Category: environment

Posted on

Eat shrimp

The oil spill in the gulf has had a tremendous impact on the fishermen who make their living there. The price of shrimp has dropped as consumers are afraid that the shrimp are contaminated. This has caused the fishermen to be leery about going out and making a catch. They don’t know if the price is high enough to make a profit.

I happen to believe that the shrimp is good. There were many areas that were not touched by the oil. I plan to help these people out by ordering some Louisiana shrimp. I hope everyone will also support these people and get them back on their feet.

Posted on

Wolves and us

For many years, the gray wolf was a key part of the ecology in the western United States. They lived along side the other animals and made sure that other species were kept healthy and strong by eliminating the weak. That all changed when farmers and ranchers moved in to raise cattle and pigs.

The wolf population was decimated and they were all but extinct. Strict laws were enacted to restore their population and their numbers have risen. Now some states are claiming that the wolf population is too high and they want to hunt some of the animals to keep their numbers down. The courts are scheduled to rule on this matter shortly and we will wait to see what the results are.

Posted on

Turtles be free

Every year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service releases hundreds of baby turtles back into the wild. The turtles are gathered from the beaches as eggs and are incubated until they hatch and are ready to be released. Due to the giant oil spill in the gulf, this years release is being debated for its pros and cons.

Experts hope that the turtles will be able to avoid the oil slicks. They believe the animals will be safe from the oil as the cleanup continues. Others say that the threat of storms and tides may drive the oil onto the release site. I wish the turtles the best of luck and look forward to seeing them return to their home beaches to continue the species line.

Posted on

It’s Stopped!!

All along the Gulf coast, residents are hoping that the oil spill has finally been stopped. BP has announced that the newest cap seems to have been successful in holding back the oil. While there is still testing to be done, everyone has the highest hopes that the cleanup and recovery can begin.

There is still work to do for BP though. Plans for a relief well are being carried out as well as plans to cement the pipe shut. Lets all hope that the fish and fowl in the area can begin to recoup the habitat they lost. Either way, it’s a great day to remember for everyone involved in the spill.

Posted on

New York Rats

The city of New York is in a constant battle with the rats that infest its subway system. The rodents seem to be everywhere and are causing problems with the subway riders. Some new studies are being done to see how the problem can be addressed. Of course, cost is always an issue.

Experts say that the main draw for rats is food. They seem to like the garbage collection points the best and are making their homes nearby. The rats can live inside cinderblocks in the walls and are making themselves at home. New baits for traps will soon be tried and many are awaiting the results with baited breath.

Posted on

Bottles and Cans

I recently attended a picnic at a local college. So as not to embarrass them I won’t say the name. Anyway, when the picnic was over I walked past a line of garbage cans. The cans were full of plastic soda cans and aluminum cans as well. I was shocked that all these recyclable things were being thrown away. It was a shame.

I mentioned the fact to one of the teachers and she agreed to look into the situation. While I am all for picnics, I believe that a major institution should make more of an effort to keep the world clean. I hope that all major institutions will take a look at their recycling policies and revise them where necessary!

Posted on

Information

I work for a very large company. We have branch offices all over the world. One item that recently came up that was unusual was the discovery that one of our offices in the U.K. had asbestos. Asbestos is a material that is known to cause health problems and the matter needed to be addressed quickly. Our company puts the health of our workers first and we wanted the matter to be resolved. Unfortunately, we knew little about what asbestos was and why it was dangerous.

It turns out that asbestos used to be a very useful product. It had properties that made it easy to use in many different ways. It was used in the manufacturing of many products such as insulation, fireproofing, and water proofing. The problem was that no one realized that airborne fibers that were inhaled into the lungs could cause lung cancer. Once we learned more about asbestos, we knew that asbestos removal was the only option to protect our employees.

One thing we did to improve our knowledge of the subject was to inform ourselves about it. We found a website called asbestosregisters.co.uk. The site provided us with an explanation of the subject and the many options there were to deal with it. They had information on inspection, identification, and asbestos removal practices. It felt good to know that the situation could be dealt with successfully and our workers would have a safe place to do their business.

What we liked most about the site was their reliance on professionals to deal with the problem. They connected us with people who are licensed and reputable in the field of asbestos removal. We were able to get quotes from these companies and find the ones that best suited our needs. Thanks to the wisdom we found on this website, we are now well on our way toward getting the problem resolved. I recommend this site to anyone with a similar problem and anyone who may be interested in the subject.

Posted on

Volcanoes and travel

Europe is still reeling from the volcano that erupted in Iceland. The volcano has been spewing out smoke and ash that has left nearly every airport in Europe closed. The ash presents a threat to planes as it clogs up their engines creating an unsafe condition. This has led to many questions being asked as to the future of air travel in Europe.

Iceland’s volcano could erupt many more times in the future. It could also erupt for long periods of time. This could affect industry as well as health for millions of people. Trains and boats are trying to keep up with the increase in usage as people turn to these modes of travel to get around. I imagine we will have to wait and see what the results are of this travel interruption.

Posted on

Aral Sea

One thing that threatens our planet is the lack of fresh water. Evidence of this can be found in the Aral Sea that has lost over 90 percent of its water over the last several decades. The sea is located in Central Asia and used to be a major source of wealth in the fishing industry. Many ships now stand abandoned and rusting in the sand.

One of the contributors to the problem is the diversion of streams that used to flow into the sea for farming use. The production of cotton has drained the sea dry. The water problem has caused a concern about social issues as well as economic ones. We all hope that some solution can be found soon.

Posted on

Rare Minerals

The high tech industry uses many different rare minerals to make modern day devices. Cell phones, hard drives, and hybrid cars all use “light” and “heavy” rare earths in their construction. Currently, China supplies most of the world with these minerals, but they are running out of them and may cut supply. The good news is that the U.S. may have an answer.

Deposits of rare earths minerals have been found in Idaho and Montana. Steps have been taken to start mining these minerals and thereby guaranteeing a supply of them for the U.S. the only problem is that the minerals still have to be sent to China to be processed. China is the only nation with the proper equipment.