Blog #12 Water Pollution

Angela Ferr

03.13.11

3:30pm

Water pollution has been a problem around the world for centuries. People get sick because of water pollution as well as diseases get spread and animals that live in the water die. One example I want to talk about is in Kashmir, India. In this area, the fish there are becoming extinct due to unchecked use of pollution-causing herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers that are being dumped into the waters. The use of herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers is not going down either, if anything it has increased enormously in recent years. These types of dumping are not just seen in India but all over the world, including in our own state of North Carolina. A recent survey conducted showed that over 40 million liters of untreated liquid waste from Srinagar city alone, as well as 350 metric tons of solid waste get dumped into Kashmir’s bodies of water.

The dumping of pesticides and other harmful material isn’t the only way that water is being polluted there. Accelerated deforestation over the last decades are leading to mass quantities of eroded soil that is entering the upper reaches of the streams, which has given the fish no grounds to breed. Also because of global warming, the rapid melting of glaciers in the spring is another factor of the decline in their fish. This is because the streams are full because of the melting ice and the fish go as upstream as possible to lay their eggs in shallow areas. But since the water recedes once the melting stops, the shallow areas dry up and the fish ultimately perish.

One way to stop the amount of bad waste going into the water is actually something that our own city of Greensboro does. Where there are bodies of water, they plant a lot of trees and plants at the edges of the water, so that if there is a runoff of polluted water or pesticides, it gets soaked into the soil where the trees are before it gets the chance to ever make it to the water. It is a great idea because when the water is soaked through the soil, it gets cleaned out naturally so it is not bad for the soil. It also keeps the water clean.

http://www.globalissues.org/news/2011/02/13/8510

Blog #11 Air Pollution and its affects on animals, humans and the environment

Angela Ferr

03.08.11

1:00pm

Air pollution can be found in any big city around the world. Some big examples today are Los Angeles, New York City, Mexico City, Manila, Sau Paulo and more. It isn’t a natural disaster; it is a problem that humans all around the world have made. The effects on air pollution can be extremely harmful and even deadly to people and animals that live in these areas. It damages the pulmonary system, it blackens and pollutes the skies, and it also creates many problems in health. It can lead to cardiovascular problems end heart attacks, and a new study is showing problems it has on the brain.

There has been research done on mice that live outside highway 405 in Los Angeles, California to see the effects air pollution has on them. If you think back on what all is at a highway site that is toxic, there are couples that can be named. You have a big mix of particles from burning fossil fuels and little bits and pieces of car parts and weathered pavement. Living in this area or near it can be very bad for one’s health. The mice showed signs that are similar to Alzheimer’s disease and damage to the memory system. Their data shows that freeway and air pollution can have a profound effect on the development of neurons and brain health especially in children.

We are all in such a hurry to get from point A to point B that we fail to see the harm we are doing on the environment and the people and animals around us, including ourselves. Car pulling or riding the bus can help limit the amount of pollution we are giving out. For those people who drive non-environmentally friendly cars, they can switch their cars out for one that is. These days, it is even possible to work from home and not have to commute every day. In California, they have a fast lane that you are only allowed to use if you have more than 2 people in your car, which is their way of pushing people to car pull. It doesn’t just help the environment; it also puts more money in your pocket when you are using less money to pay for gas.

http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/04/07/freeway-air-pollution-linked-to-brain-damage-in-mice/

Blog #10 Oil

Angela Ferr

3.31.11

SOC-202-01

One of the main components to the human destruction of the world is oil. Throughout our history, we have killed plants, animals, the environment, as well as each other for oil. Through our mistakes, we have even killed off whole areas of habitat and a lot of the animals that lived there. The most recent big oil spill was 2010 at the Mexican Gulf. BP caught on fire and sank. They were not able to immediately close it, and because of that, huge amounts of gallons of oil leaked into the sea. The pollution caused by the huge spill caused severe damage to the marine life and loss and disruption to coastal regions.

One of the really known oil spills was the Exxon oil spill in 1989. They dumped 40 million gallons of oil off the coast of Alaska that has not and will not dissolve and the area will continue to be polluted and polluting for many years to come. It is seen all over the globe, such as Spain in 2002. In 1991, Saddam Hussein destroyed over 700 oil wells and released over 1 million gallons of oil into the Gulf. This caused a dense chemical cloud that killed hundreds of people due to respiratory problems. It also contaminated the water, polluted beaches and killed thousands of the animals.

This isn’t just a problem that is seen throughout the world, it is also seen a lot throughout the last 2 centuries. There are accidental spills as well as spills on purpose. I believe that if we found a reliable alternative to energy than oil, we can solve multiple problems. We can solve the conflicts between countries, save a lot of animals and their habitats, save the environment and save human lives. We do have alternate sources for energy today, such as wind and solar energy, but they aren’t as reliable or as popular as oil is now. There are some that are trying to find alternate ways for energy, including former president Bill Clinton. He has a foundation for college students who have ideas for multiple things including alternative ways of getting energy. He gets these college students together with big companies and people who have a lot of money to invest into these ideas, and they make it come alive. Helping out in ways like this is a good way to get your ideas heard and make a difference.

http://www.350day.org/environmental-disasters-caused-by-man/

Blog #9 Defunding EPA

Angela Ferr

03.24.11

1:00pm

With Japan going through all the problems with the nuclear power plant, the United States is being faced with its own problems as well. Just recently, some of our elected representatives have put in the urge to defund the Environmental Protection Agency. The Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, is an independent federal agency established to coordinate programs aimed at reducing pollution and protecting the environment. Most Americans are not for this defunding, but it is up to us to stop it and show the need for not less, but more funding to keep the air and waters safe.

One of the big problems in the United States, as well as ALL around the world is the pollution of mercury, arsenic and other toxic wastes polluting the air. These come from power plants, which is a huge problem in Japan right now and can become a problem here in the United States if a natural disaster or something were to break the power plant and help spill the toxic waste into our atmosphere. Mercury can be an extremely harmful toxin to children. It is a neurotoxin that impacts the developmental ability to talk, walk, and learn. If we do not have some way of keeping the children around the world safe from Mercury, we can have a huge problem in the future. This is why it is important that they do not defund the Environmental Protection Agency.

The final decision on whether or not they will defund the EPA will be made November of this year. The only thing we can do is make our voices heard and fight for what we think is right. I believe that it is hard to move a whole country into doing the right thing. It take a HUGE problem or disaster before we all get together and agree that there is a big problem that needs to be fixed. I hope that seeing the troubles that Japan and neighboring countries are going through right now with the nuclear power plant will open the eyes of some Americans to fight for our healthy air. As much as it is not an issue at this exact moment for us, it can become a terrible disaster in 2 seconds if something were to go wrong with the nuclear power plants.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-g-yerman/moms-clean-air-force-figh_b_838763.html

Blog #8 Nuclear Power

Angela Ferr

3.17.11

10:00PM

Nuclear power plants are a huge environmental disaster in many different ways. It can be seen today with the huge problem Japan is having aster the devastating earthquake that just hit. The problem is not just in Japan though, it can happen all over the world. Over 30 countries today use nuclear-generated power. It is in environmental problem for many reasons. One is it contaminates water supplies. There have been a number of cases where radioactive substances have been found in water, river, streams and wells. There is also no safe way of storing, getting or processing nuclear material. The risk of an accident and exposure to the nuclear substances increase exponentially through each step in the process, from getting it out of mines, transporting it, storing it and the use of it.

Nuclear power also increases Carbon Emissions into the atmosphere. The problem Japan is facing now is that exposure to the radioactive material is deadly. It can cause serious health problems and cancer, not just immediately but also for the next generation. It even affects people and animals that are far away from the original site of a nuclear meltdown. The Philippines is going through safety procedures now to make sure that they do not get affected by the nuclear power plants in Japan if something happens. America is one of the countries who uses nuclear power as well, and after seeing what Japan is going through, Americans hope to find better safety measures in case something drastic does happen.

There are other sources of clean renewable energy that do exist and can be used in place of nuclear power. We already have the technology today so we can use safer energy that is even cheaper than nuclear power. Wind and solar energy are two ways that can be used in place of nuclear energy.

http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-national/7-reasons-why-nuclear-power-is-bad-for-the-environment-and-the-nation

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/18/japan-quake-snapshot-idUSL3E7EF28320110318