Organization That Helps Wildlife / Final Farewell

One of the most common organizations that is helping endangered species is the WWF , World Wildlife Fund , it is one of the worlds largest independent conservation organization of over 5 million supporters worldwide in 90 countries and  supports about 1300 conservation and environmental projects. It is a  charity that relays on about 60% of its funding from voluntary donations by private individuals . Another 45% of its funds come from the Netherlands , United States and United Kingdom.

The main issues that this organizations  deals with is biodiversity, forests , freshwater ecosystems , oceans , coasts , endangered species , pollution , and climate change. The idea to start this organization came from a person named Victor Slotan who wrote a response to an article published by Julian Huxley. They decided to use the symbol of a  panda for their organization because it came from a panda named Chi Chi which was transferred from the Beijing Zoo to the London Zoo the same year WWF was established .

WWF's goals are to focus on restoring population of 36  species , conserving 35 globally important ecoregions around the world , and reducing peoples ecological footprints in 6 regions. As well it works with organizations dealing with biodiversity loss , including financing , business practices , laws , and  consumption choices.

My Personal Opinion
My personal thoughts on this article is that they are doing an amazing job by at least trying to save a number of different species as well as  taking on a whole bunch of other tasks that are somewhat related to their main focus . I found it interesting that they decided to use a panda for their symbol , as well I thought it was cool that the panda was being transferred the same year this organization was being  established. I feel like this is probably one of the best organizations in the country because it is trying to take on so many different things at one time.

Final Farewell
Well I guess this is the end of my blog , finally I would like to thank anyone who commented or took the time to read my blog .I must say that it  was appreciated on my  behalf that you took the time to read my blog and somehow give me some positive feedback on some of the  articles I have written about.

My  goal was to make people aware of all the animals that are endangered and what was all going on  inside our  world. I also wanted to educated  people on the fact that many things are  contributing to destroying our world . I feel that I achieved this goal because like I said I feel that some people actually realized what is happening to our world and hopefully will be doing something about it. My ideas for the future are possibly going to college and becoming a veterinarian so I can help  animals everyday.

Volcanoes

A volcano is where there is a opening in the planets  surface or crust , which allows hot magma , ashes , and gases to escape from below the surface. Volcanoes are normally found where tectonic plates are deverging or converging .  They can also form when there is a  stretch or thinning of the Earth's crust of the interior plates,some examples are East African Rift , Wells - Grey Clearwater volcanic field, and the Rio Grand rift in  North America.













Divergent Plate Boundaries
Around the mid-oceanic  ridges there are two tectonic plates that are diverge from one another , the new oceanic crust is  being formed by hot molten rock which is slowly  cooling ans solidifying. This crust is very thin because of the tectonic plates .An example of this would be Black smokers or deep sea vents .









Convergent  Plate Boundaries
Subduction zones are places with two plates where the oceanic plate and the continental plate collide with one another .When this happens the oceanic plate submerges under the continental plate which forms a deep ocean trench offshore. Water released from this subducting plate lowers the melting temperature of the overlaying mantle wedge , which creates magma. Examples of this would be the Mount Etna, and the Pacific Ring of Fire.







Volcanic Features
The most common volcano that we know today would be the conical mountain , that spews lava and  poisonous gases from a carter at the summit.The structure and behavior of volcanoes depends on many different factors . A few volcanoes have rugged peaks , while others have landscape features such as a plateau .


Different  Volcanoes
Fissure vents - are flat linear cracks where lava emerges.

Shield Volcano-  named for their  broad-shield shape ,  are formed by the eruption of the low viscosity lava which can flow a great distance from the vent  but normally  don't explode catastrophically.

Lava Domes - are built by slow  eruptions of the high viscous lavas , or in other cases can be formed within the crater of a previous volcano or independently. 

There are other  types of volcanoes such as cryptodomes , volcanic cones , stratovolcanoes , super volcanoes, and submarine volcanoes.


My Personal Opinion

My thoughts on this matter is that I never knew that there could be so many different types of volcanoes , in a way it is  interesting how you can learn so much about one thing if you do the research. I had an idea of that it had something to do with tetonic plates , but I never knew about the rest of the other information. It surprised me that there were two kinds of plate boundaries I only thought there would be one or something.

Different Things Affected By Nature

Habitat Destruction

This is caused when the organisms in their natural habitat have been displaced or  destroyed which also reduces biodiversity.But the main cause is when humans are taking down their habitat and using it for industry production  and urbanization.Other things that contribute to habitat destruction are mining , logging , trawling , and urban sprawl. Habitat  destruction is ranked one of the main causes of why most species are becoming extincted throughout the world.

In the year 1986, a study had shown that at least 82 % of  endangered bird species were affected by habitat loss.Habitat destruction can also decrease the range of certain organisms population , this result can cause the reduction of  genetic diversity and the problem of being able to produce more offspring. Biodiversity hotspots are mostly tropical regions , these regions contain high concentrations of endemic species and sometimes they have some of the world's terrestrial species.

Marine  areas close to highly  populated coastal regions are facing the degradation of coral reefs and other marine habitat. Such areas include the eastern coast of Asia , Africa,  northern coast of North America , and the Caribbean Sea . But areas with high agricultural output tend to have the highest extent of habitat destruction, in the U.S. there is less than 25% of native vegetation that remains in many parts of the East and Midwest.

Tropical rainforest have also been victims of habitat destruction , there use to be up to 16 million square kilometers but today there is only about 9 million square kilometers left. Farming and logging have severely distributed 94% of temperate broadleaf  forests and many old growth forests have lost up to 98% of their previous area  due to human activity. Tropical deciduous forests are easier to clear and burn and are used more  for agriculture , and cattle ranching.

 

Coral Reef                                                                                      Cattle Ranching 

Natural causes of habitat destruction include conversion of land to agriculture , urban sprawl , infrastructure development , and other anthropogenic  changes to the characteristics of the land.  Other forms of habitat destruction include degradation , fragmentation , and pollution are forms of habitat collapse due to human activity.Desertification , deforestation, and coral reef degradation  are specific types of habitat destruction  for areas such as deserts , coral reef , and forests.

My Personal Opinion

My thoughts on this topic is that why are people doing this to our environment and our  ecosystem don't they realize that they are killing many plants and animals by destroying their natural habitat.It makes me mad to see people do this it seems like they are only thinking about their own needs and don't really care what happens to anything else. I think that this issue should be  addressed because if they aren't doing anything about it now what  will the future look like for us and the future generation. The government should seriously think about cutting back on all of the logging and mining , because it is destroying our world and the animals world at the same time.

 

Tsunami

A tsunami or also known as a tsunami train wave and was once known as a tidal wave , is a series of  water waves  caused by the displacement of a large  volume of a body of water , usually a ocean , but it can sometimes occur in large lakes. Some cases were a meteorological conditions , that cause such deep depressions which then cause tropical cyclones , and can generate a storm surge which is called a meteotsunami , this is were the tides rise several meters above normal levels.

There are many different kinds of other things that can cause a tsunami to generate and they are earthquakes, volcanic eruptions , underwater explosions , landslides glacier calvings , other mass movements , meteorite ocean impacts , and any other thing that effects it above or below the surface. Many geographical , and oceanographic texts refer to tsunamis as "seismic sea waves ."

A tsunami can occur when thrust faults  associated with convergent or destructive plate  boundaries move slightly , which causes water displacement , and vertical  component movement involved  . Tsunamis have a small amplitude and a very long wave length , this is why most of the time they go unnoticed at sea , forming a slight swell which is normally about 300 millimeters (12inches) above the normal sea  level. But they can grow in height once they get into shallower water .

   
Tsunamis can cause damage by two mechanisms: the smashing force of a wall of water traveling at a high speed and the destructive power of a large volume of water draining off the land and carrying it all with it , even if the wave did not look large.About 80 % of tsunamis can occur in the Pacific Ocean , but they can occur on large bodies of water , this includes lakes. The first part of the tsunami is called a drawback , rather than a crest , this is were the shoreline recedes dramatically , which exposes submerged areas.

Safety Precautions To Follow 
 By feeling the ground shake , this indicates that a  tsunami is on its way , so therefore you must avoid falling objects and make sure you get to higher  ground before the water comes. Once you are away from the water listen to the radio , for further instructions to follow.

My Personal Opinion  
I would be so scared if something like this had ever happened in our  region , I am not sure how I would react to all of the damage that was done by the tsunami. I could never imagine being  homeless , it is just something that I could never see happening to me but in the back of my  mind I have to realize it is also a possibility. Tsunami's seem like they can cause lots of damage a ruin your life in a  blink of an eye , I feel bad for people that go through this its like everything they have ever known was just taken away from them just like that. And I cant imagine how many lives are lost  during that time , it would be a very sad thing to  experience or  go through in your lifetime.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes are caused by a release of  sudden energy through the Earth's crust which sends out seismic waves, they can be  observed by using seismometers.  There are  two kinds of scales used to measure Earthquakes , the moment magnitude scale is used to measure whether  it is larger than 5 , the other scale used is local magnitude scale or known as the Richter scale. If a earthquake is 3 or lower then it doesn't  do very much damage , but if it is 7 or higher than it can cause a  huge amount of damage but that also depends on the depth as well.

On the Earth's  surface earthquakes can shake themselves and cause displacement of the ground ,  sometimes they can cause landslides , and on occasion volcanic activity. Earthquakes can be caused by a rupture of geological faults , along with landslides , volcanic activity , mine blasts , and nuclear tests. The earthquakes initial rupture is called its focus , or hypocenter. The epicenter is located just above the hypocenter , the epicenter is the point at ground level.

Earthquake Fault Types 
There are 3 kinds of fault types : strike- slip , normal , and thrust.  Normal and reverse faulting are examples of dip-slip , this is where a displacement along the fault is in the direction of the dip and the movement of them involves a vertical component. Normal faults can occur where the crust is being shortened . Strike- slip faults occur when where two parts of the strike - slip pass each other horizontally .

Earthquake Clusters 

Aftershocks - this occurs after the original earthquake has already hit, it happens in the same  region as the main shock but in a smaller magnitude. Aftershocks are formed as the crust around the displaced fault plane adjust to the effects of the main shock.

Earthquake swarms -  Earthquakes striking in a specific area within a short period of time .


Earthquake storms - sometimes a  series of earthquake storms occur during an earthquake , this is where a  earthquake  strike a fault in clusters , which is triggered by stress or shaking retribution from the previous earthquake.

My Personal Opinion
 To me I think that Earthquakes are interesting in a way because you are learning about how the Earth's crust is being affected by tectonic plates. I would not want to be in one that is for sure because by looking at these pictures sometimes the end results can be  devastating .

I don't  know what I would do if I ever had to deal with all of the damage and consequences of an earthquake.  I feel so bad for the people that go through this,  its like they are losing everything they have ever known. Could you imagine what it would be like when a earthquake hit ? I imagine that the ground would be  shaking  , and buildings would be crumbling to the ground.In my mind I do not think that it would be something I would like to experience in my lifetime.

Tornados

A tornado can also be referred to as a twister or a cyclone, even though the word cyclone is used for meteorology which is used in naming hurricanes or twisters.It has many other shapes but  the most common shape for a tornado would be condensation funnel.Tornado's can get up to 110 miles per hour , and are approximately 250 feet across as well they travel a few miles before dissipating.

Other types of tornado's include landspout , multiple vortex , waterspout ,  gustnado , dust devil,  fire whirls and steam devil . A waterspout tornado is classified as being spiraling funnel - shaped wind current  that connects to large  cumulus or cumulonimbus cloud .These type of tornados are usually found near tropical places that are close to the equator , but they do not occur at high latitudes.Most tornados have been observed in every continent except for the Antarctica.Tornados  are mostly found in the Tornado Alley which is in the United States.

Pictures Of Different Tornados
Waterspout Tornado 

Steam Devil


















                         Fire  Whirl Tornado

Tornados can be classified on many different scales on how  dangerous they might be. Fujita scale rates the tornado on damage caused and has been replaced by another scale called the EFS , which is  Enhanced Fujita Scale. Another scale the FO or the EFO tornado , is the weakest category , this scale  mostly  consists of the damage  done to trees but not structures or buildings.An F5 or a EF5 tornado is considered to be one of the most severe category , the damages caused by this tornado can be the ripping of  foundations and the destruction of large skyscrapers.

Safety Procedures
If a tornado warning has been issued then you are suppose to the basement or into a first- floor room of a sturdy building which increases your chances of survival. In most  tornado - prone areas there are usually many buildings with storm cellars, these structures have saved many lives. In a case where you have no shelter to protect yourself from the tornado , meteorologists say that even laying a  ditch can be the next safest option.

Storm Cellar  

My Personal Opinion 

 I feel that tornados are probably one of the most danger things out there compared to other things that nature has created to destroy  our world. But then again tornados seem to be very interesting as well , sometimes it amazes me how  much damage such a  small thing  like this can do to buildings and stuff. I wonder if it is natures way of getting back at us for all of the things we have done to our plant. I never knew there was more than one different kind of tornado , but then again its obvious that they all wouldnt be the same. I found out that there is a water tornado and a fire tornado , I never thought there could be such a thing.

Tornado's surprise me with everything they can do , its like in a way they were built to do destruction  instead of something else .  I feel like tornados could possibly be one of the things that has shaped or changes our world today , even though there are lots of other things that have contributed . I am glad that we don't have tornados here in Manitoba , I am not sure how I would react if I ever ran into one or came across one.

Different Effects Nature Has Had On Our World

Climate Change Puts Farmers Crops On Hold : Wheat & Corn
Personal Opinion
My personal opinion on this topic is how come we are not doing anything to help stop climate change from affecting our crops , I think the government should be something about this problem. What will we do for food if the farmer's are not able to get in crops due to climate change?  There could be dramatic changes to the world if we do not do something about it . For all we know we could go into poverty like the rest of the provinces if we are not careful. How will we survive if we  dont have food.  As well  what is the government doing to help out with this problem is my question.

A recent study has showed that climate change has been causing farmers to produce less crops , it is said that the production of corn is 3.8% lower .As well national crop yields are still rising  as a general trend, but the big shocker is that they are lower and people think that we wont be able to feed our booming population.

Some people are saying that  bigger challenges may lie ahead in another study apparently the U.S. which produces 40% of these products they have a problem, they haven't had very much precipitation . There climate has mostly been warm temperatures.Experts have almost estimated that there has been a increase of  carbon dioxide in the atmosphere , which has caused the wheat production to decrease by 2.8%. But in other ways  somehow boosted the production of other crops , the production of rice and soya  beans increased.

Wheat


Conversely, the results could be an underestimate, given that the model doesn't look specifically at extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and heatwaves. "It's the best we can do with the data available," says Lobell.Other people have been saying that the  experts could be overestimating the results of crops from every study  they have done.Climate change is having  a greater effect on spring  wheat rather than winter wheat.Wheat crops have decreased in countries such as Russia , Mexico and Turkey , these crops have dropped about 15 %.

Example Of Climate Change In Different Areas

Waterfalls

Waterfalls are made when the river is normally young , during this time the channels are deep and narrow.Eventually overtime will recede back to form a canyon or a gorge as it makes its way downstream and will crave deeper into the ridge above it. You can find waterfalls in a rocky area because of erosion. Erosion can be caused by earthquakes , volcanoes , and mudslides when this happens it alters the natural course of the water flow in the waterfall.

 ( Formation Of A Waterfall)

There are at least 12 different kinds of waterfalls , these include block , cascade , cataract ,chute , fan , frozen , horsetail , plunge , punchbowl, segmented , tiered , and multi-step.

• Block: Water descends from a relatively wide stream or river.
• Cascade: Water descends a series of rock steps.
• Cataract: A large, powerful waterfall.
• Chute: A large quantity of water forced through a narrow, vertical passage.
• Fan: Water spreads horizontally as it descends while remaining in contact with
• Frozen: Any waterfall which has some element of ice.
• Horsetail: Descending water maintains some contact with bedrock.
• Plunge: Water descends vertically, losing contact with the bedrock surface.
• Punchbowl: Water descends in a constricted form and then spreads out in a wider pool.
• Segmented: Distinctly separate flows of water form as it descends.
• Tiered: Water drops in a series of distinct steps or falls.
• Multi-step: A series of waterfalls one after another of roughly the same size each with its own sunken plunge pool

 Examples of Different Waterfalls
 Horsetail

Tiered

Frozen

Some common waterfalls that you may know are Niagara falls ,Angel Falls, James Bruce Falls , Rhine Falls , and Jog Falls. There are lots of waterfalls located all over the world but these are just some of the ones I thought you might recognize.

My  Personal Opinion

I decided to talk about this topic because I have always found waterfalls to be calm and relaxing in a way .Also I think that waterfalls are probably one of nature's most beautiful rivers in our world today , I don't know what it is about them that makes me so interested.   I wouldn't mind going to Niagara Falls and seeing that waterfall , it has always been something I wanted to do in  my life. I would travel across the world just to be able to see one waterfall before they are gone. I never knew that there were different kinds of waterfalls , to me at first they all looked the same , but I guess you learn something new everyday.


Gushing about waterfalls: Danvers High grad pens guidebook for New England

Bash Bish Falls is "just out of this world," said the Danvers resident, who should know, since he has visited 400 waterfalls in New England over the past couple of years.

"It's just the most surprising, dramatic waterfall you'll find in New England," he raved.

Parsons, 21, an accounting major at Babson College, is the co-author of "New England Waterfalls -- a Guide to More than 200 Cascades and Waterfalls." He and his friend, Kate Watson, also an accounting major at Babson, set out to write the book after they looked for a guide but could not find one.

The pair drew up a 30-page proposal and submitted it to Countryman Press, a Vermont-based subsidiary of W.W. Norton in New York. Countryman accepted the proposal and published the guide in July. This week the book goes into its second printing. "Countryman accepts 1,000 proposals a year, but only publishes 30 titles," Parsons said, saying he was thrilled his project made it into print.

Looking at the book, it's easy to see why Countryman bet on the guide. The duo came up with a classification system for waterfalls, describing how high and what shape each waterfall fits into. The description that accompanies each entry puts the reader right on the trail, which is rated for difficulty. Directions are clear and concise, and many entries include a good map.

In the case of Bash Bish Falls, the guide describes it as a "plunge," with a total drop of 80 feet, at the end of a half-mile trail "on the easy side of moderate." Hiking time should be about 25 minutes for an average hiker. The description also warns that this spot is just about the most popular waterfall in the state. "We have heard accounts of as many as 3,000 people a day visiting the falls on hot weekend summer days," reports the guide. "On the upside, Bash Bish Falls sees very few visitors in the cooler days of early spring."

There's a great black-and-white photo accompanying the entry. But those who want to see a more spectacular color shot can find it on the Web site Parsons set up for the book: www.newenglandwaterfalls.com. The site includes color photos for most of the waterfalls in the book, as well as links to other Web sites describing waterfalls outside New England. The descriptions are all there, but the nitty-gritty details, including directions, are not. The site is meant as a companion to the book, which costs $17.95.

Parsons remembers visiting a waterfall for the first time as a boy of 5 or 6. His grandfather took him to a lovely little waterfall somewhere in Maine, and he loved the place so much he remembered it, and wanted to return. But his grandparents couldn't figure out which falls he was remembering, since they were hikers themselves, and visited quite a few when Parsons was little boy.

Doing research for the book Parsons and Watson eventually made it to Snow Falls, a small, 25-foot "plunge and cascades" on the Little Androscoggin River. "The second I visited it I recognized it, even though I was only 5 years old the first time I saw it," Parsons said.

After he reached elementary school, Parsons lost interest in hiking and camping. "My mom always tried to get me to climb mountains like Mount Monadnock, but I was a stubborn little kid and I absolutely hated it," he confessed. But he rediscovered his love of trails, mountains and waterfalls at Danvers High School, where many of his friends were outdoors enthusiasts.

Biology teacher Brian White turned on both Parsons and his group of friends to the joys of hiking. "He goes to Alaska about every other summer," he said. "It was through all his stories that my friends ended up going hiking with him."

Since college, Parsons and Watson have been on the trail just about every weekend, and all summer long. While researching the book, it was not unusual for them to visit six to 10 waterfalls in one day. Since the book was published, they still visit waterfalls, but they've also set out to climb all 48 of the 4,000-foot mountains in New England.

Parsons isn't sure why he loves waterfalls so much. People ask him that question all the time and he said it's the "toughest question" he has to answer.

"I like them because nature's kind of making a statement," he said. He also loves the sound of the rushing water. "It drowns out all other sounds. When you're there, there's nothing else to think about except the waterfall."

Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari Desert is one of the largest desert it is approximately 900,000 square kilometers, which covers much of Botswana , Namibia , and South Africa. It is  mostly a sandy desert but after a good rain there is lots of  grazing lands that have lots of grass. It usually has high temperatures and has a small.amount of rain fall , it usually rains up to 3 -7.5 inches. The temperatures in the  summertime range from 20-45degrees.

There is only really one huge  river located in the Kalahri Desert, The Okvango  which flows into a delta which is northwest , this river also forms marshes which has many different kinds of wildlife.Also dry riverbeds act as  a watering hole for animals such as giraffes, elephant , lion , and cheetahs, they can also be used for grazing areas.There are a variety of different species in the Kalahri Desert some of them are Jackals , cheetahs , lions , leopards, warthogs, wild dogs , and hyenas. There are also many different species of birds and reptiles located in these regions.As well there are lots of plant life such as acacia trees, herbs , grasses , and there are 400 different identified plants in this desert.

Plant Life

 ( Hoodia Cactus)



Wild Dog  or African Wild Dog 

The wild dogs  apperance is that it has long  legs and a slender body , its ears are rounded and make it easy for them to hear , also they have blotched or mottled body coloration the main colors are orange- brown , white , and a mixture of black.  They have good eyesight and prefer to hunt during the daylight , and they will chase their prey for long distances until it is exhausted then death comes easily. Wild dogs can have up to 1-7 pups born in the dry season.

 

 (Location of Wild Dog)

Leopard 

Leopards are normally  nocturnal and are not very active during the day , they can adapted well to any other climate but they prefer to live in craggy hills and riverine areas. Leopards are often mistaken to be cheetahs because of their markings.Leopards are like domestic cats , they have large heads, and retractable claws .Despite their  size leopards are able to drag their prey into the trees , and they are very good climbers. A leopard can have up to 2-3 cubs. The leopard can live up to 20 years , also the males weigh 70 kg and the females weigh 45 kg .

Personal Opinion 

 I feel like this would be a very good place to visit because there would be so many different kinds of wildlife and a huge  variety of plant life. The Kalahari  Desert  has a hot climate but I think I would be able to adapt to this if I was ever to go visit this place. 

I decided to write about this place because I found that the wildlife was interesting and the fact that there is barley any rain throughout the year so I imagine there would be no bugs.I also chose to write about this because I wanted to learn something new and found out that there are many game reserves in this region. Another thing that interested me about this place is that they don't have very many rivers they basically only have one major river , and  you can see small marshes located around it.

Plus it is said that it mostly consists of grasslands , but only if there has been a good rain before.As well I found out that it has  a wide range of plant life that is completely different  from ours here in Manitoba.

Places I Would Like To Visit

Some of the places I would like to visit so I can go see some of the different species that  would be Tropical Rain Forest, and Sumatra . I would like to go  and visit these places so I would be able to see the endangered species in their natural habitat/ environment.I think it would be a good  experience for me and hopefully I would learn something while I was on my travels. I would like to visit these places because I think it would be a good to see some of the endangered species before they are all gone.

Tropical Rain Forest

All tropical rain forests resemble one another in some ways. Many of the trees have straight trunks that don't branch out for 100 feet or more. There is no sense in growing branches below the canopy where there is little light. The majority of the trees have smooth, thin bark because there is no need to protect the them from water loss and freezing temperatures. It also makes it difficult for  and plant parasites to get a hold on the trunks. The bark of different species is so similar that it is difficult to identify a tree by its bark. Many trees can only be identified by their flowers.

 

There are  a number of different species in each tropical rain forest but they  do all have some similar animals such as Africa forest elephant , bengal tiger , chimpanzee, dawn bat, golden lion tamarin , linn's sloth , orangutan,toco tucan , and Sumatran rhinocerous These are just some of the species you can find while you are visiting this tropical place.

                                            Linn's Sloth ( Below)

Dawn Bat ( Above)

 ( Golden Lion Tamarian)

( Toco Tucan )

Sumatra
This place is located on the island of Indonesia , it can be located off the westernmost of Sunda Island. The two main animals that are in need of our help in this region are the Sumatran elephants and tigers.


Personal Opinion 
My opinion on this matter is that I feel like I would want to visit the Tropical rain forest rather than Samatra because I think there would be more wildlife to see there plus with all the beautiful scenery who wouldn't want to visit this place. I chose to write up on these to places to give you and idea of what different species are located  in each region and mostly to get your attention that these animals are in danger and need our help.

My Favourite Endangered Species

In this article today I am going to talk about some of my favorite animals that I feel like are important to me and the entire world . My favorite animals that are endangered are Wolverine ,  , Beluga Whale , Giant Panda. For  each of these species I am going to talk about their habitat , where they are located , what they eat , predators , and general facts about each one.

Wolverine
This species  comes from the weasels family , it is the largest land-dwelling species of its kind , it has more than one name it also goes by skunk bear , gulan, quickhatch, glutton , and carajou. You can find them in Northen Boreal Forest, subarctic, and the Alpine tundra of the Northen hemisphere.

 

(Location of Wolverines)

The wolverine is a stocky and muscular carnivore , it has short legs , broad/rounded head ,small eyes , and rounded ears . Some people say that it resembles a  bear rather than the weasel family. The wolverine has no predators that attack  the adults, but the kits are taken on occasion by eagles.

Beluga Whale

(Location Of Beluga Whales)

The Beluga whale species is located mostly in the Arctic and Subarctic regions ,particularly along the coast of  Alaska , Greenland , Canada, and Russia.It is said that there are only at least 100,000 belugas left in the world today.The beluga eats fish , squids ,octopus , crab and shrimp.It main  predator is the polar bear , if a beluga whale is trapped by the ice they will eat them.

 

 Giant Panda

 

The Giant Panda is located in the regions of central- western and southern western China. Even though it belongs to the group carnivore , the panda's diet mostly consists of 99% of bamboo. People have estimated that there are currently 1,590 individuals living in the wild , while there are 239 living in captivity outside China.

 

Personal Opinion On Topic
My personal opinion on this topic is that I feel like there are so many animals needing our help and we cant get or receive the resources we need to help them . It makes me upset to see so many animals suffering, I don't see how people can just sit there and watch the number of animals slowly decrease.  For me as a person I love animals and I don't like to see them suffer , so if I could possibly do something to help out then I would totally take full advantage of it. But to me even though there are some people reaching out to help , it seems like all of their efforts to help are just going to waste.  I strongly encourage anyone who is reading this blog or commenting on it to do something to help the animals out.
 

Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels
Fossil fuels are made up of decomposed organisms ,it also contains high percentages of carbon, petroleum , coal , and natural gas.It is said that about 90% of greenhouse  in the US which come from the combustion of fossil fuels.When fossil fuels combust it causes other problems for the environment such as air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide , sulfur dioxide , organic compounds , and heavy metals.
Due to  acid rain it can cause damage to statues and other things in the environment which can cost lots of money to repair . Other environmental affects on the Earth are coal mining , and  strip mining , these are the main two that seem to have huge impacts on the world.

News Article : Citizens Against Strip Mining
POINT ACONI - Weekly explosions at Pioneer Coal's surface mine are driving some residents to consider pulling up stakes and planting 'for sale' signs on their front lawns. Nearly five years into Pioneer Coal's approval for a surface mine reclamation project some residents are contemplating leaving because of ongoing controlled blasts from the mine site.
"When it hits, it feels like an earthquake. On Friday, I thought my whole house was going to go into the ground. That's how bad it was," said Joanie MacRae, a resident of Point Aconi Road.
MacRae has a view of the pit from her living room window. She said residents living in the area have had to endure one, sometimes more than one blast a week since the mine opened in 2006.
Friday's blast was within the allowable limit of 12.5 millimetres per second for ground vibration and 128 decibels for air percussion. Two monitors recorded 11.4 mm and 10.4 mm per second, and 118 and 116 decibels, during the blast, according to readings provided by the company to the Department of Environment.
Under its conditions of approval, the mining company must notify residents in the "blast zone" with a hand delivered notice 24 hours before the detonation.
Often times that's not the case, MacRae said.

"You don't really get much notice. Usually they bring the notices the day of (the blast)."
With three young children, she may consider leaving the community with her family.
Forrest Lane is the closest street to the blast zone. Pioneer Coal has bought three properties on the street, and according to residents, the company is trying to buy several other peoples' properties.
Many people are reluctant to speak publicly about the mine because of friends and neighbours who work there, says Jean Sawyer, who is a member of the group Citizens Against Strip Mining.
A citizen liaison committee was set up to hear the community's concerns, however Sawyer said no one seems to know who are the members of this "anonymous committee."
"One of the conditions of approval was there was supposed to be community consultation, and somewhere to call if you've got problems or complaints," she said. "They just tell us to call the manager at the mine site which is no help at all to the people here.
"It's not like Xstrata, or Devco, that hold open houses to inform the media of what they're doing. (Pioneer Coal) doesn't do any of that. There is no public information at all."

Personal Opinion 
 My personal opinion on this matter is that  I feel like people don't realize what a huge effect this is having on the environment and how much it is costing us to repair it  afterward. I  feel like the government should be at least stopping these companies from tearing up the land , and damaging it because by not doing anything we are losing so many things like animals , money .Why should we just sit by and watch them ruin the world by doing these tasks. If we don't do something about fossil fuels today , then maybe in the future we will have many  consequences .Fossil fuels are dangerous to the enviroment because they can cause air pollutants .