New Blog Analysis 

Throughout these eight months, I have taken what I have learned in the classroom and have seen these problems in real life situations. I have chosen about 32 articles to read and write a summary about the articles that I have found. Out of all of these articles, I then chose three that I was really interested in and I wanted them to connect to an overall problem that we have on our Earth.  

The first article that I chose, I read in November. The title of this article was ‘Forest Giraffe’ Now Endangered: Okapi Populations Drop 50 Percent in 18 years. In this article, John Platt reported that a new animal has been put on the endangered species list by the International Union for Conservation of Natural Resources. This animal was a mix of a zebra and a very large deer. There have been arguments about this for about five years now. After looking at statistics from 1995, this species’ population has decreased 50% over that time. This species has also been listed under the Red List category. When looking into this species more, the Okapi lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Platt). With this in mind, there is so much violence evolving in this environment, which makes the Okapi’s living conditions even worse. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been remaining in civil conflict and suffering from extreme poverty. (Platt). The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been placing laws over this rare species but it just seems like its really not having a huge effect. Because of all of these problems and conflicts, the Okapi Conservation Project was created, which facilitated that this species is so important and there has to be specific changes made in order to help these endangered animals. Overall, species like the Okapi are one of many that have the same problems and animals need to be payed more attention to. (Platt). 

The second article is called, “Focus on Ocean’s Health as Dolphin Deaths Soar”. Throughout this article, Lizette Alvarez had reported that dolphins have been turning up off of coasts completely deteriorated in Miami. In addition to the ocean, we also need to be more aware of the marine animals in these oceans that are also being greatly affected. The reports going all of the way back to June until January have told us that these dolphins have been ending up on coasts going all the way down the east coast of the country. (Alvarez). In June, this started in New Jersey and New York and has reached Florida, passing Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. The report has shown that about 1,000 bottle nose dolphins have washed up on these shores dead. (Alvarez). When looking more into these dolphins’ deaths, we see that most of them suffered from the morbillivirus and predictions say that it is only going to get worse. After doing more research, it is said that the residue from the oil spill in 2010 is really affecting them. Again, look at what is happening to these animals. They are suffering all over the world. (Alvarez).

This last article is called, “For Already Vulnerable Penguins, Study Finds Climate Change is Another Danger”. Here, Henry Fountain had reported that Magellanic penguins have not only been struggling with staying a live, they are now dealing with climate change on top of that. (Fountain). After doing a study in Punta Tombo, Argentina, all of the intense storms, habitat loss, a difficulty to find food is so concerning for these penguins. When analyzing these storms, we have seen that the release of all of the greenhouse gases into our atmosphere is essentially causing for the intensity of storms to increase. This is a big concern to a lot of species, after seeing this story come alive. Overall, these three articles have all dealt with animals and species that are struggling to stay alive. We need to think that our actions are not only affecting us, but all of these species. (Fountain). These articles mainly interested me because I really think that animals are never looked up to as first priority and I think after reading these articles, every animal on the endangered species list or even close to it needs to be watched very carefully. 

Hopes Fade as 25th Body Found in Washington State Mudslide 

By: Jonathan Kaminsky

After this tragic mudslide, 90 people are still missing and there are doubts that they not may ever be found. (Kaminsky). In Darrington, it has been said that 25 people were declared dead, when the mudslide hut homes. People are helping as much as they can. People are asking for donations, giving out free food to rescuers and the Arlington middle school was turned into a red cross rescue center. "A rain-soaked hillside collapsed near the tiny town of Oso, about 55 miles northeast of Seattle last Saturday, cascading over a river and a road into homes, blanketing about a square mile in muck and debris." (Kaminsky 1). People have been working 24/ 7 to look for bodies, using dogs, small cameras, and other devices.

To help with the relief efforts, "President Obama had signed an emergency declaration ordering U.S. government assistance to supplement state and local relief efforts."(Kaminsky 1). Many people are being cared for and more than 100 houses were completely destroyed by the mudslide. People are sadly loosing hope but people aren't giving up. (Kaminsky).



http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hopes-fade-as-25th-body-found-in-washington-state-mudslide/

Pollution Sours Pacific Ocean More Than Expected 

By: Stephanie Paige Ogburn and ClimateWire

There are so many concerns about the Pacific Ocean because of the high carbon dioxide levels that are being absorbed. (Ogburn). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Washington, over the past, 14 years, this ocean is becoming more and more acidic and becoming that faster than expected. Adrienne Sutton, a research scientist with NOAA's Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean at the University of Washington, the cause of this quick carbon dioxide build up is from natural variability and human-caused emissions in the atmosphere. "Measurements by atmospheric scientists at NOAA show that atmospheric CO2 is increasing at a rate of about 2 parts per million per year. But in parts of the tropical Pacific, the rate of change in CO2 concentrations measured by the researchers reached 3.3 ppm per year." (Ogburn 1). With this highly acidic body of water, shellfish and coral are also highly at risk. With shellfish, these animals will then have a problem building their shell and coral reefs will have problems building their skeletons because the water is acidic. Overall, scientists' main goal is to figure out what part of the carbon dioxide is coming from human emissions and then whats coming from natural oscillations. (Ogburn).



http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pollution-sours-pacific-ocean-more-than-expected/

Britain's Greenhouses Gas Emissions Down 1.9% in 2013

By: Susanna Twidale

From a report in London, England, gas emissions were down 1.9% overall in because of the decline in fossil-fuel power generation. (Twidale). "Output of the heat-trapping gases in Europe's second-largest emitter dipped to 569.9 million metric tons compared to 581.1 million metric tons in 2012, data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change showed." (Twidale 1). When looking more into it, carbon dioxide was the main gas that was blamed because it took up 82 percent of the emissions. Also, the DECC said that the electricity generation was irregular.

"British utilities are major buyers of carbon permits under the European Union's Emissions Trading System, which requires big emitters to surrender one permit for every tonne of carbon dioxide they emit each year." (Twidale 1). In the beginning of April, the European Commission will have the chance to go look more into the CO2 figure for 2013. In addition, with this release, it also gives them a look on the overall demand-supply balance for EU emission permit. Overall, since 1990,UK emissions have fallen 21%. (Twidale).



http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/britains-greenhouse-gas-emissions-down-19-in-2013/

Global Warming Hurts Rural Communities Most 

By: Elspeth Dehnert and ClimateWire

There have new information about farmers and that they will have a difficult time dealing with climate change. (Dehnert). "A new report aims to put a human face on what it says are some of the communities hardest hit by global climate change, whose effects will be highlighted in the forthcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) findings" (Dehnert 1). There were seven different stories that were documented on the impacts of climate change. These seven stories come from the countries, El Salvador, Bangladesh, Brazil, Kenya, Malawi, Bolivia and the Philippines. People think that by displaying these personal stories, it will show that there is an urgent need for decisive action on global climate policy. The one thing that people need to understand that we need to act now, we can't wait for something or somebody to be ready. Also, poor countries are being destroyed, which then forces them to adapt to all of these weather changes. Asia has been suffering from coastal flooding, sea-level rise, and storm surges. This causing so much economic loss. (Dehnert). In addition, because of the constant melting glaciers, water supply is completely changing. (Dehnert). "I was born here. I wmet away for a number of years because we have problems with our droughts, and landslides when the waters do come. We don't have enough water to grow our crops. (Dehnert).



http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/global-warming-hurts-rural-communities-most/

Portion of Mississippi reopened after oil spill; ships still stuck 

By: Molly Hennessy- Fiske

After a devastating oil spill, the Mississippi River was closed for 65 miles. (Fiske). This oil spill had occurred at the beginning of the weekend and part of the river was still closed until Monday. The U.S. Coast Guard had said that there were 29 ships stuck because of this conflict. "Officials had closed a 65 mile stretch of the river and the port of New Orleans after 31,500 gallons of light crude oil spilled from a barge that ran into  a towboat Saturday about 50 miles west of New Orleans." (Fiske 1). They had kept this river closed for so long because of the risk that that would cause more pollution. People with the Environmental Safety & Health was urging people to be cautious with the use of water. "As of Monday, there are no reports of contamination to drinking water. (Fiske 1).

The spill had occurred by the town of Vacherie in St. James Parish and then reported that there was no contamination spreading from the river. (Fiske). There is a threat to so much when their is an oil spill. They are worrying about people, animals, vessels, and anything in the river. There is so much to take into consideration and people need to take caution. Overall, this has not been the longest time that a major river like this has been closed for a couple of days, but even with the river closed for a couple of hours, it affects to many people. (Fiske).



http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-mississippi-oil-spill-20140224,0,423160.story#axzz2uHQSGHFc

For Already Vulnerable Penguins, Study Finds Climate Change Is Another Danger

By: Henry Fountain


With the difficult lives that Magellanic penguins already have, they are in for another surprise. (Fountain). With their struggles with predation and starvation, now they are dealing with climate change. This study has been going on for many years, looking at these birds in Punta Tombo, Argentina. Here in Argentina, there are huge storms, damaging habitat, and making it even more difficult to find food. In addtion, with the harsh warm temperatures, these penguins are having a very hard time. "Rainfall is killing a lot of penguins, and so is heat," said P. Dee Boersma, a University of Washington scientist and lead author of the study. "And those are two new causes." (Fountain 1). Another component that is contributing to these intense storms is the release of greenhouse gases.

"For this study, the researchers compiled data on nearly 3,500 chicks that they meticulously tracked by checking nests once or twice a day throughout the six-month breeding season, which starts in September." (Fountain 1). In a result of this, they had discovered that most of these birds died from the intense storms. When these penguins first hatch, they are so vulnerable and are protected by their parents the first week of being born. "Since 1987, the number of breeding pairs in the colony has declined 24 percent, said Dr. Boersma." (Fountain 1). There is so much that these penguins experience the first weeks of being born and now they have to survive throughout warm temperature and harsh storms. (Fountain).



http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/30/science/earth/climate-change-taking-toll-on-penguins-study-finds.html