The Dust of Africa.

I just read an article about the transportation of Saharan dust from Africa to South America and the Caribbean. It said that there was enough dust coming over that it exceeded the world health organization's limits. This means that the air become difficult to breathe. I do not believe that this is such a huge problem. I was recently in the US Virgin Islands and I experienced the dust. It was to the point where you could see it in the air when you were on the ocean but other then that you would have never known it was there! This has been going on for years so I don't think anything can be done about except to wear masks if its really that bad!


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140819094059.htm

In coal states, Democrats seek distance from emissions plan

The President’s plan to reduce carbon emissions will not take effect for several years. However in Congress various politicians have taken opposition to the bill. States like Kentucky and West Virginia receive almost all of their electrical energy from coal. Coal is a huge part of these states economy, employing many state residents. It is clear that state representatives are influenced by their need to keep voter approval and continue to be reelected. The environment is not taken to be the true focus of this issue. Politicians must take an opposition to this if they want to continue their service on Capitol Hill. This may be one of the ultimate flaws of governmental process and why environmental reform has been so slow. Politicians must choose the right decision that is good for the American people. Not just to save their own Jobs. This does not go without saying that States that depend on coal in their economy won’t take a hit, but environmental reform need to address the unemployment issue with regards to the American people as a whole.http://video.pbs.org/video/2365259788/

California imposes mandatory water restrictions

The state of California has restricted water use in response the state’s extreme drought. Other States throughout the Midwest have taken similar actions but California is in a much more extreme situation. On August first regulation was enforced to fine citizens up to 500 dollars for wasting water on lawns and car washing. California is now in their third year of one of the worst droughts. The Governor has rolled back endangered fish protection to allow pumping from the states river deltas. The drought is expected to create a loss of up to 2.2 million dollars and 17,000 jobs. Citizens has neglected to reduce their water consumption. This could push legislatures to take a more abrasive approach to reducing water consumption. It is clear that action must be taken by the government and by the citizens of California.http://video.pbs.org/video/2365290045/

Recycling old car batteries into solar cells

Researchers at MIT have found spearheaded a process to use materials from old car batteries to make more resilient Solar panels, form of pollution free renewable energy.  Perovskite is a compound that is fairly new in terms of solar energy. In just three years researchers have taken this compound from laboratory testing to an efficiency that rivals other solar technologies. However for this compound’s reaction to take place lead must be present. The process by which lead is obtained releases toxic residues. Lead is present in car batteries. By recycling the used car battery for its lead it fills the need for the solar energy and keeps harmful pollutants out of the environment. The team has found that the lead from one car battery can supply enough solar panels to power thirty households for decades to come. Breakthrough such as these are what will solve the energy crisis. The work of independent universities and scientists is what will solve the energy crisis.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140818113428.htm

Climate Change Harming Butterfly Species

Researchers have found that many brown angus butterflies have migrated north because of a recent climate change. This has caused a change in the butterflies’ diets, and they have started to become more dependent on wild Geranium plants. Dr. Jon Bridle, a researcher involved in the study, explained that even though it is beneficial for the butterflies to evolve quickly enough to change their diet in response to a warmer climate, variations in certain important traits may disappear. Some butterfly species are not even able to adapt to the climate change as quickly as the brown angus butterflies because of their restrictive diets and may die. One solution for this problem is to reduce the effects we have on climate, however this will be hard because many people don’t agree that our planet is undergoing climate changes and global warming. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140818113213.htm

Why the Amazons Biggest Fish is Quickly Becoming Exticnt

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/378d775797a6ea7b3568e7f442c78446.htm

The Arapaima is a more than four hundred pound fish in the Amazon River and is completely extinct in 8 basins in the river. The reason for this is over fishing because they need to come to the surface to breathe every 5-15 minutes which makes it easy for fisherman to catch them. The pink Amazon River dolphin is another animal becoming extinct and has become a reoccurring event in the Amazon River. A solution would be to inform fisherman that this huge fish is becoming extinct and to let it free if they happen to catch it. One way to do this could be to post signs along the river and monitor fishing areas along it. Another way would be to make it illegal to catch the Arapaima and other nearly extinct fish in the river and charge a fine to whoever is caught killing it. A barrier to this problem is that it would be incredibly hard to monitor the whole Amazon River and most people would try to get away with it. Making it illegal to catch it would also make the fish very rare and more valuable. I believe that things like this should at least be attempted though because we do not need more animal becoming extinct.

Bottled water's environmental impacts

The bottled water industry has grown vastly in the past decades, and the major companies are increasingly starting to use water from drought stricken areas. Some of the top water bottling companies are bottling water from sources in California, an area hit hard by drought in the past few years. Draining water from already drought hit areas is not even their worst crime against the environment, millions of plastic water bottles each year end up in landfills and waterways across the world. A solution to this problem could be to regulate areas from which bottling companies can take water. Another solution could include greater consumer awareness of the environmental impacts of bottled water, and the safety of their normal tap water.

 http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/47696

Herbicide Resistant GMO's

Herbicide use is set to increase dramatically, over 600%. The increase is due to the deregulation of herbicide resistant GMO (Genetically modified organisms). Since the crops farmers will produce are resistant to these herbicides, farmers will spray more to kill weeds that could grow around them. This is a dangerous practice because of the possibility of polluting waterways with farm runoff including herbicide, as well as the possibility of accidentally killing other plants not targeted by the herbicide. A solution to this could be to try traditional weeding methods instead of chemical means. Also before the USDA approves these herbicide resistant GMO’s they have a 30 day comment section for the public where people can voice their opinions on this topic.

 http://www.enn.com/agriculture/article/47711

Scientists find "talking" turtles in the Amazon

Several scientists from around the world recently found that Giant South American river turtles in the Brazilian Amazon can coordinate their social behaviors through various vocal sounds. These sounds can vary from low frequency pitches that facilitate contact while the turtles migrate to high frequency pitches that females make while nesting. Hatching turtles also make sounds before and during the hatching process which may actually stimulate group hatching.

These turtles are the largest side-necked turtles and are only found in the Amazon river basin. They are recently being threatened by unregulated hunting and eating of the turtles and their eggs. One solution to this issue is to create more studies similar to this in order to raise awareness about the uniqueness of these turtles and help in the conservation effort. The issue with this solution is that places like the Brazilian Amazon are very difficult to regulate and most people don’t care to listen to conservationist groups such as the Wildlife Conservation Society. I personally believe that it is interesting that scientist have found that an animal that most people associate silence with actually communicates through vocal sounds. I also believe that unfortunately, until this species becomes endangered and actual international regulations are placed on it.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140814191526.htm

Dangerous Solar Storms

According to scientist there is an increasing danger of the earth having its electronics and communications knocked out, or maybe something worse by solar storms. The solar storms are caused by explosions of plasma into space, releasing enormous amounts of electromagnetic energy. These bursts of electromagnetic energy effect electronics by creating a power surge frying electrical equipment. The bursts also release radiation which is harmful to life on earth.  Solutions scientists have put forward are a defense shield of satellites. These satellites would detect explosions of plasma and act as an early warning system, as well as protecting the earth’s electromagnetic field.http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/47669

Europes trash Norways treasure

Norway is quickly becoming the destination for Europe’s trash. Countries have started to pay Norway to take their garbage away. Norway is using this trash in their incinerators to produce energy, and they have the highest waste to energy ratio in all of Europe. The power plants filter out the metals and plastics for recycling, then take the rest of the waste and burn it. A few issues with this process are the environmental impact of the pollution produced by the burning of the trash, as well as the unburnt material, and the transport of the garbage. A few solutions to these problems could include emissions filters on the power plants, better disposal of unburnt waste and ashes, and increased containment of the trash.

http://blog.enn.com/?p=4208

Human Contribution to Glacier Mass Loss Increasing

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140814191824.htm

In the last two decades, human contribution to the mass decrease of glaciers went up two thirds starting in 1991. The mass loss causes "rising sea levels, changing seasonal water availability and increasing geo-hazards" according to the article. The researchers are unable to detect results for particular regions but the most well documented regions are the Alps and North America. A solution for this quickly intensifying issue is obviously to decrease the amount of pollution and greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere. Global warming is the main issue of glacier mass reduction and it could potentially be a huge issue if it continues at the rate it is at now. Also people need to be more aware of this problem because no one really thinks about how glacier mass loss would affect our lives. A barrier is that pollution is going to happen no matter what in the society that we live in today and it would be difficult to completely change our lifestyles because of glaciers. 

Ebola Outbreak in West Africa May Spread to Middle East

Ever since the Ebola outbreak in the two missionary doctors that brought back the virus to the United States, talk of this insidious disease has been on the rise, and rightfully so. With a fatality rate of almost 90%, extreme precaution is crucial. Moreover, an outbreak in West Africa is cause for concern for possibly spreading to the Middle East in the near future, experts conclude. Already the cause for nearly 1,000 deaths, the World Health Organization has deemed this the worst out break to occur thus far.

“We may have started to late in raising alert for this disease,” a Nigerian public health official commented. Currently, there is no vaccine formulated to treat the disease, and the Ebola virus has now been declared an “international public health emergency,” WHO Director General Margaret Chan.

I found the news of the initial outbreak rather alarming and now this confirms the notion that Ebola is not some archaic incident that we have no reason to fret over. In fact, it would be rather naive to assume such a virus could never make its way to the United States if not controlled sooner than later, as predictions of its movement to the Middle East have already formed. While there isn’t a need to wear facemasks around town per say, (the virus is only passed through an infected person’s bodily fluids), it is something to follow on the news and at the very least, be aware that it is out there.  Many barriers are present in this situation, one being insufficient public awareness, just as the Nigerian official stated. There are many ways to prevent such an outbreak if the public is made aware of the right precautions to take.

http://www.enn.com/health/article/47717

'Garbage Patch' in Pacific Grows to Hundreds of Miles

Over the last few months scientists have started to monitor a ‘garbage patch’ in the Pacific Ocean a little more closely. Circular, rotating ocean currents cause ocean debris to collect in this specific area. Experts that have been observing this area of ocean for all of their lives agree that this debris field is as large as it has ever been. There is visible trash in the water for over 100 square miles. This is a huge problem because it doesn't only pollute the water; it also makes it unlivable for any wildlife. Solutions to this growing problem include greater enforcement of littering in the ocean. Part of this enforcement could include greater fines or punishment if caught littering in the ocean. A barrier to this solution is that the ocean is so huge it would be very difficult to patrol and keep an eye on all of it. I believe we need to do much more than we are currently doing to protect our oceans. Our oceans provide us with so much; the least we could do is keep them clean. 

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/garbage-patch-pacific-grows-hundreds-miles-n181706

Sea Grass in coastal New England waters under attack by Nitrogen

A recent scientific study has concluded that high levels of nitrogen are negatively affecting sea grass off the New England coast. These high levels of nitrogen are mostly coming from sewage, fertilizers, and higher water temperatures. The nitrogen is killing the sea grass that is a vital part of the oceanic ecosystem. The sea grass serves as a home for fish and helps maintain a consistent water quality. A solution to controlling the nitrogen level is limiting the amount of sewage that is dumped in that area. Barriers to this solution would include building longer pipelines to pump sewage further out to sea. This would take both money and resources. I believe it would be worth both the money and resources to pump sewage further away from this effected region. Water quality is extremely important not just for the environment, but also for tourism. If sea grass helps keep the water clean it must be kept. Without clean water the tourism industry in the area will be negatively affected. Without sea grass the whole ecosystem will take a shape turn for the worse.     

   http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/47560

High Altitude Wind Energy

Researchers and scientists have recently found high altitude winds could be used to meet the world’s energy demands. Ideas of machines to harness this power of strong winds well above the surface of the planet have been coming from a field known as airborne wind energy. Scientists from NCAR, DNVGL, and the University of Delaware have begun studies to determine the where the strongest winds are and how much power we could gain from them. I think this could prove to be a viable option to soothe the world’s energy needs. However these high altitude wind farms could have environmental impacts similar to traditional wind farms such as aviation hazards for birds and planes. (http://www.flyingmag.com/technique/accidents/piper-lance-crashes-south-dakota-wind-turbine)

http://www.enn.com/energy/article/47705