Month: September 2019

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Recycling Water

“Reusing Wastewater in Agriculture Could Reduce Water Scarcity. Can You Stomach It?” Ensia, ensia.com/notable/reuse-recycling-wastewater-in-agriculture/.

The decision whether to use recycled water or not has been in discussion as of recently and may be implemented in the near future. The public’s concern is the health risks that can come of using recycled water and farmers are concerned about the future of their crops if they are to use recycled water. Farmers in Greece are considering using recycled water instead of fresh water if the price is reduced on fresh water. Farmers in India have found out that Water that has already been used already has beneficial nutrients that will help the soil and crops. The united nations report that more education is needed on this topic to fully put it into use in the near future.

 

As the article says more education on the topic of recycled water is needed, I agree. More information on this topic can put the public at ease. At first, hearing about recycled water, it sounds pretty gross. Thinking about using someone else’s water and not knowing where it has been or how it was used is a very unsettling though when you’re brushing your teeth or in the shower. Using recycled water in the boundaries of farming can be very beneficial to all of the crops and farmers and help out with the water scarcity going on in the world and if it is learned about it can provide a better future for the world.

 

Kh, Ryan. “Here’s Why Recycling Water Is A Grave Priority In 2019.” Blue and Green Tomorrow, 25 Feb. 2019, blueandgreentomorrow.com/environment/why-recycling-water-is-grave-priority/.

 

In 2018 Capetown was the first city in the modern world to almost run out of safe drinking water. Scientists have seen this coming for a while now and there is a crisis and the world does not know what to do. Recycling water is one of the options that can save the people from this crisis. This can help keep the natural water clean by not filling them with waste water and stop water shortages.

 

I believe that recycling water is the future and can help end this water crisis. Along with ending the water crisis we will keep natural water sources cleaner and help save the environment. There is not any downside into recycling water, all of the consequences are benefits. It can create a lot of opportunities that the world has not had before, a world where we do not have to worry about running out of water.

 

Chappelle, Caitrin. “Somach Simmons & Dunn: Attorneys at Law.” Somach Simmons and Dunn, Attorneys at Law, Henry Mccann, 29 May 2019, www.somachlaw.com/policy-alert/state-water-board-authorizes-major-recycled-water-project.

The demand for recycled water is increasing in the state of California. Water agencies have been trying to increase the amount of water they are recycling seeing the opportunity it can give for the better of the environment. The use of recycled water has tripled since the 1980s. Replenishing drinking water is the main source of how recycled water is currently being used. Even though there are demands that want to be met the trade offs can be very impactful to the ecosystem. More recycled water means the waste water becomes saltier and that is not suitable for lawns and golf courses and such which means it will cost more money to fix this issue.

 

Recycled water is becoming more and more popular and is becoming more of a regular part of the ecosystem in california. It is becoming more and more of a serious necessity in today’s world as the water agencies are trying to figure out a way to make the water less saltier so it can still be effective since it has been working so well. Recycled water is opening new doors for a field that has been and will continue to be very impactful and an essential part of our future.

 

Wright, Ian, et al. “When Water Is Scarce, We Can’t Afford to Neglect the Alternatives to Desalination.” The Conversation, 3 Sept. 2019, theconversation.com/when-water-is-scarce-we-cant-afford-to-neglect-the-alternatives-to-desalination-111249.

Australia has been at the forefront of water recycling and has been very successful at it as well. The way they have been able to implement their use of recycling water is through many water restrictions and public campaigns meant to educate the public on recycling water. Result of the extensive water use has been met with a steep drop in the use of water in Australia but using recycled water is quite expensive, priced at $5 per Liter.

 

Although the price of using recycled water is expensive, the benefits of using it all over Australia is astounding. All of the waste water that goes into the oceans and rivers would be much cleaner and would affect the health of the natural water sources in Australia and improve its ecosystem.  It provides a secure future for using water and not worrying about any sort of shortage along with not wasting water on watering lawns and golf courses.

 

“Somach Simmons & Dunn: Attorneys at Law.” Somach Simmons and Dunn, Attorneys at Law, www.somachlaw.com/policy-alert/state-water-board-authorizes-major-recycled-water-project.

California is making plans to recycle more and more each day and have passed many grants laws to do so. The state authorized for a water company to deliver an average of 45 million gallons of water to be recycled. Along with this significant increase in the amount of water being recycled, $2 billion  have been granted to upgrade the tech used to recycle water from the EchoWater project which will be completed in 2023. There is a lot of support behind recycling water from the public and the government. Another $280 million have been granted for the states water storage.

 

California is making sure it does not repeat its drought that happened not too long ago. With their efforts to improve water recycling they can be sure it won’t be happening anytime soon along with all of the money that the government and private investors are providing to water recycling efforts. This is giving California the opportunity to have a surplus of water and use it wisely so that we won’t have to worry about going back into a drought, and if that does happen we will have a surplus of water during that period that will benefit us significantly. 

 

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Cutting ammonia pollution may lead to more acid rain in China.

Chemistry World News. (2019, April 03) Cutting ammonia pollution may lead to more acid rain in China. From https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/07/01/singin-in-the-acid-rain

 

In the past decades, because of the amount of industrialization happening in China, air pollution and acid rain has increased immensely. Their government wants to reduce the amount of acid rain and air pollution which he is planning to resolve by reducing the amount of ammonia. This research, of finding out a way to lower the amount of ammonia, would need a lot of money. Reducing 50% of ammonia will reduce about 15% of air pollution and 15% of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. The researchers came to the conclusion that it would be better to try a “region-specific strategy that examines multipollutant controls.”

 

I think changing up the amount of ammonia would change everything, whether good or bad. With all the advanced technology and industries such a big country like China has, there should be a possible way of maintaining an average PH on their rain. But as you can imagine the amount of people with cars/other transportation, factories, etc., it’d be a challenge to reduce air pollution, which can be even more difficult to reduce acid rain, mainly because it is caused by how strong the air pollution is. 

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Decades of dumping acid suggest acid rain may make trees thirstier.

Science News. (2019, August 5). Decades of dumping acid suggest acid rain may make trees thirstier. From https://www.sciencenews.org/article/decades-dumping-acid-suggest-acid- rain-may-make-trees-thirstier

 

Because of the amount of acid rain being produced, trees are becoming more dehydrated/ thirsty causing them to absorb more water than usual. This can lead to other living creatures, including us, not having enough water resources. An experiment was conducted with mock acid water and they noticed that the trees would absorb much more water than those that didn’t have acid water on them. About extra 13.6 million liters of water is used to satisfy the trees’ thirst, each year. The acid in acid water can dissolve minerals in the soil and consume all the calcium, and without calcium these plants can’t control the water loss. Soils take a while to recuperate the lost calcium.

 

In the future if we were to get more acid rain it would start to become a very serious problem to our economy and our environment. Our resources of water can decrease little by little and then by the time you know it, we will be looking for one of the most important things, we all need to live, in every little corner. I was thinking to myself if maybe there would be a way to get rid of the acid rain but I doubt you can completely vanish it. So more on the realistic side, there should be a way to water down the acid in acid rain, but then again we would be using even more water than we should be, because of the acid water down. 

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Birding (Yes, Birding) is a Multi-Billion Dollar Ecotourism Industry

Daily Beast. (2019, August 1) Birding (Yes, Birding) is a Multi-Billion Dollar Ecotourism Industry Retrieved August 25, 2019, from, https://www.thedailybeast.com/birding-yes-birding-is-a-multi-billion-dollar-ecotourism-industry

 

Birding has now become a 41 billion dollar business in the United States. Every year, around 20 million Americans take birding related vacations or trips. Birding gives people a sense of community and unity whilst helping to protect and serve the environment. There are many favorite birding spots in the United States, most in or around national parks. A large number of popular birding places boosts the economy in small places that may have never seen the money without Birders. However, more and more Birders have begun going to other countries in order to witness a variety of different species. In order to avoid this, more and more companies are offering incentives for Birders and other ecotourists to stay in the United States. 

 

This article demonstrates that there are many different sides to this topic. I for one would have never thought of Birding as a big contributor to ecotourism, but it is never the less.  The article is well written, full of vital information, and often humorous. I like how the author incorporates their own personal experience with the topic, proving that Birding has a much larger reach than we may have previously thought. Birding, as painted by the author, seems to be a very good path for ecotourism. 

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Egypt launches the environmental festival to promote ecotourism

Xinhuanet. (2019, August 23) Egypt launches the environmental to promote ecotourism. Retrieved August 25, 2019, from http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/23/c_138330216.htm

 

Egypt is planning a three-day festival ecotourism festival that will hopefully provide the local environmental organizations with a large amount of funding. The festival is to be held in Cairo.  The festival itself will serve as a tourist destination, increasing local profits. Ultimately the purpose is to educate not only international travelers, but locals as well, about Egypt’s history, culture, and environmental situation. There are many people from the local nature reserves who will be participating in the festival. 

 

This story is another example of the wonders of ecotourism. In this example, the festival will serve as a way in which to bring people together, fund environmental projects and educate the general public about both Egypt’s and the world’s current environmental standing. I particularly liked all of the images in the article. They all incorporated aspects of what made this festival so special and interesting.  However, the pictures seem to pain the festival as more of a market. 

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What West Virginia can learn from Ecotourism in the Americas

Planeta.com.(2019, July 30) What West Virginia can learn from Ecotourism in the Americas (1999) Retrieved August 25, 2019, from https://planeta.com/west-virginia-1999/ 

 

While West Virginia adopts, ecotourism, and ponders its implications, it also looks to its neighbors to the south as examples to follow. For Virginians, the most important result of ecotourism would be that it provides them with a way to make money, outside of big companies. While protecting the environment is of the utmost importance, there is also the economic factor in play, and people cannot live off of good intentions. Here, the locals want to use ecotourism as a sustainable way to make a profit. 

 

This article gives important insight, for while ecotourism in branded a better form of tourism. Ultimately the goal to make money is the same. In this community, the people see the protection of the environment as a small added bonus, and not as the core principle. They intend to use ecotourism to make money, plain and simple. Ultimately, this article also shows us how the protection of the environment and local economic growth can go hand in hand. 

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Life on the Amazon Oil Frontier: From Exploration to Ecotourism

Mongabay. (2019, August 2) Life on the Amazon oil frontier: From exploration to ecotourism. Retrieved August 25, 2019, from https://news.mongabay.com/2019/08/life-on-the-amazon-oil-frontier-from-exploration-to-ecotourism/

 

In Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest, oil and tourism are the two big economic powers. Many of the local population, end up having to choose between the two titans. When Petroamazonas signed the deal to extract oil, they made many promises that would never be kept. Their presence eventually devastated the local economy. This led many from within the community to turn to ecotourism. Ecotourism has allowed the locals to have a stable income, help regrow the local economy, and protect their environment.  

 

This article demonstrates the wondrous impact that ecotourism can have on not only the environment but the people too. It can be very easy to lose the human aspect in the whole equation, but these people’s stories serve as a reminder. Their lives were devastated by empty promises, and ecotourism has allowed them to get their lives back. This article, I feel embodies the spirit of Environmentalism, people working to protect the environment, while also finding a way to sustainably take advantage of the resources it provides. 

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An introduction to Ecotourism

ThoughtCo.(2019, May 25) An introduction to Ecotourism. Retrieved August 25, 2019, from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-ecotourism-1435185. 

 

Ecotourism is loosely described as travel with a low environmental impact, that educates those visiting about the local culture and ecosystem. Ecotourism began in the 1970s,  but only became a seriously used means of travel in the 1980s. Because of its popularity, many different companies based on ecotourism exist. Due to its popularity, certain guidelines have been created in order for a trip to be labeled ecotourism, have minimal impact on the environment, build respect and awareness for local conditions, provide direct financial aid to both the local people and conservation efforts. There exist a few criticisms of ecotourism, the main ones being the increased amount of tourists, tourists dependant cities or governments, and unbalanced wealth within the local populations. 

 

This article provides background information on ecotourism. It delves into the history of the industry, and how it came to be so popular. It goes on to warn the reader of possible ecotourism scams. This article also tries to remain a rather unbiased account of the whole situation. It provides not only the pros of ecotourism but also the cons. Finally, the article ends with some consumer advice on how to make sure, your ecotouristic vacation is as agreeable and fulfilling as possible. 

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Permitting Irregularity Prompts State to Idle 25 Oil, Steam Wells in Kern

Cox, John. “Permitting Irregularity Prompts State to Idle 25 Oil, Steam Wells in Kern.” The Bakersfield Californian, 21 Aug. 2019, www.bakersfield.com/news/permitting-irregularity-prompts-state-to-idle-oil-steam-wells-in/article_48caddc2-c3a7-11e9-ace3-3b753c4e8edf.html?utm_campaign=CELPU&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_SFeydU3EIHene48QpJCFD_wNzfPv016Yg_fnB-E4dl6GyEDROZ4Nk1kC8iloDnDg0BL-Z.

Going back to Kern County and the oil spill, 25 Kern County oil and steam-injection wells have been idled in fear that they have never been given a proper regulatory review. The wells are owned by Chevron Corp. and Berry Petroleum Co. LLC. California’s Division of Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources has been investigating how these wells were approved, due to a lack of documentation of this approval. They are concerned over the possibility of intentional misconduct, but are hoping that this was just a result of confusion over the new rules in April.

Most articles I’ve found have at least addressed the Kern County oil spill, because it’s such a large spill. So, there’s not much more I could say about it, besides the fact that I’m glad the Chevron has agreed to cooperate with DOGGR and the law. For me, this rules out the idea that this was a result of intentional misconduct, but I’m no investigator. I was glad that Chevron is willing to cooperate so that we can fix this mess and get back to saving our environment again, but because of the attention that this oil spill has brought, the news has been shedding a lot of light on the greed of many big companies, with higher-ups who will find ways to make profit at the cost of the environment.

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New Report: California Has Five Times More Clean Energy Jobs than Fossil Fuel Jobs

Rogers, Paul. “New Report: California Has Five Times More Clean Energy Jobs than Fossil Fuel Jobs.” The Mercury News, The Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2019, www.mercurynews.com/2019/08/20/new-report-california-has-five-times-more-clean-energy-jobs-than-fossil-fuel-jobs/.

California’s renewable energy and climate laws have now increased the number of clean energy jobs, outnumbering fossil fuel jobs five to one.  The number of jobs in the fossil fuel industry did not include gas station employees. These clean energy jobs include building electric cars, windmills, and solar panels. 1 in 7 clean energy jobs in the United States are in California, and the only state with more clean vehicle jobs is Michigan. All these numbers are expected to change because of the new rules stating that all homes built starting in 2020 will be required to be powered by solar panels or a solar farm.

I’m glad that our state is working hard for the environment. It makes me happy that so much effort is being put in by California, but it makes me upset that we make up almost 15% of the clean energy jobs in the entire country. That shows that other states aren’t putting in as much effort, and California alone isn’t able to save the environment. It also slightly upsets me that we haven’t taken action much sooner, but late is better than never. This article is on the more positive side in comparison to other current articles regarding the petroleum and oil industry.