"The lieutenant was right: Yellowstone is a volcano, and not just any volcano."

National Georgraphic recently released a frightening article detailing the Yellowston National Park. It seems that the volcano, thought to be active all of these years, is not just any volcano. It's something more. Something terrying. Not just a mountain, not just a volcano, but a SUPERVOLCANO. According to National Geographic, supervolcanic explosions can devestate not only one area, but the entire world. Due to the immense amounts of heat released by the eruption, the climate is changed dramatically and affects the entire planet. It starts with a huge cavern of magma, which eventually builds up, like shaking up a coke bottle. It then erupts, spewing out all of the magma into the atmosphere along with ash and debris. Once the magama cavern has been emptied out by the eruption, it then caves in, leaving a gigantic hole in the earth. Scientists estimate that it could be the size of Rhode Island.


A supervolcano eruption is a scary thought. It seems like an unstoppable environmental force at work. Hypothetically, it could a limiting factor on human growth. I hope that a supervolcanic eruption never occurs while I'm alive, because it will most likely wipe out the human race, or atleast kill a large number of them.

Yellow Stone

Yellow Stone is the oldest and most famous volcano in a national park in the United States. In addition it's not just any volcano. It's a supervolcano. Volcanos form mountains while supervolcanos erase them. A supervolcano has never erupted in recorded human history, but scientists predicted how bad it would be. The amounts of gases and ash released in the air would effect the entire country as a whole and would cause many problems. The last three eruptions recorded have happened in Yellow Stone itself. The most recent one was must larger then the St. Helens one which killed 57 people in Washington. The gases rising in the stratosphere mixing with the water vapors creating a thin haze of sulfate aerosols which dims the lighting is called a "volcanic winter." Researchers have found that in our DNA humans suffered from a supervolcano in Indonesia about 74,000 years ago. The land itself to this day is getting hotter and hotter. A clue to this is the large amount of trout in the rivers, getting away from the hot springs. Also, Smith published in 1979 that Yellow Stone was very much a live volcano and would erupt again someday.

The question is, when will it erupt again? It won't erupt again in my lifetime probably. When it does, the results will be catastrophic and it will knock out a huge percent of population. The lava will of course effect homes and such, but the ash and fumes is what really worries the scientists. It ties in with the whole greenhouse gass effect. The carbon and ash released in the air will nlock the suns rays which will effect humans and plants and animals. It wouldn't just effect the area around Yellow Stone, it will effect the whole country and do a great amount of damage. If breathing in the ash and toxins alone doesn't kill people, it blocking the sun will. Channing and I went to Yellow Stone on our Teens Camping Tour of the West this summer and it was hard to believe it was a living volcano. It didn't seem like it. And It's scary to think it could have erupted while we were there. I know that's unlikely, but still. It freaks me out and I hope it doesn't erupt in our lifetime.

Ford Focus and CO2

Despite being behind the other five major automobile dealers in the world in fuel efficiency, Ford has recently released a new car in Europe that can travel 62 miles per gallon. The new Focus gets 62 mpg, and only emits just 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer. There is no major technological breakthrough behind this car but rather the developers only tweaked the regular gas engine a bit.

When I saw this particular article I decided to use it as my current event because it dealt directly with the global warming problem by limiting the amounts of CO2 released by cars into the environment. It also helps to conserve fossill fuels by using less gasoline to travel greater distances. overall this is a large step towards a more environmentally friendly world where keeping the environment safe doesn't mean you have to stay at home with the lights off.

The End of a Fish Reign?

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/08/kamchatka-salmon/quammen-text

Kamchatka Salmon live along the coasts of the Kamchatka Peninsula. They are an important economic resource for the remote area of Russia. Due to the prime aquatic conditions for these fish, several different types of Salmon species have thrived along these water for decades. The National Geographic article states that "nearly 20% of all Pacific Salmon species exist in these waters." Ironically, the fish only survive long enough to make the journey to their birth sites, mate, and then die. Yet the population seemed to balanced itself as the frigid waters are high in dissolved oxygen...that is until people began to take a share in the fishes prosperity. As a result of this abundance massive, illegal quantities of fish have been taken from the sea for caviar, fish oil, and food. The people have acknowledged that the salmon are a vital resource for their economy yet little has been done to stop these abuses. Fish inspectors have been monitoring the coasts of the Peninsula however there are not enough of them to keep these abuses from affecting the Salmon populations. The picture galleries showed the bears and people that depend on the Salmon for their way of life.

South Georgia

The island of South Georgia is an environmental wonder. It is a haven of sporadic weather conditions, inconsistent aesthetic conditions, and multiple species. Located southeast of South America, the island is set up so that a portion of it has a tundra-like landscape while the others have arctic conditions. South Georgia has been through alot in past decades. It used to be a main location to hunt whales and seals. The consistent hunting of these species nearly wiped them out, but some of the species have been restored today. Now, there are also many penguins on the island that make for a diverse population. Humans are impacting the island of South Georgia tremendously. The effects of global warming are causing ice to melt and the island to become uninhabitable to some species in South Georgia. An example of this is thelack of krill in South Georgia in certain years. The island has always had a steady flow of krill in their unique krill river to feed species of seals and whales. However, in the years 2004 and 2009, the amount of krill has severely decreased. Scientists say that if the decrease in krill continues to occur, then the island will change drastically. The krill must have certain environmental conditions to survive, and those conditions are being tampered with by the effects of global warming. If the beautiful island of South Georgia is to be protected, then people must do more to try and slow down the effects of global warming and stay far away from this place when in search of a hunting location.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/south-georgia/brower-text/6

-Lauren.

South Georgia: It ain't peaches, either.

Good ol' South Georgia. A land of intense change and mind-blowing features that has raised many questions about it's climate, weather patterns, and population as well. The island is located off the coast of Antarctica and displays some very non-antarctic characteristics. The one that is the most interesting I believe is the climate. On one side of the island, the weather is tremendously cold, while on the latter, the island posseses an almost pre-tropical climate that is home to 26 different vascular plants. Winds up to speeds of 110 miles per hour have been recorded on the cold side of the mountain, which is due to prevailing winds that circulate the Earth untouched by land masses, mountains, or other limiting factors. South Georgia has experienced some spectacular changes in the past 200 years. During the 1800's, the island was discovered by explorers and exploited of many of its keystone species. The seals were hunted for their coats and many whales were also poached. The island then suffered an intense set back where it had very little animal activity and was partially desolate. Scientists now are finding that the island is making a huge comeback with its whale and seal populations, as well as many migratory birds. Despite the islands small size, it has much live and has started to thrive again. Another problem that is now worldwide is global climate change. Although the island has made a comeback, it will be harder for it to stay sustainable when the rising temperatures are causing the ice packs to melt and limiting habitats for seals and other animals. I say feild trip to South Georgia next week, who's down?

Curtis Hanson

Out in Kamchatka..

The fresh streams of Kamchatka Krai form the basis of an extremely rich ecosystem overflowing with nutrients. This is the result of it's (relatively) warm temperatures, isolation from large scale human activities, and the suicidal mating practices of the Pacific Salmon. The salmon returning to the rivers of their birth would come in troughs, providing an easy and abundant catch for Kamchatka brown bears. However, the extreme fish orgies that occur on this river has lead to a rise in illegal capital ventures in the area- mostly focusing on one prize: red salmon roe, the fancy delicacy and friend of crackers, it is like a sort of ovarian gold. Unfortunately, its harvest is dependant on compromising the reproductive efforts of the pacific salmon. Roe, to those of you sushi aficionados out there, is a valuable cooking ingredient. To the more bourgeoisie out there, it is the unrefined form of red caviar. Their high value supports the roe industry of the region, (which exceeds their production quotas), but also provides a small hope for the iscolated people of the region, where jobs are few. As a result, many rural Kamchatkans turn to illegal poching when the opportunity presents itself. People once again find themselves torn between economy, crime, and sustainability.

Bigger, stroger Shellfish coming around?

Marine biologists predict the coming of bigger, stronger shellfish living in our oceans in today's world. Research from the University at North Carolina at Chapel Hill state in our world's sea water, is becoming more acidic due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), there is a possibility that shelled fish animals could possibly become bigger and stronger. This greatly affect the oceanic food websand the multi-billon dollar global market for the shellfish and crustaceans also said from the North Carolina University. Photos from this article showed an observed experimentation of two lobsters given a different amount of carbon dioxide supplied to them. The lobster with more carbon dioxide was two-three times bigger than the other lobster, only supporting the statement released by the university that the shellfish could enlarge themselves with the carbon dioxide. However, other research has led to believe that due to the ocean acidification, the carbon dioxide could stunt the growth or weaken the shells of the animals....that wasn't the case in this particular experiment. I think this will alter the shellfish and crucetean industry, but due to the enlargement of the shellfish, it will only benefit the industry.

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/news/chiefeditor/2009/12/538-ocean-acidification-causes-shellfish-to-grow.html

When yelloestone explodes

This article uncovers the long question mysteries of the volcano in Yellowstone National Park, "the caldera at unrest". Yellowstone is the oldest, most famous National Park in the United States. Yellowstone has been discovered to be a supervolcanoe, one that has never errupted in recorded human history. It's most recent explosion occured 640,000 years ago. Scientists say that if this explosion occurs it owuld be 1000 times as strong as the erruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. As a result of the explosion, the whole planet has felt it's effects. From a newly designed landscape to adapted changes in forests and the relaease of many gases into our stratosphere causing weather changes. However, what has most recently been uncovered is that the volcanoe is still "alive". The quesiton to answer now is when will it errupt again?
I found this article particularly interesting due to the fact that I went to Yellowstone National Park just two summers ago. It really is a beautiful place to see. I only question though, if Yellowstone is rises every decade is there a possiblity for an explosion in my lifetime?? I also think this article shows why it is necessary to have National Parks. They provide us with not only just recreational land but land that has less effect from humans in order to discover and learn some of Earth's underlying patterns and mysteries.

-Alyssa Grigg

South Georgia

South Georgia, an island around the Arctic region, has is be a biodiverse land despite its location. It's home to multiple plant species and many artic mammals. On on side of the island, it is relativley warm, however on the other side it is very cold. There can be extreme climate conditions on the island including exceedingly strong winds. Some of South Georgia's borders are lined with pack ice. Despite these setback, people have made there mark on the island, especially with whale hunting and greenhouse gases. Whale hunting seriously diminshed the numbers of the whale population and global warming is melting the ice necessary for the survival of many of the arctic creatures that that habitate this sanctuary. While efforts to help reduce global warming are not quite taking a strong effect, yet, due to regulations and the help of South Georgia, the whale population is incresing once again in the area. This article relates to our studies as it talks about habitat destruction and the greenhouse gas effect. I would have liked to have read more about how part of the island was so warm and the other so contrastingly cold.

India Rain

Like any other farmer, farmers in India hope and pry everyday for rain. India’s drought season lasts seven months, with most of their annual rainfall arriving in a 4-month period. The rain is brought in by the means of monsoons. Which means the rain could come in heavy down pours or light showers. The critical period for rain in India is so much shorter than other areas, because the climate is so hot and dry that if the seeds stay out there too long they will dry up and not germinate. The particular area in India the article discusses is Satichiwadi, which is in India’s rain shadow. Usually by the time the monsoons have reached the area the clouds have already broken up. Therefore the area receives little rain. One may ask the question why don’t they just use irrigation? Well even may of the ground wells in the small villages throughout India have dried up too. Some villages have signed a three-year watershed program called Watershed Organization Trust. The goal of the program is use what rain they receive more sustainably. Part of the program is to cut down fewer trees, plant more flora, and dig ditches. By doing these three things the water will slow down and have more time to absorb into the ground, therefore increasing the groundwater. As we have learned earlier if children don’t need to be used to for labor, instead they can be educated. The article briefly discusses how this program could give more children the opportunity to go to school. In developing countries such as India this could become important to empower women.

When reading the article I was shocked to read that the number of suicides among male farmers in one village tripled between 1994 and 2004. After looking at the pictures it is startling to see how dry and bare the land really is. But looking at the one picture where the watershed program has been used shows how changing a few small variables can make such a difference. One question I wonder after reading this is whether they experience many wildfires from the land being so hot and dry.

Victoria Pittman

Kamchatka Salmon

On the Kamchatka peninsula, salmon are abundant but it seems that the inhabitants are beginning to rely too heavily on the species. There are so many salmon in this area (at least 6 different species) because 20% of the world's population of salmon go to this area to reproduce because the conditions are nearly perfect for their reproduction. The reason the people of this area rely so heavily on the salmon is because the area is relatively secluded and it is hard for the people to get out and also regulate trade in large quantities, so the salmon is one of their main food sources. Salmon need to be protected because they do not grow to a large size until much later in their lives and they have a low survival rate. Salmon also don't reproduce more than once in their lifetime. Humans are not their only predators, salmon are also hunted by bears and sometimes are caught in fishing nets.
I think the river systems in which the salmon are living need to be protected because the salmon are a very important factor in the Kamchatkan ecosystems. They need to be used sustainably and the fishing companies should have better-enforced regulations in order to keep from over-fishing the younger salmon. I was surprised to see how heavily multiple species relied on these salmon.

EMILY MILLER

Where the Salmon Rule

The Kamchatka Peninsula runs from the mainland of northeastern Russia, through the Bering Sea, and out to the Pacific Ocean. Largely isolated by humans, the peninsula is a place full of wildlife. Brown bears and Stellar sea eagles thrive on thesecret outback where about 20 percent of all wild Pacific slamon go to spawn. The area is free of permafrost, reacieves abundant rainfall, has good drainage, and is isolated from the mainland's major river systems. This allows slamon to live because of a small crowd of predators and competitors. The hatchery releases 1.2 million eggs each spring, though many do not reach adulthood, the eggs that hatch travel up the Bystraya River. This is a transition to life in salt water, where they enter the frigid body of the Sea of Okhotsk. The native salmon are essential to the economy of the area. They are also a major food source for the peninsula's people. However, many eggs are hatched illegally by people who come onto the South Kamchatka Reserve. Organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, along with underpaid and outnumbered fish inspectors, search the reserve for poachers and illegal hatchings of salmon eggs.

The fish not only serve an economic purpose, but a cultural part of the Kamchatka region. IN one wedding celebration, the reserve helped with the preparations. The family of the bride prepared fish eggs for the reserve. At the reception, the groom "fishes" for the bride. The bride and the groom also delivered fish and other foods to families who could not participate in the ceremony. The fish, along with predators like bears, help to create a setting for this small and isolated peninsula. The fish are very important in the sustainibility of this area. Without them, the Kamchatka Peninsula would lose major economic, environmental, and cultural characteristics.

Christiana Vastardis

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/08/kamchatka-salmon/quammen-text

Resurrection Island: South Georgia

The island of South Georgia is not located on the coast of Georgia but is technically located south of Georgia. The island is located more near Antarctica rather than Georgia though. This ambiguous island has a strange feel to travelers. On the southern side of the island is tropical and on the nothern side is cold. Recently, tow explorers took a tour of the island. They took the exact route that an explorer, Ernest Shackleton, took where his ship was crushed by a pack ice and survived with only a third of his shipmates left. The explorers found 110 mph winds which comes with the low -pressure winds as we studied this year. The island has been visited by many hunters, where in the 1800s the Antarctic fur seal and the southern elephant seal were hunted to the verge of extinction. The island does have many arctic animals now such as penguins and seals. A lot of the animals are dependent on sea ice and due to global warming animals are loosing habitats. This island is a diverse part of the world that not many people know about. It houses many environmental wonders and diversity.

Lexie Redd

It's A Mutant!

As the world's seawater becomes more acidic due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide, some shelled marine animals may actually become bigger and stronger, suggests research by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The finding could have important implications for ocean food webs and the multi-billion dollar global market for shellfish and crustaceans, the university said in a statement released today.
The American lobster (Homarus americanus) in the right picture was reared for 60 days under normal CO2 (400 parts per million). The lobster on the right was reared for 60 days under high CO2 (2850 ppm).

Photographs by Justin Ries/UNC-Chapel Hill

"Previous research has shown that ocean acidification--the term for falling pH levels in the Earth's oceans as they absorb increasing amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere--is likely to slow the growth or even dissolve the shells of such creatures," UNC said in the statement.
"However, the new study, published in the December issue of the journal Geology, suggests that sediment-dwelling marine organisms may exhibit a wider range of responses to CO2-induced acidification than previously thought: some may get weaker while others become stronger."
Predator-prey relationships may change.
Researchers also found that creatures whose shells grew the most, such as crabs, tend to prey on those whose shells weakened the most, such as clams.
Such changes could have serious ramifications for predator and prey relationships that have evolved over hundreds of millions of years, said Justin Ries, assistant professor of marine sciences in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences.
"There is no magic formula to predict how different species will respond, but one thing you can be sure of is that ecosystems as a whole will change because of these varied individual responses," Ries said.
Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the left picture reared for 60 days under normal CO2 (400 ppm). The crab on the right was reared for 60 days under high CO2 (2850 ppm).
Photographs by Justin Ries/UNC-Chapel Hill
Ries and colleagues grew 18 different species of economically and ecologically important marine calcifiers (animals that make shells out of calcium carbonate) at various levels of CO2 predicted to occur over the next several centuries, the UNC statement explained. "When CO2 combines with water, it produces carbonic acid, raising the overall amount of carbon in seawater but reducing the amount of the carbonate ion used by organisms in their calcification."
Seven species (crabs, lobsters, shrimp, red and green calcifying algae, limpets and temperate urchins) calcified at a higher rate and increased in mass under elevated CO2. Ten types of organisms (including oysters, scallops, temperate corals and tube worms) had reduced calcification under elevated CO2, with several (hard and soft clams, conchs, periwinkles, whelks and tropical urchins) seeing their shells dissolve. One species (mussels) showed no response.
Photographs by Justin Ries/UNC-Chapel Hill
"Shelled marine organisms need carbonate ions to build their shells that protect them from the intense predation that defines everyday life on the shallow sea floor," Ries said. "The organisms that responded positively to higher CO2 levels are apparently more adept at converting the elevated dissolved inorganic carbon in the seawater, which results from elevated atmospheric CO2, back into a form that they can use directly in their calcification. The others, however, appear to be less adept at manipulating dissolved inorganic carbon."
Ries said the varied responses may reflect differences in organisms' ability to regulate pH levels at their sites of calcification; their ability to generate a protective organic layer that limits their exposure to surrounding seawater; whether they use more soluble forms of calcium carbonate in their shells; and their ability to utilize CO2 directly via photosynthesis.
The co-authors of the Geology study are Anne L. Cohen and Daniel C. McCorkle from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

The rising levels of carbon dioxide are taking an affect on sea creatures growth. Some creatures such as the lobster are on a steriod growth path, growing larger than they ever have before and others, usually the prey of these organisms are becoming weaker. They're populations are suffering as the larger animals are taking advantage of the lack of protection their prey has. The University of North Carolina has indicated that "there is no specific pattern these organsisms follow" but that there will be a greater impact on the life cycles and enviornmental stability of the predator-prey relationships that these creatures depend on. Although this article does not mention the topics we are studying at present, I did think it had a relationship with the Whelk we learned about in class, since the Whelk is an aquatic creature and could be affected by this. The greater amount of CO2 in the water could also have an impact on native and nonnative species such as the natives reacting poorly to harshed conditions yet the invasive surviving due to the "r species" connection made in class today.

Cocaine, Spices, Hormones Found in Drinking Water

A team of researches in washington State has found traces of cooking spices and flavoring in the waters of Puget Sound. An associate professor from the University of Washington, Richard Keil, investigated how what we do on land affects our waters. This story is part of a special series that explores the global water crisis. The main focus of this article was to explain theories about having more clean water. During certain holidays scientists, Keil and his team, tracked certain "pulses" of food ingredients to see if there were any unsusual aspects to them. The Pudget Sound study is one of several ongoing efforts yo investigate the unexpected ingredients that find their way into the global water supply.
Around the world, scientists are starting to find traces of amounts of substances, relating to sugar, spice, and evern herion, rocket fuel, and birth control. This could cause serious problems for humans and the wildlife. Within this article it mentioned how spices and flavorings are flushed out of a U.S. home and then travel to a sewage treatment facility. This is where most of the unwanted material is removed from our water systems. In the area Pudget Sound, the University of Washington team found, the spicy residues that remain in wastewater end up flowing into the sound's inland waterways.
In my opinion, having clean water is one of the most important resources to our society because without water, we would not survive. Water is one of things that we actually have to have clean. Having harming materials in water could cause serious problems and issues within our nation. I think we should do whatever it takes to make our drinking water safe and clean and free of harmful items.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/11/091112-drinking-water-cocaine.html

South Georgia

South Georgia is an island off the southern coast of South America. The island is made up entirely of ice and rock. Amazingly this island is home to a large number of plants and animals. In all it has 26 species of vascular plants and home to numerous penguins, seals, and other mammals. This island was once the scene of one of the worst mammal massacre known in history. Whales were hunted off of the coast of this island which severly decreased their numbers. Today they are making a comeback near South Georgia and other areas. Seeing that this place harbors much life in an artic wasteland, shows how important this island is to the environment. By reducing pollution and greenhouse emissions we can help save places such as South Georgia.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/south-georgia/brower-text/3

Yellow Stone

Yellowstone National park is one of the oldest and most famous parks in the United States. The park sits on one of the world’s biggest volcano. Although many people think the volcano is extinct “ it is very much alive” When Valcanos erupt the can knock out entire species, by changing the climate. No Supervalcano has occurred since humans have been on earth. The last three have occurred in Yellowstone. This article tells the Yellowstone valcano’s history of succession, how glacers created the lake how it exsposed rock, that eventually became wonderous trees. I did not know half the Geyserin the planet are in yellow stone. The lake is still slowly doming, which is cause a variety of trees to die. This rate of growth has increased expodientally. I wonder what the long term effects of the Pump geyser is to the native populations.

Although we may never know, When is this "living, breathing, shaking caldera,” going to explode? When it does will it end us all? Lets hype of 2012.

http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/volcanoqa.htm

http://www.yellowstone.net/volcano.htm

Michigan: Fear Over Asian Carp Brings Request to Close Waterways

Asian invasion: Part 725,585,001

The Great Lakes are in imminent danger of invasion of an invasive species of asian carp that thrives in the Mississippi River. An electrical barrier somewhere along the Mississippi River is believed to be the cause of the species to have entered the Lakes. The will wipe out other fish living in the lakes, causing the destruction of an ecosystem. Michigan's governor is being swayed by some environmental groups to take legal action against the company responsible for the problem. Rappa Whelks, triploid oysters, carp and kudzu; that might not even be asian but it sure does sound like it. Now, let's take the information we've learned about invasive species. They seem to ALL come from asian countries. Now you tell me, America, accidental invasion, or an attack in disguise? I feel like this is a ploy to attack our home land via ship ballasts and non-functional electrical barriers (probably Made in China). The main focus though for me is I will soon be a resident of the Great Lake neighbor, Ohio. I will be quite ticked if those carp eat up all my beautiful other fish...
Curtis Hanson
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/03/science/earth/03brfs-FEAROVERASIA_BRF.html?_r=1

Thousands of fish die for faulty evidence

The Chicago river, a tributary to the Great Lakes, is believed to be a potential conduit through which the Asian Carp could invade, ploriferate in, and dominate the Great Lakes. The river's first line of defense, an electric barrier, according to DNA evidence collected on the river bank, apparentley had been breached, meaning that the Great Lakes Ecosystem could be in great potential danger. The carp has already proliferated in the Mississippi river, and puts strain on native life species with it's agression. It also is detested by anglers due to the extremeley powerful leaps it takes in response to the sound of motors, seemingly attacking humans.
In response, one section of the waterway will be poisoned in a desperate attempt to prevent the spread of this dangerous fish. The action is extremeley deadly, and will kill scores of native fish. Still, the fish has been equated to a cancer on the Mississippi river, and the poisoning chemotherapy.
Last night, the procedure was carried out, and approximateley 200,000 of pounds of dead fish now float upon 10 kilometers of the river. So far, none of the two invasive carp species have been gathered.
To add insult to injury, the rotting corpses will be consecrated to a landfill.

Tch...

http://detnews.com/article/20091202/METRO/912020339/Chicago-canal-to-be-poisoned-to-kill-invasive-carp
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Science/2009/11/25/11917781-sun.html
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2009/11/asian_carp_invasive_species_sw.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN03512674

South Georgia.

South Georgia is a place I honestly had no clue about before I read this article and it seems like an amazing place to visit at some point in my life. This place seems to be like in a snow-globe, untouched by the outside, it's like it's own little world among our big one. Reading the descriptions about the multitude of the animals and how they all live together simply blows my mind away, how could a place such as this exist without my knowledge?

I thought it interesting how a place can change so much if just given the chance, it makes me wonder if we gave the world a chance could it change as South Georgia did, could it return to the way it was before we began to pollute it? All those animals that were on the verge of disappearing forever, but ran away from death and came back in the droves, it makes one think if we could've done that to those animals that did go extinct, if we had just backed off for a bit would they still be here today, walking among us? Either way this island is a perfect example of what nature is capable of when untouched by man for a period of time and it should be preserved.

Unfortunately this place is in danger, as it once was. Before it was the whalers and sealers that would hunt for fur and blubber and drove the seal and whale populations to extinction, thankfully they have bounced back and are in outstanding numbers. The issue now though is the krill. Krill seems to keep this place thriving since a huge seasonal swarm of krill goes by South Georgia feeding much of the population, but it goes astray every so often. Much evidence seems to suggest that this is being brought on by the changing weather conditions, global warming to be specific. Without this seasonal activity life on South Georgia as we know it could be in danger seeing as how it houses many species depending on the arrival of the krill.

I just hope that this island will survive, it's a home to many animals and the loss of it would be devastating. We've done so much to the world already, we don't need to hurt yet another piece of magic floating in the vast ocean, for we could lose it and all it's occupants forever.

Redwoods

The magnificent redwood trees of California have always been debated over. Many people want to cut them down for their excellent wood while others scream at the thought of cutting down these thousands-of-years-old trees. Mike Fay, a Wildlife Conservation Society biologist, says that there is a way to keep forests healthy and still cut the trees down as a source of wood: "Grow bigger trees, which can maximize wood production while providing good habitat." Loggers, foresters, biologists, environmentalists, cafe owners, and timber company executives all rely on the redwood forests but they can't all agree on how they should be cut or not cut.
Redwoods are unique in several ways. First of all, their bark in high in polyphenols, which bugs and fungi do not like. Secondly, they do not contain a lot of resin in their bark, which makes them highly fire resistant. When a limb breaks off in a storm or is cut off by loggers and the stump is exposed to light, it almost immediatly begins to grow back. One would think that since these trees are so massive, they would have a larger cone for their seeds. Wrong. The redwood's cone is very small, about the size of an olive. Not only is it very small, the seeds are not always released periodically so they do not always grow every year. Because of this, stump sprouting has become the redwoods' main key to survival.
Many loggers cut down the trees because they need to money to support their families. Since before the early 1900's, people have been fighting the loggers and protesting against the cutting of redwood forests, with good reason. Less than 5 percent of what was 2 million acres of redwood forests remains, most of which are under protection by the law. Huge debates and arguments have broken out over the issue. Violence has even been used; a pipe bomb placed in someone's car, a logger aiming a tree at a protester: the tree fell on the protester's head and killed him instantly and the logger was not charged.
People are not the only ones who suffer from the loss of redwood trees. The northern spotted owls, marbled murrelets, as well as the coho salmon are quickly declining from habitat loss. With animals dying off, California reduced the number of acres cut per year per company by one half what it originally was in the 1990's. Large machines used to cut trees down and drag them out of the forests were also done away with and replaced with smaller, more effective machines. Because of this change, fewer habitats were being destroyed and a less sediment was being knocked into streams and salmon were able to thrive again.
A man by the name of Jim Able has the right idea for logging. He and his company go out and mark the trees they want to cut down. They are careful that they never cut down more than 30-35 percent of the forest. He says that it is best to cut less tress for more money, that way it is beneficial economically and environmentally. He and his employees always leave the healthy straight trees and cut down only the poor quality, malformed trees. By doing this, the stronger trees are left to continue growing and creating a healthy forest while the loggers are still able to get their timber.
I have seen these trees up close and personal and I can see how people might want to cut them down for timber. However, I can also see why people are fighting to prevent the cutting of these amazing forests. Redwood trees can live to be thousands of years old and that's amazing. Their height is something else that should noted. The tallest tree is 379.1 feet tall. That's like, 47 stories high. The thing I can't imagine though, is the violence that goes on while fighting for these trees. Pipe bombs and purposly making a tree fall on someone and killing them is way too far. It's like throwing a temper tantrum when you're 35. It's not mature and it isn't going to get you anywhere. I think Jim Able has the perfect idea. He saves the healthy trees and gets rid of the bad ones. That way, the trees are able to grow tall and strong and the loggers still get money for timber.

Mallory C.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/10/redwoods/bourne-text

India Rain

Rain in India can be linked to the livelihood and survival of many people and also many families. The people rely on rain and monsoons to water their crops and nourish their family. The monsoon season usually begins in early June and provides the country with a great deal of their annual rainfall. In fact about three quarters of the country's annual rainfall is supplied by the four month monsoon season.
Many of the village people believe and pray to the gods to bring rain. In one village, farmers are climbing up a hilltop and praying to their village goddess to bring rain. This village has not experienced a significant amount rain in over 7 months. In New Delhi the extreme heat and lack of rainfall caused power cuts and huge dust storms. Trucks were going through and distributing government sponsored water.
Village's have just began a three year watershed plan to help maximize the use of what little rain does fall. This plan is sponsored by a non-profit organization called WOTR. The village farmers spent about 5 days a week moving soil, digging, and planting seedlings. In the end, they hope this will help them cope with the long drought periods. Of all the wells dug by the villagers over the years, it is estimated that 90% have gone dry.
Rainfall and monsoons play a key factor in the lives of these farmers and villagers. Their lives revolve around the rain and the monsoon season. When rain doesn't come, the effects can be devastating. Many of the farmers commit suicide and many lives are lost.

When Yellowstone Explodes

When Yellowstone explodes explains the theory that Yellowstone National Park is not only a national park but also a "supervolcano". This idea was developed in 1870 when a 30-year-old Army lieutenant named Gustavus Doane was doing research in the park and discovered the Great Basin. Ever since, researchers have been developing more theories that the underground volcano has erupted times before human history and have caused devastating effects on our planet. Currently, scientists are trying to decide whether this supervolcano will erupt anytime soon or at all and if so, how life-threatening the eruption will be.

I found this article especially interesting because this past summer I actually visited the Yellowstone National Park and was able to see the Great Basin. There I realized how vast and beautiful the area is and learned of this theory of the underlying volcano. The article also is good to read because it relates to the problems we have today with global warming and tectonic plate shifts. I like how this also relates to our recent studies about global warming and national parks. It really gives the reader something to think about and brings up the controversial issue of global warming. I wonder if the ideas brought up in this article are actually true, and if they are what can we do to prevent a catastrophic event that could happen?

-Channing M.

South Georgia

South Georgia is an island with arctic peaks, ice fields, and hanging glaciers surrounding it. The island is covered with permanent ice and snow and bare rock. This island has tundra like vegetation. South Georgia has a tendency to have rapid changing weather. It is also home to what used to be the "worst mammal massacre in history." The island has some animals the most noteworthy include the king penguin, fur seals, and elephant seals. Another would be the krill that creates a red river like appearance. Fur seals and whales feed on these krill. Krill larvae depend on the cold ice.
The island is something we need to preserve. Global warming and pollution can and will affect this island. I liked the article because the island is such a spectacle. I would've never known about this island.

Redwoods

Since the arrival of California as an American territory, logging companies have brutally cut down thousands of the almost 2000 ear old redwood groves. However with increased environmental awareness and more conscious logging processes, recovery is becoming more and more likely. Even loggers understand the crimes that have been committed against nature through past processes using terms such as nuked, blitzing, even going so far as to call it rape of mother nature, all perfect ways to describe the evil of the clear cutting history of logging companies. now in an effort to repair the damage logging has turned to a more sustainable method; selecting only the runts with in a stand allowing strong trees to grow, this provides both income for the short term, and sustainable logging for the future.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/10/redwood-management/fay-text/4

A Yellow Volcano

In an article by Joel Achenbach, it talks about the yellowstone being a volcano. It all started on August 29, 1870, when a 30-year-old Army lieutenant named Gustavus Doane, took an exploratory expedition in the Yellowstone region in Wyoming.When he came across the summit of Mount Washburn above the Yellowstone River, he noticed that something was missing from a stretch of the Rocky Mountains. The weird thing he saw, was what he didn't see, which was mountains. For miles and miles, the only elevations were in the distance, and Doane said he saw "one vast crater of a now extinct volcano."

Yellowstone is a volcano, and not just any volcano. The oldest, most famous national park in the United States sits squarely atop one of the biggest volcanoes on Earth. Doane was wrong, however, in one crucial respect. Yellowstone's volcano is not extinct. To an unsettling degree, it is very much alive. This is probably because the Yellowstone volcano was a supervolcano which are quite deadly. The last three super-eruptions have been in Yellowstone itself. The most recent, 640,000 years ago, was a thousand times the size of the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980, which killed 57 people in Washington. These are facts that I did not know. Some other questions is whether or not people in the Yellowstone are afraid that the volcanoe would erupt and kill them? The other question is how is the volcanoes alive but just a crater?

Chris Sharrett

INDIA RAIN

The droughts in India are something that the natives rely on for everything, food and source of income. I never realized until reading the article on India's rain that sometimes people in India go seven whole months before seeing sufficient amount of rain. When they do get rain it is generally monsoon season, and if it does not come soon enough the seeds they planted will dry up and die and if the rain comes down torrentially it will wash away the seeds before giving them to time root.

The locals, in order to be less dependent on the monsoon, developed a watershed program to make use of the water when it comes. It is called Watershed Organization Trust or WOTR. The prediction of when monsoons will occur used to be easy and now with global warming its becoming increasingly difficult for farmers and environmentalist.

In order to try and tap into water more efficiently certain places and people in India have begun tapping into ground water to help with the supply, but lack of money to fund it and lack of water in general is a problem. All of the issues regarding water is hurting the India economy and lives of hundreds of thousands. Families are losing fathers due to suicide because of the rain.. this may sound absurd but because of the lack of rain they are losing their crop which means they are in debt in alot of cases and can not support their family. the suicide rate for men has tripled sicne 1995. To help with all of this India has encouraged planting more trees and wildlife and also banned grazing animals in certain areas for a number of years to help with run off what not to get the vegetation back.

The pictures are shocking at how dry the land is when it is not monsoon season. There is definitely improvement going on. and one of the funny pictures i saw was of the men all under the shower or water mushroom.

Overall the article was very eye opening and i think that if india continues in this direction they will achieve their goal one day.

Kamchatka Salmon

The Kamchatka Peninsula is a vast blade of land stabbing southwestward through cold seas from the mainland of northeastern Russia. The area of Kamchatka is consisting of many wild habitats, and also is home to 350, 000 people. The people here are over fishing the beautiful rivers that are in Kamchatka. The rivers in Kamchatka are are where at least 20% of all wild salmon come to spawn. The salmon are so vital to this area though, its a matter of sustainability. The salmon are being over fished, but the people need economic growth and food. The people are so reliablke on the salmon, there modo is this "Kamchatka was created by nature as if for the very reproduction of salmon." The saying is right, the area is perfect conditions for salmon to breed. Permafrost is almost absent, rain is plentiful, drainage is good and steady, and because of Kamchatka's isolation from mainland river systems, its streams are empty to other fish except the salmon and a few other fish breeds. But, the fish are being over huntyed, the post soviet economy left kamchatka with no choice except to use the salmon to stay alive. The salmon have a rough journey after being born, the have to survive and make there way to the ocean and circulate until its time to return to the river and reproduce, and every year the number that returns gets smaller and smaller and in return the number of offspring grows smaller and smaller. and with the same amount of fisheries the salmon will all be gone soon. Some thing needs to be done to relieve the people of Kamchatka, and the salmon. Without the salmon the whole economy of Kamchatka would fall apart, along with the river system itself. Thats how vital the salmon is to the the people and habitat of kamchatka.

Ryan May

South Georgia

Resurrection Island, also known as South Georgia is a beautiful island with a variety of different climates, animals, and plants. South Georgia has weather that is unpredictable and changes regularly. This is due to its southern latitudes and low-pressure areas. The island is known to have some of the strongest winds in the world. There are many different animals such as penguins, fur seals, elephant seals, and kelp gulls. The island usually has krill brought up by currents from the Arctic Peninsula. One or twice in a decade this krill upbringing dose not occur. This is a problem because many animals rely on the krill for food and many interesting animals follow or come for the arrival of the krill. Because of global warming sea ice has been melting and shrinking. The krill rely are are dependent in the winter on this sea ice to survive. This may have something to do with why they are not coming some years. The warming is strongest near the surface which does not help with the issue of melting sea ice.

I think South Georgia is a beautiful island with a variety of wildlife. All the ice and glaciers are beautiful. I hope, in the long run, the island and other places like it do not end as a result of harmful human activities. It would be a shame to have something so amazing and unique go to waste because of the human race.

-Taylor Neuburg

South Georgia

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/south-georgia/brower-text/5

The fact that this island seen the recovery of many endangered species is excellent news that shows in some cases environment protection is working. However it is also disturbing that the factor that allowed for these species to recover in the first place, the krill, is slowing decreasing. This could result in the destruction of this place should such a vital source of food be lost. I also find it impressive that such radically different climates can exist on the same island

Ryan Cowen

Monsoons more important than we thought?

The country of India falls and rises depending on the rain of the horrible monsoons. During the month of May the land heats up, wells dry out, and agricultural depletes. At that point everyone talks about the monsoons that usually come by around early June. Here in India the monsoons come in a cyclic way which we have talked about before in class. Agricultural and the Government depend on the rain to settle the heat down. The heat triggers power cuts, and now the government has to supply water to wells and other villages. We have talked about the how weather have effected not only the environment but also the government. It came to my attention even laws were passed and groups were created to help these water deprived areas. The Watershed Organization Trust (WOTR) was created. People’s families depend on these monsoons and rains so much that it affects their lives. Valmik the 16 year old boy and his families borrow money for seeds and every year the seeds get broiled and baked that they become useless to farm, so he and his family work in the sugar canes for money so they can buy seeds next year and hope for the right amount of rain. Its shocks me that the whole country can be affected just on how much or how less of the rain they get. India is a developing country and with the amount of people, lack of health and education if they don’t get the water they need to survive and keep the country running it is probably a huge hit on them. I wonder if other countries such as the U.S. are taking attention of this and offering open hands. Obama recently invited India’s Prime Minister to a state dinner so I am expecting a good outcomes from that and hopefully some help.



Prem Patel!