The high costs of ethanol production and pressure from environmental agencies have forced some lucrative companies to go elsewhere in their drive to produce more grain for the production of ethanol. Ethanol, the major ingredient of E85 biofuels used by Flex Fuel vehicles which can run on mixes and even pure ethanol is now gaining more and more in the area of demand with the price of oil hovering at the 100 USD mark. The Amazon Rainforest and some other Southern American countries are bearing the brunt of the greed of certain individuals and corporations who want to avoid the heavy price for pollution, relocating to countries with little or even no environmental control policies that aim to prevent pollution and control industry’s impact on the fragile environment.
The Amazon Rainforest is considered to be the last most biologically diverse area on earth which is now under pressure from international conglomerates for the production of corn and soy for use in ethanol production. Corruption in these normally developing countries makes it easier for unscrupulous individuals to get permission from government personnel who are under their payroll to clear and plant crops for export overseas. These industries use the term economic opportunities for the locals whom they employ (which is actually due to cheaper labor) in their fields and the benefits to the economy (which is only for the short-term goals) for forest land is not suitable for cultivation due to it’s poor soil quality. The poor soil necessitates the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides to allow crops to produce more grain which in turn washes into the rivers and streams. The normal flow of nitrogen from forests and other wild lands are naturally controlled by organisms which live in them but too much leaves them ineffective thus allowing the residue to end up in our seas. Too much nitrogen in the sea stimulates algae to bloom uncontrollably eating up most of the oxygen in the water that is vital for a healthy water ecosystem. The reefs and fish die off or move on to better habitat leaving coastal areas void of life. The reefs do recover but it takes time (decades actually) but continued cycles of algal blooming will result in permanent dead-spots/areas in our coastal areas if the root of the problem is not addressed promptly.
Categories: Analysis, Environmental, News, Wildlife | Tags: Corruption, Environmental Impacts, Green Fuels, Not so Green Fuels
In rural areas where jungles boarder frontier towns, loggers are turned into farmers with help from the UN and other aid agencies who provide education on how their actions such as logging, charcoal making and stripping of forest can spell the end for the lifestyles they wish to protect. Indigenous people are tapped for better understanding of forests which they have hunted and subsisted on for millennia giving them the power to protect the land on which they live on with assistance from environmental groups.
Local cultures are corrected to prevent wiping out species such as sea turtles, birds and other resident animal species to prevent them form extinction. With the case of sea turtles which have high mortality rate from birth to adulthood, they may not have a nesting ground to return to when it is their time to contribute to their dwindling species due to development for tourism and other necessities.
Oil has had resurgence in terms of prices and forecasts of dwindling supplies plus worldwide political tensions have cause much alarm to economists. The need for alternative energy is not an alternative anymore but more of a must if we all want to keep on living on this earth for the rest of our lives.
Much is the power of man to create and destroy what nature has spent millions of years to create. Million of years on evolution have been wiped out in a few short years by over hunting, fishing and development of previously pristine areas that used to teem with wildlife and other native plants. Man needs to protect and recognize the importance of biodiversity if we are to ever continue to live on this planet for we are the only life forms on this earth who are capable of influencing and exacting change in the hearts and minds of all of Mother Nature’s creatures.
Categories: Animals, Environmental, News, Wildlife | Tags: Charcoal Making, Sea Turtles, Strip Farming
There are several charities that tackle poverty on a global scale that is aimed at providing feasible sustainable livelihood projects for those who live in under developed areas of the world. In India for example, the move of NGO’s who have initiated and continuously supported the putting up of communal biogas digesters has been going on for quite sometime and have proven that home-based fuel generation is possible. The project provides the technology and equipment to provide cooking and lighting through biogas production from human waste. These plastic digesters are constructed and donated to family groups who have them installed in their backyards as well as all supporting facilities such as piping and lighting fixtures. The family is then educated on the upkeep of the system and are left to fend for them selves. Many of the installations have been so successful that the need for wood in cooking and lighting has diminished considerably exacting less pressure on oxygen generating trees.
In other areas where nature has been under attack for generations, charities and various environmental groups have recruited people who used to hunt animals for the illegal trade as guides and protectors themselves to safeguard their previous quarry that are not on the top of the endangered species list. Tigers, elephants, rhinoceros and other susceptible species have enjoyed protection from the very people who used to hunt them who were, as the various environmental groups the best suited people for the job for their skill are unparalleled in tracking and finding these mostly secretive beasts.
Categories: Activities, Animals, Environmental, Wildlife | Tags: Environmental Charities, Go Green, NGOs
Whales are considered to be the least studied marine mammals on earth due to their secretive lifestyle while they roam the world’s oceans. From birth till maturity, their lives are still quite murky for the studies only go on seasonal observations by scientists. Their long lifespan and large size prevents them from being captured and raised in captivity where scientists have learned so much about the world’s many marine animals. Breeding, diets, and many other aspects of their daily lives still elude our scientists and new innovative developments like the whale cam, which is a camera that attached to the back of whales allowing scientists to see what they do when they go miles under the sea to feed or do whatever whales do.
Protecting the oceans is still the first step and education is the key. Efforts have been quite successful but their numbers still dwindle on the brink of extinction. Some species are even thought to be almost wiped out due to few sightings. Plastic pollution in the seas is also becoming a greater threat for these artificial wrappers do not degrade and are often blamed for the deaths of many marine animals which die from ingesting or getting caught in them. There is need for protection for these giants who have a right to live as we do for they have long been in the seas long before man has ever been on earth and man who is considered to be the only being on this planet who has the power to save or wipe out a species should do everything in it’s power to do so. Save our Seas and save the Whales, we might just end up saving ourselves.
Categories: Activities, Animals, Environmental, Wildlife | Tags: Animal-charity, animal-cruelty, animal-protection, animal-welfare, Animals, pollution, Wildlife
This might be one of the most important endeavour people should engage in for the seas that surround our continents are there to stay along with the many species of marine mammals, fishes and plants that are unique to each and every marine environment. Many species of animals are in the endangered species list and people have to take notice and action even within the household which has far reaching effects on our plant’s ecology. The recent uproar on Japan’s Whale hunting and dolphin slaughter activities has attracted much attention to the amount of abuse and indignity our fellow living beings suffer on this planet. Australia has voiced disgust on the actions of the government for condoning such activities which should be stopped and prevented from happening. The country has ordered whale hunting, well for humpbacks that is, to halt due to increasing international pressure and through requests by the International Whaling Commission. The Japanese people are just following their traditions which include these activities as part of who they are and their culture. They argue that this is the way they have lived for hundreds of years and that they should be allowed to continue on doing to continue that tradition. Japanese fishermen have been reported to act with disgust to the action of Westerners for they argue that they are interfering with tradition and their way of life. In one incident, a Western Wildlife Activist who was taking video for his expose had his camera smashed as he exchanged heated words with Japanese Fishermen. GreenPeace has long been battling these whalers and have had some success but sometimes placing their lives at risk. Some are arrested and some have their boats smashed when the captain of whaling ships order them rammed.
Categories: Environmental, News, Organizations, Wildlife | Tags: animal-cruelty, animal-protection, animal-welfare, Australia, Wildlife
The high costs of ethanol production and pressure from environmental agencies have forced some lucrative companies to go elsewhere in their drive to produce more grain for the production of ethanol. Ethanol, the major ingredient of E85 biofuels used by Flex Fuel vehicles which can run on mixes and even pure ethanol is now gaining more and more in the area of demand with the price of oil hovering at the 100 USD mark. The Amazon Rainforest and some other Southern American countries are bearing the brunt of the greed of certain individuals and corporations who want to avoid the heavy price for pollution, relocating to countries with little or even no environmental control policies that aim to prevent pollution and control industry’s impact on the fragile environment.
