APES Current Events

Summary: In this article, the author attempts to bring attention to how we, as consumers of Christmas trees, can go about purchasing Christmas trees and decorating them in a more eco-friendly manner. For instance, an example of a substantially eco-friendly tree is brought up at the beginning of the article, where the author references the Christmas tree at the Rockefeller Center (specifically in 2007, when this article was written). The author of this article references this tree, as it was decorated with LEDs opposed to usual incandescent bulbs, which ultimately save more energy by emitting more light per watt compared to ordinary bulbs. In the end, the author concluded the article by including the fact that even though there is evidence to back up why moving towards more eco-friendly ways of decorating are trees and also purchasing real trees as opposed to fake ones, many people do not know of this information and are continuing to purchase fake trees simply because of convenience. E...

       As NASA wanted to follow the water on mars they have and have found places for humans to land. With the data that they have they have been able to find one landing spot on the plant that promises water just a inch under the surface. With this we are able to soon send a research team up there. With this spot it would be ideal to land due to it being temperate, mid latitude region with plenty of sunlight. With this map NASA will be able to find more landing for research teams on the planet . With this easy discover by 2030 NASA is looking at sending a research team up, but with the water ice caps there is plenty of water but it would not be good for a long mission because its too cold and dark for a part of the year.              https://www.livescience.com/mars-water-ice-map.html Reflection :  I think this is great news due that we might be able to explore mars in 2030 and learn if we could actually inhabit this planet...

5 Global Trends Shaping Our Climate Future. By creating new products that are useful and environment friendly it will help people see the true effects of what harm we have done to the earth today. Recently scientists have launched more wind turbines, solar panels, and electric cars to help stop the production of products that will continue to harm the environment. All three of these products are booming and continue to spread not only throughout the USA but also other countries around the world. These products will help create a healthier environment.  I believe if more and more people continue to buy and use these environmental friendly products, we can prevent how fast the earth is changing. When people see these products in there neighborhoods, it can encourage more people to buy them. By having a surplus of healthier products for the environment, we can and will make a change to how the earth is evolving. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/12/climate/energy-trends-c...

December 9, 2019 Aiden Sherman Kenya is currently dealing with an invasive species of cactus known as 'Devil Cactus'.  Elephants consume the cactus, but the plant's flesh damages the elephant's digestive system, as well as facilitating further spread of the cactus.  The plant has proven difficult to extricate, because if any flower or fruit is left behind, it can regrow in that location.  It is now becoming an economic problem for the country, with cactus taking over land used for grazing livestock and agriculture.  Despite the problems created by this invasive species, it is being harvested for use in bio fuel.  Currently it is being used as gas for cooking, but environmentalists warn about giving the plant value as it will motivate local people to keep it around.  The other strategy being used to keep the cactus at bay is releasing insects which will eat it and reduce the spread. Obviously, I think that this turn of events is a huge problem for Kenya...

In Australia, there is a town by the name of Euchareena in the Southeast region, only a few miles outside of Sydney. This town, like many others in Australia, have little to no clean drinking water. The crippling droughts that Australia is experiencing right now are due to the dramatic effects of Climate Change on the rural Australian Outback. Entire rivers and water reserves are drying up, leaving locals with little to no water left for use or consumption. Experts believe that within the next 10 years, some parts of Australia will become completely uninhabitable.  I believe the impact of Climate Change is all ready too much for politicians to ignore and put at the bottom of their agendas. The effects are already making life in some areas of the globe impossible, and with a growing human population, Climate Change may end the species faster than anyone is willing to realize. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/08/world/australia/water-drought-climate.html

An article published by the Elk Network showed just how much hunters spend towards conservation each year. forever hunters have been deamed to be completely against conservation but in reality hunters donate close to 1 billion dollars annually towards conservation efforts. i think this is great because the common misconception is that hunters hate the environment however why would a group of people whos hobby and life revolves around the outdoors. https://elknetwork.com/hunting-conservation-paid-hunters/

Since early November, bush fires having been raging. Sending smoke not just to neighborhoods, but all the way up to the coastal suburbs which are more than 50 miles away. Thick, gray smoke covers the sky of Sydney, Australia. At the edge of the city, dried-out forests have been burning for weeks. Asthmatics have been showing up to the emergency room in extreme numbers. Even schools have been cancelling recess and sports. Citizens have been taping their windows shut and it is said that fire alarms have been going off in buildings even though the smoke is miles away. Australia's conservative government ignores to address the threat of climate change because they are favoring the country's fossil fuel industry over the largest city. Large fires have already destroyed a considerable amount of homes. Just in November it was reported that there were 15 days of bad air quality. Who knows how many days of bad air quality there will be in December. This is just terrible. I actually ca...

A recent study found that almost 600,000 hermit crabs died in the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean. Researcher say the beaches of these Islands are "literally drowning in plastic" and they have an estimate of about 414 million pieces of trash. While the research team was cleaning up the trash they realized there were hermit crabs trapped inside many of the bottles and containers. Scientists say this is another negative effect of man made pollution, similar to the plastic straw and turtle issue. https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2019/12/05/what-happens-when-hermit-crabs-confuse-plastic-trash-shells-an-avalanche-death/ Reflection: I think this article brings up a very important issue which is pollution and especially pollution in the ocean. It has affected many different ocean-dwelling species and is slowly deteriorating our environment. I think scientists should come up with a solution to construct more products from biodegradable materials.

The environment is under attack by industrialization. The Urban Ecosystem project's goal is to bring nature and modernization together. A magazine was launched to bring light to the project and give it more headway.

It is the monsoon season in India, but climate change is making these seasonal rains more intense and more unpredictable. Recent government policies have left millions of Indian people defenseless against climate change, especially the poor. The rains in India are so erratic that they never know when they will come and how long they will stay, so often the Indian people are unprepared for the floods. This year 1,600 people were killed in India because of the extreme monsoons and flooding. This is a big problem because the people in India are paying for the effects of climate change. These strange weather patterns create short periods of extreme rain and long periods of drought. This is what creates poverty, because every thing is destroyed in the flooding and then in the drought the people cannot make any prophet because they cannot grow or produce anything. India is already a very poor country and after the damage caused by these storms, many people are left with nothing. This is impo...

December 8, 2019 A recent study published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature has revealed that the world's oceans have lost 2% of their oxygen between 1960 and 2010. The study was carried out by 67 scientists from 17 different countries around the world. Dan Laffoley, the principal adviser of the union's marine and polar program, has stated that some parts of the ocean have experienced a 40-50% reduction in oxygen. The scientists discovered that climate change is the main cause of this issue, but other human activities, such as nutrient runoff from fertilizers, have also added to this issue. Laffoley has also stated that the loss of oxygen in the ocean can negatively affect the planetary cycles of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are both essential for life. Overall, I believe that this is just more proof that climate change is a very serious issue and that we have to work to come up with a solution for it immediately. Interested in reading more? Click  h...

Hurricanes are becoming powerful enough to hit the seafloor creating an earthquake.  These storms can reach a magnitude of 3.5 that can cause minor damage.  It has already been known that waves create seismic waves however, they have never been something extremely strong.  In order to have these stormquakes, the seismic waves have to meat a certain level.  Because of this, not all big storms cause stromquakes.  For example, Hurricane Sandy did not but Hurricane Bill did.  This honestly concerns me since it could possibly create major damage.  Also, these stormquakes are relatively new which means that scientists do not know exactly how to measure them.  These storms could be approaching and we wouldn't know exactly what to do about it.  However, some people find them fascinating and want to learn more. https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/powerful-storms-may-be-causing-stormquakes-offshore  

"Climate Change is Accelerating Bringing world 'Dangerously Close' to Irreversible Change" Climate Change is continuing to become greater. In Greenland there was a heat wave, in Europe and Africa there was flooding, and even more fires in the California and droughts continue in the southwest. Dr. Taalas believes that reducing green house gases will require extremely drastic measures to ensure that we do not destroy earth. He believes that the only way to do this is by completely getting rid of fossil fuels in every place including transportation, industries and even power production. The world has seen a drastic change in sea levels. The seas are warming and rising so drastically that researchers believe that by 2030's we could have the possibility of some regions seeing ice free summers. I believe this is an extremely alarming thing to worry about since we are only gonna be in our thirties when global warming could hit the peak. The amount of dangerous things...

Last winter about 38% of beekeepers in the U.S. had their colony die. This was one of the worst die-offs of bees ever. Beekeepers will be able to rebuild their hive over the year back to the equivalent that it was over the winter. Every winter there is an average 29% die-off of bee colonies which raises a problem. The problem with this is that bees pollinate our crops and other plants which provide us with food. If they do not pollinate the crops we starve. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/us-honeybees-had-worst-winter-die-more-decade I think this is a major issue because bees provide us with plenty of resources which help with our economy. If we keep on track with this decline in bee population than we will not have any food because bees are a major part in pollinating plants for us to eat and we also would not be able to have honey. This would also effect other animals that use plants as food because they will not be able to eat which would also decrease another food source whi...

During the holidays, a lot of shopping is done online. This is more convenient for most people because they can do all of their shopping from home instead of having to go out and buy gifts. Although this may be more convenient to the consumer, this isn't helping the environment. Shopping earlier, before the rush of Christmas, can limit the need for expedited shipping. This method of shipping creates more trips that are less efficient, which harms the environment a lot more than just regularly getting items shipped. Buying before the season would also make people think more into the gifts, which would mean less returns and help the environment. Another holiday tradition that harms the environment is wrapping paper. Americans spend 12.7 million dollars on wrapping paper every year and most of it can't be recycled. I think that people should try to be mindful of their impact on the environment during the holiday season, but I don't think most people would make a big differenc...

A recent study by NASA showed that the corn belt produced more oxygen than the Amazon by over 40% in its peak growing season! corn plants are also very good at reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. this makes the corn belt the most productive area in the world when it comes to the generation of oxygen and reduction of c02  from the atmosphere. which asks the question, " should we be focusing on developing more land for corn production?" and i think we should focus on corn development around the world since it will do two things, 1. it will generate food and 2. it will increase oxygen production and reduce carbon in the atmosphere. https://www.nasa.gov/press/goddard/2014/march/satellite-shows-high-productivity-from-us-corn-belt/

As earths population increases, the demand for food grows. This causes many issues for the planet and for the animals. So to solve this issue, people  might one day grow meat in factories instead of having to harvest it from farmed animals. So far, lab-grown meat haven’t matched the texture of the animal muscles eaten as meat.   One new way scientist are trying to mimic this is by using a technique kinda like spinning cotton candy. It grows meat with more structure. Growing meat in a lab could also mean we wont have to kill lots of animals and it will also lower the environmental costs that come with raising livestock. It takes a lot of land and water to grow animals.   So cutting that out will help our environment too. https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/new-spin-lab-grown-meat I was blown away by this article, it amazes me what people can come up with, and I believe that this could be a valid way for us to be able to enjoy meant while also helping the env...

Coal use in the United States and in the European Union have decreased in 2019, but global fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions have hit a record high. The rate has decreased in the past two years but is still rising, and experts warn that the rate could continue to increase unless drastic changes are made. One factor currently restricting decreases in emissions is disproportionate distribution of emissions through class. Wealthy populations are much more reluctant to reduce their carbon footprint, but make up about 90% of all worldwide emissions. Many experts are calling for national policies restricting emissions, but many countries contributing the largest carbon footprints and use the most natural resources are reluctant to join any agreements, such as the U.S., the Soviet Union, and Saudi Arabia. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/su-gce112019.php

If we do not try to decrease the influx of trash into the oceans, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean. The trash that is in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is mostly small things of plastic that are broken down by the sun.  When the sun breaks down the plastic, it's not biodegrading but actually entering animals bodies which kills them or enters the marine food chain. Although the majority of the trash in the ocean can't be seen, there is a large amount of micro-plastics that have been found in California.  There is a senator's bill that will encourage the Trump administration to prioritize ocean pollution.  Link Reflection:  I think this article brings up many issues that I was not aware of before.  I knew the issue with trash being dispersed around the ocean was an issue, but I never knew what happens with that trash once it begins to be broken down by the sun. The fact that the plastic is killing fish and possibly entering the marine food ch...

With the upcoming 2020 elections, the idea of climate change and reducing carbon emission is a popular topic of the lips of the democratic candidates. Scientists say that revolutionary changes could reverse climate change effects and most candidates are looking at net-zero carbon emissions by a soon upcoming date. Specifically, Bernie Sander and Elizabeth Warren are on track for zero emissions in about a decade or so. About 63% of energy last year came from coal and natural gas while 19% of energy came from nuclear power and 17% from hydro power. My opinion on all of this is bleak at best. Not in the way that I think the world is gonna end if we don't fix our carbon problem, but the fact that these candidates think this is gonna work. Renewable energy isn't reliable and can't be used efficiently. A great alternative would be nuclear power but none of these candidates are willing to support it. Natural gas fracking is a great alternative even though it isn't perfect. i...

Geoscientists at the University of South Florida have developed a high tech buoy that recognizes changes in the seafloor that could potentially lead to earthquakes and tsunamis. The goal is for the buoy to be able to detect changes in the stress and strain of the Earth's outermost layer, the crust. Having this knowledge of small changes in the seafloor and stress or strain on the Earth's crust can lead to sooner evacuations from tsunamis and earthquakes and could prevent more casualties from these events. I believe this invention is very important as gaining more information on natural disasters can help save the lives of thousands and can allow for precautions to be taken before tragedy strikes.

The EPA has proposed forty-six different actions among five types of stakeholders across America in order to solve the issue of not reusing enough wastewater. In fact, they say that there is no such thing as wastewater, only water wasted. The reuse of water is inexpensive and an easy solution because even in periods of drought, there is always an abundance of wastewater readily at hand. According to research done by Bluefield, the current reuse of water is supposed to increase thirty-seven percent by the year 2027. I think that this is a great idea and should have been done a long time ago because our resources here on Earth may replenish themselves over time, but if we keep using them up without recycling what we already have, those resources will continue to diminish and leave us looking for a new earth to call home sooner than we think. Click for Link

This article is on the over pumping of ground water for uses like farming which is destroying the underground water table. When we pump to much ground water out at one time the source of water that takes from this on the surface begins to dry out. This is called the tipping point and can dry out the streams and rivers, destroying the ecosystems within them. The problem is if we continue to do what we are doing now, 50 percent of the pumped watersheds will have reached this tipping point by 2050. Overall, research shows that we will destroy surface water ecosystems if we continue to pump the groundwater at the rate we do now. https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/groundwater-pumping-draining-rivers-and-streams-worldwide This article shocked me because I did not know we were using that much groundwater. I do not understand why we are wasting so much groundwater for farming in areas that are dry. It would make more sense if you used the better climates for growing and did not...

The Arctic is melting twice as fast as previous years and more sea ice is melting each year.  This is effecting animals like seals who need the ice to travel and reproduce.  This also effects the seals because the fish that they eat may be moving deeper to reach colder waters causing the seals have to travel deeper to get food.  It also effects the people who may live in the Arctic and animals such as bears and other land mammals. These people rely on these animals for feed and warmth . We must take actual effective action to ensure that we can make a difference and a better living scenario for all living creatures everywhere.   Link

Sea levels continue to heat and rise as humans produce more and more greenhouse gases. Well, how do we stop this? The answer is simple, we work together and come up with more environmental friendly alternatives. In 2018, our oceans hit a record for heating. This is just crazy! Imagine just how much this affects the ocean life, and the production of food sources within the ocean. If we do not work together to stop this, what will happen to the marine life, what will happen to the human race, and what will happen to our civilization? Click here

Summary: Packages from online product returns accounted for 5 billion pounds of landfill waste in the United States last year and the processes through which products were returned caused 15 million tons of carbon to be emitted into the atmosphere. These negative environmental effects of, accompanied by an increased rate of online shopping returns (studies have found that more lenient return policies lead to increased sale rates), could fuel the global climate catastrophe even more. Proposed solutions to this include bans on free returns, carbon-emissions labeling, and possibilities of refunds without returns. https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-11-13/those-amazon-returns-they-re-killing-the-environment Response: This article brings into perspective how relatively minuscule aspects of a much larger and more environmentally concerning system (our current commercialized production system) can have far-reaching effects themselves. This article irritates me a bit, however. ...

A viral disease that was killing thousands of European harbor seals has spread to sea lions in the pacific. Initially scientists were puzzled about how the disease had traveled so far. Phocine distemper virus is highly contagious for the animals it effects but will not effect humans. The director at University of California Davis examined 15 years of measurements of arctic ice data and information from animals that had been tagged. The conclusion that was reached stated that the warming climate changed environmental factors that made it possible for the virus to move to a new ecosystem full of sea life. An example of this is how the ice melt off of Russia increased exposure to both oceans because of new waterways opening and the already infected animals came into contact with new species which were more susceptible to contracting it. But like how warmer water is creating large toxic algae blooms this is just another way our changing climate has effect marine wildlife. This is an inte...

Summary: In this article by The Guardian it talks about an idea Bill Gates and some of his colleagues have been trying to put into action. This idea being to decarbonise the global economy by extracting global-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, using groups of giant fans and patented chemicals; and then using the gas to make clean, carbon-neutral synthetic diesel and petrol to fuel the world's different modes of transportation. However, this idea they have isn't easy to conjure up ideas for, which they are fully aware of. Therefore, over the years, they have been trying to incite interest in inventors and engineers to contribute their skills to this cause and come together to create a solution. And although Bill Gates and his colleagues have indeed been able to get designs to help the situation and plans to back them up, it is with concern that they are unable to implement these inventions into society today, as they come at too high of a cost and are not being encourag...

The particles of pollution have a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers that you cannot see traveling past your body's usual defenses getting stuck in your lungs and going into your bloodstream that leads to respiratory problems and diseases. This pollution is caused by coal and natural gas plants, cars, agriculture, unpaved roads and construction sites leading to the pollution coming in forms of dust, dirt, soot, and smoke. Over 200 cases of hospitalization have been proven to be linked to pollution and some diseases while 107,000 premature deaths costed the country $866 billion dollars due to certain particles in the air. The President Donald Trump said in 2017 that he would promote clean air and water, but his administration wants to reverse the dozens of rules that were created to reduce Americans' exposure to air pollution. If Trump's administration keeps on doing this 1,400 additional premature deaths will occur every year by 2030 if they replace Obama's Clean Air...

The level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere continue to increase and nothing is slowing it down. Researchers are trying to create new technologies to help capture these gases in the atmosphere. These pieces of technology will be able to trap carbon and convert it, if they work well. However, there are some companies that argue this could cause more pollution. If this technology is able to help reduce emissions that would be great, but for now the emissions will continue to grow. The easiest and safest solution is to switch to forms of renewable energy like wind and solar. It is very important for everyone in the world to come together to be less dependent on fossil fuels and to use other forms of energy, so that the world stops warming up. If emissions continue to grow, we will not be living for much longer. link

 125,00 years ago during Earth's latest warm period, sea levels had begun to rise and have risen 10 meters since.  The melting ice from Antarctica is the main reason for the levels rising.  Because of Earth's glacier like periods, warm periods are more frequent when there are large portions of Earth covered in ice which causes the levels to rise.  Rising levels are on of the most difficult changes that affect our population.  It has caused us to relocate and other animals to become extinct.  If we do not learn to adapt to these changes or put a end to them, the sea levels will continue to rise more rapidly than they have been.  link

Tiny patches in the coastal deserts of Peru are surprisingly teeming with plant life. Scientists say that this could be due a species known as the burrowing owl. When the burrowing owl shovels sand for its nest, its gives a home for seedlings and a variety of exclusive plants under the sand and the seedlings don't have to deal with the harsh conditions above land while germinating. Also, this digging that the birds have been doing has been making the soil more fertile.  https://www.sciencenews.org/article/burrowing-birds-owls-plant-life-desert-landscape Its really interesting to see how an area that is known to have very little amounts of pant life have some spots which are rich in plant life because of a singular symbiotic relationship. Hopefully in time, these positive effects will spread throughout the deserts. 

With the growing concern for the environment, fast food chains are doing their part by changing what they put in their kids' meals. In northern England, Burger King has begun collecting the hundreds and thousands of the toys and melting them. Burger King has encouraged customers to put the old toys in the collection bins which will be melted and turned into playground equipment and reusable tray tables. Fast food chains like McDonald's have also began the process of removing toys from the kids meals, but not completely as they are offering the choice of a toy or a bag of fruit. Click  Here  for more The removal of the toys from the kid's meals is just the beginning. Much of the problem still lies in the type of packaging these fast food chains use, such as their use of foam cups in most of their restaurants. There is also the fact that children love these toys, it being the experience.

Summary:  J . W. Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Florida has been the first school to use synthetic frogs for dissecting. The company that makes the frogs say they are the first school in the world to use this sort of technology. The frog is made to be exactly like the real frog you see in biology, right now it resembles the female frog. Which the synthetic frog has a skeleton, muscles, skin organs, and a reproduction system with eggs. The synthetic tissue is made out of water, fibers, and salt and is also physically safer to dissect than a preserved one because the synthetic frog does not contain the chemical formalin .The frogs also are used for surgical simulation, education, and medical device testing. The frogs can be reused over and over again rather than a once and done thing. The synthetic frog also help the moral issue some students face, since the dead frogs were once alive and millions of frogs are killed each year for dissecting. The synthetic frog was n...

linky Summary Coyotes are becoming an increasing risk in urban areas. They are coming into contact with people and pets more and more as time goes on. Researchers decided to find out what is making coyotes so comfortable around humans and how to prevent these interactions. They are led to believe that it begins with the parenting. They believe the fearlessness is passed down from parent to offspring.  They went to a wildlife conservatory in Utah to observe the captive, but mostly wild, coyotes that reside there. When the keepers feed them, they usually made as little contact with the coyotes as possible, to limit the human interaction. However, when they started staying after they fed them, the coyotes became more comfortable with the human presence. After generations, the coyotes had no fear whatsoever towards the humans. They became bolder with each passing generation. This reveals that as humans, to prevent exposure to these predators, we need to make our yards as uni...

Since the year 2010, wind levels have been increasing. The average for global wind speeds has grown from 7 mph to 7.4 mph. This means that the potential wind energy rates for wind turbines has increased by about 17%! This is good news for wind power companies but has mainly negative origins. This increase of wind speeds is credited to global warming as well as natural climate cycles. The bigger difference in temperatures between different areas are causing bigger winds and climate cycles are shifting faster and faster. If our global warming is not slowed, wind rates will continue to rise quickly over the years. Wind farms will continue to make tons of money off of this situation. This situation does not necessarily scare me a ton, but if wind rates get out of hand, they could have very negative effects on us and our environment. Global warming is causing so many types of problems that I have almost accepted that we are doomed as a species lol. Unless we are able to stop global warmi...

Scientists have invented a solar panel raft that is meant to float in the ocean and purify the water as it conducts electricity from the sun. The sun evaporates the water and puts it through a  porous polystyrene membrane that filters out salt and other contaminants. I think this is a good invention but it could be better considering the questions at the end of the article. Solar Powered Purified Water

Scientists have created a new piece of technology called SunBOT. SunBOT may have a major impact in the fight against climate change because of it's ability to track sunlight all day. This technology will allow for an even more efficient way to produce energy compared to traditional ways. Hopefully if this technology can be produced on a larger scale it will help stop climate change. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/first-artificial-material-sunflower-mimic-follows-sunlight-solar-panel-upgrade I think the invention of SunBOT is a major leap forward in our progress of trying to combat climate change. It is remarkable that scientists have an invented a way to produce energy in such an efficient manner. As long as the technology is used correctly this invention will be revolutionary.

Power lines have been emitting electromagnetic fields that have been altering the insects ability to learn and behavior. A Plos one study, done in October, shows that honeybees were more aggressive than the other, unexposed honeybees after being exposed to electromagnetic fields at similar strength that might be experienced at ground level. Those exposed were also slower responding to new threats. These findings may be a clue as to why there has been a recent decline in honeybee colonies. Previous beekeeper reports show that colonies last year experienced the worst winter die off, and some colonies even vanished completely. While these power lines are not the only cause that are hurting the bees, but it is one of the factors that has been effecting them.    This is very interesting because it seems like many people are unaware of how much something simple like power lines have been effecting bees so much. I am not exactly sure of how we can fix this problem, because of how i...

In recent years the focus of environmentally friendly practices has worked its ways into almost all parts of our daily lives. Now the impact of a weekend of NASCAR on the planet is being noticed. The average race uses a total of 6,000 gallons of fuel for one race. Each gallon of fuel emits 20 pounds of carbon dioxide leading to a total of 120,000 pounds of CO2 for one race. On average there are 35 races per year leading to a grand total of 4 million pounds of CO2 accumulated. Comparatively, the average American family releases 45,000 pounds of CO2 in one year. New initiatives are being created to help offset the impact of the racing. This I believe is a step in the right direction, but it will not fix the emission rates. To completely end or limit emissions, traditional technology must be abandoned in favor of a more environmentally friendly solution. Formula 1 has pushed to create green solutions leading to the development of Formula E. Formula E exclusively uses electric cars in thei...

Aiden Sherman The UN has recently released a report on changes in climate and abnormalities in weather, especially in the colder regions of Earth.  The report focuses on the outcome of rising global temperatures.  One projection shows humanity reducing emissions and temperature rise to only about 2 degrees Celsius.  This is the least destructive outcome, as the second projection demonstrates global warming at an excess of 4 degrees.  This shows the drastic melting of polar ice sheets, especially in Greenland and Antarctica.  Additionally, higher global temperatures are predicted to kill off corals and other aquatic organisms.  The higher temperatures also increase growth of algae, which is toxic for the native life where algae blooms form.  Other problems with the ocean would include higher acidity, rising water levels and more brutal and common extreme weather, forming in the warmer ocean waters. Obviously, I find this second prediction to be a ble...

Microscopic bits of plastic have been found many times recently throughout the environment.  A new study finds that the tiny pieces of plastic the in soil can stunt the growth of earthworms. And that’s an issue because earthworms help make soil good for growing plants.  As worms burrow, they eat organic matter such as dead plants. They digest is and then reproduce essential nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous.  These nutrients help plants grow. 

Within the jungles of Vietnam the Silver-Backed Chevrotain was thought to be extinct but has be found to not be. Not much is known is about this animal as it was only discovered in 1990 and has rarely been seen since. This article shows that we really don't know what is happening on our planet and anything could be out there. Also the fact that this animal is so sensitive to just the untouched jungle that it lives in shows how easily it could go extinct due to human interaction. This is why it is important that we are very careful what we do to nature. https://newatlas.com/science/silver-backed-chevrotain-rediscovered-vietnam/    

       Foreign invaders are a known problem it the US but the solution of many problems my be held in these species. In fact their was a study in new England with one of these foreign invaders, the African green crab. These crabs where brought by settlers in the 1800's and now because of the settlers slip up the crabs are ravaging kelp forests. Decimating the ecosystem held in the in new England warm coastal waters and with climate change warming the waters more the crab are festering and their population is growing. Local diners and restaurants have been serving them for a wile in the area. their has been a want for soft shell crab in the last decade and this species could be the solution. Also its been found that the certain species could be user for fertilizer.       I feel that in every invasive species their is a resource that we can exploit to solve another problem,solving a problem with another. Their needs to be more research in to invas...

Since the Arctic is melting twice as fast as the rest of the planet more and more sea ice is melting each year.  This is effecting animals such as ice seals who need the ice, to haul out on and give birth.  This issue also effects the ice seals because the fish that the seals eat may be moving deeper and deeper to reach colder waters meaning that the ice seals have to travel deeper to get food.  This issue is not only effecting the seals, it is also effecting the people who live in the Arctic. These people rely on these animals for there livelihood and well-being. The only way this can be stopped is if we take meaningful action to slow the planet's warming. Link

Summary: The article goes into detail about the United State's recent withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and what it means for the world's sea levels. Generally, while the withdrawal is a bad thing both morally and when it comes to how our country looks to the rest of the world its overall effect may not cause significant impact. The article proceeds to talk about how even if all countries which signed the Paris Agreement would go on to meet there specified target for carbon emission by 2030 the sea level will still rise as much as 3 feet by the year 2300. The article concludes saying that we need to do all that we can in the current in order to lower emission because our actions now will shape the lives of millions in the future, and that 200 years isn't quite as far away as we seem. Reaction: I feel like the article provides a good view on to how important taking care of the Earth is. By providing details that can allow us to create a type of personal connection with ...

The article discussed the definition of environmental justice and former president Bill Clinton's executive order requiring all federal agencies to make environment justice "a part of it's mission". Environmental justice is the concept that minorities and those with a lower socioeconomic status or are discriminated against bear the burden of environmental ills more heavily than individuals who don't face the same discrimination. For example, blood tests of children living in impoverished areas showed higher lead levels in their blood than children living in higher income regions. A symposium will be held on October 25th by a number of stakeholders to analyze environmental inequities and make decisions on what action needs to be taken. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/focus-environmental-inequities

November 8, 2019 The authors of a paper published Tuesday discovered a more accurate way of calculating land elevation based on satellite readings. The new research shows that 150 million people are currently living on land that will eventually be below the high tide line. More than 20 million people in Vietnam, living on land, will be inundated. A researcher for Climate Control says the satellites struggle to differentiate the true ground level from the tops of trees or buildings. According to the earlier technique, only 1% of Thailand was supposed to be underwater, new techniques show that more than 10% will be underwater by 2050, making a more accurate statement. This relates to what we are talking about currently in class because it is affecting populations. Interested in more? Click  here!

Phototropism is the ability of a plant to follow the sun in order to soak up the most light. Scientists have developed a new material called SunBOTs that can move to capture 90% of the sunlight. The scientists behind this material say that it could lead to future advancements in solar technology. The material self regulates and shifts in tiny increments to maintain its alignment with the sun. SUNBOt is a polymer that is encased with a nanomaterial that responds to sunlight by increasing its temperature and shrinking.  https://www.sciencenews.org/article/first-artificial-material-sunflower-mimic-follows-sunlight-solar-panel-upgrade I think the author did a very good job of explaining the exciting new developments made that combine the versatile capabilities of modern nano technology and the natural methods of energy production in plants to create a material that can benefit the solar energy industry and push people in a more green and environmentally conscious direction by us...

In Sparks, Nevada, recently the pine nut harvesting season ended. The harvesting season from the beginning of September to the end of October is a managed operation. The  Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest allow people to collect 25 pounds of nuts for personal use without a permit or 33000 to use commercially with an issued permit. Collection is allowed anywhere where BLM manages the land or in any  Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest  managed lands. These areas would include the  Austin-Tonopah, Bridgeport, Carson, Ely, and Mountain City-Ruby Mountains-Jarbidge Ranger Districts, as well as the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area . Federal violations of pine nut harvesting laws will r esu lt in a  $5,000 fine or six months in jail or both.  The management of the nut harvesting allows people to still enjoy the pine nuts while not damaging the pinyon pine population. Over harvesting the nuts would decrease the population...

As everyone knows, Laternflies have become an extremely invasive species. They are destroying trees which are slowly taking habitats from other native animals and other insects. Our state is now encouraging use to kill them if we see them, and to call your local township if you find egg masses. This will very slowly decrease their population, but for everyone you kill, about 10 more are being added into their population. Reporters are now saying that if you purchase a Christmas tree that you cut down yourself, you are risking the laternfly eggs hatching in your home. In order to prevent these bug from becoming worse, is to encourage everyone to kill them when they see them, and make your friends aware. As of right now, there is only one real known predator to these invasive things, and that is the preying-mantis. If we all work together to kill these bugs, and report their egg masses when they are found, we can slowly get rid of them completely. Click here 

The rapidly changing climate may become an issue in the future Winter Olympics. Studies are showing that by the end of this century, more than half of the host cities will be too hot to host the Winter Olympics. The Olympics aren't the only thing at risk either,  “the world of winter sports is changing as the global climate continues to warm,” says Daniel Scott.  Winter Olympics are usually held every four years. Scott and his team team considered projections for future weather in 21 cities. These included the 19 cities that already have hosted Winter Olympics. The good news is he predicts that   Both PyeongChang and Beijing should be cold enough in February for winter Olympic games through 2080.  https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/climate-change-threatens-future-winter-olympics I believe Climate Change is becoming a real problem but at least we know the Winter Olympics will be held somewhere. Even though its okay right now, this is just another ...

A new study predicts there will be more than 1 million deaths from extreme heat in India by the next century if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current level.  If the world commits to the Paris Agreement the study estimates India’s excess death rate from high heat will drop more than 80%. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/if-emissions-continue-india-could-see-1-million-heat-deaths-a-year/

Last wednesday the PA house passed a bill that would allow hunting on three separate sundays. one during archery for deer and another during rifle season for deer. this bill also places harsher punishment on people who commit trespassing laaws by increasing fines. the reasoning for this law is to help encourage more people to go out and hunt and to help manage the Chronic Wasting Disease epidemic. I think this is a great idea! as a hunter and a student i am limited to hunting one day a week since by the time i get home from school, hunting hours are over and by adding just one extra day may get more people out and enjoy the sport. https://triblive.com/sports/pennsylvanias-sunday-hunting-bill-clears-last-big-hurdle/

Kern County Sheriffs Office, with the help of the FBI, accumulated 11 field search warrants for what were supposed to be legal hemp fields approximately 100 miles north of  Las Angeles. After studies showed THC levels were reaching up to 7%, easily exceeding the -0.3% industrial hemp THC content level, the authorities proceeded to destroying 10 million plants over a course of 459 acres with an estimated street value of $1 billion. Is this a waste of valuable resources that could very well just be confiscated and turned into other resources such as fiber reinforced plastic and hempcrete? There are plenty more possibilities of uses for the destroyed crops such as paper, biodiesel, or paper. Destroying the crop costs the government money and time which in turn could be used to find a use for what could've been a valuable confiscated resource. https://www.bakersfield.com/news/kcso-hemp-fields-in-arvin-determined-to-be-billion-worth/article_1a2cb128-fc43-11e9-b235-f71d5415b7e0.html

Starting in the early 2000s, Lucy Gilliam started to become more involved with the use of plastic within her labs as a molecular microbiologist.  Her research towards a more environmentally-safe plastic usage lead to a worldwide discussion on how to reduce the amount of plastic used within a lab.  With the many disposable dishes, gloves, pipettes, tubes, and vials, labs could be responsible for almost 5.5 million tons of plastic waste within the world (about 83%).  These studies compelled universities like University of Leeds to go "single-use-plastic-free" by 2023.  These efforts to reduce the amount of waste that the sciences are creating is a big step in helping the environment become safer.  Universities are also creating a "decontamination station" within their labs in order to use more glass and reusable plastic ware to sterilize and create less waste.  Although this isn't a large component in the degradation of the environment, it is still helping to...

There is a new technology that has been developed that is called SunBOTs that capture sunlight to be used for energy just like solar panels. The difference is that these small electronics that have a stem like base rotate and bend on their own to capture the maximum amount of sunlight. SunBOTs capture about 90% of all sunlight provided maximizing electricity use while solar panels only capture about 24% of available sunlight. I think that this is a great invention and will greatly help capture electricity and minimize other sources of electricity production that is needed. It is important to have innovations in electronics such as this, because it cuts down on air pollution and destruction of the environment that may be used in other forms of creating electricity. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/first-artificial-material-sunflower-mimic-follows-sunlight-solar-panel-upgrade

This article describes a test done on plastic bags that are said to decompose. The test was to see which type of plastic bag decomposed the best in different environments. In a saltwater environment only one of the three bags was fully decomposed after three years. The compostable bag was the only one to disappear completely. They then found that all bags decomposed in the air environment, but this was due to the effect the sun had on breaking down the molecules. Overall, they found that the bags were unable to decompose in most environments and therefore were a risk to the life in those environments. The ending conclusion was that the only way to reduce the waste from plastic bags is to simply use less. Reuse old ones, or don't use them in the first place and this is how the waste will be stopped. https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/biodegradable-plastic-bags-often-dont-break-down I found this article to be very informing on the study performed, but also found it rep...

Wade Roush one day decided that he wanted to reduce his carbon footprint; he doesn't have kids, he doesn't eat meat, and he doesn't own a car, so he's already doing more than most. But he wanted to push this idea further. He calculated that the amount of flights he takes in a full year add up to fifteen metric tons of carbon emissions; if you do the math, that adds up to about the same amount of carbon given off by three earthlings. He researched and found that electric planes would eliminate the carbon emissions completely, but until that can be achieved, biofuels made from sugarcane and our trash are a much healthier option. Before reading this, I hadn't even thought about the fact that millions of flights are taking place all around the world, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. Although this isn't necessarily the largest contributor of emissions, it's scary to think about how we continue to add to the issue of global warming and the constant damaging...

https://www.lafd.org/news/getty-fire Monday, October 28, 2019 1:34 AM PDT is when the Getty Fire was initially reported at     1800 North Sepulveda Boulevard , Brentwood, Los Angeles, California.  Contained at 52% as of October 31, 2019  The fire was deemed an accidental start, caused by a tree branch that broke off and landed on nearby power lines during high wind conditions. This tree branch caused the sparking and arcing of power lines, igniting nearby brush.  The fire was then carried by the Santa Ana Winds, has caused  7,091 residences are still considered threatened. 10 residences have been destroyed and 15 residences have been damaged. Luckily no civilians have been injured, however 2 firefighters were injured but they were non-life threatening injuries.   "SAFETY MESSAGE:   Santa Ana winds can trigger extreme fire danger. Residents living in wildfire-prone areas are encouraged to be prepared in the event of a brus...

The article shows the effects that climate change has had on a small village in Alaska that has slowly been melting away over the past 20 years. Due to the thawing permafrost in the area due to rising heat levels many of the towns foundations and objects are beginning to fall apart or get washed away. The villagers are now being forced to move south since their village is melting and the climate has not been cool enough to rebuild the permafrost. The melting has occurred over 9 million miles to the north of Alaska effecting pipelines and buildings while also releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases increasing the problem. The melting is also causing adverse weather effects which is also effecting the area causing rivers to flood and destroying sea banks causing even larger problems for Alaska as a whole and not just this small community. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/10/climate-change-finally-caught-up-to-this-alaska-village/ Ultimately, the case of the Alaskan...

We obviously want to protect our forests since they emit carbon dioxide and provide us with more oxygen.  However, the slow decline of these complete forests have a greater impact than expected.  Apparently only 20 percent of tropical forests are pristine.  This means that in the tropics they are only in control of 40 percent of carbon storage.  The consistent loss of these immaculate intact forests provide a huge difference in our climate change.  Looking at this problem, the most logical thing is to stop logging and road building, but that is a hard possibility.  Bringing this concern to more people may create a change since they would become aware of it.  Sometimes making people couscous of problems allows them to understand and spread the word. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/climate/climate-change-forests.html

Rising temperature and climate variability is making it hard for arctic animals to cope and are not adapting quickly enough to these changes. After a recent climate variation, an ecosystem wide reproductive collapse for pretty much all plants and animals. The peak growing season in a place like Greenland is normally during July however, most areas were still covered in snows at that time causing offspring to born late. Larger species like arctic fox have clearly been affected more as researchers could not find a single one. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/extreme-snows-in-greenland-caused-ecosystems-reproductive-collapse/ Climate variability is only predicted to get worse in the coming years. I feel that if we would do more to prevent these kind of changes that we would be able to make a large impact in saving ecosystems like this.

Summary: Improperly discarded cigarette butts negatively affect the environment in several ways, such as the micro-plastics in the butts harming wildlife and the pollutants caught in the filters damaging ecosystems. Cigarette butts also make up an immense amount of humanity's waste, with between 4 and 5 trillion of the 5.6 trillion cigarettes being consumed every year ending up in the environment. Both sunlight and water can minimize the effects of cigarette butts, though. Sunlight works to decay them, while water provides an environment for bacteria which can eat the butts. Regardless, though, cigarette butts last for a long period of time, assuming they are unable to be decomposed, and have lasting environmental consequences. https://eos.org/articles/will-cigarette-butts-be-our-environmental-legacy Response: Not only do cigarettes have harmful effects on individuals, but they also damage the environment. I can't say I'm surprised, though, as a person littering a cigar...

Plastic straws and other garbage that wind up in the ocean plague the species of the ocean. Those of them that are left that is. An equally important issue is the rate at which the most popular types of fish are being harvested. The most common types of fish for consumption are Tuna, Anchovies, and Sardines are being consumed at rates so high that it throws off the balance of the ecosystem. Another under exposed issue is how high the consumer rates are of shellfish such as oysters, mussels, and clams. The reason that the consumption rates of these oceanic species is so important is that by decreasing the biodiversity of the species creates a situation where it is too difficult for them to evolve and continue to repopulate. Link I think this is extremely important when considering how you impact the earth. While you might be recycling, reusing, and may even be plastic free; it doesn't mean that you have done everything to help the plants and animals living in the oceans.

A new estimate shows that nearly triple the amount of people will be at risk of flood areas. The estimation is based on a possible rise of waters of 5 to 10 meters. If the global temperature is kept at around 2 degrees Celsius above the postindustrial levels, the homes of over 350 million people. That number rises to a possible 480 million people if emissions are left unchecked and any sort of melting from ice formations in the arctic. These numbers are only based on 2010 population There is of course a chance of migration and infrastructure to better protect against flooding, but by the time these estimations may come to fruition the population will already be greatly increased. Obviously the numbers presented are an overreaction, because rising water levels isn't something that just happens. People in the affected areas will leave and nations will provide infrastructure to lessen the damage, but it is still jarring to think that in the next hundred years, the homes of hundreds ...

Climate change is affecting our planet in multiple ways, and one of the most severe affects is the melting of our Polar Ice Caps. As these caps melt away, global sea levels are expected to rise drastically. It was previously thought that the sea levels would only rise to affect some 80 million people worldwide; that number has now more than tripled as it is now expected to force approximately 300 million to relocate. These new sea levels are predicted to primarily affect Asian Nations like Japan, China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh, however the affects will be felt worldwide. Rising Sea Levels I believe this is very concerning. With the global population growing at the rate it is, smaller landmass is not going to help with our overpopulation issues. World Leaders need to begin taking global warming and its affects on humanity more seriously, otherwise they are dooming the future of humanity.

Researchers report that sea levels rising could flood coastal areas, home to 340 to 480 million people.T he global threat from sea level rise and coastal flooding is far greater than what scientist had originally thought.  In the worst-case scenario if emissions are left unchecked and rapidly crumbling Arctic ice cliffs melt  dramatically, there will an  increase in estimates of sea level rise.  480 million people by today’s demographics could be living on land at risk from sea rise by 2100.  No matter what the scenario, over 70 percent of the people in China and Asian countries are to most vulnerable to this estimate. Scientist have proposed that  Humans may  migrate in the face of flood risk , or cities could  redesign infrastructure  to better handle higher tides and frequent floods. An even scarier prediction is the  population by 2100 could face widespread flooding, as many as 95 million to 170 million people. O...

Recent studies have shown that trees are taking in less carbon dioxide because their levels of absorption have been dramatically decreased.  Events like forest fires, deforestation and the use of fossil fuels are the main cause for this problem.  By limited fossil fuels, the amount of carbon dioxide will increase plant biomass by 12 percent, making it easier for plants to absorb carbon dioxide.  Planting more trees and plants can also bring more growth from the carbon dioxide.  By doing these simple tasks we can eliminate the setback of the limitation of carbon dioxide in trees. Link

As the demand for green energy grows, so does the size and material used to create things like wind turbines.Oddly enough, the cheapest solution to replacing the aging blades is leaving them sit, polluting the environment and severely contradicting green energy advocates pleas for a safe environment. Solar panels and micro batteries used to provide further energy are also near impossible to recycle. The NREL has a plan to increase their mandate of maintaining an environmental cycle by including the waste they create in the cycle. The current best blades are non recyclable so now more research is being put into the idea. I think is an oddly misleading article. It suggests that the green energy system is flawed but it doesn't point out the worst parts. Wind and solar energy are horribly unreliable and would be impossible to convert the nation to such a power supply because devices for storing captured energy haven't been invented yet. Furthermore, clean options like natural gas...