Predators

Natural Resources Management
01/29/97
Predators and Ecosystem Management

Predators have an everlasting effect on different kinds of ecosystems. They influence there ecosystems by controlling the abundance of lower species certain habitats. In this article, "Predators and Ecosystem Management" by (James A. Estes). He explains results of case studies that indicate important ecological roles for predators in a huge coastal ecosystem. The main challenge in this article is to determine if there are recurrent patterns else where in nature and to also understand when and where they occur.
The author gives his perspective on predators and the coastal ecosystems by giving us a living example, the sea otter and the kelp forests. The relation between the sea otters and the kelp-forests was provided because of a accident of history, the over-exploitation of sea otters in the Pacific maritime fur trade. The study compared areas where sea otters were abundant with nearby areas to area's where they're almost extinct. By doing this comparison of the sea otters coastal system it was possible to gain much insight into the sea otter ecological role in kelp-forest ecosystem.


Over the years it's been possible for us to observe the kelp-forest ecosystem over-time, thanks to the massive growth of the sea otters population we observed the change from otter-free to otter-dominated.
This article relates to many aspects of our textbook. On page 89 in chapter 5 the text explains what an ecosystem is, defined by the book, it's a community of species interacting with one another where there is a non-living environment. In this case the otter and kelp-forests ecosystems a coastal ecosystem. As mentioned in the book, the food chain is involved in the sequence of events with the organism that are the source of the food. In a survey of coastal habitats in many areas of the North Pacific Ocean have revealed that kelp forests usually are extensively deforested where sea otters are absent whereas this condition is rare where occur ( Estes and Duggins 1995).
All ecosystem management has recently emerged as the main way of conversation in wildlife biology and as an alternative to the traditional approach of species-level management. This kind of approach, (1) has involved many resource-management agencies because of the growth or disappearance of their habitats, and (2) the amount of species is great and the time is too short to conserve these species in any other way.






Bibliography
1) Estes, James A.,1996,24(s): Predator and ecosystem management,
Wildlife Society Bulletin, Ca, pg.390-396.
2) Miller, Tyler G.,1996,Living In The Environnment,
Wadsworth Publishing Company,Ca. pg.122,105-107.

Jaguars

ENDANGERED SPECIES STUDY

I. The jaguars of Central and South America have been being killed for game and

protection. This cat used to have homes around the United States to Uruguay, but

ever since the fears of extinction the jaguars have moved to the undeveloped rain

forests in Latin America. Jaguars are being killed due to many people fearing for

their own lives and many are also being killed to protect cattle. Jaguars do stalk

and ambush their prey, however, they rarely ever attack man. One of the main

reasons that jaguars are still living is that they can adapt to many habitats, from

tropical rain forests and swampy areas to scrub lands and grasslands.


II. Jaguars are part of the life cycle of many species. Killing jaguars for protection

and furs are ruining other species that live in the same range as them. These cats

are of no harm to human life, most deaths that jaguars have had a part in were to

protect themselves from being killed.


Many jaguars just disappear from the pressures of being killed. While the

animal is trying to change habitats they have died. The rain forests that the jaguars

inhabit are being torn down to open up lumbering, farming, livestock raising, and

other activities carried out by humans. Killing a jaguar is taking away a life that is

doing no harm to the eco-system. A jaguars' way of living is much like that of a

human, you don't see jaguars killing humans for their skin.


III. Any endangered specie, including the jaguar, has many different alternatives in

which the government or a national group would have to be involved. There are

several organizations that help the breeding and life of many species. One way of

breeding a specific species would be to freeze sperm and embryos so that scientists

may breed more of the species when they are close to extinction.


IV. I feel that the jaguar can be saved by forcing contractors to move their

construction to a different place rather than a rain forest so that the jaguars may

maintain their habitat. Scientists could also freeze sperm and embryos in order to

keep the population of jaguars to a safe level. One last thing that I think should be

outlawed is--poaching. Poaching is not right, these animals that are being killed

have no right to be killed. Jaguars have done rarely anything to hurt mankind or any

of mankinds' environment.


BIBLIOGRAPHY

McClung, Robert M. Vanishing Wildlife of Latin America. New York: William and
Morrow, 1981

Compton's NewMedia Encyclopedia Jaguar. Compton's NewMedia Inc., 1992,1994

Household Waist!

Household Waste!

One morning my mom said "Andy, get up and clean the bathroom!" It was always an essential and important labor to the family. I got up and gathered all the normal cleaning agents we used; Ajax, ammonia, and this liquid bleach that my mom said worked wonders. The toilet I cleaned using the Ajax the sink I cleaned using the Ajax there seemed to be no need for the other two. Then I saw it- the bath tub, AH! There was a ring around the bath tub that I knew would be difficult to clean off. I decided to add the ammonia I scrubbed at the ring but it was not coming off. I then looked around thinking what to do...
"The Bleach!" I shouted aloud. And then -- it hit me, my mom's hand.
"Never, Never, Never, use Bleach with ammonia. Infact don't mix any chemicals with one another."

This is an excellent example of common mistakes people make when dealing with household chemicals/cleaners. In this assignment I will examine different cleaners commonly used in my house.


I Ajax
I go to the cupboard and find a can of the powder, Ajax. The can use to have a piece of tape to cover the top but now it has been lost; a potential problem. The can has an expiration date on it, 9/98. This expiration date may be incorrect because that piece of tape to cover it has been lost for some time now.

II Windex
In the cupboard in the upstairs bathroom is where we keep the Windex. The Windex is blue and clearly labeled, with no chance of any person mistaking it for something else. The top part is tightly screwed on with Windex filled to 3/4 of the original volume. I cannot find any expiration date, nor can I find any hint there ever was one. I should contact the product vender to see if the Windex is immortal or what.

III Vinegar
I go to the kitchen cupboard and find vinegar. Vinegar is what we use to mop our tile floor with. The vinegar has an "Easy flip-off cap!" and is about half of what it originally was. This too, has no evidence of an expiration date. I don't think I need to contact the item vendor because it's only vinegar.

IV Formula 409
Next to the Ajax in our "Cleaner-Cupboard" we carry Formula 409, the ideal for kitchen clean-up. It is clearly labeled with no chance for misplacement (unless someone puts something else in there when it is empty). The cap is tightly placed on it without any visible breakage. There like most of the others, has no expiration date. Maybe it is immortal too!

Conclusion
With all of these household cleaners/chemicals there is a potential source of danger. With these cleaners/chemicals there is a potential source of quality. It is just that we need to take care of it so we will be okay. We must be careful and not mix thing together, burn things, or any other improper use of them. If we follow the directions we will be safe.

waste

Managing Waste, To Save Our World

Have you checked your garbage lately? Are you aware that you are throwing
away many materials that could be saved? If we did simple things like
reusing glass, we could reduce our municipal landfill sites by almost 10%.
Waste cannot be simply thrown away anymore, now it must be managed.
Managing our trash is the "in thing", yet it is hardly convenient. Lets face
the facts, sealed toxins "won't affect us for a good twenty years".
Although this may be true, there are still many advantages to waste
management.
Today, more people are in favour of companies who invest in "green products".
As a result, companies have removed phosphates, bleaches, and have made their
paper products out of recycled papers. At home, families, are saving things,
like leftovers, and making sandwiches for the next day. Industries are also
manufacturing most of their christmas cards out of recycled paper, since it
takes 20 trees to make a ton of it. Finally, small businesses are doing
christmas tree pickups, and reuse them for preventing erosion in stream beds,
and as fertilizer. Compared to several years ago, people have begun to see
that there is a problem. We are beginning to deal with it, now we must solve
it.

The Beauty of Snow

The Beauty of Snow

Snowflakes have six sides and all have a different design on them. Snow flakes are clear but get a white color from light that is shining off the crystals. Snow is a mystery to many people but after you look at it you will be more enlightened about snow. Snow is a form of precipitation that consists of tiny pieces of frozen water bonded together. Snowfall varies tremendously across the earth. It falls all the time in the polar regions but it occurs more heavily in the mountainous regions. Snow even falls by the equator on certain high mountain tops.
The beauty of snow is that you can do many things with it. You can ski on it, sled on it, or just have a snowball fight. The beauty of snow is appreciated by some and hated by a few others. We must remember that snow is only around for a short while till spring comes and the temperatures rise above thirty two degrees Fahrenheit. When that day in the spring comes then all of that wet beautiful cold fun stuff becomes just plain old water again.

Endangered Manatees

Endangered Manatee



New York Times April 11, 1996


The manatee population has suffered a devastating blow so far this year. About 221 manatees have been found dead already. Out of those 221, 128 have no obvious cause of death. Marine biologists have been unable to find the cause of these deaths. They suspect that the Red Tide off of the coast of southwest Florida has some connection with these mysterious deaths. A red tide is a bloom of flagellates which are deadly to marine life, but cause no harm to the human population. Another possible cause is a virus that is unknown to scientists. Many people believe that this problem will eventually stop an the manatee population will flourish, but others are rather pessimistic.

Ecological Problem: The manatee population is quickly dying off and unless they make an astonishing comeback, they will soon be extinct.

Ecological Solution: A possible solution to this problem is to move the manatees from their current habitat into a similar habitat, away from the "source" of the problem. If the manatees survive there, that tells scientists that the problem was in their habitat. If the still die at their current rate, that would tell the scientists that the manatees have a deadly unknown virus. If it is a virus, the scientists can devise some sort of medicine to defeat this virus.

The Lake

The Lake

It was the middle of springtime and across from my house where the
incident took place. There was a lake there in which my brother and I
loved to explore from time to time. The humidity and waterdrops where
reminiscent of a fully functional sauna. The onslaught of heat and
burning glow of the sun was relentless. Nonetheless, this fact did not
bother us one bit, but gave us more incentive to dance with our cool and
embracing "long-lost love".
The first step of this operation was making sure that our neighbors
had gone away from the house for at least two hours. Since it was their
lake and property, this made it safe for us in not getting caught in the
middle of our escapade. Upon this, my brother and I snuck to their
backyard like two undercover police officers, until we were in the clear.
Nerve-wracking minutes later, flowed the emerald green and ever-so lively
lake in front of us. We stopped and starred in awe. The lake had appeared
so shiny and reflective, it resembled a finely-cut diamond. The rare and
distinct fragrance enticed us. It smelled like mother-nature herself,
with aromas ranging from wildlife and wet grass, to evaporated swamp
water and healthy dirt.
Then, the time for us to find the desired vessel arrived. We chose
the kayaks, and set out for the water. Carefully, with our torn-jeans
rolled up, and shirts off, we dragged the massive thing over the slope of
grass and mud into the shallow stream. We then hopped aboard, grabbed the
paddles, and floated and splashed into nowhere. The wavy current sucked
us downstream, periodically bouncing us off of sandbags and sharp
branches leaning over the water- Now that was true adventure! Minutes
later, my brother and I, after passing under many pipes and tunnels,
floated into a huge "cul de sac" of water, with an island in the center.
In our amazement, we paddled there as vigorously as toddlers learning to
swim. We tied the kayaks to a thin branch with the slimy green rope
mysteriously attached to them, and hopped onto the island. We basked in
pure amazement.
After the tempo settled, we started our natural brotherly routine.
My brother and I sat on the muddy bank, with our feet dipped in water,
and threw stones out as far away as we could in our competitive nature.
We set aside our differences, and together, bonded. My newfound companion
and I sat, laughed, fought, played, and talked, as the sun slowly left
us.
At this point it did not matter what happened to us for taking the
kayaks, because whatever it was, it could not replace the priceless
experience we shared with one another.

The Evils of Hunting

Hunting is an unnecessary activity in the modern world. Slob hunting is the way many so-called sportsmen hunt these days. The phrase slob hunting refers to indiscriminate assault on animals, whatever their type. This type of recreation is harmful and undesirable the United States for three reasons: 1) It reduces the number of areas available for tracking animals, 2) It upsets the natural balance, causing many species to have their ranks drastically reduced, and 3) It can be unnecessarily cruel to animals.
Hunting on private lands is one of the best ways to hunt, because the game is plentiful, and there is challenge to the sport. However, when land-owners encounter a slob hunter on their lands, they are much less likely to let anyone hunt their land in the future. When a person wishes to hunt on a certain person's land, s/he is often denied the privilege, after the proprietor of the land has had one negative experience with some other hunter. This can make hunting a much harder sport to participate in, even for the people who are hunting for their livelihood. (Satchell 30)
Over the years, hunting has reduced the animal population drastically. In the 1970's, the number of ducks making annual flights was approximately 91.5 million. In 1995, the number had been reduced to around 64 million. Within 20 years, in short, the duck population was reduced by almost one third, showing the drastic toll hunting is taking on our wildlife. If we assume that other species have been reduced in number at approximately the same rate in recent years, then what are the larger implications for our ecological balance? If this trend continues, by the year 2055, the members of species which are hunted could be reduced by as much as 81 percent. (Satchell 31)
Not only does hunting reduce the number of animals, it can also be unnecessarily cruel to the creatures. When deer are bowhunted, they often are not instantly killed. Most deer will then suffer a painful and lingering death, as only 50 percent of deer struck are retrieved and put out of their misery. This is unnecessary cruelty; only an end to slob hunting would bring this to a halt. (Satchell 32)
In the modern era, with advanced technologies, we have found ways of killing large numbers of animals painlessly. Although some people continue to hunt, it is needless because it can lessen the area available for hunting in, cause many animals to have their population decreased, and be pointlessly cruel to animals. These three evils humanity can live without, which makes slob hunting an ecologically-unsound throwback to a less enlightened age.

Should there be a nuclear power plant in saskatchewan

Should there be a nuclear power plant in Saskatchewan

I think there should be a nuclear power plant built in Saskatchewan
because I believe it would contribute to the province a great deal. There is a
growing need for power in Saskatchewan.

Right now in Saskatchewan there is a need for more power. There has
question as to putting a nuclear plant is Saskatchewan This I think is the ideal
choice of power plants because on 1 bundle of uranium is equal to the power
output of 400 tones or 1900 barrels of oil. This is more than adequate to cope
with our need for power. Also one good example of our need is that during
winter Saskatchewan has to buy power from other provinces in order to have,
that is how serious the shortage is.

In Saskatchewan there is lots of unemployment. Building a nuclear
power plant would create more jobs. This would also benefit the government
because less people would be collecting unemployment insurance and
welfare. Thus adding to the amount the government could be spending on
other things such as fixing highways, better healthcare, and more funding to
school.

Nuclear power is also a lot environment wise. Nuclear power requires
a mere fraction of the space that is required to set up a solar, wind, or
hydroelectric generating station which. This will allow more space for private
landowners and will also keep land prices at a lower cost. Nuclear power is
also a much cleaner operating type of fuel. The amount of waste produced is
from a nuclear power plant is not even a fraction of the amount of sulfur,
carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide produced by a coal plant. By building a
nuclear power we will reduce acid rain and not add to the global warming.
Hydro stations form algae in lakes which reduces the amount of oxygen in
the water making it harder for marine life to survive. Although the damage
nuclear accidents cause is very bad the risk of a accident is not very probable,
so in the long run the damages caused by a nuclear power are very little
compared to other generating stations.

Also lets look at economy. Any new industry or company brought to
the province also bring income to the government. Which will again make the
government able to improve other also important Things.

Nuclear power is also a cheaper fuel. Since we have such large
deposits of uranium in Saskatchewan it will cost barely anything to fuel the
reactors

So you see it only makes sense to place a nuclear reactor in
Saskatchewan because of the lesser amount of pollution and cost to run a
nuclear reactor.

Poverty and How it Effects are Everyday Lives

Another project that is trying to make lead way in the poverty war. Is the Project South(PS) is a program that is felt strongly felt though out the South East United States.

Project South(PS) is a community-based, membership institute that develops popular political and economic education and action research for organizing and liberation. They contribute to the development of a strategic vision for the movement emerging in the ese new times-bringing together grassroots, scholar and cultural activists and youth on the basis of equality to join in the process of understanding and transforming our society. The work of Project South is funded by dues and contributions, in-kind work, and grants from the Atlanta Black United Fund, the Center for Responsive Politics, the Schumann Foundation, the Fund for Southern Communities, and the Mayer-Katz Foundation,(South).

The following are the true statistics form the 1995 fiscal year and the consequences of budget cuts.

While the poverty rate of 20.8 percent for children under 18 years old in 1995 was significantly lower than the 1994 rate of 21.8 percent, it remained higher than those of other age groups. There was a significant drop in the number of people living below the official government poverty level between 1994 and 1995. In 1995, there were 36.4 million poor, a figure 1.6 million lower than the 38.1 million poor in 1994.

The 1995 federal budget set in motion a program that will see billions and billions of dollars cut from social programs. At a time of greatest need, the government is cutting support programs and making it more difficult for those who need the programs to qualify. So what is the government doing about poverty? Nothing! It is abandoning its responsibility and blaming the victims of its policies for the situation they find themselfs in.

Hawaiian Goose

Hawaiian Goose

The Branta sandvicensis, or Hawaiian goose looks similar to the Canada Goose except only the face, cap, and hindneck are black; and Nene have buff-colored cheeks. The males and female have the same plumage. The feet of this goose are not completely webbed like the other geese. Lots of calls have been described but the most common call is very similar to that of the Canada Goose, a resonate "honk." The goose has very strong toes; long legs, decreased webbing. They are good swimmers but are not found much near water. The birds nest on the ground and the young can fly at 1012 weeks. The adult Goose cannot fly while in molt for 46 weeks.
Wild Nene populations can be seen in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Mauna Loa, and Pu'u Wa'awa'a on the island of Hawaii; in Haleakala National Park on Maui; and at the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge, along the Na Pali coast and outside Lihue on Kauai. Captive Nene can be seen at he Honolulu Zoo.
Designated Hawaii's State Bird on May 7, 1957, the Nene has endured a long struggle against extinction. During the 1940s this species was almost wiped out by laws which allowed the birds to be hunted during their winter breeding seasons when the birds were most vulnerable. By 1957, when the Nene was named the State Bird, rescue efforts were underway. Conservationists began breeding the birds in captivity in hopes of preserving a remnant of the declining population and, someday, successfully re-establishing them in their native habitat. Other programs for returning captive birds to the wild life was difficult, but more efforts have been successful. Some other efforts used to help this bird have been to get donations for the bird and have schools help out by donating money to organizations. There are now small populations of Nene on the islands of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai. There are about 1000 Nene outside of Hawaii's zoos, and private collections.
The Nene is currently on the Federal List of Endangered Species, threatened by mongooses and dogs and cats which prey on the Nene's eggs and young. They are also endangered by human intrusion of the environment.

waste

Managing Waste, To Save Our World

Have you checked your garbage lately? Are you aware that you are throwing
away many materials that could be saved? If we did simple things like
reusing glass, we could reduce our municipal landfill sites by almost 10%.
Waste cannot be simply thrown away anymore, now it must be managed.
Managing our trash is the "in thing", yet it is hardly convenient. Lets face
the facts, sealed toxins "won't affect us for a good twenty years".
Although this may be true, there are still many advantages to waste
management.
Today, more people are in favour of companies who invest in "green products".
As a result, companies have removed phosphates, bleaches, and have made their
paper products out of recycled papers. At home, families, are saving things,
like leftovers, and making sandwiches for the next day. Industries are also
manufacturing most of their christmas cards out of recycled paper, since it
takes 20 trees to make a ton of it. Finally, small businesses are doing
christmas tree pickups, and reuse them for preventing erosion in stream beds,
and as fertilizer. Compared to several years ago, people have begun to see
that there is a problem. We are beginning to deal with it, now we must solve
it.

The Greenhouse Effect 2

The Greenhouse Effect


Our world is suffering, and it is suffering from something people call the
"Greenhouse" effect. The greenhouse effect is caused by humans over pollution of the
earth. If we do not stop this soon the earth will "die".

We have caused this over many years of over industrialization in this growing
world. We think that bigger is better, so we make vehicles bigger and better, and we
make pretty much everything else bigger as well. So we make larger factories to build
these larger things, and these larger factories release larger amounts of pollution.

Scientist have been predicting the outcome of this change for years now, but none
of these scientists believe in the same thing. The ones that do think that it will come at a
different time. So people are still optimistic on what is going to happen, and when it is
going to take place.

First, to understand what the greenhouse effect is, we must first understand what a
Greenhouse is. A Greenhouse is a building made either of clear plastic sheets, or of
glass. The sun's rays go through the glass, and heat up the air inside the building, and
they have a hard time getting out. These rays get trapped inside the building, and
continually heat the air inside, and even through the night the rays stay in and heat the
air. The greenhouse is also called a "HOT HOUSE" because it gets so hot.

The greenhouse effect is caused by gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide, and nitrogen escaping into the atmosphere. These gases get trapped in the ozone
layer and do not let the suns rays escape very easily. This causes the earth to warm up.
This warming can cause droughts, and this would really affect the farmers. This heating
up will cause the plants and animals would die.

The Beauty of Snow

The Beauty of Snow

Snowflakes have six sides and all have a different design on them. Snow flakes are clear but get a white color from light that is shining off the crystals. Snow is a mystery to many people but after you look at it you will be more enlightened about snow. Snow is a form of precipitation that consists of tiny pieces of frozen water bonded together. Snowfall varies tremendously across the earth. It falls all the time in the polar regions but it occurs more heavily in the mountainous regions. Snow even falls by the equator on certain high mountain tops.
The beauty of snow is that you can do many things with it. You can ski on it, sled on it, or just have a snowball fight. The beauty of snow is appreciated by some and hated by a few others. We must remember that snow is only around for a short while till spring comes and the temperatures rise above thirty two degrees Fahrenheit. When that day in the spring comes then all of that wet beautiful cold fun stuff becomes just plain old water again.

Solar Energy

Imagine a perfect source of energy. One with which no pollution
what-so-ever is associated with. No poisonous gasses or destruction
of rain forests. This abundant source of energy comes from the sun.
Solar energy is the visible energy produced in the sun as a result
of a constant nuclear fusion reaction that is taking place.
The amount of energy at the solar constant, which is at outer edge
of the earth's atmosphere, is two calories per minute per cm squared.
A calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise one gram of water
one degree Celsius. If we could efficiently harness the energy bombarding
the earth for twenty-four hours we could power New York for a year.
Unfortunately the photovoltaic cells that change the energy into
electricity are so inefficient that it would take twenty-five years
to pay for it's self in output.

There many uses of solar energy. Some homes rely fully on the power
of the sun to heat their water. Other houses have flat plate
collectors which aid in the heating of the house and water. Solar
Energy plays a vital role in the absorption cooling cycle in a process
called solar cooling.

Since wind is caused by the up and down movement of hot and cold air,
wind energy can be a branch of solar energy. The same thing with
tidal energy. And since the sun plays a vital role in the water cycle
hydroelectric energy can be attributed to solar energy.

Solar Energy has great potential in becoming a main source of energy in the future.

Bibliography

"Alternative Resources" Internet. Large URL

Schneider, Herman and Nina. Science for Today and
Tomorrow. Boston: D.C. Health and Company.

"Solar Energy." Microsoft Encarta. 1995 ed.

hello

I am extremely happy at school which has helped and encouraged me to develop all my skills both educational and social. I was also part of the Yemin Orde project from which I benefitted enormously. Therefore as the school has done so much for me I would like and want to return something positive back into the school, and I feel that this is an excellent opportunity for me to achieve my goal.


· Leadership - I teach a large class of children at Cheder including me planning work for them.
· Ability to work in a team - I exhibited this skill on the Duke Of Edinburgh expedition
· Ability to work as an individual - I am able to use my initiative which can be seen when I designed a computer presentation for the prospective Parents Evening this school year.
· Ability to grasp a situation and respond appropriately - I exhibited this skill during my time in Yemin Orde when a friend of mine had an asthma attack and I individually aided him while going to find help.

I am decisive yet open minded and I am able to listen attentively. I have the ability to reach sound judgements without accepting unquestionably and can report my decision in a fair and balanced way. I believe that I can work well with authority in a variety of situations and I can realise where the ultimate authority lays.
I believe that the position of Student Officer is not so much one of authority but of responsibility.

Endangered Manatees

Endangered Manatee



New York Times April 11, 1996


The manatee population has suffered a devastating blow so far this year. About 221 manatees have been found dead already. Out of those 221, 128 have no obvious cause of death. Marine biologists have been unable to find the cause of these deaths. They suspect that the Red Tide off of the coast of southwest Florida has some connection with these mysterious deaths. A red tide is a bloom of flagellates which are deadly to marine life, but cause no harm to the human population. Another possible cause is a virus that is unknown to scientists. Many people believe that this problem will eventually stop an the manatee population will flourish, but others are rather pessimistic.

Ecological Problem: The manatee population is quickly dying off and unless they make an astonishing comeback, they will soon be extinct.

Ecological Solution: A possible solution to this problem is to move the manatees from their current habitat into a similar habitat, away from the "source" of the problem. If the manatees survive there, that tells scientists that the problem was in their habitat. If the still die at their current rate, that would tell the scientists that the manatees have a deadly unknown virus. If it is a virus, the scientists can devise some sort of medicine to defeat this virus.

Atmospheric Circulation

Atmospheric Circulation and More

The global energy balance and atmospheric motion mainly determine
the circulation of the earth's atmosphere. There is a hierarchy of motion
in atmospheric circulation. Each control can be broken down into smaller
controlling factors. The global energy balance is an equal balance of
short-wave radiation coming into the atmosphere and long-wave radiation
going out of the atmosphere. This is called thermal equilibrium. The
earth is at thermal equilibrium; however, there can have a surplus or
deficit of energy in parts of the heat budget. If you have a net
radiation surplus warm air will rise, and a net radiation deficit will
make the air cool an fall. Air gets heated at the equator because of the
inter tropical convergence zone and rises to the poles. There the air is
cooled and it floats back down to the equator where the process is
repeated. Another major contributing factor to the circulation of the air
is due to the subtropical highs. These highs like the ITCZ migrate during
the different seasons.
The idealized belt model is a great representation of the general
circulation of the atmosphere. The equatorial belt of variable winds and
calms ranges from 5 degrees north to 5 degrees south. This wind belt is
characterized by weak winds and low pressure from the inter tropical
convergence zone. As you go further north or south you encounter the
Hadley Cells. Hadley cell circulation is caused by the movement of high
pressure from the latitudes at 5 to 30 degrees north and 5 to 30 degrees
south to low pressure areas around the equator.
The movement of air from high pressure to low pressure causes
convergence. This convergence generates the production of wind. The
winds that are produced from this are the trade winds. The winds blow
from a northwest direction in the northern hemisphere, and in the southern
hemisphere the winds blow from a southeast direction. The trade winds are
the largest wind belt. The westerlies, they lie between 35 and 60 degrees
north and south latitude. The wind blows from the west , thus their name.
The westerlies are in the Ferrell cell. Cold air from the polar regions
falls down and then is heated up and pushed upward with the westerlies.
>From 65 to 90 degrees north and south lie the polar easterlies. It exists
because of the pressure gradient that is created by the temperatures. The
winds are also deflected by the coralias effect. This deflection air is
to the right in the northern hemisphere, and to the left in the southern
hemisphere. The reason that this happens is because of the rotation of
the earth on its axis.
Two moving patterns of the general circulation of the atmosphere
are the cyclones and anticyclones. Cyclones are low pressure systems
characterized by converging and rising air. On the other hand
anticyclones are characterized by high pressure because they have
diverging air that is descending. There are also land and sea breezes
which are produced by daily differences in cooling and heating of the land
and water. Sea breezes bring cooler air in the day, while land breezes
push cooler air over the water at nighttime.
There also exists radiation surpluses and deficits through out the
earth. There is a constant surplus between the latitudes of 15 degrees
north and 15 degrees south. In the latitudes between 15 and 38 degrees
north and south there is a net radiation surplus that varies annually.
There is a net radiation deficit annually in the latitudes from 38 to 90
degrees north and south. These surpluses and deficits are due to the high
sun angle in the low latitudes, as well as the increased length of
daytime.
Finally the seasons of the earth are determined by the tilt of the
earth on its axis. The earth is on a tilt of 23.5 degrees. When it
revolves around the sun the earth is exposed to the sun at different
degrees at different months of the year. Because of this phenomenon we
get seasons on the earth. The earth and all of its circulation patterns,
energy balances, and motions of the atmosphere are all very complex;
however, it can be easily understood by my wonderful summary.

Conserving our earth

Preserving Our Earth


America's endangered areas are deplinishing daily. Natural disasters are a
major factor in their disappearance, but the most prominent factor is mankind. Even
though procedures are conducted daily to preserve our home, these areas slowly
crumble within our grasps. Protection of these areas is essential, as our whole race
depends upon resources derived from these lands.
From the lush greenery to the sparkling blue waters, all is majestic in its fullest.
This is why I believe almost all of these wonderful places should be preserved. Mankind
has come too far to throw it all away for his greedy purposes. Many believe that our
secluded wildlife areas should be available for the public. But what is to be offered
through this? Many recreational activities I presume, but what about our biggest
environmental concern - pollution.
Pollution is so widespread throughout our world that it is overwhelming.
Drinking water supplies are contaminated with runoff from nearby factories and even
with pollutants from our own backyards. Demands of skyscrapers and condominiums
wipe out our decreasing rainforests. This drudges wildlife from its natural home and into
the havoc that is ours. Millions of acres of beautiful land are destroyed daily to satisfy
the needs of mankind.
But has anyone contemplated the needs of our wildlife? When their homes are
incinerated, where do they run for shelter? Where will wildlife obtain its food and oxygen if the
sources are gone? Not much is done about our destructive ways, we sit back and let money
and greed take power. The solution is just a whisper away. The preserved areas should remain
untouched. Hunting should be outlawed in these protected lands. If a family is starving and has
to resort to this brutal deed, then restricted areas should be permitted. Proper usage of trash
and recycling receptacles should be readily available. Rivers should be tested and guarded for
the sake of our future and our children. These simple guidelines can be easily followed through
education of the general population. More people should volunteer their time through river, land,
and beach clean-ups. These small measures can save our endangered population drastically. If
we loose our world's natural resources, where will we turn?

Chinook Salmon

Environmental Science
Wednesday, February 26, 1997
Chinook Salmon

Among the many kinds of fish harvested each year by commercial fisheries is the
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha or Chinook salmon. The United States catches an averages of about
three hundred million pounds of salmon each year. However some Chinook salmon have been
recently listed as threatened. Man has been the main cause for the decline in Chinook salmon
populations.
The populations of Chinook salmon have declined for several reasons. Hydropower and
it's destructiveness to the environment, pollution, and overfishing are the three main causes for
the decline. The Chinook salmon is known for traveling the greatest distance back to its
spawning grounds, often traveling one to two thousand miles inland. This long journey is now
often interrupted by hydroelectric plants. Hydropower is a very good alternative resource for
power, however it is very damaging to our salmon populations. The dams block off rivers,
which block the salmon's path back to their breeding grounds. The salmon go back to the same
areas, just as their ancestors did, to lay their eggs. The hydropower plant's turbines are also very
dangerous to young salmon. Many of them are killed by the giant turbines on their way back to
the ocean. Killing off many of the salmons new generation. Pollution is also a killer of many
Chinook salmon. Pollution caused by sewage, farming, grazing, logging and mining find it's
way into our waters. These harmful substances kill many species of fish and other marine life.
The Chinook salmon is no exception. The chemicals are dumped into the rivers and streams and
eventually these chemicals find their way to the ocean, polluting and effecting each area they
pass through. The largest contributor to the decline in the Chinook salmon population is the
commercial fishing industry. From a period of 1990-1992 815,000 Chinook salmon were caught
by commercial fisheries. This does not include the 354,000 recreational catches.
Commercial fishing is a big industry. Commercial fishers use nets, which they pull by
boats. Some nets are designed so the holes in the nets are large enough for the head of the fish to
fit through, and then the mesh gets caught in the fish's gills. Others are designed to circle
around a school of fish and then is drawn shut. New technologies have developed factory stern
trawlers which easily haul netloads of up to 100 metric tons of fish. However, when catching the
salmon, fisherman use pound nets to catch the fish on their way to their spawning grounds. The
average annual salmon catch in just the United States is about 300 million pounds, of that about
60 percent is canned. Salmon canning is one of the major industries of the pacific coast.
To decrease the rate at which the salmon population is falling the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
service yearly deposits billions of young salmon and eggs into natural breeding grounds. Salmon
are also raised in and then deposited. The National Marine Fisheries Service has also proposed
a recovery plan for the Chinook salmon. They plan to improve migration conditions, by
increasing the area around the dams so that the salmon can get through. Also they plan to
protect the fishes' spawning habitat, by improving the general management. They would also
like to develop alternative harvesting methods.
The effects that man has had on the Chinook salmon and many other species of salmon is very
severe, any are labeled as threatened. We can reduce the causes of their population decrease by
reducing the amount of fish we catch annually, reducing pollution dumped into their habitats,
and by developing ways for the fish to bypass the dams.

Chimpanzee Cannabalism and Infanticide

I surrender all copyrights to Jens Shriver.
The acts of cannibalism and infanticide are very apparent in the behavior of the chimpanzee. Many African studies show that wild chimpanzees kill and eat infants of their own species. (Goodall, 1986:151) Although there is not a clear answer why chimps engage in this very violent and sometimes gruesome behavior there are many ideas and suggestions. This essay will deal with chimpanzee aggression, cannibalism and infanticide. This paper will present information on major research studies performed in Africa and analyze how and why this strange behavior occurs in a commonly thought peaceful primate.
Wild chimpanzees(Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) are known to kill and eat mammals in various parts of Africa. Monkeys were recorded to be consumed in the Gombe National Park, the Kasakati Basin, and the Budongo Forest. Moreover, there is new evidence that chimpanzees near the Ugalla River of western Tanzania also consume mammals.(Riss, 1990:167) Cannibalism has also been recorded both in the Budongo Forest, Mahale Mountains and the Gombe National Park.
In Jane Goodall's, May 1979 article in the National Geographic called "Life and Death at Gombe" it reveals the first time that chimpanzees who were always perceived to be playful, gentle monkeys, could suddenly become dangerous killers. "I knew that some of our chimpanzees, so gentle for the most part, could on occasion become savage killers, ruthless cannibals, and that they had their own form of primitive warfare."(Goodall, 1979:594) To try and explain this ruthless behavior it is necessary to first analyze their social upbringing and unique lifestyle.
The Chimpanzee society is clearly a male dominated aggressive social unit. Males are larger than females, they are more openly aggressive, and they fight more often. (Holloway, 1974:261)
These fights can look extremely fierce and
the victim screams loudly. But it is rare
for a fight between community members to last
longer than quarter of a minute, and it is
even more unusual for such a fight to result
in serious injury.(Goodall, 1992:7)

Many fights break out suddenly. Afterwards the loser of the fight, even though clearly fearful of the aggressor, will almost always approach him and adopt a submissive posture.(Goodall, 1992:8) The loser is giving in and admitting that he has lost and only feels relaxed when the aggressor reaches out and gives what is called a "reassurance gesture-he will touch, pat, kiss or embrace the supplicator (loser)."(Goodall, 1992:8)
Another example of chimpanzee aggression is the charging display. Although females sometimes display this behavior, especially high ranking, confident females, it is typically a male performance.(Reynolds, 1967:82) During such a display, the chimp charges flat out across the ground, slapping his hands, and stamping his feet. The chimps hair then begins to bristle and his lips bunch in a ferocious scowl. He may pitch rocks or jump around swinging branches.(Strier, 1992:46) Essentially what he is doing is making himself look bigger and more dangerous than he actually is, trying to intimidate his opponents. "We have found, over thirty years of study, that the young males who display the most frequently, the most impressively, and with the most imagination, are the most likely to rise quickly to a high position in the male dominance hierarchy."(Goodall, 1992:9)
In essence, every young male chimp is on a life long quest to become the top-ranking position of the male hierarchy that is called the "alpha-male." Many of the male chimpanzees spend a lot of energy and run risks of serious injury in pursuit of higher status. The rewards of the alpha male are claiming rights to the food, female partners, and he also acquires a position exempt from attack by fellow chimps.(Goodall, 1979:616) However, the latter discussion has dealt solely with inter-group aggression, (fighting within groups of the same community); outer-group aggression is grotesquely different.
A chimpanzee community has a home range within which its members constantly roam. Usually the home range consists of roughly five to eight square miles. The adult male chimpanzees usually in groups of three, take turns patrolling the boundaries of their area keeping close together, silent and alert.(Goodall, 1992:14) As they travel they pick up objects sniffing them as if they are trying to find clues to locate strangers. If a patrol meets up with a group from another community, both sides usually engage in threats, and then are likely to retreat back to their home ground.(Holloway, 1974:261) But if a single individual is encountered, or a mother and a child, then the patrolling males usually chase and, if they can, attack the stranger.(Goodall, 1979:599) "Ten very serious attacks on mothers or old females of neighboring communities have been recorded in Gombe since 1970; twice the infants of the victims were killed; one other infant died from wounds."(Goodall, 1979:599)
In 1972 the chimpanzees of Gombe divided into two groups: the southern group(Kahama)and the northern group(Kasakela). This was the start of what Jane Goodall called the "four year war." In 1974, a gang of five chimpanzees from the Kasakela community caught a single male of the Kahama group. They hit, kicked, and bit him for twenty minutes and left him bleeding from many serious wounds. A month later after this original occurrence another prime Kahama male was caught by three chimps from Kasakela and severely beaten. A few weeks later he was found, terribly thin and with a deep unhealed gash in his thigh. There were three more brutal attacks leaving three more Kahama chimpanzees dead before 1977.(Goodall, 1979:606) By 1978 the northern males had killed all of the southern group and took over both areas. "It seems that we have been observing a phenomenon rarely recorded in field studies-the gradual extermination of one group of animals by another, stronger, group."(Goodall, 1979:608) There is no clear reason for these brutal attacks to have taken place unless that the dominant northern males before the community split, had access to the southern community and they were just trying to attain their land back. "We know, today, that chimpanzees can be aggressively territorial."(Goodall, 1992:14)
In August of 1975, Gilka a chimpanzee mother was sitting with her infant when suddenly Passion, another mother appeared and chased her. Gilka ran screaming but Passion who was bigger and stronger caught up, attacked, seized, and killed the baby. She then proceeded to eat the flesh of the infant and share the gruesome remains with her adolescent daughter, Pom and her infant son, Prof. This was the first observed instance of cannibalistic behavior shown by Passion and Pom.(Goodall, 1992:22) About a year after this incident, Gilka gave birth to another infant and this time it was Pom who seized the baby, but Passion and Prof again shared the flesh. There is no explanation why Passion and Pom behaved as they did.(Goodall, 1992:23)
Passion was always an asocial female, and
had been a very harsh mother to her own first
infant, Pom. It was only as Pom grew older
that the very close bond developed between
mother and daughter, and it was only because
the two acted with such perfect co-operation
that they were able to overcome some of the
other females of their community.(Goodall, 1992:23) During the years of their rampaging, a total of ten infants died or disappeared and every instance point to Passion and Pom.(Goodall, 1979:616) They would never try to attack a female when there were any males around. Instead they would wait for the mother to be alone with her infant and gang up on her. In three years from 1974 to 1976 only a single infant in the Kasakela community had lived for more than one month. Finally, when Passion gave birth again to a third child, and Pom also gave birth, the extraordinary cannibalistic infant killing came to an end.(Goodall, 1979:619)
Chimpanzees have been studied in the Mahale Mountains National Park for 25 years. The study group, M-group, consisting of about 90 chimpanzees, has been monitored for 15 years. "Cases reported from Mahale, Tanzania, are of special interest because adult males kill and eat those infants that not only belong to the same community but are likely to be their own offspring."(Turner 1992:151)
On October 3, 1989, a case of within-group infanticide among Mahale chimpanzees was observed.
T. Asou, M. Nakamura and two cameramen of
a video team of ANC Productions Inc. from
Tokyo, and R. Nyundo of the Mahale Mountains
Wildlife Research Centre succeeded in
shooting most of the important scenes of the
infanticide and cannibalism."(Nishida, 1992:152)

This is an example of the flagrant cannibalism and infanticide witnessed based on their memos and videotape. During a chimpanzee group feeding period that had gone unsuccessfully. Kalunde a 2nd-ranking male walked up to and snatched a six-month old infant baby boy from the hands of its mother Mirinda. Kalunde ran with the infant on his belly with Mirinda chasing after him screaming. Kalunde then hid in some vegetation until two other males Shike and Lukaja found him and wanted to take the infant away from him. Lukaja finally won a tug of war for the infant between the two other males and handed it over to Ntologi the alpha male. Ntologi, who then dragged, tossed, and slapped it against the ground climbed a tree with the infant in his mouth. He waved it in the air, and finally killed it by biting it on the face. Then he proceeded to eat the infant sharing the meat with the other chimps.(Nishida, 1992:152) It is strange because this sort of cannibalistic behavior is exactly like a group of chimpanzees feeding on the meat of any mammals dead carcass. Unfortunately, in this case though, it was the meat of a dead chimpanzee infant. Nevertheless, after the infanticide, Mirinda was observed to mate with Ntologi as well as Kalunde.(Nishida, 1992:153) Even though both these males assisted in the killing of her first infant.
Another example of this fierce and barbaric activity happened again on "July 24, 1990, M.B. Kasagula, a research assistant, observed five adult males including Ntologi excitedly displaying."(Nishida, 1992:153) Ntologi had his hand on a 5-month-old male infant of Betty's. The infant was still alive. Ntologi began to bite on the infants' fingers and then struck the infant against a tree trunk, and also dragged it on the ground as he displayed. As a result the infant was killed.(Nishida, 1992:153) Once again, Ntologi shared the remains with ten adult females and eight males. Three hours later the chimpanzees were still eating the carcass.(Nishida, 1992:153)
Other than the two examples illustrated thus far, there were also five other cases of Mahale Mountain within-group infanticides which were analyzed. Firstly, all the victims of all seven cases were small male infants below 1 year of age.(Hamai, 1992:155) Secondly, infanticide also occurred mostly in the morning during an intensive feeding period.(Hamai, 1992:155) On six of the seven occasions, the captors of the infants were alpha or beta males.(Hamai, 1992:155) Group attacks were observed in at least three cases. In all infanticide cases the mother persistently tried to recover her infant from the adult males so long as it was still alive. However, an infant was only recovered by its mother once.(Hamai, 1992:157) Infants were killed while being eaten in all cases.(Nishida 1992:157) "What appeared common in cannibalism but uncommon in predation was that consumption of meat took a long time(>3 hr) and that the carcass-holder changed frequently, considering the prey size and the number of consumers."(Hamai, 1992:158) In all cases of cannibalism, many chimps ate and shared the meat by recovering scraps. There was always more than four adult male cannibals and the mother has never been seen to eat meat from the carcass of her own offspring.(Nishida, 1992:158) The Mahale Mountain study provided an in-depth analysis on how the chimpanzees reacted during and after their cannibalistic behavior.
There are several hypotheses explaining infanticide within a group of chimpanzees. One is the male-male competition hypotheses. Nishida and Hiraiwa-Hasegawa(1985) suggested that males of one clique destroy infants of females who associated with males of a rival clique.(Hamai, 1992:159) Spijerman(1990) proposed that infanticide functions as a kind of display to fortify male social status, or "to increase control over the attention of others."(Hamai 1992:159) Another idea was Kawanaka's(1981) that infanticide was an "elimination of the product of incest."(Hamai 1992:159) Some believe that the function of infanticide is to correct a females promiscuous habit and "coerce her into more restrictive mating relationships with adult males, and especially with high ranking males."(Hamai, 1992:159) What is interesting in all of these examples of chimpanzee infanticide is as soon as a chimpanzee male or female(Passion & Pom) got their hands on an infant, the chimps surrounding them would suddenly become excited and want it themselves as if the infant was just a piece of meat even though it was still alive.
In conclusion, there has been no evidence revealing why chimpanzees act and behave in this cannibalistic fashion. There are many theories and ideas but like the theory of evolution there is no one clear answer. Being the closest living relative to the human being, chimpanzees exhibit complicated and intricate behavior due to their advanced brains.(Zuckerman, 1932:171) This paper has revealed that chimpanzees are creatures of great extremes: aggressive one moment, peaceful the next. This gruesome violent behavior can actually be linked to a similarity with human beings. It is widely accepted in the scientific community that chimpanzees are the closest human relatives we have. If we are indeed superior to these primates, does it not stand to reason that humans should be able to learn from this violence and avoid it? Jane Goodall, in her article labeled, "Life and Death at Gombe" draws a similar conclusion:
It is sobering that our new awareness of
chimpanzee violence compels us to acknowledge
that these ape cousins of ours are even more
similar to humans than we thought before.
(Goodall, 1979:620)

CFCS detroy the Ozone

Cfcs Cause Deterioration of the Ozone Layer
The deterioration of the ozone layer , caused by Cfcs, endangers the lives of humans'. Cfcs have a diminishing effect on the ozone layer. Furthermore, the deterioration of the ozone cause an increase of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation which can have a negative effect on human skin and eyes. As a writer for newsweek, I have investigated the scenario and found the following information.
The earth's atmosphere is a blanket of air that surrounds the planet. This atmospheric air is made up of many different gases, 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and 1% of a dozen or more other gases like carbon dioxide, helium, and ozone.
This atmosphere extends many miles out from the earth's surface. However, this layer is not a uniform layer, from top to bottom. As one moves out from the planet's surface the atmosphere becomes progressively dense. This atmosphere can be divide into four major regions.
The first region is the troposphere which extends about 6.5 miles above the planet's surface. The troposphere contains the oxygen that we breath and is where a majority of our weather takes place.
Beyond the troposphere is the second region of the atmosphere, the stratosphere. The stratosphere extends from roughly 6.5-30 miles from the earth's' surface. The air on this region is much less dense than in the troposphere, and it's a lot drier. The stratosphere is the area that contains the majority of the ozone layer.
Past the stratosphere is the mesosphere which extends to 50 miles above the planet. The last region is the thermosphere. The thermosphere's outermost edge is roughly 600 miles above the surface of the earth. Beyond it, the airless vacuum of space begins.
Oxygen is made up of two oxygen atoms that are bonded together. In the periodic table it is represented by O2.
Like oxygen, ozone is a gas that is made up of oxygen atoms. However, a molecule of ozone is made up of three atoms of oxygen bonded together, therefore, O3, represents ozone. The ozone makes up only .01% of the atmosphere. Furthermore, 90% of the ozone is found in the stratosphere. It is concentrated in a layer between 7 and 22 miles above the earth's surface.
The massive depth of the ozone in the stratosphere would lead you to believe that it is very thick, it is not. If it were condensed, the ozone layer would only be a few millimeters thick (Rowland and Molina 1994. p.23).
The ozone is made in the stratosphere. It is continuously being formed, broken down, and reformed, over and over again. Furthermore, the three key elements of the cycle are: oxygen, ozone, and the energy from the sun.
The ultimate source of energy for our planet is the sun. This energy travels through space in the form of Electromagnetic Radiation. Furthermore, this electromagnetic radiation is often referred to as waves and their length, therefore, wavelengths. The sun has a wide range of wavelengths. This range is known as the Electromagnetic Spectrum. In this spectrum there is Gamma, Ultraviolet, Visible, Infrared, and Radio waves.
It is the ultraviolet (UV) radiation coming from the sun that drives the ozone cycle in the stratosphere. When a oxygen molecule is hit by a high-energy UV ray, the O2 molecule absorbs the ray's energy. As a result, the bond holding the oxygen molecule together breaks. This break separates the molecule, O2=O+O. These separate molecules quickly join with nearby oxygen molecules to form a ozone molecule, O3=O2+O. Simultaneously, ozone molecules are being hit, they absorb the ray's energy and break apart, leaving behind an oxygen molecule and a single oxygen molecule, O3>O2-O. At this time, the entire process repeats itself making new molecules that are separated which combine to make new molecules, over and again (Rowland and Molin 1991 p. 42).
As a result of this cycle, about the same amount of ozone is produced as is broken down in the stratosphere. Therefore, the amount of ozone stays the same under normal circumstances (Rowland and Molina 1991 p.43).
A constant and stable ozone layer are important for life on earth because the high-energy UV rays that are absorbed in the ozone layer are extremely dangerous. These rays can kill some things while seriously damaging others. For example, some bacteria exposed to UV rays will die. Plants, on land and in oceans, can be seriously damaged or even destroyed by UV rays. When humans are exposed to the powerful rays, their skin can burn, damage to the eyes , and permanent changes in cells that can lead to cancer and other problems can occur. By absorbing the UV rays, the ozone molecules in the ozone layer form a shield that protects life on earth from the dangerous and even deadly UV rays. Cfcs affect this process.
Chloroflourocarbons (Cfcs) are man-made chemicals that were invented in 1928. However, they were not used on a large scale until the 1950's. There are many different types of Cfcs, but they all contain the same basic elements: chlorine, flourine, and carbon. Furthermore, different Cfcs contain different amounts of these elements. Some of the more commonly used Cfcs are: Cfc 11, also known as R-11, Cfc 13, and Trichloroflouromethane; Cfc 12, also known as freon, R-12, Cfc 12, and Dichlorodiflouromethane; and the third common type is Cfc13, also known as R-113, CF2CICFC12, and 1,1,2 Trichlorotrifluroethane. Moreover, Cfcs are considered to be chemically unreactive, or stable.
Due to their stability, Cfcs have been used for many different tasks. For example, Cfc 12 is the most popular liquid coolants for refrigerators and air conditioners. Several other Cfcs work well as aerosol propellants, in manufacturing foam, and in making Styrofoam containers. Furthermore, others are being used for cleaning delicate electronic equipment, such as computer chips and circuit boards. Moreover, these Cfcs appeared to be the perfect industrial chemical because they were, seemingly, completely safe for people and the environment.
However, two scientists, F. Sherwood Rowland and J. Molina became curious if they were as stable high in the atmosphere as they were on earth. In 1974 they published a paper which outlines their concerns and findings on Cfcs.
In their paper, Rowland and Molina explain how Cfcs would damage the ozone layer. After evaporation, due to their stability, Rowland and Molina reasoned, the Cfcs would not combine with other molecules in the air. Therefore, they wouldn't be involved in the natural process that removes most foreign chemicals from the lower region of the atmosphere. Instead, they would remain there for a long period of time, "50-200 years"(Rowland 1991 p. 32), gradually rising through the troposphere into the stratosphere(Rowland and Molina 1974 p.39).
In the stratosphere, Cfcs would be exposed to UV radiation. Once exposed to the UV radiation the bond that holds the chlorine containing compounds together would be broken by the rays. When a molecule of a Cfc breaks apart, chlorine atoms (CL) are released. Furthermore, individual chlorine atoms are very reactive. Rowland and Molina knew from laboratory experiments that chlorine atoms react with ozone molecules on a way that destroys the ozone. Therefore, the two hypothesized that Cfcs would indeed harm the ozone layer in the same way they affected Cfcs in experiments on earth. They warned society of the dangers, however, they were not taken seriously until the 1980s when British scientists, working at Halley Bay, using a Dobson spectrometer, discovered the whole in the ozone layer over the Anartic coast(Farman, Gardiner, and Shaklin, p.207). In 1985, the British scientists told the world about their findings, subsequently in 1995 Rowland and Molina were awarded the Nobel Peace prize. Furthermore, currently scientists are certain of the damage done by Cfcs. However, Cfcs themselves do not destroy the ozone, their decay products do.
After Cfcs reach the stratosphere and come into contact[photolyze] with UV radiation, the chlorine atoms are released. Furthermore, due to their high reactivity, the chlorine does not remain single for very long, they rapidly join nearby molecules. Since these reactions are occurring in the ozone layer, many of these nearby molecules are ozone molecules.
When a chlorine atom and a ozone molecule come together, the chlorine atom binds to one of the oxygen atoms on the ozone molecule. "As a result of the reaction, the ozone molecule is destroyed and a molecule of oxygen and chlorine monoxide (CIO) are left over"(Rowland 1989 p.71).
The ozone-destroying process does not stop there. Each one of the CIO molecules go on to react with other molecules nearby. When two CIO molecules come together, they briefly combine. This molecule breaks apart very quickly, leaving oxygen gas (O2) and chlorine atoms (CL). These chlorine atoms are now free again to destroy more ozone molecules. With the destruction of ozone molecules, comes more destructive UV rays.
The type of UV rays absorbed by the ozone layer are the same ones that are most harmful to humans; skin cancer and cataracts. Furthermore, depletion of the ozone layer results in increased UV radiation exposure.
One affect of UV on humans is skin cancer. "Most skin cancers fall into three classes: basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and melanomas. In the US there were 500,000 cases of the first, 100,.000 cases of the second, and 27,000 of the third type, in 1990"(Wayne p. 47). Furthermore, cases of melanoma have been estimated to be increasing at an average of 10% from 1979 to 1993 and even larger increases are believed to be occurring in the southern hemisphere. Also, studies suggest that a 1% decrease in stratospheric ozone will result in a 2% increase of skin cancers (Wayne p.49). Moreover, some of these skin cancers can result in death. Malignant melanoma is much more dangerous, however, they are the least common. Malignant melanoma effects the pigment cell in the skin which can spread rapidly to the blood and lymphatic system. Furthermore, Wayne says, these have become increasingly frequent throughout the world, especially in areas of higher latitudes. Moreover, "there is a correlation between melanomas and exposure to UV. Melanoma incidence is correlated with latitude, with twice as many deaths (relative to state population) in Florida or Texas as in Wisconsin or Montana"(Wayne p.50). Furthermore, melanomas can take up too 20 years to develop, therefore, time will give us a better example of the effects of increased UV rays have on the skin. The eyes are also affected by UV rays.
An increase in UV rays results in an increase of UV absorption by the eye. Chronic UV exposure has been shown to be a factor in eye disease, says Roach. Moreover, "blindness from cataracts is the number one preventable cause of cataracts" (Roach p.119).
The latest findings indicate that "for every 1% decrease in ozone levels results in a .6-.8% increase in eye cataracts, or annually approximately 100,000 to 150,000 additional cases of cataract-induced blindness worldwide" (Roach p.122-3).
Moreover, UV rays cause other eye injures including photokeratitis, also known as sun blindness or snow blindness, damage to the retina, and intraocular melanoma tumors. Roach's predictions suggest a substantial future increase in eye cancer rates. However, some, object to the effects Cfcs have on the ozone and on humans.
Two of the more common objections are: Cfcs are two heavy to reach the stratosphere and we should not be concerned about Cfcs because the majority of chlorine in the atmosphere is created by the acidification if salt spray.
However, for the first objection, atmospheric gases do not segregate by weight in the troposphere and the stratosphere. This is because vertical transport in the troposphere takes place by convection and turbulent mixing, says Wayne. Furthermore Wayne says, in the stratosphere and in the mesosphere, it takes place by "eddy diffusion", the gradual mechanical mixing of gas by motions on smaller scales, these mechanisms due not distinguish molecular masses (Wayne Ch. 4).
As for the second objection, it is an assumption that is not correct at all. "Eighty percent of the chlorine found is from Cfcs and other man made organic chlorine compounds (Rowland 1989 p.77).
In conclusion, despite the increasing list of negative affects of UV radiation, we continue to release ozone depleting chemicals into the atmosphere. Despite the availability of safer alternatives, we continue to promote technologies that are only slightly safer than the ones they replaced. Despite all of the current information on the destructive affects of Cfcs, we still continue to use them on a mass scale.
Scientific research has only began to discover the impacts of UV radiation, however, what we do know should be enough for action. We cannot afford to sit around and wait for the damage to reach a point that makes us react, by then it will be too late.
The time to act is now because even with an immediate and complete end to production and release of ozone-depleting substances to the environment, we are still left with many decades of decreasing ozone and increased UV exposure. We must think long term and act now.
Works Cited
Farman, J.C., B.G. Gardiner, and J.D. Shankin. "Large losses of total ozone in Antartica
reveal seasonal CIOx/NOx interaction." Nature v.230 (Aug.4,1985): p.205-215.
Roach, M. "Sun Track." Health v.201 (May/June 1992): p.119-125.
Rowland, F.S. "Chloroflourocarbons and the depletion of stratospheric ozone."
American Scientist v.128 (Nov. 4,1989): p. 70-78.
Rowland, F.S. and M.J. Molina. "Ozone depletion: 20 years after the alarm." Chemical
Engineering News v.20 (Jan.11,1994): p. 20-34.
Rowland, F.S. and M.J. Molina. "Chloroflourocarbons in the environment."
Rev.Geophys. and Space Phys. v.7 (Mar.1975): p. 13-73
Wayne, R.P. Chemistry of Atmosphere. New York: Oxford Univ.,1991.

Can We Say NO To Recycling

Dr. Nadia El-Kholy.
English 113.
Tamer Wadid Shalaby.
Final Draft Paper.
Can We Say "NO" To Recycling
Lately the earth's capacity to tolerate exploitation and absorb solid wastes disposal has diminished, due to excess trashing. People dispose lots of stuff, and simply do not care. Therefore scientists found out a way to reuse things and that process was called "recycling". This new approach seemed quite successful at the beginning, until its true identity appeared. Recycling first started as man's best friend, people were intrigued by this new phenomena. What could be better than using things that were already used. Recycling has been very useful especially that man is constantly consuming, burning up, wearing out, replacing and disposing at an alarming rate.(Durning 1992). However, unfortunately recycling has proven that it is quite costly. Although recycling of wastes material solves the problem of garbage disposal at landfills, and saves resources, it does nevertheless entail large hidden costs in collecting, sorting and manufacturing; therefore, it is necessary for the government to overcome such problems of recycling to be worth while and for manufacturers and consumers to consume less.
Recycling has proven its efficiency in solving the problem of garbage disposal at landfills1. By the accumulation of garbage throughout the years, space available for garbage has largely diminished. In the states for example almost 67% of their waste stream ends up in landfills.(Scott 25). This has in fact increased the price of disposal. As Kimball stated "tipping fees" at landfills, is so often prohibitive(3), and some cannot find landfills to dump their garbage. It can cost up to $158 to pick a ton of garbage and dispose it.(Consumer Reports 1994). Beside, these landfills pollute their surroundings area with lots of hazardous materials and contaminate underground water. To discover the contamination of the underground water it would be 12 yeas after the poisons-benzene; formaldehyde; mercury; and BCEE- have actually contaminated the land, and had sunk 24 feet into the ground contaminating about 50 million gallons of underground water.(Dahir 94). Besides these lands could be used in more useful ways such as building schools, hospitals, or simply turning them into large green areas to purify the air. This problem is practically acute in Egypt, since we do find even in central areas of the city, piles of garbage disposal very near to residential areas. Recycling would therefore eliminate this problem and protect the environment.
If we consider burning as an alternative, well it is not very advantageous, so often burning is done in incinerators. According to Plenum, incineration is the process of disposing of the "Combustible portion of the community wastes"(81). This burning pollutes the air in the area around it. It is not the way to solve the problem of recycling because it solving one problem by creating another which is air pollution. In this process a number of pollutants are emitted which poisons the air. Carbon dioxide and lead are by products of burning that most health organisations consider highly toxicating. These by products affect children mentally and physically. In addition, carbon dioxide is considered one of the main reasons of global warming because the molecule itself captures heat an stores it in it thus creating the green house effect. Besides plastics are rather toxicating when burnt according to Plenum, Acrylic type plastics emit HCN gas, Bromine components that are added to plastics results in the emission of HBr , which are all dangerous pollutants (157). Obviously burning cannot be considered an alternative and as stated in Consumer Reports, "Recycling does help to keep garbage out of landfills and incinerators, both of which pose environmental problems."(Feb 1994). Although burning lessens the physical amount of the waste materials, it is considered one of the easiest way to pollute the air.
Though these are great advantages to us and the environment, but recycling costs more than you could imagine. A study found that when the cost of garbage is calculated by volume, landfilling and recycling costs are roughly the same. Recycling does not appear to save any money, this applies to most of the European countries and the United States and studies have lately proven so. "Recycling is a good thing, but it costs money."(Boerner and Chilton 7). This view has been confirmed by John E. Jacobson, who is the president of AUS, a consulting firm in Philadelphia who stated that it is often more expensive to recycle than to manufacture from raw material. The process goes through lots of phases. First collecting and sorting garbage and second is manufacturing and marketing. Collection is a phase by itself. In developed countries such as the States, Europe, and the Far East, the people have a great deal of awareness of the situation. People know that recycling is important and would save us lots and lots of things. So the country itself provided facilities to help the people recycle such as machines that recycle cans on the spot and gives 2.5 cents/can and recycables-collecting programs and others. These collecting programs are costly, besides they do not work in apartment buildings. Beside, vehicles that transport these materials are not so cheap, besides most of these trucks' capacities are wasted by bulky objects. Especially when trash contains a lot of plastic containers. More tractors more rounds are required to collect recycables. This adds to the cost. "We took plastics out of recycling programs because we could not afford to drive around with trucks with 45% of their collection capacity taken up by air."(Consumer Reports 1994).
As for the sorting process it entails lots of man power and tools, both of which are very expensive. The material cannot simply be all fed into one big machine and then "boom" we have recycled material. No, every kind of material must be put alone then fed into big recycling machines. This process of separation or sorting costs money. Manufacturers have to hire labourers to sort out glass from aluminium from cardboard from tin and so on. According to Consumer Reports, the sorting equipment and the man power involved in the process is a big investment (1994). It is important to know that this process of collecting and sorting is particularly expensive in developed countries where sophisticated tools are used where man power is rather limited and expensive. However, in developing countries like Egypt, the process of collecting and sorting are rather primitive and is carried out by the "Zabaleen " or a second-hand car. This makes it less expensive than developed countries.
Manufacturing and marketing is the second phase in this process. In order to build the factories that do the recycling operation, the most important thing we must have is the capital. Building these factories is quite expensive plus it takes time because the latest technology must be applied in there. According to The Consumers Report, when garbage is sorted it is sent to factories to be put in industry. These factories usually designed for producing from raw material, need "retooling" so as to use recycled material; which is very expensive. For example Union Carbide Inc., one of the nations major supplies of plastic, had to spend 10 million dollars on building a factory that would recycle plastic bottles it had produced (1994). Therefore to retool a factory to make it compatible with the demands of recycling means machines in an old factory must be replaced with new ones and this is costly. For some reason all the machinery in a recycling firm tend to ware out so fast, it is due to the interaction of these materials. So what has to be done now is buy new machines for these firms ever time they ware out, well that's cheap.
Another disadvantage of recycling which makes it unattractive is that for manufacturers economically the recycled material is not highly demanded, it is not that pure as the virgin material. In a grocery store in Los Angeles-where I was staying-most of the food is kept in cardboard containers or boxes that are made out of recycled multimaterial . While books and furniture that are made out of artificial wood and paper do not prefer the usage of recycled material. According to Recycling is it worth the effort obstacles that are faced due to the recycling of paper is that the recycled paper is of lower quality than virgin paper for some uses.(94). This is a very good reason to look for an alternative because recycled material cannot be used in projects that are worth while, such as books and furniture. " In many cases, manufacturers would be forced to switch from multimaterial packages, which are difficult to recycle, to homogeneous, single-layered packaging."(Boener and Chilton 13).
So if marketing of recycled products is not economically worthwhile, then the whole process of recycling cannot be economically efficient. Manufacturers cannot be motivated to recycle if their recycled products are not demanded. "We have got to be realistic about some things" said Mitchell Alison, "we set goals with certain economies in mind, we no longer have those economies, so we have got to revisit these goals."
What led most of the economists to look for a substitute for recycling is the inconsistent quality of the products. The products of recycling are not as good as the original ones, thus leading consumers to look for a substitute. This inconsistency is due to improper sorting of material. People are expected to have a separate container for each thing that is recycled. When people mess around and misplace things this is due to either untrained employees who do not differentiate between the recycables or careless dumping. Careless dumping a result of unconcern of the people themselves. Also the recycled products are contaminated. Different kinds of paper or differently used aluminium cans when mixed together to be recycled they do not produce a quality of the same kind. Recycled paper faces four main obstacles, weak marketing for mixed paper, recycled paper is of lower quality than virgin paper in some uses, con not be used indefinitely , and finally photocopy, laser-printed paper hard to de-ink.(Consumer Reports 94). It is not as good as using the virgin material thus having low quality and less durability.
Recycling programs cost money, and where do you think this money comes from, taxpayers' pockets. Taxpayers are the ones who are stuck paying for these programs, they are forced to do so. A grocery store that uses recycled paper bags, plastic containers, and tin cans must be able to pay for them, or increase the price of the product and the consumer will pay of course because it is something humane and for the environment. To prove that recycling expenses are a burden on consumers, a margarine producer switched from plastic tubes to aluminium containers this led to an increase in the expenses of the product thus increasing by 25% to reach 50%. Obviously this increase in price will be passed on to the consumer increasing the price of the commodity.(Boener and Chilton 14). Most of the recycling organisations are non-profit organisations. Still it is expensive to use recycled material that is because the recycled material costs much.
The government must have a role in all this, its role is to overcome such problems. These programs must be financed by the government, but not in a way that the taxpayers have to suffer. Also some materials are better dumped than recycled, the government should look for the material that would cost the least to recycle and use it in most things. Such researches should be conducted and financed by the government. The packaging industry consumes a lot of paper and plastic, if this industry would consider using recycled material and less packaging they would save a lot of energy, time and resources. "Manufacturers of polycoated paper packages claim that recycling their products is both a boon to source reduction efforts and an energy-efficient process."(Kimball 64). That is what we all want a program that is cost efficient and saves energy. Also the taxpayers should pay according to the amount of recycables each household recycles. It should not be the same amount paid for each household because some people recycle less than others therefore they should pay less. This way the government will create the suitable conditions to encourage recycling programs and maybe help preserving the environment.
This rapid leap in our lives have led us to create recycling and hopefully it will lead us to look for a way to better plan it. Better planing for recycling will help prevent the problems faced now by recycling. If it could be made that it satisfies the needed conditions previously mentioned, to be cost-efficient, not time consuming, and a better quality of products, this would be like a dream come true. Recycling should be cost-efficient because what all nations are facing are massive economical problems. Financing these programs is one hell of a job and if it has to be done anyway, then we should at least look for ways to make it cost efficient. People should learn to use and reuse, rather than use and dispose. If we can use things more than once and could save energy then why not do so. "Reuse means getting more use out of a product to reduce the waste stream. Many so-called disposable items, such as plastic cups, knives, and forks, can actually be washed and used several times." (Scott 25). As we can see the benefits are over-estimated, and the costs are under-estimated. What we should do is not only look for an alternative but also look for other ways to improve recycling. The natural resources will not last for ever, eventually everything comes to an end and the end is very near to our natural resources. What is of greater importance is to find alternatives to such resources if they actually become extinct. Recycling is backed by most of the general public, for its ideas of saving the environment, energy, and virgin material. But it is not that good or that efficient it still costs money and is not that safe. "Recycling does not necessarily provide for safer or more environmentally sound disposal than landfilling or incinerators. The recycling process itself generates enormous amounts of hazardous wastes."(Schaumburg 32). In addition it will decrease and maybe solve the problem of the ever increasing pollution. Imagine that every time someone throws a piece of paper in the garbage is similar to a person cutting a leaf off a tree. This is what happens when one does so, so recycling was the way to solve such a problem.

Biodiversity

"BIODIVERSITY"

Biodiversity, as defined by E.O. Wilson, "is meant to be all inclusive- it's the genetic based variation of living organisms at all levels, from the variety of genes in populations of single species, through species, on up to the array of natural ecosystems." This includes plants, animals, insects, fungi, bacteria, and all microorganisms. All of these things create what is known as a web. These things interact with each other in some way there for they depend on one another throughout their lifetime. There are many separate ways in which we can study biodiversity. These ways include, genetic, species, community, ecosystem, and taxonomic diversity. Biodiversity can be best number of species in a given area, or scientifically, "species richness."
Today there is a biodiversity crisis facing us. This is caused mainly by the destruction of habitats. This dramatically increases the rate at which species decrease in number and become extinct. It is appalling to know that we are the main cause of this. Over fishing, pollution, over cutting, and an increase in population contribute to this problem. An example of this is the gold mining operation that we saw in the video. While mining, Mercury was dripping into the water. The mercury then got into the fish and into the humans who ate the fish.
Biodiversity promotes a healthy environment. Environments rich in biodiversity are stronger and can with stand things such as drought, disease, and other stresses that environments that lack it cannot. In the video, during the drought, the side of the field with a more diverse environment held stern as the other wilted away.
Areas that are very diverse are very important to humans as well. They provide a wide arrange of pharmaceuticals such as aspirin and penicillin.
"Some 40 percent of U.S. prescriptions are for pharmaceuticals derived from wild plants, animals and microorganisms.(E.O. Wilson)" They also provide fruit, oils, beverages, drugs (including illegal narcotics), fuel, and much more. Humans also benefit from biodiversity from what E.O. Wilson calls "biophillia," which is the natural affiliation humans have for natural environments.(E.O. Wilson)
Old growth forests play a dentrimental role in biodiversity preservation. It's most important feature is biodiversity. Old growth forests provide us with many of the things that we as humans take for granted, for example, breathable air pure water, and pest control through birds, bats, and insects. In the Eastern U.S., most of the old growth occurs in small isolated areas. Scientist have come to the conclusion that even if these matured areas cover a substantial portion of landscape, it will not provide long term diversity for many species that live in such a community.(How much old growth..?)
Many environmentalists are increasingly concerned with this biodiversity crisis. As humans we need to do our part to end this. Most people don't realize the impact of the environment on our lives. "Our most valuable but least appreciated resource.(E.O. Wilson)" This quote best summarizes society's action towards our ecosystem.

Between the Forest and Greed

Within the past decade there has been a rising "environmentally conscious" movement. The spectrum of issues in contention by environmentalism has expanded virulently and is reaching its zenith. Public dissatisfaction with the environmental movement is forming, as the movement has taken the fight for the environment too far. Donella Meadows is an environmentalist who has yet to fully think about the issue she is arguing. In her piece "Not Seeing the Forest for the Dollar Bills," she takes an almost infantile approach to the logging industry and the concept of clear cutting. The monetary motivations behind the logging industry is her explanation for clear cutting, trying to portray the logging industry as a cold money making machine. This of course neglects the fact that the reason logging generates capital is because the world needs wood. There are several economic and environmental issues that are considered when loggers enter and area. Haphazard clear cutting of forests, while it maybe what Meadows would like us to think, does not happen. With every industry, every aspect is carefully debated and analyzed for the short and long term outcomes.

Any industry that capitalizes on earth's resources figuratively signs a pact with the earth. This pact bonds this industry to the earth and requires that any harvesting of resources is not done so with haste and waste. There is a symbiotic relationship between the two. For the industry to exist there must be a constant supply of the resource. Without a constant supply the industry dies. Now, many people believe that the logging industry's objective is to cut down all the trees that are currently standing. As horrific as this scenario may sound, it is far from the truth. Without trees to cut down there is no industry. The logging industry is not so foolish as to rampage the forests and cut down all the trees. As they cut, they plant. Replacing forests with samplings may look inadequate, but over a long period of time these samplings will become a new forest. The earth as we know it today has been in existence for millions of years. Even if newly planted tress take a century to grow back that is only a pinpoint on the time line. The millions of acres of forested land left untouched currently will not be engulfed by blades and tractors instantly. It will take time to cut down the trees, as it will take time to grow them back.

Meadows seems to have a misconception of industries and the service they provide. All industries, whether it be recycling to logging, are trying to maximize their profits. If this means moving their plants off shore, so be it. These industries provide the world with services that we need to operate as an advanced civilization. She claims that the remaining old growth forests are on protected federal land. If this is the case she has little to complain about. The remaining portion of what she is trying to protect is protected. At the same time she is also claiming that old growth forest can not be recreated. This seems far fetched from the eyes of an historian. Referring back to the history of the earth, one can assume that before humans inhabited the land that forests burnt to the ground leaving nothing but charred remains. Yet forests still exist today. Now, when they are threatened by fire, we save them instead of allowing nature to take its course. Meadows gives the reader a choice between "the forest and greed". If her choices were accurate one would probably choose the forest. The problem lies in her choices. They are given to the reader from only one perspective... hers. When an argument is based upon a one sided view it loses strength. It only leads to flaws and the eventual dismissal of the argument. In any debate one should look at the topic from the opposing side before approaching it from one's own.

In every country, forests are considered a valuable resource. They provide us with wood to build homes and paper to communicate. With a constantly growing population, the need for homes becomes greater and thus the supply of wood must also increase. The real choice that should be analyzed is "the forest or your home". Many alternate forms of building materials are phased into the system as need be, but the need for wood will always exist. Knowing that the world will continue to cut down trees, the only solution to the forest depletion, is reforestation. A forest ecologically engineered with the proper plants and bacteria may not be perfect initially but it will someday become an old growth forest. The animals that live in these forests, will learn to adapt. The few animals that don't adapt will probably die off or move. One may say that is a cold way to look at the problem, but thousands of species have become extinct and this process is called evolution. Whether evolution is accelerated by man or comes in due time by nature, the outcome is the same. I would propose that a human life is more important than any other life on this planet, and that taking care of humans is a higher priority than that of animals. Meadows has yet to understand the logging industry and what it is trying to accomplish. Her piece is based on fear and poor preparation and that is why the choices she gives the reader is inaccurate.

BATS

Bats







Prepared By:
C4





8th Grade
01-05-97




















Contents

1. Title Page Page... 1

2. Contents Page... 2

3. Bat Facts Page... 3-4

4. Congress Ave. Bridge Page... 5-6

5. How To Get A Bat Out Of Your House Page... 6

6. About Bat Houses Page... 7

7. References Page... 8+
































My report is on bats. I will start my story off by telling you some facts about bats.

Bat Facts

1. Did you know that the worlds smallest mammal is a Bumblebee bat that lives in Thailand. It weighs less than a penny!
2. Vampire bats adopt orphan pups (the name for a baby bat) and have been known to risk their lives to share food with the less fortunate.
3. The African Heart-Nosed bat can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on sand from a distance of over six feet!
4. The giant Flying Fox bat from Indonesia has a wing span of six feet!
5. Disk-winged bats of Latin America have adhesive disks on both feet that enable them to live in unfurling banana leaves (or even walk up a window pane).
6. Nearly 1,000 kinds of bats account for almost a quarter of all mammal species, and most are highly beneficial.
7. Worldwide, bats are the most important natural enemies of night-flying insects!
8. A single brown bat can catch over 600 mosquitoes in just one hour!
9. Tropical bats are key elements in rain forest ecosystems which rely on them to pollinate flowers and disperse seeds for countless trees and shrubs.
10. Bat droppings in caves support whole ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria useful in detoxifying wastes, improving detergents, and producing gasohol and antibiotics.
11. More than 50% of American bat species are in severe decline or already listed as endangered. Losses are occurring at alarming rates worldwide.
12. All mammals can contract rabies; however, even the less than half of one percent of bats that do, normally bite only in self-defense and pose little threat to people who do not handle them.
13. An anticoagulant from Vampire bat saliva may soon be used to treat human heart patients.
14. Contrary to popular misconception, bats are not blind, do not become entangled in human hair, and seldom transmit disease to other animals or humans.

Well, enough with the facts. I think that should get you ready for the rest of my essay.




Austin, Texas
Congress Ave. Bridge
A Bit Of History.......

When Engineers reconstructed downtown Austin's Congress Bridge in 1980, they had no idea that the new crevices beneath the bridge would make an ideal bat roost. Although bats had lived in Austin for years, it was headline news when they suddenly began moving by the thousands under the bridge. Reacting in fear, many people petitioned to have the bat colony eradicated.

About that time, Bat Conservation International (BCI) stepped in and told Austinites the surprising truth: that bats are gentle and incredibly sophisticated animals, that bat-watchers have nothing to fear if they don't try to handle the bats, and that on the nightly flights out from under the bridge, Austin bats eat 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects, including mosquitoes and numerous agricultural pests.

As the city came to appreciate its bats, the population under the Congress Avenue Bridge grew to be the largest urban bat colony in North America. With up to 1.5 million bats spiraling into the summer sunset, Austin now has one of the most unusual and fascinating tourist attractions anywhere!

Congress Avenue Bridge's bats are mostly Mexican free-tails (Tadarida brasiliensis). These bats migrate each spring from central Mexico. Most of the colony is female, and early June each one gives birth to a single baby bat. At birth the babies weigh one-third as much as their mothers (the equivalent of a human giving birth to a 40-pound child!). The pink, hairless babies will grow to be about three to four inches long, with a wingspan of up to a foot. In just five weeks, they will learn to fly and hunt insects on their own. Until that time, each Mother bat locates her pup (baby bat) among the thousands by its distinctive voice and scent.


What To Do If A Bat Gets Stuck In Your House

1. Open a door or window and wait for it to fly out.
2. Wait for the bat to calm down and stop flying. When it has stopped flying put a bowl over it and then slide cardboard under the bowl. Then all you have to do is open the door and pick the bowl up.
3. Another way is to build a net. It should look something like one of the nets that you use to catch butterflies in.









If You Would Like To Keep Bats Around Your House To Keep Those Insects Away This Summer.

You can order instructions on how to build a bat house or you can buy one . My dad and I found instructions on how to build a bat house for 40-50 bats. We found these instructions in a magazine. I found instructions on the Internet for sale for $6.95. They also sold the same bat house that my dad and I built (the one in the magazine for 40-50 bats). They were selling the bat house for $50. We built ours for about $8!


You can help protect bats by simply spreading the word about these gentle and beneficial animals. Tell a friend. Teach a child or parent. Write a letter to your government representative. Join BCI and become a member. You can even build your very own bat house.