Being real does not mean to devoid yourself of respect
It does not mean to disconnect or neglect
It is not malicious behavior or discourtesy towards others
Treat friends as if they're your sisters or your brothers
Blind resentment toward someone does not give cause for ignorance
Realness isn't the presence of animosity but the absence
Recognize the things that are presented
Never let the good ones become tainted
So many people must realize
Don't agonize, antagonize, or you will end up plagiarized
Cause someone will surely copy your mood
Others will disrespect, object, and neglect just as you have
Do onto others as you would do onto you
Don't make yourself out to be a fool
Cause sure enough in life you'll lose
Make wise decisions, because you are made up of the things you choose
--Alescia Kennon
Friday, May 8, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
OVERPOPULATION
Overpopulation is becoming a bigger issue year by year. This problem is creating pressing issues that are growing greater in magnitude throughout the world.
Causes of Overpopulation
Overpopulation has been nothing more than an aftereffect of how much humans have contributed to scientific and medical research. As better technological and medical advancements become possible, the lifespan of humans tend to extend. All of our time, money, and effort we have spent on saving and extending lives have caused a backlash against the survival of our species as well as the future of our earth.
Similar to resource use, we must learn to balance the saving and extending of lives with controlling how many lives we produce. If resources that are used faster than they are produced, they would cease to exist. Similarly, if there are too many humans on earth, they would face many issues that are critical to their survival.
Effects of Overpopulation
As more people start to inhabit the Earth at an increasing rate, overpopulation starts to generate multiple issues that need to be addressed otherwise the survival of our earth and its inhabitants becomes extinct. Overpopulation is creating problems underlying global warming, habitat destruction, extinction of biological life, and resource overuse as well as others.
The increasing world population is contributing to the problem caused by global warming. As more people start to exist on this planet, the total amount of carbon output in an area is increasing drastically.
Dr. Allan P. Drew, a forest ecologist, put it this way: “Overpopulation means that we are putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than we should, just because more people are doing it and this is related to overconsumption by people in general, especially in the ‘developed’ world.”
Industrial countries such as China would have a larger carbon output per area because of the amount of pollution being produced by the factories. In addition, because of their larger population, a greater amount of people drive gasoline vehicles that produce a carbon dioxide output. We, as the inhabitants of Earth, are setting ourselves up for the destruction of ourselves as well as all life that exists on the planet.
Another major problem created by overpopulation, may lead to the complete eradication of the food supply. In order to meet the demands of the increasing population, more food is needed. This leads to the obvious, more and more animals are killed, which could eventually lead to the extinction of an entire species. In addition to the eradication of animals, farmers also need to meet the demands of the people. What other way to achieve this then to obtain more land by the destruction of a useless forest?
Destruction of land causes an extreme loss to biological life and diversity. In some cases, entire ecosystems are eliminated, which used to be the home of over several hundred thousand species. With the destruction of these ecosystems we have lost a great amount of animals, trees, plants, and microorganisms.
So what if we destroy ecosystems for farmland?
Ecosystems are a necessity to the success of all life. Everything in the biological world works in a cycle. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, are needed for countless reasons. They are responsible for fixing nitrogen in the soil so that it is useable by plants. This is very essential to life because fixed nitrogen is needed to make nucleotides which are responsible for making amino acids and proteins. Bacteria also live in the intestines of animals, helping them digest food. Plants are needed to convert carbon into oxygen and to produce food. Herbivorous animals, in turn, consume the plants which are, sequentially, consumed by the heterotrophic animals. The heterotrophic and herbivorous animals excrete waste that is then broken up into organic compounds by microorganisms, and the cycle repeats once again. If all ecosystems are obliterated and humans are the only form of life on earth then: there would be no way of obtaining food, the soil would be infertile, there would be nothing to convert carbon waste back into oxygen for humans to breathe, the atmosphere would deteriorate, eventually leading to the extinction of all life on earth, including humans.
Similar to the destruction of forests for farmland, more people means that more space is needed for them to occupy and live in. In order for this to occur, forests must be torn down at a larger magnitude to make room for housing and its complements.
The Problem and the Solution
“Worldwide, women now average 2.6 children during their lifetimes, 3.2 in developing countries excluding China, and 4.7 in the least developed countries.”
PRB
There are many ways of preventing us from destroying our earth. As more developed countries have an increasing stable population, the less developed regions of the world are reproducing more than the amount needed to displace the current population.
“Africa's infant mortality rate is nearly 15 times that of the developed world”
PRB
Many organizations such as Child Family Health International (CFHI), help to spread medical advancements to the less developed regions of the world, thus the less developed world would feel more secure in the survival of their children.
"Dramatically different age structures and fertility rates will mean that the populations of many less-developed countries will continue grow more rapidly than those in Europe," says Carl Haub PRB senior demographer.
Until we are able to provide security to these adverse regions of the current world, we can expect them to reproduce at an exponential rate, and additionally contributing to the existing world population. Relief efforts will hope to achieve a decreasing trend on the number of planned children in third world countries; overall, organizations such as CFHI will help reduce the total world population by guaranteeing the world medical security.
There are multiple ways one could help resolve the overpopulation crisis other than donations. In the current world, there are countless children that are in desperate need of a family to take care and love them. By adopting, one can help out an innocent child, who has suffered without any parents to protect and care for them, and at the same time would be helping to contribute to the relief of the world population problem. Instead of reproducing, a family can adopt a child which can help reduce the total amount of planned children per family. D
Causes of Overpopulation
Overpopulation has been nothing more than an aftereffect of how much humans have contributed to scientific and medical research. As better technological and medical advancements become possible, the lifespan of humans tend to extend. All of our time, money, and effort we have spent on saving and extending lives have caused a backlash against the survival of our species as well as the future of our earth.
Similar to resource use, we must learn to balance the saving and extending of lives with controlling how many lives we produce. If resources that are used faster than they are produced, they would cease to exist. Similarly, if there are too many humans on earth, they would face many issues that are critical to their survival.
Effects of Overpopulation
As more people start to inhabit the Earth at an increasing rate, overpopulation starts to generate multiple issues that need to be addressed otherwise the survival of our earth and its inhabitants becomes extinct. Overpopulation is creating problems underlying global warming, habitat destruction, extinction of biological life, and resource overuse as well as others.
The increasing world population is contributing to the problem caused by global warming. As more people start to exist on this planet, the total amount of carbon output in an area is increasing drastically.
Dr. Allan P. Drew, a forest ecologist, put it this way: “Overpopulation means that we are putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than we should, just because more people are doing it and this is related to overconsumption by people in general, especially in the ‘developed’ world.”
Industrial countries such as China would have a larger carbon output per area because of the amount of pollution being produced by the factories. In addition, because of their larger population, a greater amount of people drive gasoline vehicles that produce a carbon dioxide output. We, as the inhabitants of Earth, are setting ourselves up for the destruction of ourselves as well as all life that exists on the planet.
Another major problem created by overpopulation, may lead to the complete eradication of the food supply. In order to meet the demands of the increasing population, more food is needed. This leads to the obvious, more and more animals are killed, which could eventually lead to the extinction of an entire species. In addition to the eradication of animals, farmers also need to meet the demands of the people. What other way to achieve this then to obtain more land by the destruction of a useless forest?
Destruction of land causes an extreme loss to biological life and diversity. In some cases, entire ecosystems are eliminated, which used to be the home of over several hundred thousand species. With the destruction of these ecosystems we have lost a great amount of animals, trees, plants, and microorganisms.
So what if we destroy ecosystems for farmland?
Ecosystems are a necessity to the success of all life. Everything in the biological world works in a cycle. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, are needed for countless reasons. They are responsible for fixing nitrogen in the soil so that it is useable by plants. This is very essential to life because fixed nitrogen is needed to make nucleotides which are responsible for making amino acids and proteins. Bacteria also live in the intestines of animals, helping them digest food. Plants are needed to convert carbon into oxygen and to produce food. Herbivorous animals, in turn, consume the plants which are, sequentially, consumed by the heterotrophic animals. The heterotrophic and herbivorous animals excrete waste that is then broken up into organic compounds by microorganisms, and the cycle repeats once again. If all ecosystems are obliterated and humans are the only form of life on earth then: there would be no way of obtaining food, the soil would be infertile, there would be nothing to convert carbon waste back into oxygen for humans to breathe, the atmosphere would deteriorate, eventually leading to the extinction of all life on earth, including humans.
Similar to the destruction of forests for farmland, more people means that more space is needed for them to occupy and live in. In order for this to occur, forests must be torn down at a larger magnitude to make room for housing and its complements.
The Problem and the Solution
“Worldwide, women now average 2.6 children during their lifetimes, 3.2 in developing countries excluding China, and 4.7 in the least developed countries.”
PRB
There are many ways of preventing us from destroying our earth. As more developed countries have an increasing stable population, the less developed regions of the world are reproducing more than the amount needed to displace the current population.
“Africa's infant mortality rate is nearly 15 times that of the developed world”
PRB
Many organizations such as Child Family Health International (CFHI), help to spread medical advancements to the less developed regions of the world, thus the less developed world would feel more secure in the survival of their children.
"Dramatically different age structures and fertility rates will mean that the populations of many less-developed countries will continue grow more rapidly than those in Europe," says Carl Haub PRB senior demographer.
Until we are able to provide security to these adverse regions of the current world, we can expect them to reproduce at an exponential rate, and additionally contributing to the existing world population. Relief efforts will hope to achieve a decreasing trend on the number of planned children in third world countries; overall, organizations such as CFHI will help reduce the total world population by guaranteeing the world medical security.
There are multiple ways one could help resolve the overpopulation crisis other than donations. In the current world, there are countless children that are in desperate need of a family to take care and love them. By adopting, one can help out an innocent child, who has suffered without any parents to protect and care for them, and at the same time would be helping to contribute to the relief of the world population problem. Instead of reproducing, a family can adopt a child which can help reduce the total amount of planned children per family. D
Goodbye Santa Clause and the North Pole
We’re sure many of you are aware of the issue of global warming. For the past couple of years, it has been a term that evokes the catastrophic effects that result from our negligence of our environment. This negligence causes a chain of events that not only affects the lives of other living things, but ours as well.
Global warming results from an increase in greenhouse gases that cause the atmosphere to trap in the Sun’s heat. Although many greenhouse gases naturally occur throughout the world, one of the main greenhouse gases that have us concerned is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide emissions are currently on the rise. Statistics have shown that a sharp spike in the presence of carbon dioxide throughout the world occurred in the beginning of the Industrial Revolution when the advent of factories and mechanical production became a leading source of income for many Americans. These factories produced large amounts of carbon dioxide which thus led to the sharp rise in carbon dioxide emissions that historical data has shown us. Although many countries today no longer use the coal that contributed to the carbon dioxide emissions that come from those factories, carbon dioxide levels continue to be on the rise.
Man-made causes contribute mainly to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; pollution and population being the main significant causes.
Pollution is caused through burning fossil fuels, uses of automobiles, power plants and building. All of these emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. About 40% of carbon dioxide emission is due to power plants. Power plants burn excessive amounts of fossil fuels in order to provide electricity. As a result, an unnecessary amount of carbon dioxide is released. Transportation is one of man’s essential ways of life. As transportation has become more convenient and accessible, it’s taken a large toll on destroying the environment. As the cars evolve to SUV and are built to sustain higher terrain conditions, more pounds of carbon dioxide are secreted into atmosphere. For every gallon of gas that a car uses, approximately 19 pounds of carbon dioxide are discharged into the air. Approximately 3.5% of the global warming is due to the uses of airplanes because of the fuel that it consumes and releases. In addition, 12% carbon dioxide emanations are resulted through building structures.
The growing population further causes repercussions in our environments and becomes a source of global warming. As the population grows, more agriculture is required to sustain and maintain that many lives. As a result, more livestock is needed and in the process supplemental manure is produced. Manure is another source of methane. Additional people also cause global warming. As people continue to breathe, carbon dioxide is released and causes more carbon dioxide to be discharged into the atmosphere especially with the amplified amount of people. Additionally, trees and plants are the main source of recycling the carbon dioxide gas and producing oxygen for people to breathe, but as the world entails more people and needs extra locales. The trees populations are dwindling and will slowly fade.
The most crucial natural cause of global warming is due to the release of methane gas. The methane gas is released through the tundra and the wetlands. Methane gas is known as a greenhouse gas along with carbon dioxide. These gases create a “warm blanket” in the atmosphere causing the earth to gain an increase in its typical temperature. Methane gas is also released through mining. When the miners dig up the coal and the oil, it causes the methane gas that is embedded in the soil to be released into the atmosphere. In addition, methane is also created and discharged through rice fields. The majority of the rice grown in the world is created through utilizing flooded fields, primarily in Asia. These non oxygen conditions cause the release of the methane through the plants.
Each day, the North Pole is slowly diminishing into giant puddles of water from its once solid ice form. As the North Pole is fading, numerous biologists, environmentalists, and other leading scientists and experts have concluded that this deterioration is due to global warming and have continued to urge our country’s government to issue a bill that would help decrease the amount of carbon dioxide emissions our country continuously releases into the atmosphere.
The glaciers that make up North Pole is home to many living species. As the sizes of these glaciers decrease, so do the populations of the species of animals and plants that thrive off of them. Polar bear populations, for instance, are continuing to decrease in size. Each year, the glaciers become weaker and smaller. Each year, they have more trouble trying to find the food they need for to survive and for their offspring to thrive. This search for food continues on throughout the year. For many, it has become a lost cause. Some drown from their inability to hold up their weight as they float and swim in the deep waters of the Arctic Ocean. Others become too tired to move on and die.
As the glaciers dwindle down, the water levels of the oceans that span throughout the world rise. While this rise may be a slow and gradual process, it is something that will ultimately affect us. Where would the water go, but up? The higher water levels will shrink the size of the lands we live on. As this happens, we will have to relocate towards the interior of the lands that we have left.
As for the North Pole and the animals that reside there, the area is slowly becoming an unlivable area for their survival standards. The polar bears are not only dying along with their environment, but their deaths are also caused by overheating. Their genetic makeup is based on their survival in below freezing areas, primarily their fur. Because of the dramatic changes in temperature, these polar bears must attempt to adapt or their survival will cease to exist.
In order for global warming to lessen or prevent an alternative to relocation of our world, the issue must be recognized amongst every single person within the world population. The government must take actions to prevent the large companies from emitting an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in the world. Only making everyone well aware of global warming will assist in taking measures to prevent the dire repercussions of global warming. So go ahead inform your family and friends, and tell them that all those myths about global warming are true. Start taking measures to prevent global warming from continuing further into terrible results.
Global warming results from an increase in greenhouse gases that cause the atmosphere to trap in the Sun’s heat. Although many greenhouse gases naturally occur throughout the world, one of the main greenhouse gases that have us concerned is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide emissions are currently on the rise. Statistics have shown that a sharp spike in the presence of carbon dioxide throughout the world occurred in the beginning of the Industrial Revolution when the advent of factories and mechanical production became a leading source of income for many Americans. These factories produced large amounts of carbon dioxide which thus led to the sharp rise in carbon dioxide emissions that historical data has shown us. Although many countries today no longer use the coal that contributed to the carbon dioxide emissions that come from those factories, carbon dioxide levels continue to be on the rise.
Man-made causes contribute mainly to the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere; pollution and population being the main significant causes.
Pollution is caused through burning fossil fuels, uses of automobiles, power plants and building. All of these emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. About 40% of carbon dioxide emission is due to power plants. Power plants burn excessive amounts of fossil fuels in order to provide electricity. As a result, an unnecessary amount of carbon dioxide is released. Transportation is one of man’s essential ways of life. As transportation has become more convenient and accessible, it’s taken a large toll on destroying the environment. As the cars evolve to SUV and are built to sustain higher terrain conditions, more pounds of carbon dioxide are secreted into atmosphere. For every gallon of gas that a car uses, approximately 19 pounds of carbon dioxide are discharged into the air. Approximately 3.5% of the global warming is due to the uses of airplanes because of the fuel that it consumes and releases. In addition, 12% carbon dioxide emanations are resulted through building structures.
The growing population further causes repercussions in our environments and becomes a source of global warming. As the population grows, more agriculture is required to sustain and maintain that many lives. As a result, more livestock is needed and in the process supplemental manure is produced. Manure is another source of methane. Additional people also cause global warming. As people continue to breathe, carbon dioxide is released and causes more carbon dioxide to be discharged into the atmosphere especially with the amplified amount of people. Additionally, trees and plants are the main source of recycling the carbon dioxide gas and producing oxygen for people to breathe, but as the world entails more people and needs extra locales. The trees populations are dwindling and will slowly fade.
The most crucial natural cause of global warming is due to the release of methane gas. The methane gas is released through the tundra and the wetlands. Methane gas is known as a greenhouse gas along with carbon dioxide. These gases create a “warm blanket” in the atmosphere causing the earth to gain an increase in its typical temperature. Methane gas is also released through mining. When the miners dig up the coal and the oil, it causes the methane gas that is embedded in the soil to be released into the atmosphere. In addition, methane is also created and discharged through rice fields. The majority of the rice grown in the world is created through utilizing flooded fields, primarily in Asia. These non oxygen conditions cause the release of the methane through the plants.
Each day, the North Pole is slowly diminishing into giant puddles of water from its once solid ice form. As the North Pole is fading, numerous biologists, environmentalists, and other leading scientists and experts have concluded that this deterioration is due to global warming and have continued to urge our country’s government to issue a bill that would help decrease the amount of carbon dioxide emissions our country continuously releases into the atmosphere.
The glaciers that make up North Pole is home to many living species. As the sizes of these glaciers decrease, so do the populations of the species of animals and plants that thrive off of them. Polar bear populations, for instance, are continuing to decrease in size. Each year, the glaciers become weaker and smaller. Each year, they have more trouble trying to find the food they need for to survive and for their offspring to thrive. This search for food continues on throughout the year. For many, it has become a lost cause. Some drown from their inability to hold up their weight as they float and swim in the deep waters of the Arctic Ocean. Others become too tired to move on and die.
As the glaciers dwindle down, the water levels of the oceans that span throughout the world rise. While this rise may be a slow and gradual process, it is something that will ultimately affect us. Where would the water go, but up? The higher water levels will shrink the size of the lands we live on. As this happens, we will have to relocate towards the interior of the lands that we have left.
As for the North Pole and the animals that reside there, the area is slowly becoming an unlivable area for their survival standards. The polar bears are not only dying along with their environment, but their deaths are also caused by overheating. Their genetic makeup is based on their survival in below freezing areas, primarily their fur. Because of the dramatic changes in temperature, these polar bears must attempt to adapt or their survival will cease to exist.
In order for global warming to lessen or prevent an alternative to relocation of our world, the issue must be recognized amongst every single person within the world population. The government must take actions to prevent the large companies from emitting an excessive amount of carbon dioxide in the world. Only making everyone well aware of global warming will assist in taking measures to prevent the dire repercussions of global warming. So go ahead inform your family and friends, and tell them that all those myths about global warming are true. Start taking measures to prevent global warming from continuing further into terrible results.
Poison in the Water Supply
Water pollution is a great problem that plagues many parts of the world, from the richest, most prosperous countries to the third-world countries of the world. It is not just destroying the environment of the Earth, but it is devastating our water supply. Yet the majority of this pollution is caused by human beings, who believe that it will have no effect on them. If the majority of our water supply is contaminated by pollution, where will our water come from? We will have no more water to drink and to sustain our nutrition, eventually leading to the extinction of animals and human beings.
Water is an essential part in all of our lives. It is everywhere around us and makes up about seventy-one percent of the Earth and about sixty-five percent of the human body. Water allows the Earth to exist, giving every living thing sustenance and life. Without it, the entire Earth would eventually deteriorate and no living thing could possibly survive that catastrophe. Yet, many things are causing the clean water supply to disappear.
Water pollution is any change in the water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that consumes this water. Even though some water pollution may be obvious such as littering into the water, other types are not as noticeable, where these types of contamination must be checked through laboratory inspection. Many types of water pollution exist throughout the world that contaminates our water supply: disease-causing agents, oxygen-demanding wastes, water-insoluble inorganic wastes, nutrients, organic compounds, suspended sediment, water-soluble radioactive compounds, pesticides, and mercury.
The disease-causing agents are composed of many bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasitic worms. These contaminants go into sewage systems and untreated waste materials. If consumed by a healthy living organism, this can cause sickness and could possibly lead to death in some animals if these agents are left untreated.
Oxygen-demanding wastes are pollutants that can be decomposed by oxygen-necessary bacteria. If large amounts of these bacteria convert the wastes then it would release a large amount of oxygen into the water. Yet, if this oxygen was released into the water, it would lead to the deaths of many aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish, sharks, and many other animals residing in the water.
Water-insoluble inorganic wastes are inorganic pollutants such as acids, salts, and toxic metals. Similar to oxygen-demanding wastes, if large quantities of this waste are released into water, then it will pollute the water, make the water undrinkable, and lead to the demise of many aquatic animals.
Nutrients are water-soluble nitrates and phosphates that result in extreme growth in water plants and deplete the water oxygen supply. These types of pollutants kill many fish and if found in drinking water, it can also kill human beings.
Organic compounds can also pollute our water supply. Some examples include oil, plastics, and pesticides, which are seen very often in many oceans and other types of aquatic areas. These compounds are not just harmful to aquatic life, but also to humans. This can kill the aquatic life and also poison the humans consuming this water supply.
Suspended sediment is a very dangerous type of water pollutant. It reduces the water’s light absorption and spreads dangerous compounds throughout the water such as pesticides. Pesticides kill insects and bugs that consume farmer’s products. However, these pesticides are carried away by rainwater and go into the nearest creek or streams. This contaminates the water and can make the water consumers sick.
Another dangerous type of water contaminant is water-soluble radioactive compounds. These lead to many types of diseases, such as cancer, birth defects, and genetic damage, meaning they are very dangerous to human beings if the water is consumed.
Mercury is an extremely toxic chemical that is used in many things in our society. Yet, this extremely toxic product also finds its way into the water. Most of the mercury comes from coal-fired power plants through air pollution. Then the mercury is converted to methyl-mercury by some bacteria and goes into the food chain of the aquatic animals, where fish consume these products. If we eat the fish, then human beings will also be infected with some amounts of mercury. The effects of these substances over time could lead to many problems in human beings. If pregnant women consume these types of fishes, it can affect the embryos of the child. It can cause neurological problems, slower reflexes, learning deficits, delayed or incomplete mental development, autism, and brain damage. Even in adults, it can lead to problems with the central nervous system causing Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and even can lead to irreversible brain damage or death. Even though there are many microorganisms causing pollution in the water, many human beings are the primary polluters contaminating our water supply.
Some major companies throughout the world are contaminating the water. Many of these corporations just want a cheap way to get rid of their extra waste so they simply dump it into the water. Furthermore, if they do not dump it directly into the water, the chemicals are still able to find their way into the aquatic area. They may trickle from failing pipes or broken storage tanks and then fall right into the water. They can even get to the water from some contaminated soil that seeps to the oceans. Even regular people cause the contamination of the water supply. Everyday people just throw out the trash into the water and they do not care, thinking it cannot cause that much harm. Yet, it makes an unpleasant sight in the environment and can lead to multiple bacteria production, contaminating the water supply.
We must stop all the water pollution going on throughout the world. If we want the Earth to survive longer, we must protect it from this easily avoidable issue. We can fix the water pollution predicament if we act now. We have to act smarter when thinking about the future of our planet. We must persist now with the legal system so that tougher legislation can be created against water pollution. Additionally, we should educate the youth and the rest of society to promote an end to water pollution throughout the world. The survival of all life on Earth depends on these changes.
Water is an essential part in all of our lives. It is everywhere around us and makes up about seventy-one percent of the Earth and about sixty-five percent of the human body. Water allows the Earth to exist, giving every living thing sustenance and life. Without it, the entire Earth would eventually deteriorate and no living thing could possibly survive that catastrophe. Yet, many things are causing the clean water supply to disappear.
Water pollution is any change in the water that has a harmful effect on any living thing that consumes this water. Even though some water pollution may be obvious such as littering into the water, other types are not as noticeable, where these types of contamination must be checked through laboratory inspection. Many types of water pollution exist throughout the world that contaminates our water supply: disease-causing agents, oxygen-demanding wastes, water-insoluble inorganic wastes, nutrients, organic compounds, suspended sediment, water-soluble radioactive compounds, pesticides, and mercury.
The disease-causing agents are composed of many bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and parasitic worms. These contaminants go into sewage systems and untreated waste materials. If consumed by a healthy living organism, this can cause sickness and could possibly lead to death in some animals if these agents are left untreated.
Oxygen-demanding wastes are pollutants that can be decomposed by oxygen-necessary bacteria. If large amounts of these bacteria convert the wastes then it would release a large amount of oxygen into the water. Yet, if this oxygen was released into the water, it would lead to the deaths of many aquatic animals such as fish, crayfish, sharks, and many other animals residing in the water.
Water-insoluble inorganic wastes are inorganic pollutants such as acids, salts, and toxic metals. Similar to oxygen-demanding wastes, if large quantities of this waste are released into water, then it will pollute the water, make the water undrinkable, and lead to the demise of many aquatic animals.
Nutrients are water-soluble nitrates and phosphates that result in extreme growth in water plants and deplete the water oxygen supply. These types of pollutants kill many fish and if found in drinking water, it can also kill human beings.
Organic compounds can also pollute our water supply. Some examples include oil, plastics, and pesticides, which are seen very often in many oceans and other types of aquatic areas. These compounds are not just harmful to aquatic life, but also to humans. This can kill the aquatic life and also poison the humans consuming this water supply.
Suspended sediment is a very dangerous type of water pollutant. It reduces the water’s light absorption and spreads dangerous compounds throughout the water such as pesticides. Pesticides kill insects and bugs that consume farmer’s products. However, these pesticides are carried away by rainwater and go into the nearest creek or streams. This contaminates the water and can make the water consumers sick.
Another dangerous type of water contaminant is water-soluble radioactive compounds. These lead to many types of diseases, such as cancer, birth defects, and genetic damage, meaning they are very dangerous to human beings if the water is consumed.
Mercury is an extremely toxic chemical that is used in many things in our society. Yet, this extremely toxic product also finds its way into the water. Most of the mercury comes from coal-fired power plants through air pollution. Then the mercury is converted to methyl-mercury by some bacteria and goes into the food chain of the aquatic animals, where fish consume these products. If we eat the fish, then human beings will also be infected with some amounts of mercury. The effects of these substances over time could lead to many problems in human beings. If pregnant women consume these types of fishes, it can affect the embryos of the child. It can cause neurological problems, slower reflexes, learning deficits, delayed or incomplete mental development, autism, and brain damage. Even in adults, it can lead to problems with the central nervous system causing Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and even can lead to irreversible brain damage or death. Even though there are many microorganisms causing pollution in the water, many human beings are the primary polluters contaminating our water supply.
Some major companies throughout the world are contaminating the water. Many of these corporations just want a cheap way to get rid of their extra waste so they simply dump it into the water. Furthermore, if they do not dump it directly into the water, the chemicals are still able to find their way into the aquatic area. They may trickle from failing pipes or broken storage tanks and then fall right into the water. They can even get to the water from some contaminated soil that seeps to the oceans. Even regular people cause the contamination of the water supply. Everyday people just throw out the trash into the water and they do not care, thinking it cannot cause that much harm. Yet, it makes an unpleasant sight in the environment and can lead to multiple bacteria production, contaminating the water supply.
We must stop all the water pollution going on throughout the world. If we want the Earth to survive longer, we must protect it from this easily avoidable issue. We can fix the water pollution predicament if we act now. We have to act smarter when thinking about the future of our planet. We must persist now with the legal system so that tougher legislation can be created against water pollution. Additionally, we should educate the youth and the rest of society to promote an end to water pollution throughout the world. The survival of all life on Earth depends on these changes.
Caution! Forests in Danger
Imagine walking into a forest where the trees are lush and green. Above and below you there are animals and plants that thrive off of the beauty that surrounds you. This forest is their home. It’s a place where they belong. It’s a place where many generations of their ancestors have depended upon for food, for shelter, and for everything that encompasses a successful life in which they were able to produce viable offspring. While these ancestors were able to thrive, their descendents are suffering. They’re suffering because the resources they have depended upon for years are slowly disappearing. Some are able to adapt to these changes. Others lead such restricted lifestyles that it is difficult to develop new behaviors that would adapt to those changes.
As you imagine yourself in this forest, imagine who the culprit is. Who or what do you see? Do you see farmers? An increasing human population? Their demands for sustainability? Large plots of land for housing, restaurants, and buildings? How about poachers, loggers, and hunters? Oh, my! All of them share a common ground. They involve people—us.
The forests that exist throughout the world contribute to a large percentage of Earth’s biodiversity. Many living species call these forests their home. As many of their ancestors have lived in these forests and nowhere else, many living species that reside in these forests are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else. The size of a habitat has a correlation with the size of a population of living things. As these forests continue to be destroyed, the populations of these living species decrease as well.
Rainforests such as those in the Amazon, Madagascar, and Congo have seen more than half of their original vegetation disappear through destructive methods such as logging and slash-and-burn. Although forests can be recovered by growing them back, the extinction of species cannot. Once these species are gone, they are gone forever.
These forests are exploited for the expansion of farms, the production of wood products, and the demands for more land for construction. All of these activities have increased over the years as a result of our increasing human population.
As our population grows bigger, we need enough food to eat. The plants we consume come from farms whose lands need to be expanded in order for the demands of the people to be met, and in order for the agricultural industry to be successful. Meat from animals such as cows will also be needed to meet the demands of a large global population.
Quality meat has to come from animals that are sufficiently fed. Cattle grazing, for example, has increased the need for land expansion. When farmers run out of land to use, they look towards the forests—land that has not been occupied by another human being for farming. This destruction of forests for profit creates an illusion. As farmers continue to see these forests as obstacles from an increase in monetary income, they become blindsided by their greed of the long term and damaging effects of the decimation of forests. They are short-sighted by the implications of their behavior. To clear these lands, farmers often use the slash-and-burn method which is also environmentally damaging.
The increasing human population also calls for an increase in construction and human encroachment of forests. The technological advancements that we take for granted expand the possibilities of the places we are able to live. A person from the United States is able to move to faraway India by flying on a plane and arriving there in less than a day—not several months. As heaters become more readily available, people are able to withstand the harsh freezing conditions that are present in places such as Alaska. Living in these places with freezing climates is becoming more of a possibility than a dream. As we adapt to the different climates that exist around the world, more construction and houses need to be built as the populations in the areas increase. Newly settled land then makes way for sprawling cities. Shopping centers are built to take advantage of the possibilities of capitalism. Hospitals are built to save lives more quickly and efficiently.
Houses are built to serve as shelters and private space. As people become wealthier, they are able to purchase bigger houses that occupy more land, and thus, more destruction of forests and habitats of the millions of living things that rely on them.
Animals whose lives are threatened by human encroachment include tigers and pandas who need forests in order to thrive. These lands need to be sufficient to meet their nutritional and reproductive demands. Without them, their already decreasing population sizes would only grow smaller.
Since trees are effective carbon storages, their destruction results in the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide. This release increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and further exacerbates the worsening effects that global warming already has on biodiversity.
Another impact that humans have on biodiversity of forests is the killing of animals that inhabit it. In Congo, gorillas often victim to poachers who rely on their flesh. In these countries, bushmeat is often seen as a primary source of protein and profit. Nowadays, gorilla populations have drastically decreased to the point where they might not be able to revive the size of their populations to a stable level.
It’s true: extinction is nothing new. Five other extinction events have occurred over the course of Earth’s history. The total amount of species that exists today make up less than 1% of all the species that has ever existed on Earth. In the Permian extinction that occurred over 250 million years ago, about 70% of all terrestrial animals and 96% of all marine species became extinct. The most recent extinction event was the Cretaceous event in which the dinosaurs that once roamed this Earth died off. Despite how drastic these extinction events are, there is one difference between those and the one we’re living in now: this current one is caused by us and our destructive behavior.
But why should it matter if mass extinctions have been recurring events that have occurred various times in the past? It’s because we’re living things. We are animals, too. We are part of an ecosystem in which we depend upon all the species around to make up for the expanding populations. We can’t produce our own food. As we continue to grow in numbers, we will need more resources to meet our needs and demands. We will need land to build houses, schools, and hospitals for our medicine. When one species dies off, another falls into the same demise, because of the interdependent relationships they have with each other. By continuing the same path we have put ourselves in, we are becoming more ignorant and negligent about the consequences of our behavior. We know that what is destroyed cannot be replaced. As the biodiversity of our planet decreases, it is difficult, if not impossible, to replace.
As the decimation of forests increase, the living things that once thrived there feel less and less at home. They no longer belong there. With nowhere else to go, they disappear and become impossible to replace.
Before the end of biodiversity becomes a reality for all of us, there needs to be solutions to help preserve it. The easiest thing a person can do is to spread awareness and concern over the issue of the destruction of forests. Awareness of this key issue promotes action to help promote the protection of the vulnerable and diverse species that inhabit the forested locations. Many of these forests are located in developing countries that are trying to gain financial stability. These biodiversity hotspots tend to disregard the concerns of the environment in order to bring about economic growth. Developed countries, such as the United States, can help shoulder the financial hardships they face in order to preserve the biodiversity that exist throughout those countries. These developing countries need to realize that destroying forests will not make them more financially stable. The cutting down of forests for the expansion of farms and other industries they rely on would not promote the kind of financial growth they need. This aid can help build international relationships between those countries that can amount to years.
Furthermore, our government should take measures on its own grounds to promote awareness to protect biodiversity through education and other techniques. Ignorance of this issue would only worsen the state that we have placed ourselves in. Now is not a time to continue with this ignorance. It is a time for awareness.
As you imagine yourself in this forest, imagine who the culprit is. Who or what do you see? Do you see farmers? An increasing human population? Their demands for sustainability? Large plots of land for housing, restaurants, and buildings? How about poachers, loggers, and hunters? Oh, my! All of them share a common ground. They involve people—us.
The forests that exist throughout the world contribute to a large percentage of Earth’s biodiversity. Many living species call these forests their home. As many of their ancestors have lived in these forests and nowhere else, many living species that reside in these forests are endemic and cannot be found anywhere else. The size of a habitat has a correlation with the size of a population of living things. As these forests continue to be destroyed, the populations of these living species decrease as well.
Rainforests such as those in the Amazon, Madagascar, and Congo have seen more than half of their original vegetation disappear through destructive methods such as logging and slash-and-burn. Although forests can be recovered by growing them back, the extinction of species cannot. Once these species are gone, they are gone forever.
These forests are exploited for the expansion of farms, the production of wood products, and the demands for more land for construction. All of these activities have increased over the years as a result of our increasing human population.
As our population grows bigger, we need enough food to eat. The plants we consume come from farms whose lands need to be expanded in order for the demands of the people to be met, and in order for the agricultural industry to be successful. Meat from animals such as cows will also be needed to meet the demands of a large global population.
Quality meat has to come from animals that are sufficiently fed. Cattle grazing, for example, has increased the need for land expansion. When farmers run out of land to use, they look towards the forests—land that has not been occupied by another human being for farming. This destruction of forests for profit creates an illusion. As farmers continue to see these forests as obstacles from an increase in monetary income, they become blindsided by their greed of the long term and damaging effects of the decimation of forests. They are short-sighted by the implications of their behavior. To clear these lands, farmers often use the slash-and-burn method which is also environmentally damaging.
The increasing human population also calls for an increase in construction and human encroachment of forests. The technological advancements that we take for granted expand the possibilities of the places we are able to live. A person from the United States is able to move to faraway India by flying on a plane and arriving there in less than a day—not several months. As heaters become more readily available, people are able to withstand the harsh freezing conditions that are present in places such as Alaska. Living in these places with freezing climates is becoming more of a possibility than a dream. As we adapt to the different climates that exist around the world, more construction and houses need to be built as the populations in the areas increase. Newly settled land then makes way for sprawling cities. Shopping centers are built to take advantage of the possibilities of capitalism. Hospitals are built to save lives more quickly and efficiently.
Houses are built to serve as shelters and private space. As people become wealthier, they are able to purchase bigger houses that occupy more land, and thus, more destruction of forests and habitats of the millions of living things that rely on them.
Animals whose lives are threatened by human encroachment include tigers and pandas who need forests in order to thrive. These lands need to be sufficient to meet their nutritional and reproductive demands. Without them, their already decreasing population sizes would only grow smaller.
Since trees are effective carbon storages, their destruction results in the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide. This release increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and further exacerbates the worsening effects that global warming already has on biodiversity.
Another impact that humans have on biodiversity of forests is the killing of animals that inhabit it. In Congo, gorillas often victim to poachers who rely on their flesh. In these countries, bushmeat is often seen as a primary source of protein and profit. Nowadays, gorilla populations have drastically decreased to the point where they might not be able to revive the size of their populations to a stable level.
It’s true: extinction is nothing new. Five other extinction events have occurred over the course of Earth’s history. The total amount of species that exists today make up less than 1% of all the species that has ever existed on Earth. In the Permian extinction that occurred over 250 million years ago, about 70% of all terrestrial animals and 96% of all marine species became extinct. The most recent extinction event was the Cretaceous event in which the dinosaurs that once roamed this Earth died off. Despite how drastic these extinction events are, there is one difference between those and the one we’re living in now: this current one is caused by us and our destructive behavior.
But why should it matter if mass extinctions have been recurring events that have occurred various times in the past? It’s because we’re living things. We are animals, too. We are part of an ecosystem in which we depend upon all the species around to make up for the expanding populations. We can’t produce our own food. As we continue to grow in numbers, we will need more resources to meet our needs and demands. We will need land to build houses, schools, and hospitals for our medicine. When one species dies off, another falls into the same demise, because of the interdependent relationships they have with each other. By continuing the same path we have put ourselves in, we are becoming more ignorant and negligent about the consequences of our behavior. We know that what is destroyed cannot be replaced. As the biodiversity of our planet decreases, it is difficult, if not impossible, to replace.
As the decimation of forests increase, the living things that once thrived there feel less and less at home. They no longer belong there. With nowhere else to go, they disappear and become impossible to replace.
Before the end of biodiversity becomes a reality for all of us, there needs to be solutions to help preserve it. The easiest thing a person can do is to spread awareness and concern over the issue of the destruction of forests. Awareness of this key issue promotes action to help promote the protection of the vulnerable and diverse species that inhabit the forested locations. Many of these forests are located in developing countries that are trying to gain financial stability. These biodiversity hotspots tend to disregard the concerns of the environment in order to bring about economic growth. Developed countries, such as the United States, can help shoulder the financial hardships they face in order to preserve the biodiversity that exist throughout those countries. These developing countries need to realize that destroying forests will not make them more financially stable. The cutting down of forests for the expansion of farms and other industries they rely on would not promote the kind of financial growth they need. This aid can help build international relationships between those countries that can amount to years.
Furthermore, our government should take measures on its own grounds to promote awareness to protect biodiversity through education and other techniques. Ignorance of this issue would only worsen the state that we have placed ourselves in. Now is not a time to continue with this ignorance. It is a time for awareness.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Welcome!
Hello Readers,
Welcome to the DIVERSITY blog.
Our intention here is to raise awareness on the importance of biodiversity.
For some of you, biodiversity may not be a familiar word, but in fact, it exists all around us. It exists in the environment we live in and the food we eat. It is the vast numbers of creatures and plants that we see in our lives, in movies, on TV, in books, in photographs.
At this time, we are facing a dire situation in our generation. Biodiversity is being threatened. The mass extinction of the living things that once thrived off of the decimating rain forests, polluted waterways, and shrinking glaciers is placing us into a difficult situation.
I know, you might not want to be reading this, but you have to understand: this situation will affect us. It will affect our economies, our lives, and our future.
Through reading this blog as it progresses in the upcoming days, I hope that you can gain an understanding of what biodiversity means to us. When a person asks you, "What is biodiversity?" You tell that person what it is.
This is only the introduction. The introduction to a time for improvement.
Welcome to the DIVERSITY blog.
Our intention here is to raise awareness on the importance of biodiversity.
For some of you, biodiversity may not be a familiar word, but in fact, it exists all around us. It exists in the environment we live in and the food we eat. It is the vast numbers of creatures and plants that we see in our lives, in movies, on TV, in books, in photographs.
At this time, we are facing a dire situation in our generation. Biodiversity is being threatened. The mass extinction of the living things that once thrived off of the decimating rain forests, polluted waterways, and shrinking glaciers is placing us into a difficult situation.
I know, you might not want to be reading this, but you have to understand: this situation will affect us. It will affect our economies, our lives, and our future.
Through reading this blog as it progresses in the upcoming days, I hope that you can gain an understanding of what biodiversity means to us. When a person asks you, "What is biodiversity?" You tell that person what it is.
This is only the introduction. The introduction to a time for improvement.
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