EXTRA CREDIT

Exotic cactus Species found in Cuba Havana
6/5/12
http://www.cubaheadlines.com/2012/06/05/35407/exotic

Opuntia Stricta is an exotic cactus found in Cuba and is therefore harming the environment there.

Summary
       Exotic species are organisms who were introduced to new habitats. Invasive exotic species are organisms not native to a region, and whose introduction causes economic and environmental harm or negative effects on human health. Scientists Cuba have discovered an exotic species of cactus called Opuntia Stricta in Cuba. The plant was specifically found in the islets of the Gulf of Ana Maria and near Jardines de la Reina. Jardines de la Reina is known as one of the best marine ecosystems in the Caribbean due to health of coral reefs there. Scientists are concerned about the rapid growth of these species, since they are harmful to native flora and coral ecosystems. Cuba currently has three hundred and twenty-two invasive plant species that can damage the biodiversity, effect soil and water quality.

Opinion/Reaction
         I think this Opuntia Stricta cactus looks like a fruit and has a weird name. I thought cactus's were only located in deserts. I am glad scientists have discovered the presence of these exotic species, before they cause trouble toward the environment and other organisms. I never thought they could do much harm. I think the public needs to be educated about this cactus, since it is exotic. I wonder what would happen if it ever became extinct. This article was very interesting! It reminds me of the time we learned about threatened, endangered, invasive, and exotic species in environmental science class. The discussions and videos we watched were so cool.

Questions
1.  Does Opuntia Stricta benefit anything or anyone? If yes, than pretend it became extinct, what negtaive impacts will it have on anyone or anything ? If no, do you think Cuba should get rid of the Opuntia Stricta?  
2. How can we protect exotic species? Explain.  
3. What are some of the 322 invasive plant species in Cuba? Explain.

ORGANIC FARMING: Local Food Economy
By Megan Reuther
5/23/2012
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47542600

A family farm that produces fresh, organic foods.

Summary

        Eric Morrison owned and operated an electrical contracting company. Now, he and his wife are two of seven full time seasonal employees working at Grinnell Heritage Farm which was built in 1857. Its a family farm so it benefits small businesses. Andrew Dunham owns the certified farm with his wife Melissa and his Aunt Janet. He started a vegetable farm in 2006. At first, he raised about three acres and sold it at farmers’ markets. Now he has 15 acres. Organic food is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides, and antibiotics. They cannot be genetically engineered. Dunham brings organic food in fresh from the farm, places it in a cold water bath and then lets it dry. Then he puts it in coolers, which allows him to harvest produce and take the field heat out. Most California farmers store food like this. His coolers cost more than $50,000, but he says he will save about $6,000 by taking advantage of a loan program typically used by corn and soybean farmers. Investments like this are serious because it helps to grow the local food economy. Dunham food, especially lettuce, is sold at many locations, including Whole Foods.

Opinion/Reaction
        This article was a easy, pleasant read. Family farms that grow organic food are so environmentally friendly, unlike industrial agriculture operations, which pollute communities with chemical pesticides, noxious fumes and excess manure. Family farmers live on or near their land and strive to preserve the surrounding environment for future generations. Since these farmers have a vested interest in their communities, they are more likely to use sustainable farming techniques to protect natural resources and human health. The existence of family farms also guarantees the preservation of green space within the area. Unfortunately, once a family farm is forced out of business, the farmland is often sold for development, and the quality land and soil for farming are lost. I think it would be cool to live in the countryside and go horseback riding. I remember learning about famring methods in the 1990's during environmental science class. I am glad Dunham is helping out small industries and companies, making our economy stronger.m

Questions
1. Do you eat organic food? What is your opinion on them?
2. Which one do you think is better a factory farm or a family farm? Explain.
3. Have you ever been on a farm? Why are many of them running out of money? Explain.  

Smog Exposure Linked to Premature Deaths

http://www.naturalnews.com/024262_exposure_smog_death.html

Back in 2008, before president Obama was in office, there was some controversy on whether or not the White House was in support of preventing ozone destruction. There were high levels of smog, and ozone is one of the main componants in it. When the Bush administration claimed that there were no health risks from smog exposure. However, after tests were done, bad air pollution began to negatively affect people in only 24 hours. This is the reason why we should be trying our best to keep our air at its best quality. Once our atmosphere is destroyed, there's no getting it back. There are many ways for people to prevent air pollution that are simple and effective.

           For one, car exhaust is destructive. The less we drive, the better. Carpooling and using public transportation or other driving alterinitive scan seriously improve how much pollution we release. Another problem is factories and industrial farms. They use fossil fuels and burn them very unsafely. We should be buying from places that enviromentally safe. I hope that all people make their best efforts to keep our world's wonderous atmosphere clean.

Questions:

1. What are other ways of keeping the air clean?

2. What is the biggest problem of air pollution?

3. Why is it harmful for our air to be polluted?

4. Have things imporved since 2008?

http://greenliving.nationalgeographic.com/effects-air-pollution-acid-rain-2255.html

The Effects of Air Pollution: Acid Rain
by David Chandler, Demand Media, March 2011

This Gargoyle has been damaged from acid rain.

Acid rain is caused by natural deposits of sulfuric and nitric acids that occur in the atmosphere, however, recently much attention has been given to human causes of this type of pollution. Coal power plants give off tons of carbon emissions and other pollution into the air every year. These emissions rise into the air and mix with moisture in the air, which becomes acid rain in the process of precipitation. This rain pollutes water systems and kills fish and other plants. Acid rain can also destroy forest ecosystems, when it kills the leaves off of trees. It pollutes the soil and releases toxins into the roots of trees. Like the picture above, stone and building sculptures can be easily destroyed by acid rain. The calcite material that predominates these structures is quickly eroded and dissolved by acid rain. Finally, acid rain does not have any direct affect on humans, however the pollution that causes it does. These air pollutants cause respiratory illnesses, heart illnesses, and other painful symptoms that are unpleasant for anyone. In some cases, these pollutants can even be responsible for death.

This source shows us that air pollution is not strictly limited to the air. The atmosphere is just another part of Earth, but is directly connected to the surface. If we are to save the Earth from further contamination, we need to thoroughly check how much pollution is released into the air each year, and reduce it. If we fail to do this, symptoms such as acid rain will continue to occur. Fortunately, measures such as the Clean Air Act help protect the atmosphere from pollution that industry releases. According to the EPA, between 1980 and 2009, pollution that causes acid rain such as sulfur dioxide has decreased 76%, and nitrogen dioxide has reduced 48%. This is a great start! I am glad that I found this article, for I want to be a part of helping reduce pollutions even further. I hope to learn more in class, because I find it to be very important. We, the youth, must be a part of this issue.

1. How does Acid Rain harm both the atmosphere and the lithosphere?
2. What other EPA laws could possibly play into acid rain depletion?
3. How can you help to reduce acid rain? How can you let others know about it?
4. Do we have an acid rain problem in our community?

A Fracking Mess: Is New Brunswick's Budding Natural Gas 

Industry Worth the Environmental Uncertainty?

By Kyle Dupont

Red Maple Foundation

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=GPS&userGroupName=hatterslib&tabID=T003&searchId=R6&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&currentPosition=2&contentSet=GALE%7CA284937110&&docId=GALE|A284937110&docType=GALE&role=OVIC

In orange, you can see how much land the New Brunswick government is controlling
with oil and gas licenses and leases.
         

Summary     

     People all over the world need to be educated about the dangerous impacts hydraulic fracturing has on people and the environment. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is when water, sand, and other materials are pumped down and across deep (10,000 feet) into the earth at a high pressure. This pressurized mixture causes the rock layer to crack; these cracks are called fissures. The fissures are held open by the sand particles so that natural gas can flow up. New Brunswick’s government voted to move forward with responsible and regulated development of natural gas. That same month, the EPA released a report about how hydraulic fracturing is severely contaminating water quality at a site in Wyoming. Stephanie Merrill, program coordinator for the Shale Gas Alert Campaign, educates the New Brunswick citizens about the dangers of fracking. She says that there are guaranteed negative effects that can harm water quality which can damage the respiratory system. 400 New Brunswick people were surveyed, and the results were the following: 45% in favor of natural gas exploration, 45% opposed, and 10% unsure what the government should do. However, the New Brunswick government has already placed 71 oil and natural gas agreements, and companies are paying more than $1 million annually to be fracking the land. The government predicts to have reached $225 million once the fracturing wells are fully in place.

Opinion/Reflection

                $225 million dollars!? That is a lot of money! Well then wait a minute, this is all for the money. Hydraulic fracturing has so many negative effects, but money is the stronger asset in this situation. I think the main reason hydraulic fracturing occurs is because not many people know about the side effects it leaves; fracking can harm water quality leaving it undrinkable, and people are beginning to walk a few miles day just to get water. Our modern society should not have to be dealing with this, which is why fracking is so bad to do! I will admit, I did not know anything about what hydraulic fracturing was until this year. It is important to educate those who do not know about hydraulic fracturing because the more people who are against it, the more likely it will not take place. I was shocked to find out that 45% of 400 people were in favor of this. That was absolutely absurd; how can people see fracking as a good thing when the negative impacts are so overpowering?! It was also shocking to me that 10% did not know what to do. This is why more people need to be educated about the topic so they can make a smart decision.

Questions:

1. Before reading this, how much did you already know about hydraulic fracturing?

2. Why are governments for hydraulic fracturing? Do you think they should be paying more attention to the people?

3. The New Brunswick government is continuing to “frack” and getting millions of dollars in return. What other benefits are governments getting by allowing hydraulic fracturing?

4. What are some negative impacts to the environment of hydraulic fracturing besides poor water quality? 

DOE invests in future nuclear energy leaders
May 9, 2012
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47364463

A better way to handle nuclear waste or radioactive energy may be discovered soon.

Summary
       The Department of Energy (DEO) in Richland, Washington has decided to give more than $47 million in scholarships, fellowships, grants and university research reactor advancements. The reason is to train and educate the next people of America’s nuclear industry. The 143 awards (from the Department’s Nuclear Energy University Programs and Integrated University Program) will provide nuclear energy R&D, and student investment at 46 colleges and universities across the United States. Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman has received a little under $2 million in funds and two grants to update their infrastructure including the nuclear reactor. Professor, Ken Nash says he will use the money to find a different way to handle nuclear or radioactive waste, which comes from a power plant. He and his students will be doing the research in Richland at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Unfortunately, it has been hard for Department of Energy national labs to hire people with the right knowledge. The radioactive chemistry professor believes the research will help his pupils find an open field of interest.

Opinion/Reaction                    
        I am glad the Department of Energy was generous enough to spend money on the future leaders of America’s nuclear industry. Education is the key to success and I am glad that many opportunities are now available to students across the country. Hopefully, Ken Nash and his graduate students will be able to find a better way to handle nuclear waste, since it is hazardous to organisms. It is great to hear that we might be making progress. How technically sophisticated will our world get, though? In environmental science class, I remember learning about nuclear energy and watching that cool power point. Nuclear energy is a way of creating heat through the fission process of atoms. I also remember going on a website and filling out a chart that had Nuclear Power on it. Nuclear Power is not renewable and must be kept from natural disasters, people, and animals.

Questions
How is nuclear or radioactive waste handled?
Would you want to work for the Department of Energy? Explain.
What events have recently occurred with Nuclear Energy around the world?

Modern Landfills: Safe for the Enviroment?

Modern Landfills Are Safe for the Environment

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Viewpoints&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010301256&mode=view

 Is this what our world will look like with normal waste disposal?

Most will agree that the idea of landfills is not a good choice for the enviroment. Landfills are areas where wastes are disposed of, and more or less just dumped there. These have bad effects such as leaking contaminants into the water and soil, taking up land, and many other things that could go wrong with a pile of garbage sitting there to rot. But is there a way to make these things okay for the planet? This article says yes we can! They place collection systems in the area to prevent the leaking of harmful chemicals. They have liners to prevent gasses from leaving the area. Waste is laid in layers and compacted tightly to put more garbage into one space. Once the area is filled to it's capacity, it is capped off to keep it confined. We can also do things like use the trapped gasses for energy!

I think this idea is genious! Alothough in theory, it isn't perfectm, it is the best we will ever get it to be. We can more easily contain our byproducts when we put them in places like this. One problem we may have is that they would be very expensive. We would also need to have the space to put these things in. But in the long run, they will save us a lot of time and energy. I think the coolest idea about this is that you can use the gasses for fuel. This is a great way of putting our garbage to use, and is well the worth the money we would put into it.

Questions:
1. What are the biggest benifits of these containers?
2. Do you think there are better ways of storing waste?
3. Do you think it is important to keep our garbage contained safely? Why?
4. What long-term benifits would this provide?
5. How can we show that this is the best way of disposing our garbage?