The Associated Press. 10 June 2015.”California: Cleanup of Oil on Beaches Has Cost $69 Million.” The New York Times. The New York Times. Web. 22 Nov. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/11/us/california-cleanup-of-oil-on-beaches-has-cost-69-million-company-says.html>.

The cost of cleaning up the oil spill that occurred in California beaches on May 19, 2015 has said to cost 69 million dollars thus far. Seventy-six percent of the oil on the coastline has been cleared of oil; however, there is no known timetable for completion. The oil spill form the Texas-based pipeline leaked up to 101,000 gallons of oil. About 21,000 gallons of oil entered storm drains and eventually washed out into the Pacific Ocean. The long clean-up process is still taking place in attempts to clear the entire coastline of oil.

It is sad to think about how often oil spill occur and how much they affect the ocean and its ecosystem. We need to take extreme measures to prevent oil spills and significant punishment for when they do. I think another way to prevent oil spills is to rely less on fossil fuels and start using renewable energy. Like this, our community will be more sustainable and we will not need as much oil therefore limiting the amount of oil spills that occur.

Yulsman, Tom. 15 Apr. 2015. “Seen From Space: High Winds Kick up Big Dust Storm in Nevada and California.” Discover. N.p. Web. 22 Nov. 2015. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/imageo/2015/04/15/seen-from-space-high-winds-kick-up-big-dust-storm-in-nevada-and-california/#.VlJGpnarRD8>.

In early April, there were high winds that swept across California, specifically in the north. These winds caused havoc as they blew dust and sand through towns, roads, and cities. Large amounts of trash were pushed into public places causing a mess and environmental hazard in the north. Residents of the affected areas came together to go on large trash clean-ups and remove all of the garbage from the ground. After a couple days, the surrounding environment was restored to its original condition.

I am glad to see that in times of destruction, people are willing to come together to clean-up an area. It is inspiring to see that a community cared so much for the environment they lived in that they spent days restoring it. By removing all of the blown up garbage from the ground, these people prevented any damage to the ecosystem that could have happened.

05 Nov. 2015.”These Plastic-eating Worms Could Be the Solution to

Pollution?” Discover. Seriously Science. Web. 22 Nov. 2015.            <http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/seriouslyscience/2015/11/05/these-plastic-eatingworms-could-be-the-solution-to-pollution/#.VlJE0XarRD8>.

Plastic is generally bad for the environment because it does not biodegrade. However, scientists in California have recently discovered that a worm, the lowly mealworm, could possibly decompose plastic products. Its bacterial strains in its gut were found to be capable of breaking down polyethylene, the main factor in plastic products. This is great news for environmental issues concerning plastic and landfills because these worms could help clean-up excess garbage.

This could potentially be a very helpful and important discovery. A lot of the world, including California, has trouble with excess trash and materials that do not biodegrade. With these worms, I think there will be a way to reduce the trash levels in California and decompose many of the plastic products which have been prominent in our society. We will no longer have problems with using plastic bags at grocery stores because there will be a plausible way to reduce the plastic that is being consumed.

“What Step Is Crucial in Fighting Cities’ Air Pollution?”

National Geographic. 11 Nov. 2015. National Geographic. Web. 22 Nov.

        2015.        http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/energy/great-energy-challenge/big-energy-question/what-step-is-crucial-in-fighting-cities-air-pollution/

Air pollution has become a serious and eminent problem around the world, including in California. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution prematurely killed 3.7 million people in 2012. However, some cities like Los Angeles are setting an example for reducing pollution in larger, industrial cities. They have set regulations on cars and fuel to make them cleaner which added to the 98 percent decline in smog over the past 50 years. Although the air is getting cleaned-up in Los Angeles, there is still a lot of work to be done.

I think it is really inspiring to see large cities putting in effort to combat air pollution. Air pollution can be detrimental or even fatal so it is crucial that cities start taking it into account. I think Los Angeles should try limiting the amount of people using cars by providing better public transportation. In this way, the smog levels will definitely reduce.

Izadi, Elahe. “Mountains of Debris from the Japanese Tsunami Have Floated to the West Coast.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2015. Web. 23 Aug. 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2015/08/05/mountains-of-debris-from-the-japanese-tsunami-have-floated-to-the-west-coast/>.

In whole month of July 2015, a massive coastal cleanup took place. Large amounts of debris some form the 2011 Japan tsunami, have been clogging up the United States’ west coast. Last month, a massive project took place to help remove the waste all the way from Alaska to Seattle. The debris will be either recycled or sent to an Oregon landfill. This cleanup was largely funded by Japan who gave 6 million dollars to the US and Canada to promote it.

I think it is good to see the governments of several different countries coming together to fight for one communal cause: the environment. Our oceans and waterways have become extremely polluted and full of debris over the last couple decades and it is necessary that we take action. This cleanup is a step in the right direction to protecting our environment.

#4)

Mole, Beth. “Engineered Plants Demolish Toxic Waste.” Science News. EPA, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 23 Aug. 2015. <https://www.sciencenews.org/article/engineered-plants-demolish-toxic-waste>.

Scientists have recently been researching the possibility that greenery could help cleanup oil spills and air pollution. With the help of science, plants can now digest polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which are peculiar to the ooze of oil spills and smog of air pollution. Plant environmental cleanups are estimated to be one tenth the price of current methods being used. The economy could save from the 50 billion dollars spent on cleaning up waste throughout the globe.

Although this research is not fully developed, it could be the answer to many of our problems. I think it is a area in science that should really be explored in order to provide a more economical way to protect and cleanup our environment. It makes me hopeful to see scientists finding solutions to very current problems.

The Associated Press. “Bankruptcy Judge Approves Cleanup Deal in W.Va. Spill Case.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 July 2015. Web. 23 Aug. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/08/us/ap-us-chemical-spill-bankruptcy.html>.

After a year, a judged has approved a 2.5 million dollar deal to cleanup an chemical spill in West Virginia. Back in January 2014, a chemical spill caused the ban of tap water for 300,000 people in Charleston, West Virginia. Now, there has finally been a settlement on how much money will be given to help with the cleanup process. Freedom industries will give 1.4 million dollars while its parent, Chemstream Holdings will give 1.1 million dollars. This is a win for the DEP who was originally only offered 150,000 dollars.

Once again, I think it is good that the federal court is recognizing the importance of protecting our environments. It is crucial to get these type of spills cleaned up so they don’t cause permanent damage to us, our community, or the ecosystems. I find it somewhat ridiculous though that the economic side to the environmental cleanup took over a year to figure out.

Adopt a Topic: Environmental Clean Up United States

Turkewitz, Julie. “Colorado Spill Heightens Debate Over Future of Old Mines.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Aug. 2015. Web. 23 Aug. 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/us/animas-river-colorado-mine-spill-

epa.html?_r=0

On August 5^th of this year, the Gold King mine of Silverton Colorado opened, and sent a yellow plume into the Animas River. About a century ago, this mine was known as one of the most productive mines in its area. Now, it has been abandoned for decades and is causing great harm to the environment. The Environmental Protection Agency is contemplating the right steps to take in order to keep the environment and the surrounding communities safe. This includes talk about them building a wastewater treatment plant to clean up the river at the cost of around 5 million dollars.

I think that this is another example of mistakes from the past being a damage to our society today. Because the mine was left abandoned, it became a hazard to the surrounding environment. I would hope that the EPA immediately stops the flow of yellow plume into the river but also searches for a more economical solution other than the wastewater treatment plant.