https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw Made with the best of intentions en-us 2019-04-25 00:00:05 UTC 2019-05-03 15:04:45 UTC hello@padlet.com nb762 https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw/wish/353947300 Summary:
The episode talked about a variety of different topics including multiple different ecosystems and the challenges that organisms which live they face everyday. These ecosystems included sea birds in their journey to find fish in the ocean to eat and wildebeests being chased by packs of wild hunting dogs. What made this documentary different from a lot of other documentaries about our planet was that it not only talked about the wonders of our planet but also the side effects it is experiencing from our poor decision making.

The most fascinating thing from the episode I saw was the melting of the glaciers around the world. It is occurring at an alarmingly rapid rate which is getting to the point where recovery is becoming less likely everyday if we continue down this path. This connects to our in class learning because it's based off the same major point of what we set out to learn from the beginning of the year. That goal was to learn about what was negatively impacting our environment and what we can do as a society to try and fix the problem. This episode does a great job of introducing that by bringing our environmental issues to light. 

Questions:
1) How long do we have before the melting of the glaciers becomes an irreversible problem?
2)What causes winds to reach such great speeds that they are sweeping up billions of tons of dust to carry into the ocean?
3)What are the nutrients that the dust provides for the microscopic organisms of the ocean that help them thrive?
4)If the hunting dogs can't separate a baby wildebeest from the pack, why don't they take their chances at trying to attack an adult instead of just giving up on the hunt?
5)If the layer of ice over the ocean the polar bears use to hunt completely melts, will they go extinct or will they be able to adapt ion some way?

Solutions:
For the polar bears, life is looking pretty grim. The land they use to make a living is literally melting beneath their feet and who knows what the status of the polar bears will be in. the near future considering this trend. The entire planet is responsible for this as our emissions as a whole have cause climate change to occur. Organizations such as the EPA need to take charge in this situation and impose regulations on the sources of these emissions so we can ensure that polar bears will still be around for the future generations.]]> 2019-04-25 00:00:26 UTC https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw/wish/353947300 nb762 https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw/wish/353948609 Summary:
This episode also talks about how our actions are not out of reach of the polar regions which has a chain reaction to affect the planet as a whole. For example, Antarctica has been frozen for over 30 million years.  At the end of the episode, the narrator poses the question, "But for how much longer will these frozen worlds be apart of life on our planet?" Every spring, the sea ice melts and life returns in abundance. That ice however is not generating at the rate at which it used to in the winter.  Other topics the episode talks about varies from the underwater worlds of algae, killer whales on the hunt for penguins, and whales finding krill to be their next meal.

One of the major topics again in this episode is animals working together to hunt prey. The most interesting one I found was a technique whales use to hunt krill. Working together, they create a curtain of air bubbles from their blowholes which trap the krill and drive them closer together. When they're in position, the whales lunge up and feast on the krill who have no escape. Another hunting technique used by killer whales is to sneak up on their prey using stealth mode as so they do not hear them coming. A penguin can out maneuver a single killer whale, but it does not stand a chance against an entire pod. However, where the animal is on the food chain is irrelevant because all life in Antarctica ultimately depends on its sea ice.

Questions:
1) What is currently being done to regulate our actions in order to prevent the destruction of the polar ice caps?
2) Are there proven methods we can use to ensure the reappearance of this sea ice to give animals like Walruses their habitats back?
3) How does climate change affect the prey of the predators in the arctic world?
4) How successful are penguins in surviving the winter?
What causes walruses to pack so closely together when there is a lot more open land left on the island?

Solutions:
We need to find more effective ways to prevent the destruction of the poles on our planet. The episode talks about how the actions of the polar zones are critical in stabilizing the rest of the Earth. So if they are destroyed the rest of the world will definitely feel the effects. What we need to do is watch the emissions that we produce because they are one of the main reasons why the ice is melting in the polar region of Antarctica.]]> 2019-04-25 00:10:52 UTC https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw/wish/353948609 nb762 https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw/wish/353950484 Summary:
 The third episode of the series talks about the Jungles of our planet. This is also an incredibly important ecosystem that is crucial to life on our planet thriving. Not only to the animals living in them, but also the rest of the world. The main reason for this is that jungles are known as the lungs of our planet for absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, and producing oxygen which all animals depend on for survival. Rainforests also stabilize the planet, house millions of different types of plants, and produce rainfall for the planet.

Animals the episode talks about include ants hard at work to improve their colony, a baby eagle learning to be on its own for the first time, and intelligent orangutans trying to survive among the dangerous predators that also live in the jungle. The ant colony stuck with me the most because they do a really great job working together and have a really efficient system of climbing up to cut off a leaf then bringing it back to the colony to be used. What I also found interesting was the fungus that specializes in killing ants. It takes over the body and when it finally kills the ant, the fungus leaves the ants body through the head to look for new victims. However, these animals living in the jungles have more to worry about than evading their predators. Recently, humans have been cutting down forests and jungles at a rapid rate causing thousands of animals to lose their habitats. If it doesn't stop, these animals won't have anywhere to go and will be in serious danger.

Questions:
1) What has happened to the species that have been victims to loss of habitat?
2) Has deforestation slowed down at all in recent years?
3) Do the parents of the baby eagle abandon her completely or do they watch her in case she can't survive on her own?
4) What percentage of the world's oxygen is produced jungles?
5) Does the cutting down of one part of the jungle have an impact on other areas and the animals that live in them?

Solutions:
The cutting down of our world's jungles has more negatives than positives. Without these beautiful ecosystems here to stabilize our planet, tons of species wold be in danger. Animals the rely on living in the jungle would lose their habitat and have nowhere to go. We would also lose our main producer of oxygen and wouldn't have it to produce all the gases that we don;t want. What we need are worldwide regulations that prevent people from cutting down jungles. Preserving these ecosystems is not an option, it is a requirement because we won't be able to survive without them.]]> 2019-04-25 00:23:06 UTC https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw/wish/353950484 nb762 https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw/wish/356583095 Summary:
In this episode, the topic of discussion is the seas that lay on the coasts of our land. The majority of all life the ocean has to offer make a living in this region. Since most of the animals live here, it is understandable that there are also a lot of habitats here as well. Coastal habitats include coral reefs, kelp forests, estuaries, etc. Not only are these waters home for a multitude of different species under the water but above the water as well. The majority of migratory birds also use these waters as a habitat. 

Animals discussed in particular in this episode range from the lurking sharks, to the urchins at the floor of the sea. What struck me the most is how different life becomes when it's night compared to when the sun is up. During the day fish don't have anything worry about when it comes to predators. But, when night comes they dive for cover in the crevices of the coral reef because the sharks come out to feed. Urchins are also an interesting story. Without a predator to check them, urchins can actually destroy an environment. They feast on the kelp and can make an entire kelp forest disappear. Sheepshead Wrasse prey on these Urchins and prevent them from spreading across the sea floor like a plague.

Questions:
1) What happens if sea urchins are left unchecked for too long?
2) Is there a way to revive dead coral reefs?
3) How much have sea temperatures risen in recent years?
4) Which animals, if any, are endangered right now?
5) What is being done right now to prevent further coral bleaching?

Solutions:
Coastal seas are a very important part of our earth that supports a lot of wildlife. Without them most of the life there would be destroyed and that can't happen. To reduce coral bleaching, country leaders need to come together and think of ways they can stop this problem from happening. If they don't do this soon, our planet could look a lot different in the coming years and future generations will just have to learn about these ocean creatures instead of being able to witness them first hand.

]]> 2019-05-03 13:14:43 UTC https://padlet.com/nb762/iuf8kfvp8zgw/wish/356583095