Increased Oil Pollution in Western Amazon

Spanish researchers have recently discovered that areas in the Western Amazon have been significantly contaminated by oil pollution throughout the last thirty years. Scientist Raúl Yusta Garcia led a group of scientists that found higher than acceptable levels of harmful substances including lead and cadmium in wastewater dumping sites. Another researcher, Antoni Rosell-Mele, described that this pollution has occurred because of insufficient monitoring of oil drilling and extractions. The pollutants may enter into the human food chain and affect wildlife and endangered species. This problem can be solved with increased restrictions and monitoring over oil drilling and extraction. However, this solution may not be short term because it may take time to train staff to monitor the oil drilling process. Another problem with this solution would be that it may impede the production of oil for those who need it. I believe that oil pollution is a growing problem, so it is important for us to start taking more precautions in the oil industry. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140612212535.htm

We Need To Save Ground Water!

Ground water reservoirs are depleting and fast!  According to Petra Doll,"the new estimate of global groundwater depletion is 113,000 million cubic meters per year for the period from 2000 to 2009, which is lower than previous, widely varying estimates.  This is a large problem because it means we will  eventually run out of water to water crops. This is most common use of groundwater nowadays. A possible solution is to start converting ocean water to fresh but this is extremely expensive. My personal opinion is that people should just conserve more water. This will help save some water. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140717094824.htm

Bigger Particles = Bigger Problem

Wildfires release 34% of the world's annual soot mass into the atmosphere. Previously, it had been assumed that the soot particles released were the same as those released by vehicles, which are smaller than a micrometer in size. However, scientist have now identified that an overwhelming majority of the soot particles released by wildfires are much larger, called superaggregates. They are ten times longer than the regular particles and are much more compact. Investigations have been done on smoke samples from earlier fires, and these superaggregeates have been found in all the examined samples.  

Here's the problem: these superaggregates are able to be transported further in the atmosphere, and are more damaging the human lung. Essentially, a superaggregate released by a wildfire in California could reach states further away than the sub-micrometer sized particles could. Also, superaggregates being much larger, they contribute to 90% of the earth's soot emission, raising the annual soot mass. This may not seem like a big deal, but the higher the soot mass, the more clogged up the atmosphere, and the more global warming could be experienced.

The obvious solution to this problem, is limiting wildfires. However, as the name implies, wildfires are wild. Some are caused by camp fires left unattended or allowed to get out of control. These could be stopped by simply not allowing camp fires in high risk areas and strictly enforcing the rule. Others, though, are completely out of human control, such as those started by lightning. We cannot control how thunderstorms act, but we can control how we respond when lightning misbehaves. Having more people, even ordinary citizens, trained and ready to respond to a wildfire could aid in getting the fire under control much faster.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140707103639.htm

Too Many Fish, Not Enough Space!!

I recently read an article about the migration of tropical fish into temperate areas of the ocean. Now this is a problem because the main fish that are migrating are species that tend to eat plat life like kelp. The fish then overgraze and end up dramatically reducing the size of kelp forests and sea grass meadows. Temperate areas such as Sydney, Australia, Japan, the eastern Mediterranean, and the Gulf of Mexico have all seen a rapid increase in the numbers of parrotfish, rabbitfish, and unicornfish. These are the main culprits behind the decrease in kelp forests, and it is a result of ocean warming. Some possible solutions to this problem of the migrating fish would be to emphasize the capture or fishing of these animals for the pet trade, food, and for fishing bait/chum. The barriers to these solutions could be that the meat of these fish isn't very good or they don't sell we'll in the fish trade. I personally believe that we should control the populations of these fish to a certain extent, but I do not believe we should try to completely stop the migration. I believe this because this is something that happens naturally and something we have seen in the past. Habitats have completely changed in the past with the altering of temperatures. Even though humans have accelerated this temperature change it is something that can and will happen eventually and we can't stop it without slowing global warming.

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140709100104.htm

Jack Oliver 

Record Levels of UltraViolet Rays Hit South America

On December 29, 2003, a team of American and German researchers measured a UV index of 43 in the Bolivian Andes in South America. This is the highest level of ultraviolet radiation that has ever been measured on the Earth’s surface. The team leader, Nathalie A. Cabrol explains how a UV index of 11 is considered extreme so this kind of radiation is incredibly alarming. Another alarming fact that Cabrol mentions is that these measurements were taken not in Antarctica where holes in the ozone have been recurring issues, but that they were found in a tropical climate zone over small villages and towns.

The root of this issues comes from ozone depletion not only in specific countries but all over the world. One way to stop this worldwide problem would be to create international environment regulations similar to those that protect endangered animals. The issue with this solution though is that many countries are reluctant to restrict their own businesses and industries and also many countries chose to remain ignorant to the fact that ozone depletion is a real issue. I personally think that this data should prove to the world that this is becoming a serious problem, and I also believe that without an international intervention from the United Nations or another international organization, it will be nearly impossible to slow down the inevitable disappearance of our one and only ozone layer.

Source:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140708131821.htm

Save the Parrotfish, Save the Reef

Since the 1970s, the coral reefs in the Caribbean have diminished by more than 50%. Originally, it was believed that this was caused by changes in climate. However, reefs in other areas that had been disappearing in an altered climate, experienced a dramatic comeback without the climate having returned to how it was before. A new cause has been found for the vanishing reefs in the Caribbean. The reef's two main grazers: the parrotfish, and the sea urchin. These two creatures are in charge of eating parasites and algae that are harm the coral and their population has also diminished since the 1970s.

A recent study done by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network reveals that the reason the parrotfish are dying off is a result of fishing companies increasingly bringing in more fish per day than past years. For the sea urchins, pathogens and other invasive species are being introduced to the Caribbean, especially the Panama Canal area, due to all the shipping that occurs there. The report the GCRMN did to publicize their findings suggests adopting conservation, and inducting management strategies to the fisheries that will lead to restoring the population of the parrotfish. The problem with their plan is the unemployment it would probably cause. To solve this problem, the GCRMN says that part of their efforts would include examining alternate occupations for those that loose their jobs as a result of the conservation efforts.

Another solution that I see, would be to limit the shipping activities that take place in and around the Caribbean so as to reduce the pollution. Also, investigating the source of the pathogens that are killing off the sea urchins and replacing that source or eliminating it altogether would aid the sea urchin population.  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140702093608.htm

Record Levels of Solar UV recorded on Earth’s Surface

 Researchers from the United States and Germany recorded a record level of UV radiation in the Bolivian Andes that could be a precursor for what could possibly come with a UV index of 43. Just to highlight the magnitude of that number, one might experience an index of 8 or 9 on a warm summer day at the beach, alerting the use of sun protection. This index was not taken in a place that lacks human inhabitants; it was taken in the tropics where small towns and villages are located. A UV index of 43 is extremely dangers for not only humans, but the entire biosphere.

The researchers were investigating the high altitude Andean Lakes for an astrobiology study. With the results, they were able to compare the Earth’s surface at that point in time to that of early Mars. However, the intense radiation coincided with various other factors: ozone depletion caused by the aerosols of recent seasonal storms and fires, and the recording of large solar flares within two weeks of the record UV index (which are known to affect atmospheric chemistry). Although the event is not directly caused by climate change, it is a prime example of what could happen if the ozone thins globally.

High UV indexes specifically damage DNA sequences, the photosynthesis process, decrease the viability of eggs and larvae. Therefore, I believe it is extremely important to monitor UV levels. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140708131821.htm