Death of the Biodegradable

Recently CBS news reported that Frito-Lay is discontinuing its production of biodegrable bag for packaing Sun Chips. Even Stephen Colbert aired a comment satirizing the “noise pollution” created by these bags.(http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/361306/october-06-2010/tiny-triumphs---environmentalist-ear-pollution)

On a more serious note, in the article “The Death of the Biodegradable Bag” the author, a student from Yale, offers his reactions to the discontinuation of the bag. Immediately, the author says that he isn’t very optimistic. In fact, he feels that “our species isn’t worth saving” because we can’t be bothered by a ‘green’ bag that makes noise. The Frito-Lay bag caused what news channels call “noise pollution”. This particular issue connects to problems about the wind turbines being too loud and residents in the area bringing a lawsuit against the organization behind the turbines. American’s can’t handle a little bit of “noise pollution” for the sake of the only world we’ve got.

I enjoyed reading this article because it was not only witty, but true in a painful way. This article made me laugh because of how the information was presented, but also disgusted. Many people would laugh at both the article and clip and think “not me.” That’s not the case. We’ve had this bag in my house before, and I didn’t like it at all. It was a nice concept, a good step forward, but it was very loud, especially when someone went for a midnight snack. However, having my opinion satirized and written about has made me think about it. It’s disgusting. A major company took a gamble by using these biodegradable bags, which probably cost more to manufacture, and the American consumers said that they wouldn’t stand for the noise, and changed there consumer patterns. Not only does the hollowness of most of America, and even myself, disgust me, it’s the fact that the world wants to be like us. Most of the world is striving to have our standard of living, the affluent lifestyles we live. What these countries don’t see is the “affluenza”, the doing away with a green innovation because of “noise pollution.” And everyone wants to be like us.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-vergara/the-death-of-the-biodegra_b_753660.html

“More Than One-Fifth of World's Plants Face Threat of Extinction, New Analysis Finds”

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100928193452.htm

The article, “More Than One-Fifth of World's Plants Face Threat of Extinction, New Analysis Finds”, is written about a new study with threatening results for much of the plant population done by several organizations such as the Natural History Museum and Royal Botanic Gardens. This study is very crucial to the conservation of plants because 22% of plants on Earth are classified as threatened. The article confirms that humans are the reason for this large percentage of threatened plants since they have significantly reduced the habitats for many plants to live in by processes such as deforestation. The study also lists a breakdown of different threatened areas within the plant community such as the most threatened habitat is the tropical forests. Countries need to step in to make changes to help lower this very alarming level of threatened plants. The article mentions how these findings will be released to countries at the United Nations Biodiversity Summit. These nations should make harsh penalties and laws against people or manufacturers who deforest areas where any threatened species are located. Heavy fines should be involved so it can be put towards renewing the threatened plant population.

I thought the article was very interesting and informative since it was one of the largest studies on plants, and most studies about threatened species are on animals. It was also very alarming, and somewhat of a wake-up call to me because I never realized how many plants are threatened in our world. If we lose 1/5 of the plant population, life for animals will be increasingly harder and harder as those plants provide food, habitats, and resources for many animals. I liked this article a lot because from the title itself, it grabbed my attention since I never really realized what toll plants have taken as humans have taken away their habitats. I also thought the article was interesting because the article listed several findings from the article which I found very interesting such as gymnosperms are the most threatened plant group. I was surprised that man-induced habitat loss was the most threatening process because I had originally thought it was global warming that was the most threatening process. I also found it surprising that no other studies have found such an alarming fact about plants sooner than now. I am curious about how long it will take for these species to become extinct if we continue on this pathway, and how many more threatened species there will be in 100 years from now. I can only hope that plants will continue to flourish and grow, and as we make adjustments, the amount of threatened plants will significantly decrease.

"Western lawmakers turn sights on endangered wolves"

Matthew Brown, The Associated Press

The article explains and questions whether or not the gray wolves should be removed off the endangered species list. Years ago there was a paucity of these wolves, therefore 66 wolves were brought from Canada and they were introduced into the Yellowstone National Park as well as Idaho. A decade ago there were around 300 of these species found across six states, which meant that it could be removed from the endangered species list,however,the gray wolves officially remained on there. States, including Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Idaho, are now finding difficulty to manage the species because the wolves are killing the livestocks and the game herds are also diminishing. Montana and Idaho are planning to cut down this population by 15% and 40%, respectively. However, many opponents argue against this because they believe that is not safe to began killing the species as soon as they come off the list, and they do feel that it is proper to just bypass Endangered Species Act. Even though none of the states have planned to completely eradicate the population of the wolves, they plan to cut it down by activities such as by holding wolf hunts and other types of force. Environmentalists argue that just shooting them is not the best solution to this problem. States are asked to create a better management program that will make sure that these species do not slowly become extinct. Environmentalists do not want the Congress to take strong-human actions to get rid of all of the wolves and then have to pay $30 million for their recovery. However, if the states create extreme solutions to the problem, then Congress may have to step in to resolve the issue.

I enjoyed reading the article because it described why the increasing population of the gray wolves is a problem, and it explained how there is not one clear-cut way to deal with
environmental problem, which shows how there are many gray areas that must be filled in order to come up with a solution. The article made me think of solutions that would be beneficial to groups supporting both sides of the issue. The best solution, according to me,is not to just start killing this population.A solution I thought may be beneficial in this situation is to find the wolves and transport them to parts of Canada that are not inhabited by humans so that the wolves can live and the human population is satisfied as well. While reading the article, I was surprised that the government allowed the transport of the gray wolves from Canada to Idaho and Yellowstone National Park because I always thought that as long as the species exists on the continent, then they do not need to be imported. However, this article explained that because the population was low in America, the wolves were actually imported. Another fact that surprised me was when I read about the radical plans that some states proposed in order to solve the problem especially the part where there would be wolf hunts in order to solve the problem. I personally do not believe that hunting the wolves would be the best solution to the problem because if too many of the wolves are killed, then the government will have to once again start a recovery program. The fact that the state officials were supporting this idea also shocked me. I understand that the wolves are causing damage, but this does not mean that the population has to be reduced. One question I had while reading the article was about the transporting of species into countries. I thought that according to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, it was illegal to do that, which is why it shocked me that they were actually transported. After reading this, I am quite curious to find out what decision is finally made on this because both sides of the argument are very strong.

Source:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5im5Vu-yMG30z1V_izxoSIeQ2jVXAD9IKEOBG1?docId=D9IKEOBG1

Ancient Italian Town Has Wind at Its Back

NY Times by Elisabeth Rosenthal

Rosenthal reports on Tocca Da Casauria, Italy, a small town of 2700 inhabitants, that recently invested in renewable energy in the form of wind turbines. Although Italy is often criticized as a whole by the EU for falling behind on mandated stipulations of ensuring 17% of their energy is from renewable sources by 2020, local communities have taken action. With the 4 wind turbines installed, Tocca now produces more energy than it consumes. A private company operates the turbines and then sells the produced energy to the national government. Because they lease the land from Tocca and also give Tocca a portion of the revenue income from energy sales, the little town no longer taxes its residents for services, such as trash pick-up. The town's motivation for switching to renewable energy was the extremely high electricity rates. Now the minuscule community, in which the largest event is the olive harvest, represents a new age relying on sustainable sources for its power, denoting independency and responsibility.

I thought the article was educational, informative, and inspirational. It is easy to become depressed about our meek future that is foreshadowed by many authors pleading with society to change their ways. While Rosenthal acknowledges that only 7% of Italy's energy comes from renewable sources, she remains optimistic about the future. The grassroots movement represented by this bottom-up approach to starting a movement is a reminder that it all starts with individuals speaking up for the betterment of their community. I thought it was really that after one change, the community saw how much it improved their town, and went on to install solar lighting in their cemetery. Tocca represents the small changes we need to see happen everywhere. I am interested to know if the residents are disturbed by the noise or appearance of the turbines, as in America that seems to have been the reasoning for some resistance. That, and U.S. citizens have cheap access to electricity, and have little motivation to change simply because Mother Earth would thank them. One thing is obvious, we cannot stay on this track forever. Change must occur. For towns like Tocca that recognize this, the future looks good, but for those of us ignoring the signs, we're in for a rude awakening as oil prices continue to rise, and nonrenewable resources are depleted.

Assignment #1: Current Event Summary

Each month, APES students are required to post one environmental science related article and to comment on someone else’s article on class blog

ARTICLE REQUIREMENTS

1. Your article should be related to environmental science and be from a reputable source.
2. The article be sufficient in length to provide you with enough information for a discussion section (see more specific requirements below.)
3. Your article may not be more than 2 months old and may not have been written up by any other students. The first person to submit an article will be given credit. It pays to submit early!
4. Choose from one of these sources.
1. Newspapers: Virginian Pilot, Washington Post, New York Times, etc.
2. News Magazines: Newsweek, Time, US News and World Report periodically have science or technology features.
3. Science Magazines: Discover, Popular Science, Science News, E: The Environmental Magazine, Natural History, Virginia Wildlife and others can all be found in our school library.
4. Internet: You can find science articles at the inks posted on the sidebar of the blog
   

Be sure to include a link to the article with your summary and cite the source for your article. The title of the article should be hyperlinked to the source article.


SUMMARY REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSES TO OTHER ARTICLES 

Summary and Reflection

• short summary, a discussion of the issue and a proposed solution to the problem.   Do NOT plagiarize the article! If you choose to use quotes, do so sparingly and appropriately.
• Reflection: This is the biggest part of your report. I am interested in your response to the article. Please address the following questions in your reflection:
  a) What did you think about the article? Did you like it or not? Why?
  b) What interested you or surprised you about the article?
  c) What questions do you have about what you read? What would you like to know more about what you’ve read?   

• Response to a Classmate’s Article
• Due after articles are first submitted (SEE BELOW FOR DATE)
• Comment on the article. Don’t regurgitate what others have said – make it original! Personal reflection addresses all of these questions well: What do you think about the information? Do you think this information is important? What might this mean for society?
• This is your chance to have a "conversation" with a classmate about the article. 

1ST ARTICLE SUMMARY DUE: FRIDAY, OCT. 8
RESPONSE TO ANOTHER ARTICLE DUE: WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13

SCORING CRITERIA: 20 POINTS

1. Provided copy or link of news story (which is also the heading for the posting) 2 points 
2. Completeness and quality of discussion of event 10 points 
3. Grammar and writing of discussion 3 points 
4. Response: Thorough, thoughtful, presents new insights into the issue 5 points

Environmental Club: September Meeting

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-Anna Cait

Environmental Club: September Meeting: "St. Jude's Ranch for children: NO hallmark, Disney, or American greeting Get a basket in front office Bring in greeting cards from old occa..."

Sustainability

Sustainable development is the process of research to find a resource that supports today's human needs while protecting the environment now and in the future. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development

The natural resources attributing to climate change are being used at great rates in the United States as well as many other countries. Greenhouse gases emitted from the use of oil are not only a threat to the environment, but also our dependence on oil is becoming more and more hazardous. http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/energy.htm

The BP oil spill is a prevalent example of how we have taken advantage of our earth. The Gulf's plant and aquatic life has been devastated by the estimated 94 million gallons of oil spanning the waters. Not only has the life within the ocean been affected, but those whom reside on the Gulf coast have, too. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2010-06-09-1Aoilhowbad09_CV_N.htm The income of these areas have been hit hard due to their dependence on fishing, tourism, etc. Lately, I have been seeing commercials advertising Florida's, for now, clean beaches to attract tourism. It is so sad to see area's and people's lifestyle become in jeopardy due to man's selfish and greedy methods. Oil is a non-renewable resource. Who knows how long oil will be able to flow from an oil rig at 25,000 barrels a day? New sources are eminent to our future on earth. Dependence on oil needs to shift with advancements in biofuels quickly. The changes we do see like hybrid cars and the small use of ethanol in place of oil are not enough. Advancements need to be made in order to increase the use of biofuels and decrease the amount of oil used. Less rigs would be necessary as a result. A decrease in the US alone would be unbelievably beneficial. If a waterway were to be exposed to a spill again there is a good chance the life within the water would not survive again.

Littering is a big problem in the US, as well as many other places. I find it difficult to drive half a mile without seeing some form of trash on the road. People do not realize that they are directly affecting themselves when they throw their McDonald's bag out of their window. Trash has germs, that is why we call it trash. It is bad. Diseases can result when certain things are eaten by animals. Water is contaminated by litter as well. Waste can seep into soil, trashing our water that we drink and bathe in. Animals are greatly affected from littering, too. Swallowing the wrong thing can kill an animal. Laws are set up and littering is illegal. Signs are posting reading that a $500 dollar fine will be faced if you liter. Do you really think that every piece of trash on the road comes with a fine like that? No. Since that is not easily enforced, the only way for it to stop is if people stop being lazy and selfish. Littering should be a stronger topic in environmental issues. If brought up more, maybe someone will decide to wait until they find a trash can next time. We're all paying the fine that you aren't receiving for throwing your trash out the window. It affects us all. http://www.greenecoservices.com/littering-facts-and-statistics/