Thirsty Planet

Ali Pollock

This picture shows the many ways that water helps our body.
Every one needs water to survive.  Whether the water is equally
distributed without the countries on earth is up to everyone to make it happen.

Summary- The world needs water for so many different things. Humans need water to drink on a daily basis, clean themselves, and clean clothes and dishes. Land animals also need water to survive on. They drink and bath in water too. Aquatic animals obviously need to survive on water also. Without water, fish and other sea creatures would not be alive. Without sea creatures alive, it also takes a big food resource away from humans. We know that water is so important every living thing, but the thing is, we all have to share the 1% of fresh water on earth. We all share drop by drop every drop of water. The rest of the water on earth is not suitable for humans to drink. The average American uses about 100 gallons of water a day. Over in Europe they use half that amount. In some parts of Africa, the people have to liv on about 5 gallons per day. Everyday when you are brushing your teeth or flushing a toilet, you are using about 9 gallons of water. It is up to us to share every droplet of water so everyone around the world and animals too can survive on the water we have.

Reflection- we learned about this is class today, but reading about how good we have it compared to the rest of the world really got to me. We are so fortunate for the water that is supplied to us. Some people do not get it that easy. There are children that have to wake up earlier than we have to for school to walk to the nearest water supply and get their family their day’s worth of water. Although we have it so well here in America, I think we take advantage of what we have. We do not need to be using 100 gallons of water a day. There are many ways to cut back on our water usage. If 20 people do this we will save 2,000 gallons of water each day. That is a huge improvement and one step closer to distributing the water around the world more equally.  

Questions:

11.)  What other ways do we use water?

22.)  What other ways can we conserve water?

33.)  Do you ever think we will equally distribute the water around the world?

44.)  Do you think it is right to equally distribute water around the world?

aarticle found: http://tinyurl.com/7rvj2vl

Acid Rain Destroying Native Trees

New concern about acid rain

http://search.proquest.com/docview/218575996?accountid=41322

Picture: Acid rains destroys trees like these every year due to fossil fuels in the atmosphere.
Summary:
Acid rain, which is caused by dangerous chemicals released into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels, is very harmful to the environment. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of acid rain being released in precipitation. This can be extremely damaging to trees and soil, which absorb these harmful substances and potentially stunt the growth of these plants. Acid rain also sucks out and kills the nurtients that many plants need for growth from topsoil on the ground. It can also cause calcium deficiency in treesm, which makes the susceptible and weak during the winter months. A California University discovered that trees get one of their most-necessary nurtients, essential metal elements, from the topsoil surrounding them. They also were alarmed to notice that these nutients were extremely low in numbers compared to the demand needed to support all of the trees. When acid rain further destroys these supplies, the trees are in extreme danger of malnutrition and death. Humans greatly impact the output of fossil fuels into the atmosphere, which is the primary cause for acid rain. If we can stop exerting so many toxic chemicals into our air, we may be able to stop this destruction of nature.
Opinion/Reflection:
I aways knew that acid rain was a negative effect of pollution from fossil fuels, but I had no idea that it was getting worse. The fact that not only are the trees getting directly destroyed, but their resources are as well is extremely concerning. Not only are these trees in danger of dying from acid rain corroding thhem, but now they are also in danger of losing their source of nurtients and life support. If something like this was happening to animals, everyone would know about it and would be finding ways to stop it. Because it's happening to plants, though, nobody seems to realize how big of a deal it is.

Questions:
1) What are some ways we can prevent this from happening in short term/long term periods?
2) Can you think of any ways we can currently protect these trees from being damaged?
3) What are some other animals/plants that are harmed by acid rain?

Is Your Drinking Water Contaminated By Prescription Drugs?
Written by: Denise Civiletti Last updated on 3-18-2011
http://riverheadlocal.com/general-health-topics/1757-is-your-drinking-water-contaminated-by-prescription-drugs




Picture: This picture shows someone putting their prescription drugs down the toilet, which is the cause of prescription drugs in our tap water.


Summary: Recent environmental studies have now shown that your drinking water could be contaminated with pharmaceutical drugs. The main cause of these compounds in our drinking water is the practice of people flushing unwanted drugs down the toilet. Some of the drugs in your tap water may include heart medications, antibiotics, estrogen, mood stabilizers, tranquilizers, contraceptives, and steroids. Some effects of humans drinking contaminated water are hormone distribution, antibiotic resistance, and synergistic effects. The contaminated water not only can affect humans, but also the aquatic life. The biggest concern is antidepressants, which can alter the behavior and reproductive functions of the fish. Many people are beginning to understand what is happening and are taking action. In particular, the Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport by having its own community medication disposal program. The article says, "The issue is especially important as the population ages and more people are taking various maintenance medications, according to both environmental advocates and hospital administrators".

Opinion/ Reflection:
Wow! I was honestly so shocked about this! I had no idea that our drinking water could have prescription drugs in it. It makes sense though, I always thought that put drugs down the toilet was a little "fishy" or not right. This is obviously something we need to take care of. So many people are trying to "go green", which involves drinking tap water instead of bottle water. But as we can see from this article it may not be safe to drink your sink water. I think the scariest part about this is the compounds are so small, that you could drink tons of medication and not even know it.

Questions:
Could there be other causes to having drugs in our drinking water, other then flushing down the toilet?
What are people doing to take action and get the drugs out of our drinking water?
What is the proper way to dispose of prescription drugs?

http://tinyurl.com/6nc9zv7

U.S. Coral Reefs-- Imperiled National Treasures by Michael E. Field, Susan A. Cochran, and Kevin R. Evans. Published n.p in 2002

Coral Reefs are home to about 25% of sea creatures. They contribute many factors to their ecosystems. But these undersea mounds are quickly decreasing due to natural forces and human activity.

Summary: This article tells us everything we need to know about coral reefs; what they are, how important they are to us, why they are in peril, and what is being done to preserve them. The coral reef is not only home to 25% of sea animals, but they also contribute hundreds of millions of dollars every year to the United States fishing industry and billions of dollars towards the Nation's tourist industry. These wonderful masses of limestone can be destroyed by natural forces like storms, but they are mostly at risk from human activities. When waters are polluted, the amount of sunlight that can reach these reefs is limited, therefor reducing the amount of photosynthesis happening. Ocean temperatures around the world are rising, putting corals under stress. When corals are stressed, the release algal symbionts that are critical to their health. This process is called coral bleaching. The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force is working to understand the human impacts on coral reefs and impacts of natural processes. Their research is essential for our coral reefs to be saved.

Opinion/Reflection: When I think of endangered species, I think of the obvious ones, such as the polar bear and Asian elephant. I would have never thought of coral reefs as something humans need to start thinking about also. To me, they have always been pretty little globs I would see while snorkeling, but now I realize that they are pretty important! This also ties in with the biosphere in how coral reefs are a keystone species. They are so important to ecosystems that if they were to become extinct, the whole ecosystem would struggle for years and not operate correctly. The fish would have nowhere to live, the algae would have to find somewhere else to grow, and the plankton will grow in numbers! It’s pretty crazy to think about.

Questions:

1. What kind of things can we humans do to save the lives of coral reefs?
2. Are coral reefs so important to preserve that we should be going out of our way to help them?
3. Why do you think coral reefs are so important to their ecosystems?

World Water Forum Breaks Down Dam Impacts

Posted by David Robinson in Water Currents on March 19, 2012 National Geographic

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/03/19/world-water-forum-study-breaks-down-impacts-of-dams/

Picture: I chose this picture because it shows what it means to build a dam, and how it could effect the surrounding area/place it is built. Building dams requires destroying the surrounding area by digging and destroying animal's habitats.

Summary: In the 1990's, the construction of dams dropped due to the fact that dams have a large environmental and social impact. Now these monsters are now beginning to become more common in countries that are struggling for water and electricity. One new study released at the 6th World Water Forum in Marsielle shows the impacts of 6 dams built in West Africa. The study shows that the dams bring more stress for locals then relief, though they may not have to rely on other countries for energy sources, dams have such a large environmental impact that natives aren't able to adjust to the change. Environmental impacts include loss of fish population, flooding, and also causes poor harvests. Countering these negative impacts are the positive, such as how dams create economic opportunities and jobs. Though dams seem to bring more negative side effects than positive, governments are looking to help citizens receive the benefits from the dams (such as irrigation for crops and electricity)

Reaction: When I saw this article, I like how it relates to our new topic (the hydrosphere) and the topic in my Global Studies class (Africa). After reading the article, It helped me understand dams more, because even though I know what they are, I don't believe I've actually seen one in person! The only time i've seen one is in the movie Evan Almighty. The dams seem pretty harmful from an environmental point of view. The builders of these dams basically destroy their surroundings before they are able to do any good, such as bring power and help irrigate farmer's crops. 

Questions:

1. Do you believe more Dams should be built in the US? Why or why not?

2. What are some other ways water can provide energy for certain countries(other devices that convert water into energy) ? What are they and where/when they have they been used 

3.  Do you believe the possible destruction of the environment is worth receiving cheaper energy? (rephrase: Do you believe the benefits of building dams outweigh the risks? Why or why not?)

"New York May Ban Shark Fin Sales, Following Other States"

By Elisabeth Rosenthal February 21st, 2012, New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/nyregion/bill-in-albany-would-ban-sale-of-shark-fins.html

 Photo: This picture shows all of the fins that have been collected from sharks in order to create the chinese shark fin soup. The inhuman way of gathering these fins involves brutal treatment to millions of sharks yearly.

Summary: New York State Legislators have announced a bill that is going to ban the sale, trading, and possession of shark fins as soon as 2013. Many western states have already passed a bill similar to New York's, but other states such as Florida, Illinois,Virginia, and Maryland have pending bills. It is possible that 73 million sharks are killed per year just for the purpose of obtaining their valuable fins. Some fishermen may even cut off sharks fins, then release them back into the ocean to die. Sharks are now on the brink of extinction, which is taking away the oceans number one predator. Shark fin soup is known as a Chinese banquet dish, it is also very expensive because fins cost anywhere from $100-$500 a pound. Many Asian-Americans are upset that their favorite soup will be lost, but understand that the ban of shark fin possession and trading is for the best. 

Reaction: This makes me so upset! I can not actually believe people eat shark fins. I find it very strange since in our culture, we don't eat the same things as the Chinese, but it seems wrong. Especially because many fishermen don't use the rest of the shark because it isn't as valuable as it's fins. It is absolutely disgusting how cruel people can be. I also sympathize with the residents of China town or Chinese rester aunts who thrive off of their sale of the valuable soup. The soup is something their ancestors passed down through generations, and not being able to have that is a shame. What is best for the sharks is to ban shark fin sales, and ultimately I agree, especially because we don't want these predators to go extinct. It could possibly ruin the ocean's ecosystems!

Questions:

1. What would be the consequences to the Ocean if the sharks were to be extinct? 

2. Can you think of some other animals that have been pushed to the brink of extinction because humans are killing and consuming too many?

3. Are there any other measurements of precaution that we should take to help the sharks?

4. Do you think that the endangered species act hasn't done enough to protect our endangered and threatened species after reading this article? Explain.