Controversial Hydraulic Fracking Impacts Human and Environmental Health

Hydraulic fracturing is the method of harvesting natural gas in shale deposits in the crust of the earth (4). Water, a mixture of chemicals that serve a variety of purposes, and sand are pumped deep underground in order to fracture shale beds and release the natural gas within.  This is a revolutionary technique of retrieving natural resources that is relatively cheap and opens up new resources for fuel for the United States. At a glance, hydraulic fracturing may be seen as a great system that will help the economy and fuel industry (2).  Upon further investigation, it can be seen that there are far more consequences for fracking than what meets the eye.

• "Hydraulic fracturing sites such as this one pump chemical-laden 
• water into the ground to release oil and gas,"(6).

The unpredictable effects of fracking can lead to contamination of groundwater.  Groundwater that has been contaminated by hydraulic fracturing operations has effects on human and environmental health that are not completely understood.  Health concerns that have been reported include nosebleeds, cancer, asthma, headaches, weak immunity, and even death (3). When the two million gallons of solution used for hydraulic fracturing is blasted into the ground, it is not always easy to keep track of its entirety.  Produced waters often infiltrate private wells and aquifers and are then consumed by humans (1). This is very alarming due to the fact that the chemicals that are used in hydraulic fracking can cause damage to the skin, brain, blood, lungs, liver, and kidneys to animals and humans.  These chemicals have also been known to cause death and are linked to cancers (5).

Environmental effects vary across water contamination, soil erosion, and unpredictable seismic activity (6).  Due to the necessity of cleared land for fracking operations, there are decreased amounts of vegetation. Increased traffic and the lack of vegetation in combination with each other result in large amounts of sediments that are transported to nearby bodies of water which increases turbidity.  This causes problems for plants and animals living in these bodies of water since the increased turbidity obstructs sunlight (1). Larger environmental consequences can also span to the scale of increased global air pollution emissions due to the new source of fossil fuels.  The nonrenewable resources that are produced from hydraulic fracturing are not clean-burning. The large amounts of fossil fuels that are made readily available by hydraulic fracking translates to the large amounts of emissions that will be deposited into the atmosphere as a result of its use.  This increase in emissions leads to rapid climate change and poor air quality (2).

This is very much a global issue since hydraulic fracturing is happening on a global scale (4).  The United States is known to have stricter environmental regulations than most other countries, but when it comes to fracking regulations, the U.S. seems to be very laid back.  In countries where there is little to no environmental regulation, there is also little to no regulation on hydraulic fracturing. This means that the damages that are resulting from fracking in the United States is minute compared to what is happening on a global scale.

In conclusion, in can be determined that hydraulic fracturing poses high risk to human and environmental health on a national and global level.  Considering what little evidence that has been brought forward, it is apparent that fracking operations need to be closely monitored in order to determine the magnitude of damage that is being done.  From there, other measures can be put forward such as regulations and change in protocol in order to assure the safety of human and environmental health. At some point, the question must be asked - is it worth it?  With all things considered, the United States does not need cheap fuel at the expense of human and environmental health. Fracking is not worth what it sabotages.

Sources:

1. Anderson, Curt. “House, Senate Bills Ban 2 of 3 Forms of Oil, Gas Fracking in Florida.” Sun, 7 
Apr. 2019, www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-ap-fracking-bans-house-20190326-story.html.
2.  Brugger, Kelsey. “CAMPAIGN 2020: Is Fracking out of Gas as a Hot‑Button Democratic Issue?” CAMPAIGN 2020: Is Fracking out of Gas as a Hot‑Button Democratic Issue? -- Friday, April 5, 2019, 5 Apr. 2019, www.eenews.net/stories/1060143951.
3.  Cart, Julie. “Activists Want California to Ban Fracking. What Does Gov. Newsom Want?” CALmatters, 11 Apr. 2019, calmatters.org/articles/activists-want-california-fracking-ban-newsom/.
4.  Jones, Sarah. “What Fracking Has Wrought.” The Nation, 15 Apr. 2019, www.thenation.com/article/amity-prosperity-eliza-griswold-book-review/.
5.  Nikiforuk, Andrew. “'Insufficient,' 'Unknown,' 'Concerns': BC's Fracking Report Full of Apprehension.” Resilience, 2 Apr. 2019, www.resilience.org/stories/2019-04-02/insufficient-unknown-concerns-bcs-fracking-report-full-of-apprehension/.
6.  Nowlin, Sanford. “Environmentalists Say Bill Being Considered by Texas Senate Would Let Companies Dump Fracking Waste Into Waterways.” San Antonio Current, San Antonio Current, 22 Apr. 2019, www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2019/04/18/environmentalists-say-bill-being-considered-by-texas-senate-would-let-companies-dump-fracking-waste-into-waterways.

How Warming Temperatures affect already Warm Areas

Climate Change is real and it is happening -  faster than even scientists thought possible (1). With the rising temperatures, the Earth’s colder habitats are beginning to melt, causing rippling effects throughout the planet. But what about areas that are already adapted to hot weather? Shouldn’t those ecosystems flourish under the rising temperatures?

              Not quite. The animals in those areas depend heavily on water and use every water source they can. But even with wetter years, like 2018, most of that rain is absorbed into the ground rather than going into lakes and rivers, making it inaccessible to them. Plants quickly use up the water they need, but otherwise nobody else can use the water (2). In addition, the area is already dry from the increasing temperatures and is ill equipped to handle surplus water, so the surplus is just wasted.

              Alongside with more rainfall, 2018 was a trendsetter for a whole other reason – wildfires. In stark contrast with the rain, large wildlife’s burnt almost 2 million acres of California. Many of the plant species in California do rely on fires, such as the Bishop Pine. The cones it grows are sealed shut with a thick and heavy resin, that only melts when exposed to hot temperatures. These trees are almost exclusive to California, so these fires help them reproduce and grow. But when so many fires of high magnitude rage through the entire forest, it is hard even for the fire adapted plants. Their wood burns just as easily as the other trees. And it’s not easy to solve wildfires. Many scientists have opposing views and different ideas but one thing is agreed upon – it will cost a lot of money (3). There is no easy option to deal with this problem, and with no easy solution, it will take even longer.

              Animals begin to die of thirst in their burnt down home, but what about humans? We have access to lakes and rivers, already full of water. But the water gets used up too quickly and without a good system of management, so a lot gets wasted. South Africa is a country struggling with this. Their dams are slowly drying up and some have dried upwards of 70% (4). The country is also dealing with an intense heatwave, and so the government is urging its citizens to stay inside and drink plenty of water. However, this is only emptying the dams even more (5). This creates a vicious cycle, where trying to deal with climate change only perpetuates the problem.

              This feedback loop of trying to deal with hotter climates while fueling the hotter climates is dangerous and a large problem to climate change. People crank up their AC and then release dangerous chemicals in the air that make it hotter. But there is still time to fix it, even if that time is very close to running out. For example, younger people have begun to band together and try to fix the problem, even if it just carpooling or trying not to waste food (6). Even the latest fad, the #trashtag, where people would take before and after pictures of the outdoors with all the trash they picked up, help. 

This image shows a before and after of a #trashtag. Even small acts of cleaning like this can help inspire others and make small efforts pile up.

There is still time to save our planet. Young people have begun to take the initiative, but need all the help they can get. Working together, there is still hope left for our planet.

Sources:

Freedman, A. (2018, July 27). Even climate scientists are startled by 2018's weather extremes. 

Retrieved

from https://www.axios.com/global-heat-wave-stuns-scientists-as-records-fall-4cad71d2-8567-411e-a3f6-0febaa19a847.html

More rain due to climate change might not mean more water resources. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://thinkprogress.org/climate-change-rain-water-resources-a4af51b3b28c/

Abrams, L. (2018, August 28). Expert Views: Managing Wildfires to Protect Water Resources. Retrieved

from https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2018/08/28/expert-views-managing-wildfires-to-protect-water-resources

Heatwave could wipe out half of South Africa's current water resources: Govt. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/284242/heatwave-could-wipe-out-half-of-south-africas-current-water-resources-govt/

Sehloho, M. (2018, December 10). South Africans urged to use water sparingly. Retrieved from

http://www.702.co.za/articles/330254/south-africans-urged-to-use-water-sparingly

Frischmann, C. (2019, March 29). Future - The young minds solving climate change. Retrieved from

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20190327-the-young-minds-solving-climate-change

The World’s Decline in Beneficial Insects and Increase in Pests

Humans have had a large impact on the world’s flora and fauna, and continue to do so every day. We kill things with pesticides and herbicides. We pollute the air and water with the use of fossil fuels and other chemicals. And we have caused climate change, bringing hotter summers, greater fluctuation in weather events and changing habitats for specialized species. These negative impacts of human life and development have been affecting creatures that we do not always think about, insects. These creatures thrive in specific environments and are sometimes highly impacted by pesticides and weather changes. Beneficial insects often play an important role in the ecosystem, pollinating and feeding small animals and other insects. Without insects, especially bees, many fruit trees would not be able to produce food for us. Their impact on the environment is something that is often overlooked. However, their role in the ecosystem will need to be filled with their decline. Pest insects may increase in numbers with the decline of beneficial insects. Due to their size and capabilities, pests can fill ecological niches that are becoming open.

Figure 1: The migration of Monarch Butterflies

Source: https://i2.wp.com/www.conservewildlifenj.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/MonarchMap-NatureServe-10_20.png

Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles to reach their winter homes in Mexico and California. These insects help pollinate flowers throughout their lives. Educationally they are an important specimen for explaining metamorphosis. Climate change causing great fluctuation in weather events may be causing their decline. Abnormal amountsof precipitation and temperature fluctuations have been theorized for thereason for the decline (1). The insects are very vulnerable, especially with large amounts of rain that makes their wings wet and unable to complete their journey. This decline has been seen in Mexico where the butterflies migrate to in the winter, over from the winter of 2016-2018, the butterflies have shown a decline of 14.8% (1).

Figure 2: Monarch butterflies clumping together on a tree
Source:https://u9tjyff4su2np1j1-zippykid.netdna-ssl.com/wp-
content/uploads/2018/03/DSC_0530-1024x784.jpg

 Other theories for their decline include impacts from humans such as pesticide use and habitat destruction (2). Pesticides are often used to kill pest insects, although not always predicted, these chemicals may have negatives effects on adult and larval butterflies, such as death or reproductive decline. Many butterfly species clump together on trees for warmth. However, with habitat destruction, especially logging, butterflies are rapidly losing their native habitat. With the decline of butterflies, more protected areas need to be established to ensure that they have safe habitats to clump together and thrive.

Figure 3: Representative of a pest insect, cockroaches

Source: https://cdn1.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1200x800/

public/images/methode/2018/04/26/05c44f4a-436f-11e8-ab09-

36e8e67fb996_image_hires_151658.jpg?itok=T6ndvcC8

Global warming and climate change have led to heatwaves around the world. Sensitive insects may not be able to cope with the severity of heat waves or the frequency. Surprisingly, the increased heat may have an effect on fertility in male insects. In England, when increased heat applied to fertile male flour beetles, they were shown to produce less offspring or none at all (3). With the continued decrease of insects, the ecological role will most likely be filled by pest insects such as cockroaches.  They are fast breeding and can thrive in warmer temperatures (4). They may also be more resistant against pesticides and other harmful pollutants that other insects are sensitive to. The effects of heatwaves on pests have already been shown. A recent heatwave has caused a drastic spike in bug bite related calls to the NHS (5). Pests like mosquitoes can thrive in warmer temperatures and even become more productive. As heatwaves continue, there will be more pest problems.

Concern for the world’s beneficial insects should be something that is discussed more often. We are seeing a large decline in many insect’s populations. The butterflies migrate with fewer every year. To prevent the further loss of our beneficial insects such as pollinators, action must be taken to conserve their habitats and limit the amount of pollution that we are producing each year. Globally, climate change places stress on many populations with extreme heat and dramatic precipitation. Reduction of pollutants related to the increase in global warming would aid in the protection of these insects. Along with making the environment more suitable for the survival of insects, we should also protect their native habitats and provide areas for migration. As urbanization continues, insects are losing habitat, so areas should be designated in urban areas to ensure that some native habitat is maintained. Even small steps can help maintain populations such as providing certain species of plants that attract butterflies and bees. Providing them food every year encourages them to come back and continue to reproduce. The conservation of pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, is crucial to maintain the ecosystem and prevent the overpopulation of pest insects. Now is the time to take action and reduce our negative impact on the beneficial creatures to aid in their survival.

References

 1.  Monarch butterfly numbers down for second year in Mexico. (2018, March 6). BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-43301123

2. Hannibal, M. E. (2019, January 25). Are We Watching the End of the Monarch Butterfly? New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/opinion/monarch-butterfly-california-extinction.html

3. Weintraub, K. (2018, November 13). Male Insect Fertility Plummets After Heat Waves. New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/science/sperm-infertility-insects-heat.html

4. McGrath, M. (2019, February 11). Global insect decline may see 'plague of pests'. BBC News. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47198576

5. Ives, L. (2018, July 15). Heatwave causes spike in insect bite calls to NHS. BBC Health. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/health-44823286    

Deforestation Affects Wildlife as well as Climate

            Deforestation has always been a topic of discussion but now the conversation is moving towards how much more damage it is causing to wildlife, both inside and outside deforested areas.  Deforestation heavily targets tropical areas and are of great concern because they hold the world’s largest biodiversity, but it affects wooded areas all over the globe.  According to the World Wildlife Fund, we lose about 18.7 million acres of forest each year and deforestation, as well as forest degrading in general, attributes to about 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions (1).  The best-case scenario to reduce the number of species in decline, or harmful species increase and to not add further carbon emissions into the atmosphere, there needs to be a significant decrease in the amount of deforestation happening all over the world.  This is going to be an incredibly difficult task when poorer countries are considered.  Most of the deforestation is happening in poorer countries where they are trying to keep up with an increasing population and take part in the global economy.

Monarch butterflies in their wintering grounds in the Biosphere Reserve of Mexico
Source: https://phys.org/news/2018-10-deforestation-winter-habitat-mexican-monarch.html

As seen in Mexico, the amount of illegal logging has reduced the monarch butterfly’s wintering grounds, San Felipe de los Alzati, by a significant amount (2).  The canopy in these forests is needed by the monarch butterfly when they stay for the winter.  The canopy acts as a blanket to keep the butterflies warm as they clump together on the tree’s bark.  The biggest concern in deforesting their wintering area is that, as their numbers decline, fewer can make the migratory trip.  Since no butterfly survives the trip both ways, they need high numbers to keep up the possible chemical trail that leads them along the right migratory path (2).  With the rate of decline seen in the monarch butterflies, they could very well become endangered or worse, due to deforestation.  Species are also going massively extinct due to deforestation in Haiti, where 42 of their 50 largest mountains have lost their primary forest cover (3).  Surveys of the mountaintops show that vertebrates are disappearing along with the trees, further showing the effect humans are causing on biodiversity.  Species usually go extinct once the last of their habitats are gone, but in the case of Haiti, species are going extinct because there is low forest cover.  The areas haven’t been destroyed entirely and aren’t bare, yet species are dying off (3).  The opposite effect is being observed with the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, the mosquito that can carry the Zika virus, yellow fever, dengue, and the Chikungunya virus (4).  This mosquito does not live in swamps or underground where you’d find most mosquitos; they thrive on man-made environments.  In places like water filled tires, water barrels, and plastic containers, the mosquito will reproduce and can increase the population which will increase the risk for any of the diseases it carries.  Not only does deforestation lead to more human-made environments, but the deforested areas tend to be hotter, with little to no tree cover to moderate the temperature, which affects the mosquito’s life cycle.  With the increase in temperature, the time between the blood-feeding stage and egg-laying stage in a female mosquito’s life is shortened a considerable amount (4).

The Cerrado
Source: https://www.worldwildlife.org/places/cerrado

            Deforestation is also having a major effect on our climate.  Forests are major carbon sinks, absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide to undergo photosynthesis.  Cutting down these forests releases the carbon dioxide stored and reduces the amount of area that can absorb the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.  Once other gases such as methane and nitrous oxide are factored in, the land humans use has twice as much radiative force of carbon dioxide (5).  Thinking of deforestation in this way shows how much more of an issue clear-cutting large swaths of forest is which could potentially become a problem for the Amazon as Brazil proposes a change to an article in its Forest Code.  Until 2012, private landowners in the Amazon region were required to set aside 80% of their property and keep native vegetation intact.  Recently a proposal to change the Forest Code would allow these private landowners to reduce the 80% of land they were required to maintain to only 50% of land.  If this change were to be legalized, anywhere from 7 million to 15 million hectares of land would become deprotected and be legally cleared.  It would also impair parts of the ecosystem that are needed by society such as water, biodiversity, and the increase of greenhouse emissions (6). On top of the threat to the Amazon, a savanna region that shares a border with the Amazon is more heavily deforested. This area is called the Cerrado and is about 50% deforested compared to the Amazon at 18% (7).  Due to this area’s heavy deforestation, it is thought to be the cause of the decrease in rainfall in the Amazon.  The extreme loss in vegetation means there are fewer plants contributing water into the evapotranspiration cycle, which means less rainfall overall.  The plants within the Cerrado are also adapted to the savanna biome and have deep roots that are able to pull groundwater up when there is a lack of rainfall.  A study done in 2013 found that there was about 3% less water participation in the cycle, adding up to a total of 14 billion tons of water lost (7).

References

1-     Deforestation and Forest Degradation. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation-and-forest-degradation

2-     Stevenson, M. (2015, August 25). Deforestation in Mexico butterfly reserve more than triples. LA Times. Retrieved from www.latimes.com

3-     Lundeberg, S. (2018, October 29). Animal species becoming extinct in Haiti as deforestation nearly complete. Science Daily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com

4-     Mooney, C. (2016, February 3). The hidden environmental factors behind the spread of Zika and other devastating diseases. Washington Post. Retrieved from www.washingtonpost.com

5-     Hadlock, L. (2017, September 5). Deforestation long overlooked as contributor to climate change. Science Daily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com

6-     Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo. (2019, January 4). Revised Brazilian forest code may lead to increased legal deforestation in Amazon. Science Daily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com

7-      Mooney, C. (2016, April 4). This huge region of Brazil is even more deforested — and less protected — than the Amazon. Washington Post. Retrieved from www.washingtonpost.com

How Human Activities Can Harm Bird Communities

There is a great diversity of vertebrate animals in the world, which includes the bird taxa. This Class of vertebrates consist of about 10,000 species, making it the most diverse Class of terrestrial vertebrates. Birds have many important ecological roles which includes: important predators and prey within the food web, pollination of plants, dispersal of seeds, and some birds are important keystone species. Woodpeckers, for example, are very important keystone species because they create cavities that other animals such as squirrels and owls use as nests (Ecological roles of birds, 2011). Birds also serve as important indicator species when we evaluate the habitat quality and pollution levels of habitats, especially wetlands (Birds as Environmental Indicators). However, at least 40 percent of all of the world’s bird species are in major decline (What You Need to Know About Declining Species, 2019). This global decline of bird species can lead to serious environmental issues since these animals have important ecological roles as previously mentioned. This huge decline in the numbers of birds is related to the activities of man. Thus, many of the activities of man have been causing the global decline of many bird communities that have very important ecological roles.

In one particular, the population of Sooty Terns of Ascension Island, Britain has decreased by 80%, from several million birds to a few hundred thousand birds (Gabbatiss 2019). This decline of birds is due to low quality of food from the increase of industrial fishing and climate change, which has driven the birds’ normal prey away (Gabbatiss 2019). This in turn, has caused them to consume low nutrient food such as squid, snails and locusts (Gabbatiss 2019). As seen below on the left is a picture of a starving Sooty Tern. Besides this, many other species of marine birds are in decline due to the pollution of plastics, especially within the Pacific Ocean. Many marine animals, including marine birds will mistake the plastics for food which can cause the animals to die (Coalgate, 2019). As seen below in the picture on the right, is a dead marine bird with plastics found inside of it, which lead to its death. It is predicted that by 2050 that 99% of all marine birds will have ingested plastic (Coalgate, 2019). Both issues can obviously can cause serious declines in marine bird communities, which could dramatically impact the marine food web since these birds are mostly carnivorous, meaning that they are top-down controllers of the marine food web.

It is more than just the marine birds that face the risk of extinction, there are many terrestrial birds that face this risk as well. The Golden-Cheeked warbler is a songbird that breeds in Central Texas, that is at risk of becoming extinct sometime soon despite the establishment of the Baker Sanctuary (Bora, 2019). A picture of this species of bird can be seen below. This Sanctuary is supposed to serve as a preserve for the bird, but their populations are still declining since they spend a big portion of the year in Central America, where habitat loss is dramatic and there are no protected areas (Bora, 2019). It also, doesn’t help that the preserve is very small and how the life history characteristics of the songbird conflict with each other. Such characteristics include highly territorial, and each breeding pair require 7-12 acres of land (Bora, 2019). So, it is most likely this songbird will become extinct within our lifetime, despite our efforts. Many warbler species are insect eaters, which means that they help control insect populations from overgrowing. If warbler populations, such as the Golden-Cheeked warbler, some insect populations can overgrow and could become pests, or can out-compete other wildlife.

 There are other parts of the world that birds are at risk due to habitat loss. Malaysia is home to about 700 bird species and many other vertebrates, however, many of these species are at risk of becoming extinct due to overexploitation of the natural resources and an increase in agricultural activity (Leoi, 2019). The deforestation rate within Malaysia has increased to 14.4% by 2012 (Leoi, 2019). This in turn has obviously further decreased the amount of available habitat for the birds. There are also other areas that could face potential habitat destruction that would cause serious decline of many bird communities, which include waterfowl. Teshekpuk Lake, located in Alaska, is 320 square miles and is surrounded by many ponds and wetlands, and provides a safe haven for over 600,000 breeding shorebirds that migrate from five continents including Greater White-fronted Geese, Brant, Cackling Geese, and Snow (McGlashen, 2018). In 2013 the U.S. Department of the Interior came up with a management plan for the 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A) so that way there is a balance between protecting the wildlife and extracting oil (McGlashen, 2018). However, the Trump administration is likely preparing a new management plan to extract more oil from this area which threatens the integrity of the ecosystem and its wildlife (McGlashen, 2018). This in turn would decrease the health of the local environment.

Because many bird species face the threat of extinction it is important that we collaborate to conserve such species and especially conserve/protect their habitats from the activities of man. One might suggest to accomplish this that every nation should be on board with the “Deal for Nature” conversation organization, with the conference taking place in Beijing in 2020. The goal of this organization is to preserve the world’s biodiversity and protect us from ourselves as well (Dinerstein, 2017). The Global Deal with Nature proposes that half of the world’s environment/resources be set aside and protected for Earth’s wildlife while the other half we set aside for our own development and livelihoods (Dinerstein, 2017). This plan could protect the habitats of many ecologically and economically important bird species as well as other important organisms.

 

References

• Birds as Environmental Indicators. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.environmentalscience.org/birds-environmental-indicators
• Bora, A. (2019, March 15). Golden-cheeked warblers maintain protections but continue to face threats, experts say. Retrieved from https://communityimpact.com/austin/leander-cedar-park/environment/2019/03/20/golden-cheeked-warblers-face-threats-despite-protections/
• Coalgate, J. L. (2019, January 19). Jan. 19 Letters: Plastic problems, shutdown games and Trump's campaign promises. Retrieved from https://www.dailypress.com/news/opinion/letters/dp-edt-letssat-0119-story.html 
• Dinerstein, E. (2017, April 14). Our planet faces two major and interrelated environmental crises: Climate change and Earth’s 6th mass extinction event [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.resolve.ngo/blog/A-Global-Deal-for-Nature.htm
• Ecological roles of birds. (2011). Retrieved from https://www.endangeredspeciesinternational.org/birds4.html
• Gabbatiss Science Correspondent @josh_gabbatiss, J. (2019, February 04). Seabirds colony declines by 80% after fishing and climate change cut off food source. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/seabirds-colony-fishing-climate-change-ascension-island-atlantic-ocean-a8758941.html
• Leoi, S. L. (2019, January 27). Malaysia Set To Lose Biodiversity As Species Go Extinct. Retrieved from https://www.star2.com/living/2019/01/22/malaysia-extinct-bees/
• McGlashen, A. (2018, December 6). This Bird Breeding Haven Could Be Next in Line for Arctic Oil Drilling. Retrieved from https://www.audubon.org/news/this-bird-breeding-haven-could-be-next-line-arctic-oil-drilling
• What You Need to Know About Declining Species. (2019, March 13). Retrieved from https://www.earthday.org/2018/05/18/populations-of-living-things-across-all-species-are-declining-and-this-is-very-worrisome/

How will we feed the world?

          One in nine people are hungry every night when they go to bed (1). As the population continues to grow to 9 billion, agriculture must increase in both sustainability and yield to decrease hunger now and for future generations. Hunger and malnutrition will worsen as the population grows. The main question is how enough food will be grown in such a short period of time. This is a global issue which allows many people to have opinions about accomplishing this goal. Strategies for creating more sustainable agriculture dominate this topic.

Organic agriculture is the mainstream form of sustainable agriculture in developed countries. People buy more expensive, organic food for the guarantee of no chemical use, higher nutritional content, and protection of the environment. The largest critique of organic farming is that the yields will never be as high as conventional farming, but this has been studied, reviewed, and found to be false (2). Figure 1 summarize data collected during 40 years of studies showing that organic farming is superior to conventional methods in four categories: productivity, economics, environment, and community well-being. Organic farming will increase the food security, but will the implementation of sustainable methods such as organic farming occur quickly enough?

Figure 1: An assessment of organic farming relative to conventional farming illustrates that organic systems better balance the four areas of sustainability. Credit: Reganold and Wachter

            The only thing growing faster than the global population is the growing use of technology in daily life. Technology is spreading rapidly throughout the world and could be the answer to food security for the future by making research more efficient and developing methods to increase organic yields. Current research focuses around new fertilization techniques (3), genetically programed soil (4), and the use of drones to monitor plants and yields (4; 5). An essential technological development is the use of artificial intelligence to monitor plant growth. Sensors and drones can help maximize efficiency and minimize waste by collecting data on quality of plants, pest location, resource availability, and soil quality (5). This technology can also maximize agriculture research and development (5) because these projects require enormous amounts of data collection and data analysis.  For example, soil microbes are crucial for soil health and high crop yields. Researchers are finding ways to program soil microbes to create healthier soils that require less external inputs such as fertilizer and water  (4). These techniques involve technology such as genetic sequencing but also require enormous amounts of data collection. Technology such as drones can collect data and increase the efficiency of these studies. Technology is not just about implementing computer programs or drones, it is also about using resources that are already available in a new way. In developing countries technology like drones and artificial intelligence may be financially impossible to implement. However, if technology is applied to develop and maximize the efficiency of resources, new techniques may be affordable to these countries. One example is the use of human waste as fertilizer (3). This method would work well for agricultural areas close to cities since cities produce lots of waste. It could also reduce importing expensive fertilizers. The technology must be improved to treat the waste efficiently and transport it practically (3). These methods can make agriculture more sustainable by reducing waste and external inputs. Overall, technology has increased the speed of agricultural innovation while also allowing new techniques to be created.

            Other views believe that technology will not be able to feed the growing population. Some say the growing population will result in the loss of biodiversity and the soil’s capacity to produce crops and the only way to feed the world is to reduce the population (6). Population growth must be limited, but strategies such as organic farming work to increase biodiversity and protect the soil. Others believe that technology will be limited by economic stress and societal pressures (7). The public already opposes innovations such as genetically modified crops (GMOs), so there may be other innovations that the public rejects. This can be avoided mainly by educating the public on the benefits of sustainable agriculture and the usefulness of technology.  Implementation of new technology can increase costs, but can ultimately pay for itself in the form of higher yields and efficiency. 

            I believe that a balanced system of sustainable agricultural practices such as organic farming along with new techniques that benefit specific areas such as human waste fertilizer and the implementation of artificial intelligence is the only way we will be able to feed the world in the next generations. With the increase of soil quality, yields will increase, and economies will flourish while the people are fed. Technology when implemented carefully and with consideration for the environment and society will allow us to increase food production and food security globally. 

           

Sources:

1. Zero Hunger. (n.d.). Retrieved March 9, 2019, from https://www1.wfp.org/zero-hunger
2. Kantor, S. (2016, February 3). Organic agriculture key to feeding the world sustainably. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 7, 2019, from www.sciencedaily.com
3. University of Illinois. (2018, August 16). Human wastewater valuable to global agriculture, economics. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 7, 2019, from www.sciencedaily.com
4. DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. (2018, March 14). Digging deep: Harnessing the power of soil microbes for more sustainable farming. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 7, 2019, from www.sciencedaily.com
5. Newman, Danial. (2019, February 7). 4 Ways Artificial Intelligence Will Drive Digital Transformation In Agriculture. Forbes. Retrieved April 7, 2019, from www.forbes.com
6. German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research. (2019, March 4). Biodiversity crisis: Technological advances in agriculture are not a sufficient response. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 7, 2019, from www.sciencedaily.com
7. University of East Anglia. (2018, December 21). Responsible innovation key to smart farming. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 7, 2019, from www.sciencedaily.com

Consequences of Deforestation Throughout the World

Forests expand across the world providing breath taking, natural physical features to immerse oneself in. Occupying 31 percent of the world’s land surface, forests not only offer beauty but also provide a number of resources that are essential to both environmental and human growth (Kirk, 2016). We owe a great deal of gratitude to the various components that make up forests including trees, soil, and organic matter and their environmental contributions. These features each perform unique processes, trees act as a natural filter providing purification for air, water, protection from run off, and climate regulation (Adams, 2012). The forest is also responsible for providing goods including wood or paper as well as the storage of key nutrients vital for plant growth. For example, Guyana’s rich forests hold massive amount of carbon. When carbon is stored it reduces the amount that is lost to the environment and helps to combat climate change (Sutherland, 2017). Not only do forests cleanse the environment and provide nutrition, but they also instill balance within the ecosystem serving as a home to diverse wildlife (Erickson-Davis, 2017). Although forests provide many benefits to the people, deforestation is a relevant topic of concern that threatens their existence and hinders these contributions.

Deforestation is a distressing issue that involves the removal of Earth’s forests and occurs for a variety of reasons. The human population continues to grow and as with other environmental issues man takes priority resulting in the removal of Earth’s forests to provide land for settlement and agriculture. Not only are forests being removed for habitation but this land is often viewed by the government as an agricultural opportunity for prosperity. Global agribusiness is primarily responsible for Cambodia’s massive deforestation as the government is leasing land to timber and agricultural companies (Erickson-Davis, 2017). Similarly, in the Brazil’s northern Amazon agribusinesses are forcing local farmers off land in order to utilize the acreage for soya production (Vidal, 2017). Another large driver of deforestation includes removal of land for activities such as gold mining as well as the construction of dams. Guyana, a country with a rich supply of gold under its jungle cover, experiences this problem first hand as mining is a necessary evil that is responsible for much of Guyana’s deforestation (Sutherland, 2017). A third contributor to deforestation is high severity forest fires resulting from a combination of increasing temperatures and dry conditions. Areas around the world such as the state of California experience deforestation as a result of these devastating fires that also create a number of environmental concerns.

Fig. 1 This image shows the significant damage done to the mountains of California as a result of a roaring wildfire.

Although there are many different factors that contribute to deforestation they all pose significant problems for the environment and surrounding individuals. Deforestation not only burdens individuals that rely on its resources but its also has a drastic impact on the diverse wildlife living within it. Cambodia’s forests were once home to a variety of species however deforestation has endangered a number of species including the Indochinese tigers and colorful monkeys referred to as doucs (Erickson-Davis, 2017). The complete loss of species eliminates biodiversity and offsets balance within the ecosystem generating immense concern. The effects of deforestation also contribute to global warming, as there are fewer trees to reduce pollution levels within the air. Cambodia has experienced a build up of about 533 million metric tons of carbon emission resulting from fewer leaves to absorb greenhouse gases (Erickson-Davis, 2017). Next, deforestation creates ecological and social devastation leading to conflict between groups of people. The redistribution of land in Brazil has created controversy between farmers and the government as farmer’s claim that the government is illegally redistributing lands for personal gain (Vidal, 2017). Small business holders are being removed from land that is then being sold to bigger businesses to make profit from Soya production. Farmer’s are not only worried about possible remove from their homes but are also concerned about the potential social problems associated with the soya market (Vidal, 2017). 

Deforestation has significant consequences however; the issue is not going unnoticed, as efforts have been directed towards eliminating the destruction of the forest landscape. In Cambodia the prevalence of endangered species has captured the attention of various organizations including the government. Specifically, the government granted official protection to swaths within the threatened forests and announced plans of introducing a new national park to preserve the forest (Erickson-Davis, 2017). Guyanese leaders have also directed efforts towards reducing deforestation with the help of funding from an organization known as REDD+.  This organization works towards fighting global warming through protection of forests and provides funding that contributes to their efforts (Sutherland, 2017). UC Davis and the USDA Forest Service have also contributed to the efforts engaging in an experimental study to help foresters determine the areas where seeds should be planted immediately after forest fires and where conifer seeds will regrow on their own (Safford, 2016).  The consequences that result from deforestation are concerning however, efforts from various countries and organizations such as these must persist to prevent further destruction to our forests. 

References

Adams, E. (2012). World forest area still on the decline. Earth Policy Institute. Retrieved from http://www.earth-policy.org/indicators/C56/

Erickson-Davis, M. (2017). NASA releases images of dramatic deforestation in Cambodia. Mongabay. Retrieved from https://news.mongabay.com/2017/01/nasa-releases-images-of-dramatic-cambodia-deforestation/

Kirk, A. (2016). Deforestation: where is the world losing the most trees? The Telegraph. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/23/deforestation-where-is-the-world-losing-the-most-trees/

Safford, H. (2016). High severity wildfires complicate natural regeneration for California conifers. Science Daily. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161221091348.htm

Sutherland, G. (2017). Guyana focuses deforestation prevention efforts on conservation and management. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://news.mongabay.com/2017/01/guyana-focuses-deforestation-prevention-efforts-on-conservation-and-management/

Vidal, J. (2107). Amazon rainforest’s final frontier under threat from oil and soya. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/feb/16/amazon-rainforest-final-frontier-in-brazil-under-threat-from-oil-and-soya