Atmawid, R,
and D. F Richards. "Forest Fires and Atmospheric Pollution." Air
Pollution
and the Forests: Developing and Rapidly Industrializing Regions.
Report
No. 4 of the IUFRO Task Force on Environmental Change, (2000): 199-
215. This
article explains how substantial changes are occurring in the ways that
forest
areas are being used. One major change is the burning of forestlands in an
attempt
to create additional agricultural lands. The number of human-initiated
forest
fires has drastically increased in the last few centuries, sometimes
creating
large forest fires. Large-scale forest fires create long-term terrestrial
and
atmospheric changes. The greenhouse gases would release during burning
which are
not quickly reabsorbed if substantial amounts of forest are removed.
Nutrients
present in tropical forests are lost to the forest ecosystem during large
fires,
which goes back on introducing substantial changes. With this happening,
it is
most likely to affect the health of humans.
Biello, David. "How Did the BP Oil Spill Affect Gulf Coast Wildlife?" Sustainability: A Bedford Spotlight Reader. Boston, New York: Bedford Bks St Martin'S, 2015. 166-71. Print. This expert focuses on the effect of the BP oil spill. Biello informs his readers about the tragedy of this spill and the disaster it left behind. Biello explains that due to this spill we will lose a whole generation of marine life. We will never know nor understand the true effect of this oil spill because we have a limited knowledge on the depths of the ocean. There’s a possibility that many more animals and vegetation were affected by this oil spill but we may never know. The animals that live within these water are in danger of having small hearts, developing a tumor, a change in their reproductive system and not being able to swim. Biello also states that the method in eliminating the oil from the ocean is not beneficial for the environment nor the animals.
"Burning Oil Threatens Environment -
AccuWeather.com." Burning Oil Threatens Environment - AccuWeather.com. 27
Feb. 2011. Web. 5 May 2015. In this article you will find how burning oil can
affect not only the environment but also the animal’s habitat. There are two
general topics that are being presented, decrease air quality and acidic rain.
The reduction of air quality can affect the ability for us to breath. Also,
when oil burns it releases carbon dioxide that adds to global warming. Finally,
acidic rain is deadly for the animals. A large amount of acidic rain in water
will change the water pH level. If the pH level reaches acidic it can cause the
animals in the water to die and the animals who drink from that water to get sick or die. This article
helped me understand the threat of burning oil and what can happen when the
chemical substance that oil releases is mixed with moisture.
Bonan, Gordon.
"Forests and Climate Change: Forcings, Feedbacks, and the Climate
Benefits
of Forests." Science, 320.5882 (2008): 1444-1449. The article talks
about the
world's forests that influence climate through physical, chemical, and
biological
processes that affect planetary energetic, the hydrologic cycle, and
atmospheric
composition. This complex and nonlinear forest-atmosphere
interactions
can amplify anthropogenic climate change. Tropical, temperate, and
boreal reforestation
and a forestation attenuate global warming. Tropical forests
mitigate warming
through evaporative cooling, but the low change of boreal
forests
is a positive climate forcing. The evaporative effect of temperate forests
is
unclear as the net climate forces from these and other processes are not
known.
Forests are under tremendous pressure from global change.
Chen, TM,
J Gokhale, S Shofer, and WG Kuschner. "Outdoor Air Pollution: Nitrogen
Dioxide,
Sulfur Dioxide, and Carbon Monoxide Health Effects." American
Journal
of the Medical Sciences,
333.4 (2007): 249-256. With air pollution
taking
place, this article informs what fires releases chemicals that harm the
well
being of humans. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and
carbon
monoxide are important ambient air pollutants. High-intensity, confined
space
exposure to NO2 has caused catastrophic injury to humans, including
death.
Ambient NO2 exposure may increase the risk of respiratory tract
infections
through the pollutant's interaction with the immune system. Sulfur
dioxide
(SO2) contributes to respiratory symptoms in both healthy patients and
those
with underlying pulmonary disease. Both acute and chronic exposures to
carbon
monoxide are associated with increased risk for adverse cardio-
pulmonary
events, including death.
Crowley, Christian
S. L, Arun S Malik, Gregory S Amacher, and Robert G Haight.
Adjacency
Externalities and Forest Fire Prevention." Land Economics [H.W.
Wilson
- SSA], 85.1 (2009):
162. This article explains how landowner behavior
on
timberland is subject to damage by fire. They state how examine the way
management
decisions are decided by landowners that yield outcomes that
diverge
and consider how this divergence depends on their preferences and
information.
Sated in the text, they conducted a numerical simulation in which
landowners
interact through the effects of their fire prevention activities on a
common
risk of fire. The results reveal significant social inefficiencies related
to
externalities associated with private fuel treatment decisions. With a policy
for
aligning social and private decisions, it is required that landowners to have
share the
government's cost of fire suppression.
"Cost of Home Solar Power
Systems." Cost of Home Solar Power Systems. SUNRUN, 2015. Web.
29 Apr. 2015.
Well something those are not
understanding is that being energy efficient is more of a long term investment.
According to SUNRUN, "On average the total cost of solar installation can
be between $15,000 to $29,000 for average sized systems sized between 4kW and
8kW." This does sound like a lot of money, but when calculating how much
less one will spend on their electricity bills after installing solar panels,
it is more than obvious that it is well worth it. Some customers have mentioned
that they have saved $300 to $400 a month on electricity bills. That will
annually be a well enough amount to change a persons mind.
"Energy
Problems." - Decent Democracy. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.decent-democracy.org/Energy-Problems.html>. Throughout, the
article it talked about the problem with energy. Decent Democracy say that
the energy system is based on highly concentrated forms of energy that are
found in nature. They are found in fossil fuels, large rivers, water falls and
burning trees. This causes to be short on energy supply and is a critical
role to our ecosystem. This will help me explain of the energy problems there
is and also providing information that without energy nothing can
transform.
"Energy 2030 Reports."
Alliance to Save Energy. N.p., 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
There is always a start to everything.
The saying "when one door closes another one opens" falls in very
accurately with the situation that occurred with this oil embargo. " The 1973 oil embargo and ensuing
energy crisis proved to be a game changer in the U.S. It exposed the U.S.to
global vulnerability because of unstable energy supplies and, combined with
other factors, ushered in a period of high inflation."(ASE) At this time,
the U.S. Was having trouble taking care of the need of oil for their
citizens. "The start of Carter’s
presidency in 1977 also marked another important milestone for energy policy
with the formation of the Department of Energy" (ASE) The Department of
Energy came up with a new tactic at this time. They began to manage the usage
of oil which helped them become more energy efficient.
"Energy 2030 Reports." Alliance to
Save Energy. N.p., 18 Sept. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
According to ASE, the United States
has made plans for the future usage of energy and electricity. “The United States has a goal of
reducing energy intensity of the GDP 25% by 2030, relative to 2005.” Their plans consist of managing our
country and making this place more energy efficient. They will create more
energy efficient building in order to save money and sustain our environment.
They have began to take steps toward a more energy efficient lifestyle.
"From years 2010 to 2012, the state has allocated $3.1 billion to be
funneled into energy efficiency and conservation programs, $718 million has been
mandated for low-income-sector efficiency programs, and over $2 billion for
retrofits of existing structures.(ASE)" A portion of the spendings from
2010 to 2012 was done as a lending hand to help the low income programs be a
part in changing our environment.
"Electrical
Fires, Lightning and Electrical Fire Prevention Tips." Electrical
Fires, Lightning and Electrical Fire Prevention Tips. Web. 28 Apr.
2015. Faulty wiring, overloaded circuits and frayed extension cords cause
electrical fires. Electrical fires affect the environment because of the
smoke and toxic gases that it releases. Flames and heat energy both
contribute together into harming a human being, why, because it makes them hard
to breath. It might kill them in some scenarios but not as much like smoke and
toxic gases would. Smoke makes it hard for one to breath because it is
made up of components. These components are particles, vapors, and toxic
gases. This article will help me expand more on electrical fires and how they
are cause or ways that they can be prevented without causing anymore harm to
the environment.
"Environmental
Impacts of Renewable Energy Technologies." Union of Concerned Scientists. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. In this article, it talked about how wind power is a sustainable
way to generate electricity. It gives explains of how it has a positive
impact on the environment and most importantly peoples health. It
mentioned that the wind power is affordable for people to buy and use,
which is a great thing because more and more people will engage on this
alternative. This will help me go into more depth on how this does not
produce global warming or create pollution. Since, this does create
pollution or global warming, in my essay this will show as a solution to
the problem of energy and power. Solar power is not a solution to use, due to
the fact that that it uses more resources and harms habitat.
"How Can I Be More Energy
Efficient?" How Can I Be More Energy Efficient? Turn Back The Tide,
2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2015.
There a little steps everyone can take
into creating a more energy efficient environment. From little things like
turning off the lights to building energy efficient homes we can change a lot.
When remodeling older homes it is more cost efficient in the long run to use
products that in fact help manage the usage of energy. For smaller projects
such as changing appliances from light bulbs to refrigerators it is more
efficient to use Energy Star certified products. These appliances have been
certified to save money and be more environmental friendly. They have been
proven to save up to 30% on electricity bills. Also for the smaller things like
energy efficient light bulbs, they will save one 30% to 80% on electricity
bills compared to regular light bulbs. (How Can I Be More Energy Efficient?)
Light bulbs may seem like a minor change, but in the long run they save a lot
of money. Then there are the minor things that can be done such as turning off
the lights and unplugging appliances that are not always being used. Every
little step could make a big change if everyone contributes.
Natgas. "NaturalGas.org." NaturalGasorg. WordPress and Newsprint Theme, 20 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 Apr. 2015. This article is the history of natural gas. Colonel Edwin Drake founded both petroleum and natural gas after drilling 69 feet below earth surface (Natgas). Natural gas was first used in ancient time by the ancient Greece. Afterwards, the Chinese used bamboo as pipelines to transfer natural gas to heat salt water to make it drinkable. The first time natural gas was used as fuel was in Britain. In the United States, natural gas was first used in 1816 to light the streets of Baltimore, Maryland (Natgas). 1821 the first well specifically drilled in search for natural gas was dug by William Hart (Natgas). By the 20th century pipeline where built around the country to transfer natural gas to homes (Natgas).
"Nuclear
Power and Nuclear Energy Dangers." Greenpeace. N.p., n.d. Web. 23
Apr. 2015. This website talked about Nuclear power and its dangers. It explains
how it is not safe or clean to use. People assume that it is because it is
invisible and are not aware of the affects that it has. Greenpeace goes into
details about how does this cause much danger to people. The article goes
with my subtopic Energy and Power because they are both used here and since
there are different kinds of energy and power that can harm the environment.
This does affect the environment, due to it not being clean and how
it spreads around. This connects with nuclear weapons that are used to
kill and harm people.
"Oil and Gas Drilling/Development Impacts." Oil and Gas Drilling/Development Impacts. Web. 28 Apr. 2015. This articles explains how drilling for oil effect the environment. In this articles you will find subtopics and within those subtopic a well-developed informative paragraph. In this article I only focused on how drilling affects the marine life. In order to find oil we must drill through many earth surfaces. When drilling, we are eliminating any vegetation and top soil. This leads to the loss of some wildlife habitat, reduction in plant diversity, and it increases the potential of erosion, and there is also an introduction of invasive or noxious weeds. In addition, there is a reduction of habitat and many animals tend to die due to the drilling. Also, the animals are at risk of contamination.
"Petroleum History." - The Environmental Literacy Council. Web. 17 Apr. 2015. This article is about the history of petroleum. The founder of petroleum is Colon Edwin Drake who was the first person to ever successfully drill an oil well. He initially was looking for kerosene, which is a highly flammable hydrocarbon liquid, to fuel his light bulbs, however, he ended up finding petroleum. At first glance, the people believed that petroleum was a useless and unnecessary substance that two business man where selling. However, once the war began oil then became a necessity. By the end of the war everyone had transition to vehicles, trucks, ships and planes. Do to this transition, oil began to become a critical component that every nation needed. People began to think that in order to have speed and mobility we needed oil. By 1940 the United State was producing 65 percent of the world oil ("Petroleum History").
Palliser,
Janna. "Wildfires." Science Scope Oct. 2012: 10+. General
OneFile. Web. 29
April
2015. Every summer, fires rage in different areas of the western United
States.
They are often massive, out of control, and extremely destructive. How
do these
fires begin and how are they controlled? What are the overall impacts
of a
wildfire? Are there any benefits of a wildfire? Wildfires, when unmanaged
and out
of control, are extremely destructive. Forests, animals, houses, and
other property
can be destroyed. When wildfires reach communities, human
lives can
be lost. Economic effects of wildfires include the cost of destroyed
property
and damage to the community.
Previch, Chad.
"Wildlife Specialist Says Fires Actually Help Landscape." Knight
Ridder
Tribune
Business News, (2006):
1. This articles explains how the greenest spots
of
grasslands often are those previously "destroyed" by wildfires. The
fires
burn dead
vegetation and turn it into instant fertilizer for roots. The black soil
absorbs
heat faster and increases soil temperature, which promotes quicker
growth. A
burn ban in effect and the potential for wildfires has put a stop to
prescribed
burns by farmers, ranchers and land developers. They want their
land to
get the same benefits resulting from wildfires, but in a controlled
environment.
That being said, people want what’s best for the environment.
"Smart
Energy Solutions: Increase Renewable Energy." Union of Concerned
Scientists. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2015.Increasing renewable energy is a
smart energy solution. Not only is it reliable and affordable but also it
benefits our health, economy and environment. Reducing air pollution will be
the cause of increasing renewable energy and it is a great outcome,
because it will reduce the amount of animals dying from air pollution and
humans from getting sick from toxic air. This article will help my essay
to provide a smart solution and to persuade the reader to use this
alternative, to stop harming the environment.
"The Effects of Oil Drilling." The Effects of Oil Drilling. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. The effects of oil drilling is devastating. In this article it explains the affect that drilling for oil has on the environment and also in our health. When there is an oil spill it contaminates the water. This water contains arsenic, as well as cadmium, mercury, lead, zinc and copper. These metals are very toxic for human and for animals. Mercury is a toxicant that grows in the body and it takes a long time to get it all out of your system. While the fishes are roaming with mercury in their system, when they are cached and then eaten, the consumer is also then also putting this metal in their system. This then causes the consumer to also be in danger. Therefore, an oil spill will not only effect one area and only one species but it will affect everyone.
"What Is Fracking and Why Is It Controversial? -
BBC News." BBC News. N.p., 27 June 2013. Web. 04 May 2015. This news
article deliberates the reason why the method of fracking has become so controversial.
Although natural gas is one fuel component that is believed to be greatly needed, the method
of finding it has caused many environmental problem. Fracking consist of the usage of gallons of
water. The transportation of this water can be costly. Also, it has been observed that near the fracking sites there have
occurred minor earthquake. Scientist have said that the earthquake have been
caused due to the fracking. Another hazard is the possibility of contaminating
the water near the fracking site. If there were to be a leek all the water near
the fracking site will be contaminated. One scientist
states that there are always risk with anything that we do, and others believe
this is just another reason why we should become energy efficient.
"What
Is Electricity? - Information Resource Center." What Is
Electricity. Web. 23 Apr. 2015. George Westinghouse invented a
transformer in 1885 to allow power to be efficiently transmitted over long
distances. To transmits over to long distances it needs high voltage,
which is very dangerous because you are using so much power that if you touch
it, it can harm you. This made it possible to supply power to homes and
businesses located far from the electric generating plant (Electricity Forum).
Since the transformer needs high voltage, companies need to be very
careful because it can overheat and cause a fire. This article helps me
explain how the transformer can be a threat to our nature, aside from humans
and animals.
"What Is Energy Efficiency?"
What's Energy Efficiency? Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
2015. Web. 7 Apr. 2015. Those of you who may ask, what is
energy efficiency? Energy efficiency is using less energy (or power) to
complete the same task. Most of us entirely rely on energy to get through our
day with things such as electricity to cool and heat our homes, charge our
electronics, use our appliances, and energy is even the fuel we use for our
vehicles. Using less energy is something everybody tries to do,
especially to save money. According to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
"Energy efficiency is "using less energy to provide the same
service."" A common phrase I have heard fro my family countless times
is "Turn off the lights, you are wasting energy." In fact, production
industries have came up with ways to waste less energy with the same products.
Some may not be paying much attention but when buying house appliances, things
like televisions, refrigerators, washer and dryers all have stickers that
points out if it is an energy saver.
