Daily Environmental facts

Every ton of paper that is recycled saves 17 trees

Daily Environmental facts

It takes 90% less energy to

recycle aluminum cans then to

make new ones.

Daily Environmental facts

Each gallon of fuel releases 20 pounds of carbon dioxide (also know as c02) into the air.

Daily Environmental facts

The garbage in a landfill stays for a for about 30 years.

Dear Viewers,
I am so deeply sorry for no updates of my blog I have been extremely busy the past week and have not found time to work on it. Now I finally have time to update it. 
Once again I'm so sorry for no updates!
~Evergreen Girl 
               (Sarah)

Daily Environmental facts

63,000 square miles of Rainforests are being destroyed each year.

About Recycling

Recycling is the process of turning one products useful parts into a new product; this is done to conserve on the consumption of resources, energy and space used in landfills.

By recycling1 plastic bottle not only saves anywhere from 100 to 1000 years in the landfill but also saves the environment from the emissions in producing new bottles as well as the oil used to produce that bottle.

For every 1 ton of plastic that is recycled we save the equivalent of 2 people’s energy use for 1 year, the amount of water used by 1 person in 2 month’s time and almost 2000 pounds of oil.

Today the most common products in cities recycling programs are paper products, cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminum.

Approximately 60% of our rubbish thrown away today could be recycled.

A survey was done and 9 out of 10 people surveyed said they would recycle more if it was easier.

Odd as it seems there are many people who do not realize that plastic bottles our water comes in is made out of oil.  This is the same oil that is used to make gasoline. It's the same oil that is in such high demand and is not an unlimited resource.

Daily Environmental facts

63,000 square miles of rain forests are being destroyed each year.

Daily Environmental fact

Every day 50 to 100 species of plants and animals become extinct as their habitat and human influences destroy them.

Daily Environmental facts

The uncontrolled fishing that is allowed has reduced the amount of commercial species. Some species, up to one-tenth of their original population.

Great White Sharks: Endangered?!

They are known as one of the deadliest creatures on Earth.

But according to a shocking new study, great white sharks are also one of the most endangered.

Wildlife experts say there are now fewer than 3,500 great whites left in the oceans, making them rarer than tigers.

Great white sharks have a deserved reputation as ruthless and efficient killers, who use ambush techniques to attack  fish, dolphins and seals from below.

Yesterday, marine biologists called for an end to mankind's long battle with sharks and demanded urgent action to prevent them going extinct.

Great white sharks have a deserved reputation as ruthless and efficient killers, who use ambush techniques to attack  fish, dolphins and seals from below.

They can grow 20 feet in length, weigh up to 5,000 lb and are found in any warm coastal waters - from the Mediterranean to New Zealand. Most, however, live off the coasts of California, Mexico, Australia  and South Africa.

The new estimates of their population are due to published later this year by scientists at Stanford University who have been studying the migration of sharks tagged with radio transmitters.

They found that great whites are incredible long distance swimmers, capable of travelling 12,000 miles in nine months. 

Did You Know: Great White Sharks were made infamous by the film Jaws, but they rarely attack people and usually do by accident

Daily Environmental facts

One ton of carbon dioxide that is released in the air can be prevented by replacing every 75 watt light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.

Arctic Sea Ice Levels Plummet to Record Lows

If you don't like to read, here is a video you can watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GDKrqX4kIA&feature=player_embedded
If you like to read then here is a article giving lots of details:

Extreme melting has driven Arctic sea ice levels to record lows, according to polar scientists. Sea ice is now thethinnest it has ever been in recorded history. The 2011 levels are roughly the same as 2007 levels for having the least amount of surface area. August 2011 was the second warmest month since satellite monitoring began, which reveals the culprit for the Arctic ice melt: global warming.

Climate change has forced Arctic sea ice into a downward spiral, which is having disastrous results for Arctic animals and people including:

• Polar bears are forced to swim longer distances because of more open water and less sea ice, according to a WWF study. This puts cubs at risk of exhaustion and drowning when they search for stable ice to live on and hunt from.
• Polar bear litter sizes are declining because pregnant mothers aren’t able to get enough to eat before abandoning the melting ice. If this trend continues and sea ice breaks up two months earlier than usual, scientists estimate that 55-100% of pregnant polar bears living in the southern Hudson Bay could fail to bring their cubs to term.
• Twenty thousand walrus “hauled out” onto a small beach in Alaska this summer after the sea ice disappeared. Crowded conditions can become fatal in the event of a stampede.  In 2009, US government scientists found 131 dead walrus calves near that year’s large haul out and attributed the deaths to the lack of sea ice.
• Hundreds of Alaskan villages face flooding and increased erosion due to climatic changes. Some village leaders have deemed it necessary to entirely relocate their village to more stable ground.

Just as alarming, studies show that this sharp drop in Arctic ice disrupts global weather patterns as well, contributing to heavier winter snows in the United States and continuing the onslaught of extreme weather we’ve faced in recent years.

These alarming developments provide more reasons why, now more than ever, we must urge our leaders in Washington, DC and city hall to both curb carbon pollution and prepare for climate disruptions already upon us.

Daily Environmental facts

Americans use 50 million tons of paper annually, consuming more than 850 million trees.

Daily Environmental facts

Glass produced from recycled glass instead of raw materials reduces related air pollution by 20%, and water pollution by 50%.

Daily Environmental facts

Energy saved from one recycled aluminum can will operate a TV set for 3 hours, and is the equivalent to half a can of gasoline.

Oil Spill

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil platform blowout is a human and environmental tragedy — it is a disaster for productive ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico and for communities that depend on healthy fisheries and robust tourism. Ocean Conservancy has a proud history in the Gulf of Mexico — protecting and restoring marine resources — and we are currently engaged in recovery efforts in the Gulf. We are assessing the impacts, advising on plans for restoration, and helping to ensure that those most affected 
receive the assistance they need. Resources on this page reflect our action on the ground in 

the Gulf of Mexico. Interviews are available with Ocean Conservancy experts who have recently visited the spill site.

Daily Environmental facts

Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil.

Some more endangered species

Vaquita

Common Name: Vaquita, cochito, Gulf of California porpoise, gulf porpoise ; Cochito, marsouin du Golfe de Californie, vaquita (Fr); Cochito, vaquita(Sp)

Scientific Name: Phocoena sinus

Habitat: Tropical upwelling

Location: Upper Gulf of California, Mexico

Population: Estimated around 245 individuals

The vaquita, a small porpoise endemic to Mexico's Gulf of California, is the world's smallest and most endangered small marine cetacean. With around 245 left, high levels of entanglement in fishing gear threaten imminent extinction if current trends continue.

Each year, anywhere between 40 and 80 vaquitas are killed in gillnets and trawl nets used in both artisanal and commercial fishing. At the same time, the habitat of the species has been altered by damming of the Colorado River in the US.

Sumatran Orangutan

Common Name: Sumatran orangutan;Orangoutan de Sumatra (Fr);Orangután de Sumatra (Sp)

Scientific Name: Pongo abelii

Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests

Location: Northern Sumatra

Population: Approximately 7,500 individuals in the wild

The Sumatran orangutan is the most endangered of the two orangutan species, and differs from its Borneo relative to some extents in appearance and behaviour. Found only in the northern and western provinces of Sumatra, Indonesia, the species is losing fast its natural habitat to agriculture and human settlements.

Iberian Lynx

Common Name: Iberian lynx, pardel lynx, Spanish lynx; Lynx d'Espagne (Fr); Lynx pardelle, lince ibérico (Sp)

Scientific Name: Lynx pardinus

Location: Southern Europe

Population: Around 110 individuals

Having decreased steadily in population numbers over the last two centuries, the Iberian lynx may soon be the first cat species to become extinct for at least 2,000 years. The species is classified by the World Union for the Nature (IUCN) as the world's most endangered feline species. Habitat loss and degradation, as well as the disappearance of food resources (rabbits) are contributing to this declining trend. Today, there are no more than 38 breeding females in the wild.

Daily Environmental facts

Every year we throw away 24 million tons of leaves and grass. Leaves alone account for 75% of our solid waste in the fall.

Endangered Species

From our start in 1961, WWF has worked toward the protection of endangered species. Our mission is to use the best conservation science available and work with people to find solutions to save the marvelous array of life on our planet.

WWF’s experience over nearly half a century has shown species conservation is vital — and it does work. Already, conservation efforts have brought many animals back from the brink of extinction. It has helped to not only conserve rich and varied ecosystems but also delivered real benefits to local people through new livelihood opportunities and sustainable development.

But our work is far from done. Destructive human activities have led to the current rate of species extinction, which is at least 100–1,000 times higher than the expected natural rate.

This has impacts far beyond the potential cultural loss of iconic species such as tigers, rhinos and whales. Species and the ecosystems they are part of provide essential goods and services that make human life possible and contribute enormously to our health and well-being — breathable air, clean water, food, fibers, building materials, medicines, energy, fertile soils, climate regulation, transport, and recreational and spiritual values.

Our conservation efforts are directed towards flagship species, iconic animals that provide a focus for raising awareness and stimulating action and funding for broader conservation efforts in our priority places; and footprint-impacted species whose populations are primarily threatened because of unsustainable hunting, logging or fishing.

Her are some of the endangered species: 

Scientific Name: Panthera pardus orientalisHabitat: temperate forests
Location: Russian Far East and Northern China
Population: Fewer than 50 individuals

#1. Amur leopard survey revealed a total of 12 leopards in Russia’s Primorsky Province, located between the Sea of Japan and the Chinese border.

#2. Scientific Name: Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae families

Habitat: Open water and coastal habitats

Marine Turtle

Three of the seven existing species of marine turtle are critically endangered

Six of the seven species of marine turtles are listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered, and the outlook is increasingly grim. Marine turtles have the ability to reproduce abundantly; females can lay hundreds of eggs in one nesting season. Even under natural conditions, relatively few young turtles survive their first year of life. Predators such as crabs, foxes and birds often kill the hatchlings as they make their way from the nest to the sea.

#3. Tiger 

As few as 3,200

Wild tiger numbers are at an all-time low. The largest of all the Asian big cats may be on top of the food chain and one of the most culturally important and best-loved animals, but they are also vulnerable to extinction. Tigers are forced to compete for space with dense human populations, face unrelenting pressure from poaching, retaliatory killings and habitat loss across their range.

Daily Environmental facts

On the average, the 140 million cars in America are estimated to travel almost 4 billion miles in a day, and according to the Department of Transportation, they use over 200 million gallons of gasoline doing it.

Daily Environmental facts

If just 25% of U.S. families used 10 fewer plastic bags a month, we would save over 2.5 BILLION bags a year.

A Long History of Decline

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bMe4Dsvqkk&feature=player_embedded#!
Alas, human activities over time have stripped much of the luster from this national treasure. Most recently, the still-unfolding impacts of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster are adding to those from decades of environmental degradation from things like poorly planned development and unsustainable fishing practices. Even now, there are places where oil is coming ashore, and fishermen are catching oil in their nets. Unusual numbers of dead dolphins, turtles, and other wildlife continue to be found in the Gulf and we do not yet understand the cause. Local residents have unanswered questions about the long-term health effects of the oil and the dispersants used to combat it. And of course, Gulf businesses that are directly tied to the health of the Gulf’s coastal and marine environment—including fisheries, tourism, and recreation—are still recovering from the BP disaster.

Trash Free Seas

 Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup.

http://youtu.be/-JRKa5Pfegw

Ocean trash ranks as one of the serious pollution problems choking our planet. Far more than an eyesore, a rising tide of marine debris threatens human health, wildlife, communities and economies around the world.

A living ocean is critically important to every one of us. It creates countless jobs and fuels prosperity; it provides us with food to eat, water to drink, and oxygen to breathe; and it regulates our climate. Whether we live on a beach or far from the coastline, we all have a profound stake in an ocean that is healthy and abundant. Yet we are trashing our planet’s life-support system. Year after year, the glut of items polluting our seas extends to the most remote corners of the globe, choking economies, killing wildlife, and impacting communities and human health.

Trash is a problem the public understands. Polling consistently indicates that people view ocean trash as one of the biggest threats to marine health. Voters feel the impact of ocean trash on local economies when it deters tourism, inhibits transportation and recreation, and generates steep removal bills. Under the banner of Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, hundreds of thousands of people turn out every year to do their part to turn the tide. In the last quarter of a century, on just one day every September, almost nine million people have picked up some 144 million pounds of trash in more than 150 countries and locations.

But people also know that cleanups alone can’t solve this problem. Public emotions increasingly run high when it comes to plastic bags and other single-use items. When people see photographs of animals like endangered sea turtles or whales eating or entangled in debris, they demand action. In growing numbers, they are calling for government and industry leaders to pioneer a different future.

Ocean Conservancy believes that it’s time for bold action. Over the last 25 years, the International Coastal Cleanup has grown into a remarkable alliance of individuals, nonprofits, corporations, and governments. But now we must redouble our efforts. Together, we must use the next 25 years to secure a more enduring goal: a future in which the concentration of debris in our ocean is consigned to the trash can of history.

Daily Environmental facts

  

The worst waste is toxic waste!

One kind of trash that's really bad for you, animals, and the entire Earth, is called "Hazardous Waste". That means that it is poisonous or toxic. Toxicants are in products that you buy every day at the store. Just because products are sold at the store does not mean they are safe! Many of these toxic products we don't really need. When you go shopping, think about what safe products you might use. There are lots of them available now. What begins in your shopping cart as a pile of cleaning supplies, pest-control products, certain paints, or even preservative-treated wood can end up in a toxic waste site. And sometimes the factories that made these products become toxic waste sites as well. Read the labels and you'll see why! Study this entire KSE News to learn ways you can help the Earth solve this dirty problem. There are thousands of toxic waste sites in the U.S. and they might be making us sick.

Toxic Waste

Waste is all that stuff we buy and don't use up. It's the leftover packaging like pop cartons, cereal boxes, and juice boxes. It's the trash that remains after industry creates a product. Or it's the old stuff we just can't use anymore, like old tires. We put all this trash in landfills (garbage dumps) that use up thousands of acres of land. We burn (incinerate) it, and we even ship it to other parts of the world. Every year in the U.S. we throw away 50 million pounds of toothbrushes and that's just a tiny part of all the trash we create. For example, in Florida, if every visitor and business in the state chose to dump their trash at the beach rather than in trash cans, in one year the pile would measure 5' high, 100' wide, and would cover the entire length of Florida's coastline. We create municipal (community/household) trash, agricultural (farming) trash, industrial (factory )trash and mining (like coal, gold, or iron ore mining) trash. There's trash you haven't thought of!! We're running out of places to put it. No one wants it in his or her backyard. Do you?

Marine protected areas

In 1999, California adopted the Marine Life Protection Act — the first state law requiring a comprehensive, science-based network of marine protected areas (MPAs). Unlike traditional single-species management, MPAs focus on overall ecosystem protection to foster healthy habitats and natural diversity. While 12% of the land on Earth has been set aside as parks, wildlife refuges and wilderness areas, less than 1% of the ocean has been similarly protected. Just like Yellowstone and Yosemite on land, our planet’s most spectacular and ecologically important underwater treasures deserve lasting protection. California’s goal is to implement these MPAs by 2011!

With the protected area there are more fish in the sea! :) We are trying to have the whole sea be a protected area and a safe environment for the fish!

World’s Most Robust Marine Reserve

http://vimeo.com/gulfprogram/worlds-most-robust-marine-reserve

Why don’t we use renewable energy all the time?

Unlike natural gas and coal, we can’t store up wind and sunshine to use whenever we need to make more electricity. If the wind doesn’t blow or the sun hides behind clouds, there wouldn’t be enough power for everyone.

Another reason we use fossil fuels like coal and natural gas is because they’re cheaper. It costs more money to make electricity from wind, and most people aren’t willing to pay more on their monthly utility bills.

Renewable energy

Renewable energy is made from resources that Mother Nature will replace, like wind, water and sunshine.

Renewable energy is also called “clean energy” or “green power” because it doesn’t pollute the air or the water.

What is renewable energy?

All the energy we use comes from the earth. The electricity we use every day doesn't come directly from the earth, but we make electricity using the earth's resources, like coal or natural gas.

Both coal and natural gas are called “fossil fuels” because they were formed deep under the earth during dinosaur times.

10 Ways You Can Save The Environment

1. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time

2. Once your cell phone is charged, unplug it from the charger!

3. Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5

4. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door

5. Unplug seldom used appliances

6. Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refrigerators, for example, use significant more energy than newer models

7. Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods

8. Use electric appliances only when you need them

9. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.

10. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work

Trees and Energy

You already know that trees are beautiful to look at. But did you know that trees also help us save energy and reduce air pollution?

Saving energy A big, leafy shade tree helps keep us cool during the summer. If that tree is shading the whole house, that means we don't have to use as much electricity for air conditioning. Trees also help keep us warmer in the winter. Many schools have rows of evergreen trees around their buildings to a block the cold winter wind. Reducing air pollution Carbon dioxide exists naturally in the air, but factories, cars and trucks put too much carbon dioxide into the air. Trees take in the carbon dioxide for their own food - then turn it into oxygen for us to breathe!

Why Do We Have To Save Energy?

You’ve probably heard the grown-ups in your house say “Turn off the light!” or “Close the refrigerator door!” Have you ever wondered why?

Energy is there whenever we need it – so it’s easy to forget where it comes from, or how much it costs.

It all adds up

Every year, we use more energy than we did the year before. In fact, the amount of energy Americans use has doubled about every 20 years.

All of that energy adds up, and much of it is wasted by using too much or not using it wisely.

Energy isn’t free. The grown-ups in your house pay for the all the electricity you use. So wasting energy is the same as wasting money – and we know that’s not a good idea!

Wasting energy isn’t good for the environment either. Most of the energy sources we depend on, like coal and natural gas, can’t be replaced – once we use them up, they’re gone forever. Another problem is that most forms of energy can cause pollution.

Facts About Saving Energy

A heavy coat of dust on a light bulb can block up to half of the light. Across America, home refrigerators use the electricity of 25 large power plants every year. A hot water faucet that leaks one drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month. That's more than one person uses in two weeks. An energy-smart clothes washer can save more water in one year than one person drinks in an entire lifetime!

When you turn on an incandescent light bulb, only 10 percent of the electricity used is turned into light. The other 90 percent is wasted as heat.

A compact fluorescent light bulb uses 75 percent less energy than a regular bulb – and it can last up to four years. A crack as small as 1/16th of an inch around a window frame can let in as much cold air as leaving the window open three inches!

Some new refrigerators are so energy-smart they use less electricity than a light bulb!

An automatic dishwasher uses less hot water than doing dishes by hand - an average of six gallons less, or more than 2,000 gallons per year.