An iceberg 4.5 times the size of Manhattan calved off the Pine Island Glacier. This marks the second time that an iceberg had calved off the glacier in two years. The span of the iceberg was approximately 103 square miles. This glacier is the largest contributor of ice in the ocean. It is estimated that iff all of the ice were to melt, sea levels would rise 1.7 feet The glacier is calving more frequently than previous years and is caused by the ocean melting the ice.
1.7 feet may not seem like much rise, but this can mean dramatic unforeseen consequences in the future. Global warming, or climate change as some prefer, is indeed real and people have to become more conscious of it and how to diminish or reverse the effects in order to avoid catastrophe that will result because of it. This kind of negative change in the world makes me furious and I can't see how people think that climate change is just a hoax. Changes have to be made on a global level in order to help the world that we live in, even if it means that the United States has to act as a source of inspiration for change.
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The snow leopard's status has improved from being "endangered" to being "vulnerable." The leopard was first listed as endangered in 1972. "To be considered 'endangered,' there must be fewer than 2,500 mature snow leopards and they must be experiencing a high rate of decline," explained Dr Tom McCarthy. Though the status has changed, the species is still not safe from the risk of becoming extinct.
This is important because it shows that just because a species is endangered, that does not mean that they cannot recover. We have a role as humans to protect the world and protect species from becoming extinct. Habits have to change, and people have to become more mindful of their impact on the environment and the impact that their actions can have on different species. If everyone became mindful of their impact, more species would be able to recover because they would have their habitats intact rather than damaged by human means. Researchers at the University of Washington are doing tests to examine the effects of climate change on marine life. They found that sensitivity to temperature changes varied between ocean-dwelling and freshwater fish. Marine fish and freshwater of the Northern Hemisphere were at risk the most. Fish in tropical oceans are more tolerant to the climate change because they are already living in warmer water. As a result of climate change, fish will have to migrate, adapt, or die off. Infrastructure such as dams make migration difficult, and thus pose a problem for fish. In order to help fish, it is encourages to restore vegetation around the edges of streams in order to produce shade for fish as well as lower temperatures.
People have to change their habits and customs in order to reduce climate change. If fish are not able to adapt to climate change, species may go extinct, and the food supply that we receive from fish is sure to diminish. This will affect places where the main food source is marine the most, but will have effects on everyone. Prices for marine food may increase, and access to fish will be more difficult to achieve. Global warming does not only affect fish however, as it has many effects. Humans must diminish the actions that result in global warming or else more problems will continue to rise. New research is being conducted concerning methanotrophs. Methanotrophs are bacteria that oxidize methane, capturing it before it enters into the atmosphere. Research shows that this bacteria can now grow off of hydrogen gas in order to thrive more efficiently. This research has explained why they are so abundant in soil ecosystems. Their ability to grow on hydrogen allows them to grow better in a wider range of conditions. This also suggests the possibility for these types of bacteria to use other energy-yielding strategies. These bacteria are also useful because they produce useful liquids and feeds instead of having the methane gas be released into the atmosphere.
This new research is important because it is contributing to the knowledge of greenhouse gas mitigation. More efficient bacteria means that more greenhouse gasses will be reduced. The reduction of greenhouse gas is in much need due to increasing climate change around the world. We cannot be solely dependent on this bacteria, however, and people, as well as industries, must change their practices in order to contribute to the reduction of climate change. The devastation of hurricane Harvey has resulted in the shutting down of about 15 oil refineries. To put this number into perspective, the US is now void of about 25% of its refining capacity. The prices of gas is estimated to rise by about 15 to 25 cents worldwide, previously estimated to be 5 to 15 cents. As a result of the shut downs, the supply of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve may need to be accessed in order to soften the effects
While gas prices won't remain high, they will be higher for an unknown amount of time. This is going to affect drivers nationwide. People should conserve fuel and carpool when possible in order to not be affected as harshly. Even those who do not drive will be affected if they rely on someone to give them rides. A second patch of garbage has been discovered in the South Pacific by the same oceanographer that discovered the first patch. Studies on the patch have shown that the concoction of garbage particles may be as big as a million square kilometers. This would mean that the patch is about 1.5 times the size of Texas. Because of its size, it may be nearly impossible to clean off of the ocean. Instead, it is advised that plastic usage be decreased. The patch was created an unexplored gyre collecting plastic particles. A gyre is essentially a circular pattern of currents that occur in oceans. Although the South Pacific is not heavily researched, this discovery could contribute greatly to the research of plastic pollution in the ocean.
This is an important issue to consider because of the affects that plastic pollution has on the world as a whole. Most of the patch is comprised of plastic particles that are smaller than a grain of rice. When throwing away a piece of plastic, people must consider the effects that their actions will have. Instead, people should recycle and thus reduce the amount of plastic pollution that exists. If not, pollution in the oceans will continue to rise and this will have deeper effects on ecosystems and the animals that live in those ecosystems, including humans. |
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