Using Waste, Swedish City Cuts Its Fossil Fuel Use (extra credit by Clarence Jackson)

Today, there are growing concerns over the burning of fossil fuels and the deadly emissions they release into the air. With the increased concerned of the effects of burning fossil fuels, Kristianstad, Sweden has turned to using manure, potatoes, cow intestines and other wastes to form biogas, a form of methane. The methane is then burned and used to heat about 80,000 homes in Kristianstad and the surrounding area. In addition to heating homes, the biogas can be used for electricity or refined fuel for cars. Since using the biogas, the city’s carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced by one-quarter in the last decade. The continued reduction of carbon dioxide is a definite advantage in the constant struggle of global warming. With a decrease of the carbon dioxide emissions, Kristianstad has taken steps to limit the pollution problems all humans face today. In the United States today there are 151 biomass digesters, mainly using manure and other wastes from small farms. The United States has not developed the biogas system mostly because of the high costs and the lack of support from the government. Burning the biogas does release emissions into the air. However, the emissions are fewer than burning coal or oil would release. Wisconsin and California have pushed to create biogas plants for local farms. Today, different cities could benefit from the use of biogas fuel. Using biogas fuel emits fewer emissions than burning the common used oil and coal. Because there is growing concern over global warming, the manure and other wastes that would just decompose and still release emissions in the air are now being put to use as a burnable form of energy. Therefore, using biogas makes manure and other wastes useful. Today, new sources of energy, such as burning biogas, have been developed to help the growing problem of air pollution, a cause of global warming. hal, Elisabeth. "Using Waste, Swedish City Cuts Its Fossil Fuel Use." New York Times. 10 Dec. 2010. Web. 12 Dec. 2010.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/science/earth/11fossil.html>.

The Oceans by Clarence Jackson

Today, concerns over global warming always deal with the issue of the emissions released in the atmosphere and the Earth’s climate raising temperature, a topic in Earth Science class. However, what is rarely discussed is the ocean, which absorbs almost thirty percent of the carbon dioxide released into the air. Earth science focuses on the natural sciences and the importance of the ocean to human life. Unfortunately, the amount of carbon dioxide that is absorbed by the ocean has increased yearly. Carbon dioxide dissolves in the ocean, and increases the acidity of the ocean. Increased levels of acid in the ocean hurt marine life because carbonate atoms are destroyed with increased levels of acid in the oceans. Scientists across the world have been researching the different effects of the acid in the ocean. For example, it has shown that fish near the coral reef develop osteoporosis, a weakening of the calcium in the shells. Research also shows that clownfish and krill have not developed correctly in highly acidic oceans. Also, there has been a decline in the tiny snails that are food for the larger fish in the ocean. The decline in food for larger fish makes acidity a huge problem today. The microbes in the ocean produce about fifty percent of the oxygen we breathe. This is a significant problem for humans if the ocean is not taken care of. Also, marine life provides humans with omega-3 for an enriched diet. Therefore, the oceans must be protected and conserved. The Environmental Protection Agency has increased awareness of acidity in oceans. The EPA has encouraged coastal towns to test the acidity in the oceans. Different solutions to the acid problems have been proposed, such as creating sunshields for the Earth. However, the acid already present in the ocean is irreversible and sunshields are not guaranteed to work. The only true solution is to generate power and electricity while burning the least amount of fossil fuels. Increased air pollution that is absorbed by the ocean will not only harm the marine life, but also danger the entire human population. I believe that there needs to be steps in preventing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in the air. Besides the major problems that it causes to the Earth's climate, carbon dioxide dissolving in the ocean directly increases the acidity of the ocean. Obviously, the ocean is extremely vital for human survival. The ocean must be conserved and protected, because once the damage is done, it is irreversible. We get oxygen sources and minerals from the marine life in the ocean. Also, the ocean is used as forms of transportation and recreation. Therefore, it is extremely valuable to human life. Haymet, Tony. "The Oceans' SOS." Los Angeles Times. 13 Dec. 2010. .http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-haymetdickson-oceans-20101213,0,956649.story

No signs of 'dead zone' in Gulf, feds say

By Christen Fikar

This article talks about how the oil spill is believed to be taking oxygen away from the Gulf of Mexico. They talk about how microbes in the Gulf are using oxygen to dissolve underwater oil. They have tested numerous places in the Gulf to test for oil, which they believe is not harmful to the organisms in the Gulf. The explosion occured in mid April and was not capped until July. The oil spill is causing economic problems and it is said that oil is now being found at the bottom of the gulf's floor. This relates to the course because it discusses the problems with how oil can affect living organisms and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It also relates to the course by affecting the animals in the Gulf. If they are affected we will not find out till years to come and it could affect the evolution of these animals. I think the oil industry should be more careful with off-shore drilling. I think that they should keep testing the Gulf of Mexico to make sure it is clean and healthy. This is one of the worst spills to occur in the history of the United States and hopefully it does not affect our environment greatly.

Israel Wildfires

Recently during the past week in Israel, there was a huge wildfire disaster that began in the forests near the Carmel Mountains. This fire is now spreading to the outskirts of Haifa and has already burned 3,700 acres of land. The fire has also killed 40 people and is still spreading. Over 15,000 people have been evacuated from the villages and towns that are near the area. Many articles have said that this fire has been expected due to the climate effects in the Mediterranean. With the climate rising and the decreased rainfall, the risk of having a forest fire in this area has increased tremendously overtime. According to Israel’s National Report on Climate Change, the frequency and intensity of the wildfires have been increasing more and more as an outcome of the longer droughts, rise in water evaporation, making everything much drier, and the increase in the heat waves. All of these combined make areas dry and hot causing the spread of the fires.

The Carmel Mountain Range normally receives at an average of 800 mm of rainfall per year. Before the wildfire that recently occurred in the mountains, there was a drought period of eight months and during this period there was a heat wave that occurred with temperatures at 30 degrees Celsius. Without this rainfall, the area has become much drier causing the wildfire to occur.

During this Earth Science course, we have learned about climate change and what has caused the temperatures in most places around the world to rise. We have learned that humans have a huge role in the climate change that is occurring. Since the Industrial Revolution, people have been using fossil fuels more and turning to industrial factories to produce products. This uses a lot of energy and also gives off a lot of pollution and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has partially caused the climate to change. These problems have led to the disastrous events that have occurred, such as the Israel wildfire.

Whenever I hear of climate change I always think of the ways humans are actually affecting the atmosphere themselves. This is causing many severe events worldwide that have killed and could killed hundreds of people. We need to control the energy we use and the carbon dioxide we put in the atmosphere. We are only harming ourselves and our future. The wildfires in Israel may be hard to control now, but they could have been controlled several years ago by the conservation of resources and the awareness of the world. We need to do something about the climate change, or as time goes on, the disasters will just get worse and worse. If we do not do anything about the increase in climate change, the people will be the reason why we will not be able to live in this world any longer.

By: Kayla Haskin

Work Cited

Fire Disaster in Israel Is a Typical Example of Expected Climate Change Effects in the

Mediterranean." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment &

Technology. Science Daily, 13 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.

Stanley, Deb. "Beloved Denver Rabbi, Teacher Killed In Israel Wildfire - Denver News Story –

KMGH Denver." Denver News, Denver, Colorado News, Weather, and Sports - KMGH

Denver's Channel 7. CNN, 3 Dec. 2010. Web. 13 Dec. 2010.

Climate Talks End With Modest Deal on Emissions

by: Christian Leahy

The United Nations climate change conference met and they were unable to achieve what they and hoped to gain. However there are agreements that seem to have been made in order for global emissions to drop.

There was this package that is called the Cancun Agreement was decided on at the conference. Basically what this does is it gives the nearly 200 countries another year to decide whether or not they want to extend the Kyoto Protocol which would require most wealthy nations to cut their own emissions as well as help developing countries. The more wealthy nations would help the developing countries become more adaptable to climate changes. The article also stated that the average temperature is supposed to raise about 4 degrees Celsius over the next half century.

This article overall is very relevant to the ENVA-050 class at Siena College in Loudonville, NY because we just finished learning about different methods that greenhouse gases can be emitted into the atmosphere as well as all of the possible dangers that can occur with it.

I believe that this is a good idea that they try and not only figure out ways to help developing countries adapt to different climate changes but to also regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. We need to make sure that we take the precautionary measures to help enable the world to live and stay as healthy as possible. This issue also came up within my term paper for the same class and its important to note that many places around the world need to become more aware of the global emissions and how serious of a problem it truly is. There will be some nay sayers that don't believe that our world is actually being harmed but currently I believe that we are. Brazil alone is producing massive amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere due to deforestation alone. We need trees to help regulate CO2 emissions. We need to stop what is going wrong and fix it otherwise there will be no future for the Earth and there will be no history to be remembered due to the lack of life on a non-existent planet.

Article from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/science/earth/12climate.html?_r=1&ref=earth

Tigers and Polar Bears Are Highly Vulnerable to Environmental Change

According to a recent study, larger predators, like tigers and polar bears, are more greatly affected by environmental changes versus smaller animals. This is because these predators have to work so much harder just to find their next meal. Scientists have determined that these predators have experienced a much greater decline in their population because of the dwindling food supplies, unlike the smaller species like weasels and badgers. In the journal Biology Letters, researchers found that because animals like lions and tigers, are so big, they need more food to fuel to their large bodies and this is why these animals are so vulnerable. These species are designed to hunt large prey, but when food becomes scarce, these large species struggle for survival. This is because a predator is working much harder to find its prey, but it is not getting the proper caloric intake for survival. Dr. Stephens from Durham University stated that, "the largest species exhibited a five to six fold greater decrease in relative abundance in response to a decrease in their prey. It's hard work being a large predator roaming and hunting across extensive areas to find food. The apparent vulnerability of tigers and polar bears to reductions in the availability of prey may be linked to the energetic costs of being a large carnivore." This research has led to important discoveries to help conserve the larger species that are the most vulnerable to environmental changes. Dr. Carbone from the Zoological Society of London concluded that this research is helping to stress the importance of protecting and conserving habitat and prey of carnivores. Dr. Stephans also added that this study stresses that scientists need to do more research when it comes to aiding conservation and how much more humans need to learn about the delicate relationship between predators and their prey.
This is important because it shows how the lack of sufficient food for carnivores is negatively affecting the wildlife as a whole. If the larger species become extinct, the entire food chain will be thrown through a loop. Without larger species controlling the populations of the smaller species, the smaller species could potentially make other things become extinct, such as other species and certain plants. This chain reaction is vicious and could be deadly to many plant and animal species. Scientists need to figure out how to ensure the survival of lions, tigers, and polar bears in order to allow the food chain to stay intact. Technically speaking, becoming overrun with smaller species could negatively affect the human species and create a much larger problem. All species are needed to ensure that the planet runs smoothly.

By: Rebecca Robinson

Ice-Age Reptile Extinctions Provide a Glimpse of Likely Responses to Human-Caused Climate Change by Dana Tricarico

This article talks about reptile extinction on the Greek islands over the past 15,000 that may offer a preview into the future, of how plants and animals will respond to the changing climates of global warming. These extinctions also show the major importance of preserving the habitats that will enable plants and animals to migrate in response to climate change, in order to survive. Many reptile populations perished as the climate warmed at the end of the last ice age, due to sea levels rising, and cool and moist forested areas spread as aridity took over the regions they lived in. Johannes Foufopoulos and his colleagues found a pattern to the Greek island extinctions. This pattern was that most reptile populations (of the 34 researched) disappeared on the smallest islands first. This correlates to the fact that the habitat choices were most limited in those areas. “Habitat specialist” reptiles were hard hit because they required a narrow range of environmental conditions to survive, while northern-dwelling species that required cool, moist conditions showed some of the highest extinction rates as well. The researchers conclude that a similar pattern of extinctions will happen at certain spots as the climate becomes hotter in the coming decades and centuries. This suggests that if species survive the global climate shift that is currently happening, not only do humans have to conserve more land, but they will also have to be connected through a network of habitats so that they can migrate.

This idea, that changes in climate will elicit a similar response from plants and animals now, that it did 15,000 years ago, makes sense. This is because, if it was hard for plants and animals to migrate, due to small areas of land, like on the Greek Islands, that pattern will not change now without our help. Therefore, I think that the idea to have a connected network of habitats to help them migrate if they survive the current climate change, is a great idea, because since humans have the capacity to help save their species, we should do everything we can. For instance, conserving more land is something that can be easily done, and can allow a great deal of species to migrate depending on the climate.

This relates to this course, because one of the main points of Earth Science is what affects the earth. It also touches on environmental issues. Greenhouse gases affect the earth, which creates global warming-a huge environmental issue in our world today. Not only will plants and animals have to adapt to a changing climate, but they will have to be forced to traverse an increasingly changed natural landscape.

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101209141243.htm