Advocates seek stop to Idaho, Montana wolf hunts

Advocates seek to stop Idaho, Montana wolf hunts

http://californiaexaminer.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/grey_wolves_could_lose_federal_protection.jpg

Picture: This graphic shows a grey wolf, similar to the kind being hunted today.

Summary: The grey wolves are extremely common in the northwestern parts of the United States, and many times, a pest as well as a threat to life. Ever since the first Americans settled in the pacific northwest, grey wolves have been hunted by poachers and fur traders, almost to the point if extinction. Finally, in 1973, the wolves were listed as an endangered species. The populations began to explode and soon enough, the wolves were terrorizing locals and farmers alike.

In 2011 alone, wolves in Idaho and Montana killed 152 cattle and calves, 108 sheep, 12 dogs and 3 horses. Locals and government officials thought enough was enough, and allowed people to hunt and kill wolves throughout the two states. The officials are going to keep roughly 150 of the current 700 wolves. Now, advocates are looking to stop the hunting, because they were once an endangered species. In their defense, the Federals pledged to step in and stop the hunts if the number drops below 100.

Opinion/Reflection:

This is a really touchy topic, and I see both sides of this argument. These wolves are really causing a big problem and need to be controlled somehow. Although, killing isn’t my favorite choice, but there simply is not much to do. We surely couldn’t move them because that would be asking for problems with invasive exotic species. This is a painful process and people have many different feelings and perspectives on this. Hopefully, the government does what the people think is right. 

Questions:

1.) Do you agree that the killing of these grey wolves is right? Why?

2.) What would you do if you were a government official and had to decide whether or not to kill these wolves? Why?

3.) How does killing the wolves impact the surrounding ecosystems?

Carbon Dioxide Breaking Down Marine Ecosystems
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338581/title/Carbon_dioxide_breaking_down_marine_ecosystems 

Picture

This graphic shows carbon dioxide bubbling up from the sea floor. 

Summary

A growing problem in marine ecosystems today is an increasing amount of carbon dioxide and low pH (phenyl) levels. Marine life diversity is declining and many animals are dying because of this increased level of carbon dioxide. Scientists have been collecting data from marine sites off Italy, Baja California and Papua New Guinea, where there are traces of high concentrations of carbon dioxide. Also, the pH levels in these areas are declining to at least 7.8, which is very irregular compared to normal levels of 8.1. Coral, some algae, and sea urchins are gone and many fish won’t eat or lay their eggs in these waters. Also, more sea creatures were killed when waters temperatures and CO2 levels increased in the late summer. If these levels keep fluctuating, more and more marine wildlife will die off, causing harm to food webs, and killing more and more ecosystems.

Opinion

It is alarming to me that such little things that we don’t even think about can cause such huge effects. We as consumers excessively burn fossil fuels, which releases carbon dioxide into the air. The carbon cycle cannot process all of the extra CO2, causing unnatural changes in CO2 levels. If we cut back on burning fossil fuels, we can help various marine ecosystems.

Questions

Why is excess carbon dioxide killing sea creatures?

What is an alternative for obtaining energy rather than burning fossil fuels?
 What are pH levels? 

Revealed: the new species threatened by deep-sea mining

http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/1252002/revealed_the_new_species_threatened_by_deepsea_mining.html

:

Summary:

For many hundreds of years people have always thought that there was little life at the bottom of the ocean. However, with more advanced technology we humans were able to gain enough knowledge to reveal that there are many living creatures and even ecosystems on the ocean floor. Just recently a species call the Kiwa Hairy Crab was discovered down below. Even though they are newly found the organisms are struggling to survive. In order to live, species strive off of hydrothermal vents. These volcanic structures release chemicals making the environment able to sustain life. Humans, however, are mining the vents making them close off and not usable for the environment. Without these vents life would not be able to survive. Thus killing thousands of unknown species before we even get a chance to discover them.

Reaction:

I think that it's terrible how humans are just going down and destroying  ecosystems that we may never know about. Who knows what may be in the depths of the ocean. To prevent this mining i think that the countries who are currently in the process of deep sea mining should either cut down or stop completely before the idea spreads to other places. 

Questions:

1) What are the benefits of this kind of mining?

2) What are miners taking from the vents?

3) What are some ways to prevent this problem?