If I told you that seaweed is another killer of the coral reefs would you believe me? I was quite shocked myself as we know that other culprits of this problems is usually related to the warming oceans and pollution etc. I just recently found out that some seaweed causes “coral bleaching and suppresses photosynthesis by emitting anti-coral chemicals” according to National Geographic News. Crazy, right?
An author in a recent study said that “such seaweed could be helping to curb coral growth on reefs worldwide.” This seaweed sounds like it’s on steroids doesn’t it? Wow, what kind of seaweed could actually kill the coral reefs like that? Apparently it is mainly taking place around the Fiji Islands.
In years past, scientists have discovered that more and more coral reefs are being overcome by seaweed. “It is unclear if algae is to blame or if it actually benefited from this.” What exactly could slow this process if it can be helped? You can read the full article; National Geographic News on nationalgeographic.com.
Source: National Geographic
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: clean energy, eco friendly choices, save 1 million trees, weather and environment, wildlife
“During the 112th Congress, the Republican House majority has taken aim at issues ranging from labor protections to women’s right to choose. But it may be the environment that’s hardest hit by Republican efforts to reshape the federal government.” (Huffington Post) And according to Henry Waxman, it is the most anti-environment house in history.
What makes this the most anti-environment house in history? According to the Huffington Post, the House of Representatives apparently passed 125 bills that undermines environmental protection. Does this make you wonder why? Why have a house so against the environment anyways? For those who love to pollute the environment etc., or just don’t seem to care about the environment, I guess they are supporters of this bill then, wouldn’t you say?
Read the full article on the 112th Congress record on Huffingtonpost.com.
Source: Huffington Post
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: clean energy, eco friendly choices, save 1 million trees, weather and environment, wildlife
As many of you may have already of heard, there has been another oil leak in the North Sea. What caused this leak? According to the website Guardian, “a relief valve close to the faulty pipeline at Shell’s Gannet Alpha oil platform in the North Sea appears to be the source of the secondary leak that is adding to the worst oil spill in UK waters in a decade.” Definitely not good news and a great cause for worry right?
Apparently, the information about the leak has not been produced in a timely manner by Shell. The leak was found on Wednesday but was not relayed until Friday. This to me doesn’t make sense. Was shell trying to hide this oil spill? Makes you wonder. Shell did state that the leak is under control. It kind of seems like they were trying to keep a secret and this is what Green campaigners accused the oil company of.
Shell thinks that they did not do anything wrong with the information and that they did respond “promptly” and “properly.” Do you think that they responded properly? You can check out the full story on Guardian.com.
It is currently being anticipated that the oil will not reach the shore and that it will disperse naturally.
Source: Guardian
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: clean energy, eco friendly choices, save 1 millions trees, weather and environment, wildlife
According to the Huffington Post, “Animals were photographed in natural environment by Conservation International.” This study was conducted by Dr. Jorge Ahumada along with his team at Conservation International. Can you imagine being able to capture such natural moments of an animal within their habitat? They called this the “global camera trap mammal study.”
What did this study actually consist of? Excellent question and here’s the answer. It’s an absolutely jaw dropping study and absolutely amazing. According to the “Huffington Post” there were “52,000 photos taken of 105 different species from protected areas in Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Laos, Suriname, Tanzania, and Uganda.” A total of “420″ cameras were used to help complete this absolutely amazing study. Can you imagine that moment of being a fly on the wall? How cool is that?
The unfortunate part of this study is discovering that the decrease in mammals could potentially harm humans since in part they help humans adjust and adapt to climate changes. How so? “Through the dispersing of carbon-dense seeds.”
For a glimpse of this magnificent study, check out these study pics for a further idea of how this study was conducted.
Source: Huffington Post
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: 1 million trees, clean energy, eco friendly choices, weather and environment, wildlife
If a ship sprung a leak, could it mean problems for the environment? Ecological damage has been the concern for decades because “30,000″ coastal shipwrecks have been identified. The question is what would happen in the event of a leak? Will it wreak havoc on marine life? Will it negatively effect scuba divers? According to Ted Green, “even if a ship does leak oil, it wouldn’t pose any kind of threat to a scuba diver.” There are a number of ships along the East Coast he said do contain oil, and leak it in small droplets that quickly dissipate in the water and cause “fairly minimal” environmental damage.” So I guess it is safe to say that the marine life wouldn’t even be close to being effected if it just dissolves on the surface of the water.
It is still very uncertain if a vessel with a major leak would cause environmental damage. It is still a part of the assessment process throughout the Coast Guard bureaus. What do you think? Do you think even a little bit of oil is just too risky for ocean life and scuba divers even if it did dissipate? Please share your thoughts, ideas, or opinions on the subject. We would love to hear from you.
Source: DelmarvaNow
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: oil leaks, shipwrecks, weather and environment, wildlif
The 2011 Environment Award for Children’s Literature goes to author Jackie French and illustrator Sue deGennaro of “The Tomorrow Book.” According to Braid Wood Times, “This particular book is about a young prince who is determined to rule over the country where the future is filled with environmental hope,-practical solutions, such as commons usage of solar and wind power.”Believe it or not this prize winning book was all printed on recycled paper. I should hope so, especially since the book is revolving around the environment. This book’s focus is to teach children about living a “greener” lifestyle especially when it comes to “water conversation, consumer waste, pollution and wildlife protection.”
Sometimes I feel that these kinds of children’s books can be very tedious but this author knows how to break it down with a fun story and really grab the attention of their young audience. More and more schools are getting on board the greener lifestyle and I think that “The Tomorrow Book” should be in all schools for children to check out personally in the library or maybe even in the classroom.
Have you read this book? Please share with us your thoughts and is it worthy of hte Environment Award of 2011?
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: clean energy, Eco-friendly choices, weather and environment, wildlife
There are quite a few new developments that relate to endangered animals as a whole. According to Science Daily, here’s what’s new:
- Saving wildlife with with Forensic Genetics- The University Arizona Lab is currently working on protecting these animals.
- A Dangerous Toxin was discovered in critically endangered Hawiian monk seal.
- Livestock risks from Wisconsin Wolves Localized, predictable.
- Will European Eel survive its managment?
These current news stories will bring you up to date on the latest news regarding endangered animals/species. Unfortunately, many of these animalss are already going, going, gone! Is there a way we as individuals can help save these endangered species? There are ways that this can be reduced or possibly prevented, check out Kelli Rogers article on “How to Help Save Endangered Animals” on eHow.com
Sources: eHow and Science Daily
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: clean energy, eco friendly choices, endangered animals, endangered species, save 1 million trees, weather and environment, wildlife
It’s bad enough that trees are being endangered by humans, but when they’re taken advantage of by the course of nature as well, it creates further problems than what we already have at hand. There’s no doubt that our world needs more trees, and with a battle of insects that is destroying ash trees in the Midwest and beyond, scientists aren’t sure what to do next.
Thanks to modern science, there is always something new lurking around the corner. Scientists are finding that a tiny species of wasps that are located in China have been known to kill the insects. These small wasps are mighty warriors and may prevent millions of more ash trees from being destroyed.
Scientists are beginning to experiment with these wasps in states such as Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Maryland. More states are to try this experiment to see if the wasps kill enough of the insects, preserving the trees and ultimately, our environment.
The first of the wasps were released this week in Wisconsin and scientists are speculating whether or not these bugs will do the trick. The good part is that there is no risk involved. It is recognized that these wasps will not fix things overnight and will instead reduce the impact the insects are having on ash trees.
You may be wondering how humans will fare however, as we don’t want more stinging critters added to our parks. Fortunately, these little wasps do not sting or pester humans. Phew!
Image c/o: extension.entm.purdue.edu
Tags: ash trees, environment, insects, save the trees, wasps
Tire reefs have been used to create an artificial ocean reef to attract varieties of ocean life. In some cases many of these attempts have been successful and others have been disastrous.
An example of a true success is in Broward County, Florida. Their creation of a reef really benefited marine life. The program originated in 1982 with the hopes that Broward County would be a better place to live, work, and visit. Unfortunately, the program discovered that tires are probably not the best materials suitable for an artificial reef.
A true failure of the artificial tire reefs took place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While millions of tires were dumped in the oceans it was believed that the rubber leached toxins harming marine life. It proved to be a disastrous mistake back in 2007 where again, tires are not considered the best choice for artificial reefs because of the environmental concerns.
The clean up efforts in these programs proved to be a challenge. According to USA Today, “most states have stopped using tires to create reefs but they continue to wash up world wide.” More than 11,000 tires were removed in an annual International coastal clean up. This was back in 2005.
What do you think of the idea of Tire Reefs? Was it a good idea or it a “what were they thinking” deal? Share your thoughts and opinions on artificial reefs. I personally think, why mess with real reefs? I believe those are doing their job.
Sources: USA Today and Broward
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: tire reefs, wather and environment, wildlife
Image by Sohail M. Chohan
Many people release balloons ceremonially in honor and tribute to someone they love. I have recently heard that this can be harmful to wildlife. How could a silly helium filled balloon actually hurt innocent wildlife? I did some brief research on the subject and this is what I found. It is quite disheartening.
- After helium balloons deflate they can end up in the water doing a great amount of harm to sea turtles, whales, porpoises, sea birds and other animals. Apparently they think the balloon is some sort of food.
- Deflated balloons can get lodged in any animal’s throat or cause blockage in their bellies.
Though this list is very brief it is still a cause for concern. With the knowledge that you know now would you ever stop doing balloon releases if this applies to you? I know that in the past I have been part of a ceremony that released the foil balloons vs. the rubber balloons but I am not sure that really makes a difference because if you think about it, it all becomes litter and animal food, so they think.
What else do you know about balloons and their harmful effects on wildlife? Please share any of this important information if you have it. There are so many people out there naive or ignorant of the whole balloon release practice. I think that it is just better to educate those who may be oblivious to the harmful effects that balloons have on wildlife.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Tags: balloons, clearn energy, save 1 million trees, weather and environment, wildlife
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