Strange Days on Planet Earth: The Need for Wolves in Our Ecosystem

After watching National Geographic: Strange Days on Planet Earth, one topic mentioned still amazes me. In a specific environment, do you think it is possible for the presence of wolves to help encourage the growth of Aspen trees? If you guessed the answer is YES, you guessed correctly. This situation is an example of a ripple effect, and influences numerous species of plants and animals all throughout the ecosystem.

In Yellowstone National Park, wolves were the dominant predators. They had the strength and the agility to bring down large animals, which ultimately regulated the ecosystem as a whole. The US Congress, however, failed to see this ecological connection and, starting in 1914, ordered all wolves to be eliminated in order to save the elk population. The last wolf present in Yellowstone National Park died in 1930.

After the wolf population became extinct, scientists started to notice many changes. Now that wolves were out of the picture, coyotes became the fierce predators. This, however, proved to be a problem because coyotes lacked the capability of overpowering larger animals, such as elk. When wolves had been present in the park, they not only fed themselves by killing elk, but they also fed a countless number of other species. After they were finished with their share, bears, coyotes, raccoons, scavengers, and insects took the remains as well. But because there was no definite top predator in the park anymore, all of the other individual populations were negatively affected. Organisms became weak and started to die off; the whole balance of the ecosystem had been distorted.

Making note of the park’s deterioration, scientists allowed wolves to reenter Yellowstone National Park and looked for the effects of this action. As soon as wolves were brought back, balance began to be restored. One noticeable change was the recovery of Aspen forests in the park, which had significantly declined starting in the early 20^th century.

We should care about ecosystem changes such as this because it influences our lives too. For example, if wolves had not been restored to the park, it might not even be here today. Those who visit the park frequently in admiration of its natural beauty and ecological diversity would be greatly affected if they came to find bare grounds with a few roaming organisms inhabiting the park. This topic is a matter of protecting our fragile remaining wilderness. Yellowstone is supposed to be a place where organisms are protected and encouraged to grow and develop. Although the presence of wolves might frighten some living nearby, they are needed in order to maintain the ecological balance that is resting in the forests of the Yellowstone National Park.

*Information acquired from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellowstone_Park

*Photos taken from Ap Images

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Alternative Energy Sources – Issue 4

a.       When the organic compound ethanol is burned, no new carbon dioxide is being emitted into the atmosphere.  Instead of producing new amounts of carbon dioxide, it simply puts back the same carbon dioxide that was present in the atmosphere at an earlier time.  Because organic compounds simply “recycle” carbon dioxide, there is no change in the net amount of CO2 in the atmosphere when ethanol is used as a fuel.

b.      Although the use of ethanol instead of gasoline reduces carbon emissions by 15 percent, the conversion of this ethanol into fuel overthrows that reduction.  The carbon emission released by the energy that is used in order to transform ethanol into usable fuel outweighs the reduction of carbon dioxide exerted into the atmosphere that this conversion would ultimately create.  Because of this, ethanol is viewed as a greater source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than the gasoline it replaces, despite its “carbon-neutral” stance.

c.       In regards to the use of ethanol, Amy Jaffe reported that, “Everything that’s happened wrong in energy in the United States has happened because there was a group of voters that put their own parochial needs ahead of our nation.”  After the conversion of ethanol into useable energy took off, farmers began to ignore the needs of the environment and grow crops according to their own best interest.  Their main focus was to grow as much corn as they could in order to obtain a large profit.  This increased production proved destructive to our environment, however, and resulted in much debate and the need for a strong leader to guide the nation into a healthier future.

d.      Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens fully believes in the development of wind and solar powered energy.  He plans to install 2,500 wind turbines and produce 4,000 megawatts of electricity.  As a man that has drilled oil all his life, his statement that “this is one emergency we can’t drill our way out of” truly means something.  Although he believes that his plans will eventually pay off, he is still taking a risk.  He has invested about 2 billion dollars in this project and if it fails, that is a few billion dollars that he will never see again.  According to T. Boone, it will take time before he makes money, but he believes that he will make hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

e.      Nuclear power is already the source of 20 percent of America’s electricity.  It is one of the safest technologies and a major way to eliminate the use of fossil fuels.  According to FRONTLINE, it has the potential to charge our cars and run heat pumps in our houses. Despite these benefits, the use of nuclear power does come with a few risks.  The nuclear accident at Three Mile Island exposed its inhabitants to radioactive gas and a great amount of life-threatening fear.  Although the leak resulted in no major harm, it still showed that using nuclear power would be a risk.  Along with the health risk, what to do with the waste and the cost required to produce these plants played major roles in discontinuing its development in America.  The cost to create one nuclear power plant is between 5 and 10 billion dollars. 

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Beauty Has Its Price

Makeup is a common interest shared among many teenage girls and women. While it makes some look older and others appear younger, it undoubtedly makes all who use it feel better. Although it may make you feel improved at the time, in the long run many cosmetics are more hazardous to your health than you think.

The Environmental Working Group recently released a study about toxins in cosmetics. The study observed that by using certain cosmetics, teenage girls are allowing a number of dangerous toxins into their bodies. All of these toxins come from 4 chemical families – phthalates, triclosan, parabens, and musks. The danger of these chemicals? All have been associated with major health concerns, such as cancer and hormone disruption.

Health complications resulting from the use of certain cosmetics were found to be more common in teenage girls than in women. The EWG study described that teenage girls normally use more products, and because their bodies are changing and more vulnerable to harm, they are exposing themselves to high levels of toxins.

One way to make sure none of these harmful chemicals enter your body is to refrain from the use of makeup. This, however, proves too difficult a task for many teenage girls and women. Another solution – read the label! Look for potentially dangerous ingredients and if possible, purchase products from brands such as Miessence, Jane Iredale, Honeybee Gardens, and Ecco Bella. All of these produce cosmetics without harmful chemicals and still make you feel beautiful.

Just remember that beauty comes with a price, and that price does not always have to do with money. So be safe and know what you are putting on your skin. Everyone knows that cosmetics should make you feel beautiful on the outside, but if proper precautions are taken, they will have you feeling beautiful on the inside as well.

*Information taken from: http://green.yahoo.com/blog/forecastearth/131/teens-and-makeup-a-dangerous-mix.html

*Photo taken from: AP Images

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Hybrid Cars – Are They Worth It?

One fact may be true – hybrids provide great environmental benefits. As Dom said, “Hybrid cars reduce emissions by 25% to 35% over many fuel efficient cars…and they also have better mileage, which means less money spent on gas”. These benefits help keep our atmosphere clean and maintain control over our limited supply of gas. Although hybrids are in fact better for our environment, one fact that many fail to realize is that in reality, they aren’t worth it.

In order to convey this fact, I compared the Toyota Prius (hybrid automobile) to the Chevy Aveo. Through my calculations, one can observe for him or herself why the hybrid car, however environmentally friendly it may be, is not worth the purchase in the long run. Although the Toyota Prius saves roughly $350 on gas per year (calculations below), its initial price is $10,040 more expensive than the Chevy Aveo. It would take about 25 years before the savings in gas money kicked in.

Toyota Prius

45 miles per gallon $4 per gallon 12000 miles per year

(12,000 miles per year / 45 miles per gallon) x $4 per gallon = $1,066.67 per year on gas

 

Chevy Aveo

34 miles per gallon $4 per gallon 12000 miles per year

(12,000 miles per year / 34 miles per gallon) x $4 per gallon = $1,411.76 per year on gas

 

Other than gas prices, one must also consider other requirements – such as a battery. A typical hybrid battery is a shocking $3,000 dollars and only lasts for 8 to 10 years before needing to be replaced.

Hybrid vehicles may pave the way towards a healthier environment, but considering the present financial crisis our world it experiencing, many would deem its “go green” quality unimportant. People love money, and most will do whatever it takes (however harmful it may be to our environment) to obtain as much as they can. So in reality, the answer is NO – The hybrid car is not worth it.

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Global Warming: An Increasing Problem

Global warming is becoming more and more of a problem in our world today. In order to fully understand and solve this problem, one should know a few basics about global warming.

For starters, a balance of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere insulates the Earth. These greenhouse gases trap heat and keep the Earth warm enough to sustain life. Human beings, however, are releasing larger amounts of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into the atmosphere by burning fuels. These gases have trapped more heat in the Earth, resulting in global warming.

This human-caused crisis has brought about grave consequences, such as flooding, disease, and problems with agriculture. In order to stop these problems we need to perform a series of actions: reduce gas emissions, increase energy efficiency, adopt renewable resources, and stop climate change once and for all.

Another way to solve this dilemma is by using renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and geothermal power, instead of using energy created by coal. 80% of electricity’s global warming pollution is a result of coal power plants. Less than 5% of total electricity sales in the US come from these renewable energy sources. So speak up! Demand that your power company use renewable energy. As a consumer, what you have to say matters. A simple phone call to your power company could help keep our world alive.

Information acquired from:

http://www.wecansolveit.org/content/pages/60?source=YahooSearch&subsource=Yahoo_BrandedMonitor_1x1

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Recharge and Recycle!

Upon reading a National Geographic magazine, I came across an ad promoting the recharging of batteries. The ad showed a serene lake with a motor boat sitting in the middle, motionless. Its tagline was “Enjoy it. Protect it.” I think this is a well thought out ad because it draws the reader’s attention to the beauty of our earth and then gives us advice on how to keep the environment healthy. The ad goes on to say, “Your rechargeable batteries will last through thousands of charges, but when they can no longer be used, don’t throw them in the trash! Instead, help protect the environment and conserve landfill space by recycling them.” I believe ads like this help make our environment a bit healthier every day. By simply recharging and recycling our batteries we are conserving energy and space. So help keep our world clean. Recharge and Recycle!

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Go Green?

Sure you’ve heard it before. “Go Green!” But what does it really mean?

Committed environmentalists that desire to see a change in the health of our world use this phrase on a regular basis. By “going green”, one is making a promise to make choices that are environmentally healthy.

 One way you can go green is by eating green. To eat green means to choose organics whenever they are made available. This means choosing vegetables, fruits, and grains over meats.

Also, eating green implies that you find locally produced foods that travel fewer miles from the field in which they are grown to your kitchen. According to Jennifer Wilkins, a Cornell University nutrition researcher, these actions can cut down the carbon “foodprint” of a meal. Other ways to reduce this amount is to walk, bike, or take public transportation to stores or shops. The smaller the carbon foodprint, the fewer natural resources used to create the product.

So now that you know a few ways in which to help the environment, go green! Your earth would greatly appreciate it.

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Our Good Earth: Can We Save It?

As the world’s population increases, the demands for food become critical. Protecting and improving the soil beneath our feet becomes a primary goal in order to provide the world with the food it needs. Protecting this soil, however, is not as easy as it looks.

I recently read an article in National Geographic  called “Our Good Earth: The Future Rests on the Soil Beneath Our Feet“. It explained the current issues regarding our soil and the potential consequences we will face if these issues are not solved. One problem the article described was erosion, resulting from compaction. Every time a heavy machine plows farmland, erosion becomes more of a main concern. In the Midwest, topsoil is made up of loose, heterogeneous clumps. As these clumps are compacted by machines, roots are not able to infiltrate the ground, resulting in water’s inability to drain into the earth. Instead, this water runs off and causes erosion, which can ultimately take decades to reverse.

Compaction is only one of the many problems resulting in the failure of the world’s soil. As the quantity and quality of soil diminishes, food shortages become more of a problem. To make matters worse, these foot shortages have resulted in riots in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. If changes are not made in regards to the protection of our soil, the world will ultimately face complete chaos.

There is still hope for our world, however. One solution to our soil crisis is terra preta, an artificial, human-made soil. Terra preta is rich in minerals, such as phosphorous, calcium, zinc, and manganese. This soil is so unique because it remains fertile even after centuries of exposure to the sun and rain. Environmental solutions like terra preta are what we must find in order to help protect our world. As David Montgomery, the University of Washington geologist, said, “With eight billion people, we’re going to have to start getting interested in soil. We’re simply not going to be able to keep treating it like dirt.”

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