Buy a Real Christmas Tree

Erin Lankford
4:10 PM
11/27/2010

This holiday season consumers are being persuaded by scientific researches to purchase a real Christmas tree over an artificial one. Doing so can have a large impact on the environment as well as the national economy. By purchasing a live tree you are encouraging Christmas tree farms to stay in business as well as being more environmentally friendly. The rate of greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere can be slowed from trees. Other benefits include offering habitats for birds and maintaining undeveloped land. Since real trees are biodegradable and can be used for mulch you will be helping to keep artificial trees, which are made of nonrenewable resources such as petroleum, out of landfills. The majority of artificial trees are produced in China whereas buying a real tree would help support one of the many thousands of people that are employed in the US that work on tree farms. Your carbon footprint will also decrease since you would no longer be supporting a tree that is transported all the way from China, consuming gas and energy. Being environmentally aware this season can be easily achieved by supporting the purchase of a real tree.

While this article does not solely focus on environmental destruction the underlying message is advice for how to prevent more damage from happening by taking one simple step this season. Americans have a major issue with over-consumption so I thought that this seemed like an appropriate topic to cover. Instead of supporting an item that uses non-renewable resources we can take advantage of a resource that actually gives back to the environment. I thought a good message was that by not buying a fake tree from China (or elsewhere in the world they are manufactured) you are also reducing carbon emissions and the use of nonrenewable resources. Buying a real tree also helps support our local economy and their tree farms, which according to the article on average plant three seedlings for every one tree that is harvested. This is giving back to our economy as well as helping to sustain the environment, which is very important when we think about over-consumption.

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/46457/

Ecological Collapse

Erin Lankford
11/16/2010
10:22 PM

Agricultural pesticides are being blamed for declining numbers of bees and birds in Europe. If certain chemicals are continued to be used the result will be an environmental catastrophe. Neonictinoids, which is the dangerous insecticide, leach into the plant, nectar, pollen, soil and groundwater. Insects that collect pollen then die from ingesting the poisonous substance. Research shows that long term damage is being done to the environment with the insecticides contaminating ground and surface water. Birds will begin to decrease in numbers since there will be a lack of insects as a food source. Insects are a key part of the ecosystem with many animals depending on them for survival. The decrease in bee populations leads to decrease in pollination. These

A decrease in the number of bees or birds may not seem like it has a direct effect on us but in actuality they are a key part of the food chain that could eventually collapse due to the poor health of the planet. The good thing is that we know what is causing the problems and therefore should be able to stop them and get bee numbers back to where they should be. Stopping the leaching of chemicals into the earth will help eradicate soil erosion, which contributes to decrease in cropland. The disappearance of a few small animals will eventually lead to a big impact when it comes to food security by disrupting the food chain. Luckily the population has been able to avoid any major collapse of the food system but why should be continue to test it when we know what factors are causing damage. Currently the world produces enough food for everyone, even though it may not make it to all those who need it, but if we continue on the same path then it may eventually lead to food scarcity. Prices are sure to increase and access to food will become difficult to those less fortunate or without proper resources.

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/684945/controversial_pesticides_linked_to_total_ecological_collapse_of_insects_and_birds.html

Killing Coral Reefs

Erin Lankford
November 11, 2010
11:15 PM

Coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico have sustained a great amount of damage or are already dead as a result of the BP oil spill. The BP oil well blew out six months ago and just a few miles from that location dead coral has been found. Tropical water ecosystems face collapsing without the presence of healthy coral reefs, due to their contribution to the stabilization of the food chain and ocean environment. After the oil spill plumes were reported, which are dead zones in the ocean that lack oxygen. These dead zones make it impossible for life to survive. It is not known if the plumes are responsible for the damage to the coral reefs or if it is another effect from the oil spill but substantial amounts of harm are being done to the environment. Before the well was finally sealed over 170 million gallons of toxins were spilled into the Gulf.

Ocean dead zones will contribute to the collapse of fisheries across the globe. There is already a substantial decrease in the amount and size of fish that are being caught today compared to twenty years ago. Eventually in a worst case scenario a collapse of fisheries will lead to food scarcity. This will then lead to a decrease in economic productivity, followed by riots, and starvation. Of course we don’t solely depend on the ocean for our sustenance so this is not likely to happen but there are communities that rely heavily on the resources from the ocean that could be greatly affected.

http://www.examiner.com/political-spin-in-national/gulf-oil-spill-killing-coral-reefs-aftermath-of-bp-disaster

More floods, droughts expected in Pakistan

Erin Lankford

10:30 PM

11/04/2010

Environmental experts in Pakistan say that we need to make an effort to reduce greenhouse gasses, the burning of fossil fuels, and deforestation that has lead to global warming. If action is not taken the result could be more flooding and droughts in Pakistan. To prevent an increase in natural disasters there needs to be a reduction in man-made temperatures and forests need to be replanted. The floods were exacerbated by many factors that are the result of human negligence and over-consumption. Millions of people were affected by the most recent floods in the country and thousands have perished. The World Bank estimated $9.5 billion in economy losses due to the floods. There is a very high rate of deforestation in Pakistan that worsens the destruction caused by flooding and causes a loss in natural resources. Global warming causes a change in weather patterns that can bring about droughts, floods, or storms that result in loss of biodiversity and food scarcity. In order to stop further damage to the environment there should be a conversion to wind and solar power and putting an end to unnecessary deforestation.

I covered an article earlier that featured the damage done in Pakistan due to flooding. While natural disasters cannot be stopped at least we have the means necessary to lessen the impact. Since it is suspected that global warming is causing the flooding to cause more damage it seems like the right thing to do would be cut down on the carbon footprint. The environmentalist in the article said that we should take advantage of natural resources such as solar and wind power. While these methods pay off in the long run the initial cost is higher and would probably be the key deterrent for most companies. If the trend of over-consumption of limited resources continues then we face the problem of barren lands and lack of food. The areas that suffer the most of these catastrophes are densely populated and lack resources. Food security may already be an issue that grows worse due to natural disasters coupled with the aid of over-development and destruction from residents. It is good that they know where improvements need to be made but taking action is what needs to be seen. The loss of biodiversity will have an effect on everyone by limiting food supplies and altering food chains for animals. Taking action to limit emissions will greatly improve the likelihood for a sustainable environment and food security. Add to that stopping deforestation and replanting where possible will lessen the damage done by floods.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\11\01\story_1-11-2010_pg7_6

Fighting Acid Rain

Erin Lankford
12:30 AM
October 29, 2010

The world’s largest stone Buddha, located in China, is slowly disintegrating after 1,200 years of existence. Acid rain is the culprit for the damage done to this statue. The image that stands for peace now showcases the results of pollution. Burning coal and oil for energy releases sulfur and nitrogen dioxide into the atmosphere and the result is acid rain. The amount of damage that acid rain creates is extensive, destroying farmland, bodies of water, buildings, and the health of humans. Across southeast China this is a large problem and yet it has garnered little international media attention. For several years efforts had been made to cut the levels of sulfur dioxide but were not met with success. Recently there has been progress and may show that China is able to manage industrial pollution. In an attempt to gain control over the pollution small coal-fired plants were closed by the government if they were unable to make upgrades and larger plants were required to install equipment that monitors emissions. With the government keeping an eye on factories it is less likely that corners will be cut and more likely that appropriate protocol will be taken to keep emissions down. While acid rain is still a problem in many cities in China at least the proper steps are being taken to manage the causing factors.

It is a positive step that Chinese governments have intervened by making industrious sites record toxic emissions that cause so much damage to the environment. By the government enforcing regulations it shows that there is concern for the general health of the public. Even though there is still the chance that factories will not follow regulations at least there was a step made in the right direction. The after math of the acid rain has a great impact on the densely populated area. It is wise to try and eliminate this problem since the population is so high, and the risk of losing farmland and aquatic ecosystem services impacts everyone. When I read that smaller, less lucrative companies were shut down since they lacked the funds to make updates I thought it was unfortunate that those people had to lose their jobs. I suppose in the big picture though it was the proper step to take if there were no funds to provide them to make the alterations. Shutting down the high polluters shows concern for the greater good of protecting air quality, rather than cutting corners and allowing the pollution to continue.

http://e360.yale.edu/feature/china_takes_first_steps_in_the_fight_against_acid_rain/2333/