The African penguin is suffering from the severe effects of climate change. In order to ensure their survival, this species is migrating across seas to seek out a more favoring environment. As sea temperatures rise, these penguins are struggling to find a sufficient, consistent source of fish to prey on. The salinity and temperatures of their previous environment is reaching levels that cannot sustain their preys' lives, hence their lives. Studies have proven that this specie's breeding rate has decreased by 50%. When these birds migrate to other areas, there is no guarantee that they will discover a region that will meet their ecological needs.
These African penguins are just another example of what humans have caused with the creation of industrialization. As technology continues and living standards continue to grow, statistics are showing society that the environment cannot sustain its life much longer if greenhouse gases continue to be emitted at this rate. www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4208534/Climate-change-kill-endangered-penguin-species.html
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Residents among the Pacific Islands are facing the effects of climate change, but are learning to adapt to these changes. As sea levels rise, threatening islanders' homes, water sources that are being contaminated with salt water, and destroying crops, these residents are enduring these consequences because they are not willing to leave their native land. Climate change is also causing coral reef bleaching and cyclones to form, one of which hit Fiji. In order to adapt to these changes, one community that contains 350 residents built a wall 5 meters in height to prevent the rising sea from destroying their land. It astonishes me how resilient these islanders are, the commitment they are sustaining to their native land has driven them to adapt to the climate change caused by developing communities. The conditions these residents face are an endangerment to their entire community, which is why global action must be enacted to prevent the furthering damage of communities by greenhouse gases. www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2017/02/climate-change-pacific-islands/ California's growing community of solar energy is increasing at a rate that is satisfying the demands of energy consumers, but is also becoming excessive. A surplus of solar energy is not being utilized by Californians, which is why some groups are advocating for the integration of this excess renewable energy to generate the entire West of the USA. In order to do so, legislation must be passed to integrate this transfer of energy. So far, Governor Gerry Brown is advocating the idea. If this procedure is put into effect, the West will reap the economic benefits of cost efficient renewable energy and the use of clean energy that does not pollute the atmosphere with excess carbon and methane emissions.
The West must recognize the long term benefits that will result if they begin to integrate renewable energy within their region. Not only is is beneficial for the environment as a whole, but for the consumer's finances as well. www.nrdc.org/experts/ralph-cavanagh/how-california-can-avoid-throwing-away-solar-energy Environmental Impacts:
CO2 emission reductions should be the major focus for our environment to become cleaner. Coal and oil mines are causing temperatures to peak across the globe as fossil fuels continue to burn and release CO2. In order for the environment to be sustained, energy must be renewable, but utilized at an affordable price for the consumers. How Oil is Made: Oil is a nonrenewable substance that is used throughout the globe to produce gasoline for cars, polyester for clothes, and asphalt for roads, but this source takes 10-100 million years to become oil. Oil begins as plankton. When plantain die, the organism sinks to the bottom of the ocean and combines with mud, which is then heated, pressured, and cooked into oil. Nuclear Energy: Nuclear energy is an energy source that powers 80% of France's electricity. Due to uranium's power as an energy source, nuclear energy is cheaper than coal. Some people fear the dangers of a nuclear power plant exploding, exposing people to immense amounts radiation, but within the last 50 years, only one plant has caused a an endangering radiation exposure to the public. Even though nuclear energy is cheap, creating a power plant is expensive, in order to contain energy within a facility. Climate change's effects are becoming a more prominent concern in Siberia. As the permafrost(frozen soil) continues to melt at a rapid, scientists are beginning to use this region's soil as a source to answer some questions that could improve climate change research. But this melting permafrost is going to deter the climate even more. As climate change is increasing temperatures, the permafrost layer is melting. The permafrost is being exposed to too much sun due to the loss of healthy trees from deforestation that occurred in the 1960s. As the trees were cut down, the newly planted trees grew at a tilt, exposing the ground to more sunlight. This permafrost melt is now creating a crater in Siberia that is expanding with climate change. Scientists also believe that inside this permafrost are vast amounts of methane, which will release into the atmosphere and increase the rate of climate change as the permafrost melts. Scientific research must be funded to decrease the amount of methane being released into the atmosphere to deter this vicious cycle of climate change. As deforestation is now being seen to cause dramatic melting of permafrost, increasing the atmosphere's exposure to more greenhouse gases, laws must be enacted to prevent human activity from impacting the environment in a harmful way. news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/siberia-batagiaka-crater-climate-change/ After a five year drought, Californians are seeing hope for the future with the above average amount of precipitation the state has obtained within the last 5 months. During the middle of February 2017, the state of California received showers that filled their President's Day weekend. These showers came from the "Pineapple Express" or from the tropic winds along Hawaii's coast. Along Hawaii's coast, the wind travels toward the west coast, but this air is tropical and brings moisture to California that turns into precipitation through condensation. In Europe, 14 storms that caused major damage to residents were due to these atmospheric rivers like the one California has been experiencing.
The drought is likely to come to an end this year, in terms of surface water levels, but groundwater levels will require a longer period of recovery. The vast amount of rain the Northern part of the state is receiving has caused damage to homes and roads, which is why precautions must be taken into effect for people that are traveling in dangerous weather conditions. www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2017/02/20/atmospheric-rivers-california-storms-floods/98154504/ The Vice President of Clean Energy urges Texas to replace oil and coal manufacturing with renewable energy. The benefits behind the use of wind and solar outcompete those of nonrenewable energy resources. Unemployment can decrease due to an increase in job availability when wind turbines and solar panels are implemented into production and the competitive prices renewable energy faces against costly oil refineries and coal industries. The use of renewable energy resources will also reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, and the advocacy group for making Texas more environmentally sustainable also wants to implement new restrictions on the emission of methane. Out of the nation, Texas still ranks as the highest carbon emitting state, even with their population being less than California by at least 10,000 residents, California's carbon emissions are still 17 metric tons less than Texas.' With California using renewable resources within the past decade to generate 20% of the state's electricity, they are able to reduce their carbon footprint.
The opportunities of utilizing renewable energy are greater than the traditional use of oil and coal to generate power. Texas must consider these benefits not only for their economy, but the environment as well. www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2017/02/09/187303/environmental-group-urges-lawmakers-to-focus-on-renewable-energy-natural-gas/ A Republican congressman has drafted a bill to abolish the Environmental Protections Agency. Gaetz, a U.S. House Representative is trying to persuade other members of the chamber to support his bill, he claims the agency imposes too many regulations upon small businesses that cannot financially support, which is the cause for the unemployment within the nation. Although regulations can be a financial burden to small businesses, the EPA is not the only institution affecting these business owners. Large corporations are the main cause of the failing of small businesses because their prices outcompete those of small businesses. With the possibility of losing the EPA by 2018, the hope of defeating climate change is slowing fading away for several scientists. Trump's administration has already instructed the EPA to not contact journalists or use social media to promote regulations that can reduce global warming.
In order to sustain the environment that the American people have inhabited for hundreds of years, the government must implement regulations to prevent further detriment to the atmosphere. If the EPA is abolished, states will have to enact their own regulations to make progression of sustainability. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/environmental-protection-agency-bill-drafted-abolish-matt-gaetz-congress-a7556596.html During the few days of Trump's presidency, his administration has rendered the Environment Protection Agency's scientific research to prove the nation should enforce regulations on activities that deter the health of the ecosystem. As of now, his administration will enforce the EPA to remove any information regarding the action of preventing climate change on their website. Some may argue this is a violation of the constitution, but due to the program being regulated by the government, the administration is taking full advantage of their power, whether or not this is morally correct, individuals will have to say so for themselves. Trump's administrations' tactics are foreseen as a way to lessen the amount of government regulation on the environment to allow the economy to grow without having to jump through so many hoops. Trump claims that the coal industry will provide several jobs within the nation, which is why he wants to bring back the oil pipelines to South Dakota. As the American people wait to see the next EPA advisor, Trump has already proven he will not tolerate environmental protections.
As for residents of the United States, the nation must work together to find a balance between the economy and the environment that will best suit our country in the long term. Inhabitants must become more aware of the executive orders the president is signing off on and decide whether or not these will be best suited for us as a nation. Educating ourselves is the first step to creating a change in our system. www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-epa-climatechange-idUSKBN15906G As Obama's term comes to an end, Trump's upcoming administration is determined to block the Obama's environmental administration. Because the rules were at the tail end of Obama's term, the Attorneys general will most likely be able block some of these rules. Conservative Congress members are striving to block the prevention of coal mining that causes pollution throughout water sources. This law would prohibit the dumping of debris into water streams, but the Attorneys general claims that this law is unconstitutional because it violates states' rights. With the EPA nominee, Scott Pruitt possibly coming into power, the United States could see more prevention of environmental laws becoming enacted, especially due to the Senate, who approves of the president's appointments, having a majority of Republican congressmen.
The nation must coincide to prevent the furthering detriment of our environment. It is often difficult for people to see the extent at which our environment is changing in regards to species extinction rates, climates rising to their all time high, and the increase in pollution, because the change is not seen by each and everyone of us on a day to day basis. In order to sustain a healthy environment for further generations, the upcoming administration has to pass laws that will regulate change. thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/314809-states-sue-to-block-last-minute-obama-environmental-rule |
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April 2017
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