soil erosion

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Soil Erosion in California Article 5

 

The lack of potable water in California will continue because of soil erosion; the runoff water and soil contaminates water sources, and makes it unusable for drinking. This runoff will have serious effects on the supply of potable water in California. Walls must be put around reservoirs and bodies of water that are susceptible to being polluted by runoff water otherwise it could be very dangerous.

 

There are serious consequences that may arise from erosion of soil, which will be amplified by El Niño. There are lot of things to watch out for in California this year; there needs to be storm damage prevention measures taken to protect land from soil erosion, bridges, roads, and even reservoirs/water sources. If nothing is done to prevent the destruction of our resources because of soil erosion, then the effects will be felt for thousands of years, and could significantly affect California and its inhabitants.

 

Geiling, N. (2015, July 1). The West Is Literally On Fire, And The Impacts Could Be 

Widespread. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from 

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/01/3675710/western-wildfires-impacts/

 

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Soil Erosion in California Article 4

 

 

The soil erosion being experienced by California right now is destroying farmland as well as many coastal regions, but it is also damaging infrastructure. The increasing prevalence of soil erosion is causing people to be worried about the possible destruction of levees, which could cause significant damage to California. The levees are being weakened by the eroding of the soil, which could potentially lead to high repair costs.

 

Soil erosion could lead to lots of damage to our infrastructure this year; it can damage bridges, roads, levees, and other public structures. This widespread damage could lead to repair costs, which could have financial consequences on the state of California. There could be lots of accidents and potentially injuries because of erosion damaging structures.There must be steps taken to protect the residents, and there needs to be more funding for maintaining these structures.

 

El Nasser, H. (2015, September 22). California drought and impending El Niño raise fears of 

levee breaks. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from 

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/9/22/california-drought-raises-fears-oflevee-breaks.html

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Soil Erosion in California Article 2

 

The incoming storm, El Niño, could help California get out of the historic drought, but it could also cause some new problems, namely, Soil Erosion. The drought has damaged the soil in the especially dry parts of California, and in farm lands. The dry soil is now more susceptible to being eroded and washed away by water from the rains expected to come from this storm.

 

I hope that we are prepared for these rains coming into California this year, because if not, it could potentially destroy the agricultural productivity of California; which could destroy the economy of California, and raise unemployment. If soil erosion destroys lots of land, it will take thousands of years to reaccumulate that layer of topsoil, meaning that California could be in serious trouble if the Storm is not taken seriously.

 

Romero, E. (2015, October 14). Drought-Stricken California Prepares For Flash Floods. 

Retrieved November 23, 2015, from 

http://hereandnow.wbur.org/2015/10/14/california-drought-flash-floods

 

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Soil Erosion in California Article 1

The big wildfires that have occurred during this especially hot year have damaged lots of land in california. These burnt lands in california are especially susceptible to soil erosion by the incoming rains from El niño. The residents in these areas are being advised to take measures to protect their damaged lands from soil erosion, in order to protect them and allow the lands to continue to provide grazing lands, lumber, and other crops/products.

 

This is article is hinting at the potential danger that lies ahead in the future for california. The presence of rains, although very helpful for the drought and the dry conditions, could potentially lead to a worsening of conditions by eroding away the soil. It is critical that measures are taken to preserve these lands, in order to maintain enough productive land to use to produce necessary crops. If we do not protect these lands, then we will be in grave danger of not being able to support our population, or maintain the agricultural industry that is a prevalent part of the economy in California.

 

 

Hearden, T. (2015, November 19). Owners of fire-damaged land urged to guard against soil

erosion. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from

http://www.capitalpress.com/California/20151119/owners-of-fire-damaged-land-urged-to-guard-against-soil-erosion

 

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Soil Erosion in California Article 3

 

 

All along the coast of california, soil erosion has been very prevalent; there have been many instances of landslides and the “disappearance” of lots of soil/land in the past year. This has displaced many residents who live on the coast of california, and has destroyed some beautiful coast.

 

Not only can soil erosion destroy farmland, but it can also destroy the coastal regions of California; this could displace many people, but also destroy some of the treasured places of California. Measures must be taken to reduce the soil erosion in California, otherwise, California will be hit hard, and will lose a lot. California can not afford to lose lots of farmland, and could suffer financially if we lose lots of our famous coastal regions.

 

Mekouar, D. (2015, August 14). Forbidden Visitors Sneak to California Cliff That Slid Into 

Ocean « All About America. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from 

http://blogs.voanews.com/all-about-america/2015/08/14/forbidden-visitors-infiltrate-california-cliff-that-slid-into-ocean/

 

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The Components of Composting

Goldstein, N and Platt, B. (2014, July 16). State of Composting in the USA. BioCycle |            The Organics Recycling Authority.

Retrieved August 11, 2015 from

http://www.biocycle.net/2014/07/16/state-of-composting-in-the-u-s/

 

Composting is a technique of recycling where old food scraps, paper, and cardboard is used to created new soil. This technique lessens the amount of waste loaded into landfills, creates stronger soil structure, provides greater soil quality, and increases the amount of water able to be held in soil. Along with improving the soil contents by composting, composting creates jobs for the US. In many states like California, they have started to enforce composting by supplying composting bins to each house, and many states have started to join California. Composting creates jobs at the composting facilities, composting supply services, and jobs that supply the tools to compost at home. Since composting boosts the economy with the addition of jobs, many states in the US have started to encourage composting into daily life of citizens.

This article supports composting and provides many statistics to why composting has benefited the communities that have adopted composting and have started to use it more frequently. Composting not only improves the environment, but also the community, which is what the article strongly expresses as to why the US should enforce more laws about it. The authors also write about how composting is a simple way to recycle, but the public needs to know exactly what they can and cannot compost. It is encouraged that states make more campaigns about composting and the correct way to do it.

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When Dams Come Down, Salmon and Sand Can Prosper

Dean, C. (2015, August 10). When Dams Come Down, Salmon and Sand Can Prosper.The New

York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2015 from

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/11/science/elwha-river-dam-removal-project-washingt

on.html

 

In Washington state, the removal of a dam on the Elwha river has demonstrated that the beach can benefit from dam removals. Millions of cubic yards of sediment that had been trapped behind the dam are now flowing through the river to the coast and the mouth of the river, extending beaches and rebuilding estuaries. Dams have been contributing to coastal erosion because of the immense amount of sediment they withhold from traveling down rivers. Many environmentalists advocate for supplements of sand to beaches whose sand abundance is low due to dams. More plans to remove dams and restore the flow of sediment to the coast have been made, however when these plans will be put into action is undecided due to a need for dams because of low water-levels and drought.

 

This article relates to environmental science because it describes the ways in which dams alter certain environments. The effects that smaller beaches and estuaries had on the local wildlife is also relevant to environmental science. Now that these natural locations are beginning to return to their usual states, the landscape can more readily support wildlife. The removal of dams in this situation seems to be so plainly beneficial that one can wonder why dam removal is not more commonplace in areas that have the ability to part with dams. Here in California, it is understandable that dam deconstruction isn’t underway because of our need for water storage, however in places with water abundance it seems as though it’s time to rebuild the damage that dams have had on coastal habitats.

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Soil Erosion: Article 5

After a few days of heavy rainfall, there has been lots of flooding in Namsai, India. The banks on the Noa Dihing river have undergone major soil erosion because of the rainfall, causing the river to expand. The river has been flowing above the danger mark as of late; which has caused growing concern, and will most likely continue to rise. If the soil on the banks of the river continues to degrade, the flooding will only worsen. In addition, the erosion of the soil has started to affect buildings and houses in the proximity.

Severe weather has been known to cause major soil erosion, in many cases. The erosion that is caused can be severely damaging and dangerous to people and structures. In the past few years, there have been more and more cases of this, due to changing weather patterns. The weather patterns of today play a major role in the condition of the environment. There need to be more steps taken to protect people from the erosion caused by the severe weather, and the weather itself. There must be steps taken to stop the rampant soil erosion, otherwise, there will continue to be destruction and injury.

 

Flood scene grim in Arunachal. (2015, August 22). Retrieved August 23, 2015, from

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/flood-scene-grim-in-arunachal-115082200291_1.html

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Soil Erosion: Article 4

Soil Erosion has taken place all over the world, especially in coastal regions. The oceans are constantly beating down on the soil and land on the coast, which over time breaks down the soil and effectively makes the land mass smaller. The erosion of soil and land on the coasts has put many homes in danger, and has caused lots of damage. Harbors and other human structures can exacerbate the process of soil erosion, by blocking the flow of sediment. The coast has undergone the most soil erosion, due to the close proximity to bodies of water.

This article is one of the countless examples displaying the grave effects of climate change. At the moment, only a select group of communities and cities are really feeling the effects of  coastal soil erosion. However, eventually, all cities on the coast will be seriously affected by it; this is due to the rapid rising of sea level. The problem of global warming is being expedited by human effects. There must be steps taken to reduce our effect on the environment; we need to reduce our carbon footprint, otherwise, sea levels will continue to rise. If no steps are taken, we will begin to see cities consumed by the rising oceans.

 

Arnall, K. (2015, August 20). Ongoing erosion along the WA coastline part of changing

landscape. Retrieved August 23, 2015, from

http://www.abc.net.au/local/photos/2015/08/20/4297027.htm

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Soil Erosion: Article 3

As it is, productive, fertile land for farming is a finite resource; this has been an effect of overproduction of crops, increased urbanization, as well as natural disasters and extreme weather. Soil crucial in order to support animals and plants, and to produce food for the ever-increasing population. This article states that an “estimated 2 to 5 million hectares of arable land are lost every year to soil erosion”, this figure is astounding, at this rapid rate of depletion, there will eventually be insufficient soil to produce food for our population. Scientist  “estimate a 30 % reduction in food production due to degradation of agricultural land by 2040”, further proving that steps need to be taken to protect our land.

This article supports the claim made by Jared Diamond that the adoption of agricultural advances has been the worst mistake in our history. The rapid growth of the human population is leading to a depletion of resources that can’t be continued; the agricultural system used today is not sustainable, and has to be changed. Humans are placing too much demand on the environment, and there must be an increased focus on conserving the precious, finite resources that we require to survive.

 

Rickson, J. (2015, August 5). Conserving soil: Precious, finite and under threat. Retrieved

August 23, 2015, from

http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/Blogs/2961577/conserving_soil_precious_finite_and_under_threat.html