global-awareness-by-angie-blog

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Animal Cross Breeding

Producing more animals-either to make money or to obtain a certain “look” or characteristic—is harmful to the animals who are produced by breeding. Animal cross-breeding has increased homeless animals to lose their chance of finding a home. Victims of the high-volume puppy industry, they’re bred for profit and kept in tiny, filthy cages. These dogs don’t receive any affection, exercise or proper veterinary care. And when they can no longer produce puppies, they are discarded

Cons of Animal Cross Breeding

When one buys a dog, they’re paying for them to be born. We’re telling the seller to continue breeding more and more animals for our benefit and their profit. For every dog that is bought, there is another dog at the shelter who will not be adopted. The fact that 2.7 million adoptable dogs and cats are euthanized every year is enough reason to refrain from purchasing a companion animal. If we really want to protect dogs and reduce the number of homeless animals living in shelters, buying from a breeder isn’t now and never will be a part of the solution. Lack of normal human interaction hurts typically social animals like dogs. Dogs kept in commercial breeding facilities may pace back and forth in their cages, bark nonstop, cower or appear entirely shut down. Puppies born into this sad world are comparatively lucky in one way: because they need to be sold while they’re small and young, the time they spend in these facilities is brief.

How to help

There is no excuse for breeding animals or for supporting breeders. If you love animals and are ready to care for a cat or a dog for the rest of the animal’s life, please adopt from your local animal shelter, where there are dogs and cats galore—tails wagging and hearts filled with hope, looking out through the cage bars, just waiting to find someone to love. Shelters receive new animals every day, so if you don’t find the perfect companion to match your lifestyle on your first visit, keep checking back. When you find your new animal companion, you’ll be glad that you chose to save a life—and made a new best friend as well.

Citation:

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-breeding-pets-is-irresponsible/

https://dairy.ahdb.org.uk/news/technical-article-archive/july-2009/the-pros-and-cons-of-crossbreeding/

https://www.peta.org/about-peta/why-peta/responsible-breeders/

https://www.humanesociety.org/all-our-fights/stopping-puppy-mills

https://www.aspca.org/barred-from-love/puppy-mills-101

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Urban Sprawl

Urban sprawl is the uncontrolled expansion of urban areas. Urban sprawl results in land degradation, increased traffic, environmental issues, and health issues. Urban sprawl is caused in part by the need to accommodate a rising urban population.

Causes of Urban Sprawl :

In many cases, urban sprawl has occurred in areas experiencing population declines, and some areas with rising populations experience little urban sprawl, especially in developing countries. Economic growth and globalization are often cited as the principal macroeconomic drivers of urban sprawl. According to many experts, weak planning laws and single-use zoning contribute to urban sprawl. The construction of houses, utilities, and roads along with the delivery of resources to suburban residents and workers, which are components of (GNP) gross national product which is defined as the total market value of the final goods and services produced by a nation’s economy during a specific period of time.

Pros and Cons of Urban Sprawl

There aren’t many good things to say about Urban Sprawl. Some pros of urban sprawl are that some people are able to afford large houses on larger lots. This is a huge benefit to growing families. Crime rates tend to be lower in the suburbs than in urban areas. On the other hand, urban sprawl is not as good as you think it might be. For the reasons being that it takes away land that is used for agriculture and homes to many animals. There is going to be a point in time where there will be no more land for animals and much of agriculture.

Environmental Costs:

One of the most obvious effects of widespread is the destruction of wild habitat. Natural land is plowed under and paved to make room for human dwellings. Streams are often channeled to provide more efficient drainage for housing tracts. From the small area of wild habitat that remains, it may be too small to support all the native species. This often forces animals to cross dangerous human-dominated landscapes to find food.  

Alternatives to Urban Sprawl

Some have developed urban growth boundaries beyond which construction is prohibited or severely restricted, like communities in Europe and North America.

Citation:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/urban-sprawl

https://www.perc.org/1999/02/10/urban-sprawl-pro-and-con/

https://www.thrillist.com/travel/nation/urban-sprawl-worst-cities

https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/urban-sprawl3.htm

https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/sources-of-exposure/urban-sprawl

http://www.everythingconnects.org/urban-sprawl.html

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Protecting Rivers

A healthy river makes for a clean water supply. Rivers are our main source of clean drinking water and environmental value. Nutrients and water are carried by rivers to areas all around the world. A river’s ecosystem affects the quality of water we drink, so it is important that we take care of our rivers.

 Benefits of a healthy river:

Not only does a healthy river provide habitat for many fish but it also provides water supply. Rivers are used for irrigation purposes, generation of hydroelectricity, and recreational purposes. River recreation creates jobs and attracts visitors to visit healthy looking rivers. Visitors can do a variety of different activities in a river such as kayaking, stand-up paddling, rafting, canoeing, and motorized boating. According to a report by the Outdoor Industry Association, they say that visitors spend about eighty-six billion dollars on watersports.  

Endangered Rivers!

Big Sunflower River, Mississippi

Rivers of Bristol Bay, Alaska

Boundary Waters area/South Kawishiwi River, Minnesota

Lower Rio Grande, Texas

South Fork Salmon River, Idaho

Mississippi River Gorge, Minnesota

Smith River, Montana

Colville River, Alaska

Middle Fork Vermilion River,

Illinois Kinnickinnic River, Wisconsin

Why do rivers affect people?

Endangered rivers can affect people in so many ways. For example, people that live near rivers can experience floods and the result is losing lives and properties. When a river is endangered because of pollution and climate change, it decreases the fish supply which then decreases the stock market. It also decreases the land for farming.

Solutions

By joining organizations that help in taking care of rivers, you can make a change. An organization that is protecting rivers is WWF, “We protect rivers and their water supplies in the UK and around the world, from the Yangtze in China to the Pantanal in South America.”International rivers explain solutions to preserving rivers. Clean, local energy sources such as wind, solar and micro-hydro power have become affordable and are the solution to protecting our rivers. Also try to reduce water use, your energy use, and replace your appliances with energy-saving models.  One of the best ways to contribute to a solution is to spread the word and teach others about the endangered rivers.

Citation:

https://www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/protecting-rivers/the-value-of-wild-river/

https://www.care2.com/greenliving/8-important-ways-rivers-make-your-life-better.html

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/river/

http://wwf.panda.org/404error.cfm

https://www.wwf.org.uk/what-we-do/area-of-work/protecting-our-rivers-lakes-and-freshwater

https://www.internationalrivers.org/solutions

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Melting Glaciers

Glaciers are the largest reservoirs supplied with about seventy-five percent of the world’s supply. They cover about ten percent of the earth’s surface and are featured as big moving bodies of ice that sculpt mountains and change landscapes.

-  Benefits of Glaciers

Glaciers are like giant mirrors, they play a role in preventing global warming by deflecting the sunlight from the surface controlling the earth’s temperature. Glaciers provide habitat for many of the endangered animals such as polar bears. Also, glaciers carry most of the world’s fresh water.

-  What’s Causing Glaciers To Melt?

Studies have shown that man-made global warming is the result of melting glaciers. It is estimated that in thirty to forty years the glaciers will disappear. The wind and ocean circulation pattern is helping to drive warm water closer to the ice. When the grounding line point recedes inland, this causes the glaciers to become less sturdy and lose more ice.

-  How Does Melting Glaciers Affect Us?

Ice that took years to develop can vanish very quickly. Due to global warming, melting glaciers can cause an imbalance in temperature. It will also cause a rise in ocean levels which may lead to flooding. The rate of melting glaciers outstrips the replacement of ice and the freshwater could soon be lost into the ocean. Some countries rely on their water supply from the melting glaciers to generate electricity. If the glaciers melt completely then the production of electricity would reduce.

- Biodiversity Loss

Exposed to the unfamiliar environment due to the temperature change and glaciers melting reduces the habitat for animals. Animals, like birds, rely on fish that comes fresh from the glaciers. When the water temperatures and water levels increase, the fish species will reduce and so will the existence of certain birds that rely on the fish. Sufficient sunlight will not be able to reach the coral reef when the water levels increase. Therefore, fish that rely on coral reefs for their food will be affected.

-  Ways To Help

A great way to start helping is by getting informed of the situation and understanding why glaciers are melting. This can help contribute to the solution by informing others about melting glaciers and as more people get involved there is a higher chance of conserving glaciers. The best way to help in any way possible is to buy alternative energy sources like solar panels to prevent more global warming.

Citation :

effects of melting glaciers

how it affects us

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/big-thaw/

https://riddlelife.com/how-to-prevent-glaciers-from-melting/

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-glaciers-melting-from-the-bottom-its-complicated/

https://helpsavenature.com/the-effects-of-melting-ice-glaciers

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Threatened Forests

Forests cover about a third of our earth’s surface. They provide for the continuity of the world’s biodiversity. They support the life of some of the world’s endangered species. Also one of their main roles as forests is purifying the air. Since forests provide so much to, such as, wood which is used in numerous ways, we need to make sure that we preserve and protect our forests as soon as possible.  

Top eleven of the most threatened forests

Amazon

Atlantic Forest/Gran Chaco

Borneo

Cerrado

Choco-Darien

Congo Basin

Eastern Africa

Eastern Australia

Greater Mekong

New Guinea

Sumatra

2) Why do we need forests?

Not only do forest benefit us in many ways but they stabilize climate, regulate the water cycle, and provides habitat for the many endangered species. Forests are home to about ninety percent of the world’s species and are able to form their food chains in the forests. Also, a large percentage of medical treatments are withdrawn from animals and plants that live in forests. Since plantations provide us with wood and timber, the rate of forest loss is increasing. We are losing about 18.7 of acres per year worldwide. We need to protect our forests as soon as possible because of they a rare source to animals such as wild rabbits and vegetables.

3) Why are forests disappearing?

The answer to the mass destruction of forests is consumption. The consumption of costumers buying furniture, houses, and land will increase the rate of logging and jobs in the forest.

3) Why we need to take action now

The world could lose up to 656,000 square miles of forest land if we do not take action now. We could potentially lose all the benefits that a forest provides such as, clean water, jobs, and habitat to endangered species. In order to help the situation, consumers should buy more FSC certified products, buying a product that is FSC certified means that comes from a responsibly managed forest. If we really want to save our forests we should really try to pressure the government to enforce laws to stop illegal logging. The destruction of forests is also one of the causes of climate change.

Citation :

https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/11-of-the-world-s-most-threatened-forests

https://www.eartheclipse.com/environment/importance-of-forests.html

http://www.senseandsustainability.net/2012/02/05/why-we-need-forests/

https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/blogs/21-reasons-why-forests-are-important

https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/forests/importance_forests/

https://www.rainforestconcern.org/forest-facts/why-are-rainforests-being-destroyed

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Water Scarcity

Water scarcity is the lack of fresh water available. What is the main cause for water scarcity? Water pollution is the main cause for water scarcity. Some effects of water pollution result in immediately while others take longer to affect the environment, such as other toxic substances from industrial processes.

What countries suffer from water scarcity?

Yemen- Yemen is run by terrorist groups which means that it’s difficult for its people to get fresh water as Yemen's layout doesn’t provide too many natural resources. Also, the current state does not allow these resources to reach those who need it the most. The world’s major city that is suffering from water scarcity is Yemen’s capital, Sanaa Libya - This country has very few water resources, so because of this water is limited to its citizens. In addition, this prevents its citizens from having a healthy and safe lifestyles Jordan - Water is not exactly easy to come by because Jordan is located in one of the driest regions in the Middle East. In addition, if Jordan was not in debt and had the money, they could turn their salt water into fresh water but it costs money and time. The western Sahara - So, because The western Sahara is made up two groups: Morocco and the Polisario Front, they continuously continue to fight over the land and resources leaving them and their citizens with the sanctification of food and water shortages   Djibouti - The country continues to suffer and experience from water shortages even after they receive help from an organization called, UNICEF. Also, because Djibouti is located in a dry area they experience a lot of droughts leaving their citizens without access to water.

2)  water scarcity facts

About 25-33 percent of Chinese don’t have access to fresh drinking water

California will demand three times more groundwater over the next one hundred years

About more than two billion people rely on wells for their water

Nineteen percent of the increase in agricultural water consumption will result because of the increased population

3) Solutions: There are some organizations that are trying to combat the issue of water scarcity. Some organizations trying to help combat water scarcity are the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Environment Management Group. These three organization share s a similarity and goal which is trying to have people join them to combat water scarcity in other countries. Resources: https://mphdegree.arizona.edu/resources/articles/five-countries-with-the-greatest-water-scarcity-issues/ http://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/scarcity.shtml https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/water-scarcity https://www.seametrics.com/blog/global-water-crisis-facts/

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The Vaquita

The vaquita is one of the most endangered mammals right now. The vaquita is the world’s smallest cetacean, there is only about thirty of them and their population continues to increase.

The vaquitas are found in Baja California, Mexico, in a tiny area in the northern Gulf of California. Some of the features of the vaquita include that they are a light grey color and they have a tall dorsal fin with dark eye rings. They can weight up to one hundred and twenty pounds and they can be up to five feet and their scientific name is Phocoena sinus.

Facts about the vaquita

-In 1958 the vaquita has been known to science

- vaquitas only give birth once a year

- their life span is about twenty to twenty-one years old

- they have never been held in captivity

- they are one of the world’s rarest mammal species

- the vaquita could essentially go extinct in about two years if we don’t help them

- the population from 2011-206 declined by ninety percent

2) Why is the vaquita endangered

Contamination levels present risk to the vaquita in the Sea of Cortez. Also reduction in the inflow of nutrients is also one of the causes for the degradation of the vaquita habitat. One of the main reasons for the decline in the vaquita population is because of by-catch and gill-nets. A wall of netting that hangs in the water column is a gill-net. The purpose of the gill-net is so that fish get their heads through the net and not the rest of their body which entangles with their gills as they try to free themselves.  About one out of five vaquitas get tangled in the nets or drown.

3) Solutions

Vaquitas can essentially be recovered if the fishing practices can be modified as ‘vaquita safe’ in the area that they live in. There are also some organizations that are trying their best to save the vaquitas. Like WWF (world wildlife fund) is alert that the vaquitas are soon to be extinct so they have studied the vaquitas and they are trying to implement measures with the Mexican government. They have also been working to develop a long-term strategy to conserve the species with Mexican scientist and local partners. Also, WWF has called the Mexican government for a strong to enforce to ban gill nets fisheries. Another organization trying to help save this species is the porpoise conservation society https://porpoise.org. With the porpoise conservation society you can help save a vaquita by adopting one and by doing so you are helping the organization to conserve vaquitas and their habitat.  

Citation:

http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/science/Working-with-Endangered-Species/vaquita.html

http://www.vivavaquita.org/about-vaquita.html

https://porpoise.org/knowledge-base/why-is-the-vaquita-endangered/

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/vaquita

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DDT

DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane)was developed in the 1940s as the first modern synthetic insecticide. In addition, it belongs to a type of pesticides known as organochlorines. It cannot be dissolved in water but it can with oil. Animals that are exposed to DDT experience a build up in their fatty tissue.Animals that are exposed to dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane experience a build up in their fatty tissue. DDT is used to kill pesticides and preserve plants from being eaten up by insects. Although DDT is banned in the United States of America, it is still used by other countries.

1) The history behind DDT

DDT was used in World War 1 to control malaria, lice, and bubonic plague. Not only was DDT sprayed in plants but in building too, for pest control. The reason farmers sprayed DDT on their crops was that they wanted to preserve their food crops from being eaten by insects. DDT was banned in the United States of America in 1972 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). How does DDT affect humans? Well, it affects our nervous system. People that have been exposed to the chemical have reported the following symptoms: nausea, dizziness, confusion, headache, lethargy, incoordination, vomiting, fatigue, and tremors.

2) Countries that still use DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane)

DDT is manufactured in China, India and North Korea and is used in Ethiopia, South Africa, Uganda, and Swaziland to control malaria. South America, Africa, and Asia still use DDT because of plagues and malaria.

3) What are the effects of pregnant women who are exposed to DDT?

Who is most likely to get affected by DDT? The answer is pregnant women. Usually when a pregnant woman is exposed to the chemical, DDT the baby will usually come out as premature or underweight babies which accounts for a large portion of infant deaths.

4) How are people exposed to DDT?

DDT can be transmitted through the foods we eat because keep in mind the veggies we eat come from fields that are sprayed with DDT, but luckily we don’t live in that period in time. DDT can be absorbed through air and touching products contaminated with DDT.

Citation:  

https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/ddt-brief-history-and-status

https://www.thespruce.com/what-is-ddt-history-impacts-1708897

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/ddtgen.pdf

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1012-ddt-finally-linked-to-human-health-problems/

https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/full/10.1146/annurev.publhealth.18.1.211

https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/02/11/how-poisonous-is-ddt

https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/pdf/ddt_factsheet.pdf

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Zombie Deer Disease

A deadly disease is spreading among elk, deer. Moose and reindeer. in the United States. The infection is known as a chronic wasting disease also known as mad cow disease. Deers are dying because the disease destroys the animal’s nervous system. In addition, scientists concern is that the infection could make its way to humans. Also, it could be transmitted to people who eat these kinds of animals. But studies have shown that people who have eaten deer have not been contaminated yet.

Countries that have reported the disease include:

Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The map above indicates the countries that have reported chronic wasting disease as of January 2019.

2) How does it transmit to other animals?

The chronic wasting disease passes through prion. The word prion derives from a proteinaceous infectious particle. Prions are misfolded proteins that cause other proteins to misfold around them. Therefore certain species are harmed by different prion diseases and in a herd about half of the animals carry prions. Not only is prion transmitted directly but also through plants and soil.

3) Symptoms of the disease?

The deers that are infected live up to two years for them to start seeing signs of symptoms from the disease. The symptoms of the disease include: vacant stare, thick saliva, exposed ribs, or drooping heads, becoming visible.

4) Prevention

Hunters should not handle, shoot and eat meat from deer, reindeer, and moose that might look sick or found dead in order to prevent exposure to chronic wasting disease. If you are going to handle the meat be sure to wear gloves and make sure to minimize the number of organs you handle in the animal such as brain and spinal cord tissue. Prevent using household knives and utensils when in contact with the meat. In addition, make sure to have the deer tested for chronic wasting disease before eating it. If it turns out to be positive do not consider eating the meat.

Citation:

https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/zombie-deer-chronic-wasting

https://www.ajc.com/news/national/scientists-worry-brain-wasting-zombie-deer-disease-could-spread-humans/rjpiryXSOn92IxD9qVx1ZL/

https://www.cdc.gov/prions/cwd/index.html

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2019/02/21/zombie-deer-disease-what-happened-people-ate-cwd-meat/2926840002/

https://www.delish.com/food-news/a26551420/zombie-deer-cdc-warning/

https://www.vox.com/2019/2/21/18233227/zombie-deer-disease-map

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Factory Farming

Factory farming is a large industrial operation that raises animals for food. The United States raises about ninety five percent of animals in factory farming. In addition, factory farming produces about eighty-nine thousand pounds of waste per second which contains bacteria and chemicals. Also in the United States about ten billion farm animals are raised in conditions that many customers would not accept.

Why is factory farming not healthy?

Under factory farming the conditions and the amount of space that the cows and chickens and other animals live in stresses them out. In addition, the amount of stress causes them to spread diseases easily. Also when thousands of meat gets packed into feedlots of manure bacteria can spread and contaminate thousands of meats inside the factory farm.

2) How does factory farming affect human health?

 Scientist have found that there is exposure to toxic chemicals in animals waste. The contamination that factory farms produce can affect human health. The effects of human health result in brain damage, depression, miscarriages and birth defects. Also studies have shown that people have been exposed to hydrogen sulfide which results from where hog manure is stored in and then sprayed on the fields. When a factory farm was built near a resident from Ohio named Robert, he talked about the permanent brain damage that he suffered. Studies have shown that people who live near factory farms have a higher depression and anxiety rate.

3) What does animal waste emit?

Animal waste releases the following: ammonia, hydrogen sulfite, methane, volatile organic compounds, which affects the human health with the respiratory system. About seventy percent of factory farming workers suffer from acute bronchitis and about twenty-five percent suffer from chronic bronchitis. Children who live on pig factories tend to suffer from asthma.

4) Solution:

You can help by joining some organizations that try to help stop these behaviors. One organization that is taking action to try to help stop animal factory farming is https://www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/farm-animal-welfare. By donating you can help them stop animal factory farming. Also if the number of consumers that buy meat and diary declines then the number of meat producers will decline as well because if you continue to buy meat that is raised in a factory farm then you will continue to contribute to the bad conditions that the animals suffer in.

Citation:

https://www.farmsanctuary.org/learn/factory-farming/

https://www.aspca.org/animal-cruelty/farm-animal-welfare

https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/problems/factory-farming-food-safety

https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/health-risks-meat-industry/

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Animal extinctions

Most animals are important to the ecosystem such as the key stone species because if they were to go extinct the system would be greatly affected. About ninety seven percent of the world’s population relies on meat. Not only do people depend on animals for food but for medicine and clothing as well. Also certain animals are important to some cultures because they value them. In many cultures, animals play a role in religious or belief systems.

1) 11 extinct animals:

West African Black Rhinoceros - was declared extinct in the year 2011 thank to the increase of poaching

Pyrenean Ibex - was declared extinct in the year 2000 because of hunting

Passenger Pigeon - was declared extinct in the year 1914 due to them turning into new fields for substance because of forests being cleared. The last pigeon was Martha who was twenty nine years old

Quagga -  was declared extinct in the year 1883 and was hunted for its hide by ranchers

Caribbean Monk Seal -  was declared extinct in the year 2008 and were exploited for their fur, meat and oil and were killed by European explorers

Sea Mink - was declared extinct in the year 1860 and was prized for their fur

Tasmanian Tiger - was declared extinct in the year 1936 and they were believed to kill livestock and so they were often killed

Tecopa Pupfish - was declared extinct in the year 1970

Javan Tiger - was declared extinct in the mid 1970s

Great Auk - was declared extinct in the mid 1850s due to slaughtering

Bubal Hartebeest -  they went extinct somewhere between the years 1945 and 1954

2) 10 solutions to save endangered animals

Educate other on the importance of endangered animals and why they are going extinct

Visit a national wildlife refuge to see how they protect their animals because scientist say that the best way to protect endangered animals is to protect where they live

Place decals on windows to prevent birds collisions

Planting more fruit trees like apple trees and plants that attract bees in order for them to pollinate your plants

Prevent spraying pesticides on your garden

Slow down when driving and keep an eye out for wildlife

Recycle and replace your plastic straws with metal and try to avoid furniture made from wood from forests

Avoid purchasing items made from endangered animals like a crocodile skin wallet, or a fur from tigers  

Don't participate in activities that involve shooting or trapping endangered animals

Try to protect parks, wild refugees and other open space because it is important to protect the habitat that the animals live in

Citation :

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?sort=extinction_status

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/22/11-extinct-animals_n_4078988.html

http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/classroom/class_extinction_why.htm

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/05/140529-conservation-science-animals-species-endangered-extinction/

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Overfishing

Overfishing is catching fish at a rate too fast for fish that they can not replace themselves. About ten percent of the world's population rely on fish. We can fish four times the size of earth with the amount of  fishing boats and fishing nets we currently have. Also fishing nets can hold up to five hundred fish which is the weight of about six thousand five hundred people.

Top ten fish exporting countries include :

China with $14.1 billion usd

Norway with $8.8 billion usd

Vietnam with $5.8 billion usd

United States of America with $5.1 billion usd

India with $4.6 billion usd

Canada with $4.2 billion usd

Chile with $4.0 billion usd

Sweden with $3.7 billion usd

The Netherlands with $3.14 billion usd

Indonesia with $3.11 billion usd

2) What species are at risk?

Bluefin Tuna is at risk because of overfishing and their population declined by ninety-six percent. About eighty percent of the Bluefin Tuna is consumed in Japan.

Beluga Sturgeon is known for its fillet but their eggs are known as blue caviar.  

Bocaccio Rockfish are in decline not only because of overfishing but also due to changes in ocean currents

Maltese Ray are in decline because they are caught with other fish when fishermen are fishing for specific fish. Also due to the oceans getting warmer, the maltese ray are soon to be extinct because they cannot adapt to the water temperature  

3) Who is responsible for overfishing?

Not only are fisherman responsible for overfishing but so are companies and countries who profit from these tasks. Also fisherman have to fish because it is their job and they have to do what they are told because they are getting paid, so it isn’t technically their fault. In some countries people live off of fishing because it is the only thing that they can feed their families. Consumers are also contributing to overfishing because as long as consumers continue to buy fish, fisherman will continue to fish and companies will continue to provide.

4) Solutions to the issue

 One solution to the overfishing is to pick foods that are not endangered. To find out if your food is endangered go to http://wwf.panda.org/get_involved/live_green/out_shopping/seafood_guides/. Also supporting or joining organizations that are trying to help the ocean is another way to help the issue.

Citation:

https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/overfishing

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-fish-and-seafood-exporting-countries.html

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/oceans/critical-issues-overfishing/

[global-awareness-by-angie-blog]

Light Pollution

What is light pollution? Due to all the lights used in your area or let alone in your country causes the sky at night to look brighter. In 2018 it is estimated  that let alone in the United States, we generate 232 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity per year. Americans use about ten million megawatts of light per day.

What are the uses of light?

Light is used in our everyday life and the main uses for light are the following:

Street lights

Lamps

Cars

Buildings

Microwaves

Machines

Factories

Refrigerator

2) Why does light pollution harm the environment?

Certain types of lighting may harm the animals eyes depending on the color of the light as well. It is understood that white lighting in specific attracts certain insects such as moths and butterflies. Other effects that lighting harms the environment is the increase of energy utilization. It not only affects insects but it also affects the human health. How? Well researchers have said that it can increase and lead to depression, obesity and breast cancer and much more.

3) Why are insects attracted to lighting ?

The reason why insects are attracted to lighting is because the lighting confuses the insects’ navigational system. Also another reason why insects are attracted to light is because the light indicates that there is a clear path that is why they go directly to the lighting, besides the fact that when they migrate the light is angled in a way that attracts them.

4) 4 components of light pollution

One component that contributes to light pollution is glare. Glare - brightness that causes visual discomfort. Two, skyglow - brightening of the sky over areas in which people live in such as cities. Third, light trespass- light hitting where it is should not be intended. Last but not least, clutter- excessive grouping of lighting sources.

5) Solutions:

Some solutions to light pollution is to replace lighting with solar panels. Also only try to use light when it is needed plus you can save money. Use advantage of the natural lighting by keeping the blinds drawn and installing a solar tube. Also installing more windows increases the amount of natural lighting entering your home.

Citation :

https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=99&t=3

http://cescos.fau.edu/observatory/lightpol-environ.html

https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/10/moth-meme-lamps-insects-lights-attraction-news/

https://www.reference.com/science/light-used-8913c68666e1ce43

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Noise Pollution

Ninety thousand marine vessels carry ninety percent of the world trade.  Like most transportation, ships release carbon dioxide which creates ocean acidification. The countries that emits more carbon dioxide are China, United States, Russia, India, and Japan.

1) marine animals affected by ship noise

Whales

Dolphins

fish

Rockfish

Herring

san eel

Cod

Manatees

2) How are marine animals being affected ?

Noise pollution is basically everything that comes from the ship to the frequency sonar sound from submarines. To many marine animals noise pollution has caused them to lose their hearing and damage tissue. These noises cause marine animals to have changes in their behavior, for instance studies have seen that half of the population of whales stopped searching for food while the other half still searches for food. Also there has been some observations that whales have stopped feeding. Noise pollution from ships also stresses them causing them to want to suicide themselves.

3) Deaths are caused by

Hemorrhages - the loss of someone familiar and close

changed diving pattern

migration to newer places- when mammals such as whales and dolphins are migrating to another area they will go through ship noises on the way and want to suicide themself because the noises are very disturbing

damage to internal organs and an overall panic response to the foreign sounds - if marine animals are not familiar to the noises, they begin to panic and this to them is an example of behavioral change

Frustration of not being able to communicate and find their loved ones due to the loud ship noise

4) Solutions:

One solution to noise pollution is reducing black carbon, will cause the ships to slow down the warming. Another solutionis to achieve a reduction in emissions, ships should reduce their speed. In helping to spread the word, more people will be cautious and aware of the situation because not a lot of people are aware of noise pollution underwater. We need to help spread the word of noise pollution does to marine animals so they can try to do something about. An organization that is trying to find a solution to this issue is https://cetsound.noaa.gov/road-map. NOAA Ocean Noise Strategy Roadmap purpose is to address the issue on noise impact to the marine animals.

Citation:

https://www.marineinsight.com/environment/8-ways-in-which-cruise-ships-can-cause-marine-pollution/

https://www.sonicsea.org/sites/default/files/IFAW_OceanNoiseReport_WEB_spreads.pdf

https://eu.oceana.org/en/shipping-pollution-1

https://dosits.org/animals/effects-of-sound/potential-effects-of-sound-on-marine-mammals/

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Saving the bees

One bee alone can pollinate three-hundred million flowers per day. About seventy out of one hundred food crops are  pollinated by bees. Bees are one of the most helpful insects because they pollinate about three billion dollars worth of United States crops.

                                       1) 10 Facts about bees

Females bees live up to six weeks during the summer and several months during the winter

A bee hive can decline up to five to ten percent during the winter

In the United States alone there are over four thousand species distinct

Bees can fly at twenty five km per hour and beat their wings two hundred times per second

A bee has one hundred and seventy odorant receptors which means that they only have one sense of smell which is used to communicate with other bees and look for food

A working bee works for up to five to six weeks  

The queen bee can live up to six years, laying about two thousand and five hundred eggs a day

A honey bee has a lifespan of six to eight weeks

In a single bee life time it can produce about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey

The only insect that can produce food humans can eat are honey bees

The statistics shown above shows the total loss of bees in the United States alone and the years in which the losses occurred and the causes of it.

                             2) Reasons bees are dying

Biologists found out about more than one hundred and fifty different types of chemicals in bee pollen

Toxic chemicals to bees: thiamethoxam, clothianidin, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, thiacloprid, dinotefuran

Climate change - the United States is about 1.5 warmer today than it was in the 1900

Poor nutrition- when there is not enough natural resources that means it more difficult to find the proper foods for them which leads to their colonies becoming less healthy/poor in health

                           3) Solutions in saving the bees

There are many solutions to saving the bees such as banning the harming chemicals that are killing the bees such as the following chemical companies: Bayer, Syngenta, BASF, Dow, DuPont and Monsanto. Also preserving the wild habitat in order to protect pollinator health is very important. Spreading the word is a big one as well in other words educating others on the issues of the bees and why they are declining.

Citations:

https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/save-the-bees/

https://www.earthday.org/2018/05/23/fact-sheet-bees/

http://sos-bees.org

https://www.inverse.com/article/32107-why-are-bees-dying

https://grist.org/article/climate-change-is-killing-bees/

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Plastic Straws

The United States consumes 500 million straws a day which means that the United States alone can wrap around the world’s circumference. Plastic straws will eventually separate into little pieces but it will never really biodegrade. Also for a plastic straw to decompose it takes about 200 years. It is said that there will be more straws in 2050 than there will be fish.

Plastic Straws are bad for the marine environment and here’s to why

Plastic straws that are found in the ocean is usually because of human error. For example, people litter on the sidewalks of the beach and are picked up by birds which leads them to ending up in the ocean. Sometimes when the plastic straws are thrown away into the trash can the wind can blow them out of the trash can. When the plastic straws make it into the ocean they are broken down into what’s called “microplastics”. It is predicted that because there are so many plastic straws in the ocean, the mortality rate will go up by 2050. Scientist have studied that baby sea turtles have been found with microplastics smaller than dust or powdered sugar. Plastic straws are threatening the marine species’ survival because many baby sea turtles are dying due to the consumption of plastic straws.

Solutions

As most of you may know already Starbucks is going eco friendly with their straws meaning they are banning straws. But do you really think Starbucks let alone is going to help the planet out when there other companies are continuously using plastic straws. The best solution/ alternative  to stop using plastic straws is to buy reusable straws. Whether they are stainless steel straws, glass straws, bamboo straws, or silicone straws. You can buy these straws at an affordable price at amazon. Also another solution is to spread the problem and educate others. Take action by joining campaigns and getting involved. The following plastic straws campaigns:        -  https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/no-straw-please/

https://www.strawlessocean.org

https://www.adweek.com/creativity/this-campaign-shows-how-your-plastic-straws-suck-the-life-out-of-ocean-animals/

Also if you by any reason can not help out or you have a busy schedule then you can always donate as well. But keep in mind you are donating for a good cause and you are contributing to a better future because you care.

Citation:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2018/07/news-plastic-drinking-straw-history-ban/

https://get-green-now.com/environmental-impact-plastic-straws/

https://thelastplasticstraw.org/about-us/

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Behind the scenes of  Sea World

As most of you did not know Seaworld is not the typical happy place for animals. It is the Seaworld of hurt and where happiness tanks. It is a challenge to stop contributing to Sea World  because over twenty million people visit Sea World each year. The treatment of the animals in Seaworld is very horrible and I’ll tell you why.

1) Animals suffer in unnatural living conditions

- to begin with whales swim to about one hundred miles a day in the wild but unfortunately because these whales do not have much space and live in tanks which to them is the size of bathtub they are not able to swim very far. Forty feet are the deepest their tanks go which is not enough for big animals such as whales

2) The Sunburns of Orcas are covered up with black zinc oxide

- Black zinc oxide is a conversion coating for materials such as stainless steel, copper and much more. Since orcas spend ninety five percent of the day outside without any type of shade they get sunburned. These Orcas try to swim in the depths of their tank but sadly their tanks are only about forty feet deep. So workers cover orcas with black zinc oxide which matches their skin to cover up for their sunburns.

3) Their health

- The orcas life expectancy rate in the wild is thirty to fifty years. For male orcas in the wild their life expectancy is about sixty to seventy years and for female orcas their life expectancy eighty. But in captivity the orcas life expectancy is said to be about nine years.

4) Solutions

- Do not go to sea world, you do not want to invest your money at seaworld for them to treat their animals bad. There is an organization called the Orca Project that is fighting to change the governments supervision of mammals, to help in any sort of way go to https://theorcaproject.wordpress.com/about-2/. Another campaign/ organization that is trying to help animals such as whales from capacity is the International Marine Mammal Project.  The International Marine Mammal Project educated people on harms of marine mammals and what they will do try to fight for the freedom of these mammals.

Citation:

https://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/horrible-things-seaworld-has-done/

https://www.seaworldofhurt.com/features/ten-things-didnt-know-seaworld/

https://www.petakids.com/save-animals/shocking-seaworld-facts/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-killer-whales-belong-in-the-ocean-not-seaworld-180954333/