Hippopotamuses and Global Warming

Again, there has been rainforest evidence found at a coalmine. Last time fossil remains of plant life was found, and now there has been fossil evidence of tropical animals found in the Artic. These animals were plant eaters which resembled hippopotamuses and crocodiles.This evidence indicates that the Artic region had tropical, "Florida like", weather at one point in time.
Scientists say that this tropical climate in the Artic existed approximately 55 million years ago.

"According to Sluijs, forests grew in the Arctic when carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, was at about 1000 parts per million in the atmosphere as a result of natural swings in the climate, perhaps linked to volcanic activity and a thaw of frozen methane.
Carbon dioxide levels are now at almost 390 per million in the atmosphere, up from 270 before the west's Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, and rising fast. It could reach 1000 parts per million by 2100 if not held in check, said Sluijs."

This is threatening because the Earth will not be able to support life in all of the regions where life exists today. The areas that are already warm will most likely be too hot to have life, and besides this, the water levels of these areas will probably be too elevated for survival. Global warming allows for the ice caps to melt, creating higher water levels which will result in a new environment for Earth.

Internet for Native Tribes of the Amazon

Free internet access for the native tribes in the Amazon of Rio De Janiero is simply amazing. What a great idea. This allows the of people these tribes to "report on illegal logging and ranching". The minister of environment and communications signed this agreement to give internet access as an attempt to save the rainforests. Not only does this preserve and help stop damage to rainforests, but it also preserves culture. By giving this resource to the natives of the land, it helps to protect there homes, and by protecting their homes the likelihood of their survival becomes strengthened.
While this is benefical, I wonder how effective it is going to be. Yes, these tribes have internet access, but how much will these people really utilize it? Will they even have access to it, meaning, how accessible will the internet be to them? Will the natives be able to get to the internet? It is only effective if the people can actually get to a device that has the internet, since they are not likely to have the internet in their homes. And, When the complaints are put on the internet, is there going to be action to help the people? This plan was signed on March 30, 2007, so we will see the results in due time.

Coffee

Every day, an estimated one third of all adult Americans have a cup of coffee and their decision could impact tropical rainforests, migratory songbirds, rare reptiles and mammals, or even the water supply of people thousands of miles away. By drinking shade-grown, organic coffee, coffee lovers can help stop deforestation, and in turn, help in the fight against global warming.

To begin, that is a lot of coffee that is consumed on a daily basis. The fact that the production of coffee effects the rainforests is bad enough, and knowing that there is so much coffee being produced and used each day adds on. To make this coffee, farmlands are produced, and these farmlands are detrimental to wildlife because these animals cannot survive on there. It is difficult to worry about the wildlife which is at stake when you are worried about the revenue that could be made. Because of this, coffee might be the first priority. Since coffee is so important to the producers, for profit, and consumers, for want, it is a good idea to look into coffeee that will not contribute to deforestation. I do not think that there should be a law banning non shade-grown organic coffee, but there should be something that limits the amount that is made.

Educational Program

There are many groups around the world that focus on the restoration of rainforests; they also deal with protecting these rainforests. This is very positive, and I think that there should definitely be more programs and event done to educate people on how important it is to preserve these areas worldwide. Education is the first step to change. People will only be educated on topics if they allow themselves to listen to what is being said, and although this is true, I would love to have a program that focused on the importance of rainforests and the environment. This article speaks of the Dolphins Youth Club that is currently focusing on trees. I am a part of an organization whose philanthropic focus is children, but I am an very interested in holding an educational program that deals with the environment. This topic somewhat falls into the philanthropic focus of my organization because everyone, including children, are affected by the changes of the world. Although people may not be interested in this topic, I feel like it is worth a try.

Congo Rainforest for Sale

This is not an article, but it did grab my attention:

One Response to
“Congo’s Rainforest for Sale”
April 19th, 2007 at 16:46 pm
stan:
Who the hell cares? Let them cut down the rainforest in Africa. The same is being done to the rainforest in South America, and all for profit. Thank you. Who the hell cares that people depend on the rainforest as the Guardian article pointed out? Who cares if the rainforests are “lungs of the planet”? Global warming is killing off the plankton in the oceans and these microscopic organisms supply most of the oxgen we breathe. Who the hell cares until we start choking for air?

This is basically a response to an article which speaks about American and European nations purchasing rainforests from the Congo. The companies from these nations gain land that is approximately the size of Great Britain and pay less than 20 million dollars for it; this is crazy. How can we even put a price on the environment, especially rainforests? They are vital to survival, yet we are willing to use them for economic gain. If we keep using up the rainforests, we will no longer need to worry about economic again because we will not exist. I know that I am being a little dramatic, but the way land is being used up today is unnecessary. The person who responded to this article "Stan" sarcastically poses the idea that the rainforests are not important because it is not like they help us survive. From what I gather, he says this because people take the rainforests for granted, and I absolutely agree.

The Blue Gum High Forest

After getting complaints from lobbyists, the State Government of Sydney has began to focus more on the Blue Gum High Forest. The mammals and birds of the area are endangered, and, even worse, only five percent of this forest still exists today. There has also been weeds that have been introduced to the land, and this is problematic because this area has an array of floral species; the weeds can be destructive to these species.
Many people want to move to this northern region because of its beauty. What is being forgotten is that this 'beauty' is present because the environment allows for it. Once people come and populate the region, they destroy the natural habitat, therefore causing the beauty to diminish. The people that are lobbying for the protection of the land are trying to restrict the amount of new development done to the land. This is an attempt to reserve the land. I think this is a great idea, and hopefully the development on this land will become restricted.

The Akekee and the Akikiki Birds

The Akekee and Akikiki birds are from the the Hawaiian Island of Kauai, and it is believed that these birds are in danger of extinction. This is believed because there has been a drop in the sightings of these birds. According to the records, "Hawaii leads the U.S. in the total number of endangered and threatened species with 329, and in extinctions- with over 1,000 plants and animals having disappeared since humans colonized the islands." The fact that the extinction level has been so high in the region makes one assume that the fate of the Akekee and Akikiki is not too good.
Over the past three years, the populations of these two birds has dropped substantially. The time it will take fort this species to disappear has not been calculated, and this is up for guesses. Since this is the case, there has been action to save this species by New Zealand.

Snowdonia

As I have continued to browse through articles about rainforests, I have come across Snowdonia. According to environmental experts, global warming is going to have a direct effect on Snowdonia. This raises many concerns because there are species of plants that reside there that are not found anywhere else in the world. The Meirionydd oakwoods rainforest is very special to this region and the dry summers that will come from global warming will be devastating to this species. Also, the Snowdon Lily is going to be threatened by the warming temperatures. The Snowdon Lily was something that came from the Ice Age, and it is sad that that this new phenomenon, global warming, is going to take it away.
Global warming "...threatens some of the most iconic plant life and natural attractions of North West Wales.” When hearing this or reading this one may not feel directly affected, but we never know what the effects could be to us. What can all of this do to the stability of the Earth? I guess we can only assume what can happen, but we have to realize that if we do not start caring about these problems, we will find out the effects through experience.

Piraha

A very important part of rainforests are the tribes that live within them. Dan Everett, beginning in 1977, started studying the language of the Piraha, 'a small Amazonian tribe'. He went there as a missonary, and after he was able to converse with the Piraha, they ended up enlightening him on religion. While working with the Piraha, Everett realized that linguistics was something that he had a passion for, and he continued to study it, gaining higher levels of degrees within it.
Through his study it has been discovered that the Piraha language has a very small amount of consonants, but ranges widely in tone and emphasis. The thing that is difficult about this language is that there are no words for colors and numbers, and even more difficult is that the language does not have recursion. This means that the words cannot be used in the form of sentences. This seems extremely complicated, and I know that this would be something that would prevent me from having the capability to learn such a language. While I do not look down on the Piraha language, I am glad that the languages that I do know, english fluently and spanish partially, have specfic words for color and numbers. Although it is a lot to remember, I love descriptive words.

Wild Trees: Redwoods

On NPR (National Public Radio), I listened to Richard Preston speak about 'Wild Trees'. He speaks of Redwood trees and how tall these trees are. They are the largest organisms around according to him. To climb these trees Preston says there are special ropes made to assist in this task. These trees make up the world's tallest forests, and when these trees are climbed, people are out of sight of the ground, sky, and others. The tall Redwood trees can reach up to about 40 stories. In these tall organisms, there is a lot of life that has yet to be given names by Scientists. Also, there are different species of trees that grow out of these Redwoods.
The great part of this audio was that it speaks of rainforests that are in North America, California. Sometimes we forget, well atleast I know that I forget, that there are rainforests present on this continent. And, to know that there is wildlife and vegetaion that is still unnamed is so fascinating. This makes me recognize and appreciate the biodiveristy here in the North America.

Rainforest Found

While I was scanning the news today, this article on Illinois caught my eye. Scientists were working in the area and found "fossilised remains of an ancient rainforest". This discovery came during the exploration of a 'excavated coal mine'. From the remains that the Scientists found, they discovered that they dated back approximately 300 million years. This means that the rainforest existed when the continents were combined as one. During the period when North America and Europe were connected as one at the equator, the rainforest lived. Rainforests during this time were different than the ones present today. They contained different trees and were populated by a different variety of organisms. The Scientists say that these remains were made possible by an earthquake that allowed for the pieces to fall below sea level. This discovery amazes me, and it is so great that these remains were found. To know that there was a rainforest that existed, not too far from where I live is crazy to think of. It is a miracle that these remains were able to survive such a long, and I wonder what else lies on this continent.

Palm Oil

Mineral oil is seen as a problem by Europe and America because it is "dirty", meaning, it is problematic for the environment. Due to this, these nations have been straying away from mineral oil and focusing on palm oil. Palm oil is the desirable resource because it is less detrimental to the environment. Although the use of palm oil is less detrimental to the environment, it is more detrimental to the rainforest. The rainforests of Indonesia are suffering because their trees are being sacrificed for the good of the environment. This is tough situation because while we want to protect the environment by using palm oil, we are destroying the rainforests of Indonesia. When you think about it, once the rainforests of Indonesia are destroyed, the world is facing a problem because the each rainforest is important to the world. In my opinion, palm oil should not be used as much because it is going to eventually pose a problem for the world.

La Selva

One would assume that an area designated to save reptiles would work towards maintaining, and even strengthening, the reptile population. Unfortunately, this is not the case in the Costa Rican rain forest, La Selva. This area was designated to protect reptile and amphibian populations because of the 'rich biodiversity' of the land. The purpose of having this land was, and is, to slow down and prevent these populations from becoming extinct.
From data that has been collected conservationists have determined that the populations are in danger because they have been falling on an average of 75 percent, since 1970. Scientists now believe that the change in climate is a factor in the decreasing population. This climate change has led to a decrease in the amount of "leaf litter found on the rain forest floors." This leaf litter is used by the animals for shelter and food. Without the right amount of food and shelter, it is understandable that these populations are declining.

EO Experiments: Rainforest Biome

EO Experiments: Rainforest Biome

Chile and Climate Change

I was skimming through the news this evening, and I came across some information that the Chilean government has put out on the biosphere. Basically, they were speaking about how the deserts are starting to take over and gain more land. Not only are the deserts taking over, but the glaciers are starting to melt down, causing water levels to rise. This is so bad because those glaciers are crucial to the future, and the fact that they are melting now means that the future of the Earth may not be stable. The Earth is capable of withstanding change, but when the change is rapid, the Earth may not be able to handle it.
As for Chile, the glaciers are melting at a unstable rate. The area is already experiencing problems with minimal rainfall and rising water levels, which could be problematic for fertile land. Obviously, all of this causes problems for the species that are living on this land. The problem of extinction is very possible. This makes one think, what can be done? What can we do to prevent these problems? Sadly, when I hear these things I feel like there is no hope because so much damage has already been done, but then I have to remember that, there may not be a positive change but more damage can be prevented.

Polar Bears and Vanity Fair

So, I was looking up some more information on rain forests, and I am across the cutest thing; a baby polar bear. Although it has nothing to do with the rain forest, it has to do with the natural environment. In the 'Green Issue" of Vanity Fair, there is a article on Leonardo DiCaprio and a small polar bear, Knut. The picture of this little bear is too much. The significance of this polar bear is that, in the past 30 years, it was the first to be born in the Berlin Zoo. I know it sounds really girly, but I feel like looking at this picture has inspired me. Inspired me to be more passionate about the environment that we are in. It's sad because this animal was born into an environment where the likelihood of survival is minimal.
Well I think it is worth purchasing this periodical. I definitely want to check out this issue, and the articles within in; this should be interesting. I recommend that as many people as possible see what it's about.

Indonesia

In Indonesia there has been a law set in place to help restore what is now called, Harapan Rain forest; Harapan translated in English is 'hope'. The plan is restore about 101,000 hectares of the Sumatra. This is being done to conserve the land but mainly the wildlife within it. The 'Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK' and 'Birdlife Partners' have worked towards this effort in the rain forest. They have worked towards this restoration because if this was not done, then the land would have most likely been changed into plantations and areas of commerce. The biodiversity and ecosystem would have been destroyed.
Obviously, it is very positive that there is a restoration effort taking place to maintain the rain forest in the Sumatra area. Even though it is positive, I still think that it should not have taken this long for this effort to start. People need to work on problems in the beginning so they are not so intense later on. The longer the time period, the more urgent it is to fix the problem. This action taking place in the Sumatra should motivate other areas to do the same.

Public Policy Class

Tonight in my Public Policy class, we were talking about deforestation and the devastation it causes. It is taken for granted that trees are able to grow, and because of this I think that people assume the trees will grow back right after they are cut down. Unfortunately, it is not that easy. It takes such a long time for trees to mature, so we need to slow down on cutting them. By being on this campus, the dependency of trees can easily be seen. All of the paper that we use in the computer labs, the library, and in classes shows the devastation done to forests. I am not blaming the college I go to because this is something that goes on at every college and university. Paper is a hot item. It is a hot item in the workplace too. Paper is an everyday item, and we have to realize that it is a product of forests and rain forests.

Rainforests

It is hard to keep yourself in tuned, and concerned, with the rainforests around the world because they are not something that you have direct contact with. I know that if something is not right in front of me I usually will not think about it. I guess it is like that saying, 'out of sight, out of mind'. While this is true, rainforests might be out of sight and out of mind, they are still affecting us daily because they are a part of the planet we live on, therefore they are important to us and do affect us.
Rainforests are the homes of many plants and animals, and as these rainforests disappear so do the inhabitants within them. "Tropical rainforests have a greater diversity of plants and animals than temperate rainforests or any other biome". Along with the animals and plants that they hold, rainforests regulate clean water. Clean water is definitely something that people and basically every other living thing on Earth needs to survive. The fact the clean water is a result of rainforests should be enough motivation to make people more concerned about them.