Thursday, February 25, 2016

Climate Change Infographic: Extreme Weather

There have been many changes in extreme weather events recently due to the heavy climate change in decades past. Cold waves nation wide have become less prominent and not as intense, while heat waves are now more common and more intense causing a change in both droughts and floods. In the United States our emissions of CO2 and greenhouse gases have had negative effects on the weather patterns as well which effectively messes with the environment and natural patterns and adaptations.



Work Cited:

"National Climate Assessment." National Climate Assessment. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.


"Puerto Rico, Grappling With Potentially Historic Drought, Expands Water Rationing." International Business Times. 2015. Web. 24 Feb. 2016


"US Drought Will Be the Worst in 1000 Years." ZME Science. 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

"Yahoo Image Search Results Page." Heat Wave. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Mining: Black Thunder Coal Mine & North Grindstone Industry Coal Mine

The Black Thunder Coal Mine in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and the North Grindstone Coal Mine in Illinois are both coal strip mines. Since both mines use area stripping to mine for their coal, the impacts have resulted in environmental degradation on top soil, groundwater, and the surrounding environments.


The Black Thunder Coal Mine is the largest surface coal mine in North America and since its opening in 1977, "The mine has produced and delivered around 2.2 billion tons of coal." Around 15-75m of overburden had to be stripped after the topsoil was stored for use during restoration.The mine relies heavily on cast blasting or explosives to move between 20 to 30% of the overburden. Some overburden from mines may contain toxic substances such as acid or alkaline which are proven to be harmful for the surrounding environment through acid rain drainage. 

     

At the Black Thunder Coal Mine, they use a process known as area stripping which is when areas of topsoil are stripped from the earth and stored for the eventual restoration of the mined areas. Then, once the seem is uncovered the workers use giant drag lines to remove the coal and take it to the processing facility on the mine. Once the coal is broken down, it is put on freight trains and then shipped all around the United States to be used for generating electricity, producing steel, the manufacturing of cement, and for fuel.


However, the North Grindstone Coal Mine in Illinois is going through a rather successful restoration project in attempt to restore the environment damaged by the mine. It began after a long list with a total of 624 violations to the Clean water Act were filed on the mine all of which had negative impacts on Grindstone Creek. The contaminated water that is released and drained from the mine flows into the Grindstone Creek and leads to the Illinois River contaminating that water source as well as the surrounding environment. Most of the violations against the mine were over an excess amounts of iron, manganese, sulfates, and pH acidity.
According to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the surface lands will be restored once the coal is extracted from the earth. Long time mine engineer Greg Arnett stated that, " Trees have been planted as close to the operating pit as possible to restore the resource we removed." He also said that the mine is now running in the most environmentally sensitive way possible to insure that there is minimal permanent damage to the environment once the coal is extracted.



Both the Black Thunder Mine in Wyoming and the North Grindstone Mine in Illinois are two North American coal mines that use the technique known as area stripping to find their coal. Since both mines use this technique, it has proven to be detrimental to the air and water sources and the surrounding environments for both areas. The Black Thunder mine hasn't had any violations so far but with the long list against the North Grindstone Mine, they have been working to provide a more environmentally sensitive plan to be able to continue with their mining.






Work Cited:


"The Center for Land Use Interpretation." The Center for Land Use Interpretation. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.



"Our Mines." Arch Coal, Inc. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.



"Chapter 2: The Environmental Effects of Strip Mining - The Strip Mining Handbook." Chapter 2: The Environmental Effects of Strip Mining - The Strip Mining Handbook. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.



"Black Thunder Thermal Coal Mine, Wyoming." Mining Technology. Web. 12 Jan. 2016.



"In Illinois Water." In Illinois Water. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.



   "The Illinois Coal Industry." Illonois.gov. 2010. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.




"Black Thunder Thermal Coal Mine, Wyoming, United States of America." The BE-1300 Dragline, Originally Built at Coal Creek, Was Walked across the Prairie to Black Thunder. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.











Sunday, December 13, 2015

Biodiversity Hotspot: Mediterranean Basin

Introduction:

What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity is defined as the variety of all kinds of life on earth, every species and living organism. The Mediterranean Basin is classified as a biodiversity hotspot and actually the world's second largest biodiversity hotspot due to its almost 30,000 plant species, 13,00 of which are found nowhere else and also its wide range of bird and animal species. However, all of these things are in danger of degradation or extinction.




Background Information:

The Mediterranean Basin is located at the Mediterranean Sea, South of Europe and North of Africa. The European countries along the north side of the basin include Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, and Greece. To the east are Middle Eastern countries; Turkey, Syria, and Israel. Lastly, On the southern border of the basin are Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya. Within this hotspot both aquatic and terrestrial lands are present with a large variety of biodiversity.

This Basin is in multiple biomes including both land and sea. The Mediterranean Basin has Chaparral, Temperate Forest, and Aquatic biomes on the different pieces of land characterized by woodland and scrubs on the coasts and dry land and the aquatic Mediterranean Sea.



There are many problems faced by the Mediterranean Basin such as environmental degradation, due to both natural causes and also human causes. For example, in the Mediterranean region the sea is being degraded by sea pollution mainly with oil and overfishing by humans for profit and for food. Human tourism on the Mediterranean beaches have degraded landscapes, eroded the soil, increased waste in the sea, and put a higher pressure on endangered species and increased the possibility of a large forest fire. All of which are dangerous to the survival and productivity of this hotspot.

Discussion:

The Mediterranean Basin provides many ecosystem and natural services that we take for granted and continue to degrade. The Basin provides ecological services, "Such as provision of fresh water 
and shelter from floods and storms, on which the sites and the species depend."(cepf.net, 2) Not only that, but the Basin also provides economic services for 15 countries with 7 sites having the last pristine coastlines in the Mediterranean Basin. This landscape brings in money through its tourism of these sites and also through its other services like fish to catch and sell.
Although this is a beautiful landscape, humans are still degrading it through overfishing, oil pollution in the sea, 100 million tourists littering and damaging the coastal areas, and forest loss due to fragmentation, tourism and clearing. 
The result of all of this tourism on coastlines accounting for 30% of the international tourist destinations has been severely damaged and degraded. Oil spills and sea pollution have also proven toxic to marine life and can completely cover organisms making it difficult for them to survive as usual and maintain their body temperatures.
There are over 13,000 plant species in the Mediterranean Basin that are native to and exist only in the Basin including the Cystoseirae, seaweeds that build up marine life, which are endangered and endemic to the Mediterranean.


Conclusion:

The Mediterranean Basin is in danger along with its inhabitants due to human activities such as overfishing and tourism. One of the largest biodiversity hotspots in the world with high net primary productivity providing ecological, natural, and economic services to the area could be completely destroyed if we don't do anything about it. 




Work Cited:



1. “Mediterranean Basin.” CEPF.net-. Web. 10 December 2015.

2. "Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean Basin." Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean Basin. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

3. "Mediterranean Basin." Species. Web. 10 Dec. 2015.

4. "Key Threats in the Mediterranean Region." WWF -. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.

5. "Mediterranean Basin: Ecosystem Profile Overview." CEPF.net -Mediterranean Basin. 2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.
  
6.Food-web Traits of the North Aegean Sea Ecosystem (Eastern Mediterranean, Greece) and Comparison with Other Mediterranean Ecosystems." Food-web Traits of the North Aegean Sea Ecosystem (Eastern Mediterranean, Greece) and Comparison with Other Mediterranean Ecosystems. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

7. "How Oil Harms Animals and Plants in Marine Environments | Response.restoration.noaa.gov." How Oil Harms Animals and Plants in Marine Environments | Response.restoration.noaa.gov. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.

8."Mediterranean Endangered: For a Sea Free of Waste." Expeditionmed.eu. Ed. Bruno Dumontet. Expedition Med, 2007. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

9. "Marine Food Webs." Marine Food Webs. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.

10."Weather Almanac for March 2007." The Weather Doctor Almanac 2007 The Mediterranean: Birthplace of the Winds. 1 Mar. 2007. Web. 13 Dec. 2015.
http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/arc2007/alm07mar.htm