Eagles Coming Back to Ireland

I know that Mr. McKinley said not to blog about endangered species as much anymore, but I still wanted to do this anyways because I’ve been to Ireland a couple times and I just thought it would be interesting to learn about an environmental issue going on over there.

Apparently there is a species of Eagle that disappeared from Ireland around 100 years ago. However, experts are implementing a program to reintroduce this species of Eagle back into the environment. It is the White-tailed Sea Eagle.  This project will be taking place in Killarney National Park, and it will begin this summer. They are going to bring 15 chicks into the park every year which would then mean that this project will probably be a 5 year project.

White-tailed Sea Eagle.

Image from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/media/Sea-Eagle1.jpg

There plan is that they will start with the chicks in the park and then let them out to the sea where they will probably start to breed after 4 years after being out.  Experts are very hopeful that this will be a successful project and that the White-tailed Sea Eagle will be again a part of the environment in Ireland. They decided to do this project in the Killarney National Park because it is right by the ocean which has a very rocky terrain.  This type of environment is perfect for the White-tailed Sea Eagle to thrive in.  I have actually been to Killarney and near the Ring of Kerry and trust me, it is VERY rocky and rugged along the coast.  So, if this is the type of environment the eagles thrive in, in my opinion the project should be succesful in the long run.  In Ireland they have also tried a similar project with another type of eagle and there are now 40 of them currently in Ireland.

So, I hope that this project is a success and who knows, maybe I will here more about this project when I go back to Killarney in February.

Ireland

Picture taken by me.

Source: http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/39694/story.htm

Largest Gas Pipeline

As of yesterday, it has been released that there are plans to build the world’s largest gas pipeline.  This pipeline will run through South America, even through Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.  This pipeline is proposed to be 5000 miles long and will cost around $21 billion. It’s called the Southern Gas Pipeline and will “connect Venezuela’s rich natural gas fields to Argentine markets.”

As I said before, this pipeline will be cutting through tropical rainforests such as Brazil’s Amazon.  This is extremely harmful to the surrounding tropical environment.  It will more than likely disrupt the structure of these rainforests ecosystems and will also be harmful to many fisherman and farmers in the area.

If this is such a threat to South America you might be asking why they are building this pipeline at all.  The Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez claims that the pipeline is a way to “stave off regional gas shortages, integrate the continent’s energy networks, and sidestep economic dependence on the United States.”  Chavez realized that there are huge risks to the environment by building this pipeline, however, he still wants to move forward with the project because he feels that it will be more beneficial in the long run.  He seems to be very concerned about the future and wants to plan ahead and I guess he thinks that building this massive pipeline is the answer.

What environmentalists are mostly concerned with is that the pipeline will attract a large number of energy industries to locate themselves near the pipeline which is in the middle of very fragile areas of the rainforest and could have long term damaging effects along with the pipeline.  Hopefully Chavez will realize how damaging the construction of this gas pipeline will be to the environment and will maybe reconsider ways of planning for the energy crisis soon to come.

Imagine a pipeline like this going through the tropical rainforests for 5000 miles. If you read my post further down on how important it is that we take care and preserve the rainforests you will realize how detrimental this would be to the environment.

Image from: http://www.pekerinsaat.com/pipe_line/pipe1.jpg

Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/01/070104-gas-pipeline.html

Winter?

Don’t get me wrong, I would be the first person in the world to wish for no more winter.  I hate the cold weather and I always have.  The only time I can say that I really like snow is on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day.  Otherwise, I am totally better off without it.  I am very much a summer lover.  However, I can’t help but notice how warm the weather has been this winter.  I don’t mind (but I guess it would have been cool to have snow at Christmas) but I just think it’s weird and I wanted to find out why the weather is like this this year.  Now I know I already kind of just blogged about this, but it seems to be a very hot topic and I just wanted to cover a slightly different aspect to it.

So, in some places, like Colorado, they have definitely been having a cold, snowy winter.  However, many places who typically do have winters that are cold and snowy are not experiencing that same kind of weather this year.  These places include Chicago, New York City, and New Jersey.  New York City experienced its first winter without any snow in November and December for the first time since 1877.  That’s unbelievable that it could be 129 winters before another repeat of that year.  Also, New Jersey had the its warmest winter since 111 years ago.  Many people are claiming that since last year the winter was so brutally cold, the earth is trying to make up for that and balance out by not having as harsh of a winter this year.  Who knows if this is true, it most likely isn’t though since scientists and meteorologists have proven that many of the effects of this winter are being caused by El Nino.

Snowy Chicago Skyline

Image from: http://chicagoarchitecture.info/Features/Wallpaper/1/35Thumb.jpg

The good news is that these mild temperatures aren’t necessarily an indication that global warming is directly upon us.  Many meteorologists are saying not to worry since many other places in the middle of the country have had blizzards this winter, but rather to take advantage of this warmer weather while it is still here.  I know I am very glad for this warm weather.

A more mild Chicago Winter Skyline

Image from: http://static.redjupiter.com/images/erin/chicagocityscape.jpg

This weather is greatly benefitting some businesses who might not have very much business this time of year.  For example, many people are eating outside at restaurants when barely anybody would ever even consider doing that this time of year, and also many more people are golfing which also would almost never happen during winter.  However, there have also been many businesses who have been suffering from this warm weather this winter.  Many ice fishing tournaments have been canceled because there simply is no ice, many ski resorts are suffering from the warm temperatures because there is no snow for people to ski on, and fire wood sales have been down this winter because people are already warm and do not need a fire to warm them up.

Also, many plants have reacted to this weather by thinking it was spring time.  On some trees, blossoms have started blooming, or one woman said her garden asparagus are already about 3 in. tall.  This is not good if there is going to be a cold spurt after all of this mild weather.  The plants will not recover well from this shock and could be permanently harmed.

Some people are hoping that the cold weather will finally arrive for the sake of many of these winter focused businesses.  Whatever happens though, I’m sure it will be for the best.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WEATHER/01/04/warm.winter.ap/

Get Ready for a Warm 2007

Image from:

http://www.downtoearth.org/earthaware/inside/hot_earth.jpg

  I came across an article on the BBC News website titled “2007 to be ‘warmest on record’” and I couldn’t help but think #1 how this doesn’t sound so good based on my knowledge on global warming and #2 this is really interesting and I should blog about it. 

   Experts are saying that the cause of this huge temperature increase for this year is being caused by El Nino weather located in the Pacific Ocean.  They are saying that it is very likely the earth’s average surface temperature will be higher than the all-time record from 1998.  This record was an average surface temperature of 52C or 94F.  Experts are predicting that 2007’s average surface temperature will be somewhere around 54C and 97F.  These temperatures are going to be the highest we have seen.  These estimates were made by the UK Met Office’s Hadley Centre and with the University of East Anglia.

   These high temperature predictions are being based on 2 factors:

1. Greenhouse gas emissions from humans
2. The effects of El Nino

You might now be asking yourself, “What is El Nino exactly?” Well, I’ll tell you.

The effects of El Nino are usually caused by extremely warm waters coming off of the coast of North-Western South America.  El Nino hugely effects the year-to-year climate change because of these warm waters. 

Experts have been testing the forecasts of El Nino for several months now and it has always been a stable reading.  The Hadley Center has been predicting the earth’s average surface temperatures for 7 consecutive years now and they have a 6C margin of error.  So, the chances are that this year’s temperatures will most definitely be higher than we are used to, and could very possibly be the highest yet.  On the website, they included a chart of the earth’s average surface temperature since 1850, and I thought it was really interesting to look at so I thought I would post it below.

Image from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6228765.stm

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6228765.stm

Snow Is Good For the Environment!

   

Image from:

http://www.clipartspace.com/clipart/snowflakes/snowflake-02.gif

   I found this article in the Chicago Tribune about a month ago and I had kind of forgotten about it, but I found it on my desk the other day and I thought I should share it with all of you.  It’s really short, but interesting.

    This article was written in the paper 2 days after the big snow storm we had on the 1st of December.  Now, we really haven’t had any snow since then, which may not be the best for our environment right now.  In the short article it talks about some of the benefits that a blanket of snow can provide for our environment.  It had 4 bullet points of reasons and they are listed below.

• Snow, particularly when it melts slowly, plays a vital role in recharging aquifers that provide drinking water.
• Snow insulates gardens from subzero temperatures and provides moisture that helps prevent plants from drying out during the winter.
• Small critters depend on snow, nestling in pockets where the air never is much below freezing.
• Clean snow reflects sunlight, reducing the transfer of heat from sun to Earth– a role some scientists believe could help offset global warming.

Sources: Illinois State Water Survey, University of Delaware, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, NASA

Chicago Tribune. Metro. Sunday, December 3, 2006.

     So, I guess after reading this all I can think of saying is, ”Let it Snow!”

Image from:

http://www.clipartspace.com/clipart/snowflakes/snowflake-01.gif

Medicines Found in Tropical Rainforests

   

Tropical Rainforest

Image from: http://www.tekipaki.jp/~texbird/rainforests_files/1.jpg

   The tropical rainforests in our world make up about 7% of the Earth’s surface, and they are one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world.  Now, both drug companies and conservationists are working to preserve the tropical rainforests in our world because it has been proven that many plants and trees have medicinal value.  Around 120 prescription drugs today come from rainforest plants, and many of these drugs are life saving.  This is just one of the reasons we need to be more active in the preservation in one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world.

Image from: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/rgifs/Rfmap.GIF

     It has been proven that some plants in the rainforest provide us with a drug that can be used to cure children’s leukemia according to the U.S. National Cancer Institute.  Actually, over 2/3 of cancer fighting/curing medicines come from plants only found in the rainforest.  These drugs have improved the chances of people who have cancer to survive to 80% when it used to just be 20%.  If we do not preserve the rainforests we will be losing valuable resources which could help to save so many lives. 

    Cancer is not the only disease in which cures can be found in the rainforest plants.  There are actually many others.  Here’s a list of several of them: “malaria, heart disease, bronchitis, hypertension, rheumatism, diabetes, muscle tension, arthritis, glaucoma, dysentery and tuberculosis, among other health problems.”  There are also many cough medicines, antibiotics, and allergy medicines which are also derived from rainforest plants.  Even though we have many drugs that come from rainforest plants, only about 1% of the plants in the rainforests have been tested for drug uses.  This means we have a lot more testing and exploring to do.  These plants in the fragile rainforests must be preserved for future cures.

Image from:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/images/profiles/terrestrial/aa/sm/aa0117a.jpg

     Unfortunately, some people are greedy and destroy these forests for farming land.  Because of acts like these, at least one species that lives in the rainforest is becoming extinct every day.  As people continually plow over and destroy the rainforests, we will continually lose plants and thus lose cures for diseases.  We must take action like the conservationists and make it known how vital the rainforests are for future generations.  ”You can do your part to help save rainforests around the world by following and supporting the work of such organizations as Rainforest Alliance, Rainforest Action Network, Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy, and by clicking special links on websites like The Rainforest Site, Red Jellyfish and Care2, which contribute funds to organizations working on the ground to preserve rainforest land.”  So, let’s take action and let people know what we might be missing out on.

Source:

http://environment.about.com/od/healthenvironment/a/rainforest_drug.htm

Solar Energy

   

Image from: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/images/sun-soho011905-1919z.jpg

     Since I wrote a blog on wind energy, I thought maybe it would also be good for me to investigate solar energy since we are talking about different types of energy in class.  I think it’s very important that we are all knowledgable on this topic because solar energy is the least harmful form of energy that we humans can produce.

     I thought it would first be important to explain just exactly how solar energy works and how we harness this energy to be used for everyday electricity.  Solar energy is obtained by using photovoltaic (PV) tiles.  These work by changing energy from the sun into energy we can use in our homes.  So, underneath the PV cells there is positively and negatively charged silicon paper which is under a glass layer.  Then, “as the protons of the sunlight beat down onto the PV cell they knock the neutrons off the silicon. The negatively charged free neutrons are attracted to the silicon but are trapped by the magnetic field that is formed from the opposing fields. Small wires on the silicon catch these neutrons and when connected in a circuit an electric current is formed.”  This then produces Direct Current which then must be converted into Alternating Current through an inverter and this energy can then be used for any electric appliance in your home.

 PV tiles.

Image from: http://www.alternative-energy.co.uk/semiinte.jpg

     These PV cells are very low maintenance and usually last up to 40 years.  If it’s beneficial, some people have these PV tiles put up on their roof so that they can use the energy produced in their homes.  This is usually only beneficial if you live in a sunny part of the world.  This energy can be used to heat your water or even your central heating and cooling systems.

PV tiles on the roof of a house.

Image from: http://www.soultek.com/clean_energy/solar_power/images/solar_century_solar_roof_tiles.jpg

    

Image from: http://www.iea-pvps.org/ar04/images/aus03.jpg

     Solar energy is extremely beneficial for our environment.  It greatly reduces the amount of air pollution produced.  Also, the amount of green house gas emissions is greatly reduced because the PV cells do not give off an CO2 emissions.  By using solar energy, we also conserve a great amount of energy.  This is especially beneficial for Third world countries and rural areas.  We can also use solar powered batteries which would then cut down on the amount of waste we have produced by dry-cell batteries.

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Does-Solar-Power-Work?&id=68282

http://www.self.org/shs_envir.asp

Taking Action on Global Warming

  A couple weeks ago I came across an article in the Chicago Tribune on global warming and the many concerns that people have about it and how people are trying to reduce its effects.  I found it to be very interesting and very relevant to what we have been talking about in class for the past couple of weeks.

     In the beginning of the article, “As theory turns into fact,” the author, Michael Hawthorne, talks about the problems that were happening from acid rain and how scientists tried and are still trying to reduce the effects of acid rain.  He relates the global warming issue to the acid rain issue and explains how this process could be followed for the current global warming issue.

    In the article, Hawthorn says that the leading producer of carbon dioxide emmissions are coal-fired power plants and cars.  This is just what we’ve been learning in class during the past few weeks.  The reason that carbon dioxide emmissions are such a problem for our environment is because, when carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, it “prevents the sun’s heat from radiating back into space.”  Because of all the coal we humans burn, we have helped to raise the global temperature of the Earth by 1 degree Fahrenheit over the past 16 years.  The way things are going now, the global temperature will continue to increase if we don’t take action.  Some effects of this temperature rise would be: weather shifts, coastal flooding, prolonged droughts, and deadly heat waves.  None of those effects sound like things that we would want to deal with in the future.

  Image from:http://www.pennenvironment.org/newsletters/fall05/images/smokepic.gif

   There have been some ideas as to how we should deal with this problem other than some obvious ways.  It was started 2 years after President George H.W. Bush took office.  It’s called the “cap-and-trade” system.  “Cleaner power plants sell credits, or pollution allowances, to dirtier sources as long as they all stay within the overall limit.”  It has been very successful in the past and could be a very good way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  The good thing about this is there is a lot of support from political figures and major American corporations.  Two of the political supporters are 2 potential presidential candidates: Republican John McCain and Democrat Hillary Clinton.  Two of the major corporations are Dupont and Motorola, and they are part of a program called the Chicago Climate Exchange.   Unfortunately, our current president isn’t very supportive of these efforts.  He feels that all efforts should be voluntary of the American people since we are responsible for many of these problems.  There are some other people who are against taking action as well.  There was a commercial last year from the Competitve Enterprise Institute which was funded by Exxon Mobile.  The ad ended with “Carbon dioxide: They call it pollution.  We call it life.”

Image from:

http://www.fotosearch.com/comp/corbis/DGT070/CB026759.jpg

     Many people want to make a global or international climate change treaty, which would greatly benefit and make a difference in these problems.  And, many companies like stated before are already making a difference.  Later in the article, Hawthorn talked about the efforts of American Electric Power, which is the nation’s leading coal consumer.  They are building 4 new power plants that release the carbon dioxide emmissions into the ground rather than into the atmosphere.  If many more people and corporations make efforts like the ones these people and corporations are already making, our future and environment could be a little better.

Michael Hawthorn. As theory turns into fact. Chicago Tribune article. December 3, 2006.

   

No Christmas Trees? What?!?

          I bet that any of you can’t imagine Christmas without a Christmas tree.  I know I couldn’t.  Over the last few years, my family has gone out to this Christmas tree farm about an hour away from where we live.  Here we can get a freshly chopped down tree to take home and decorate.   So, as I was thinking about Christmas and getting a Christmas tree, I started wondering if there was an environmental drawback or maybe a benefit to getting Christmas trees at Christmas time.

 Image from: http://www.operationlettertosanta.com/Tips/Christmas_Tree.GIF

     It turns out that there are many ways of approaching this topic.  Many environmentalists are very anti-Christmas trees because by chopping down these trees, they are taking away many benefits for our environment.  By chopping down these trees, less oxygen is produced, erosion is increased, and some habitats for animals are destroyed.  However, many environmentalists feel that this argument could be turned the other way around.  Many say that if we have Christmas tree farms then there will be an increased amount of oxygen, animal habitats, etc. for at least the 7-15 years that the trees are alive.  Also, many argue that these trees would more than likely not even be planted if there was no demand for them at Christmas, meaning that our environment wouldn’t experience the benefits of Christmas trees. 

  Image from: http://www.eganacrestreefarm.com/tree2000big.jpg

     While I was researching this topic, I also found out that for every tree that is chopped down at Christmas time, there are usually 2 trees planted in place of it.  So, for all those who are worried that we are diminishing our supply of trees by chopping down a Christmas tree every year do not have to worry anymore. 

      In addition to all this information, I found out that artificial Christmas trees are made from non-renewable petroleum.  This of course is not good, considering how concerned everyone is about our diminishing oil supply and the price of gas.  It is, therefore, more beneficial still for us to chop down a tree rather than buy an artificial one.  These artificial trees are also probably made buy young children in third world-countries who make less than minimum wage.  Overall, it is a smarter choice to chop down a tree from a Christmas tree farm, which is good news for my family and many others during this holiday season.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Christmas-Decorations-and-Environmental-Issues&id=94757

Wind Energy

    People have been using windmills to create energy from wind for over 5,000 years.  Some of the earliest windmills have been found in Iran, and of course we all know of how Holland has perfected the use of the windmill.  We have even continued to use windmills even today.  While the purpose is still the same, the process of how the energy is obtained has been much improved and perfected.

    The basic structure of today’s windmills is the same.  They have blades at the top which help to obtain kinetic energy from the wind.  “Windmills work because they slow down the speed of the wind. The wind flows over the airfoil shaped blades causing lift, like the effect on airplane wings, causing them to turn. The blades are connected to a drive shaft that turns an electric generator to produce electricity.”

     There are 2 different kinds of windmills that are commonly used today.  They are horizontal-axis windmills and vertical-axis windmills. 

                          

Image from: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/e/p/epk114/sources_files/image002.jpg

 There are horizontal-axis windmills in the picture above.  Horizontal-axis windmills are typically as tall as most 20 story buildings and often have wings that are as wide as 200 ft.  The wider the wings are, the more wind they are able to collect, and thus the more energy they are able to create.

  Image from: http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/e/p/epk114/sources_files/image003.jpg

In the image above are vertical-axis windmills.  These windmills are usually about 100 ft. tall and 50 ft. wide.  Vertical-axis windmills are not as commonly used as horizontal-axis windmills because the horizontal-axis windmills are able to collect more wind energy. 

    If you are ever drove through a somewhat desolate place out in the country, maybe you have seen what are often called wind farms.  This term refers to an area where many windmills are and these are typically horizontal-axis windmills.  An example of one of these windfarms is The Big Spring Wind Power Project in Texas.  At this wind farm, there are 46 windmills which produce enough energy to power 7,300 houses!  I think this is really impressive.  If we could produce more energy in this way, our environment would be a much cleaner place because windmills do not cause any pollution.  This is because no fossil fuels are burned in the process unlike many of our other energy power plants we currently use today. 

    Image from: http://www.kidzworld.com/img/upload/article/a1181i0_bsc.jpg

     “All together, wind machines in the United States generate 17 billion kWh per year of electricity, enough to serve 1.6 million households. This is enough electricity to power a city the size of Chicago.”  However, only about 0.4% of all energy produced in the U.S.  is produced from windmills.  If we want to find a way to reduce the amount of fossil fuels we use, wind energy production might be a good place to start.  It doesn’t require the use of any type of fossil fuel, and it doesn’t create any kind of pollution.  Both of these would hugely benefit our environment and our economy.  We should try to figure out a way of making sure that by using more windmills we can harness more energy than we are currently.  This might mean making more wind farms or simply making the windmills taller and wider so that they can collect more wind energy.  Wind energy could be the solution we are looking for to creating energy in a better way for our world.
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/wind.html