Month: September 2019

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Kern Spill Renews Oil Production Controversy

Catron, Derek. “Kern Spill Renews Oil Production Controversy.” Capitol Weekly, 21 Aug. 2019, capitolweekly.net/kern-spill-renews-oil-production-controversy/.

Gov. Gavin Newsom hopes for a decrease in the demand for oil and fossil fuels. The Chevron oil spill has called a lot of attention to the issue of petroleum and oil. The article states that Chevron used steam injection instead of oil extraction, which is described as “a chemical-free version of fracking.” Fracking is the process of injecting liquids deep into the ground in order to find petroleum through open fissures. Ken Harris, head of DOGGR, the division responsible for monitoring the petroleum industry, was fired in July. Newsom wants to put an end to controversial extraction methods like fracking, but does not believe that he has the legal power to do so.

I am also in favor of getting rid of controversial extraction methods like fracking. Corporations should stick to standard methods, just to be safe. As important as California’s oil industry is, I will always believe in prioritizing public health and safety, which was threatened by the Chevron oil spill. I believe that Newsom made the right decision in firing the head of DOGGR, because incidents like this oil spill are not easily forgiven. As for Newsom’s hope in the decrease in demand for oil and fossil fuels, I think he’s right, but it’s unrealistic to expect big companies to make sudden changes that will affect their profit. 

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California Natural Resources Secretary Probing ‘Dummy’ Files at Oil and Gas Agency

Wilson, Janet. “California Natural Resources Secretary Probing ‘Dummy’ Files at Oil and Gas Agency.” Desert Sun, Palm Springs Desert Sun, 14 Aug. 2019, www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2019/08/13/california-natural-resources-secretary-probe-dummy-oil-gas-files-doggr/2001602001/.

In response to a report on supposed “dummy” files by the state oil regulator, the California Natural Resources Agency is reviewing thousands of permits to ensure that they were all properly issued. According to employees at the regulator, the “dummy,” placeholder, files were “used by higher-ups to give petroleum companies a shortcut around legally required safety and environmental reviews.” Secretary Wade Crowfoot has been ordered to fire the state’s top oil and gas supervisor. Crowfoot also addressed the Chevron oil spill, stating that the field is being monitored and that penalties will likely be issued. Reviewing the permits a complicated process, made even more difficult with computer issues that the agency has been facing.

I think it’s terrible that petroleum companies are so filled with greed that they are willing to go to great lengths just to destroy the environment. This article really sheds light on how selfish big corporations could be. This system of permits is in place in order to protect the environment while using our resources most effectively, and selfish corporations and higher-ups prioritize their own personal gain over public health and safety. While reading this article, I was thinking about Gifford Pinchot and how his methods are ideal, but not realistic. While some companies and fair and get their permit properly, others are more concerned for themselves.

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California’s Biggest Oil Spill in Decades Brings More Defiance than Anger from Locals

Sahagun, Louis. “California’s Biggest Oil Spill in Decades Brings More Defiance than Anger from Locals.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 July 2019, www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-07-26/california-oil-country-defiance. 

Just outside Kern County, there has been a growing oil leak from a Chevron Corp. well. Over 900,000 gallons of oil and brine have filled a dry creek in the oil field, resulting in a black lagoon. This poses a clear threat to the environment, and nearby residents. However, residents of McKittrick are more concerned about the oil industry than the environment. They are well aware that this oil leak could be a reason to shut down California’s oil industry. Environmentalists and others want to “prioritize our public health and our environment over corporate polluters’ profits” while oil field locals claim that “environmentalists have it all wrong.”

I am definitely in favor of prioritizing our public health. The locals’ vision is clouded, considering many of them are oil field workers and rely on their jobs. However, I think this mindset is a bit selfish because these locals would rather let Chevron Corp. pollute the land than find new jobs and save the land. My final opinion is that this growing oil leak is a clear threat to our environment that should be addressed. I had no idea that locals would favor Chevron Corp. over environmental health, and I am almost shocked that people who live so close to the leak are the least concerned about it.

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Rapid Global Population

M.R. (2019, July 18). Two centuries of rapid global population growth will come to an end. Retrieved  August 12 , 2019, from https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth-past-future

By the 1700’s through the 1800’s the world population was not growing. Bit instead it was slowly increasing by 0.04% per year. However, in the 20 century the population began to change. Millennials began to have more kids which then created more people on earth. This causes the action of being to create a steep on the population graph. With the 7 fold increase of population we began to impact the natural environment causing us to provide space,food, and resource for a larger population that is ahead of us. On the other hand, the population is still growing at a fast pace. Every year 140 million are born and 58 million die. This difference  leaves us with only 82 million. The UN’s projection of 0.1% will decrease the population for 2100. This would be resizable for humanity.  

I really like this article because it involved research from the united nation. This helped the reader see the graph in how we increased and then decreased. However, there is one sentence that gives his opinion. He brings to describe the pros and cons in the graph and gives us feedback. He is descriptive on the charts. Overall, the article gives its points and helps the reader notice what is happening in this world. And the hopes for the future.

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Is Not the Problem “Overpopulation”

Subramaniam, B. (2019, August 16). “Overpopulation” Is Not the Problem. Retrieved August 20, 2019,  from https://www.publicbooks.org/top-10-2019-overpopulation-is-not-the-problem/

In Subramaniam article she explains the bad parts of overpopulation and how it has to do with many theories. She begins to explain this with an example of flour beetles and a jar and then slowly transitioning it to the cause of overpopulation. One of the theories that  she uses is the theory of Thomas Malthus. Malthus theories that population tends to increase at a rapid speed than the production of food. However, this theory does not resemble to the example of the flour beetle in the jar. Since the flour beetle in that case are the humans and the jar that the beetle live is earth. The theory of the four beetle is that each week they eat up all their resources and then they go extinct. However, this theory doesn;t work with the theory of Malthus. 

In what she writes she throws in politics into the problem of population. However, this doesn’t support some of her arguments. As well when she beging to talk about the many thoeries she also adds how this is related to feminist. I do not agree with her because many of what she states isn’t true. However, when she uses the theories in how it can cause the population to growth and over do it self. She explains it well and developed her point. 

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Overpopulation for Centuries

Piper, K. (2019, August 20). We’ve worried about overpopulation for centuries. And we’ve always been wrong. Retrieved August 19, 2019,  from https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/8/20/20802413/overpopulation-demographic-transition-population-explained

  It started with a not lower number when the earth began. It started with 190 million. From then it when to 250 million going to 4 billion in 1976. However, many of the demographer predicted that humanity would over grow. However, most of the wealthier families don’t  have many children they would only have two. Therefore, the demographers have low hope that the population would decline in the mid century. As for many of the United States has to due a census but 2 % weren’t on that census. This census is created to know the population. However, many of the people don’t believe the UN estimates. Many don’t believe the UN because they feel that their future predictions are wrong. While the demographic say that the average women in 1900 in the US had 3.85 children while today the average woman has1.9 children. This has a 0.7 percentage. On the other hand many people don’t want to obess because the problem of climate change we need to fix that before the over population. So many people have theories about what would happen in 2100 with the population. 

I believe that the census that the united states is doing is doing a good job in keeping in order the count. However, I feel that if we did this in all the countries without scared the 2% we can get a good data. This would help the UN in keeping count and having their graph updated. To make good prediction. On the other hand with today’s socially we have a lot to be expected. And with giving birth is something that is last on the list. Which is why the birth rates can be the cause that it lower.

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Real Overpopulation Problem

Clarke, J. S. (2019, August 13). The Planet’s Real Overpopulation Problem: Too Many Rich People. Retrieved  August 19,2019, from https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/wjwqky/overpopulation-climate-change-cause

Reddit is a website that is “anti-natalist” and its build in the philosophy that people should not have children because life is painful. The idea that people should not have babies goes in to another concept: that there are too many people in the world. David Roberts an environment reporter of vix wrote an essay explaining why he does not discussed it. He goes in saying that overpopulation is a simple concept. And humans being the cause of climate change by pumping greenhouse gases into the air. Then one study in the 1990’s says that a sustainable ecosystem at between 1.5- 2 billion. On the other hand the UN ( United Nation) estimates that this number will rise to 9.5 billion in 2050. As for the famines don’t occur because there isn’t enough land to farm but because the world’s resources aren’t fully distributed equally. 

 

Joe Clarke many the reader see the many ways that we as people affect the world. As well goes into detail in explaining to use in how climate change and overpopulation can both affect us. As well he also provide us with different methods in how to fix this problem. On the other hand, he also argues that the ones who are causing climate change and overpopulation are two different types of people. The first type are the rich people. In his argument or statement he said that the rich people travel a lot and just have one through two children. On the contrasted to this poor people have more children and travel or use less carbon dioxide that affects the planet.

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Population Curb

  1. cook. (2019, August 11). ‘Contraceptive revolution’ needed to curb population growth. Retrieved  August 20, 2019, from https://www.bioedge.org/bioethics/contraceptive-revolution-needed-to-curb-population-growth/13168

Deborah J. Anderson, of Boston university argues that there are too many people in the world and that new different methods need to curb the earth’s population. She says that the earth’s population carrying capacity is only 1.5 through 5 billion people by the end of this century. And that the method of contraception have helped the population stop from growing. She said “ More accessible, effective contraception choices are needed to ensure that all children are planned and wanted. Such advances could significantly reduce population growth to meet realistic goals for sustainable development. “ However, cook the editor said that she does not address the problem of falling population in most of the developing countries like Japan, Korea, and Russia. And that the gap between 5.5 – 7 billion is to wide for contraceptive. As for it would lower down to 35% of the population. 

I think about this article is that she does give good ideas. However, this idea of the contraceptive is a good idea but I feel that it would be hard for a lower class to afford it. I think it would be harder for the lower class to afford because mostly in three class worlds they are the ones who are having many kids. As we see in today’s first class that we are only having one or two kids. So with this article we need to see how to get another method other then the contraceptive method. And I dislike that she didn’t add another source or some back for what she said. In all it does lack of research and in naming new method rather than naming one method.

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http://www.sundaytimes.lk/article/1102195/environmentalists-conservationists-gather-for-tropical-biodiversity-conference-in-sri-lanka

  • The twelfth meeting between experts and representatives among Asia-Pacific tropical conservation programs is taking place in Sri Lanka. Tropical conservation is linked to the primary industries of most countries participating and with the filtration of global CO2 gas as a whole. The tropics cover 40% of the earth’s surface area and have the biggest impact on global ecosystems. Asia and India have a disproportionate burden to conserve their existing habitats. This committee and committees like this one were formed mainly to alleviate that burden a countries came to assist the tropics with conservation efforts.
  • This meeting is vitally important to the future of conservation because it provides a context in which to discuss conservation efforts unimpeded by ongoing tensions between the spotlighted countries in the Hindu-Kashmir region. This political cycle wouldn’t be the first to have government tensions undermine conservation efforts and meetings like this are a sign that the organizations responsible for keeping the tropics safe will be resilient to ongoing conflict.
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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190905094056.htm

  • Scientists from the University of Freiburg have found that the stability and resilience f forest habitats are directly linked to their levels of biodiversity. Complex ecosystems with any species to fill all roles have a broader safety net guarding against population losses. Additionally, the study concluded that forests that combine two or three tree species are on average 25 to 30 percent more stabile than others. Having locally established species to fall back on in the event of epidemic or selective deforestation certainly increases the chances of a forest surviving.
  • This article serves as yet another piece of evidence to support the general link between biodiversity, and both human and environmental progress. Forests and other important habitats are able to proliferate at a higher rate with higher security with more biodiverse populations. Human technology progresses faster with a more diverse source of inspiration. Biodiversity will soon not only be linked with medical shortcomings such as antibiotics and blood thinners, but with all aspects of our way of life.