Plastics in the Marine Environment

We need to really start paying attention when it comes to our plastic what we do with it. When you use or purchase a plastic or a light weight contaner make sure the you do the right thing once you are done using it recycling it be what you should do with it. Because we dont always do that we have some people that just throw it away it some how ends up in our ocean and it is affecting our marine environment. There are plastic flotting out in the ocean and fish are getting caught in them. There is so much flotting out there it's the size of an island that we need to come up with some thing to get ride of this problem before we keep losing more our marine life. check out this website http://www.blueoceansociety.org/plastics.htm it has a lot of info on this.

Our Oceans are turning into plastic....are we?

http://www.bestlifeonline.com/cms/publish/health-fitness
This is a scary article that discusses this huge spot in the Pacific ocean as big as Texas that is full of plastic and garbage. The article discusses the fact that this plastic is very dangerous for animals All of the animals from the smallest to the largest such as whales are in danger. There was a picture of a sea turtle that was being suffocated bt a piece of plastic wrapped around his middle. This was causing his shell to form an hourglass figure. The article also goes on to discuss the dangerous chemicals found in plastics.

Global Warming Effects

So many things can occur in our environment because of global warming. There is a visual map on this website that shows all the effects global warming has on this earth such as rising sea levels,threatened cultures, reductions in sea ice, loss of biodiversity and so much more. You can click on each icon and it will give you a brief synopsis of what its about. http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-impacts-interactive.html

Mysterious Clouds More Common Due to Climate Change?

In this article which can be found on the National Geographic website states that very bright and illuminating clouds have been more common in polar skies. According to this article, the possible cause for this may be climate change. So-called noctilucent clouds, which streak across the sky in vibrant colors during polar summers, are ten times brighter than previously believed, according to recent data from NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) satellite. A likely explanation for the clouds' surge is that temperatures in the upper atmosphere have gotten even colder due to the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The evidence linking carbon dioxide to changes in night-shining clouds is still tentative, Russell (AIM principal investigator) said. Go to: nationalgeographic.com and check out the images of the night shining clouds, they actually look really nice.

Crime Against Humanity

http://www.monbiot.com/archives/2007/11/06/an-agricultural-crime-against-humanity/By George Monbiot. Published in the Guardian 6th November 2007
This is a really interesting article. It just blew my mind. It is about the government wanting to use ethanol as fuel. This would mean people in countries such as Swaziland will go hungry. These people are already in a bad drought. The author claims that the U.S. has several thousand hectares of land reserved to start producing ethanol. Ethanol comes from cassava those peoples staple crop.The author talks about the fact that food prices are already rising and people could not afford the food when it was inexpensive. Also, this takes more land which decreases the amount of arable land and water, which is already limited. The author also says that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization says this is the lowest global food reserve in 25 years.
Amber Urias

Artic Sea Ice Gone in Summer within 5 years?

As shocking and in some respects not so shocking, some scientists had first estimated that the Arctic Sea Ice could melt away by the year 2040, however, NASA scientist Jay Zwally is now stating that the ice cap could be gone as early as 2012! As many of us now know, the cause of something like this occurring is due to such activities such as burning coal, oil, and other fossil fuels. Unforutunately when something like this happens the sea level will eventually rise and the global temperatures will gradually change. If you want to read more about this and check out some pictures of melting iceburgs go to -http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/33860636.html

"Mickey Mouse of the Dessert"

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/251.1/popup/index.php?cl=5419409
Watch this first ever video of the “Mickey Mouse of the Dessert.” This small rare threatened rodent is getting a lot of attention because of this clip. Scientists are choosing a few threatened species and providing a lot of awareness so people can help do their part to save these animals. So far it is working out pretty well.