Blog #21 11/29/09

As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/23/us/23sewer.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Charles Duhigg

11/22/09

New York Times

Summary: Brooklyn's sewage is treated at Owls Head Water Pollution Control Plant. Every

time there is a hard rainfall a rising tide throughout Brooklyn’s sewers occurs, and untreated feces and industrial waste start spilling from emergency relief valves into the Upper New York Bay and Gowanus Canal.

Response:  This article is very informative, Brooklyn's sewage system is not the only city with poor treatment. Many sewer systems are still being frequently overwhelmed, causing sewage spilling into waterways.

Blog # 20 11/29/09

Protecting the Forests, and Hoping for Payback 

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/science/earth/29trees.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

11/28/09

William Yardley

New York Times

Summary: Some of the Deschutes National Forest's ponderosa pines have been used the last few years to demonstrate the United States Forest Service's priorities in the changing West. Two ofthese priorities include improving forest health and protecting against devastating wildfire while still supporting the timber economy.

Response:  Something that really bothers me about this is the fact that the United States

Forest Service is cutting down trees that are helpful and play an important role in the environment.  Global warming is an issue, and by eliminating a forest you are increasing global warming factors, after all forests absorb carbon dioxide.

11/15/09 Blog #18

Pelican Removed from Endangered List

The Associated Press
11/12/2009
New York Times

Summary: The Pelican went on the Endangered List in 1970 by Interior Department officials. The reason they were at risk was because the fish they ate were tainted with pesticides, causing their eggs to have really thin shells and break. The brown pelican fled and was able to reproduce safely which brought them out of risk.

Response: This article is not important. The pelican isn't that big of deal and they don't give enough information in the article. It is good they are informing people about the tainted fish issue, and the fact that the animal is not at risk anymore.

11/15/09 Blog #17

Turtles Are Casualties of Warming in Costa Rica

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/14/science/earth/14turtles.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Elisabeth Rosenthal

11/13/2009

New York Times

Summary: The Pacific turtle population has vastly diminished due to the haphazard development and warmer temperatures that link to global warming. Playa Grande, Costa Rica was a tourist attraction known for their sea turle museum. However with the leatherbacks being threatened with extinction, Playa Grande’s expansive turtle museum was abandoned three years ago.

Response: This article is important because its expressing a larger issue than the decrease in the Pacifiic sea turtles, its expressing the disaster of global warming. Global warming is becoming a huge issue and the sea turtles dieing because of it is only one of the smaller problems.

Blog #16 11/7/09

Title: Mt. Kilimanjaro Ice Cap Continues Rapid Retreat
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/world/africa/03melt.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Author: SINDYA N. BHANOO
Date: November 2, 2009
Source: New York Times

Summary: The ice cap on Mount Kilimanjara in Tanzania has been rapidly declining 26 percent since 2000. Eighty five percent of the ice that was present there in 1912 has vanished, however scientists are not sure whether or not that is due to global warming. It is uncertain whether the melting is due to human activity or climatological influences.

Response: It is definitely not a good thing that this ice cap is rapidly melting, however it is good to hear that it might not be due to global warming. Something needs to be done quickly to solve this melting ice cap issue. We all need to make better choices to save the earth.

Blog #15 11/8/09

Title: Creating a Landfill to Have Cleaner Air

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/science/earth/08tva.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Author: The Associated Press

Date: November 7,2009

Source: New York Times

Summary: In order to clean the air, a landfill needs to be created. Smokestack scrubbers will eliminate most

sulfur emissions produced from coal by the Kingston Fossil Plant, but there is no way for total elimination. Sulfur dioxide is produced by burning fossil fuels, and it contributes to the harsh pollutants such as acid rain.

Response: It is better to clean the air, even though making a landfill is required. We all breathe the air, it needs

to be clean. I hate seeing the gross black smoke coming out of the smokestacks downtown, and hopefully soon Detroit will scrub their smokestacks to emiminate some of the sulfur emissions.

Blog # 15, 11/1/09

Title: Thirsty Plant Dries Out Yemen
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/world/middleeast/01yemen.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Author: Robert F. Wroth
Date: October 31, 2009
Source: New York Times

Summary: "More than half of this country’s scarce water is used to feed an addiction." The water wells are running dry, and deep, ominous cracks have begun opening in the parched earth. In the village of Yemen, farmer's crops are turning increasingly to a thirsty plant called qat. Qat are leaves which when consumed act as a narcotic, the addiction being fed by the country's scarce water.

Response: This article makes me think. I don't understand why the farmers just don't change their ways and grow other crops in order to make their profit. They dont only need qat in order to make money, they could grow something else that doesn't consume so much water.