Month: September 2021

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Japanese Beetle is More Costly than Pretty

Roach, Margaret. “The Japanese Beetles Are Back.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 July 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/realestate/japanese-beetles-how-to-kill.html. 

 

Japanese beetles are an invasive species that appeared in the US around 1916. As one would expect, the insects’s native region is Japan. Although japanese beetles share a beautiful  iridescent green color, they have been known to have an appetite that includes over 300 different types of plants. Part of why the beetle is able to do this is because of strong stomach enzymes which allow it to consume everything from blackberries to milkweed. The Japanese beetle is also economically devastating to the US, considering the U.S.D.A estimates they cause $460 million in damages. The beatles’ also reproduce roughly 40-46 times in a lifetime, which is about once a day. Considering they lay around 6 eggs each time they reproduce, their population is incredibly hard to eradicate.

 

Perhaps the most significant point in this article about invasive species is how devastating they can be to the US. The article mentioned that japanese beetles alone may cost around $460 million in annual damages. Considering that japanese beetles are only 1 of thousands of invasive species across the US, it definitely makes one wonder how much extra money the US could have. This article also demonstrates how difficult it can be to eradicate invasive species. Japanese beetles reproduce at an exponential rate compared to most species, and based on the math some can even give birth to over 276 larva in a single lifetime.

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Bird-Killing Ants Ravage Hawaii

Jones, Caleb. “’Crazy’ Ants That Kill Birds Eradicated from PACIFIC ATOLL.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 23 June 2021, apnews.com/article/hi-state-wire-ants-birds-29990f306c96a43fa1051b14c0275b6b. 

 

Earlier this summer, an invasive ant species known as yellow crazy ants were eradicated from Johnston atoll national wildlife refuge near Honolulu, Hawaii. The ants posed a serious threat to wildlife in the area, especially seabirds, which were a common victim. The ants were known to spray acids that could seriously injure prey and even blind them if the encounter didn’t result in death. Yellow crazy ants, native to Southern Asia, have accidentally made their way to regions in the pacific through various methods including boats or excess debris. This event marks the first time an invasive ant species has been eradicated over such a large area (120+ miles). While the island’s closest neighbor is Honolulu, it is the only area to house tropical birds in a nearly 1.5 million square kilometer radius. 

 

This article shows how invasive species, even something as small as ants, can pose a serious threat to wildlife. In this case, even animals as large as seabirds were victims of yellow crazy ants. This trend relates to the US considering how passive people can be towards invasive bugs because of their small stature and size. In reality, insects can pose a serious threat to areas due to their ability to quickly reproduce and incredibly voracious diet. Moreover, this article details how drastically different environments are around the world, and what can happen when a dangerous species enters a helpless ecosystem. The US tends to house less dangerous environments, leaving it incredibly susceptible to invasive species from other parts of the world. 

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Poisonous Hemlock Flourishes in US Soil

Bowman, Sarah, and London Gibson. “Toxic Invasive Poison Hemlock Is Spreading into US Parks and BACKYARD GARDENS.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 3 Aug. 2021, www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/08/03/poison-hemlock-us-parks-gardens-beware-toxic-plant/5465780001/. 

 

Hemlock, a plant native to Europe has recently gone on a rampage in the US, and is quickly becoming a serious threat to the environment and people. Hemlock is an extremely poisonous plant that was introduced into the US about a year ago. The plant thrives in damp soil and moist areas, however it has been spotted in nearly every state. Perhaps the scariest thing is that every part of the plant – from seeds to leaves – is poisonous even when in contact with one’s skin. Touching Hemlock can cause serious blisters and welts, and actually consuming the plant can be lethal. Because of it’s poisonous aspects, the US has struggled to eradicate hemlock. It also doesn’t help that the plant can release 30,000 seeds in one go, and considering that the months of spring and summer are when this plant tends to thrive, the spreading of hemlock is now at an exponential rate. 

 

This article is one example of how reluctant humans are to stopping the spread of  invasive species, and perhaps even more importantly the environment. While there have been many examples of invasive species threatening the environment, people rarely decide to take action until it’s too late or until it affects themselves. With better laws and regulations against invasive species, thousands of ecosystems could become significantly healthier, and extinct ecosystems may have had a chance to survive. This would also greatly benefit the environment, since unhealthy ecosystems can cause places to go on a rapid decline by killing of native species, plants, and the entire area as a whole.

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New Zealand’s Battle Against Invasive Species

Arnold, Naomi. “An Island Nation’s Audacious Effort to Save Its Unique Wildlife.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 4 Jan. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2020/12/31/island-nation-unique-wildlife/. 

 

New Zealand plans to completely eradicate all mammalian predators, specifically invasive species, in its ongoing multimillion dollar plan “Predator Free 2050”. As one could have guessed, the plan is supposed to end in 2050, which shows New Zealand’s degree of ambition. One island of the New Zealand Coast, Coal island, has faced the implementations of the plan first-hand. Around the 1800’s, a mammal called a stoat was introduced to the region. The original intention of introducing stoats to Coal Island was to kill off the overrun rabbit population, and naturally the mammal soon became a top predator in the region. After the rabbit population died out, Stouts began targeting animals like seabirds, and even the famous Kakapo Parrot. Despite this setback, New Zealand isn’t new to eradicating invasive species. New Zealanders originally eradicate mice from the region by dropping poison cereal across the island. While the plan is still working out, this hasn’t stopped a persistent population of stouts to survive. Climate change has also  introduced a new, warmer climate into areas previously unreachable by stouts, causing them to expand their existing habitats. A project is also going on to introduce haast tokoeka kiwis, a “nationally critical” near-extinct species into the area. While the birds should be able to fend off stoats and populate, this will take a while to happen. 

 

Perhaps the most significant aspect of this article is how hard it can be to extract invasive species from a region. Stoats populated the region incredibly quickly since they were an alpha predator in the region, due to their ability to hunt the overpopulated rabbits of Coal Island. One may also highlight the fact that Stoats are only one of tons of other species introduced to non-native areas, especially in the past. Many people of the past accidentally introduced invasive species through international trade or didn’t consider the effects they would have on the future, resulting in tons of near-extinct animals and destroyed ecosystems.

 

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Making Use of Fish Waste

American Chemical Society. (2021, April 5). Making cleaner, greener plastics from waste fish parts. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 27, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210405075901.htm

 

Polyurethanes are a common type of plastic used in many items today such as clothing and construction materials, however, one of the major components is crude oil. This is a complication, given that crude oil is a highly toxic, non-renewable resource that is very difficult to break down. Fish oil is a potential alternative for crude oil, as it provides a more decomposable option when soaked with water or mixed with the enzyme “lipase” which can break down fats within the oil. This new plastic is still amidst its testing phase and seems to be a great replacement for other intoxicating chemicals.

 

I think this article has successfully reinforced the idea that there is a solution to everything in this world pertaining to the environment. There will always be a fix for any problem to come, it is a simple matter of whether or not we act on it. Not only is fish oil an amazing substitute for crude oil, but it also supplies various industries (clothing, refrigeration, construction) with a more environmentally friendly option. It also makes great use of the fish waste that pollutes aquatic ecosystems and communities that use fish as their primary source of nutrients. Such a creation would majorly contribute to the economy as well, this is because of the extensive amount of work done within the crude oil industry and how much money and land is being used harvesting the resource. However, I don’t quite fully understand the method of creating plastic from the fish waste, and whether or not all of the fish waste is completely utilized in the process. 

 

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Fish Waste Negative Effects + Gambia

Urbina, I. (2021, February 26). Fish farming is feeding the GLOBE. What’s the cost for Locals? Retrieved August 26, 2021, from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/03/08/fish-farming-is-feeding-the-globe-whats-the-cost-for-locals

 

In Gunjur, Gambia there was a massive complication regarding a large fishing company dumping waste on the coast, not 1 mile out from the town, where the waste heavily impacted the waters and wildlife. The repercussions for such actions were a $25,000 fine and a short, insignificant license suspension. Trading companies were more concerned with investments from foreign countries rather than environmental issues. The aquaculture industry has led to more jobs for many women around the world and has been attributed to approximately half of the globe’s fish consumption. The people of Gunjur retrieve a majority of their food from the ocean and wildlife has been depleting at a rapid rate; however, the country of Gambia is making an attempt to restore life in the sea.

 

This article addresses the economic aspect of fisheries management, as well as the drawbacks of fish production and waste by relating it to the events that occurred in Gunjur. This story gave perspective on the copious amount of ethical and environmental issues that come with seafood supply and its connections with stocks and trades. These connections lead to an imbalance and skewed view of what should be prioritized within the industry. Many companies are concerned with the decrease in profits more than the negative effect on communities and their environment. It was also noted that the need for fish has surpassed the limit on how much we can farm. We are able to connect this with the protection of more mature fish leading to a potential and overall increase in capacity for fish farming. There still lies a problem; the lack of regard for fish waste in countries around the world has left a negative impact on communities as well as aquatic ecosystems.

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Larger Fish Produce More Offspring + Fisheries Efficiency

NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region. (2021, August 18). Protecting largest, most prolific fish may boost productivity of fisheries: Overlooking capacity of large females may lead to overharvest. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 26, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210818135210.htm 

 

New research uncovers that larger, more mature fish are able to produce a greater amount of offspring than previously understood. Additionally, the offspring of older fish will see a significantly higher survival rate. The absence of fish with as large of a capacity as these has led to the continuance of the big problem of overharvesting in many fisheries. It has been noted that protection over the fish could lead to a considerable supply of long-term solutions for the climate and food production throughout the world. 

 

I feel as though this article illuminates the aim for future exploitations of nature, in line with a better supply for people who depend on fish as a food source. However, I do fear that such an idea would not be set in motion as there are many short-term setbacks for the economy and food supply, as a significant percentage of the population consume fish on a daily basis. Nonetheless, it is also worth noting that a healthy amount of fish in the ocean would do wonders for the climate, and may benefit the food chain within aquatic ecosystems by decreasing the amount at which rare species (such as the sawfish) are captured by overfishing. The increase may also contribute to the overall amount of carbon able to be captured by the ocean, and thus, tackle issues of climate change and overharvesting within various fisheries. It is obvious that such an idea could be worthwhile, but is heavily dependent on the fisheries management’s ability to analyze the rewards over the risks.

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Sawfish Population Decline due to Overfishing

Simon Fraser University. (2021, February 10). Sawfish face global extinction unless overfishing is curbed. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 27, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210210165959.htm

 

Sawfish is a unique, and rare species of fish that would be found on the coastal waters of 90 countries. However, through the active processes of overfishing, sawfish have experienced a steady decline in population that threatens the continuation of their species. Given the distinctiveness of the species, it has been suggested that efforts to preserve sawfish would drastically reduce the threat of extinction. In the United States and Australia, ongoing efforts are present in an attempt to ensure the survival of Sawfish.

 

I think that the article grants an outlook of how the indirect actions of overfishing damage many vulnerable species around the world, posing a large threat to future biodiversity and climate change.   The sawfish species represents a great example of the troubles overfishing causes within aquatic communities. The role of sawfish aids the food chain because of their ability to support the ecosystem by pulling out little organisms from the ocean floor, making them easily captured by predators. I find it interesting that the most effort is being put into restoring aquatic life derives from places outside (preservation organizations) of the direct source of the problem (fisheries).  If international fisheries continue overfishing, species with low production rates, such as the sawfish, will no doubt face extinction.

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Fish Recruitment Impacts

University of Melbourne. (2021, April 27). Study first to explore combined impacts of fishing and ocean warming on fish populations. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 30, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210427085802.htm

 

Fish recruitment has been steadily declining due to the rise in temperatures in the ocean. Expert in Marine Biology, Henry Wootton, had commenced a study where he placed 18 different groups of fish in a controlled environment where his team experimented with the long-term effects of temperatures throughout several generations of fish. They had discovered that smaller fish were more susceptible to the effects of an increase in temperatures over a long period of time. Maintaining diversity in fish sizes would increase overall adaptability to warmer climates. It had also been noted that many of the negative indicators of small fish could only be noticed after 4 generations of testing.

 

This article furthered my understanding on the possibilities of how much worse climate change can be for biodiversity. Given that the testing hadn’t seen major effects until the 4th generation of fish highly suggests that, if world temperatures keep climbing, many more problems will arise within all ecosystems. Fish stocks will also take a significant hit, impacting aquatic food chains, and therefore decreasing the amount of availability for people who mainly eat fish. Although the study has seen solutions to the adaptability of fish with more diversity, we can’t be solely dependant on it. If anything, this information supplies people with more initiative than ever before. 

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The costs and environmental impact of transport in 2021

Gee, O. (2021, March 5). The costs and environmental impact of transport in 2021 Mozo. https://mozo.com.au/insurance/car-insurance/articles/the-costs-and-environmental-impact

-of-transport-in-2021. 

This article explores the effect the pandemic had on transportation and Greenhouse Gas emissions. It then goes into a fiscal analysis on the numerous ways to mitigate pollutants. First it focuses on driving – looking at the pros and cons of electric , diesel , and petroleum vehicles. It marks that EV’s are generally the most environmentally friendly, but also states that diesel is better than petroleum for the environment if not unless it’s primarily used for short trips especially in urban areas. Then the article describes some ways to improve public transport citing new light rails and trams which run on electricity and are powered by solar energy plants in Melbourne. It asserts that “making public transport more sustainable and accessible needs to be a priority moving forward,” highlighting the importance of public transport. Finally it describes alternative modes of travel such as biking and walking, both of which include numerous monetary, health, and environmental benefits

The article’s emphasis on sustainability and the general premise of weighing options based on scientific fact in order to determine the most sustainable methods, associates it with environmental science. I thought the article did a very good job of weighing the pros and cons of each method and offering a concise verdict. Furthermore, their fiscal analysis illuminated the balance needed between sustainability and overall efficiency when determining policy.