper, mining, logging also drive deforestation. In Canada, agriculture accounts for 41% of all forest conversion (5).

      There are several environmental and social ramifications of deforestation. The removal of forests directly contributes to habitat loss of for the 70% of animals that live on land. The destruction of trees also leads to the loss of the forest canopy. This can cause extreme temperature swings that harm forest plants and animals. The canopy also regulates the climate; the shelter of the trees keeps soil in the shade, allowing it to retain its moisture. Trees also return moisture into the atmosphere, perpetuating the water cycle. Deforestation also contributes significantly to global warming. Having fewer trees means that more greenhouse gases are entering the atmosphere, increasing the severity of global warming (2).

      Fortunately, there are several things that we can do as consumers to combat deforestation. One way we can help is by purchasing only recycled wood products. Another way we can help is by supporting brands with zero deforestation policies. Using less paper and raising awareness for the issue are also simple but useful ways to aid in the fight agains deforestation.

      1. http://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html
      2. http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/deforestation-overview/
      3. http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_forests/deforestation/forest_conversion_agriculture/
      4. http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/forests/solutions-to-deforestation/
      5. http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/inventory/13419

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    1. For my post this week on environmental issues, I am doing melting ice caps/sheets and the threat around them. To quickly put the rate of the melting to prospective, the arctic is heating up twice as fast as any other region on earth (1). Ice caps / ice sheets are melting at an unprecedented rate. Now I am not going to pull an Al Gore and predict that the arctic will be ice free in 7 years but this is still a pressing matter. There can be many possibles problems to point the finger at for what the cause is for the accelerated melting. Some may say it is just the earth going through its natural stages, some may be strong believers in that it is caused by man-made climate change or simply just global warming. Whatever the cause is, it can have some serious effects. If the Greenland ice sheet were to melt, scientists estimate that the sea level would rise roughly 6 meters and if the Antarctic ice sheet happened to melt, the sea level would then rise by about 60 meters (2). Together, Greenland and Antarctica contain about 75% of the world's fresh water (3). Having the ice melt can cause great troubles. It really is a problem that happens slow but can have devastating results. If the ice were to melt it would create new shorelines for our continents and inland seas. The entire Atlantic coastline would vanish with the majority of the state of Florida and the Gulf Coast. Normal land mass areas now would be completely submerged in water.

      The trouble with this issue is that it is difficult to try and prevent this. We as humans may not be able to control the weather but we definitely influence it. It's hard to try and suggest ways that we can help with slowing down the melting but really companies aren't going to change their ways drastically to make a significant difference. Individuals have to do there own part and little by little may help. Although this isn't a matter that will happen overnight, doesn't mean it isn't an issue that needs to be monitored closely.

      For anyone wanting to take a closer look at the effects of the ice sheet and ice caps melting or just curious of the seriousness that this issues has the potential to do to the world, I strongly recommend checking out http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/rising-seas/if-ice-melted-map . Truly astonishing.


      Sources:

      1) http://www.economist.com/node/21556798

      2) http://nsidc.org/cryosphere/quickfacts/icesheets.html

      3) http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/PolarIce/polar_ice2.php

      Other sources

      http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/01/new-satellite-maps-show-polar-ice-caps-melting-at-unprecedented-rate

      http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/rising-seas/if-ice-melted-map

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    1. Although the issue of invasive species can seem like only a localized issue, it causes issues on a global scale. The Convention on Biodiversity identifies invasive species as any foreign species that threatens the balance of an ecosystem through its introduction and proliferation (rapid increase in numbers). (1) This is a big threat to biodiversity. Because of globalization, and the availability of products from places far away, alien invasive species has become more prominent. They can arrive either unintentionally; ships carrying aquatic organisms in their ballast water, insects being transported in wood products or intentionally; ornament plants can be planted in the wild and overpower the natural plants, and internationally traded pets that are released. (2) A species can become invasive if it is outcompeting or predating on native species that have evolved without specific adaptations to cope with them. According to The European Environment Agency, the problem of invasive species can cause harm to human health and society (3), along our natural resources and economy. (4)

      The first major impact that invasive species have on the environment is the destruction they can have on the natural local species. Invasive species disrupt natural processes that occur in an area, they can grow in numbers to fast for the local species to keep up, and thus they outcompete the native species for food and habitats. This can cause the extinction of an entire species in that area. When one part of the local food chain is taken out, the rest of that ecosystem can fail. This problem can also impact the habitat itself. Without it’s native inhabitants, the area can die out from over feeding or no new pollinating. (5) With these species wiping out plants, this can have a large impact on agriculture. Which in turn has an impact on the economy.

      Economic problems arise from the costs required to control invasive species, to reduce their rate of spread, or the need to inspect agricultural products that are being exported that may accidentally move the invasive pest to a new area. (6) These impacts are most severe in areas where the community depends on their agricultural systems. When efforts are made to stop the spread and destruction of the species then the products used can also become a risk to the environment leading to pollution of water and the air with pesticides. Other ways that invasive species can impact the economy is when trade products are involved. When an invasive species is introduced into an environment that is used for certain trade products, then not only does money have to be spent getting rid of it but also trade partners may become wary of the products being traded. (4)

      The societal impacts include the introduction of disease. This is one of the most dangerous effects of invasive species (3). Other social concerns that stem from invasive species include food security and water depletion, which are significant concerns in developing countries (1).

      The topic of invasive species also is linked to climate change. Biological changes can cause changes in the levels of carbon dioxide, temperate and precipitation patterns. These all are either caused by climate change or are contributing to climate change.

      There is a lot to read and study on the topic of invasive species, these are just a few impacts that they can have, but they are by no means the only problems that the global community has with invasive species.

      1)http://environmentalgovernance.org/research/issues/invasive-species/
      2)http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/threats-to-wildlife/invasive-species.aspx
      3)http://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/invasive-alien-species-a-growing
      4)http://www.fws.gov/invasives/faq.html
      5)http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/problems/invasive_species/
      6)http://cisr.ucr.edu/invasive_species_faqs.html
      Other:
      https://www.ec.gc.ca/eee-ias/default.asp?lang=En&n=4612AC81-1
      http://water.epa.gov/type/oceb/habitat/pathways.cfm
      http://www.actionbioscience.org/biodiversity/simberloff.html

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    1. This is my weekly post...

      Everyone knows that ocean water is salty. Not many know that this salt plays an important role In the circulation of seawater throughout the ocean, and also helps play a part in the water cycle. Ocean salinity levels is constantly rising, due to the weathering of minerals (including salt) and evaporation of water leaving extra salt behind. However, this increase in salinity is always counter-balanced by the input of freshwater coming from lakes, rivers, rain etc. (Source 1) A very common current world issue, is global warming and the melting of polar ice caps. Set aside the main cons of losing our polar ice caps, and it is clear that this also creates a huge problem in the ocean's salinity. Glacier's and icecaps currently hold approximately 69% of the Earth's freshwater, and there is evidence that this ice is melting faster than ever(Source 2). The melting of all freshwater glaciers and ice caps is estimated to raise the sea level by 70 meters. The input of these large amounts of freshwater is slowly increasing, and diluting the salt concentration in the oceans which could lead to many problems, one of the most serious one being a change in ocean currents.

      The first problem caused by a decrease in salinity is the possibility of a change in ocean currents. Currents are affected by salinity in two main ways; density and temperature. In warmer water areas, there is a higher capacity for salt rather than in cold water. Therefore, since most salt is gathering in the warmer areas, it causes the water in these locations to become more dense, because of the high salinity. When water becomes dense, it starts to sink, causing a convection current, where the pattern continues, as more water keeps following the current as it's density increases as well(Source 3). Changing ocean currents has a large affect on the environment in different ways, such as the transportation of algae, nutrients etc. This can be important in areas around coastal shores in order to sustain a certain species population; if the current were to change this balance of population growth would be impacted as well (Source 4).

      A decrease in ocean salinity is not always looked at as a serious issue, but there is evidence that it can impact the water in ways to cause severe changes in ocean currents. This whole scenario links back with climate change and the melting of polar ice caps because they are the cause for a decrease in ocean salinity. This is just one of the side effects from a much bigger environmental issue.

      Source 1: http://science1.nasa.gov/earth-science/oceanography/physical-ocean/salinity/
      Source 2: http://water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycleice.html
      Source 3: http://www.ehow.com/about_5517246_salinity-impact-oceans-currents.html
      Source 4: http://www.pik-potsdam.de/~stefan/Lectures/ocean_currents.html

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  9. This is my weekly post

    My topic is intensive farming. Intensive farming is a system of cultivation that uses large quantities of labour and capital to land area. These large amounts of man power and money are needed for applying fertilizer, insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides to growing crops, and the money is very important to getting and keeping high-efficiency machinery for planting, cultivating, and harvesting, as well as irrigation equipment where it is required (1). Agriculture is the biggest threat to our global environment today. By the year 2050 it is expected that around 9 billion people will be living on the earth (2). In order to supply this vast population there will be a need for a more sustainable food production process. Intensive farming which is widely used around the world is ineffective in the long term. The object is essentially to maximize yields using pesticides and other chemicals. These processes have also been applied to livestock, when this happens it is often called factory farming. Intensive farming produces more and cheaper food per acre and animal however it has serious ecological impacts. One of which being that it leads to the emergence of new parasites and re-emergence of previously considered to be controlled by creating the conditions for growth of parasites. Intensive farming is also responsible for 80% of tropical deforestation (2). Furthermore intensive farming depletes and degrades the valuable nutrients in the soil, this also contributes to the problem of soil erosion. These are factors in causing genetic corrosion of plant and livestock species around the globe, this decreases the natural biodiversity in an area and destroys the natural habitats. While there are advantages to intensive farming, the disadvantages far out number the advantages.


    http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/289876/intensive-agriculture
    http://www.everythingconnects.org/intensive-farming.html
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2987527/

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    1. This is my weekly post.

      One of the most important global environmental issues impacting our society today is the extinction of honeybees. 37 million honeybees died in one month at a Canadian beekeeping operation, and another 25,000 were found in a Target parking lot in Oregon in 2013(1). As we all know, if honeybees were to go extinct, humans would be quick to follow. Albert Einstein was quoted as saying “Mankind will not survive the honeybees’ disappearance for more than five years.”(2).

      So what exactly is killing these bees?

      Some sources report that the long winters, which oftentimes extend into spring, can account for the loss of large portions of the bee population. However, it has also been stated that the use of neonicotinoids, which are a form of insecticide, or a disease-carrying parasite known as the Varroa Mite, are to blame.

      While a harsh winter in Iowa recently decimated the honeybee population by 70%(2), it is more likely that the widespread use of neonicotinoids, or the disease-carrying parasites, are to blame for the bees’ declining population, simply because the decline in honeybee populations has been exhibited globally, not just in areas where lower temperatures exist for long periods of time.

      I truly believe that until the cause of the decline of the honeybee population has been discovered, the use of all neonicotinoids should be banned, and testing for Varroa Mites should be implemented.

      Humankind should do their best to protect the honeybee population and ensure their survival because without them, we really don’t have anything.

      Source 1: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/07/10/the-surprisingly-simple-reason-millions-of-bees-are-dying/
      Source 2 : http://www.globalresearch.ca/death-and-extinction-of-the-bees/5375684

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