PSA Wizarding World of Harry Potter!!

APES Reflection!

Originally, I did not choose to be in AP Environmental Science. It was a last minute choice and I didn't think I had much of an interest in it. However, this year has completely changed my mind and has become my absolute favorite class this year. From labs to movies, I've enjoyed every second of the course. Not once did I dread going to this class (Seriously!). The labs were not only educational but actually fun to complete, tests and quizzes were manageable and the movies were always relevant to the subject. I love the fact that you let us pick our lab groups because I'm obsessed with my table! This way, we work more efficiently and bounce ideas off eachother. Team Rocket Power is the best! Plus, Ms. Evensen, you have been an excellent teacher! You have taught us so much information and at the same time, are our friend. I don't know who I'm going to discuss Biggest Loser with next year! In all, this year has been unforgettable because of this class. I might even want to pursue studying environmental science next year. Thank you so much, I'm going to miss it so much next year!!!!

Hawaii Shipping 20,000 Tons of Garbage

The island of Oahu, Hawaii's most densly populated island, creates a lot of trash. Their solution is to shrink-wrap this garbage and send it into the mainland. Obviously for them, options for storing trash is very limited. The trash has been piling up since last September and they needed a solution. Hawaiian Waste Systems said they could send the trash to a landfill in Washington for $99.89 a ton.

This was supposed to be a quick fix but has turned into a problem, taking much longer than expected. On top of this, the company exporting the trash did not obtain the permits needed from the federal government. Also, it has become a huge controversial issue. People argue the fact that Oahu should simply create less trash and in turn, would not have to ship it to the US.


Personally, I also think Oahu should create less trash. If they can't do that, they shouldn't dump their garbage in our states. Every state is having trouble storing and getting rid of trash. We have enough trouble as it is to dispose of our own garbage. New York City is already bringing it as far as Virginia and South Carolina to landfills. As of now, there is no efficient, usable way to dispose of trash safely.

Cooper, Michael. (2010, May 21). Ready to Ship in Hawaii: 20,000 Tons of Garbage. The New York Times. Retrived from http://nytimes.com

Oil Spill Threatens Sawfish

The largetooth sawfish, distinctively known for it's saw-like snout, has become considered a federally endangered species. This is because of the BP oil spill affecting the Gulf of Mexico. It officially became an endangered species on May 7th, a mere 3 weeks after the event. Other than visibly harmed animals like seagulls and dolphins, bottom-dwelling organisms are being affected negatively as well. This includes the largetooth sawfish and it's relative, the smalltooth sawfish. Although the smalltooth has been an endangered species since 2003, the oil spill has continued to dwindle their populations.

The largetooth and smalltooth sawfish migrate up the Central American coast in the summers. The oil spill will destroy their habitat and make it impossible for them to continue to migrate. In turn, they will have nowhere to go. Their population will decrease and will take some time to rebound again. Sawfish have relatively slow growth rates along with late maturity, making reproduction a slower process.


As this article has shown, the destruction from the oil spill is ultimately harming everyone. Humans, land animals and deep sea animals are all impacted from this devestating event. Something more productive needs to be enforced to save what's left of the marine life. They are adversely being affected quickly, to the point of extinction. If conditions are kept this way who knows what will be left of the Gulf of Mexico.

University of Florida (2010, May 27). Oil Spill Threatens marine predator that is cultural and historic icon. ScienceDaily. Retrived May 27, 2010.

Movie Reaction

This video undoubtedly made me realize how we are affecting the environment. Sadly, our great changes have contributed to the warming of air temperatures and water temperatures. This results in a decline of many sea creatures including the reliable zooplankton and even crabs close to shore. Without certain species, the food chain becomes completely off balance. They cannot adapt to living in such conditions that they are not accustomed to. And this is wholly our fault. They were evolved to live a certain way and because of our pollution, species cannot adapt. Zooplankton and crabs are just examples; a countless number of species are declining.

Movie Reaction

This video undoubtedly made me realize how we are affecting the environment. Sadly, our great changes have contributed to the warming of air temperatures and water temperatures. This results in a decline of many sea creatures including the reliable zooplankton and even crabs close to shore. Without certain species, the food chain becomes completely off balance. They cannot adapt to living in such conditions that they are not accustomed to. And this is wholly our fault. They were evolved to live a certain way and because of our pollution, species cannot adapt. Zooplankton and crabs are just examples; a countless number of species are declining.

Food Inc.

This movie made me realize the harsh and disturbing methods of distributing food. Although we all know what we goes on, I think people hide from the real facts. And seeing the mistreatment and mass slaughtering of animals honestly makes me sick. I am not a vegetarian but after watching some scenes from this movie, there is a part of me that never wants to eat meat again. Plus, because of the condition of some work places, people even get sick from this food. It was actually surprising that some companies would not even be interviewed. It makes you wonder what truly goes on in these buildings to make the food you eat. And hearing the story of the young innocent boy who was killed from E. Coli definitely made me reconsider trusting any type of processed foods. The brands and companies you trust could ultimately harm you in the end.

BrightSource Seals The Deal

A $1.37 billion loan was granted to a California energy company from the United States Department of Energy. This money is to be used to build a large scale solar power plant in the desert of southern California. The company, BrightSource Energy of Oakland, California, is calling this project the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System and is the first project to be passed in over two decades. BrightSource plans to become "the global leader in the clean energy economy" according to secretary Steven Chu. Using mirrors to capture sunlight in order to heat fluid and eventually generate steam, it would be the biggest ever built.

However, there are some negative effects of the building of this plant. Located in the Ivanpah Valley, habitat would be taken away from many animals. This includes the endangered desert tortoise along with other rare animals and plants. BrightSource agreed to reduce the size but environmental groups say it would be inadequate and should definitely be located elsewhere. But, supported by many major companies including Google and BP, this project seems to be headed to construction.


Although there are some drawbacks to the construction of this power plant, the positive outcomes would be in a greater number. The more we know about solar energy and using solar energy technology, the more green our earth will become. It is a reliable source of energy as opposed to coal and oil which harms the environment tremendously. This seems like an ideal location, remote and vast. Some animals and plants will be jeopardized but using solar energy seems more important at this time.

Woody, Todd. (2010 February 22). US Offers Solar Power Project a Crucial Loan Guarantee. The New York Times. Retrived from http://nytimes.com

Airports Becoming Green

Undoubtedly, airplanes create large amounts of air pollution through the exhaust. However, it has been found that airplane passengers themselves harm the environment also. The amount of recyclable items such as paper, plastic and aluminum that are thrown out daily is astronomical. Of the millions of pounds of trash created each day, only 20% of the 75% of recyclable products are actually recycled. Just at the security checkpoints alone, 48000 to 78000 bottles are thrown out each year because they are not allowed on the plane.

The method of recycling varies from airport to airport which makes it difficult to enforce this issue. But, airports are trying to best to make recycling a way of flying. Continental airlines are now recycling oil, antifreeze and maintenance products for later use along with onboard bins separating bottles, aluminum cans and cardboard boxes. Similarly, Oakland International Airport is separating their recyclables as well as food scraps. Plus, at security checkpoints many airports are making the effort to obtain liquid bins. This way, passengers can dump their liquids and reuse the bottles.


All airports should be required to have recycling bins. This is such a simple method to keep the earth a better, greener place. Obviously, if the bins are not present, people would not make the effort to keep their trash to recycle at a later time. But, if the option was there, it would be much easier. Not only airports, but everywhere there is a garbage there should be a recycling bin. I thought putting them in classrooms at school was a smart idea because students might actually put their recyclables in the blue bins.

Negroni, Christine. (2010 February 22). Leaving The Trash Behind. The New York Times. Retrived from http://nytimes.com

Fuel Cells Powering Buildings

A grocery store in Albany, NY became one of the first to have electricity generated from a fuel cell. A fuel cell works like a battery that combines hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity. It is different than a battery however because it supplies power as long as it is supplied with hydrogen and oxygen. It can also heat buildings and water. Fuel cells are beneficial because they produce much less pollution than power plants. This store is using a 400-kilowatt PureCell fuel cell made by U.T.C. Power. It supplies about 90% of the store's electrixity in thr winter by heating. And it should suuply about half of the electricty in the winter.

For vice president Benny Smith of the Golub corporation which owns this store says that this was the best option. The company began investing in fuel cells in 2007 when electricity prices rose in the Northeast. Fuel cells not only efficiently supply electricity but they give a positive cash flow. Plus, during blackouts the fuel cell will constantly supply eletricity so people can keep shopping and bringing in more money.


After seeing the many positive outcomes of using a fuel cell to power an entire building, I definitely think more buildings should adopt this idea. It could drastically help reduce the carbon emissions contributing to global warming. Plus, even though it may have a high initial cost, in the long run it will end up costing less. Electricity prices will continue to rise and buildings with fuel cells will be able to avoid this problem.

Woody, Todd. (2010 January 28) Albany Grocery Powered by a Fuel Cell. The New York Times. Retrived from http://www.nytimes.com

Wind Power On The Rise

Last year, the amount of wind power grew tremendously. Currently, almost 2% of electricity comes directly from wind turbines. With help from the stimulus package, the wind industry grew at an unbelievably fast pace. Almost as much energy was created from wind as from natural gas last year. This use of renewable resources will decrease the amount of emissions contributing to global warming.

Other natios are considering wind energy as well. America is currently slightly behind Europe which gets 5% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020. And, China plans to invest about $14.6 billion to wind power. Both countries have passed mandates requiring a certain amount of electricty coming from renewable sources. The US is working on this as well with 29 states adopting this standard. Also, the US plans to continue this wind power growth.


After reading this article and learning about it in class, I personally think wind is the best enery alternative. This natural phenomenon should be taken advantage of and used. Other resources are being depleted and some are very harmful to the environment. But on the contrary, wind will probably never stop blowing and does not harm the environment. Even though some think wind farms would ruin the "natural beauty" of the land, the result is completely worth it.

Mouawad, Jad. (2010 January 26) Wind Power Has Another Banner YEar. The New York Times. Retrived from http://www.nytimes.com

Heating Oil Polluting Air

New York City is undoubtedly polluted from street cars, buses and taxis but is dramatically affected by heating oil. No. 6 heating oil is mostly the source of air pollution, the cheapest but worst type in the boilers. Also used is No. 4 heavy oil which is also cheap and hardly less polluting. City officials including Mayor Bloomberg and health commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley are working to regulate these oils. A recent survey of air quality done almost 2 weeks ago show the most pollutants around buildings burning No. 4 or No. 6 oils. Along with this survey, the Environmental Defense Fund concluded that these buildings, just 1% of all the buildings in the city, create 87% of the soot pollution from heating oil.

Some building owners are fighting these new regulations while others are becoming even more green. To replace the dirty oil burners and to switch heating systems could cost up to $100,000. And on top of that, the cleaner oil costs more money than the dirty oils; up to 60 cents less a gallon. However, some buildings are converting and even going one step further. A building in Greenwich Village is currently converting to natural gas while installing 2 roods with absorbant vegetation and energy-efficient windows.


If people are going to run large buildings, they should run them right. The environment faces enough stress as it is. Any solutions to try to make the air quality better should be used to matter the cost. It will ultimately do more good in the long run. Polluted air causes irritated lungs, asthma, emphysema and increases the risk of a heart attack. All these conditions could be decreased and maybe eliminated by simply paying 60 cents more a gallon for cleaner burning oils.

Navarro, Mireya (2010 January 1). Studies Find Heavy Heating Oil Has Severe Effect on Air Quality. The New York Times. Retrived from http://www.nytimes.com

Birds vs. Planes

As shown by Captain Sullenberger's flight in last January, the amount of birds at airports is unsafe. Kennedy International Airport in particular has increased bird populations because it was built on wetlands. The wildlife there interferes with the planes. Sea gulls especially invade Kennedy, leaving their clam shells on the runway. Laura C. Francoeur, the chief wildlife biologist for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and other wildlife supervisors patrol the runways using shotguns to try to get them out of the sky.

According to Francoeur, many new techniques are being used to keep the birds away. The ones mentioned include pyrotechnics, traps, birds of prey, clippers, laser, helikite, noise, cabbie control and yankee ingenuity. Some scare the birds away and others strategically keep them from coming. For example, pyrotechnics look like guns but are simply noisemakers with screeching and banging sounds. And, a helikite is used to scare smaller birds. This part balloon, part kite floats in the air to represent a predatory bird. On the other hand, clippers are used for grass on the runway to maintain a 6 to 10 inch height. If the grass is too long, small mammals appear which attract raptors. If the grass is too short, birds sit and watch for predators, especially sea gulls.


In this situation, I can understand why they need to keep the birds away from airplanes. Aside from being harmed themselves, humans could potentially be harmed as shown in last January. However, it is ultimately Kennedy Airpoirt's fault for the amount of birds in the area. They build the airport directly on a natural habitat for birds. Where did they expect them to go? They should certainly not be harmed or killed for trying to find a place to live. If they were so concerned about keeping the birds away, they should have reconsidered their location.

Wilson, Michael. (2010, January 3) Working to Separate Big and Small Fliers. The New York Times. Retrived from http://www.nytimes.com