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Monday, May 21, 2007


PART3: write up
Earth had provided us with green land, pure water and fresh air. But after man wrong doing, earth started to change from good to bad, bad to worst and worst to even “more worst”. Earth will become hopeless if MAN continues to harm the environment. CAN WE SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT? NO NO NO! It is too late to start saving the earth now as MAN had already caused too much harm on the environment. The reports in “bbcnews” mention that chemical substances drastically pollute rivers and seas, the pollution was too severe that the costs of clearing are high and time taken would also be stretched. Pollution rate are too high that it had became irreversible, this cause the beautiful environment to fade away slowly. It is difficult for us to save the earth at such state where pollution were already existing at soaring level.

Next, Due to the growing population on earth, demand for land and natural resources are rising. Forests are clear for land and mining factory, this could cause extinction of certain species due to the lose of habitat. To meet the growing demand, more mining work are done causing more land to be abandon at it useless state. Soils harden and later became a manmade desert. Soil took years to recover naturally. How can we save the earth at this state??????

The introduction of advance technology into our environment had also provided negative effect to the earth. More machinery and vehicles means more fuel and petrol are needed; mining work increases hence, increasing the pace of destroying earth. Electrical waste pile up like a mountain in India and china as stated in “bbcnews” report, dangerous chemical in electrical appliances are expose to the environment. Improper disposal method allow hazardous chemical to seep through soil and into the rivers, it cause marine life to die and Human which consume these fishes will be poisoned. These electrical wastes could cause environmental degradation, hence destroying the earth. The only way to end the pollution is to stop manufacturing computers and electrical materials, BUT it is absolutely impossible for human to live on earth without computers and technology.

Being greedy and irresponsible, HUMAN always took everything for granted. Human action are the main causes for most pollution, not thinking of the consequences, human had harmed the environment severely. Improper waste management causes land pollution, oil and chemical leakage causes water pollution and harmful gases from factories or vehicles causes air pollution. Unless human could spare a thought for the earth, the earth then can be save. But it is IMPPOSSIBLE to unite the world as one. We can never save the environment.

Invention of fertilizers had increase farmers’ output hence, improving their standard of living. Fertilizer contain high amount of cadmium as stated in the bbcnews report. This chemical is detrimental and it could cause kidney failure. If cadmium is to seep through the ground and into rivers or seas, the marine live will be poisoned. Fertilizer is needed to improve the quality and quantity of crops to meet our daily demands. No fertilizers mean lesser food produce and lesser food production led to starvation. The consequences of not using fertilizers are heavier. Therefore, using of fertilizers cannot be bring to a halt. In this case, the environment is never going to be free from pollutions and THE EARTH COULD NOT BE SAVE!
Deforestation --> increase carbon dioxide in air --> temperature increases --> led to global warming!!! --> Disaster!
Land is limited on earth; hence, forests are all burnt down for land. This causes air pollution which increases the amount of greenhouse gases. Thus, causing global warming. Trees are needed for the manufacturing of papers. Can human stop using papers?? Global warming increases the rate of melting in the South and North Pole, this causes disaster such as flooding. How are we going to save the earth under such circumstances?

If our earth is not save in time, our future generation would suffer to a great extent. Disaster such as an increase in diseases, more land turning into desert, extinction of animals and decrease of oxygen in air etc… soon the world would come to an end.……

If our earth is not save in time, our future generation would suffer to a great extent. Disaster such as an increase in diseases, more land turning into desert, extinction of animals and decrease of oxygen in air etc… soon the world would come to an end.

Earth could not be save but we could always find alternative to prevent the earth from dying rapidly. For example, creating campaigns that explain the effect and consequences of pollution. Thus, bringing the citizen closer as one so together we could protect the earth from vanishing under such a fast rate. One should focus on the 3 Rs to help the environment, they are reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reducing the use fertilizer, papers and non-renewable materials could decrease the rate of pollution hence, helping the environment. Reducing the use of fertilizers would ensure the safety of consuming the fishes and vegetables, less trees would be cut down if uses of paper are reduce, using of non-renewable substances such as fuels have to be reduce as to lessen mining work. Recycling papers and can drinks would prevent environment from dying faster as less trees cut down and less metal from mining are use. Same for reusing of material, when things are being reuse, usage are lessen hence reducing the input. This again lengthens the earth lifespan. Cutting down one tree and growing back three trees or restocking the land which forest was once depleted with trees again, this is reforestation. Removing off a forest will affect the ecosystem that has the potential of causing harm to the environment. Lastly, the governments play a major role in leading their peoples to protecting the environment from being harm.

In conclusions, I believed that the environment couldn’t be save. =(
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/.../rep-rap_por-02-03_e.html


Lifes are just black&white
12:06 PM






PART2: Synthesis

IS THE EARTH WORTH SAVING?? Yes, No, maybe??…
Yes because it is our home, No because others might not appreciate what you had done for the earth. Everyone had a part to play in saving the earth We always take for granted of what we had on earth and not thinking about the consequences, we had always damage the earth in one way and another. What is the purpose of saving the earth when it is already highly contaminated with pollution? A mercury leakage takes about 1 year to clean up and the cost for cleaning up is extremely expensive, mining had caused increasing rate of desertification, it is difficult to stop mining activities. All this proves that earth does not worth to be save. BUT saving the earth is equal to protecting our future. I conclude that earth should not be safe.
We want a green environment but not a dusty one.
Benefits of saving the earth for environment: trees and plants could grow healthily , no pollution to be found and animals were safe from deforestation.
Benefits of saving the earth for human health: diseases rate cause by pollution would decrease, human would have clean food to consume and human would not suffer from cancer or other illnesses.

BIGGEST threats
1.Human
2.Pollution
3.Technology
4.Toxic chemical
5.Improper waste management

The earth CAN’T be save and that is the fact. It is not a single person jobs to save the earth. One can’t protect the earth when everyone is destroying it at the other end. Simply say, it is impossible to unite everyone to save the earth. Natural resources would soon come to an end; as a result, people would live in open areas or inside cave. People would soon adapt to former farming system. As soil harden in time due to excessive amount of fertilizer added and improper agriculture system, land are now scarce which limit the area for farming. At this time, rate of pollution had already became perilous; people would be suffering from various diseases. Market selling raw meats and fishes will be seen everywhere. This would be our future prediction if we do not start protecting the earth now. SO WE MUST ALL DO OUR PART TO PROTECT THE EARTH NOW!


Lifes are just black&white
12:05 PM






PART 1 (INVESTIGATION)

Environment is our home. Do we want to spend our time enjoying life on earth or suffering from pollution? OF COURSE IT’S ENJOYING but first we have to take good care of our environment. The environment could affect the planets and humans positively and negatively. From what I understand, when the environment is harm, the planet is likely to be affected too. For example, Deforestation causes the amount of Carbon Dioxide gas to increases, which then increase the temperature in air. In such cases, Flooding occur destroying animals habitat and human home.
Human, technology, chemical…. And many more… these are the sources that contribute greatly to affecting the environment. We humans are the masterminds to all the pollution we face today, environmental degradation occur when Man did not take good care of the environment. Technology and chemical are also part of the causes for environmental degradation. Examples from report in bbcNews mention that most pollutants in rivers are toxic and chemical, electrical waste contain chemical, which harm both human and environment. Environmental problem affect almost everything on earth, drinking water could be polluted, fisheries will be poison by chemicals, natural preserve could be destroy and animals may even became extinct. The eco system may be disrupted hence it will not work correctly, this cause changes to the environment and new adaptation for survival purpose will be introduce.
The environment is NOT healthy at all. There will always be pollution everyday. Report concluded that most pollution are man-made, it is compare to be irreversible because it take years to finish clearly up the pollution. Each time a computer was thrown away, it adds threat to the environment. Computers contain hazardous chemicals that are harmful to human and the environment.The threats to environment are humans while the biggest threat to environment are humans wrong doing. If most of us could spare a thought for the environment before doing anything, the earth would most likely be safe from danger. More campaign had to be introduce hence informing people the dangerous state we are living in.


Lifes are just black&white
9:57 AM




Sunday, May 20, 2007


Topic 15: Greenhouse effect

Impact on greenhouse Effect:
  • Drought
  • Forest-fires
  • Heatwave
  • Floods
  • Storms

It was a naturally-occurring phenonemon which helped us increase the temperature on earth, if temperature get too high, there will be much disaster occurring on the earth.

There are some man-made greenhouse gases such as Fluorocarbons or carbon dioxide, they had the ability to trap heat which warm the surface on earth.

TWO IMPORTANT greenhouse gases. ozone and halocarbon.

I believe that greenhouse gases are important to us, we need them to keep temperature constant. Exceeding limit of greenhouse gases will cause a lot of environmental problems. For example, Ice will melt in a faster rate causing flood and disaster for MAN.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/



Lifes are just black&white
10:00 PM






Topic 14: Bhopal Gas tragedy

BOOM! A highly toxic poisonous gas release into the air, killing 2000 people instantly and injuring 300,000 people. Animals were also killed and hurt by the toxic cloud of methyl isocyanate. Those who survie the disaster were suffering from serious ailments such as blindness and impaired immune systems.

It destroy the tranquil atmosphere in the city of Bhopal, this is a worst scenario from a pollution.

http://www.hu.mtu.edu/hu_dept/tc@mtu/papers/bhopal.htm


Lifes are just black&white
9:13 PM






Topic 13: Cadmium in fertilizers/peanuts: Oz

Consuming large amount of cadmium will likely to cause kidney damage, it was found in vegetables and meat. Australia New Zealand Food Auhority(ANZFA) had limit the amount of cadmium concentration in food so therefore to ensure that people will not take in the dangerous level of cadmium.
Cadmium are natural mineral which it accumulate in soils and was absorb into crops, the commission are trying to reduce the amount of cadmium in fertiliser, however, the EFMA believes that the climate and variability of soils will affect the accumulation of it in soils.

Technology are also invented to remove cadmium from phosphate rock or phosphoric acid before it was make into fertiliser.

It is our choice to increase cadmium or decrease it, our environment and health depend on us.

http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/newsroom/factsheets/factsheets1999/cadmiuminpeanuts.cfm


Lifes are just black&white
8:24 PM






Topic 12: Mercury poisoning: Siberia

The mercury is an extremely hazardous chemical, it could damage our internal organs or even causing us to have personality changes. A small amount of mercury could simply destroy the human nervous system, these 1,500 tonnes which seeped into the soil and then into rivers could wipe out the whole population. Drastically harmful and dangerous, the mercury should be clean up quickly to prevent any further critical problem. However, cleaning efforts are slow and it take 1000 years to finish clearing up at this pace.

Mercury cause:

  • Headaches
  • Respiratory and intestinal diesease
  • Hand tremors
  • Damaging central nervous system and kidneys

Mercury pollution causes serious harm to the environment, it destroy habitat of marine animals, pollute the air and causing man to live with FEAR.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2062595.stm



Lifes are just black&white
7:26 PM






Topic 11: Pollution in the Baltic

Fishes in the Baltic sea are contaminated with poison chemical and were not consumable for pregnant women. Untreated sewage flows into Neva river and to Baltic, the chemical encourage growth of algae and plankton which prevent/block sunlight from reaching sea, hence there will be a lack of oxygen in the sea.

Fishing is Sweden main source of income, more fisherman + less reproduction = no more fish.
A waste water plant is needed but this project was put back due to the cost. Most of the people are throwing unfilterd waste into the river, while some illegally dump waste product into the river. Irresponsible act from St Petersburg citizens has affect the Sweden living.

The treatment plant must be build as soon as possible to prevnt any further destruction on the river.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3007228.stm


Lifes are just black&white
10:16 AM






Topic 10: Effect of mining activities on the environment & human health

A man-made desert, cause by desertification around hibini mountain. The land had now became bare and useless. Green forest had been cut down for mining and setting up smelting factory, this area was heavily polluted with sulphur dioxide. However, the people living here depend on heavy industry for living. Knowing that it was a good opportunity to struck rich, fresh plans from many different companies has emerged, most companies are expanding their operations.

Destroying the environment to become rich. The impact of environment degradation is fatal and irreversible, once a field has desertifed, the quality of the soil became useless and hard. Workers working in the mines often suffer from illness and cancer, there are two reason to it, one is the condition of working while the other is the pollution on environment.

In my opinion, reforestation is require, this could prevent global warming and soil erosion. A policy has to be introduce to stop MAN from harming the environment without thinking of it consequences.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6103382.stm


Lifes are just black&white
8:58 AM






Topic 9: e-waste recycling-india

Improper disposal of electrical waste such as computers and mobile phones could cause environmental degradation. More than thirty million computers are dumped in India and China every year. Computers contain toxic chemical in them, these chemical will pollute the environment. Computer parts provide good income for the poor in india and china, the people had no choice but to risk their life for survival. Acid are use to extract material from computer and later leave unclear. Toxic gases are release into the air when parts are burn.
Those working around the e-waste garage site are often found to be suffering from respiratory diseases and skin rashes.

Now, harmful materials inside machines are eliminated and some companies had agree to collect back their computer and recycle themselves.

Pollution could always be reduce by using the right recycling process, hazardous chemical should be taken special care of and this had also proven that technology is one of the causes towards pollution.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3307815.stm


Lifes are just black&white
7:25 AM






Topic 8: Mothballs: not just for humans

It is suprise that Naphthalene were used by insect to protect themselves. Mothballs were mainly use by human to keep moths and carpet beetles away from our clothes. Mothballs contain a chemical called Naphthalene, termites had been using it as a tunnel barrier to protect themselves against their predator.
Being curious, experiment was carried out to test the effect of naphthalene on both fire ant and termite. Result was that fire ant was immobilised while the termite was not affected.

This shows that not only human could use mothballs but also insects. The only different is that human have to use industrial chemistry method to obtain while termite could obtain it naturally.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/76115.stm


Lifes are just black&white
6:12 AM






Topic 7: Pesticides: Good or bad?

From the report, we understand that pesticide cause harm to our health. There is evidence showing pesticide causing harm to human when having contact with it. Mrs Wadey home was surrounded by fields and her first child was born partially sighted and asthmatic, sally brown and her dog was once caught i a cloud of pesticide and both was diagnosed with cancer. Suggestion of buffer zone between and home was rejected because farmers felt that there was not a need.

I am sure that there is no RIGHT or WRONG in using pesticide, it could be classify in both good and bad. Pesticide are farmers best friend, it control the quality and quantity of the food for us. However, we find pesticide dangerous and harmful.

But why isn't the farmer affected since they are the one with close and frequent contact with the pesticide??

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/politics_show/3873761.stm


Lifes are just black&white
4:07 AM






Topic 6: Pesticides in a third of all our foods

"Fruits and vegetables are the healthiest choice in our daily meal" it is true to some extent. The effects of pesticides to human body is harmful and there may be unknown threat to our body. It is shocking to know that 1/3 of all UK food contain pesticides. As the article reported, "30.2% of the 3,787 items surveyed during last year had pesticide traces within those limits." It is also true that the health benefit had outweigh any concern towards the pesticides residue. The amount of pesticide would ensure if it is toxic.

Pesticide not only post threat to human health but also to the environment, pesticide contain chemical which seep through the ground into rivers and sea causing pollution. Using large amount of pesticide had helped farmers to increase their output and getting better income but it is unsafe for consumption or to sold in the market.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5384138.stm


Lifes are just black&white
3:36 AM






Topic 5: How healthy are barbequed foods

Most of us were not aware that barequed foods may cause harm to us if it was not prepare in the correct way. Food poisoning and other serious health risk were the consequences for not bbqing raw food correctly.

These are some example to bbq safely.
  • Use different tongs for handling raw and cooked foods to avoid cross contamination.
  • Do not under cook food as bacterial might still be present on foods.

Bbqing cause air pollution as burning of charcoal give out smoke which spread into the air, this could not be prevented but we could always reduce the pollution and find ways to protect our environment.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/breakfast/4585353.stm



Lifes are just black&white
3:06 AM






Topic 4: Pearl river delta and Yellow river

21,000 factories were located along china's rivers and coastline. This threaten the people living near the river which used the water from it.

Eventhough the government said that amount sank into the river bed was limited, the river was still polluted and it was as dangerous. These chemicals may have unknown potential to harm the environment and man, therefore i felt that the river must first be clear clean before using it.

Improper disposes of chemical waste cause pollution which is irreversible to a certian limit and this means that we are causing more threat to ourselves each time we cause a pollution.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4642090.stm


Lifes are just black&white
2:14 AM






Topic 3: Harbin leak: China

Toxic leak in river could cause a serious water pollution, it not only harm the marine life but also affect human life. The leakage would kill all marine live in the river or worst, the chemical could cause unknown danger to the live in the river. Due to the enormous damage to the river, water supplies were cut off to protect the citizens.

The government in china had apologise to russia and promise to punish those responsible for the blast at the chemical plant which cause the leakage.

This disaster was again cause by MAN and could be prevent if we were careful handling chemicals. Water pollution could destroy the environment if it was not properly taken care of.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4474284.stm


Lifes are just black&white
1:41 AM






Topic 2: Moses and the 10 plagues: caused by water pollution?

Some people believes that the ten plagues were what gods doing to the nature while Scientific experts felt that there is edvidence to link them into natural event happening which explain the story behind the plagues.

The first plague - river water turned to blood
The second plague - frogs
The third plague - gnats
The fourth plague - flies
The fifth plague - death of livestock
The sixth plague - boils
The seventh plague - hail
The eighth plague - locusts
The ninth plague - darkness
The tenth plague - death of the firstborn

There were many edvidences showing the causes to the ten plagues, from one of the evidences it says, the harmless micro organism called pfisteria had turn lethal due to pollution of the river,it killed the fished in the river and cause it to turn red, frogs escape the water and came to the land but could not survie and were heavily feeded by lice and flies then spreading diesease to live stock killing them.

However, there are other evidences showing the link to the plagues. This might be a false evidence but it was sure that it started with the pollution of river. If pollution could be remove, man-made disaster would end.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/history/moses_4.shtml


Lifes are just black&white
12:57 AM




Saturday, May 19, 2007


Topic 1: Intensive Agriculture: Pig farming in Poland

Low input but high output? Causing problem such as wastage, pollution, and diesease spreading to meet the word growing demand, this is intensive farming. One always recognise the benefit of intensive farming and neglect the consequences to it. Althought there will be more jobs opportunity and greater income, the environment will be drastically harm.

Keeping large number of pigs in a small room, this could cause great pollution on the mother earth. More pigs = more waste produce, From studies, pigs slurry emit toxic gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulphide which cause harm to human eg. "headaches, eye irritations, mood alterations and fatigue" and the environment eg."the nitrate within manure which seep through soil and into the river, could be risky if drunk" there may still be other side effect causing death to human which were yet to be known.

All this shows that the environment is at risk. If such actions continue without thinking of the consequences, the earth may one day be destroy. Man being irresponsible and greedy would face all consequences and problem created by themselves.

I suggest that we should follow the old days farming system or hire more staff to clean the farm more often. Pig manure should be PROPERLY dispose off. The environment will then soon be healthy again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4035081.stm


Lifes are just black&white
11:36 PM