Bad news for the Eastern Idaho’s Yellow Cut-Throat Trout, for they are becoming scarcer and scarcer. The culprit, crops and resort gardens along with their insatiable need for water to keep them growing. Runoff from farms are also becoming a problem for the run-off which is usually rich in nitrogen fuels the explosion in growth of blue green algae such as the case with the Gulf of Mexico. Nitrogen is a naturally occurring and present element that under normal circumstances is dealt with by bacteria and other micro-organisms in streams as they head to rivers and then seas. Too much, and the natural control and filtering system of these bodies of water diminish in effectivity resulting in too much nitrogen-rich water reaching the seas causing “Dead Zones” near the mouths of these river outlets.
In Montreal, Canada the problem is also attributed to too much nitrogen this time from golf courses that need green lawns to continue and attract customers. Previously rich waters are now turned into brackish rivers and streams that cannot support normal fish and plant life due to insufficient oxygen in the water. This might be one of the problems that were not anticipated by the clamor for such immediate solutions such as alternative fuel production.
It seems more education is needed for the balance between commerce and eco-friendliness would become a true reality for man has a lot to learn while he continues to poison the very earth that gives us all life. Let us just pray that we have enough resolve to initiate change before it is too late.
Categories: Environmental, News, Wildlife | Tags: Environmental Disasters, Gulf of Mexico, Idaho Yellow Cut-throat Trout
Get your whole family involved in reducing your family’s garbage output. Re-use as much of the stuff as possible. Get stuff from the store in re-usable containers so you don’t have to buy those heavily plasticized stuff that end up in landfills. Old Consumer electronics and appliances eat more electricity than newer more efficient ones. Throw out that old fridge and AC and replace them with newer less energy consuming ones.
Most electrical devices have stand-by modes that unbeknownst to all of us still consume electricity. Un-plug and save a ton on your electricity consumption. It also lessens the energy demand for coal-powered power plants. You can also save on heating and cooling by using sweaters and other warm clothes indoors during winter and lighter cooler ones in the summer to lessen the use of heaters and AC units. Insulation in the proper places saves you a ton in heating and cooling costs so have it installed on your roof, water heaters and other appliances that will perform better when insulated. Warm day, dry clothes naturally and skip the dryer and get sun-dried clothes that smell crisp and better that chemically treated ones (fabric softeners).
There are more tips and energy saving measures you can find in the many conservation sites which all have the same goal, which is to save the earth. We have to do our share so we get the earth to last us longer. If not for you, then for the future generations that will thank us a lot for the green and clean earth we worked together for them.
Categories: Campaigns, Environmental, Ideas, Programs, Tips | Tags: carbon footprint, Energy Star, Environmentally friendly Living
Uses recycled paper products as much as possible and bring your own bags to the store when shopping to lessen the dependence on plastics which is proving to have more impacts on all the world’s ecosystems. Air conditioners also consume more power if they are dirty and have clogged filters. Have them cleaned regularly and checked for leaks to assure you don’t dump banned CFC’s into the environment. There is also a move to switch to on-demand heaters that don’t have storage tanks that have water that is constantly maintained to a specified temperature. These storage heaters use electricity throughout the day as they try to maintain the temperature of the water that is stored within them.
Showering is said to be a common source of wasted water so take shorter ones and install a low flow head that allows for the same effect without the need for more water. When buying stuff from stores, buy stuff that is minimally bagged or packaged to lessen the use of plastics which is tough in protecting the product stored within them yet tough on the environment as well. When heading for the car dealer, try to get hold of hybrids if they are available, they are getting better and cheaper and you might also get to save on taxes and toll fees in the long run. When parking while waiting, turn the engine off for an idling the engine wastes gasoline. Turn the windows down for fresh air instead of the AC. Plant trees on vacant lots and other useless spaces to get more of these carbon dioxide sucking organisms eating away at the CO2 we expel.
Categories: Campaigns, Environmental, Families, Ideas, Tips | Tags: Airconditioners, Environmental Awareness, Global Warming, Hybrids, water heaters
From the StopGlobarWarming.Org, there are many ways however small that can be done in order to lower your carbon footprint to help the earth. They come in many shapes and forms and are applicable for inside and outside of the home. These measures are meant to be behavior modification tips that would make earth conservation an automatic task for all of us. First, the switch form Incandescent to Compact Fluorescent bulbs. The old style incandescent bulbs are set for phasing out in the next few years to be replaced by more efficient CFL fixtures which are not only brighter but consume less electricity in their daily use. A single 5 watt CFL has the light output equivalent to 40 watts compared to a standard bulb so it does make sense. The tires on your vehicles are a major contributor to wasted gasoline as you drive around town making your car an inefficient machine. The insufficient air makes the engine run harder to push the vehicle forward consuming more gas. Clogged filters result in improper gas-air mixtures having your vehicle to poor gas mileage and lower overall efficiency which could also lead to premature engine wear. Inspect your air filters/cleaners to ensure the engine is getting ample air for it to work better and cleaner.
When using dishwashers and washing machines, be sure to maximize the load to allow more to be washed with enough water. Loading the washers with less than the recommended loads consumes just as much electricity and water as a fully loaded one. Recycled products are in and ones made from virgin products are out.
Categories: Activities, Environmental, Families, Ideas, Tips | Tags: carbon footprint, Energy Star, Environmentally friendly Living
The Marine Conservation Society of Britain is a charitable organization in the UK which took up the challenge of promoting conservation awareness in the UK’s Territorial Waters. Their report for the year 2007 shows that the threat of plastic pollution is still on the rise in spite of all the conservation and plastic re-processing efforts like the one in Ireland which has been hailed a success story in the short time that it has been in the works.
Truly, the plastic pollution crisis of our seas has become so much of a problem that even deserted islands like the former WW2 hotspot, the Midway Atoll are suffering from the scourge of plastics. The island of Midway, now a conservation site and sanctuary for migratory sea birds such as the two species of albatross that are suffering dearly with high chick mortality due to plastic ingestion. These albatross species are considered to be endangered in the US and Canada since 2002 and are further being decimated by the plastic pollution which wash up on shore as the atoll is located in between swirling sea currents. The adults collect food from the seas surrounding the islands and then feed their young sometimes regurgitating plastics, passing them on to their young. The chicks being fragile die from complications such as blocked digestive tracts and more side-effects of the ingested plastic leaving them to starve to death.
The breeding colonies that call the atoll home have considerably lost new additions to their populations due to the incidence of high chick mortality. Conservation efforts by the American and Canadian authorities are trying to help the birds get back on their normal breeding populations. The loss of a species from an ecosystem has wide and complicated implications, some of which we are beginning to understand like the demise of bees all over the world which is expected to impact global crop production which can lead to food shortages.
Categories: Activities, Animals, Campaigns, Charities, Environmental, News, Organizations | Tags: Albatross, Endangered Species, Midway Atoll, plastic, Plastic and the Seas, pollution
Bad news for the Eastern Idaho’s Yellow Cut-Throat Trout, for they are becoming scarcer and scarcer. The culprit, crops and resort gardens along with their insatiable need for water to keep them growing. Runoff from farms are also becoming a problem for the run-off which is usually rich in nitrogen fuels the explosion in growth of blue green algae such as the case with the Gulf of Mexico. Nitrogen is a naturally occurring and present element that under normal circumstances is dealt with by bacteria and other micro-organisms in streams as they head to rivers and then seas. Too much, and the natural control and filtering system of these bodies of water diminish in effectivity resulting in too much nitrogen-rich water reaching the seas causing “Dead Zones” near the mouths of these river outlets.
