6S
Guide to
Climate Change
Table of Contents
Section 1: What does climate change mean?
Carbon Dioxide in the Atmosphere .................................................................. 3
Drought ............................................................................................................. 6
Rising Sea level ................................................................................................. 7
Melting Glaciers ................................................................................................ 10
Section 2: How do we know that the climate is changing?
Coral Bleaching................................................................................................. 13
West Nile Virus Water Borne Diseases ............................................................ 15
Dengue Fever .................................................................................................... 18
Gypsy Moths .................................................................................................... 20
Caribou ............................................................................................................. 23
Chinstrap Penguins and Krill ........................................................................... 25
Typhoon Haiyan ............................................................................................... 27
United Nations ................................................................................................. 30
Section 3: What do we as individuals do?
David Attenborough ......................................................................................... 33
Kirkpatrick Macmillan ..................................................................................... 36
Chico Mendes .................................................................................................. 39
Al Gore ............................................................................................................. 42
Hurricane Katrina……………………………………………………………..45
Section 4: What can we do to help?
John Muir ......................................................................................................... 46
Saint Francis of Assisi ..................................................................................... 49
Ansel Adams .................................................................................................... 53
Change in Marine Animal Distribution ........................................................... 56
Jane Goodall ..................................................................................................... 59
E.P.A. ............................................................................................................... 62
Glossary……………………………………………………………………….65
2
CO2 in the Atmosphere
By Jeremy
Our world was once full of greenery, clean air, blue skies, majestic mountains, and
wildlife. But the sad truth is, all of this, has been changed by us. We have been polluting the
Earth with CO2, which is Carbon Dioxide.
Carbon Dioxide is a Greenhouse gas. There are other gases that trap heat but Carbon
Dioxide is one of the main gases. We need Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere to survive, but we
humans are putting too much in our atmosphere. Because of the carbon emissions, many
unpleasant things are happening to our Earth such as an increase in the power of storms, animal
habitats can shrink, or get destroyed and threats to human life. Even more diseases could spread!
Did you know that some things that you do that don’t seem like much could really pollute the
atmosphere a bunch?
Humans exhale 1kg of CO2 per day, every 1000 miles cars release 1300lb of CO2,
airplanes release 1 ton of CO2 per 2062 miles. If a bus or train traveled for 10 to 20 km it would
release 1 kg of CO2! If you ate an American Cheeseburger and made one it would release 3.1 kg
of CO2! That’s a lot of carbon dioxide. Using a computer for 32 hours releases 1kg of CO2, 5
plastic bags or 2 plastic bottles release 1 kg of CO2.
Coal, oil, and natural gas are burned for transportation, industry, and electricity. When we
burn these materials, they produce sulfur oxide, which can result in acid rain. "Large-scale hog
producers are a greater threat to the United States and U.S. democracy than Osama bin Laden
and his terrorist network,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (son of former U.S. Attorney General).
Even cows and pigs are adding to the global warming system. As our population started to grow
rapidly, cows and pigs did too. Cow and pig flatulance are made up of methane, which is another
greenhouse gas. Methane is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and it lasts longer in
the atmosphere.
Plants absorb CO2 from the air and then animals eat plants that have CO2. When
animals or plants die, CO2 is released into the atmosphere or the ground. But, the whole cycle
has been changed by us! We have been digging up petroleum from underground and burning it
for energy. Our atmosphere is filling up with C02 faster than plants can absorb it. Gasoline is
made from petroleum, and petroleum is a fossil fuel. Trapped decaying matter from tiny plants
and animals changed into petroleum, which we are digging up from the ground. But because of
all this we are now part of this carbon cycle, so we have a chance and choice to make new habits,
ideas, and technologies to help this fragile and beautiful world. If we don’t do something fast our
world could become a mess. We added CO2 in the atmosphere, now we have to take it back.
If we didn’t add any CO2 to the atmosphere, trees would eventually absorb the CO2 due
to photosynthesis. But we humans are adding more than needed. It’s affecting the ecosystem.
Since our world is warming, it’s affecting biological processes (birds lay eggs earlier; mammals
are ending hibernation earlier; here are even more heat waves).
There is currently a giant hole in an inner ring of the atmosphere, the ozone layer (which
is a part of the stratosphere), above Antarctica. The hole has been made by Chlorofluorocarbons.
(CFC) Chlorofluorocarbons are extremely dangerous gases that have powerful greenhouse
effects. It is one of the strongest polluters of our planet. CFC is an organic compound that
contains Carbon (C), Chlorine (CL), and Fluorine (F). Those gases are all reactive and toxic.
CFC’s are also produced as a volatile derivative of Methane (CH4), Ethane (C2H6), and Propane
3
(C3H8). Methane, ethane, and propane are all present in natural gas. What’s really dangerous
about CFC’s are that they are 10,000 times stronger than CO2, and they can last up to 100 years
in the atmosphere. But, CFC’s are hard to produce so there aren't many in the atmosphere. The
most greenhouse gases that are in the atmosphere are Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4),
Nitrous Oxide (N2O), Ozone (O3), and many other industrial gases.
We really need to be concerned about this because the US is one of the most carbon
dioxide emitting gases. The US emits more than 5,000,000 tons of CO2 alone. There are even
other gases that pollute the atmosphere.
Great Britain was the first country in the world to start the CO2 emissions. In 1750 it all
began. Over the next half-century gradually neighboring countries started in 1804. As time went
by, more and more of Europe released CO2 in the atmosphere. When time reached 1840, the
USA had just started polluting the atmosphere. By 1880 on the other side of the world, Japan
started emitting Carbon Dioxide like the rest of the world. Japan was the first country in Asia to
start adding Carbon Dioxide into the world. When time reached the very late 1800s the South
American and African countries started polluting too. As time slowly went by every country in
the world gradually emitted more and more, and still keeps on polluting to this day.
One of the least emitters of the world is Greenland (0-1000 tons of CO2 per year.) and
the African countries. Next up is South America (Emits just a little less than Europe.) and
Australia (300,000-1,000,000 tons of CO2 per year.) Then comes Europe, on a scale to 1 to 10, 1
being almost no pollution at all and 10 being polluting a bunch, Europe would be a 6. Europe
does not pollute too little or too much. But the Asian countries emit the most CO2 of our whole
world. Russia, India, and Japan emit 1,000,000- 5,000,000 ton per year!
When we do an act that
adds greenhouse gases to our
atmosphere, the amount of the
greenhouse gases we add to the
atmosphere is our Carbon
Footprint. Carbon Footprint is
about us! We humans release
greenhouse gases.
The Carbon Footprint has
two parts to it: the Primary
Footprint and the Secondary
Footprint. The Primary Footprint
is the measurement of the directly
caused emissions by us humans.
(Driving cars, electricity, etc)
And the Secondary Footprint is when it measures the gases that go into the manufacture and
products process that people buy. (Clothing that’s uses a fair amount of oil to make, etc) We
really need to cut the Primary Footprint mainly. Some ways to stop emitting CO2 into the
atmosphere are these:
You can use an alternative to driving (Carpooling and using public transportation,
walking, and biking. Etc.) Don’t drive past the speed limit and don’t use excessive acceleration.
It wastes extra gas. Reuse and recycle, plant a tree, use cloth bags while shopping, and don’t use
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much plastic. There are a ton of things that will pollute this beautiful world. We need to really
pay attention to the things that we do.
Works Cited
"Climate Change Warnings." Gale. Gale, 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
"Global Warming." Encyclopedia Britannica. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
Hutyra, Lucy R. "Carbon footprint." World Book. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. World Book Kids. Web.
13 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar753953&st=carbon+emissions>.
McGrath, Matt. "Ozone Chemicals Ban Linked." BBC News. BBC News, 10 Nov. 2013. Web.
17 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24874060>.
- - -. "Ozone chemicals ban linked to global warming 'pause.'" BBC news. BBC news, 10 Nov.
2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24874060>.
Simon, Seymour. Global Warming. New York: Smithsonian, n.d. Print.
Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 17 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorofluorocarbon>.
XtrixTV. "Carbon Footprint Animation." Youtube. Google, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRlo87oAUg>.
5
Drought
By Alexander
Drought occurs when the land doesn’t receive enough water. Drought takes on three
different characteristics: intensity, duration and spatial coverage. The intensity of droughts are
measured on a scale from D1-D4. Drought has a negative impact on the environment. In Texas,
in the years 2009-2011, the drought lasted three years.
In California, some of the drought is caused by El Nino. In the short run, the impact of
drought is that the local people eat meat instead of vegetables, but in the long run, the animals
will die because of lack of water.
Drought makes the Earth crack. Drought makes human populations migrate to other
places of the world, causing a large number of refugees. This was a problem in Sudan, Africa
during the last ten years.
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Rising Sea Level
By Tom
As the earth gets warmer, our oceans are rising. Ohio State scientist Dr. John H. Mercer’s
wrote a journal article titled “West Antarctic Ice Sheet and CO2 Greenhouse Effect: A Threat of
Disaster.” It was the first article to alert the public about the dangers of melting ice sheets in
1988. Dr. Mercer said “That a climatic warming could melt the whole entire western Antarctic
ice sheet in a geological time scale (It is used by geologists, paleontologists, and other scientist
to describe the timing and relationships between events that have occurred throughout Earth's
history), causing 16 feet of sea level”.
Islands are in danger, but also animals, because they might lose a lot of their habitats. For
example, polar bears are becoming endangered since they are not long distance swimmers and
they need ice to stand on. The ice is melting and the polar bears are becoming instinct. Sadly, 2/3
of the polar bears worldwide including Alaska could be gone by 2050 because of the melting ice.
Some of the lowlands and islands are in danger such as Bangladesh, Netherlands, and Belgium.
Over populated places like Beijing, China produce a great amount of pollution that raises the
temperature.
There are two major factors that cause rising sea levels. The first one is melting glaciers,
ice sheets, and other large masses of ice. The temperature increasing causes the melting. When
the temperature increases the second major factor appears: Thermal Expansion (When liquid is
increased in volume when they are heated.)
Rising sea levels are occurring worldwide and places like Miami is a city at high risk for
flooding based directly on the Atlantic coastline. Also, New Jersey is one of the highest concerns
in the United States regarding
rising sea level. The biggest
reason is because the land is
sinking. The reason the land is
sinking is because mud is still
compressing.
John H. Mercer, a
scientist issued a warning 35
years ago. There are warnings
being issued right now. One of
them is that since 1960, the
thickness of the Arctic ice
decreased by 40%. At this rate,
in 5,000 years, all of the
Earth’s ice would be
completely gone and the ocean
water would rise over 216 feet. This high water could create new shorelines for continents. Most
of east America is going to be under water such as Florida and Massachusetts. Boston is
supposed to be flooded in 100 years.
Boston’s government is thinking some ways they could save the city. Something they came
up with is to repair dams along the coast at a cost of $10 million. They will also install backup
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power systems at an expense of $40 million. Deval Patrick invested a total of $52 million for
climate change protection.
There are a bunch of ways we could slow down rising sea levels. Some of the ways are
releasing less human emissions into the atmosphere which get stored in the greenhouse effect. A
little of CO2 (Carbon dioxide) is good because without CO2 we would freeze. The atmosphere is
like are blanket to keep us warm and earth is really fragile. Also, the problem is we are releasing
too much CO2 into the atmosphere and at a really fast rate. The evidence for that is the safe zone
is 350 parts per million and we’re over 400, leading us to 500 that could damage the planet really
badly.
We could reduce our carbon footprint (It is what you do every day such as showers, turn
on lights, use the computer, etc.) We could ban cars in some places of the world, but that won’t
really work because people are probably going to start protests. We need trees because they
absorb CO2 and we cut them down all of the CO2 is going back into the atmosphere. We could
also shutdown factories. We should tell workers to manufacture fewer products because right
now we are producing too many products.
We measure CO2 in pounds. There are more than 40,000 factories in China. The way we
could release less CO2 and get electricity by putting wind farms on the coasts for example a
really good place to put a wind farm in Massachusetts is Cape Code. Cape Cod already has a
couple of wind farms.
Another good way to help is solar power. A good place to install them is in the
southwestern United States. California is going to build a solar farm in the IVANPAH VALLEY.
Hundreds of thousands of mirrors placed on the valley floor, heating them too 1,000 degrees
Fahrenheit. According to the US energy information administration, wind generated only 3.5
percent and solar just 0.1 of the U.S. electricity. We need to install more wind and solar plants
and burn less coal in order to slow down the rise of sea levels.
The planet would’ve been a very different place if there wasn’t rising sea level, we
wouldn’t bother about building enormous barriers against the water, for example Netherlands
build dikes, dams and floodgates provide defense against storm surges from the sea. River dikes
prevent flooding from water flowing into the country. Or we wouldn’t worry about low lands and
islands such as: Nauru, the world's smallest republic, is a small oval shaped coral island, located
just 25 miles south of the Equator.
Works Cited
"The Consequences of Global Warming On Glaciers and Sea Levels." Natural Resources
Defense Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/fcons/fcons4.asp>.
8
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Book, 2007. Print.
"Global Warming." Britannica. N.p.: n.p., 2014. N. pag. Print.
Hirst, Michael, and Kate McGeown. "Rising sea levels: A tale of two cities." BBC News. BBC,
2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8369236.stm>.
"Patagonia: Patagonian glacier." Britanica School Elementary. DeA Picture Library, 28 Jan.
2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/search/articles?query=melting+glaciers>.
9
Melting Glaciers and Endangered Polar Bears
By Mia
By 2070, polar bears won’t have a place to live in summer if the glaciers keep melting at
the rate they are now. Glaciers are large masses of ice that move rather slowly because of
gravity. Though all glaciers are made of ice and snow that is over 1,000 years old, there are
many different kinds of glaciers. Two different types of glaciers are ice sheets and valley
glaciers.
Unfortunately, glaciers are melting due to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere is heating up Earth, which makes everything on Earth warmer than it
is meant to be. This is called Global Warming. Global warming is not a good thing for glaciers.
The growing warmth is melting the glaciers at an alarming rate. The glaciers have been slowly
melting for a long time, since around 1850. But lately, the melting process hasn’t been so slow.
Antarctica, the Arctic Circle, the Himalayas, Greenland, and the French and Swiss Alps, are
some of many places are endangered of losing their glaciers. The Athabaska Glacier, in Canada,
could be gone within the next 100 years.
For polar bears, glaciers melting means home is disappearing. Polar bears are one of the
animals that are most affected by glaciers melting. They were put on the endangered species list
in May of 2008 by the US government. Scientists such as, Dr. Steven Amstrup of the US
Geological Survey, Dr. Ted Maksym of the British Antarctic Survey, and Dr. Brendan Kelly of
the US National Marine Mammal Laboratory are trying to save polar bears. The polar bears are
endangered because of loss of habitat. They live in the Arctic Circle, one of the places most
affected by Global Warming.
Seals are polar bears primary food
source. Particularly, ringed seals are one of the
more favored dinner items of these large bears.
They can scoop seals out of the water with one
paw, and, though they are land animals, they are
excellent swimmers. They have a unique, but
affective stroke. They only use their front paws
to propel themselves through the water. Polar
bears are the only four-legged creature to do that
when they swim.
Aside from grizzly bears, polar bears are
the world’s largest bears. They are strictly meat
eaters, but occasionally, they will eat a shrub or two if meat is scarce. They will eat anything if
they have to (dead fish, whales, garbage etc.) They are the world’s most powerful meat eaters
and have been known to kill beluga whales! These magnificent creatures are on their way to
extinction and desperately need help.
“Without sea ice in the summer, predators like polar bears and seals will have no
platforms for hunting and the impact will go right down the food chain.” (author?)
10
Glaciers are melting all around the world and that is not only creating problems for
animals such as polar bears, penguins, caribou, and seals, it is also a problem for us, as humans.
The glaciers melting may cause the sea levels to rise to a minimum of 1.5 meters, by 2100, and a
maximum of 20 feet. That will cause many coastal towns and cities to become submerged in
water. But currently, in all the places in the world where there are glaciers, the ice is getting too
thin. All arctic animals are getting thinner and hungrier. Prey is thin and scarce.
Even polar bears, who don’t have any predators and don’t fear humans, are having
trouble finding food. Summer is already a time of hunger for polar bears, and it is about to
become a time of starvation. If food is scarce now, in a time when there should be plenty of
prey, it will be ten times worse in the summer.
Polar bears are powerful animals. Even so, wolves and walruses can kill them. They live
25-30 years in the wild, but in captivity they can live for more then 35 years. Humans cause most
polar bear deaths. In the beginning of the 21st century, there were about 20,000 - 25,000 polar
bears living in the wild. Scientists predict that within the next 100 years the polar bears will be
extinct.
All of this is because of Global Warming. Global Warming is making our glaciers melt.
That causes the arctic animals to lose their homes, food, and lives. This natural disaster is
causing animals to lose their will to live and the more animals that die; the more species will be
in danger of extinction. Global warming is changing our world and we aren’t doing much to stop
it. The land is different now than as it was 100 years ago. Global Warming is changing the
climate around the world so much that there is a name for that occurrence; this is called Climate
Change.
Climate Change is happening all over the world. Climate Change changes how warm or
cold it is and how the land looks. Global Warming is a large part of Climate Change. We humans
have it in our power to change this unfortunate event, but we aren’t doing anything to help. We
only have one Earth. There isn’t a planet B. These things that are happening are destroying our
glaciers. They are endangering our animals. We are guests on this planet and we are destroying
it. We can’t take this home for granted. We have to work to keep this planet healthy as much as
we need to work to keep our bodies healthy but we aren’t doing our part.
Works Cited
Banks, Martin. The Polar Bear on Thin Ice. Milwauki: Oxford Scientific Films, 1989. Print.
BBC News. N.p., 24 Nov. 2009. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8369236.stm>.
Bowdler, Neil. "Polar Bears Can Be Saved by Emission Cut, Study Says." BBC News. BBC
News, 17 Dec. 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://www.bbc.co.uk>.
Chang, Kenneth. "Melting Glaciers in Antarctica are Raising Oceans, Experts Say." The New
York Times. The New York Times, 11 Dec. 2001. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://nytimes>.
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David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
Ross, Jenny E. "Arctic Ocean: Polar Bear." Britannica Middle School. Encyclopedia Britannica,
Inc., 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
Schell, Orville. "The most endangered glaciers.(International Edition)." Global Issues in Context.
N.p., 7 June 2010. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=Relevance&tabID=T00
6&prodId=GIC&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchId=R7&searchType=&
Scientific American. Scientific American, 26 Mar. 2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=greenlands-glaciers-loom-larger-assource-of-sea-level-rise>.
Wikipedia. Wikipedia, n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org>.
12
Coral Bleaching
By Soleil
Imagine you’re on vacation in Caribbean. The water is crystal clear and you can see the
coral in the water shimmering. You quickly jump in and go for a morning swim. You look down
and you see the most beautiful coral you have ever seen. But there is something wrong with this
picture? Why is the coral white?
Coral bleaching has taken place all over the world, affecting the fishing, shorelines and
life that takes place inside every organism. We need to understand this and make a change for the
sake of the oceans and for us.
Coral reefs are endangered. They provide shoreline protection, tourism, and fishing.
Coral reefs are also some of the most productive eco systems in the world. Coral bleaching is the
whitening of coral. The algae zooxantheellae gives the coral its welcoming color. The algae also
provides nutrients for the coral. Without the algae, the coral will die of starvation. Warming
waters makes the coral stressed and overwhelmed causing more whitening and loss of coral. As
time passes coral grows on top of each other making it taller and more developed. An analysis
was made that 1/3 of all species that live in the ocean live in coral reefs. Another 1/3 of all ocean
species will be at a risk of extinction. Over 275 million people depend on the reefs.
Founded in 1994, the International
Directory of Coral Reef Organization
(IDCRO) helps to unite communities to
protect our planet’s coral reefs. They have
been working hard for the past couple of
years, making sure the communities can
lend a helping hand and making allies
from across the world.
Coral needs a very even climate.
Without that, the coral will die and the
algae will leave, making the coral look
like a bunch of dead bones lying on the
bottom of the ocean.
Another problem that is making the
coral die is the crown starfish. These
nasty starfish come around and eat the
decaying coral. They are becoming
invasive and in some parts taking over.
Beginning in the 1980s,
climatologists predicted coral bleaching is
would end in the around the 2025s. Period.
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Coral reefs go though hot days like we go though sleep. The hot days bring warmer
waters. Warming waters bring coral bleaching. Global warming and climate change do have an
effect on the reefs.
The Great Barrier Reef goes though catastrophic change in some parts. Over fishing takes
about 55% of the worlds reefs. How do you think the boat got from land to the water? They burn
gasoline, which gives off fossil fuels. So that means they are doing double duty by burning fossil
fuels which leaves be hide just a touch of the smell of gas, that make the waters warm. Not to
mention the over fishing.
Homes are another big contributor to coral bleaching. We need to be warm in the winter
and cold in the summer. We build houses along the shoreline that give off fossil fuels. With all of
the energy we use, we are burning a lot. We need to get clean everyday by taking showers.
Reefs in South Asia are the most threatened by climate change and global warming. With
all of the cars, trains, and buses giving off carbon everywhere, the carbon builds up and the
climate then rises. 905 of the reefs are largely at risk of extinction. At this rate, coral habitats will
be lost before they are even found.
People around the world call the ocean a carbon sponge, not because they want to, but
because the ocean sucks up most of the carbon from the air and makes the water warm and
causes a slight bit more heat.
The world needs to pay better attention to this problem and make sure they work more on
this problem and sleep less. This needs, and I repeat, needs to be top on our checklist to stop
coral bleaching once and for all!
Works Cited
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
Eakin, Mark. "Coral Bleaching." Gale. Gale, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ImagesDetailsPage/ImagesDetailsWindow?total=7&que
ry=OQE+coral+bleaching&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&mode=view&limiter
Morello, Lauren. "Caribbean Coral Die-off Worries Scientists." Scientific America. Nature
America, 16 Nov. 2010. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=caribbean-coral-die-off>.
Sims, Judith L. "Coral Bleaching." Global Issues in Context. Environmental Encyclopedia, 2003.
Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=Relevance&docLevel=
&prodId=GIC&tabID=T001&subjectParam=&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&
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West Nile Virus
By Lea
Everyone loves to play in puddles, but you may not know that you can get West Nile
virus. In Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and Europe, the mosquitoes that carry West Nile
Virus breed in puddles or anywhere that has standing water. Mosquitoes need water to
reproduce. They can breed in any puddle or standing water that lasts more than four days.
The first person that got West Nile virus lived in Uganda and it happened in 1937. WNV
is found in tropical and temperate regions. You can get WNV if you get bit by a mosquito that
carry’s West Nile virus. In the most severe cases, you need an organ transplant. West Nile Virus
is a mosquito- Borne virus of the encephalitis group, West Nile Virus occurs mostly in birds.
Mosquitoes pick up WNV when they feed on infected birds and transmit it when they
feed on uninfected birds. When the number of infected birds and mosquitoes reaches a certain
level then transmission of the virus to other animals including humans and horses increases.
West Nile happens mostly in July, August, and Early September.
In 2002 there were 14,571 cases of West Nile Virus worldwide. This is not a great
number, but the numbers will continue to go up if we don’t control it. 80% of people with West
Nile Virus don’t have symptoms.
West Nile Virus is a microscopic organism found in horses, birds, and humans.
Arthropod-borne viruses come from an infected mosquito. Doctors say the older you are, West
Nile Virus affects you worse.
20% of people with West Nile Virus get West Nile Fever. People have found a vaccine
for birds and horses but not yet for humans. 1,240 dead birds from 38 counties have tested
positive for WNV in 2013. 8 squirrels from 6 counties have tested positive for West Nile Virus
in 2013. There was 1 squirrel in
Contra Costa, 3 squirrels in Los
Angeles, 1 squirrel in Orange, 1
squirrel in San Bernardino, 1
squirrel in Shasta, and 1 squirrel
in Ventura that were tested
positive with West Nile Virus.
By removing areas of
standing water around your
house, you will eliminate their
breeding grounds and reduce the
number of mosquitoes. Pay
special attention to discarded
tires. Keep swimming pools
clean and properly chlorinated.
Remove standing water from
pool covers. Use landscaping to
eliminate standing water that
collects on your property. If you own horses, donkeys, llamas or alpacas, ask your veterinarian
about the vaccine.
The mosquitoes that carry WNV are leaving their range and threatening new species of
animals because of Climate Change. The existence of standing water is more important than
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temperature. Mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus like cold and wet climates so they can breed
in puddles.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, there have been over 1100 reported cases
of West Nile virus disease in the US this year, including 42 deaths. If these numbers seem high,
they are. In fact, it’s the highest number of reported cases since West Nile was first detected in
the US in 1999, and West Nile season has just begun. Given that the peak of West Nile
epidemics generally occurs in mid August, and it takes a few weeks for people to fall ill, the
CDC expects that number to rise dramatically. But why now?
As climate change was happening, the impact was that the more climate change is
happening the more the mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus get more and more out of their
range. There are less places that you can be safe and soon there will be mosquitoes with West
Nile Virus everywhere.
Think about if climate change was not happening then West Nile Virus would only be in
Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and Europe but now it is anywhere that is cold and damp.
Someday, West Nile Virus will maybe come to Boston if nobody helps out at least and is trying
to help stop climate change. Also, “hotter and drier summers are expected to delay the onset of
mosquito season. However, late summer and fall rains are expected to result in a longer season.
Conversely, the south-central U.S. will see fewer mosquito days due to less rain during summer
and early fall. Higher temperatures projected for the shoulder seasons spring and fall will likely
make for a longer mosquito season across much of the U.S., except in the Southwest during
spring where severe drying inhibits population development.”
Everything on Earth is there for a reason, but with all these diseases, life of every kind is
threatened.
Works Cited
"Aedes aegypti." Britannica school. © 2014 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 Jan. 2014. Web.
28 Jan. 2014. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/275947/media>.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
Fitzsimmons, Emma G. "West Nile Virus Is Behind Bald Eagle Deaths in Utah.(National
Desk)." Global Issues in Context. Gale, 1 Jan. 2014. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DateDescend&t
abID=T004&prodId=GIC&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchId=R1&searchType=
&currentPosition=3&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28KE%2C
None%2C15%29west+nile+virus%24&userGroupName=mlin_m_pierce&inPS=true&do
cId=A354351862&contentSet=IAC-Documents&docId=A354351862&docType=IAC>.
Graham, Sarah. "New Approach to Containing West Nile Virus." Scientific American. © 2014
Scientific American, a Division of Nature America, Inc., 14 Jan. 2004. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.scientificamerican.com/search/?q=west+nile+virus&x=-1090&y=-369>.
"Killer Outbreaks." Animal Planet. Animal Planet, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/other/videos/killer-outbreaks-west-nilevirus.htm>.
Mckenna, Maryn. Beating Back the Devil. New york: A Division of Simon & Schuster, inc,
2004. Print.
16
None. "Symptoms & Treatment." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. USA.Gov, 22
Nov. 2013. Web. 7 June 2013.
<http://www.noodletools.com/noodlebib/cite.php?ADD=Web%20Site>.
"West Nile Virus." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, July 2011. Web. 13
Jan. 2014. <http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs354/en/>.
Zimmer, Carl. A Planet of Viruses. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2011. Print.
17
Dengue Fever
By Anaisa
Dengue fever (also called Break bone fever) is a painful mosquito-borne virus that is
spreading around the world like a wild fire. The virus originates from the mosquito Aedes
aegypti. Dengue fever is caused by four viruses that mosquitos carry.
Dengue fever tends to affect poorer areas such as Central America and Africa. Less
developed places are more affected by dengue fever because they have less money so they can’t
afford medical attention. Their symptoms get worse and worse. There is no treatment for dengue
fever yet. However, simple over the counter medication like Advil can help control the
symptoms of the virus in developed countries. The symptoms include vomiting, muscle and
joint pain, and other cold symptoms. To you this might not seem like a big deal, but in third
world countries the virus can become deadly.
Because of global warming, dengue fever has spread from Central America and Africa to
higher latitudes. For example, dengue fever has spread to mainly wooded areas in the U.S.
There are now 28 U.S states that are affected by dengue fever.
Dengue fever is wide spread in Southeast Asia. Dengue fever also affects Northeastern
Australia, South and Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and some Caribbean areas such as
Puerto Rico. About 40% of the world’s population is at risk from the virus.
Mosquitos have tiny microscopic parasites on them, when they bite you they send all of
the parasites into your skin
and you get any virus that
came with them. The primary
way of getting rid of the
mosquitos carrying the virus
is to destroy their habitat. But
if we humans try to destroy
more land, it could cause a
chain reaction and hurt the
environment even more then
we already have.
Many people that have
tried to protect themselves are
wearing a lot of bug repellant,
wearing clothes that cover
your body (long sleeve shirts
and long pants), and trying not to visit areas that are affected by dengue fever.
Global warming is just making things worse. As the earth is getting warmer, the range of
where the mosquitos live and travel is expanding to the surrounding areas. This will cause the
virus to spread throughout the world quickly. There will be more cases and more of people’s
18
cases will be deadly if we don’t try to stop climate change now. “Fear vs. love” is how Rick
Cutler from the Climate Reality Project sees it. If we fear climate change and global warming,
we can’t save the planet, but if we truly love and care about our planet, we should do something
about it. Rick dedicates his time to teaching people about Climate Change and what we as
human beings can do to help stop it.
Works Cited
"Climate Change Threatens Health Infectious Diseases." NRDC. Natural Resources Defense
Council, n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2014. <http://www.nrdc.org/health/climate/disease.asp>.
Cutler, Richard. Presentation to 6th Grade at Pierce School. Brookline: n.p., 2014. Print.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
"Dengue Fever." Wikipedia. N.p., 7 Jan. 2014. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dengue_fever>.
National Library of Medicine-PubMed Health. A.D.A.M., Inc., 1 Sept. 2013. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002350/#adam_001374.disease.caus
es>.
"US Map of Dengue Fever." Tree Hugger. MNN Holdings, LLC, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.treehugger.com/natural-sciences/climate-change-too-abstract-for-youdengue-fever-could-spread-to-28-us-states.html>.
"WHO Dengue and sever dengue." CDC Home. CDC, Sept. 2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs117/en/>.
19
Gypsy Moths
By Brendan
In 2013, gypsy moths defoliated around 85,000,000 acres of trees in the US. They are
very hard to kill and have no natural enemies. If they get two good years of defoliating trees then
they might kill up to 80 percent of the hardwood trees. Another problem is that the gypsy moths
are moving Southwest. They are also defoliating more trees as the years pass.
The gypsy moth is not a picky eater. The gypsy moth caterpillar eats the leaves from all
different types of trees although it prefers maple, oak, elm, apple, birch, and willow trees but is
fine eating other trees as well. The caterpillar normally eats during the night. Sometimes in the
night you can hear the gypsy moth sounds. When they are eating leaves, it sounds like it is
raining. In the day, the caterpillars usually seek shade or dig underground.
The caterpillars grow by moulting. Five moults for a male, and six moults for a female.
The caterpillar has unique features they, have black hair and bumps on their backs. They also
have eleven sections each with a pair of dots. The first five sections have blue dots and the last
six sections have red dots. The caterpillar can grow up to half an inch and then in July they go
into cocoons. In August the
gypsy moths emerge as
moths. The male gypsy
moths are grayish brown
and can fly. Female gypsy
moths are white with black
marks and can’t fly. The
females lay eggs in
September then both sexes
of moths die. In the spring
the eggs hatch. The eggs
can be laid in almost every
shaded spot and are as big
as half inch.
The gypsy moth
was brought to the US in
1869 from France as an
experiment to breed the
gypsy moth with the silk worm. The experiment failed and the gypsy moth escaped into the wild,
defoliating a whole bunch of trees since they escaped.
There are three main negative consequences of the invasive gypsy moths. First, they
contribute to global warming. In 2013 the gypsy moth larvae defoliated about 3 trees per second
in the US or 85,000,000 acres of trees in one year. If one acre of trees creates enough oxygen in a
year to provide 18 people with oxygen than 85,000,000 acres of trees provides enough oxygen
for about 1,530,000,000 people! That is a lot of oxygen. If gypsy moth larvae keep defoliating
85,000,000 trees each year, there will be a lot more carbon dioxide in the air and a lot less
oxygen in the air. The process by which trees convert CO2 to oxygen is called photosynthesis.
Second, they have serious economic consequences. By defoliating trees the gypsy moth
can run a lot of companies out of business as well. When the gypsy moth larvae defoliate a tree,
that tree could be made into, let us say about five big fancy expensive tables. Let us say that each
20
table is sold for around $200. Then whenever a gypsy moth kills a tree, that company loses
$1,000. If they keep killing trees then the company will keep losing money until the company
runs out of business or finds a new product to build to the tables.
Third, gypsy moths harm the habitat for many animals and affects an area’s biodiversity.
When a gypsy moth kills a tree, that tree might be the home of a different animal. Let us say a
squirrel lived in that tree that the gypsy moth just defoliated. That squirrel has no home so it
might die. If that squirrel dies then a hawk that normally eats squirrels might die because it has
no food. Thus, the gypsy moth also might disrupt part of the food chain.
Finally, the gypsy moth has no natural enemies because it is an invasive species. The
gypsy moth is nocturnal and only defoliates trees during the night so you would be sleeping and
you would not catch them defoliating your tree. The best way to kill gypsy moths or stop them
from defoliating your tree would be to kill their eggs. Their eggs can be laid in almost every
shady spot.
Invasive species are bad for the future of our planet. They disrupt the balance of living
ecosystems all around the world.
Works Cited
Ames, Ann Marie. "Fall is a Good Time to Hunt Gypsy Moth Eggs." Infotrac. Vol. 1. Janesville,
Wisconsin: The Janesville Gazette, 2011. N. pag. Massachusetts Library System. Web. 30 Jan.
2014.
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/k12/infomark/0/1/1/purl=rc6_K12J?sw_aep=mlin_m_pierce>.
Global Issues in Context. The New York Times, n.d. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=Relevance&
Global Issues in Context. Eugene Beckham, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=
Gypsy Moth an informational guide. treehelp.com, n.d. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://gypsymoth.com/index.html>.
"Gypsy Moths." Kids Info Bits. Vol. 1. Detroit: Columbia University Press, 2000. N. pag. Masschusetts
Library System. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
<http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?
21
Gypsy Moths-Hungry Pests.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.hungrypests.com/YourMoveGypsyMothFree/>.
"Insect immigrants upset nature’s balance." Britannica SchoolMiddle. N.p.: n.p., 2014. N. pag.
Massachusetts Library System. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
<http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/275066#285167.toc>.
Klots, Alexander B., and Elsie B. Klots. 1001 Questions and Answered About Insects. New York: Dover
Publications, 1961. Print.
World Book 2001. Vol. 13. Chicago: World book Inc., 2001. Print.
22
Caribou
By Kristopher
Every December, children dream of mythical creatures called reindeer. They wait for
Santa’s sleigh to arrive. And while flying is certainly impossible, reindeer do in fact exist. They
have a different name: Caribou, or Rangifer Tarandus.
Reindeer are real. However, if global warming increases that dream will soon become a
reality. And now, due to global climate change, they are in grave danger, on the verge of
extinction.
Caribou and Reindeer are classified as the same animal. They have brown fur during
summer and grey fur during winter. They can grow to be 4-7.25 ft. (1.2-2.2m). They have a short
tail at around 4-10 inches (10-25cm). They weigh around 260-660 lbs. (120-300kgs) and their
life expectancy is up to 15 years (in wild) and up to 20 years (in captivity).
Caribou have insulated fur. This makes it easy to survive
harsh winters. But their lack of a sweat gland also makes it hard to
bear hot summers. Over the last couple of years, caribou numbers
have gone down. Their population has dispersed all over the
world. Now they are found in northern Europe, east Asia, north
America (Alaska) and in some zoos across the world.
Most people focus their attention on animals like penguins
and polar bears, which are in immediate danger. But caribou are
also in danger. A group of 21 researchers including Marco
Musiani from the university of Calgary did a test to see which
plants would do better in Alaska with global warming and which
plants would shrivel up and die. The tests suggested that the plants and herbs that Reindeer eat
like Lichen will die as the earth heats up. If we don’t help now, then later it might become a task
even Hercules could not complete. “Reindeer need help and we are doing nothing,” he Dr.
Musiani.
The earth is absorbing more solar energy, warming Earth’s surface temperature, and
melting the snow. It’s like dominos and we are the beginning. We let too many carbon emissions
into the atmosphere. Breaking holes in the ozone layer leads to global warming and that leads to
the snow melting.
Most people say that if they drive their car for an hour, it won’t do damage to earth's
atmosphere. That is completely true, but that’s only you. The earth is nearing 7 billion people,
and if 7 billion people all drive their car for an hour (or more), that will make an impact.
Not only are we causing global warming, but we are also taking away the Reindeers’ land
to make even more carbon emissions! Oil and gas drilling will also lead to negative impacts upon
Caribou in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. Oil drilling opponents believe that oil drilling in
this region will hurt animals such as the caribou, the polar bear and musk oxen.
23
We are clearing their land for factories and those factories burn coal and they can't keep
the bad chemicals inside of the factory so they send them into the atmosphere. If global warming
keeps on going on at this rate, we might have to take a rain check on the reindeer games unless
you help.
One person can only do so much. But towns, cities, and state government should be doing
more—like Brookline. And countries even whole continents can, it only takes one person to start
to make a difference, lots of famous people like Martin Luther King did not get blacks their
rights all by himself. He had the help of organizations and other things. And we can do the same
on a global scale.
Works Cited
The Animal Files. N.p., 11 Dec. 2010. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/hoofed_mammals/reindeer.html>.
climate institute. N.p., 7 Mar. 2007. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.climate.org>.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warmings. New York:
Orchard books, 2007. Print.
Ray, Justina C. "Reindeer are fading into holiday myth." Gale global issues in context 24 Dec.
2011: n. pag. Print.
Rue, Len. "caribou." world book. N.p., 10 Mar. 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/extmedia?id=ar095480&st=caribou&em=pc0
10199>.
Unknown. "protect the caribou." onterio nature. By Unknown. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. onterio
nature. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://www.onterionature.org>.
- - -. "A trip to reindeer herders' family in Siberia." greenpeace. N.p., 6 Sept. 2013. Web. 7 Jan.
2014. <http://www.noodletools.com/noodlebib/cite.php?ADD=Web%20Site>.
24
Chinstrap Penguins and Krill
By Sarah
Think of hundreds of years ago, when penguins were happily living their lives by having
a surplus of food and plenty of land to rest on. Now, they are facing a difficulty of hunting for
food and shelter that they cannot find, all because of climate change.
Penguins are flightless, aquatic birds that live in the southern hemisphere. They spend
one half of their lives in the ocean water and the other half of their lives on land. Penguins in
Antarctica are kind and loveable, because they don’t have any predators. There are about 16 to
20 species known, and one of the species called Chinstrap penguins, are one of many who are
endangered. These strange and beautiful penguins were named for the thin black strap that passes
from one cheek to the other underneath their chins. The maximum height they can reach is about
68cm (27in.). They are so cute, it is hard to believe that they are becoming extinct.
Chinstrap penguins live in the
Antarctic Peninsula, with solid, snow
free ground for nesting, but they
congregate on icebergs during the
winter. They mostly eat crustaceans,
which are a species of animals such
as
krill, crab, shrimp, and lobsters. Their
favorite and most important to their
diet
is krill, but climate change is causing
them to disappear. This has made
Chinstrap penguins decline since
1986.
Krill are small shrimp-like creatures, known as a member of crustaceans. They are about 2
inches in height, and are of the color pink. However, because they are translucent, you can see
their bright, green digestive system.
Krill’s diet depends mostly on ice algae. Ice algae are microscopic organisms that attach
to the bottom of the ice, but the ice is melting. The ice is mostly melting because of the warming
of the planet, which is mainly caused by greenhouse gases.
Since the 1870’s, krill decreased by 80%. This caused the Chinstrap penguins’ nests to
decrease by 36% from 1991 to 2008.
Two of the main reasons why climate change are making krill disappear are because of
warming waters and melting ice. Melting ice kills the ice algae, which means less food for krill.
The less food there is for krill, the more starve to death, which make Chinstrap penguins starve
to death equally. Also, krill are sensitive to the temperature of water. They like it nice and fresh,
but the warming waters make krill swim too deep for Chinstrap penguins.
Because of climate change - which is caused by us - Krill are disappearing at a very rapid
rate; 202,000 tons of krill disappeared from 2009 to 2010! Now, because of this horrible tragedy,
this has made one third of all species of penguins in Antarctica disappear.
25
“ We now know that two of the three predominant penguin species- Chinstrap and Adelie
- are declining significant in a region where, in the last sixty years, it’s warmed by 3 degrees
Celsius (5 degrees Fahrenheit) annually and by 5 degrees Celsius
(9 degrees Fahrenheit) in winter,” said Ron Naveen, founder of a non-profit science organization.
The Antarctic Peninsula is warming faster or as fast as any other place in the world. The
warming of the Antarctic Peninsula is making the waters warm faster and the ice to melt.
Not only is it bad for krill, but also it is extremely bad for Chinstrap penguins. Not only
do Chinstrap penguins decline because of krill, but also because the warming of the Antarctic
Peninsula is causing icebergs and glaciers to melt. As you know, Chinstrap penguins like solid,
snow-free ground for nesting. However, during winter they congregate on icebergs. The more the
icebergs melt, the less places the Chinstrap penguins will have during the winter. In the end,
they’ll have no more icebergs to congregate on during winter.
Chinstrap penguins are mostly dying because krill are dying, and krill are dying because
the Ice algae are dying. As you can see, this is all based on the food chain. The food chain is
breaking down because of climate change. We are the reason for climate change, which means
that we are hurting the bottom of the food chain in the ocean. We are a lot of the reason why a
lot of animals are endangered. If we do not act up, just by doing simple and easy things like
shorter showers, more walking, and things like that, a lot of animals will become extinct. Even
the cutest and cuddliest of them are becoming extinct!
Works Cited
Strain, Daniel. "Penguin declines may hinge on krill: food shortage appears to be hurting West
Antarctic birds." Junior Edition Infotrac. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 10. Junior Edition Infotrac.
Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DASORT&inPS=true&prodId=STOJ&userGroupName=mlin_m_pierce&tabID=T003&sear
chId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=
Beardsley, Timothy M., ed. "Climate Change Threatens Penguins." actionbioscience.org.
American Institute of Biological Sciences, Sept. 2009. Web. 6 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.actionbioscience.org/environment/wolf.html>.
Bryner, Jeanna, and LiveScience. "36 Percent of Chinstrap Penguins Missing from Antarctic
Island." Scientific American. Nature America, 19 June 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=chinstrap-penguins-missing>.
NSIDC.org. unknown, 20 June 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://nsidc.org/news/press/20120620_emperorpenguins.html>.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordan. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
Schafer, Kevin. "Pygoscelis Antarctica." Amazing Animals. Grolier Online, 2014. Web. 28 Jan.
2014. <http://go.grolier.com>.
"The Importance of Krill." Ian somerhalder Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Jan.
2014. <http://www.isfoundation.com/news/creatures/importance-krill>.
26
Typhoon Haiyan
By Adam
The Philippine population is about 96.71 million people with many poor and unfortunate
families. But their worst devastation is storms. 2013 was the year that a tropical devastation
struck this archipelago.
This storm was a typhoon, which is a tropical storm that occurs mainly in the Pacific
Ocean region. Typhoon Haiyan occurred on November 3rd, 2013 in the central Philippines.
Locals called it Typhoon Yolanda. The major destruction was in the capital of Leyte Province,
Tacloban city. It caused floods, powerful winds, and the death of more than 10,000 people.
Haiyan’s winds were moving 250 kilometers (160 miles) per hour with gusts of wind over
300kph. Typhoon Haiyan lasted until November 11th, 2013 in southern China. Haiyan was 3.5
times more furious than Hurricane Katrina, and big enough to stretch from Spain to Sweden.
Haiyan was classified as a Category 5 tropical storm, giving it the distinction of Super Typhoon
and one of the worst storms in world history.
Typhoon Haiyan occurred in area of low pressure. An area with low pressure is a region
where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of the surrounding area. The force per unit area
where it exerts against a surface by the weight of the air above that surface. If you think about it
in air molecules, if the number of air molecules above an area decreases, there are less molecules
exerting pressure against that surface. Because there is less pressure, there is more rising air. This
air condenses into clouds and rain. Hot air is less dense than cold air, and when hot and cold air
collides, the hot air is forced to rise over the cold air. When the warm air moves up it causes
surface air pressure to drop. Cold air rushes to take its place in the low-pressure area causing
more warm air to be pushed upward.
Also, the earth is rotating west to east bringing the atmosphere with it. All the moving air
over the low-pressure area starts to rotate. This process is called the coriolis effect. The air starts
rotate causing intense winds in these areas. In the northern hemisphere, winds rotate counter
clockwise. In the southern hemisphere, winds rotate clockwise. The Philippines is located just
above the equator. This means that Typhoon Haiyan’s winds were moving counter clockwise.
President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, expressed his thoughts about Typhoon
Haiyan considering the devastation that it caused. Mr. Aquino said he was “driven to despair”
by the devastation. “ The systems failed. We had a breakdown in power, a breakdown in
communications, a break down in practically everything”, he said. Bodies were still being
27
recovered. Over 10,000 people had died in this disaster. The Philippines had called for the need
of the USAID, bringing the unfortunate Filipinos fresh water, food, and medicine. The city of
Tacloban was hit the hardest by Typhoon Haiyan and now sits 5 feet above sea level.
The waves of Typhoon Haiyan rose up to 24 feet high causing floods throughout the city
and destruction of homes and buildings. The Philippines is a poor country with a lot of pride
despite their conditions, making them more vulnerable to large storms.
A typhoon is one name out of the three names for a tropical cyclone. In the Pacific
Ocean, they are called a typhoon. In the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, they are called a
hurricane. In the Indian Ocean, they are called a cyclone. The structure of a typhoon is based off
of the eye or the central part of the storm was the winds are least powerful. Around the eye is the
eye wall, which is 20-50 km wide. Around the eye wall is the rotating winds and rain bands, a
cloud of precipitation rainfall. Warming oceans are were typhoons usually occurring over. The
warm water evaporates and condenses in water vapor. This water vapor is a main fuel for a
typhoon.
Typhoon Haiyan was formed by the effect of climate change. There are 4 factors of
typhoon:
1.) The first factor is warm sea surface temperature of at least 26.5 degrees Celsius (79.7
degrees Fahrenheit) with a depth of 150 feet.
2.) The second factor is latitude. Most typhoons occur either 5 to 30 degrees north or 5 to
30 degrees south of the equator.
3.) the third factor is wind, which must move at a continues rate of at least 74 miles per
hour.
4.) The last factor is the atmosphere, which must contain a lot of moisture/humidity to
fuel the typhoon.
Climate change affects these factors of the typhoon. The extra heat radiated upon the
earth surface, heats up places on earth. The amount of greenhouse emissions that are being put in
the atmosphere is causing the bodies of water to heat up. This causes more water to evaporate.
This water evaporates into water vapor. This water vapor is a main fuel that causes the typhoon
strength.
Typhoon haiyan was an example of climate change destruction. This disastrous event is
the lead up to from burning fossil fuels. The Filipinos need to start reducing their consumption of
fossil fuels. 77% of the Philippines used electricity is burned by fossil fuels, with coal and
natural gasses as their primary source. In 2009, they imported 7.76 billion short tons of coal and
burned 111 billion cubic feet of natural gas from the Malampaya deep-water platform. This
project was built to discover deep-water technology that could draw natural gas from deep
beneath the Philippine. In the Philippines, wind, solar and biomass energy combined makes up
only .13 % of their electricity. Two of the mostly used things to burn electricity are, coal, which
is 31% of the Philippine electric power source, and natural gas is 26% of the Philippine electric
power source. These fossil fuels are a major influence on climate change.
The fossil fuels release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which is a heat-trapping gas
called greenhouse gasses. Greenhouse gasses that are being overloaded into the atmosphere by
human’s affects the global climate, resulting in disastrous events such as Typhoon Haiyan. All of
the residential energy from homes combined in the Philippines burns 28% of the Philippine
electricity. And industrial usage of electricity is 27% of the Philippine electricity. This shows
that even by just living in a house that burns electricity for light, machines, etc., the Filipinos are
burning more than a quarter of the Philippine electricity source.
28
Typhoon Haiyan was a symbol of awareness to the whole world. For what we humans are
doing everyday is going to cause a fierce tropical disaster like Typhoon Haiyan to occur.
Works Cited
Bortman, Marci, Peter Brimblecombe, and Mary Ann Cunningham. "Hurricane." Environmental
Encyclopedia. Vol. 1.3rd. Detroit: n.p., 2006. 1. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30
Jan. 2014.
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Reference Library. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
Green, Jen. Hurricanes and Typhoons. Brookfeild: Copper Beech Books, 1998. Print.
"Hurricane." Colombia Encyclopedia. 6th ed. N.p.: Columbia university press, 2000. 1. InfoTrac
Junior Edition. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
"Super Typhoon Haiyan." Encyclopedia Britannica - Middle School Edition. N.p.: n.p., 2014. 1.
Print.
"Super Typhoon Haiyan." Gale Science in Context. N.p., 1 Nov. 2013. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
"Typhoon Haiyan." World Book Kids. N.p.: n.p., 2014. 1. Print.
29
The United Nations
By Dani
For many years, the UN has been helping suffering nations around the world, but this
time something scarier than ever may continue to happen on Earth. Without our help, climate
change will continue in wacky ways each day. What can the UN do to help?
The United Nations (UN) is an organization that brings the nations together. Established
on October 24, 1945, to follow World War II, during World War II, The US President Franklin
D. Roosevelt referenced talks on a followed agency to the League of Nations, and the United
Nations Charter was made at a conference.
Its objectives include: keeping international peace and security, promoting human rights,
fostering social and economic development, protecting the environment, and providing human
aid in cases of destructive natural disasters, and armed conflict. Established in April to June
1945, this charter took effect on 24 October 1945, and the UN began operation.
The UN's mission is to make world peace. But it was complicated in its early decades by
the Cold War between the US and USSR. Over the years, the UN has been receiving more
members in their organization. The amount of members went up during the 1960s, and the
1970s. A lot of younger countries in the world are still developing and joining the UN to improve
their conditions.
The UN also approved Israel’s becoming a state in 1947, and endorsed their nationhood.
Although the UN does not maintain a military force, they directed military intervention in The
Korean (1950-53) and Congo (1996-97) wars.
The United Nations Headquarters building (above) is on the East River Side of New York
City. The General Assembly is the biggest organ of the UN; it is called “The Meeting Place Of
The World”. The UN has also five other principal organs: The Security Council (for deciding
certain resolutions for peace and security); the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) (for
promoting international economic and social co-operation and development); the Secretariat (for
providing studies, information, (needed by the UN); the International Court of Justice (the
primary judicial organ); and the United Nations Trusteeship Council (since 1994). UN System
agencies include the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization, the World Food
Programme, UNESCO, and UNICEF.
The UN made lots of actions recently (in 2014), going to Switzerland to talk to Joint
Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi. meeting in Geneva, with the Heads of the
two Syrian delegations, Mr. Ahmed Jarba, and also with Mr. Walid al Mouallem. The UN
discussed that the chemical weapons in Syria needed to stop.
For years, the UN has been making the world a better place. But right now, one of their
main concerns is with climate change. Can the UN fix climate change and make the world a
better place?
The UN is trying to help countries stop burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and other
natural gases that are released into our fragile atmosphere. Earth is the only planet we have,
because if it’s gone, there is no planet B.
On February 11, 2013 (same meeting) the UN’s members talk about what we’ve done as
humans to destroy our earth. Leaders of the world must make a difference together in their
country. This will definitely help our planet get through climate change together. Some countries
already, are embracing the transition to a low carbon, low emission future. Countries have been
30
adding electrical captivity through our renewable energy, avoiding the need for building new
coal power plants.
The UN then discussed that the renewable energy then created 1.5 million new jobs last
year (2012). But the cost is very expansive for wind power. And it is unlikely for the majority of
earth to want to spend money on wind power to produce electricity. The UN then brought up its
green economy, which is the essential insurance policy. - An investment to make in a safer future
for all of us on earth.
One of the most important agreements was the Kyoto Protocol in February, 2005. The
protocol calls for developed nations to reduce their carbon emissions drastically by certain dates.
The first commitment period was from 2008-2012. Unfortunately, participating countries did not
reach their targets and the United States never officially participated.
The UN invited US president, Barak Obama to speak. “ We must limit global temperature
rise to 2 degrees. We are far from there, and even that is enough to cause dire consequences. If
we continue along the current path, we are close to a 6 degree increase,” he announces.
He then said “World leaders have pledged to reach an argument, and we hold them to that
promise” Urging world leaders to strengthen and utilize the United Nations in facing challenges
to the world.
On November 6, 2013, the UN agency reports: “The amount of Greenhouse gases in our
atmosphere reaches record high”. Shortly after a UN climate meeting in Doha, Qatar- (on the
east coast of the Persian Gulf) a treaty was agreed to limit the Greenhouse gas output of a few
developed countries. 2 months after the meeting, on February 11, 2013, Secretary General of the
United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon announced there are “huge consequences on climate change”
Greenhouse emissions are rising faster than ever on earth, the earth is getting warmer and
warmer, like piles of blankets on top of you creating too much warmth- causing weather patterns
to change. Groups of nations like the U.N. need to do more to keep the Earth cool.
31
Works Cited
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchid books, 2007. Print.
Gateway to the United Nations Systems Work on Climate Change. United Nations, 12 Feb.
2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.un.org/wcm/content/site/climatechange/pages/gateway/template/news_item.
jsp?cid=39006>.
Pollack, David. "New York City: United Nations Headquarters." Britannica School Middle.
Britannica, 28 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/277510/media>.
Tarsitano, Frank. United Nations. USA, Millwaukee: World Almanac, 2004. Print.
Unknown. "The United Nations." Wikipedia. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. United Nations. Web. 27
Jan. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations>.
32
David Attenborough
By Emma
David Attenborough has been well aware of climate change over the past 50 years, but
only in the last decade, has he realized how much of a toll it’s taking...
A documentary is a movie or a television or radio program that provides a factual record
or report, and for 60 years, David Attenborough has been the voice of them. He has done
hundreds of shows, focusing on the earth and the beauty of creatures upon it. He is among the
most respected and famous naturalists in the world. He has made over 50 documentaries since
2000 and he is still presenting them.
When David was 60 he did a documentary about climate change, but recently (2006) he
made a new improved two-part documentary, called “The Truth About Climate Change”. In the
documentary there are lots of bad weather disasters, such as melting glaciers in Greenland and
Hurricane Katrina. He also focuses
on areas where climate is affecting
them, such as the small island in
Oceania called Tuvalu and how it’s
flooding. He wants to preserve the
world. He believes that the natural
world can heal grief (his wife, Jane
Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel died in
1997). The beauty of the natural
world was used to help himself to
help get over her loss. Now it’s being
ruined though. This is why we need
to make some changes.
David wants to help foreclose
climate change altogether. He travels
all around the world and sees how
climate change is affecting the different places. He is scared that he will suffer. He is scared that
the world will suffer. There is so much we can do to prevent and stop un-natural climate change,
and a lot of people aren’t doing it. David Attenborough is trying to get the message that climate
change is bad, it’s happening rapidly and we are the ones who can either hurt or ameliorate the
climate.
“What happens next is very largely up to man” - David Attenborough.
In September 2013, David Attenborough got the idea to start a campaign. Orangutans all
over the world are decreasing rapidly with deforestation of their habitat. It is due to climate
change. "I fully support World Land Trust in its bid to save this important land." While there are
54,000 orangutans estimated to live in Borneo, and a further 6,600 in Sumatra, the species is
under threat of extinction because its habitat has become reduced by the growth of agriculture.
By aiming for £1m in donations in a two-week campaign from 2 October to 16 October (2013),
they hope to raise enough money to buy and protect small lots of secondary forest that will link
33
different populations of the primate. The World Land Trust has promised to double any donation
made up to a maximum of £500,000.
David Attenborough was a judge at a charity auction, run by The UN Environment
Programme, and all the money that was made went towards helping countries impacted by
climate change. He has been doing a lot of work on climate change away from his job.
David Attenborough is constantly trying to get people to help stop climate change
altogether. He explains to people in his documentaries easy ways to understand the effects of
climate change. He wants people to see that is affecting people and the way that we live in so
many unimaginable ways. People are just burning fossil fuels, polluting our only atmosphere
(which gives us life!) and making people suffer, with droughts, floods, melting ice, severely hot
days and so much more.
We cannot imagine life on earth without our atmosphere. We would not even be alive.
We are at the point where we are destroying our atmosphere at such an alarming rate, that this
could be our future.
David Attenborough is so scared about animals, and how they are going to suffer. He has
even admitted to crying over it. A lot of people are very sad that animals are dying, becoming
endangered and eventually will go extinct. It makes everyone sad, knowing that you will only be
able to see polar bears in a zoo, or penguins. If I were one of these people (which I am) I would
be doing a lot to help the animals that are becoming extinct and endangered. I know a lot of
people are trying to help, but a lot of people aren’t doing enough.
If you are a fan of David Attenborough or have similar feelings about climate change,
you have the chance to help stop it. In this generation, people are spending more time learning in
schools and at home about climate change, and why it’s happening at the rate it is. This
generation and the next are the generations that are going to put an end to un-natural climate
change for good. But what happens next, is completely up to you...
We are the ones that can stop it, with simple things, like planting a tree or picking up a
piece litter. Everyone can help, but whether you do it, really matters.
Works Cited
Periodicals
Cole, Tom. "Sir David Attenborough on Climate Change, Grief and Mortality." Radio Times 18
Oct. 2011: n. pag. Print.
Genzlinger, Neil. "A Life of Beeing Smitten With this Species, That Habitat." The New York
Times 9 Jan. 2013: C8. The New York Times. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.nytimes.com>.
Lowry, Brian. "Frozen Planet." InfoTrac 19 Mar. 2012: n. pag. InfoTrac Junior Edition. Web. 29
Jan. 2014. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/K12/infomark>.
McDonald, Fiona. "David Attenborough's Climate Change." Cosmos Magazine 20 July 2010: n.
pag. Print.
Non-periodicals
34
"Are We Changing Planet Earth." Wikipedia. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Wikipedia. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_We_Changing_Planet_Earth%3F>.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
Lowry, Brian. "Frozen Planet." Infortrac. 426th ed. InfoTrac, 8 1 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/k12/infomark>.
Woodward, John. Climate Change (eyewitness). New York: DK Publishing, 2008. Print.
Audiovisual
"David Attenborough." Encyclopedia Britannica. MBOLC, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://school.eb.com/levels/middle>.
Web sites, e-sources
Blue and Green Tomorrow. N.p., 19 July 2013. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/features/film-review-sir-david-attenboroughs-thetruth-about-climate-change/>.
Contemporary Authors Online. "David Attenborough." Biography in Context. Contemporary
Authors Online, 31 July 2008. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/
Gray, Lousie. "Sir David Attenborough hits back at Lord Lawson over Frozen Planet climate
change row." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited 2014, 31 Jan. 2012. Web.
31 Jan. 2012. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
Unknown. "Africa TV series edited over climate change comment." BBC News. BBC, 11 Feb.
2013. Web. 11 Feb. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21413509>.
35
Kirkpatrick Macmillan
By Anna
The “Devil on Wheels” also known as Kirkpatrick Macmillan has made an incredible
invention. Without him, we wouldn’t have a bicycle. And without bicycles, we wouldn’t have a
healthy option to transport to different places while saving energy, and not burning fossil fuels.
Macmillan was the son of a blacksmith, and started to work in 1824. After about 14 years
later, there were different types of transporting vehicles like the bicycle. There was the draisine,
a bicycle without any pedals, just like the dandy-horse. They both had two wheels, but there
were no pedals so, the person riding it had to push onto the floor every time the bicycle stopped
moving. One day, in 1838, he was working in his smithy, and invested in the dandy-horse. He
wondered why anyone would waste his or her energy to ride this. So, he thought of a way. He
made it so that the person riding the bicycle did not have to touch the floor while riding. So,
there came the pedals.
He attached rods onto the dandy-horse as pedals. Macmillan didn’t care about people
being able to copy his ideas; he just went around his town and started to tell everyone, about his
ideas. He even went up to strangers and explained to them how the bicycle would work, and how
comfortable it would be. He was well received. When he came back to his smithy, he started to
work again. Women and children were cheering for him. It took him about a year to finish, and
he finally finished in 1839.
A horizontal
reciprocating movement of the
pedals propelled the first pedal
bicycle, and he wanted to show
the world. Macmillan’s first
bicycle was about 57 pounds, and
was made of iron and some
wood. It was very similar to the
dandy-horse, although this
vehicle had pedals.
He decided to ride into
the village of Gorbals. It took
him 2 days, to go 70 miles on his
bike. On the way, he accidently hit a little girl that was not watching where she was going. He
had to spend 5 shillings to help her, for she was injured from the hard hit. He rode all the way to
Gorbals, but he was thrown in jail for a short time. Although the bike had a ways to go with
safety innovations, his time in Gorbals allowed him to export his invention to the greater world.
If it were not for Macmillan, we would not have bicycles. And if we don’t have bicycles
we don’t have one of the options of transportation that could reduce the emission of carbon
36
dioxide into the atmosphere. Of course, there is walking and electric cars, but bicycles are faster,
and goes longer distances in faster times.
Bicycles don’t use as much as CO2 as cars do. Cars require gas, and they need to burn
fossil fuels in order to run. They also need more and more gases, as the car goes further into
distance. This bike needs the ENERGY from the human riding the bike, to go further. Not
burning fossil fuels. Carbon footprint is an important thing that goes on. People release too
much Co2 in the atmosphere.
Because carbon footprint is so big, we need to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the
atmosphere, we need to work hard so that we will have less CO2 in the air. We need to start
riding bikes, and using electric cars to transport to different places. We need to save energy and
get too different places with the same speed.
As another options, people can walk, and be healthy. So, when you think of Climate
Change, do not just sit there and act like you care. Go out, and act like you care. Go and ride a
bike once in a while instead of always driving a car for things like errands. That burns so much
fossil fuel. Go and walk, be healthy, not lazy. Kirkpatrick Macmillan will always be watching
you. And the whole world is counting on us. Take part of this action.
Works Cited
"Bicycle: First Self-Propelled Bicycle." Britannica School. Britannica, 2014. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://media3.school.eb.com/eb-media/26/104426-004-E8BC9E1D.jpg>.
Charlie. "Bike and go green!" Youth Climate. International Youth Climate Movement, 12 Sept.
2009. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://youthclimate.org/bike-and-go-green-467379/>.
Hodges, Jeremy. "They called him daft laddie for his madcap contraption, but this strapping
young blacksmith built the world's first cycle; RECOGNITION FOR A MODEST MAN
OF FEW WORDS THAT HISTORY FORGOT." Gale Biography in Context. N.p., n.d.
Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?failOverType=
&query=&prodId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&display
GroupName=News&limiter=&u=mlin_m_pierce&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false
&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=BIC1&action=e&catI
d=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA109811094>.
"Kirkpatrick Macmillan (1812-1878)." BBC. BBC History, 2014. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/macmillan_kirkpatrick.shtml>.
Reed, Catherine L. "History." World Book B-2. 2013 ed. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 291-93. Print.
Rinaldi, Giancarlo. "Kirkpatrick Macmillan: 200th anniversary of man who pioneered pedal
cycles." BBC News. BBC, 1 Sept. 2012. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-19423947>.
37
XtrixTV. "Carbon Footprint Animation." Youtube. Google, 21 Feb. 2012. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGRlo87oAUg>.
Young, Shelagh. "The brainchild of a devil on wheels - Kirkpatrick Macmillan." InfoTrac. The
Guardian, 14 May 1991. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/k12/infomark/524/404/18975167w16/purl=rc1_K12J_0_
CJ171188085&dyn=4!xrn_2_0_CJ171188085?sw_aep=mlin_m_pierce>.
38
Chico Mendes
By Joe
Chico Mendes was an activist who was against deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest in
Brazil in the 1970’s and 80’s. The ranchers were clearing lots of land and fast by cutting down
trees for cattle who needed lots of space to roam. The ranchers made lots of money selling
products from for the cows. Chico had great success organizing groups of rubber tappers to
protest against ranchers who were causing deforestation. His impact on the Brazilian people has
showed them that no matter what economic class you’re in or if you are denied something
because of your race that there is a way to change that. You can stand up and question the
authorities.
Chico Mendes was born on December 15, 1944, in Acre, Brazil, which was surrounded by
the Amazon Rainforest. Chico grew up in poverty in an area with no school, and he never went
to school. He was the oldest of his seventeen siblings but only 6 of them lived into adulthood.
His mother died in childbirth when he was seventeen. As Chico was the oldest of 17 children and
his father had clubfeet, that caused him serious discomfort while walking, Chico became a
rubber tapper at age 8 and worked on a plantation with his father.
A few years later when Chico was twelve, an escaped political prisoner named Euclides
Fernandes Tavora came to the plantation. Euclides was put into the same plantation as Chico was
in. Euclides was involved in an insurrection that failed to overthrow the dictator. Euclides lived
with Chico’s family for five years and taught him how to read by giving him newspaper
clippings and explaining all about Communism, specifically, Marx and Lenin. When Euclides
left, he gave Chico a radio so he could listen to Moscow Radio and advised him that the tappers
should organize a labor union and be treated equally. Mendez taught other adults on the
plantation how to read, write, and fight for themselves. Mendes attempted to bring about
governmental change through a direct appeal. The president of Brazil received many letters from
Chico describing how the subhuman conditions were imposed on the rubber tappers.
By the mid 70s, the understanding of unionism for Brazil took hold and many organized
movements spread across the area. Chico left his activism on the plantation and moved back to
his hometown where he became a clerk and devoted more of his time to organizing the unions.
On December 22, 1988, Chico Mendes was assassinated in Xapuri with a gunshot to his head by
a rancher of the name Darley Alves da Silva his son and their ranch hand. His death was
mourned by many and will be remembered by lots of future Brazilian activists who will follow in
his footsteps in stopping deforestation. The shooters were caught and sentenced to 19 years in
prison but only served a third because they escaped with seven other prisoners.
After Chico’s death, in 1998 the Chico Mendes Reforesting the Future Project was started.
The initial plan was to plant 100,000 fresh new trees. The trees were being planted in a small
village named Pachaj near the city of Xela. The C.M.R.P. was created to exemplify ecological
restoration, supporting cultural autonomy and heritage. Today, there are more than 250,000,000
trees that have been planted. That’s more than double the original estimate. He showed courage
by standing up to the ranchers and many others in power. By organizing many groups of people
39
like rubber tappers, and people whose voices weren’t heard. He was strong and never stopped
trying to win the battle against deforestation.
Chico Mendes died for something he believed in strongly, protecting the environment.
Although he didn’t get to see what the world is like today he understood what deforestation
meant and how to stop it. Chico Mendes, sometimes referred to as an environmental campaigner,
was honored on Dec. 22, 2013, in Washington D.C. on the 25th anniversary of his assassination
in Xapuri, Acre, deep in the Amazon Rainforest where he had fought to conserve the land. In
April 2014 people who knew or wrote about Chico will meet with grassroots activists, students,
scholars, policymakers, journalists and others from around the world at a conference, “Chico
Vive: The legacy of Chico Mendes and the Global Grassroots Environmental Movement,” at
American University’s School of International Service in Washington, D.C.
Chico Mendes giving inspiration to the people
“At first I thought I was fighting to save the rubber trees, then I
thought I was fighting to save the Amazon. Now I realize I am
fighting for humanity.” –Chico Mendes (www.Wikipedia.org)
Jan.1st, 1979- Chico Mendes was
President of the first National rubber
tapper gatherer meeting.
Works Cited
Biography in Context. Encyclopedia of world Biography, 10 Sept. 1999. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com>.
40
"Chico Mendes." Britannica. Britannica, 13 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.Britannica.com>.
Chico Mendes. Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOv
erType=&query=&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view
&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&u=mlin_m_pierce&currPage=&disableHighl
ighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&a
ction=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CK2644110075>.
"Chico Mendes." Your Dictionary. Your Dictionary, 2010. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.Biography.yourdictionary.com>.
Citizens. "Chico Mendes." Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikipedia, 2013. N. pag. Print.
International Wildlife. "The Assault Continues." Chico Mendes Nov. 1998: n. pag. Kids InfoBits.
Web. 17 Jan. 2014. <http://gale net.galegroup.com>.
New York Times. New York Times Company, 22 Dec. 2008. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com>.
41
Al Gore
By Ori
“As human beings, we are vulnerable to confusing the unprecedented with the
improbable. In our everyday experience, if something has never happened before, we are
generally safe in assuming it is not going to happen in the future, but the exceptions can
kill you and climate change is one of those exceptions.” – Al Gore
One of the United States most famous politicians and climate activists is Albert (Al) Gore
(1948 -). In fact, you might have never used the Internet without him. He was the vice president
in 1992 (the 45th), and almost became president. Not only that, but he won the Nobel Peace
Prize in 2007 and won an Oscar in 2006.
He married Tipper Gore, on May 19th, 1970 in the Washington Cathedral. His father,
Albert Gore Sr., was a Democrat in the Senate of Tennessee and was a nominee for vice
president. His mother, Pauline Lafon Gore was one of the first women to graduate from
Vanderbilt University Law School (a law school that later will have more Gores). Al Gore also
went to Vanderbilt Law School. It is one of the nation’s oldest and best law schools.
Al Gore went to Harvard as an undergraduate. He is one of their most famous alumni,
joining other famous presidents like Theodore Roosevelt, Barack Obama, and John Adams.
Actor Tommy Lee Jones was his roommate. He earned High Honors in Government in June
1969 after writing a senior thesis called “The Impact of Television on the Presidency, 19471969”.
As much as he hated it, Al Gore thought he would serve his father (and his country) well
by joining the Vietnam War. The reason he decided to do that was because at that time his father
was trying to be reelected for vice president, and he wanted to give his father a greater chance of
winning.
When Al Gore got into politics, he was in the House of Representatives for five terms,
and then he won a seat in the Senate in 1993. Al Gore became Vice President under President
Bill Clinton in 1993. He served two terms, until 2001. He was the Democratic Party candidate
for President, but he lost the 2000 election to George W. Bush. George Bush was President
twice, a Republican and the 41st President of the U.S. He is often considered the worst president
the U.S. has ever had by most of America and other nations that know about him, like the Iraqi
people.
The saying Al Gore “invented” the Internet is not true, but he was a big part of raising
attention to the internet. He was part of something called the High Performance Computing Act
of 1991. That was a bill made in 1991 (obviously) to help make America stronger in computers.
It helped to make the Internet exist. Al Gore developed it after hearing a report submitted to
Congress by a group of computer scientists. One of its most important results was the
development of Mosaic in 1993, the web browser software that is seen as starting the Internet
boom of the 1990s.
Climate Change
Al Gore is most famous for his work on climate change. His most famous work on
climate change is a book and movie titled An Inconvenient Truth. For his movie he won an
42
Oscar! That’s a big deal. The book and movie are about how much trouble the world is in from
global warming. He talks about the rainstorms in India, the droughts in Asia and America, the
icecaps melting in the Arctic, the 27 named hurricanes of 2005, the heat waves in Germany, and
also the glaciers receding all over the world.
He also mentions the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is a treaty that limits
greenhouse gases around the world. Each country that agrees to the treaty has to limit the six
greenhouse gases they emit every year. Those gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
sulfur hexafluoride, HFCs and PFCs. Right now, most countries in the world have agreed to it.
The big exceptions are the U.S. and Australia. In spite of the fact that the U.S. has not signed the
Kyoto Protocol, its former vice-president won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his efforts on
global warming. In fact, when Gore gave his Peace Prize acceptance speech, he specifically said
that the United States and China were the world’s biggest producers of carbon.
Today, Al Gore does many things that help fix climate change. He is the founder and
chair of the Alliance for Climate Protection. This is an organization that teaches people about
climate change. It also has a special event every year that is watched by millions of people on the
internet. It is called 24 Hours of Reality, and it shows 24 people in 24 different places about
climate change. Last year, it was watched by 14 million people, and received ten Telly awards.
Gore is also a partner in a firm that helps companies that are working to make up climate
change solutions. On January 22, 2014, Al Gore spoke at the World Economic Forum at Davos,
Switzerland and said that extreme weather events are showing how bad global warming is. He
has written several books, but the most recent book is called The Future: Six Drivers of Global
Change. His new book talks about six
different areas where things will
happen, including Earth, the Global
Mind, and the Edge.
Al Gore has made the biggest
change that he could possibly make
with climate change. He has made a
change in people understanding what
climate change is as well. His books
are incredibly popular and his single
movie won an Oscar and a Grammy.
Gore was a big reason for the passage
of the Kyoto Protocol, which makes
countries reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions. Too many people do not
believe in global warming though, or have never even heard of it. He made that less so, but there
is still work to be done on global warming, and climate change.
Works Cited
Al Gore. Free Range Studios, 5 Dec. 2013. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.algore.com/>.
Anderson, Dale Anderson. A Wake up Call to Global Warming. N.p.: Crabtree
43
Publishing Company, 2009. Print.
Biography.com. A+E Networks, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.biography.com/people/al-gore-9316028?page=2>.
Discover the Networks.org. Discover the Networks.org, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/individualProfile.asp?indid=2140>.
Gale Biography in Context. Gale Biography in Context, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 29 Jan.
2014.<http://ic.galegroup.com.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/ic/bic1/
ReferenceDetailsPage//ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType=&query=&windowstate=normal
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d=GALE%7CK2644110047>.
Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore>.
Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kyoto_protocol>>.
44
Hurricane Katrina
By Gerardo
Hurricane Katrina raged through the state of Louisiana in the city of
New Orleans on August 29, 2005. It was the most damaging and deadly hurricane to hit the U.S.
that year and was the second of four Category 5 storms to affect U.S.coast. Emily, Rita, and
Wilma were the others.
Hurricane Katrina first began in the state of Florida as a Category 1 hurricane which has
winds up to 74 mph or above. In Mississippi, as the hurricane bore down the coastline from the
Gulf of Mexico, the sustained winds were as high as 174 mi per hour and pushed waves along
the coast of Mississippi.
Since 2005, the rebuilding of New Orleans has been on and off. New Orleans has
restored the downtown core and reopened many facilities, including the Superdome. According
to the study conducted by the University of New Orleans in 2010, approximately 75% of the
homes in the flood had been rebuilt and repaired, or were undergoing restoration. In 2012,
construction efforts along the Gulf Coast on April 20th, 2010 were underway when Deep Water
Horizon, an oil platform located 4 miles off the Louisiana coast, caught fire and sank following
an oil well blowout. In addition to direct and considerable environmental damages, the oil spill
stressed the fragile economy of the recovering Gulf Coast. There is more work to be done.
The formation of a hurricane involves the growth of a sustained low pressure system
which establishes in a flow of warm air from the surface. When the circulation establishes a
cyclic flow (counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere), a tropical storm can form. Stages in
the increased strength of the storm include: tropical wave tropical disturbance (cohesive area of
rain and winds) tropical depression (circular motion is an established, pressure drop) tropical
storm (sustained wind speeds.
The reason hurricanes are more damaging with Global Warming is because they get
stronger and reason they get stronger is because over the years and centuries we humans have
been using and burning unhealthy non eco friendly gases and oils. The bad thing is that those non
natural gases get into our atmosphere, which causes greenhouse gases, which makes the oceans
warmer and this is what hurricanes need in order to form themselves.
45
John Muir
By Ryan
“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”
- John Muir
Just imagine; the clear blue sky above you and the warm sun shining down on you. You
are in the midst of Yosemite National Park, but that wouldn’t be possible if not for John Muir.
Known as “The Father of Our National Parks”, John Muir was an influential naturalist, who
greatly contributed to the creation of many of our national parks, like Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount
Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon National Parks. He significantly expanded the U.S.
National Park System.
John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland on April 21st, 1838. In 1849, at age eleven,
John’s family immigrated to America, settling in a farm near Portage, Wisconsin. John’s father
was very strict, he worked his family from dawn until dusk. John was forbidden to read, his
father told him not to waste any time reading. So John requested, and received, permission to
wake up early to study. John invented “an early-rising machine” to dump him out of bed each
morning at one o’clock. John also invented many other things, many of which he later displayed
in the Wisconsin State Fair in 1860. John studied hard and was very enthusiastic about learning.
In 1860, at the age of 22, John Muir entered the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He
studied science, but in 1863, three years later, he left without a degree. John did not participate in
the civil war because he wasn’t drafted and he wouldn’t volunteer.
In 1867, while working at a wagon factory, John almost lost his eyesight due to a factory
accident. While recovering, John decided to leave the factory and his life as an inventor behind
in order “to study the inventions of God.” John walked 1,000 miles from Indiana to the Gulf of
Mexico. He kept a journal for observations and sketches of the plants and animals he
encountered. His journal was later published as A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf.
In 1868, John settled in Yosemite Valley. He spent much of the next six years exploring
the high mountains and deep crevices of Yosemite Valley. He developed a deep connection to
Yosemite Valley that strengthened his interest
towards nature.
In 1880, John Muir married Louie
Wanda Strentzel. In 1881, they settled on a
fruit ranch near Martinez, California. John
worked on the ranch for ten years to provide
for his wife and two daughters, making
enough money to permanently support his
family. Then, he turned his full attention to the
46
study of nature. John was particularly interested in glaciation. John’s travels took him to many
more places, including Alaska, South America, Africa, Europe, China, and Japan.
John Muir was a very influential writer. His writings helped create many national parks.
John then became very famous. So famous that in 1903, president Theodore Roosevelt visited
John in Yosemite Valley, and John took Theodore on a camping trip. Theodore shared John’s
passion towards nature. During Theodore’s presidency, 148 million acres were set aside as
national forests, 16 national monuments were established, and the number of national parks was
doubled.
On May 28, 1892, John Muir and his supporters created the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club
was founded to help protect the environment. The Sierra Club is still active today. The Sierra
Club is the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. It has
helped pass the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. The Sierra Club’s
motto is “Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet.” The Sierra Club has more than 2,000,000
members and supporters. John served as the president of the Sierra Club until his death on
December 24, 1914.
Visiting national parks created by John Muir inspired many current day climatologists
such as 350.org’s Bill McKibbon. Experiencing the full beauty of nature propelled many
climatologists to take action against climate change. Climate change has wreaked havoc upon
many national parks. If climate change continues to persist, it will destroy all national parks and
John Muir’s actions would have been in vain.
Works Cited
"About the Sierra Club." Sierra Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.sierraclub.org/aboutus/>.
"Biography: A Brief Biography." EcoTopia. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://ecotopia.org/ecology-hall-of-fame/john-muir/biography/>.
Gifford, Terry. "Muir, John 1838–1914." Encyclopedia of Environmental Ethics and Philosophy.
Ed. J. Baird Callicott and Robert Frodeman. Vol. 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA,
2009. 76-78. Print.
"John Muir." Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. N.p.: n.p., 2014. N. pag. Britannica School. Web. 9
Jan. 2014. <http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/275970>.
"John Muir." Encyclopedia of World Biography. N.p.: n.p., 2013. N. pag. Gale Biography in
Context. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOv
erType=&query=&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view&displayGroup
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GALE%7COCHUAC106768708&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CK1
631004718>.
"John Muir: A Brief Biography." Sierra Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/muir_biography.aspx>.
47
"John Muir Quotes." BrainyQuote. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_muir.html?SPvm=1>.
The Library of Congress. "John Muir." Gale Biography in Context. N.p., 2004. Web. 28 Jan.
2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ImagesDetailsPage/ImagesDetailsWindow?total=4&que
ry=&prodId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&mode=view&limiter=&displayGroupName=I
mages&u=mlin_m_pierce&currPage=1&displayGroups=&sortBy=relevance%2Cdescen
ding&source=fullList&p=BIC1&action=e&catId=GALE%7COCHUAC106768708&vie
w=docDisplay&documentId=GALE%7CPC3490287191>.
Locker, Thomas. John Muir: America's Naturalist. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing, 2003.
Print.
"Who Was John Muir?" Sierra Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/about/default.aspx>.
48
St. Francis of Assisi
By Simon
“Where the modern cynic sees something ‘buglike’ in everything that exists, St.
Francis saw even in a bug the sacredness of life.” – Max Sheler, German Philosopher
Note: This report does not reflect the opinions of the Catholic Church
Even though he was born in the year 1182, St. Francis of Assisi was a great supporter
of the well being of animals, so much so that he became the patron saint of ecology and wildlife!
He was born to a wealthy cloth merchant in 1182 and baptized Giovanni (John) while his father
was away on a business trip. He was furious when he heard this. You see, in the Catholic religion
(very prominent in Europe at the time) what you are baptized will determine what profession you
will have. Giovanni means you will become a priest. However, Pietro (Francis’ father) did not
want him to become a man of God, but rather someone who would take over his business and
uphold his good relationship with the French, so he was renamed Francesco, which translates to
French man, Francis for short.
When he was in his late teens and early twenties, he was part of a group of young men
about the same age who went to parties until late every night. Francis did not pay much attention
to learning, his Pietro did not mind very much, because Francis was everything his father wanted
him to be. He was a fabulous merchant, he was generally very likable, and he loved
France. Francis decided at an early age to become a night, and when Pope Innocent III called for
the knights, Francis eagerly went. But he never got more than a day out from Assisi, because one
night when he stopped to rest, he had a vision from God. God told him to return home to Assisi,
for his destiny did not lie in war. Imagine what it must have been like for him to be the hero of
the people one day and the laughingstock of the village the next.
He waited and waited for a sign from god, until one day, while he was in prayer, the
crucifix spoke to him and said “Francis, rebuild my church” Francis looked around and saw that
the church he was in, the San Damiano church, was falling apart. He then spent the next few
months begging for bricks and mortar, once he even stole a piece of cloth from his father, Pietro
got so mad that he took Francis to the bishop, who told him to give the cloth back to his father.
Francis not only gave back the cloth, but he took off all of his clothes and handed them to his
father. Stating “Pietro Bernardone is no longer my father. From now on I can say with complete
freedom, 'Our Father who art in heaven.” the bishop gave Francis a rough brown cloak to wear,
wished him luck and sent him on his way. Francis was a changed man.
Francis was happy living this life, without any possessions. After all, “you cannot steal
from a man that has no money, you cannot starve a fasting man, and you cannot kill a man who
wishes to be freed and go to heaven” he reasoned and soon others joined him, realizing that he
was not crazy, but that he had been visited by God. Once he had twelve loyal followers, Francis
decided that they must receive the blessing of the Pope.
At first, the Pope did not want another religious order, even though the Franciscans (as
they would soon be called) preached obedience to the church and the grace of God. But the night
after Francis was dismissed, the Pope had a dream he dreamed that the Holy Church in Rome
was falling down, he saw that a man in rags was holding it up and as the man came toward him,
the Pope realized that it was Francis. The next morning The Pope thought that the dream was a
49
sign from God and quickly called Francis back, explaining that he had been too quick to judge,
and that Francis was indeed blessed by God.
Francis also loved animals. There was a time when Francis and his fellow Franciscans
were walking in the woods, and they came across a clearing full of birds. Francis had a
marvelous idea and said to his followers “Brothers, wait here while I preach to our sisters the
Birds.” Francis then proceeded to tell the birds all about the beauty of God and how lucky they
were and that God had graced them with their feathers and wings. And, as the story goes, not one
bird left until he was done.
Another example of St. Francis’ love of animals takes place in the Italian town of
Gubbio. At the time, a wolf was terrorizing the small village. It just so happened that Francis
was in Gubbio at the time, and so decided to help the village, which was going to kill the wolf.
The townspeople were frightened. They were
worried about Francis. After all, he was considered
a saint even though he was still alive, and they had
never seen a saint be eaten before! But when
Francis found the wolf, instead of killing it as the
people wanted, he simply said, “Come Brother
Wolf, I will not hurt you. Let us talk in peace.” The
wolf was so stunned by this that he froze and then
went to lay down at Francis’ feet. The wolf told
Francis that he had only ate the townspeople
because he had no food. When Francis walked back
into town, everyone was startled to see the wolf
strolling right next to him. Francis told the people
that they were to feed the wolf and give him shelter
when it rained, and that if they did this they would
not be harmed by the
wolf.
The stories about St. Francis and his love of
animals are countless, and Francis is as kind-hearted to the animals as he was to the Wolf of
Gubbio. In the last years of his life, Francis wrote the famous Canticle of the Creatures, more
commonly known of as the Canticle of the Sun. The Canticle of the Creatures expresses Francis’
love for God and all of his creations, such as Brother Sun and Sister
Moon.
St. Francis always made it a point to treat animals like his equals. He called the creatures
his Brothers and Sisters, and he treated them with the respect that they deserved. Francis was a
teacher to us all, and we can learn from him even today. I know that Francis would be proud of
what his namesake is doing, which is a lot, but at the same time I know, that he would know, that
it isn’t enough. In 2012 we surpassed 400 PPM (Parts per Million) of CO2 in the atmosphere.
The “safe” number of PPM in the atmosphere is 350 PPM, so already we are in
trouble.
Climate Change is getting worse and worse, and we need to do something about it. The
past 13 years have been the hottest years on record. Hurricane Sandy wasn’t some sort of a
coincidence; it wouldn’t have been nearly as bad if we had been working to prevent climate
change. We need to limit our Carbon Emissions and if we don’t act soon, Katrina could become
the new norm.
50
Climate Change is a serious issue; already signs are happening everywhere, the Polar
Vortex (the extreme cold we had in January), Hurricane Sandy, and increased droughts.
Everywhere you look you can see signs of Climate Change. 2012 was the hottest year on record,
and the Earth has already risen one degree Fahrenheit. One degree doesn’t seem like a lot, but
think about it this way: at 32o F, ice cream is cool and refreshing. At 33o F, it is ice cream
soup.
St. Francis was born too soon, but that doesn’t mean that Climate Change can’t be
stopped. Go outside and plant a tree, have a bake sale and donate the proceeds to an organization
that helps to save rainforests, or just learn more about it and help. But don’t do it for me. Do it
for the human race. Do it for the animals in the forest. Do it for the world that we live in. Do it
before it is too late.
Works Cited
biography.com. unknown, 1996-2013. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/stfrancis-of-assisi-21152679?page=1>.
Cunningham, Laurence, and Ignatius Charles Brady. "Saint Francis of Assisi." Britanica. N.p.:
n.p., n.d. Encylopedia Britanica. Web. 12 Jan. 2014.
<http://school.eb.com/levels/middle/article/35127>.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordan. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
Matz, Terry. "St. Francis of Assisi." Catholic.org. Terry Matz, 1996 - 2000. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=50#top>.
Neville, Richard. "Love me some Francis!" Tribe.net. Tribe.net, 10 Apr. 2009. Web. 28 Jan.
2014. <http://people.tribe.net/moss/blog/15e55d37-87a6-4ea4-afa4-357e19f859a7>.
Unknown. "Francis of Assisi." Biography in Context. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Biography in
Context. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOverType
=&query=&prodId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&contentModules
51
- - -. "Saint Francis of Assisi--Patron Saint of Animals." Squidoo. Squidoo, Jan. 2014. Web. 12
Jan. 2014.
Wall, Tim. "Is the New Pope Green?" News.discovery. N.p., 25 Mar. 2013. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://news.discovery.com/earth/global-warming/is-the-new-pope-green-130325.htm>.
52
Ansel Adams
By Hannah
At the beginning of the twentieth century, art
photographs were often blurry pictures that attempted to copy
oil paintings. Then Ansel Adams came along and changed
photography forever.
On February 20, 1902 in San Francisco, a boy named
Ansel Easton Adams was born. Charles Hitchock Adams and
Olive Bray Adams were his parents, naming Ansel after his
uncle Ansel Easton. As a young boy he broke his nose in the
aftershock of the great San Francisco earthquake on April 18,
1906. He grew up in the dunes area. When reading the book
In The Heart of the Sierras by J.M. Hutchings, he learned
about Yosemite National Park and knew he wanted to see it
for himself. In 1916 he made his first visit to Yosemite National Park with his family. He also
received his first camera, a Kodak Box Brownie, from his parents. He would take photographs
everywhere they went in Yosemite with that camera.
In 1919, Ansel contracted the Spanish Flu and was very ill, but he later recovered. He
was considered ugly with his broken nose and big ears. He wanted to run around all day instead
of being cooped up in a classroom. At the age of 12 his parents decided to take him out of public
school and homeschool him instead. He was a talented piano player at age 12, but later in life he
battled whether to stick with piano or pursue photography. His first piano teacher Miss. Marie
Butler demanded perfection. He learned discipline from her that he would use in other endeavors
including photography. He started taking photographs in the High Sierra and also Yosemite
Valley. At that time the painterly aesthetic was how photos were supposed to look. They were
supposed to mimic oil paintings.
When Ansel Adams was a teenager he was hired to be the caretaker of the LeConte
Lodge at the Sierra Club in 1920. The Sierra Club is an organization dedicated to preserving the
natural environment. He had a love for photography his entire life and photographed Yosemite
every year. He also loved a woman named Virginia Best and they were married on April 18th,
1928 in Yosemite Valley.
He learned how to make his own prints from Frank Dittman and made all of his own
prints by hand. He produced over 13,000 prints in his life. When taking a photograph he would
visualize how he wanted the photograph to look like in the end. Paul Strand was a great
photographer at the time and when he saw some negatives by Paul Strand he finally new he
would become a photographer because his negatives were so inspiring. Paul Strand got Ansel to
take “straight” photography, which were high resolution, clearer, emphasized tones, and sharp
detail photos. He became professional in 1930, choosing photography instead of piano.
Ansel Adams’s legacy continues to make a difference in the world today, especially in
the face of our changing climate. Yosemite might not have been what it is today if not for Ansel
Adams. The Sierra Club was founded in 1892 but Ansel Adams’ wife Virginia Best served on
the Sierra Club’s board of directors in 1932-1934. Then someone nominated Ansel as a member
of the board humorously, but Virginia insisted he join. So he became a member of the board in
53
1936. He proved such a good and valuable member he was reelected every year until 1971,
which was his voluntary retirement. In his time on the board many things happened.
Ansel took many large photographs of landscapes that included mountains, forests, and
rivers most of the time. He was able to haul camera equipment with him on big backcountry
treks. He was known for taking dramatic photos of the west that were black and white. His first
portfolio was in 1927 called Parmelian Prints of the High Sierras. Ansel was worried that they
wouldn’t sell because the name was incorrect. It was supposed to be Sierra not Sierras. The
portfolio was of 18 photos at $50 each and every portfolio sold. His point of focus was
conservation, and he used photography to help make that point vivid.
In 1932 he formed Group f/64 with six other photographers living around San Francisco.
Group f/64 wanted to emphasize more modern view and more pure view of photography. Ansel
would wait for hours just to get the right light to shoot a certain scene or photo. He specialized in
characteristic regional landscapes. He tried to promote photography as a form of art and help
awake people to see the beauty in nature. He had a sense of humor on the Sierra Club trips and
made a play on one of the outings. He helped the Sierra Club in many ways. Once when
photographing a kindergarten class he wanted to get better light so he used more flash powder.
He used too much flash powder and made an explosion. He invented the Zone System, which is
a way to determine what the final tone will be. The light space of immense landscapes.
In 1936, Ansel set out to Washington D.C to make Kings Canyon Wilderness (California)
a national park. He helped establish Kings Canyon National Park as well. In 1940 he helped
found the Department of Photography at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and in
1946 he established photography department at the California School of Fine Arts (San
Francisco Art Institute). He had an active interest on policies affecting Yosemite. He spoke to
presidents about management or to superintendents about the locating of road signs. In 1975
Gerald Fold, the president at that time, invited him to the White House and Ansel expressed
concern in the negative trends on national parks. He said commercial exploitation and poor
management were threatening primeval natural qualities of the parks. He told him that The
National Park System has the Crown Jewels of the American Heritage. Told the president that he
could help bring the Park System into the nations 3rd century.
Ansel also wrote many books, which included Sierra Nevada: The John Muir Trail and
three seminal books for photographic technique: The Camera, The Print, and The Negative.
During his time when he was alive nobody really knew about the climate changing but scientists
were starting to track it. He also served president of the Trustees for Conservation. Ansel Adams
died on April 22, 1984 at ICU at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in
Monterey, California. He died from cardiovascular disease.
Ansel Adams was known for taking photographs of the west at his time. The west was
much more beautiful than it is now. Today the west is very dry, has wildfires, droughts, and is
putting in solar panels for renewable energy. People could be more motivated to help change that
from seeing his photographs of how the west looked like in the 1900’s.
His photographs were very persuasive to try to get people to take action to do things like
help different national parks. They can still help today. As Ansel Adams once said, “ The whole
world is, to me, very much ”alive”- all the little growing things, even the rocks. I can’t look at a
smell bit of grass on earth, for instance, without feeling the essential life-the things going onwithin them. The same goes for a mountain, or a bit of ocean, or a magnificent piece of old
wood.” So we should keep this world alive and reduce our carbon emissions for the future.
54
Works Cited
"Adams, Ansel Easten." The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives. Ed. Kenneth T. Jackson.
Vol. 1. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998. N. pag. Print.
bio.com. unknown, Jan. 2014. Web. 7 Jan. 2014. <http://www.biography.com/people/anseladams-9175697?page=2>.
Gherman, Beverly. Ansel Adams America's Photographer. Boston: Little Brown and Company,
2002. Print.
Matthews, Andrew. "Finding Beauty in Nature." Info Trac Junior Edition. N.p., 2011. Web. 9
Jan. 2014.
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/k12/infomark/86/27/18950411w16/purl=rc1_K12J_0_A2
59382124&dyn=4!xrn_3_0_A259382124?sw_aep=mlin_m_pierce>.
"Mt.Williamson, The Sierra Nevada, from Manzanar, California." Environmental Issues:
Essential Primary Sources 2006: n. pag. Gale Biography in Context. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com
Turnage, Robert. "Ansel Adams: The Role of the Artist in the Environmental Movement." The
Ansel Adams Gallery. Wilderness Society, 2014. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.anseladams.com/ansel-adams-the-role-of-the-artist-in-the-environmentalmovement/>.
Unknown. "Adams, Ansel." The Columbia Encyclopedia. Vol. unknown. N.p.: n.p., 2000. 352.
InfoTrac. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://infotrac.galegroup.com>.
- - -. "Ansel Adams." Gale. Gale Biography in Context, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com
- - -. "Ansel Adams." Britannica School. By Unknown. N.p.: n.p., 2014. 1-2. Print.
- - -. "Ansel Adams: Beyond Black and White." Wilderness.net. The University of Montana,
2014. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. <http://www.wilderness.net>.
Young, Gerald L. "Adams, Ansel Easton (1902-1984) American Photographer and
Conservationist." ReferNCE. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 9-10. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web.
13 Jan. 2014. <http://go.galegroup.com
55
Under The Sea
By Yoosong
Long time ago, in the deep, clear, blue sea, two marine creatures were living peacefully
on their own ways. Clownfish (anemone fish) swam around the water in Pacific Ocean, playing
hide-and-seek inside the colorful coral reefs. Sea turtles laid both genders equally on Brazilian
Beach. Every day was happy and delightful for them.
Imagine you are in the animated movie, “Finding Nemo”. Clownfish
(Amphiprioninaeocellaris) is a very famous fish, which became the main character, Nemo in the
movie. It is a cute-looking, small bright orange colored fish with 3 thick, white stripes on its
body. They are carnivores and they can spend 6~10 years in wild. They are omnivorous, so they
eat algae, plankton, molluscs, and crustacea.
Clownfish live in the shallow water of Indonesia, South-east Asia, Japan and many other
middle and West parts of the Pacific Ocean. They also live in Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea.
There are 28 known species of clownfish. The largest clownfish is 4 to 6 ½ inches. It is relative
to the size of a teacup. Clownfish lives with anemones, which is the host. It helps them by eating
debris and parasites. In return, anemones protect clownfish with their tentacles.
Surprisingly, all Clownfish are born male. Clownfish often lives with breeding male and
female and sometimes, the non-breeding males. If female dies, the largest changes the sex and
the next largest becomes the breeding male. An interesting fact is that clownfish can scare away
their predators by slamming their teeth.
Sea turtles are one of the most ancient creatures on Earth because they existed around for
110 million years since there were dinosaurs. Sea turtles’ shells or “carapace” is streamlined for
swimming and the colors vary between yellow, greenish and black depending on their species.
There are 7 species and they are Kemp’s Ridley, Hawksbill, Flatback, Leatherback, Loggerhead,
Green and Olive Ridley. Kemp’s Ridley (LepidochlysKempii) is the smallest species and it is the
only species that nest mostly during day. Hawksbill (Erethmochelys imbricate) is one of the
smaller species and it was named for its narrow head and bird-like beak. Flatback
(Natatordepressus) is named for its flat carapace and it is only found around Northern Australia
and Southern Indonesia. Leatherback (Dermochelyscoriacea) is the largest sea turtle. It grows
4~8 feet in length and it weighs 500~2000 pounds! Loggerhead (Carettacaretta) is named for its
massive head/jaws. They are found in all warm and temperate
waters throughout the world.
Sea turtles feed on a wide range of animals and plants.
They are carnivorous when they were young, but mostly
omnivorous in their adult life, except the green sea turtle,
which is herbivorous. Sea turtles are almost always
submerged, as you know, so they have large lungs. When
surfacing to breathe, a sea turtle can quickly refill its lungs
with a single short exhalation and rapid inhalation.
Do you think this peaceful story will go happily ever after? No, it does not. There is a
reversal in this peaceful, “under the sea” story. The real life is different from Disney or Pixar.
In recent days, sea turtles and clownfish are suffering from climate change. Around 40%
of human CO2 past 200 years is stored in the oceans, so the marine creatures suffer predication
rates 5~9 times higher than the expected level. The current increase in global temperature is 0.7
56
°c since pre-industrial time. This small change makes gilled marine animals, like clownfish, hard
to breathe. Also, for clownfish, acid seawater will dull its ability and senses. That means they can
be deaf! Sounds are very important to clownfish. Clownfish can decide whether to swim towards
or away from replaying the sounds of predators recorded on a reef. It is also important for male
detection, and pack hunting.
Acidic water affects calcium structures and might affect fishes’ ear bones. Even if the
acidity does not seem to physically damage the fish’s ears, it could be neurological or maybe it
can be stressed by higher acidity. Ocean acidification also affects their sense of smelling. When
larvae are raised in acid water, it carries different scents. This makes their parents hard to find
them. It affects the larvae, too. From the experiment in Bristol University, at pH 7.6, the Larvae
were unable to smell anything and swam in random directions. Steven Simpson from the school
of Biological Sciences at Bristol University said, “When you’re a centimeter long as a fish,
anything is a predator.” Clownfish should not be deaf because of us!
Sea turtles are also in danger. The estimated populations of nesting female sea turtles are
1,000 for Kemp’s Ridley, 800 for Hawksbill, 10,000 for Flatback, 34,000 for Leatherback,
60,000 for Loggerhead. They are really in danger. In warmer temperature, turtles produce
females. Temperature and humidity in the nest affects the eggs. Temperature may affect the
entire nest! For green turtles, 82°F will produce males and at 88°F, they will produce females.
Because of the global warming, sea turtles are now only producing females. This will make the
egg and hatchling survival drop by half in next 100 years.
Rising sea level is also causing troubles with sea turtles. Because of rising sea level, there
are a lot of erosions happening in nesting beaches. However, it is very hard to move the nest of
sea turtles. The nests are threatened by rapid rising sea level!
The changes in ocean currents can modify migration paths and feeding patterns. That will
disrupt the natural cycle of sea turtles. Extreme rainfalls can also affect the sea turtles. Extreme
rainfalls can raise groundwater tables and flood sea turtles’ nests.
Last but not least, coral bleaching is causing trouble. Coral reef is a diverse community of
about 25% of all marine life. Coral reefs are bleaching because of the changes at the acid levels.
Corals are their essential feeding habitats, so coral reefs are very important to clownfish and sea
turtles.
Climate change is the worst situation for almost all marine animals, but don’t worry. If
we make some changes, it will be very helpful for them. First, we have to use less carbon
dioxide. We can wear warm clothes in our houses instead of turning on the heater, we can walk
or ride bicycles when we go to work, school or other short distances, we can switch off the light
when we’re not using the room, and we can turn off the electronics that we are not using
currently.
These look easy, but if you try these out, it will make a huge difference to all living
organisms, even us! Second, you can start the 3Rs, which are recycling, reducing and reusing.
Well, exactly, it is 4Rs. The last one is refusing. We have to refuse to use plastic bags in many
shops. I know it’s a lot to do, but if you love happy endings, you’d better start to do those things.
I know we can do this!
57
Works Cited
biological.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.biological.org/news/press_releases/2012/reef-fish-09-03-2012>.
"Clownfish." Animals Town. disclaimer, n.d. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.animalstown.com/animals/c/clownfish/clownfish.html>.
Cristopherson, Sara Cohen. Top 50 reasons to care about Marine Turtles. N.p.: Enslow
Publishers Inc., 2010. Print.
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
"El Nino weather and climate change threaten survival of baby leatherback sea turtles." Ecology,
Environment & Conservation 8 June 2012: n. pag. Gale Global Issues in Context. Web. 8
Jan. 2014.
<http://find.galegroup.com/gic/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DateDescend&t
abID=T004&prodId=GIC&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&searchId=R5&searchType=
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ce&inPS=true&docId=A292436135&contentSet=IACDocuments&docId=A292436135&docType=IAC>.
"Impact of climate change on marine turtles." WWF. WWF, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/aboutcc/problems/impacts/species/turtles>.
"Marine Problems: Climate Change." WWF. WWF, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/climate_change/>.
Milius, Susan. "Be more afraid, young clownfish : in acidifying oceans, fish are oblivious to
alarming sounds." infotrac.galegroup.com 2011: n. pag. Science News. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/k12/infomark/614/376/19416418w16/purl=rc2_K12J_1_b
e+more+afraid+young+clownfish)+and+ac+fulltex_xx____________________________
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Nowak, Rachel. "Acid oceans no laughing matter for clownfish." New Scientist. ?, 2009. Web. 9
Jan. 2014. <http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16518-acid-oceans-no-laughingmatter-for-clownfish.html#.Usy3t-RdWSp>.
Portman, Michael. Sea Turtles in Danger. New York: Gareth Stevens, 2012. Print.
Richard, Michael Graham. "Ocean Acidification Makes Clownfish Go Deaf (Poor Nemo Can't
Hear Predators Anymore)." treehugger. MNN HOLDINGS, 1 June 2011. Web. 12 Jan.
2014. <http://www.treehugger.com/clean-technology/ocean-acidification-makesclownfish-go-deaf-poor-nemo-cant-hear-predators-anymore.html>.
Spotila, James R. Saving Sea Turtles; Extraordinary Stories from the Battle against Extinction.
N.p.: JHU Press, 2011. Print.
University of Bristol. "Ocean acidification leaves clownfish deaf to predators." phys.org. Science
X Network, June 2011. Web. 13 Jan. 2014. <http://phys.org/mews/2011-06-oceanacidification-clownfish-deaf-predators.html>.
58
Jane Goodall
By Franz
In response to Jane Goodall’s revolutionary findings, Louis Leakey wrote, “We must now
redefine man, redefine tool, or accept chimpanzees as human!”
As you can tell from the quote above, Jane Goodall did not only study chimpanzees but
also she redefined man. She was able to observe chimps using tools to get food and fight with
one another. Those tools are twigs, peeled off tree bark, and branches. In the 1900s the definition
of man was: man creates and uses tools. By observing the chimps doing those things she was
able to redefine man. Her research was a surprise to everyone. The idea that a woman could
redefine man shook the world, when had that ever happened?
Jane Goodall was born in London, England on April 3, 1934. She lived with her father,
Mortimer, her mother, Anne, and her younger sister, Judy. Later on in life Jane says that she got
most of her endurance and patience from her father. At a young age she was in love with
animals; she would never stop reading Tarzan and Dr. Doolittle. Jane never went to college; she
worked as a film production assistant and a secretary to Louis Leakey.
Louis sent Jane Goodall at the age of 29 in 1960 to Africa by boat. Her job in Africa was
to study the chimpanzees and their behavior. She went on through her studies with money raised
from Louis. Jane had no degree in any kind of science so she had a very different way of
studying the chimpanzees. She married her photographer that had been working with her from
almost the beginning of her studies. The photographer’s name was Hugo Van Ludwick; he was a
Dutch photographer for National Geographic. They had one child and his name was Grub.
Grub hated the idea of the chimpanzees; instead he decided to be a fisherman. Jane of
course was not into that idea because she thinks fishing is animal abuse. Although she was; Grub
went on in the fishing business. Now Grub does fishing tours on
Jane holding a monkey, photograph
the coast of Tanzania.
courtesy of The Library of Congress.
Hugo and Jane got divorced and Jane remarried to a man
named Derek Bryceson. Derek was a very important man and
loved her in a most peculiar way; he flew all the way to Africa to
drop a plastic container filled with flowers and a “will you marry me”
note. Later he died of cancer. Two people she loved very much were
taken by divorce and death.
Jane Goodall used to be a name that was heard in the context
of chimpanzees, but now she is heard in conservation and climate
change. Jane has an amazing idea for helping the climate; she is
taking young people (from kindergarten to college age) and turning
them into the next conservationists or even the next Jane Goodall
(animal scientist). Her idea for saving the planet is investing in our
own young people, our next beautiful generation.
In 1980 the chimps were officially on the endangered species
list. Jane responded to that in words and actions, “If we just sit back and allow the chimpanzees
here and everywhere else to become extinct, it will be a enormous black mark on us as a species.”
Jane Goodall put her words into action. She decided to move to the U.S. and she started the Jane
59
Goodall Institute for Wildlife Research, Education, and Conservation. The Jane Goodall
Institute or Roots and Shoots is an organization known around the world for its encouragement
in young people being involved in conservation. Jane as a young girl set a high goal for herself in
life and she was able to reach it and a lot more beyond it.
Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program (aka The Jane Goodall Institute for Wildlife
Research, and Conservation) is not just in the U.S., in fact, over 120 countries participate in it.
The Roots and Shoots program is an online program that any young person from elementary to
college or organizations that work with young people can participate in. The program involves
fundraisers and other special projects. The mission of Roots and Shoots is best explained in
Jane’s own words, “Our mission is to foster respect and compassion for all living things, to
promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs and to inspire each individual to take action to
make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.”
An appealing aspect of the web site are the examples of what some people have done in
their communities to effect climate change. One of the projects on the web site was written by a
boy named Jacob vB whose parents decided to get rid of their car. His blog had detailed
information about what he had learned about car/transportation pollution. There are ways to
make your carbon footprint smaller and of ways to promote good in your community.
 Plan walk/bike to school day
 Identify gaps in sidewalks and address them with your city
 Identify areas in your community where pedestrian/bicycle signage is needed
 Host a bike fair
 Plan a field trip or outing on mass transit if it is available where you live
--By Jacob vB
Through Jane Goodall’s influence, young people like Jacob vB are leaders in their
communities and carry the message of hope for our planet with them.
Works Cited
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming. New York:
Orchard Books, 2007. Print.
"Jane Goodall." Animal Sciences. New York: Macmillan Reference, 2009. N. pag. Gale
Biography in Context. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?failOv
erType=&query=&prodId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view
&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&u=mlin_m_pierce&currPage=&disableHighl
ighting=true&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=BIC1&ac
tion=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CK2642010010>.
Lawick, Hugo Van. "Jane Goodall." Gale Biography in Context. Gale Biography in Context, 27
Jan. 2014. Web. 27 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/bic1/ImagesDetailsPage/ImagesDetailsWindow?query=&pro
dId=BIC1&windowstate=normal&mode=view&limiter=&displayGroupName=Images&
u=mlin_m_pierce&source=&displayGroups=&p=BIC1&action=e&catId=GALE%7C000
00000MRET&view=statisticsDocDisplay&documentId=GALE%7CPC4295805787>.
Norton, Molly. "Chimpanzees Headed for Extimction." World Watch Sept. 2004: n. pag. Gale
Science in Context. Web. 13 Jan. 2014.
<http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/scic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?failOv
erType=&query=&prodId=SCIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&mode=view
60
&displayGroupName=Magazines&limiter=&u=mlin_m_pierce&currPage=&disableHigh
lighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&source=&search_within_results=&p=SCIC&
action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CA121714522>.
Peterson, Dale. Jane Goodall the Woman Who Redefined Man. New York: Houghton Mifflin
Co., 2006. Print.
Susman, Randall L. "Goodall, Jane." World Book. By Unknown. 8th ed. Vol. 8. N.p.: n.p., 2001.
N. pag. Print.
Unknown. "Goodall, Jane." World Book Discover. By Unknown. N.p.: Word Book, 2014. 1.
World Book Discover. Web. 7 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.worldbookonline.com/wbdiscover/article?id=ar830756&st=jane+goodall>.
- - -. "Jane Goodall." Britannica School Elementary. By Unknown. N.p.: Encyclopedia
Britannica Inc., 2014. N. pag. Encyclopedia Britannica - elimentary school adition. Web.
7 Jan. 2014. <http://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/353195>.
- - -. "Jane Goodall." Britannica School Middle. By Unknown. N.p.: n.p., 2014. N. pag. Print.
- - -. "Jane Goodall: A Retrospective." Youtube. Youtube, n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKyrLFyOi04>.
"You Can Change the World." Appleseeds Apr. 2010: n. pag. Kids InfoBits. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.
<http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?vrsn=127&locID=mlin_m_pierce&fa
ilover=0&sgcmd=MAIN&srchtp=basic&c=1&sub=%2522Jane+Goodall+Institute+for+
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ation+and+Conservation.+Roots+and+Shoots&docNum=A227944637&bConts=2>.
61
United States Environmental Protection Agency
By Sana
We breathe about 3,000 gallons of air nice clean air a day. Due to more of all those
factories giving pollutions and burning fossil fuels such as coal we are not getting that nice clean
air to breathe. With so many gases in the atmosphere the earth is getting packed and packed.
More layers of bad air are like layers and layers of blankets that we are placing over the
atmosphere every year. The earth’s temperature is rising because of the gases we have been
putting into our atmosphere resulting in less clean air we have to breath.
The EPA came to help. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA).
They’re a government agency that is trying to help the environment with global warming and
climate change. The EPA was started in December 2,1970 by president Richard Nixon who
proposed the EPA. Congress passed many laws based on regulations. The EPA headquarters are
in Washington D.C .The EPA has 38 offices. In New England Some offices help to clean oils
while others test the water and air in New England.
The EPA has been trying to reduce many gases and pollutants that have been hurting the
environment for a long time. The EPA helps protect us from pollution by testing samples of our
drinking water. They also test other water and air samples so we can breath clean air and drink
clean water. The EPA is trying to cover many buildings with solar panels and get more turbines
around the United States. Some of their scientists have been testing solar powered airplanes to
decrease the amount of pollution from air transportation.
The EPA is responsible for enforcing two important laws. One act protects our drinking water
the CWA (the Clean Water
Act). Another one protects the
air and is called the CAA (the
Clean Air Act). The Clean Air
Act is supposed to help lower
pollution and greenhouse
gases. The CAA was passed in
1970, the same time the EPA
was started. ``We are doing the
best we can’’. Says
administrator Gina McCarthy.
One day in 1952 a big black
cloud full of came over the
town of Donora, Pennsylvania.
It was there for 5 days and
killed many people and injured
6000 people out of 14000. So
they wanted to create an act
that would help the people by improving air quality. To reduce harmful gases they take samples
of the air every month. The gases that are currently in the atmosphere can harm trees, crops,
lakes, animal, and especially humans.
62
The Clean Air Act has helped lower six common pollutants including: particulate matter,
ozone, lead, carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide, and sulfur dioxide and many other toxic
pollutants. Particulate matter is a mixture of very small particles and liquid droplets. It is made
up of a number of components and acids. Ozone is created by chemical reactions between oxides
of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight. Lead is a metal found
naturally in the environment and is in manufactured products. It is emitted when motor vehicles
are running. Carbon monoxide is a colorless odorless gas emitted from combustion processes.
Nitrogen monoxide is a reactive gas that contains nitrous acid and nitric acid. Sulfur dioxide is
also a reactive gas that is made from a combination of fossil fuel emissions from power plants
and other industrial facilities.
Each of these emissions has gone down quite a bit between 1980-2010. Lead has gone
down by 90%, carbon monoxide has gone down by 82%, sulfur dioxide has gone down by 76%,
nitrogen dioxide has gone down by 52%, and ozone has gone down by 28%. Particulate matter
has decreased by 29%. Unfortunately, these levels have been slowly rising because of more
pollution.
The CAA was able to help people by preventing health problems which lead to the loss of
school and workdays. The CAA act helped prevent nearly 205,000 deaths due to asthma, heart
and respiratory diseases and more. It helped reduce the number of cases of asthma and lung
failure.
The gases in the air can also cause skin cancer. These pollutants can also cause your eyes
and nose to burn and lead to eye damage making it hard to see. They also cause brain damage.
In addition to health risks, these gases also damage the environment. More trees and crops will
be damaged. More wildfires will occur. These gases may also damage the oceans and large
bodies of water and harm aquatic life.
EPA regulations have played an important role in reducing air and water pollution, but
we must do more to reduce pollutants in order to protect the environment and decrease the
incidence of respiratory diseases.
Works Cited
David, Laurie, and Cambria Gordon. The Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming.
NewYork: Orchard books, 2007. Print.
EPA. "Why does the U.S. need regulations to protect the ozone layer?" EPA United States
Environmental Protection Agency. EPA, 19 Aug. 2010. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
Hock, Peggy. Our Earth Clean Energy. Newyork: Scholastic, 2009. Print.
Israel, Brett. "From Activist to EPA: A Q&A with the New Director of the Office of
Environmental Justice." Scientific American. Nature America, 22 Jan. 2013. Web. 7 Jan.
2014. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=from-activist-epa-newdirector-office-environmental-justice>.
"Response to 2005 Hurricane Katrina." EPA. EPA, n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.epa.gov/katrina/photogallery.html>.
Thorton, Lee. "EPA." World Book. 2013 ed. Vol. 22. Chicago: Lusaka Zambia, 2013. 340. Print.
"United State Enviornmental Protection Agency." wikipedia. Wikipedia, 12 Jan. 2014. Web. 17
Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Protection_Agency>.
63
UPI. "EPA Says Global Warming is Dangerous." Gale Global Issues in contex. UPI NewsTrack,
24 Mar. 2009. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
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"The US Environmental Protection Agency Is Moving Toward Better Regulation of Factory
Farm Air Pollution." Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context. N.p., 2013. Web. 29 Jan.
2014.
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.
64
Glossary
Ameliorate - Make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better.
Arthropod Borne viruses - Any one of a group of viruses that cause such diseases as
encephalitis and dengue and are transmitted to humans by arthropods, insects and ticks
Bishop - The highest “rank” of the Catholic religion before Pope.
Carbon Dioxide - (Elements & Compounds) a colorless odorless incombustible gas present in
the atmosphere and formed during respiration, the decomposition and combustion of organic
compounds, and in the reaction of acids with carbonates: used in carbonated drinks, fire
extinguishers, and as dry ice for refrigeration. Formula: CO2. Also called: carbonic-acid gas
Carbon Footprint - The amount of carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds emitted into the
atmosphere by the activities of an individual, company, country, etc.:
Conservation - The act of conserving; prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss; preservation:
conservation of wildlife.
Climatologists - The meteorological study of climates and their phenomena.
Crucifix - An image or small statue depicting Jesus on the cross.
Crustacea -A type of animal (such as a crab or lobster) that has several pairs of legs and a body
made up of sections that are covered in a hard outer shell.
Defoliation - To deprive (a plant, tree, or forest) of leaves.
Deforestation – the state of being clear of trees
Encephalitis - Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, usually caused by a direct viral
infection or a hyper-sensitivity reaction to a virus or foreign protein. Brain inflammation caused
by a bacterial infection is sometimes called cerebritis. When both the brain and spinal cord are
involved, the disorder is called encephalomyelitis. An inflammation of the brain's covering, or
meninges, is called meningitis.
Endangered - Threatened within extinction.
Extinction - the state or process of becoming extinct: a species, family, or other larger group)
having no living members.
Foreclose - rule out or prevent (a course of action).
65
Geological time scale - It is used by geologists, paleontologists, and other scientist to describe
the timing and relationships between events that have occurred throughout Earth's history.
Glaciation - The condition of being covered with glaciers or masses of ice.
Grassroots - The most basic level of an activity or organization.
Greenhouse gases - Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect, gases
that trap heat
Ice Sheet - A big sheet of snow and ice covering an area that can be greater than 19,500 square
miles.
Invasive Species - An alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or
environmental harm or harm to human health…‘Alien species’ means, with respect to a
particular ecosystem, any species…that is not native to that ecosystem.”
Latitudes - The angular distance north or south from the equator, a point on earth’s surface.
Life expectancy - the average period that a person or animal may expect to live.
Low-pressure - The force per unit area where it exerts against a surface by the weight of the air
above that surface.
Molluscs- Animals that have soft bodies (invertebrates), such as snails, clams, or octopus and
many of them have hard shells to protect them.
Nobel Peace Prize - An award only one person can get for very, very hard work on peace (but in
this case climate change).
Oscar - An award for movies (for the best movies of the year)
Photograph - A picture made by a camera.
Propelled- to drive, or cause to move, forward or onward.
Surplus - An amount, quantity, etc. greater than needed.
Symptoms - Characteristics an individual exhibits when he or she has an illness.
Thermal Expansion - When liquid is increased in volume when they are heated.
Typhoon - A tropical storm that occurs in the Pacific Ocean.
Unionism – the system of principles and theory of labor unions
66
Valley Glacier - Long and narrow glaciers that go down mountainsides.
World Peace- is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or
people. World peace is also an idea of non-violence.
Zooxantheellae - Any of various symbiotic dins flagellates that live within the cells of other
organisms (as reef-building coral polyps).
67