APES Current Events

Antarctica's coast was not known for katabatic winds, which turns out, it causes snowflakes produced and in turn decreases the formation of the ice caps. precipitation was down 17% in higher regions and 35% in lower regions, this could also be aggravated by climate change. There are many things that directly influence the air temperatures and cause less snowfall. What else can catalyze this characteristic? In addition to that, how will the ocean be effected? Will less ice caps mean higher ocean temperatures, or will the temperature stay the same. Not to mention the ocean levels, will they raise or lower? Link:  Katabatic Wind

I found this article very interesting because even though there might be more flowering time, the flowers become more poor. This causes a food shortage for the bees. This experiment was done by a team at Florida State University to get the real reason for the decline in Bee population across the world. I don't know if I agree with global warming being  the only reason that bees are dying but it could have a part in it. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170929093356.htm

     Scientists recently found material generated by microbes in a 3.95 billion year old rock in northern Labrador in northeastern Canada. Finding any signs of life in rocks between 4 billion and 3.6 billion years ago is sparse because that is during the Eoarchean Era where life started to form. Earliest hints of life were from 3.7 billion years ago in a rock in Greenland found in 2016, and a rock with hints of life from 3.8 billion years ago found in 1996 in Akilia Island, Greenland.  Tsuyoshi Komiya, a geologist at the University of Tokyo said that this may be the oldest evidence found of life. " The researchers examined the oldest known metasedimentary rocks, ones made from sediment that got buried underneath subsequent rock and subjected to high pressures and temperatures, causing the sediment to crystallize." The carbon isotopes show that the Labrador rocks were of biological origin. The study was exciting and to know how far back it was when life started, and I...

Apparently everything we seem to be doing to "help" the climate doesn't seem to be working. In fact there is currently a chunk of Antarctica melting that is about 300,000 square miles in size. Roughly double the size of California. Unfortunately I do not believe this type of instance will be the last, however things like this will become more common as the year(s) go on. Part of this is due to El Niño, however, climate change is partially to blame. http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/19/weather/antarctica-melt-texas-rain-climate-change-trnd/index.html

Although the numbers are unknown, the Tsunami that hit Japan six years ago has brought new marine life across the Pacific Ocean.  Most of the marine life floated over on the debris, plastic or fiber glass, which we of humans have a lot of. So we caused the shift in marine life just as much as the natural disaster. Tsunami

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/climate_desk/2017/09/half_of_puerto_rico_doesn_t_have_clean_drinking_water.html                  Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico leaving this piece of U.S territory in a crisis. Almost half of Puerto Rico is without power, leaving hospitals and other health services unable to stay open with no power source.The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency is sending loads of water in their first shipment to help due to many water systems not in use without power include waste water systems. Along with water and backup generators for the hospitals, the U.S. sent a 1,000 bed hospital ship to assist with medical care. The U.S. is also helping states like Texas and Louisiana affected by the hurricane, but Puerto Rico doesn't think they are being aided sufficiently. Can the United States do more Puerto Rico?

With a growing change in climate, it is no surprise that many bees are dying and their entire population is being threatened. The flower growth and flower season is not the same as it once was and there is a lacking supply of food for the furry insects to eat and supply themselves with food and supplies to sustain themselves. Reading this article put things into perspective for me. I felt that the humans are at fault for this. I feel like something of this magnitude should not be allowed. I mean, you can kill a human and you could die for doing that, but you can kill an entire species of bees and nothing happens? It seems the only thing this article is proving is that bees are dying, humans are doing nothing to help, and our species is self-centered and does not care about the environment. We have to do something before there isn't any more time to do anything. Once the bees are entirely gone, the entire ecosystem will be messed up and it is an unknown as to what will happen. Cli...

I enjoyed reading this article because it not only provides the causes of the decreasing numbers of organisms found here on earth, but also provides examples, graphs, and statistics on the current state of those species. I thought that the article was put together in a well thought out structure and is easy to follow along to. They also provided solutions at the end of the article. I agree that we can fix what is happening, but some of the solutions that they are proposing would not be easily accepted by a large portion of people. Even if those people would accept these solutions, it would probably be next to impossible to break their current way of life because they have been living the same lifestyle for so long. http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2016/12/specials/vanishing/

Apple recently published the environmental report for it's newest phones; the iPhone X is revealed to produce 79 kilograms of carbon dioxide over the course of the phone's life. The amount of emissions given off by the phone is similar to the amount of CO2 that is burned when using 9 gallons of gas. Although it may not seem like a lot f emissions, the iPhone X has the highest emission rate of all iPhones created thus far. That being said, around 80% of the total emissions occur in the production, NOT the use of the phone. To read more

It is already known that air pollution is linked to other diseases like heart disease, asthma, etc. and kidney disease was recently added to the list. You would think after connecting this many diseases linked to air pollution that the human population would try to keep from polluting the air much more. I personally do not know of many ways that we as a population have tried to keep from causing more pollution other than the new electric car that don't need gas. Now that we are connecting more and more bad consequences to pollution we should be trying to stop from polluting the earth so much.   Link Here

Link Here        Pollution is a big problem in the world. From making the environment dirtier to now blocking sunlight and stopping renewable energy. In China dust and sky-darkening air pollutants   slash solar energy production by 17 to 25 percent across parts of India, China and other countries. Haze is another factor of blocking sunlight. This is bad because China generates most of the solar energy than any other country and if that power source is cut out then its in big trouble. Also if they don't get rid of this soon then the people will suffer because of the pollution and get health problems. In  conclusion , if they don't fix this then the people will suffer from electrical problems and health problems. 

As the yearly nail-biters come out to dramatize how close we are to setting a new record sea ice extent, the NSIDC has reported that the minimum has likely been reached, setting this years Arctic ice extent at the 8th lowest since 1978. A huge emphasis should be placed on the phrase "since 1978" as that is when satellite records began and not many actions were taken before to measure ice extent, although many newspapers and magazines followed glacier and ice levels well beforehand since the late 1800s. This article certainly pertains to what is going on around the world today with respect to the notion of human-made climate change. No doubt this article can't prove one thing or another, but it certainly can make some people look foolish with their fear-mongering tactics of media-hype. Overall, I would love to see what is in store for arctic ice extent in the coming 5 years due to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation transition and ongoing solar changes as well. Article...

As of September 23rd a satellite observation specialist saw a satellite image of the Pine Island Glacier which has lost a chunk of ice about four and a half times the size of Manhattan. Over the past couple of years these types of things have been occurring more often around Antarctica which can potentially be a major problem for some. The edges of all glaciers are the area that will protect the glacier from melting rapidly, while the Pine Island Glacier is the largest contributor of ice to the ocean by losing a major edge of this glacier will cause the glacier to melt faster. Obviously the glacier would not melt in a couple of days but it would still increase the speed of melting. If all of Pine Island Glacier were to melt, sea levels could increase about 2 feet. This specific problem may not affect us in Topton, Pennsylvania but over time if sea levels would increase the coats could be in danger which leaves all animals that use the beach as homes, with no home. So we may not see aff...

               This article talks about the extreme cold that is affecting many countries including Asia, Europe, and Russia. This major climate change is being caused by global warming. Not only are these places getting frigid but because of this drastic change the Arctic is now getting warmer than it's supposed to be. This coldness is breaking out of the Arctic and coming to these weak countries putting them in danger. I believe this is a very serious issue and could really affect us as a human race. And not only that but also the environment around us animals and plants. This drastic change could not let these living things to even adapt and we might have the resources that we once had. So this is a very serious issue for the world today. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170922094027

A new survey, along with surveys from previous years, has indicated a decline in the number of hunters in the United States. This is concerning for multiple reasons. Most obviously, it means that there are less people participating in the sport, meaning that it is growing smaller. Hunting is the most popular form of wildlife conservation and population regulation. Therefore, the decreased number of hunters creates a decreased amount of conservation and regulation. In addition, there is also not as many funds for imperative conservation work since less people are buying licenses, firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. In an effort to increase the numbers again, advocacy groups are using R3 programs. R3 stands for "Recruit. Retain, and Reactivate". This article is very informative and gives quite a few statistics to show the changes in hunter participation. As discussed in the article, the decrease in population could create a population control problem among several sp...

With the recent spike in Spotted Lantern-fly populations in Pennsylvania, more counties are being added to the quarantine list. These bugs are destroying a huge amount of crops throughout the state, as well as eating away trees. I feel that these quarantines and immediate actions are necessary due to the amount of damage that these insects can do. Especially with the large agricultural industry in Pennsylvania. We should all be doing our part to kill the population of the Spotted Lantern-flies. Link:  Spotted Lanternfly quarantine expands in Pennsylvania

I think that the Montreal Protocol being enacted 30 years ago is very important to the entire world because without it the ozone layer would be almost completely destroyed in the near future. This article explains the Montreal Protocol being enacted, eliminated many of the ozone destroying chemicals being used. Without the Montreal Protocol being enacted 30 years ago, the global climate would be 25% warmer than it is today. It is very important that this Protocol was created because it has kept the ozone layer healthier and has not destroyed it as much as we could have. Without this Protocol people would get sunburn much quicker and easier and skin cancer cases would increase by 280 million. The ozone layer being destroyed more would have affected the entire world and all of the people. Montreal Protocol Article

Scientists are now concluding that the recent jump in kidney disease and kidney failure is caused by air pollution. Along with kidney complications, heart diseases, strokes, asthma, and cancer are also affecting people everyday due to air pollution. The  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) collected this information using  land-based air-monitoring stations across the country. There have recently been 44,793 cases of people getting kidney disease as well as 2,483 cases of kidney failure. Our air contains very small particles of dust, dirt, smoke, soot, and liquid droplets which is getting into our systems, and especially our blood, which is filtered through our kidneys, which is why they are not functioning properly for a good majority of people. Even though air pollution has been slowing improving over time, all the new buildings and cities rising as well as coal mining towns and farming communities have enough air pollution to affect the lives of many people.  http...

The amount of rain that Puerto Rico, Florida, and Houston got is just insane. In the article it said that the highest amount of rain recorded was 65 inches. That is taller than I am! The warmer water temperatures and the crazy amount of moisture in the air developed catastrophic. Lots of organizations, including professional sports teams, have donated millions of dollars to the devastated areas. Technically, the end of hurricane season is November 30, so there's only 1 more month left before everyone is in the clear. hopefully :)

An iceberg 4.5 times the size of Manhattan has broken off from the Antarctic glacier. This is concerning because that iceberg will potentially melt causing the sea level to rise. This also leaves the rest of the iceberg at more of a risk of melting. At this point scientists know that the glacier will melt, but the question is when. One can argue why the iceberg is melting. Is it because of human caused global warning or is it from increased ocean flow at the bottom of the ice shelf? Link

An invasive species, Asian carp, have been steadily migrating north through the Mississippi, Missouri, and Illinois rivers. Recently they have threatened to breach the Great Lakes ecosystems. This could pose a problem, as adult Asian carp weigh in at 45 kilograms and eat 5 to 20 percent of their body weight each day. Asian carp could devastate the Great Lakes ecosystem by eating the food source of the native fish. This would also effect the commercial and sport fishing industries. The US Army Corps of Engineers looked into ways to keep these fish from reaching the Great Lakes. They have decided to place an electronic barrier and complex noises at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Illinois. The low voltage, pulsing direct current will not only make the fish uncomfortable and deliver a shock if they get to close, it will also disrupt their ability to maintain their position in the water current. The complex noises will aggravate the sensory mechanisms in...

In the article it is saying how people don't care about Climate Change, but if their coffee depended on it maybe people would realize it. I think that Climate change is a big problem here in the United States. If this is what it takes for people to realize what climate change is then great. The demand for coffee in 2050 will have doubled from what it is right now. The reason for this is the temperature is rising meaning the coffee is not growing enough. People need to realize that Climate change is no joke.  http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/21/world/coffee-climate-change-trnd/index.html

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/09/montreal-protocol-ozone-treaty-30-climate-change-hcfs-hfcs/ Human health, climate change, and the food chain are all things being protected under the ozone layer. New studies have shown that without this ozone layer none of the above would be taken care of. By 2050 the ozone would be gone with catastrophic effects if nothing would be done. This treaty that was signed 30 years ago today by all nations is working to protect the ozone layer as much as possible. I think it is very good and surprising that so many things are being done to protect this Earth.

Currently, many coastal cities are dealing with the worsening problems of frequent floods and rising sea levels.  Researchers believes, by the year 2100, up to sixty percent of coastal cities in the United States will experience chronic, destructive flooding because from climate change.  Unfortunately, the present-day solution of building seawalls to protect cities from these problems isn't working.  Seawalls can fail, collapse, erode or damage marine life and their habitats.  Seawalls also redirect wave energy to neighboring areas, instead of absorbing the wave energy.  This can lead to the destruction of coastal areas that lack a form of protection from ocean water.  As a solution, instead of hard barriers, scientists have developed a permeable concrete.  Permeable concrete allows water to soak into the ground instead of having it pool on top of the concrete.  Scientists also recommend creating "living shorelines", which may include salt marshes...

Researchers who have been working and studying in Antarctica have recently published their findings from their experiments in Current Biology. They discovered that some marine species lives can be doubled when the ocean water temperature increases. The increase in the temperature doesn’t have to be drastic though, only about 1 or 2 degrees Celsius can make a difference. The researchers spent six long years working hard to perfect the technology they would use to conduct their experiments.  In addition to the six very long years, the researchers also spent 18 months experimenting in Antarctica. As a result of their hard work and great amount of time, they produced “unassuming black plastic boxes” which constantly discharged heat. The article stated that “ The boxes looked like car batteries sitting on concrete blocks in around 50 feet of water off Adelaide Island and the Antarctic Peninsula.” Researchers gave the boxes electricity with cables running from the shore. Although it ...

In this article it talks about the two earthquakes that just hit Mexico. I found it interesting how much damage 7.1 magnitude earthquake can do, by killing more than 200 people and destroying many buildings and houses making it look like a hurricane just wen through. These relates to environmental science because it involves part of what we are learning right now and by the destruction it is hurting the environment. Now people in Mexico have lost there houses, belongings, etc. There drinking water cold have bacteria and other things in it too. These are just two of the ways how the earthquake hurt the environment in Mexico.

The problem with spotted lantern flies has now spread from lower PA to Telford, East Rockhill, West Rockhill, Perkasie and Sellersville. More areas that were added to the quarantine areas were Springfield Township, Bucks County, and Muhlenberg Township. With these areas being under quarantine there is a restriction of movement of any material or object that could spread the pest throughout the rest of PA which includes firewood or any wood products, brush or yard waste, construction materials, outdoor household articles such as lawn mowers grills and tarps as well as trucks or any other vehicle not stored in doors. The black red and white pests were first spotted in Berks county in 2014 but have recently became on overgrowing population, just like stink bugs were last year, and are native to China, India, Japan, and Vietnam. The pests are attacking 25 plant species in Pennsylvania and they do great damage to not only trees but to crops that farmers grow too. They can feed on a variety ...

In this article it talks about how the Zollverein, a coal mine is changing to renewable resources. The whole complex use to be coal and be bad for the workers and all cloudy but now it is changed to UNESCO. This relates to environmental science because it is talking about renewable resources, which is part of the chapter we just learned. Turning this place into renewable resources is very healthy for our planet, it won't be as hard on the environment and because the coal is a non renewable resource it could potentially run out. I found it really interesting that the article said that today there are only two hard coals that remains, that really shows how quickly these nonrenewable resources run out, and it is really good to be changing from using those.  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/germany-rsquo-s-transition-from-coal-to-renewables-offers-lessons-for-the-world/

Beautiful, graceful, hopping devils. In the range of about one inch long, grey with black spots along with red, white, and black hind wings the new invasive specie emerges. Can you guess it? Yes, the Lantern Fly . Originally originated from China, India, and Japan they have now invaded the US. Many are left scared running and screaming when one flies above there head. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania are trying everything to get rid of the pest but they need you help. So instead of running in fear stand your ground and step on them! Take action, by spraying or scraping there eggs from the trees around you to prevent future generations. This article relates to environmental science because these invasive specie invaded our environment and is causing havoc to our environment. I found this article interesting because I enjoyed reading about problems close to home and learning about how to help beat this problem. For more information on these beautiful devils or on how to help get rid of ...