Quarter 2, Article 4

1.Oyster Businesses Still Plagued By Gulf Oil Spill

2.

Chapter 9: The Human Population and Its Impact

3. This article deals with a regional environmental.

4.The severe oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, devastated not only the millions of species living in that area but also the economy. Most of the species has been improving and rebuilding itself, although; the oyster species has not been as successful as other species. The state of Louisiana built up berms to keep the oil from reaching the fragile wetlands where the oysters were. These berms were not very effective because two of the berms cut right through oyster beds. One oyster harvester says that 20 percent of his oysters have been buried or smothered by drifting sediment. This harvester is worried that people will start to shy away from eating seafood because of the damage done in the gulf.

5.I feel terrible for the oyster harvester, His life was greatly effected by the oil spill as well as the oysters. I think we should put them on the threatened species list in order for it to grow and flourish and be as numerous as it was before the spill before the harvester can harvest any more of these oysters..

6. berm- a horizontal surface between the exterior slop of a rampart and the moat.

Quarter 2, Article 3

1. Fishing is Restricted to Help Sea Lions

2.

Chapter 11: Sustaining Biodiversity:The Species Approach

3. This article deals with a regional environmental issue.

4. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will place restriction on commercial fishing for Atka Mackerel and Pacific Cod off parts of Alaska's Western Aleutian Islands. This is being done to help protect the declining population of the Steller Sea Lion. Researchers say that the sea lion population has declined about 45 percent from 2000 up until the year 2008. The suggest that this is primarily due to the shortage of food for the sea lions. The sea lions can eat up to about 6 percent of its 1000 pound body weight daily in fish. If these fish are continually over hunted the sea lion will have to resort to a different food source if available. On average commercial fisherman took about 2.6 billion pounds of fish in this past year. Although it may have a bad economic effect, the lives of sea lions are in danger and needs to be fixed.

5. I think it is great that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has noticed the decline of the sea lions and is actively doing something about it. It is important to make sure that all species are surviving at a substantial amount, because once these species become threatened it is extremely difficult to get the species to flourish as they did before. So it is crucial that we do something about these sea lions before it is too late.

6. faring- To turn out, to happen

Quarter 2, Article 2

1. Global Warming Burning Up Lakes?

2.

Chapter 9: Human Population and It's Impacts

Chapter 20: Climate Change and Ozone Depletion

3. This article deals with a global environmental issue.

4. In the past 25 years, lakes all over the world have been increasing in temperature by as much as 4 degrees Fahrenheit, this increase is about seven times faster than the increase of air temperature. This is extremely important because lakes are very sensitive to change and can not easily adapt to the temperature. Even a small change in the water temperature has a dramatic effect on the lake. For example, in many lakes the warmer waters could kill many species of native fish, clog the water with algae and expose fish to very toxic pollution. Even the slightest temperature change increases the amount of algae within the lake. This is called Eutrophication. The algae covers the top of the lake which calls for less sunlight entering the lake which kills off many plants. The warmer waters reduce oxygen in the lake which can kill off entires species of fish. With the death of many native fish, many nonnative fish can come in and thrive in the lake. They fill the niche that the native fish can no longer maintain. These nonnative fish prefer warmer water.

5. I think this is a very important issue that is occurring in my time period. Our overuse of greenhouse gases and not taking proper care of our environment directly leads to the death and possible biological extinction of hundreds of species not only in the united states but all throughout the world. I think it is extremely important that we understand and realize what we are doing to habitats all over the world and do something to change the way we live before more and more species go extinct and once that occurs we can never get those species back

6. Equatorial-of, pertaining to, or near an equator, esp. the equator of the earth.

Quarter 2, Article 1

1.Mercury Poisoning Makes Birds Act Homosexual

2.

Chapter 21: Water Pollution

3. This article deals with a regional environmental issue.

4. An excessive amount of mercury has entered the food chain of white ibises has effected their mating behavior drastically. Studies show that the male ibises that had excessive mercury intake chose other males instead of females as their mating partners. They did everything a normal male and female would do even though they produced no eggs. The mercury has made its way into the food chain by industrial processes such as waste incineration. A controlled experiment was done which took an equal number of males and females and placed them together but feed certain ibises low, medium, or high mercury containing food. A control was also set up with mercury free food. This was done to show the variations of mercury in the wild. Once the birds reached sexual maturity at a year old, homosexuality increased significantly in the 3 groups that had mercury in their food.

5. This is a big problem because if the homosexuality continues the number of birds within the species will decline and may even become threatened if the number gets too low. This is all due to our industrialization and carelessness of where we dispose of wastes. If we each took a step to make sure we properly dispose of things and do what we can to make sure excess mercury and other harmful pollutants do not end up in lakes we can save many different species and preserve biodiversity for years to come.

6.Copulated-To engage in sexual intercourse.

Quarter 1, Article 10

1. EPA and US Customs and Border Protection Team Up to Enforce Clean Air Act

2.

Chapter 19; Air Pollution

3. This article deals with a global issue.

4. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are working together to make sure that all vehicles and engines such as sports cars and motorcycles being brought into the United States meet the requirements of the Clean Air Act. According to Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, "Importing vehicles and engines without proper pollution controls is bad for human health and the environment, and unfair to those companies that play by the rules. Americans deserve products with emission controls that comply with our nation’s environmental laws." The CBP will investigate and inspect all engines and vehicles being brought into the united states to make sure they comply with the regulations. The ones that are not fit to the standards of the clean air act would be seized by the CBP.

5. I think this is a great idea because this can greatly change the amounts of emissions we release in the united states because if all countries that want to bring in foreign vehicles must comply with our standards, they might as well make all cars by those standards for everyone all over the world. If all countries do this, our geological footprint would be a lot smaller and can even change the global warming crisis. Laws like these are the ones that will have the greatest impact on our future, by decreasing the human population has on the environment.

6.compliant-obeying, obligating/ manufactured or produced in accordance with a specified body of rules

Quarter 1, Article 9

1. Lead in Lipstick Not Such a Myth After All

2.

Chapter 18: Environmental Health Hazards and Human Health

3. This article deals with a national issue

4. Many women have been getting chain emails about certain amounts of lead being in various types of cosmetics and that if you used these cosmetics you would get cancer. Most people believed that these emails were all lies and jokes. Although women do not have to worry about getting cancer they do have to worry about brain damage, nerve disorders, infertility, and other neurological concerns. It is because of these emails that the United States government decided to investigate cosmetics. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics ran a series of tests and found that 61% of the 33-brand name lipsticks had detectable traces of lead and one of three of them exceeded the amount of lead that the FDA set as a ingestible limit. The FDA ran its own tests and found that the most popular lipsticks had the highest amounts of lead. Because of all this the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 was brought into congress in July. If passed as written, it would require manufacturers to disclose harmful ingredients in personal care products, and phase them out over time, while also creating an adequate safety standard and equipping the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors with the funding necessary to step up inspections and oversight.

5. I think it is extremely important that the brands disclose how much lead and other harmful substances are in their product because the consumer should know what is going into the things that they are using. Especially lipstick, because lipstick is used on your mouth and there is the possibility of swallowing the product it is important to know that you are not bringing harmful substances directly into your body. It is also important because many young kids get their hands on lipstick and some even eat lipstick by accident and if they ingest a large amount of lead their bodies can be seriously harmed.

6. Carcinogen- any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer

Quarter 1, Article 8

1. Radiation in your tap water

2.

Chapter 21: Water Pollution

3. This article deals with a regional issue.

4. Studies were done all throughout Texas and found that the water that came from the gulf coast was highly polluted with a type of radiation that is extremely dangerous when ingested. It is called the alpha particle. Drinking water with any amount of alpha particle raises your risk of developing health risks and in some cases, cancer. The alpha particles can damage a person's DNA and can mutate it's cells. Once the alpha radiation enters your body the health risks immediately begin to rise. The more contaminated water you drink the more harm it does to the body.

5. I believe that this is extremely dangerous because the people that are drinking the water in the areas where its contaminated most likely do not know that their water is contaminated and continue to drink it and cause serious health problems. I think that people should also use filters if they are going to drink tap water, because then they can be sure that their water is free of any type of radiation or toxic chemicals that can be in their water. This is extremely dangerous for any children that drink water, because their body may not be able to handle that alpha radiation and can cause them to have serious mutations.

6. radionuclides- A nuclide that has artificial or natural origin that exhibits radioactivity

Quarter 1, Article 7

1. Shining Light on the Cost of Solar Energy

2.

Chapter 24: Economics, Environment and Sustainability

3. This article deals with a global issue.

4. The cost of solar electricity was extremely high and has decreased in the last 10 years which has increased the amount of people using solar panels from 25,000 to 500,000. The cost varies based on the technology being used, and on where it is being installed. The situation looks much different in Phoenix, Arizona, than it does in Albany, New York, and looks much different in Seville, Spain, than in Leipzig, Germany. Figuring out the levelized cost requires a number of guesses: How well the solar energy system will perform, how long it will last, and even how much sunshine it will get over the next 30 years. Each person makes different guesses and it is difficult to say which person is correct. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that solar electricity is the most expensive form of electricity among current technologies. It costs more than double the total levelized cost of wind, and almost four times the cost of conventional coal.

5. I think solar energy should be a lot cheaper because then more people would be able to afford it and actively use it which would benefit everyone and especially the environment. If it continues to cost so much places will continue to burn fossil fuels for energy instead of using the sun which gives off plenty more energy.

6. consensus- majority of opinion or general agreement

Quarter 1, Article 6

1. Polar Bears Turning to Goose Eggs to Survive Warming?

2.

Chapter 20: Climate Change

3. This deals with a regional issue

4. Polar bears typically eat seals until the ice melted, and since global warming has made the ice caps melt 2 weeks earlier than usual (In the end of June instead of the normal middle of July) the polar bears stop hunting for seals. Instead they find goose eggs to eat and eat those. This may seem like a bad thing because if the polar bears continue to eat the eggs they may drastically change the population of the geese. Although research has shown that since the population of the geese is so widely distributed and highly populated the polar bears aren't effected them, but rather helping them and limiting the number of geese. They also get a lot of nutrients from the eggs. If a polar bear its 88 eggs, they get the same amount of nutrients as if they were to eat one seal. But in time this may have an effect on the geese population and maybe bring them to extinction, because then the polar bears will all just eat the eggs and not eat seals anymore.

5. I think it is good that the polar bears have an alternative food source since their regular food source has changed because of our human impacts on climate. But I feel like the geese population will become extinct eventually because if the temperature keeps inclining then the polar bears will just start eating the eggs and then the population will become extinct and the seal population will start to increase. I think the best way to fix this problem would be for us to change our lifestyles a little bit to stop global warming, because it could be one little step for us that would change the lives of different populations.

6. migratory-periodically migrating

Quarter 1, Article 5

1. New Era of Taxis

2.

Chapter 16: Nonrenewable Energy

3. This article deals with a global issue.

4. Taxi cabs burn a lot of fossil fuels and release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, since taxi cabs are extremely necessary in cities like New York City and Chicago, it is irrational to get rid of all the cabs or reduce the number of cabs. But taxis cause a major threat to our earth, we need to find an alternative way to minimize the amount of greenhouses gases emitted through taxis. Many car companies like Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen have created hybrid electric taxis that can travel 200,000 miles without needing to be recharged. Many areas all over the world have introduced this idea of hybrid taxis. For example, San Francisco where hybrid represent almost 50% of its taxicab fleet as of March 2010, and New York City where hybrids taxis represent around 28% of the total fleet by mid 2010.

5. I think these hybrid taxis are an extremely good thing. People in cities use taxis all day and all night, the amount of gases they release in the atmosphere is most likely a ridiculous number because they are not environmentally friendly cars. Now that there are hybrid cars, we won't have to use gasoline constantly all over the world. This could drastically reduce our geological footprint. I think all cities and places that frequently use taxi's should make it mandatory to use these new hybrid cars.

6. Conventional-Conforming or adhering to accepted standards.

Quarter 1, Article 4

1. Too Much of a Good Thing: Human Activities Overload Ecosystems With Nitrogen

2.

Chapter 3: Ecosystems

3. This article deals with a global environmental issue.

4. Human activities have drastically changed the amount of nitrogen in our ecosystem. Human activities such as burning of fossil fuels and producing industrial and agricultural products. Extra nitrogen that is released into the atmosphere by humans pollute fresh waters and coastal zones, and contribute to climate change. The nitrogen cycle takes non-usable forms of nitrogen and converts them into usable forms such as nitrates during nitrogen fixation. The cycle is mediated by various bacterias in the soil. "No phenomenon has probably impacted the nitrogen cycle more than human inputs of nitrogen into the cycle in the last 2.5 billion years." The main reason there is an excess of nitrogen is because fertilizers are used incorrectly and about 60% of the nitrogen is leached through the soil and goes into water sources. In the water, when there is too much nitrogen eutrophication occurs. Eutrophication is when algae is stimulated to grow on top of the water and take up oxygen which will lead to the death of many aquatic organisms. To help reverse the amount of nitrogen we can use crop rotations that would supply nitrogen instead of fertilizers and in general stop using such a big amount of fertilizers and burning too much fossil fuels.

5. This article talks about what we have been learning recently in class, about the nitrogen cycle and the human impacts we have on the amount of nitrogen in our ecosystems. Human overpopulation is the main reason for this issue, and also many other issues. Although we cannot control how much our population grows we can control how we plant and maintain crops. Instead of using harmful fertilizers we can plant legumes and rotate our crops which seems to be a simple task. If each person took the necessary steps we could eliminate this problem.

6. anthropogenic(adj)- caused or produced by humans.

Quarter 1, Article 3

1. 80 Percent of Global Water Supplies at Risk

2.

Chapter 14-Water

3. This article deals with a global environmental issue.

4. Overpopulation and the constant demand for water, is harming almost all of the worlds water sources. We are eliminating biodiversity all over the world by overfishing, pollution, and introducing new species. Humans are also overusing water for a number of reasons. Mainly because we need water to produce good crops for food. Scientists have studied and show that humans are literally "sucking rivers dry." Most of the problems have been around where there is a high density population and increased industrialization. According to the new Nature report, water supplies are under the heaviest stress in many of the world's floodplains and deltas including China's dammed Yangtze River and along Pakistan's Indus River, where devastating floods recently displaced millions of people. Scientists say that the way to solve these problems is to let nature work on its own. Instead of directing which way a river should go, humans should allow the river to flow as it would naturally.

5. I think that there should be laws limiting the way humans interfere with water and nature to help ensure that biodiversity will not be lost. Biodiversity is extremely important to earth and for species to evolve and grow. If humans continue to over use water and pollute water, there will be a limited amount of water left which is necessary for all life on earth. We should be doing all that we can to help make sure that our water sources stay clean and abundant.

6. Substantial(adj)-significant: fairly large.

Quarter 1, Article 2

1. Exide Exposes Neighborhood to Illegal Levels of Lead in Air

2.

Chapter 19- Air Pollution

3. This article deals with a local issue.

4. Lead pollution from a nearby factory has put a small town in Indiana on a list designated by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) as being a violation for bad air quality standard for lead. The company Exide Technologies does not use the best control technology to control their release of lead into the atmosphere. Because of this the children and families of the town are being seriously harmed by the amount of lead in their air. Lead can either be inhaled or ingested. Once lead is in the body it is very quickly spread through the bloodstream to the whole body. This causes a wide range of health effects. In adults, ingestion of lead can cause high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and decreased kidney function. Children are at the biggest risk of lead poisoning because they are extremely vulnerable. Effects of lead in a child is reduced IQ levels, poor academic achievements, permanent learning disabilities, and bad behavior. Exposure to lead can also damage red blood cells, and weaken the immune system.

Exide is one of the largest secondary lead smelters in the world. They recycle tens of millions of batteries a year, and since they are not using the best available technology to reduce the amount of lead they release into the atmosphere, lead pollution is increasing dramatically.

5. I think that Exide Technologies should be punished for harming the lives of the families and especially the children of the neighborhoods surrounding their company. They should be doing whatever is possible to eliminate the amount of lead pollution they cause. It is unfair that the lives of people are at risk because a company does not use efficient methods in controlling their emissions.

6. Permissible(adj)- that may be permitted; Allowable

Quarter 1, Article 1

1. Turtles in Trouble

2.

Chapter: 11-Sustaining Biodiversity

3. This article deals with a global environmental issue.

4. This article is about the extinction of freshwater turtles. More than a third of the world's 280 turtle species are threatened with extinction. This has been caused by the unsustainable harvesting of turtles and eggs for food. Turtles have been commonly used as pets which also decreases the amount of turtles living in the environment. Turtles also have an extremely important value in Asia, They have an extremely high medicinal value. But if we keep taking turtles at an unsustainable rate, we will drive freshwater turtles to extinction. These turtles must also deal with their environment constantly changing because of damming for hydroelectricity and mining. Most turtles are taken from the freshwaters when they are eggs, or at a young age which makes them unable to mate and produce more turtles.

5. I think that we need to do something about the extinction of these turtles, they are extremely important and increase biodiversity on earth. We should make laws or try to maintain turtles at a sustainable rate. It is crucial that we try are best to preserve all varieties of species for future generations.

6. Lucrative(adj)- Producing wealth.