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
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 16, 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.
Monday, March 8, 2010
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.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
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
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
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
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