New Monkey Species Discovered In Columbia

This Article is about how a new Amazon Monkey species has been discovered in Columbia and researchers said that thursday that they believe the small, isolated population is at risk due to the cutting of the forest that is its home. This find was announced by Conversation International a group that helped finance the research in remote rain forests that until recently were considerd too dangerous for scientific work. The researchers believe that the species may be critically endangered. They estimate that there are less than 250 of the monkeys living in the forest.

I think that it is horrible that there is a possibility that these monkeys can die and or go extinct. I think that people should help save these monkeys. Even though we just discovered them we have probably been cutting down their homes and killing them without even noticing it. And if we did know this was happening i think that comeone should step in and tell the people cutting down the forests that they cant do this. Think about these questions.

1 If you had power, control, or money, how would you try to change this situation?

2 Why do you think that we have been so neglegent about the species that keep dieng because of us?

3 what are some ways that we can make living and homes more efficient and stop, or drastically slow down the rate that we cut down our forests, and hurt wildlife?

www.foxnews.com/world2010/08/12/new-monkey-species-discovered-columbias-amazon

Old Foes Square Off Over Issue of Puppies

Old Foes Square Off Over Issue of Puppies

This article is about how Montana and Missouri is the biggest states for bredders for dogs. Some people were agruing over the fact that you should have a certain amount of puppies you can breed. These people have agrued before about farm animals and now there going at it again. Animal rights have been protected and the people that have livestock for a living are complaining that it's not fair. There is now a proposition, Proposition B, have limited the amount of breeders in one state. 2 million dollars have been put to supporting this proposition. One person said this is the first step to complelety destorying the industry in US. These groups of people are also trying to debate the hunting games and make sure there are enclosures where you can't hunt for the animals. It is said that breeding dogs without a license can cause problems. Dogs can get sick and could die without proper care. For people who breeding puppies is their lives work and profession will be in a battle over this time.

I think is a good article to debate about. I'm on the side of the non-breeders. Only people who have a license to breed should be able to or it could cause major problems. And even if you have a license there should be a limit of puppies one person can breed or all of them could get sick. It sounds like these two groups of people fight an awful lot about a lot of topics. I do feel bad though for the people who make money off of breeding puppies because they will lose a lot of money after they get cut back from the limit of puppies they can breed.

Question:

1. Who do you think will win the agruement? The people who want to non-breeders or people who want breeders?

2. Why is people breeding puppies without a license cause a problem?

3. Why do you think this is one step for destorying the industry?

India's Tata group unveils two new variants of low-cost water purifiers

One of India's largest industrial groups recently released a more effiecient, and cheaper water filter for people to use to get their water clean. The new filter is priced at $16.60 as a opposed to the last cheapest - $20 - or other more expensive brands. The new filter also doesn't use electricy. A major problem with past water filters was that they required some kind of power source to run. THe majority of people that are in need of these filters barely have enough money to pay for clean water none the less electricity. People that didn't have electricity to use with these filters were forced to use the pollucted, unclean water that causes so many illnesses in this region.

I think that this is a great thing for the Tata Group to be focusing on. With water shortage and clean water scarcity being such a problem in that region, this company is making an extremely wise choice to give people a cheaper, better way to clean their water. When a life nessicity such as water comes into play, you really have to think about what it's going to take to get everyone the clean, unpolluted water that they need and I'm personally really glad that the Tata group is doing just that.

1.) If you could do something else to get people in India more clean water, what would it be ?
2.) Do you think that as making things becomes cheaper, we will be able to produce cheaper goods like this to poorer parts of the world ?
3.) Do you think that such a small object is going to have that large an effect on the slums of India ?

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/332787,indias-tata-group-unveils-two-new-variants-of-low-cost-water-purifiers.html

China Report Shows More Population In Waterways

This article is about how in 2007 in China there is now twice as much pollution in waterways. The most disturbing report in the census is most of the discharge is from chemical oxygen demand. The discharge totaled up to 30.3 million tons in 2007. The vice minster of environmental protection said that the census had counted 13.2 million tons from agriculture effluents and 342600 tons of discharge from landfills. It is estimated that the lakes and rivers can only handle 7.4 million tons a year on chemical oxygen demand. A lot of farmers are just dumping there wastes into the lakes and rivers around them. A lot of people knew that China was in bad shape when it came to pollution but now there are numbers to prove it. The China government is trying to figure out a way to solve this problem.

Opinion: I think China better figure this out fast. You can't live like that. China has a lot of problems but I think this should be at the top of the list. People could start to die if they start drinking that water. It's on the side of the road like you see in the picture. It looks gross and is bad for the earth and your health.

3 questions:

1. Where else would farmers put there waste if the government made them stop?

2. We always read about how China has lots of problems right now, should this be at the top of the list to fix?

3. How would you stop this if you were in the Chinese government?

Chinas Population Growing faster Than Need for Water

The article i read was about how the supply of water in china could not keep up with the large population of china. China is not able to dam or divret water fast enough to keep up with its very large, and very thirsty population. In northern china this year there have been recordings of 10 meter deep ( or about 33 feet deep) in peoples, dry dead farms. Many farmers are losing a lot of money on their crops because they cannot harvest in time for fear of bieng injured in the holes, and also for the lack of water. Either they water the farms or drink it to stay alive. 62% of chinas 51 reseviors have run completely dry. Reports say that over 2500000 people are short on drinking water. In south china over 600000 people were affected by their drought and more than 200000 animals died, including animals for food and animals that help on farms. Chinas government has many things to worry about but this may jump right up to number one on their fix list.

Opinion- I think that it is horrible that all these people are so short on water. i could not imagine having no water to drink let alone using it to wash dishes clean clothes and do more. I hope that the crisis in China is solved as quickly as possible. I am really worried that people may die from this drought. If i had a say in this i would solve the problem as quickly as possible.

Questions

1- If you had a say in this what would you do about this problem?

2- How are some ways that you would try to get yourself and your faimly through a drought?

3-How are some ways that you can help reduce the use of water in china? Do you think that the population has the biggest effect on the drought?

The BP- Spill Baby- Turtle Brigade

Summary:

The Loggerhead turtles' nesting season is in May and when the oil spill occured, there was a problem. On the northeastern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, female sea turtles began to lay their eggs. When these eggs hatch, the turtles come out of the ground and try their hardest to make it to the ocean. If they make it, they find their way onto mats of seaweed called sargassum and float around on the sargassum for several years. By June, all the sargassum had been contaminated with oil. Then the state and federal wildlife agencies came up with a plan to take the eggs before they hatch and send them to Florida, where they will hatch and be let into the oil-free Atlantic. Loads of volunteers were needed to help out and people helped basically just because they loved turtles! 5 species of turtle that nest on American beaches are threatened or endangered and the Loggerhead turtles are one of those species. Now the volunteers and wildlife agencies try to find the turtles' nests and they protect them. This isn't easy because they have to wake up very early, before anyone gets on the beach, to see the tracks of the female turtles, which are called turtle crawls, and find the nests.


Opinion:

I think what the wildlife agencies and the volunteers are doing is very important. The Loggerhead turtles are already endangered and it would be horrible if they became extinct. It would lower the biodiversity of the area and it would disrupt the food web. I like that the volunteers love these turtles enough to help them survive. I think that since humans made this problem, they should have to fix it. I also hope the oil spill gets cleaned up soon so it stops negatively affecting marine animals.


1. Do you think transporting the turtles to be hatched on the coast of florida was a good idea?

2. If you were a person that lives in an area where the turtles hatch, would you volunteer to help?

3. Why do you think the turtles float around on the sargassum for a few years?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/magazine/03turtles-t.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Population 4x More Important Than Climate Change on Water Shortage

Title-Population 4x More Important Than Climate Change on Water Shortage.

Author:  Jaymi Heimbuch

Date: 10/1/2010

publication: Treehugger.com

Link:http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/population-4x-more-important-than-climate-change-on-water-shortage.php?campaign=th_rss

The population of the World is almost 7 billion humans!!!

Summary: 

We're well aware of the fact that humans have a significant impact on water supplies -- from groundwater pumping to altering the course and flow of the world's rivers, we are no small player in how much fresh water exists on the planet. However, would we ever have guessed that we were four times more significant than climate change on water supplies? A new report shows that we really need to focus far more on humans than warming temperatures if we want to avoid major water conflicts in the near future.

Researchers in Finland and The Netherlands have analyzed the mix of population growth, climate data and water resources and have found that despite the fact that our global climate is shifting at a dizzying rate, our population boom as a species has a far greater impact on water sources.

Environmental researchers reports that according to the study, about 2% of the world's population experienced water shortages in 1900, but it shot up to 9% in 1960 and skyrocketed to 35% in 2005. The water shortages fall in line with our population rise -- but it also seems to fall in line with our heightened consumption of goods and services on a global level.
"In Eastern Asia and North Africa, over 20% of the population has been under some level of water shortage since the year 1900," Matti Kummu of Aalto University, Finland told the Environmental Research Web. "In the Middle East, this point was not reached until 1960, and in South Asia slightly later. In South Asia the trend has been particular sharp as today over 90% of the population are under some level of water shortage."
The researchers feel that the study highlights that in some areas there simply isn't enough water to support the population.
"Consequently, there will be an increasing need for non-structural measures, focusing on increasing the efficiency of water use, lowering water use intensity, reforming the economic structure of countries or entire regions, and optimising virtual water flows from regions without shortage to regions with shortage."

Opinion: I think that we should definitely watch out for our water supplies because according to this article it should be gone in a matter of 20-30 years. If we will lose all of our water supply not even one single human would survive in this world and the human population growth would go to extinction.

I think we should control the human population growth because if we won't start taking care of it today, it might hurt our kids and family in the near future. we should have laws that would control the human population from getting too big.

Questions:

1.What do you think would happen to the human population growth when there won't be any water supply left?

2. What do you think the government should do to stop this massive human population growth?

3.what do you think would happen to the cost of regular water in the next 10 to 50 years?