Coral Disease and Damage

Around the world, snorkeling and scuba diving have become a fascinating tourist attraction. Although these activities are entertaining and fun to do, many people do not realize the damage it can actually cause to corals. The two types of problems that are apparent in highly scuba dived areas is the kicking of coral and the pollution that is released from boats. Researchers found that around an island off of Thailand, areas that weren't as highly dived had twice as many corals  that were healthy. Along with the physical injury present on the coral in highly dived sites, there was also a significant amount of tissue damage and death in the corals. The tissue damage developed from the sediments that are kicked up from inexperienced divers swimming around.

Possible solution to this issue is to let only certified divers dive in areas that have a higher rate of coral damage. Another solution could be to have a quick debriefing on how to swim and respect the coral if the tourists are inexperienced in diving. Barriers to this solution, though, are that companies would lose a lot of money if they only allowed certified divers and many tourists may not pay attention to the debriefing.

Personally, I think the damaging of the coral is very unfortunate. These corals are home to many fish and if the corals die, so could the fish. I believe that only letting certified divers in the areas would be the best solution, but would be very hard to accomplish. 

Ocean Acidifications May Cause Dramatic Changes to Phytoplankton

            Over the years, oceans have absorbed over 30% of the world’s carbon dioxide. Due to this absorption of carbon dioxide, the oceans’ acidity level has increased. The pH level of oceans continue to drop and in 2100, the number is expected to be 7.8(0.3 less than the pH level today). This increase in acidity can cause a major impact on the phytoplankton population. Through research and experiments, it is shown that some species will flourish with the increased acidity, while others will cease to exist. Since the phytoplankton are the base of the marine food chain, this could possibly cause problems for animals higher up in the food chain. More research is underway to find out a more accurate picture of the future.

                The underlying problem to this whole situation is the increased absorption of carbon dioxide, which increases acidity. Therefore, the solution to this problem would be decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide produced. However, this is easier said than done because reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air requires many sacrifices.

                The biggest barrier to this solution would obviously be participation. If people tried to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide produced, it would require them to change their lifestyle dramatically. Many people aren’t motivated enough to try to change their lifestyle and would not like to change. This carbon dioxide problem seems to be the underlying problem to most of our issues with the environment. We should fix this problem fast or else it might be too late.  

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150720133252.htm

Air Pollution

For over 150 years, cars, planes, power plants, human activities, and the burning of fossil fuels have pumped enormous amounts of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into our atmosphere.  This pollutant, along with other gases, has greatly impacted the Earth's ozone layer.  Legislation has been passed to help this problem—for example, chlorofluorocarbons were used in refrigerants and aerosol propellants until banned for the effect they have—but nothing has stopped or reversed the condition of our atmosphere.  Other pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, a component of smog and acid rain, affect the climate.  Governments, particularly in industrialized nations, have worked to diminish the levels of these pollutants, but a lack of understanding exactly how the gases impact the Earth and how they should be taken care of leaves scientists and government officials confused on how to solve their problems. 

              

Personally, I believe that individuals should take the initiative to lessen his or her carbon footprint.  With each person producing less harmful gases and pollutants, a change will be seen.  Governments should also look into building "green" cities or renovating existing cities to make them more efficient and less polluted.  

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/pollution-overview/

A lion tale: Humans cause most mountain lion deaths in Southern California

  The cause of death of these Southern California mountain lions is humans. Humans have killed more than half of the mountain lions that were studied by vehicle collisions, illegal shootings, depredation permits, public-safety removals or human caused wildfires. There is also another problem that is causing these animals to die. I-15, which is an interstate that runs through Riverside County, San Diego County, and San Bernardino County, is very hard for these mountain lions to cross in order to find territory to breed because of traffic and of the survival rates of these animals. But there is one mountain lion, named F126, that could possibly change the future of these mountain lions.

        The possible solution for this not to happen is to use other means of transportation instead of cars so these amazing animals won’t get hit or run over. Also, the solution to the survival rate could be to use eco-friendly materials instead of using gas, electricity, and coal.

       The barriers to these solutions are that these cities are growing at such a fast pace that the people would probably not be open minded to these solutions and would want to keep their uses( transportation, electricity, etc) the same( faster means of doing things).

        The possibility of why the mountain lions are not surviving in the Santa Ana mountain is pollution and climate change. This is one possibility of why the survival rate in this are is so low for the mountain lions. I hope that one day we realize the harm that we are doing to these animals and possibly find solutions to fix this and save this animals. 

Sources: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150715170537.htm

Climate Change Reduces Coral Reefs' Ability to Protect Coasts

Coral reefs in the tropical islands have been put under pressure from human activities and climate change. Because of this, the reefs aren’t able to protect the island from erosion and wave attack. People who live on the island depend on the coral reefs to protect them. The islands flood a few times a year. The rate of the flooding will increase because of the rise of sea level and the decay of the coral reef. The loss of the coral reefs will increase erosion and effect the amount of drinking water available on the islands. Because of the rising sea level, the roughness of the water is degrading the coral reefs. One solution to the coral reef destruction is to find the reason for the water level rising. Once the cause of that is decided, then we could find a way to fix both problems. There will need to be more research done to figure out the cause of the problem. Another solution is to cut back on human activity in the tropical coral reefs. Barriers to these solutions are the lack of support people give to small problems. It will be hard to trace the cause of the problem if there isn’t a team of people trying to find it. Another barrier is lack of knowledge. Many people don’t know the harm that they do to the coral reefs by invading them. People need to be educated and pushed to help the cause. People aren’t going to notice or care about the flooding or the water shortage unless it is directly effecting them. Otherwise, it isn’t their problem. We need to find people want to help not only the reefs but want to help the people on the islands.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150722141428.htm

Pacific Ocean Warming

       Recent studies have shown that global warming has increased the temperatures of the Pacific and Indian oceans. In past decades, the overall global temperature has remained more constant, despite increased greenhouse gas emissions. This is because the Pacific and Indian oceans had been absorbing the increased heat on the planet from the greenhouse has emissions. This means areas near Australia and Indonesia have been exceedingly warm over the past decades. Pacific water that has been moving west has led to cooler temperatures in the East. This shows that though we have been negating global warming because surface temperatures have cooled, global warming is really more prevalent than ever, as oceans are becoming increasingly warm. The article also says that this is part of a cycle called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and soon surface temperatures will begin increasing again.
       Possible solutions to slow global warming and the greenhouse gas effect include limiting the amount of fossil fuels we consume. This is difficult and not many want to do it because fossil fuels provide most of our energy and resources, and because fossil fuels are very profitable. Another solution is to consume less energy, less meat, and less paper products. The main barrier to all of these solutions is participation, many do not like to make lifestyle changes, as people are creatures of habit. Personally, I feel that global warming is encroaching quickly, and people are not doing enough to stop it because they do not want to alter their lifestyle.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150716160652.htm

Worst Nightmare for Asthmatics: Sulfur Dioxide

According to the World Health Organization, over 250 million people in the world suffer from asthma. Among other things, asthmatics are especially sensitive to sulfur dioxide in the air. Sulfur dioxide is released into the air during a variety of events: when fossil fuel is burned, metal is extracted from ores, and gasoline is extracted from oil. Over the past 35 years, federal emissions regulations have been able to reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide in the air by over 80%. However, even the smallest amount of sulfur dioxide can cause effects towards asthmatics. This means that asthmatics can experience lung irritation and difficulty breathing without even noticing the sulfur dioxide. More research is underway to figure out why asthmatics can’t make interleukin-10(a protein that prevents the inflammatory process).

Not many solutions are presented to fix this problem. However, the most evident solution would be to reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide in the air by even more. This would require making stricter federal regulations. This would hopefully reduce the amount of asthmatics affected by the sulfur dioxide.

The biggest barrier to this solution of reducing the amount of sulfur dioxide in the air is time and participation. First, time would be a major problem because it would take a long time to create stricter federal regulations. Next, participation would be a barrier because it would be almost impossible to have people reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide created without it dramatically changing their lifestyle. I believe this is a big problem for not only the US, but also the whole world. A quarter of a billion people in the world are affected by the sulfur dioxide. This is a tremendous group of people that should be helped. However, with the barriers, it might be almost impossible to reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide more than it already has been reduced.  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150716180916.htm

Shallow fracking raises questions for drinking water

      The production of crude oil in the United States has almost caught up to the amount Saudi Arabia produces. This is because we use a method called hydraulic fracturing which is a mining practice that involves a rock-cracking pressurized mix of water, sand, and chemicals. With the process of hydraulic fracturing, scientists have found that drinking water sources may be threatened by thousands of shallow oil and gas wells that are mined using this process. 

     One possible solution to this problem could be using a different/more innovative technique using isotopic "tracer" compounds, which distinguish the source of chemicals in the water. Rob Jackson, Stanford's environmental science professor, has not found evidence that this method doesn't allow the frack water contaminants to seep upward into the drinking-water aquifers. But this method is innovative and can stop the problem at the source.

     Possible barriers to the solution is that the United States may not want to fund this technique because of the high cost that comes with it. Also this method has not been tested thoroughly, and it may allow the frack water contaminants to seep upward into the purifiers like the regular method.

     Personally I agree with Jackson on the innovative technique using isotopic "tracer" compounds, and that it is a possible solution to the problem. It shows the source of chemicals in the water, which can allow scientists to find other solutions of how to decrease the threat of thousands of shallow oil and gas wells that are mined in the process of hydraulic fracturing.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150721124437.htm

Tundra study uncovers impact of climate warming in the Arctic

         Global warming is having a huge impact on the Arctic. There is evidence that shows that global warming affecting the ecosystem of the arctic( or tundra ecosystem). Tundra shrubs show the impacts that global warming has on these regions. Since the amount of shrub growth has increased in the Arctic, this in turn could cause more warming to these ecosystems and for the planet as a whole( University of Edinburgh). Taller shrubs have many impacts on the Arctic landscape. They can influence the soil temperatures and thaw permafrost, change the cycling of the nutrients and carbon in soil, affecting its decomposition and the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere, and warming the Earth’s surface( University of Edinburgh).

         Possible solutions to this issue would be to try and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, try to reduce the amount of electricity used, and use energy-efficient items.

          The barriers to these solutions is that some people don’t have the money to buy these types of things and people are just too lazy to even try to save our planet and decide not to do it.

          My opinion that I have on this problem is that we are destroying the ecosystem of many animals that we love and enjoy seeing( polar bears, penguins, sea lions, etc). This makes me really sad to know that we are killing off these poor animals ecosystems and knowing that they will have no place to live after it is all gone. In my opinion, the solutions that I have provided might help prevent the Earth’s temperature from rising and save the ecosystem of these animals. 

Sources: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/...

Plastic Bags in the U.K.

The United Kingdom has recently witnessed a regional change in the use of plastic grocery bags.  While England has observed an increase in the distribution of these bags for the fifth consecutive year—reaching a staggering 8.5 billion for the region alone—Northern Ireland, Wales, and Scotland have each experienced significant decreases in the wasteful practice.  The variable that caused this phenomenon, a tax on the use of plastic shopping bags, has been introduced to each of these states within the past five years and has encouraged drastic declines in consumers’ use of these items: a 71% drop followed by a 43% drop since the 2013 act in Northern Ireland, a 78.2% drop in 18% since 2010, and an 18% drop in Scotland over the course of only one year.  Following in its neighbors’ footsteps, England should enact similar laws that pass levies on the use of wasteful plastic bags.  The solution has proven effective, and although some consumers may act as barriers to the cause by accepting the taxes and continuing their use of plastic bags in the marketplace, such taxes would likely decrease plastic bag use across the board.  I find the laws extremely sensible and, in the modern era of consumerism and wastefulness, a fresh, innovative method of promoting environmentally-friendly practices.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33647326

Beef’s Impact on the Environment and the Most Sustainable Diet

Scientists have long analyzed the most ecologically sustainable diet. As the United States’ consumption of beef is the highest in the world, the question has been asked exactly what environmental repercussions our dietary decisions have created. The harsh facts are that beef requires thirty times as much land as other meat alternatives per calorie, six times as much feed per pound in comparison to pork, and the animal has been described as “ a fundamentally inefficient animal” (Chain).  Chain looked at the alternative option of grass-fed cattle, but the higher amounts of methane released, higher costs, and the lack of land for such efforts makes this an unfeasible alternative. In conclusion, Chain states that multiple studies have shown that vegetarian or primarily vegetarian diets have half the carbon footprint of their meat-eating counterparts. Chain declares that any meat reduction will make our diets more sustainable- it’s all about moderation.

            A large problem regarding Americans’ diets is that they do not understand the ecological effects their food consumption has on the planet.  Increased public education and awareness should curve people into making better dietary decisions. In addition, since the government controls farmers’ subsidies, they should require a higher animal to land ratio to improve land productivity in beef. Issues with these solutions include gaining funding for adequate public campaigns and the dependence of political parties on farmers as a voting block, thus individuals running do not want to alienate voter by pushing beef productivity as an issue on a political agenda.

            The topic of sustainable diets is something that is very important to me, as I am a pescatarian. I started this lifestyle because I was shocked by the fact that the world could feed everyone, but livestock’s low land productivity leaves many third world countries short of food supplies. Coming from a predominately southern family and eating situation had shaped me into an uneducated food consumer- and I am a strong believer that it is Americans’ lack of knowledge that results in high dietary carbon emissions. However, I am hopeful that the younger, more health conscience generation will put the food emissions back in balance as vegetarianism and an other healthy lifestyles have become more common.

http://scienceline.org/2015/07/do-i-have-to-be-vegan-to-combat-climate-change/

Fossil Fuel Emissions Potentially End Radiocarbon Dating

According to a paper published July 20, 2015, the carbon released by burning fossil fuels is diluting the radioactive carbon-14 in the atmosphere.  As a result, the radiocarbon “age” of the atmosphere is increasing.  Carbon-14 is a rare, but naturally occurring, radioactive type of carbon that decays over thousands of years.  Radiocarbon dating works by comparing the changes in the fraction of carbon-14 to nonradioactive carbon, revealing how long the object has been around.  Fossil fuels such as coal and oil are so old that they contain no carbon-14.  When burned, their emissions flood the atmosphere with nonradioactive carbon, making the atmosphere appear older.  The evidence supporting this theory is shown in the tissues of plants taking in carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, and their products, particularly cottons.  If the rate of fossil fuel emissions continue to increase this rapidly, a new t-shirt in the year 2050 will have the same radiocarbon date as a robe worn by William the Conqueror a thousand years ago.  The fraction of carbon-14 in the atmosphere began to decrease shortly after the Industrial Revolution, when fossil fuel combustion was prevalent. It increased again during the 1950’s and 60’s, with nuclear weapons testing.  Now, levels are inching closer to pre-industrial proportions, which, by 2020, could show a dark future for radiocarbon dating.  Personally, I believe this topic is important, because radiocarbon dating has been around for more than 60 years and has a range of uses, such as identifying illegal ivory trading, which is a current issue in many African and Asian countries.  Possible solutions to this problem would be to decrease fossil fuel emissions by relying on renewable, cleaner forms of energy, such as solar or wind. Barriers to this solution could be cost and reliability. Fossil fuels generate a larger and more consistent source of energy at a lower cost.  Although these reasons alone act as deterrents to many people, clean sources of energy are more promising in preserving and unlocking clues to our past. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150720154505.htm

Birds Are Dying As Drought Ravages Avian Highways

In Suisun City, California, extreme droughts have made it harder for the local birds to survive.  The diminishing wetlands have left many plants, insects, and fish  homeless, and the smaller amount of food available to the birds in the area has in turn caused their population to decrease.   Restoration of these diked shorelines is in progress to hopefully reverse the effects of the drought.  Many species have been coming back into these waters due to this restoration, but lack of support could cause this project to slow down or end altogether.  Personally, I believe that the California State Government should be taking more action in making sure that the researchers observing this wildlife have the proper resources needed to ensure the recovery of these habitats and that these actions should be taken sooner rather than later.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/07/1579-birds-snowpack-drought-flyway-wetlands-California/

The Waste We “Produce”

The amount of food that is being wasted each and every day is unreal. Not only does food get wasted by humans who can’t finish their plate, but by the amount that doesn’t make it to the supermarket. “Twenty percent of fresh produce that’s grown for the fresh market never makes it to human consumption.” It is also estimated that forty percent of what could be eaten just isn’t, and that can impact climate change. This problem is easily solved and some people have already started to do it. These people have taken the blemished or smaller produce and have sold it at a lower price. Some difficulties that they might have run into are the people who the food isn’t safe to eat or just don’t like the small brown mark on the side. Another simpler solution is to not produce as much produce so there become less options and a better percentage of the food will not go to waste or end up in a landfill. This whole thing wouldn’t be a problem if citizens did not expect the highest quality every time. Sometimes the best food isn’t always the one that meets the eye first.

http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/07/18/fighting-food-waste-at-the-grocery-store 

Bumblebee (and Many Other) Populations on the Decline due to Global Warming

        Bumblebee populations have been declining over the past few years due to global warming. Bumblebees are accustomed to moderate temperatures, and in the Southern regions of Europe and North America, it has become too hot for the bees to survive. Instead of migrating north, they are staying in the Southern regions and dying off. Many other animal populations are also in danger due to global warming including sea turtles, polar bears, and orangutans.

Solutions to reduce population decline include reducing the amount of pesticides used, making your own artificial nests, and planting more wildflowers and trees for bees. Barriers to these solutions include people being unaware, and using pesticides being easier than organically growing crops. Personally I feel that bees are some of our most important and underrated workers, and they need much more attention and protection than they are receiving.

http://www.weather.com/science/environment/news/animals-at-risk-from-climate-change  

Rhino poaching in South Africa at record levels following 18% rise in killings.

Rhino poaching within South Africa has reached an all-time high during the first four months of 2015 with an 18% rise from last year. By the end of April of this year, 393 Rhinos had been poached, 290 of which were poached in Kruger National Park, and just last year, over 1200 rhinos were killed due to poaching, a staggering increase from the 13 poached in 2007. The reason these animals are brutally poached is for their ivory horns which are believed to cure typhoid fever, cancer, infertility, and convulsions. Although there are laws in place against poaching which have led to the incarceration of thousands of perpetrators, and other measures have been taken to move rhinos from key poaching spots, more precautions could be taken in order to maximize the total protection of rhinos in South Africa. This includes making stricter laws and punishments for rhino poaching, making the purchase of rhino horns illegal in more Asian countries such as China, Thailand and Vietnam, dehorning rhinos, and adding extra security to key poaching locations. However, stricter laws will not deter many poachers as the money is very appealing and not many poachers are actually apprehended due to the vast expanses in which rhinos roam. Making horn purchases illegal also will not work as those who wish to procure horns will do so by other means and dehorning also will not work because dehorning male rhinos leads to behavioral problems and problems mating. Finally, adding extra security to key rhino poaching locations is not yet possible because the security already there has overstretched its resources. My personal opinion on the problem is that the poaching of rhinos is sick, inhumane, and should be stopped by any means necessary so we do not lose another animal from this planet. The best solution for this problem would be dyeing the rhinos horns, as this renders them worthless and therefore undesirable to poachers.


http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/11/rhino-poaching-in-south-africa-at-record-levels-following-18-rise-in-killings

http://www.africa-wildlife-detective.com/solutions-to-rhino-poaching.html

Pollution Taking a Toll on South Asian Monsoons

According to University of Maryland’s Professor Raghu Murtugudde, the astronomical pollution levels in the highly populated region of Southeast Asia pose a serious threat to the area’s annual monsoons.  Historically, the monsoons have lasted about four months each, beginning around June 1 and ending around October 3.  As a lifeline for South Asia’s population of roughly two billion, the monsoon proves vital for inhabitants’ sustenance and cultivation of crops.  Over the past century, however, the annual phenomenon has become less beneficial to the region as the total amount of rainfall had decreased by approximately 20 percent.  Murtugudde suggests that the onset of this transition is the region’s rapidly increasing pollution, which causes the continent to heat faster so that the heat contrast between the continent and the Indian Ocean has diminished, causing a significant amount of evaporated ocean water to simply pour back into the sea.

It seems that the only solution to this burgeoning problem is to completely obliterate the region’s pollution for decades, which would prove completely implausible.  It seems to me that the population only continues to expand while the South Asian landmass simply cannot sustain any more human development.

http://www.livescience.com/51520-dust-is-changing-timing-of-monsoons.html

Threatening Greenhouse Gases to Polar Bear Populations

                Greenhouse gases are an apparent threat to the polar bear populations around the world. According to updated U.S. Geological Survey research models, greenhouse gases will remain the primary threat to polar bears through both scenarios: a reduced greenhouse gas emission scenario, and an unchanged greenhouse gas emission scenario. Although the unchanged greenhouse gas emission scenario will certainly destroy the polar bear population much faster (approximately 25 years faster), the reduced scenario surprisingly still shows for a great decline in polar bear population. This is due to the accumulation of the emissions overtime, which will take decades to stabilize. The models also showed specific threats the gases cause to polar bears such as sea ice loss and the decline of prey availability.

                The most hinted solution in the article was to put restrictions on the greenhouse gas emissions. This might not solve the decline completely; however, it definitely slows down the process. USGS scientists report that the most effective approach is to immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions that would limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius.

                This solution is much easier said than done. The biggest barrier to this solution is time. It would take years to make global policies that reduce the greenhouse gas emissions. By that time, it will be too late. I believe this is a clear problem that should be addressed very swiftly. If we do not attempt to try to limit our greenhouse gas emissions soon, the polar bear population will become extinct. However, due to the huge amount of time it takes to pass global policies, it may be impossible to save the polar bear species.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150703085252.htm

Seabird population declines globally

The population of seabirds has declined worldwide. This decline is a sign of a deeper problem in the oceans ecosystems’. Seabirds live along oceans and are crucial predators to the marine ecosystems. They transport nutrients into the ecosystem through their waste, and they help fertilize entire ecosystems. When the population goes down, it is an indicator that the ecosystem is in trouble. Scientists from the Sea Around Us project have been doing research to find out why the population of the seabirds is declining. They discovered that the decline of birds is the result of overfishing, pollution, trash build up causing death, and many other factors. A major threat to seabirds is getting caught on longline fish hooks and drowning. A solution to this problem could be making efforts to protecting seabirds. One of the main causes of the seabirds population declining is death from human impact. Pollution in the air and water affects every ecosystem in the environment. Trash build up catches animals and kills them, especially seabirds. By putting more effort towards cleaning up the environment as a whole, it will greatly affect the population of seabirds globally. A problem with this solution is that it is naive to think that people will begin to care about the planet all of a sudden. There are programs all over the world to clean up the oceans and cut back pollution. People don’t understand the severity of what’s going on in the environment, and they won’t begin to care until it’s too late. Another way the population of seabirds can be helped is to figure out the source of the problem. In most cases, seabirds disappearing is a response to the marine ecosystem changing. If scientists can figure out what is changing in the ocean, then they can make a plan to fix it. The problem with this solution is that it may take years to find out the cause of the seabirds declining let alone a way to fix the problem. By the time the problem is found, it may be too late. If the scientists from the Sea Around Us project do more research and devote time to this problem, they can find a solution to the problem. It will only happen if someone cares about the birds. People may not see the birds as a priority, but they are crucial to the rest of the marine ecosystem.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150709102850.htm

Seabird Populations Plummeting

Recent studies by the University of British Columbia of various seabird populations have reflected a significant decrease since 1950. Current populations (of which around 19 percent of global seabirds were analyzed) diminished to only 30.5 percent of what existed in 1950, or numerically down by about 230 million fowl. This significant decrease reflects a more widespread ecological problem, as seafowl numbers mirror the health of the world’s marine ecosystems. Factors leading to the demise of these critical animals include overfishing, pollution, climate change, and destruction of habitat.

         A possible solution touched upon in the article is the creation of an international seabird conservation group to lobby for more funding, research, and awareness to save seabirds. Until we understand these birds on a deeper level, we cannot effectively save them. Setting up more bird conservatories could further efforts to rescue these birds’ populations by giving them a home that cannot be touched.

         Even though these solutions seem effortless, a huge barrier would be gaining access to funding. With thousands of other more pressing environmental issues, this unknown problem would be thrown out by significant funding grants. Without proper monetary aid, there is no way seabirds would be able to receive research to allow scientists to fully understand the seabirds and how to save them from extinction. Personally, I believe seabird populations reflect the health of our oceanic ecosystems; therefore, scientists should focus on the sea life populations, which, when in balance, will increase the seabirds. I think it is sad that certain countries have overfished our seas to the brink of environmental collapse and now other sectors of our environment are being adversely impacted.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150709102850.htm

Fireworks Cause Spike in Air Pollution

A study conducted by researchers shows that firework displays have brought a spike in air pollution in recent years.  Information was analyzed from more than 300 air-quality monitoring sites throughout the United States, stretching over a 15-year time frame. Researchers looked at levels of fine particulate matter, which travels deep into lungs and links to respiratory problems.  Average concentrations of fine particulate matter in a 24-hour period was 42% higher on July fourth compared to the days before and after the holiday.  The increases were highest between 9-10pm, rising about 21 micrograms per cubic meter. This increase pushed the total concentration close to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s limit of 35 micrograms in a 24-hour period.  Increases were dependent on several factors such as weather and the vicinity to the monitoring site.  In a field close to a monitoring site in Utah, the concentrations rose 370%, well above EPA standards.  People at greatest risk for health problems due to fine particulate matter exposure are people with heart or lung disease, elderlies, and young children.  Possible solutions to this problem could be to designate certain areas for firework displays, limiting the total amount of fireworks being set off.  Also, regulations could be put in place, forcing people to watch the light show at a certain distance for a set amount of time.  Barriers to the solution could be insubordination.  The belief that the celebration of the nation's independence should not be dampered by restrictions could result in fatal health consequences for Americans.

http://www.livescience.com/51408-july-4-air-pollution-fireworks.html

Travel to the Azores

The Azores, known for its amazing whale watching opportunities and cultural background, recently got even more attention after the decrease of airline flight costs. Many tourists overlooked the alluring vacation because of the high plane costs to travel there, but now crowd the oceans and historical places of the Azores. Even though this could bring a possible surplus to the Azores’ economic success, many of the locals fear that the sudden attraction of tourists could bring danger to both the natural habitats and sight-seeing beauties of the islands. Even though the growing attraction of tourists is inevitable, natural habitats and the wildlife can still be protected through stricter laws guarding the animals and forests of the islands. Nonetheless, the influx of tourists will bring a need for more hotels and tourist traps; this could possibly ruin the habitats of many island animals and the natives’ culture throughout the islands. I believe with stricter law enforcement on construction, preservation of natural habitats, and public knowledge of respecting the cultural beauties of the Azores, the islands could still progress economically without damaging the enticing environment. Click to Watch Full Video