Blog 7

This week I’ve been doing research on endangered species, and what I can do to help. Among the many endangered species on the planet, I’ve learned that New York State according to http://www.endangeredspecie.com/states/ny.htm , has 25 threatened and endangered species, which includes 19 animals and 6 plants. Before I started researching, I always thought that endangered species only included animals, but apparently plants are also on the list, and it is mostly due to human behaviors. Here is a list of things from http://www.endangeredspecie.com/Ways_To_Help.htm
“Encourage your family to take public transportation. Walk or ride bicycles rather than using the car.
Save energy by turning off lights, radios and the TV when you are not using them.
Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth and use water-saving devices on your toilet, taps and showerhead.
Ask your parents to buy products and food without packaging whenever possible. Take your own bag to the store. It will reduce the amount of garbage and waste your family produces.
Recycle your toys, books and games by donating them to a hospital, daycare, nursery school or children's charity.
Encourage your family to shop for organic fruits and vegetables”.
Although I’ve not been able to do everything on that list, I’ve tried the first three in order to be part of the solution, and hopefully someday I’ll be able to get more involved.

Greenhouse Effect

Hey folks! I had an epiphany over the week-end; I’m a born again tree-hugger. NOT! However, I have been doing research on what I can do to be part of the solution. I’ve visited a couple websites, and I’ve channeled my focus towards learning about the greenhouse effects. I’ve learned that it is the warming that occurs when gases in the Earth’s atmosphere trap heat. Al Gore did explain it in his Award-winning Documentary An Inconvenient Truth, but it finally sunk in after I read the article on the National Geographic webpage entitled, “What is Global Warming”. The article mentioned that “scientists have known about the Greenhouse effect since 1824, when a scientist by the name of Joseph Fourier calculated that without an atmosphere the Earth would have been much colder”. There is however, a major change occurring in the atmosphere; scientists refer to it as “climate change” and indication of the depletion of the atmosphere due to the trapping of heat that otherwise would have been released had it not been for human behavior. Checkout the website at http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment, and learn more about the issue.

Whatever it is that I do that might be worth mentioning as a contribution in the “Save the Globe” madness, is for my own benefit. E.g. I turn the lights of in the rooms when I’m not using them; I used a fan over the summer instead of buying an AC unit in order to avoid an anal smash from Con-Ed. I take the subway, because the greedy state of New York is out to f*#k its inhabitants at every chance it gets. Owning a car in NYC is more of a burden than a convenience. First of all, there are only about 5parking spaces available in this god-forsaking city; second, insurance cost an arm and a leg, and not to mention, they charged me eleven hundred plus dollars to register a car here. Want to talk about saving the environment, how about we start by saving the people of New York and many other states from getting screwed by the powers that be. The subway is slow, and it smells like shit, but yet they’re talking about raising the fair. Who has time to put forth energy into saving the atmosphere when their busy trying to stay afloat, and not be drowned by the government’s gluttony?

The Day After Tomorow.

There’s no reason to panic; the whole global warming danger is a hoax. Alright, I’m only joking. However, I think it’s being made out to be more alarming than it truly is. The Day After Tomorrow , was the most exaggerated movie of all time; instead of helping the cause, it gave the naysayers something to point to and say “ see, I told you they were full of sh…” I’m not big on any of the debates about saving the environment to be honest; the planet could melt for all I care. I’m only doing this because it’s a class requirement. I couldn’t pick the other option either; I wouldn’t be able to write a paragraph about my daily food intake, because it seldom amount to a complete sentence. It’s not that I don’t care about the environment; I’m just not a tree-hugger

I have been trying to consume less energy, and I've also visited a few web sites mentioned in the Inconvenient Truth book.

After watching the Inconvenient Truth documentary by Al Gore, I realized that I had to do something about the issue, and not just sit around waiting for someone else to solve the problem. Global warming is a serious problem for the environment, and as a human being it is my duty to be part of the solution. There can’t be any neutral on this issue; we are all responsible for the future of our planet, and the well being of our kids. After watching the documentary, I became more aware of my impact on the environment, so I began classifying all recyclable items, such as soda cans and cardboard boxes, in the hope that it will help the environment.