Osama Bin Laden Dead 5/1/2011

Praise God! Osama Bin Laden is no more. "Justice has been done."

Earth Day April 22

Happy Earth Day everyone!

What are you doing to help save your part of the world?

Blog Post 12: Eco Friendly Activities/ Recap

Here’s a list, thanks to http://recipes.kaboose.com/go-green-checklist.html, that gives you simple activities that anyone can do to help the planet. Some of this information I have touched on before within my blog posts but I believe that it’s important to remind you, my readers, of what is important.

Save water by decreasing your shower time -- or rather take a bath, which uses less water than a shower.

Get in the habit of brushing your teeth with the water off, and encourage your children to do so, as well.

Recycle – junk mail, cell phones, paper products, plastic bags, and more.
Switch from paper and plastic bags to reusable bags and totes. Try Envirosax or Dogeared’s neat styles.

Forget the electric or gas dryer, and hang dry your clothing.

Opt for direct deposit, online banking, and paperless statements to reduce your paper usage.

Try your hand at composting (planting scraps from fruits, veggies, and coffee grounds outside), which will help create better soil and less landfill waste.

Don’t purchase disposable water bottles, but rather use recyclable (and refillable) beverage containers that you can fill with filtered water.

Unplug all of your appliances when you leave the house to save energy (and prevent a fire hazard).

If possible, take public transportation or walk.

Don’t use plastic storage containers, and definitely do not heat food within a plastic container in the microwave.

Keep one set of dishes at the office, including: a cup, utensils, bowl, and plate. This will prevent you from reaching for disposable utensils, cups, and plates.

Save stained or ill-fitting clothing to use for dusting and cleaning.

Use rechargeable batteries -- Duracell now has a line of pre-charged rechargeable batteries!

Purchase used items from thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and more.

Rent movies and borrow books, instead of purchasing. Netflix and Blockbuster make it easy by delivering the flicks right to your door.

If you are in the market for a new car, purchase a hybrid model.

Select products made of recyclable materials. Nahui Ollin, a handbag designer, has a created line of bags, made from recycled candy wrappers, that are cute and affordable.

Buy groceries in bulk, as it reduces packaging and the number of trips you take to the grocer. Purchase a membership to a wholesale club, such as Costco or BJ’s.

If possible, buy items that use less packaging.

Purchase locally produced food at farmer’s markets and even road-side stands.

Purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, instead of jarred, canned, or frozen.

Purchase organic foods, as they don’t contain pesticides and harmful chemicals, in addition to organic cotton.

Follow the celebrity trend and use cloth diapers, as opposed to disposable diapers, which cause landfill waste.

Select soy or beeswax candles, instead of paraffin candles.

Use healthy and environmentally friendly cosmetics, such as mineral-based cosmetics and natural bath products.



Thanks to everyone who has put up with my ramblings this semester. This will be my final blog post.
Good luck in the decisions that you make,
Allison

Blog Post 11: "Climate Change"

(sigh) Well, I knew that I’d have to cover this eventually, or not at all. I’m honestly running out of topics to write about so just bare with me when I approach this controversial topic. I am treading very lightly when I write about this topic. Honestly, the thought of even searching for info on this topic is making me feel uneasy.

Just a little side note, if you believe in “global warming” or “climate change” or both or neither, I personally don’t care what you choose to believe with this topic. I’m not going to put my personal beliefs on you either, so don’t worry about that. Also, I am not claiming to know a lot about this subject. I am honestly more comfortable not even discussing it at all, but I needed a blog post. (sigh) Ok, here we go.

All the information within this post can be found at http://epa.gov/climatechange/.

“Climate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Greater energy efficiency and new technologies hold promise for reducing greenhouse gases and solving this global challenge. The EPA's website provides information on climate change for communities, individuals, businesses, states, localities and governments.”

I am going to strictly stick to Health and Environmental effects of “climate change.”

“Throughout the world, the prevalence of some diseases and other threats to human health depend largely on local climate. Extreme temperatures can lead directly to loss of life, while climate-related disturbances in ecological systems, such as changes in the range of infective parasites, can indirectly impact the incidence of serious infectious diseases. In addition, warm temperatures can increase air and water pollution, which in turn harm human health.”

“Extreme weather effects can be destructive to human health and well-being. The extent to which climate change may affect the frequency and severity of these events, such as hurricanes and extreme heat and floods, is being investigated by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. An increase in the frequency of extreme events may result in more event-related deaths, injuries, infectious diseases, and stress-related disorders.”

“All regions of the world show an overall net negative impact of climate change on water resources and freshwater ecosystems. Areas in which runoff is projected to decline are likely to face a reduction in the value of the services provided by water resources. The beneficial impacts of increased annual runoff in other areas are likely to be tempered in some areas by negative effects of increased precipitation variability and seasonal runoff shifts on water supply, water quality and flood risks.”
“Higher water temperatures and changes in the timing, intensity, and duration of precipitation can affect water quality. Higher temperatures reduce dissolved oxygen levels, which can have an effect on aquatic life. Where streamflow and lake levels fall, there will be less dilution of pollutants; however, increased frequency and intensity of rainfall will produce more pollution and sedimentation.”

Blog Post 10: Technological Advances

As this semester comes to an end I want to thank my followers and readers for wanting to hear what I have to say even though they may be uninteresting or irrelevant to them personally.

According to http://www.mnforsustain.org/pop_overpopulation_consumption_technology_hanauer.htm,

“U.S. population in 1998 was 269 million.”

It is now estimated to be “311,130,000 which is 4.5% of the World’s population,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population).

“Human numbers skyrocketed during three relatively discrete periods—specifically, at the advent of tool making, agriculture and industrialization—but in each case subsequently stabilized,” (http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/population-growth-technology-and-tricky-graphs). However, births are now exceeding deaths and the planet is struggling to provide resources to keep up with the demand.

Scientific advances have now made it possible to sustain and save lives.

Back before technology, nature had it’s own way of keeping areas from being overpopulated. For example, people that had allergies that would cause them to go into anaphylactic shock would not have survived because of the lack of medical and technological advances. Or if someone was infected with a poison or a disease they most likely passed on except for the extremely lucky ones. Not to forget that the food supply wasn’t able to support many populations and therefore they went hungry.

Natural disasters, acts of terrorism, or any other major event where there is a great loss of human lives are the biggest sources that add to the death tolls. All other causes of death combined still cannot even come close to all the babies that are being born daily. “There are approximately 490,000 babies born every day worldwide.” “It is estimated that approximately 250,000 to 300,000 people die each day,” (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_babies_are_born_every_day_in_the_world).



I know that this has nothing to do with the information that I posted in this post or earlier throughout my blog but this quote “Take these broken wings and learn to fly again, learn to live so free.” by Mr. Mister is how I’ve been feeling recently and I just wanted to share with all of you lovely people.

Take care of yourselves,
Allison

Blog Post 9: Food Production

With the population continuing to grow at a rapid rate, mass production of food is necessary in order to feed the majority, and yes I said the majority as in the people that are fortunate enough to be able to afford food. Many people, even in this country, are hungry or eat once every couple of days.

There are many hurdles that food producers need to jump over in order to meet government regulations. Note: The following is just a few problems with the food production industry. To see other problems with the food production industry, please visit my fellow classmate's blog http://talkinbouttheissues.blogspot.com/


Fran has been working with this topic throughout the semester so she has a great deal more information for the interested reader that I can't include in 1 blog post.

The following information is from:
http://www.naturalnews.com/030808_food_safety_bill_American_farmers.html

“When witnessing such a moment in history when the federal government greatly expands its power over an entire industry, it's important to understand the Law of Unintended Consequences. Virtually everything bad that happens after a bill gets passed is due to this Law of Unintended Consequences."

“On the surface, the intention behind the food safety bill seems innocent enough: Let's all protect the food supply and prevent people from getting sick due to e.coli and salmonella exposure.”
“Because the S.510 / HR 2751 food safety bill places an enormous new burden on U.S. farmers -- yes, even small farms that are supposedly "exempt" -- it's going to drive many farmers out of business."

"It will also erect new barriers to farmers entering the food production business, and this is especially true for the small local farmers who grow food for local co-ops, farmers' markets and CSA organizations (Community Supported Agriculture). What we're going to see from all this, then, is the following:

• A reduction in the available SUPPLY of fresh local produce.
• A loss of local farming know-how and food sustainability.
• The financial failure of CSAs, food co-ops and small local markets.
• The loss of countless jobs that were related to local food production.
• An INCREASE in the price of local food, especially organic food.”


“Many dangerous chemical pesticides that have been banned in the USA are legal to use elsewhere, and foods treated with those pesticides are perfectly legal to import into the United States. So instead of buying food grown in the United States on small, organic farms, more U.S. consumers are going to be buying food grown elsewhere that's treated with extremely toxic pesticides."

"Here are some of the unintended consequences of all this:

• An INCREASE in the importation of fresh produce from other countries.

• A worsening of the agricultural trade imbalance between the U.S. and other nations.

• An INCREASE in the pesticide contamination of fresh produce sold at U.S. grocery stores.

• An INCREASE in agriculture jobs in Mexico, Chile, Peru and elsewhere, even while agriculture jobs are lost in the USA.

• A DECREASE in the overall safety of the food supply because now the proportion of foods imported from foreign countries with little or no regulatory oversight will greatly expand compared to U.S. grown foods.

In effect, then, what Congress has done is impaired the competitiveness of U.S. farms, shifted farming jobs out of the country, increased the pesticide residues in fresh produce sold in U.S. grocery stores and harmed local food security and sustainability by driving small, local farmers out of business.

Such is the nature of the Law of Unintended Consequences. And such is the nature of just about everything that Big Government tries to do when it threatens to "solve problems" by expanding its regulatory control over almost any industry.”
----------------------------------------
As already shown above:
To see other problems with the food production industry, please visit my fellow classmate's blog http://talkinbouttheissues.blogspot.com/


Fran has been working with this topic throughout the semester so she has a great deal more information for the interested reader that I can't include in 1 blog post.

Blog Post 8: The Great Barrier Reef

According to Wikipedia.com, “the Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reef and 900 islands stretching for over 1,600 mi over an area of approximately 344,400 square 133,000 sq mi. The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in north-east Australia.”

What is a coral reef? A coral reef is “a reef composed mainly of coral and other organic matter of which parts have solidified into limestone,” (Dictionary.com).
According to Dictionary.com, Corals are “Any of numerous small, sedentary cnidarians (coelenterates) of the class Anthozoa. Corals often form massive colonies in shallow sea water and secrete a cup-shaped skeleton of calcium carbonate, which they can retreat into when in danger. Corals are related to the sea anemones and have stinging tentacles around the mouth opening that are used to catch prey.” More simply, “a hard, stony substance consisting of the skeletons of these animals. It is typically white, pink, or reddish and can form large reefs that support an abundance of ocean fish.”

Why are the reefs important?

“Coral reefs benefit a healthy world by providing:
Habitat: Home to more than 1 million diverse aquatic species, including thousands of fish species
Income: Billions of dollars and millions of jobs in more than 100 countries around the world
Food: For commercial fishing enterprises and for people living near coral reefs, especially on small islands
Protection: A natural barrier protecting coastal cities, communities, and beaches
Medicine: Potential treatments for many of the world's most prevalent and dangerous illnesses and diseases,” (http://www.coral.org/resources/about_coral_reefs/why_care).

To view the complete list of how coral reefs benefit a healthy world, click here.

Did you know….

• The Great Barrier Reef is so large that it can be seen from space
• It is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms

Dangers to the degradation of the reefs:

Water Polution: “Oil, gas and pesticide contamination posions coral and marine life. Reefs are harmed when human, animal waste and/or fertilizer is dumped into the ocean or when rive systems carry these pollutatnts to reef waters. These pollutatnts increase the level of nitrogen around the coral reefs, causing overgrowth of algae, which smothers reefs by cutting off their sunlight. Trash also kills coral reef animals. Floating trash can cover reefs, blocking off sunlight that polyps need to survive. Turtles often mistake plastic bags for jelly fish and eat them. The plastic blocks the turtle’s digestive tract, causing them to starve to death. Lost or disgarded fishing nets- called ‘ghost nets’ can snag on reefs and strangle thousands of fish, sea turtles and marine mammals.”

Coastal Development: “Coastal populations have risen, increasing the pressures on coastal resources. This has led to a multitude of problems for coral reefs. In many areas, developers have constructed piers and other structures directly on top of coral reefs. At one time, big cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila and Honolulu had thriving coral reefs. Long ago, these reefs were destroyed by human pressures. Now, reefs growing near other coastal communities are experiencing the same coral degradation.”
To view the complete list click here.

Blog Post 7: Decline of Species

“Often, in the process of creating more human habitat, humans alter the environment enough to eliminate the food, water or living spaces needed by other organisms to survive.” (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_lf_k0700_0167c.pdf)


Here are some terms to understand the needs of different species:

Generalists- Species that are “able to use the greatest variety of food, water and types of living spaces.” As the name implies, these species are more general and use broad methods for survival because of their ability to adapt to various environments. Humans are generalists because we are able to adapt the land so that we are more comfortable.

Specialists- “are organisms that have very specific living requirements. They are often very successful at making use of something in their environment that other organisms do not or cannot use. Most specialists are found in very limited areas. Their numbers may be large where they are found but a loss of any part of their unique habitat causes a rapid decline in their population. Endangered species are usually specialists.”

Within just the United States, there are 2,269 endangered species. These endangered species include Amphibians, Arachnids, Birds, Centipedes, Clams, Corals, Jellyfish and Sea Anemones, Crustaceans, Fishes, Insects, Mammals, Plants, Reptiles, Snails and Worms.

To view the extensive 2,269 list for yourself, click here.

Within West Virginia, there are 48 different species that are endangered.

Rhode Island: 33 endangered species Puerto Rico: 145 endangered species

To Search for a specific state or country click here and select the area that you want to find out through the drop down tab then hit search.

Below are some pictures of animals that are on the endangered species list:

There are fewer than 2,000 Giant Pandas in the World.

Asiatic Lions

Green Turtles

Hippo

Toucan

Humpback Whale

Red Panda

Readers' Suggestions

Hello readers!

If I could include anything else within my blog to help you better understand my topic such as more
pictures,
links,
a better description of key terms,
or any other suggestions you can think of, please let me know. You're opinion is important to me! I can only improve if I understand fully what I am missing. If I'm missing information, you as my readers are as well.

Thanks!

[Please post your suggestions in the comment function at the bottom of this post.]

Blog Post 6: Air Polution

Air pollution has become a serious problem around the world. According to the EPA, "you could go days without food and hours without water, but you would last only a few minutes without air. On average, each of us breathes over 3,000 gallons of air each day," and "air pollution isn’t just a threat to our health, it also damages our environment. Toxic air pollutants and the chemicals that form acid rain and ground-level ozone can damage trees, crops, wildlife, lakes and other bodies of water. Those pollutants can also harm fish and other aquatic life." “Young children and elderly people often suffer more from the effects of air pollution. People with health problems such as asthma, heart and lung disease may also suffer more when the air is polluted,” (http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/Frames/pollution-health-effects-f.html).

According to Dictionary.com, asthma is “a paroxysmal [a severe attack or a sudden increase in intensity of a disease, usually recurring periodically], often allergic disorder of respiration, characterized by bronchospasm, wheezing, and difficulty in expiration, often accompanied by coughing and a feeling of constriction in the chest.”

According to http://www.lbl.gov/Education/ELSI/Frames/pollution-health-effects-f.html, “Short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Other symptoms can include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. Short-term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema.”
and
“Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or kidneys. Continual exposure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly. It is estimated that half a million people die prematurely every year in the United States as a result of smoking cigarettes.”

What causes air polution?
The EPA lists a page full of links to other sites just about air pollutants. Some of the pages include aerosols, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), lead, radiation and many others. For more information about the headings mentioned above and/or to see the others listed, please click here.

Are you interested how the air quality in your state is? Below are a few states that I've selected:

West Virginia

California

Iowa

New Hampshire


Your state wasn't listed? No worries! Click here then select your state at the top right pull down window.


China:
The following pictures so how terrible the air polution in China actually is.

As you can see, conditions are so severe that many citizens choose to wear masks in attempt to protect themselves from the pollution.

Blog Post 5: Environmental Protection Agency

Within this blog post, I wanted to make my reader aware of an important government sponsored site, the United States Environmental Protection Agency or EPA. Their motto is “40 years of protecting health and the environment.”

This site easily gives readers ways to learn about various issues through tabs such as Learn the Issues, Science and Technology, Laws and Regulations, About EPA, and Newsroom. The site also includes a search box and an A-Z index. Besides just the basic internet site accessed through a computer, the EPA offers mobile apps for EPA Today, Apps, Connect through twitter, facebook and other social networking sites, and Environmental tips.

¿No hablo ingles? [You don’t speak English?] No problem! The EPA offers their site in Spanish, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean.

Readers, I’m sure that if you have been following this blog that you are concerned about what you can do locally to help the environment. Well the EPA has suggestions for you athttp://www.epa.gov/epahome/acting.htm.


How the EPA is working in West Virginia:

COAL MINING

MOUNTAIN TOP MINING

COAL WASTE IMPOUNDMENTS

NATURAL GAS EXTRATION

CHESAPEAKE BAY

CARBON SEQUESTRATION


Interested in finding information about the state you’re from? Click here then click on your state on the map.

The Seven Priorities for the EPA in the future include:
1.Taking action on climate change

2.Improving air quality-“American communities face serious health and environmental challenges from air pollution. We have already proposed stronger ambient air quality standards for ozone, which will help millions of American breathe easier and live healthier. Building on that, EPA will develop a comprehensive strategy for a cleaner and more efficient power sector, with strong but achievable emission reduction goals for SO2, NOx, mercury and other air toxics. We will strengthen our ambient air quality standards for pollutants such as PM, SO2 and NO2 and will achieve additional reductions in air toxics from a range of industrial facilities. Improved monitoring, permitting and enforcement will be critical building blocks for air quality improvement.”

3.Assuring the safety of chemicals

4.Cleaning up our communities

5.Protecting America’s waters- “America’s waterbodies are imperiled as never before. Water quality and enforcement programs face complex challenges, from nutrient loadings and stormwater runoff, to invasive species and drinking water contaminants. These challenges demand both traditional and innovative strategies. We will continue comprehensive watershed protection programs for the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes. We will initiate measures to address post-construction runoff, water quality impairment from surface mining, and stronger drinking water protection. Recovery Act funding will expand construction of water infrastructure, and we will work with states to develop nutrient limits and launch an Urban Waters initiative. We will also revamp enforcement strategies to achieve greater compliance across the board.”

6.Expanding the Conversation on Environmentalism and working for Environmental Justice

7.Building strong state and tribal partnerships

Blog Post 4: Disposable versus Cloth Diapers

As the population grows, it is a given that there will be more babies. Reader, I will now ask you an obvious question: What comes from having a lot of babies? A need for to provide for them, feed them, and give them with the proper way of disposing of their feces. The more babies there are, the more poop there will be, that’s also a given.

Parents are now faced with whether to use disposable or cloth diapers. There are various issues that they must consider when making this decision. According to thenewparentsguide.com, “The greatest concern for parents is to keep their baby’s skin dry, healthy and free from diaper rash. Many things can cause diaper rash. Prolonged wetness, lack of air circulation, soap, chemical and dye allergies, ammonia formed by bacteria that interacts with urine left sitting against the skin and the growth of microbes in the diaper area can all be irritating and cause rashes.”

Cons of using Disposable Diapers:

“dyes, sodium polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel), and dioxin, which is a by-product of bleaching paper. Sodium polyacrylate has been linked in the past to toxic shock syndrome, allergic reactions and is very harmful and potentially lethal to pets. Some dyes and dioxin. according to the Environmental Protection Agency [are] known to cause damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver. The Food & Drug Administration has received reports that fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness and rashes. Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include, chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, and ink staining the skin. Plastic tabs can also tear skin if the diaper is not properly put on the baby.”

The Negative Environmental Impact from using Disposable diapers:

According to therealdiaperassociation.org,
“The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.”

“Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.”

“Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.”

“In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.”

“No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years.”

Finally, according to thenewparentsguide.com, “it is estimated that roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually. It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone.”

“The untreated waste placed in landfills by dirty disposable diapers is also a possible danger to contaminating ground water.”

Blog Post 3: Consequences to Wetlands

Overpopulation has always been causing a major decline in the world’s necessary wetlands.According to dictionary.com, a wetland is defined as “an area of swampy or marshy land, esp[ecially] considered as part of an ecological system.” In addition, it is a “low-lying area of land that is saturated with moisture, especially when regarded as the natural habitat of wildlife. Marshes, swamps, and bogs are examples of wetlands.”

Wetlands are important for many reasons. For starters, wetlands are ecosystems- “ecological commun[ities that come] together with its environment, [to] function as a unit.” For example, wetlands depend on every organism within it from the tiniest bacteria to the animals at the top of the food chain in order for it to thrive and be maintained. In addition, wetlands are “the transitional zones between land and water environments,” (pacificislandtravel.com). Wetlands also help with flood control by collecting excess rainfall and then releasing it slowly over time. Wetlands provide the main area where rice is grown and “coastal wetlands are spawning grounds for commercial fish harvests,” (pacificislandtravel.com).


Reasons for the decline of wetlands:

Around three-quarters of the world’s population live near some type of water such as oceans, rivers, lakes, and many coastal marshes. Therefore, many bogs and wetlands have been filled in, regardless of the consequences in order to meet the demand for buildable land. The more people that overpopulate an area, the more waste products, especially sewage and highway runoff contaminate the remaining wetlands that haven’t been filled in and hurt the ecosystem as well as endanger the wildlife.

Wetlands are often perceived as worthless, mosquito-invested swamps. According to http://www.pacificislandtravel.com/nature_gallery/lossofwetlands.html, “half of the world’s wetlands have already been drained for agricultural use or as building sites. New Zealand has lost 90 percent of it’s marshy terrain, and more than 70 percent of European wetlands have disappeared. Even the immense peat bogs of England and Ireland, once thought to be an inexhaustible source of fuel, are 90 percent depleted.”

Some statistics concerning the wetlands in the U.S. include “more than half of all native wetlands have been drained, filled, or polluted since colonial times. One estimate puts the rate of wetland loss at 60 acres per hour since 1780. One-third of all endangered plants and animals in the U.S. are wetland species,” (pacificislandtravel.com) The Florida Everglades are the wetlands that have been unhealthily tampered with the most in the U.S. “Less than half of the original 4 million acres of marshland remains and most of that is dissected with canals, spillways, and pumping stations.” In addition, “acreage [in the Everglades] that was dried out for agricultural use has lost up to 6 feet of topsoil,”(pacificislandtravel.com).

Blog Post Two: Describing Recycling

Recycling is now one of the popular solutions to sustaining our resources. Recycling stimulates the growth of new, green technologies, reduces the size of landfills, reduces harmful toxic gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, and makes it possible for energy to be saved from making new materials. According to dictionary.com, recycling is defined as “to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse,” and “to reclaim (packaging or products with a limited useful life) for further use.” Green technologies are defined by dictionary.com as “any technology that is environmentally friendlier than a comparable existing technology.” For example, solar and wind operated power is greener than burning fossil fuels.

An alarming statistic I came across is “if every American household recycled just one out of every ten HDPE bottles they used, we’d keep 200 million pounds of the plastic out of landfills every year,” (http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html). For more statistics about all the things that are recycled and what if scenarios, visit http://www.oberlin.edu/recycle/facts.html.

According to the Office of Sustainability at WVU
“During a typical semester [at WVU], campus buildings average 10 tons of paper and 150 pounds of plastic per week (summer numbers are slightly lower). Since the program began, WVU has recycled more than a ton of plastic bottles. This is very impressive considering that it takes 17 empty bottles to make a pound which calculates 34,000 bottles to a single ton.” To view recycling achievements at WVU for 2007, 2008, and 2009, click on the year you want to view.

The recyclables at WVU include paper, #1 plastic, cardboard, and aluminum.

Interested in some myths and facts about recycling? Click here to learn more: http://wecan.wvu.edu/sustainability/recycling/mythsfacts

Recycling around the world varies from country to country. For example, “Austria heads the EU [European Commission]in its recycling efforts with approximately 60% of its waste being recycled,” while “Greece falls short with only 10% of its waste being recycled and the remaining 90% going to the landfills,”
(http://www.environment-green.com/More_Recycling_Facts_and_Statistics.html).

Blog Post 1; Describing Overpopulation

Overpopulation was and still is a rapid growing problem around the world. According to dictionary.com’s science definition, overpopulation is “the population of an environment by a particular species [for my purposes, I will talk only about humans and not include animals] in excess of the environment's carrying capacity. The effects of overpopulation can include the depletion of resources, environmental deterioration, and the prevalence of famine and disease.” Working with this definition, the problem with resources will be my main focus throughout this semester.

I believe that people have heard of overpopulation in general conversations around the water cooler at work or on the street but that they don’t know all of the consequences. I hence forth want to attempt to aid people who are debating what they can do to help by presenting the information I collect throughout this semester in a nonbiased, accessible way in which all members of my audience can understand. Also, I want to inspire change in others who haven’t given the consequences of overpopulation any serious thought.

The rapid decline of resources is growing at an alarming rate and if actions aren’t taken to help reduce the use of these resources, many will not be sustained in the future. I am fully aware that this is not an individual problem. Countries of the world must come together collectively to make local and worldly impacts.

According to Wikipedia.com, “overpopulation does not depend only on the size or density of the population, but on the ratio of population to available sustainable resources. It also depends on the way resources are used and distributed throughout the population.” Because overpopulation can occur in any part of the world, everyone needs to know about the consequences so that the people of the future can continue to have a sustainable life.

Resources to consider when talking about overpopulation include clean air, clean water, abundance of food, shelter, warmth as well as other resources needed to sustain life. Other resources to consider include medical care, education, proper sewage treatment and waste disposal. However, for my purposes, I will talk more in detail about the first set of resources.