https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp en-us 2017-03-23 18:29:44 UTC 2017-05-11 14:09:20 UTC hello@padlet.com 18pryorf https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162239858 2017-03-23 18:30:06 UTC https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162239858 18pryorf https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162241411 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/27mtbeli.html

Long Island's sole source of water comes from underground, extracted through the use of well and aquifers. This dependence on one source of water has now shown to be less beneficial to the population of Long Island due to recent findings by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A federal survey that was conducted over four years found that 32 out of 52 gas stations have unidentified petroleum leaking into the Island's aquifers. 

Chemicals from the petroleum spills that leaked into the aquifers include methyl tertiary butyl. This toxic chemical that is added to fuel saturates the soil. The health consequences of being exposed to this chemical is the increased risk of cancer. 

The extent of the pollution and the amount of work and money to fix the issue is great. When the fuel tanks leaked into the soil, they created form plumes. Form plumes are bubbling pockets of petroleum that are absorbed by the soil. As time of absorption increases, the size of the plumes increase as well which causes more harm to the 85 foot deep aquifers. 

In the state of New York, there has been 5,262 spills from 1978 to 1998. Long Island's spillage accounts for 24 percent of the spills that occur in New York. This new information has prompted the E.P.A to invest more money into a larger survey of the 1,100 gas stations on the Island. 

Based on investigations and tests conducted by the Long Island Water Conference, the contamination poses no current threat to the health of people who reside on the Island. Even though the spillage does not pose a threat now, it will eventually hurt the residents when the plumes continue to grow into large sizes. 

Walter Hang is the president of Toxics Targeting, a company that creates reports on contamination sites. Hang believes that the Department of Environmental Conservation failed to take action and as a consequence, it will cost billions to fix this spillage. ]]> 2017-03-23 18:34:40 UTC https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162241411 18pryorf https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162786906 http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/15/africa/ethiopia-trash-landslide-death-toll/index.html

A massive landfill outside of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has killed 113 adults and children. They are expecting an increase in the death toll due to the extent of the collapse. 

At least 60 people, who were killed in this collapse, resided on the garbage in makeshift houses. 

The landfill named Koshe has been in the capital for decades. Due to poverty, some residents have establish a makeshift home on top of the landfill even though the government has been trying to relocate them. 

In addition to the instability of the landfill, its smell affects near by areas and small fires erupt due to the methane gas that is produced by the decomposing trash.

Fisseha Tekle, a researcher a the Amnesty International in Ethiopia, believes the government should be held responsible for this accident and should do an accountability investigation as well as relocate people leaving on and near this landfill.

]]> 2017-03-27 12:42:17 UTC https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162786906 18pryorf https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162787819
http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/11/health/toxic-tap-water-flint-michigan/

Flint, Michigan is close to the Great Lakes which provides freshwater for the state and other areas. However, Flints tap water was polluted with Lead. This occured due to the state trying to save money by switching their water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Although this switch was supposed to be temporary immediately residents noticed their tap water was not tasting, smelling, or looking clean. The Flint river was highly corrosive an contained the metal iron. The River was supposed to be treated for being corrosive but the state never did it. Furthermore, the water became more polluted due to led pipes carrying the water to residents which is not noticeable with the naked eye. 

The state assured residents that the water was fine and disconnected testing on the river. However, further testing by students revealed there were high levels of lead still in the water. Families were distraught over the results and filed a lawsuit over the contaminated water and the harmful medical effects that result from drinking the water. 

Doctors took blood samples from children in Flint and compared their Lead levels to the Lead levels taken from birth and found the level doubled.  

]]> 2017-03-27 12:44:50 UTC https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162787819 18pryorf https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162788342 http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/can-we-slow-global-warming-and-still-grow

The International Energy Agency announced on March 17th that 2016 marked three consecutive years where global carbon emissions stayed the same while the world's economy grew. While the economy grew by 10 percent, the annual carbon emissions have not changed and therefore has shown that the relationship between the two has ended. 

The United States have been the leading country in decreasing the amount by carbon emissions. There has been a reduction of usage by 3 percent in the United States. This decrease did not have an affect on the US economy. Wealthy countries, like the US, have started to deviate from an economy that depends on manufacturing and instead depend on finance and services, which then reduces pollution. However, they still are the cause for carbon pollution by accepting products from other countries that pollute through manufacturing. 

The Global Carbon Project estimates that the US emissions should be adjusted to up to 10 percent however they still have made many achievements by burning less coal and more natural gas. It is expected that the Paris Agreement will be met at its target date of 2030. 

There has been debates on whether economic growth and sustainable environment are incompatible or not. Decoupling economic activity from its ecological consequences is one of the main goals in sustainability and development. 

The new Trump Administration will halt or reduce any progresses made by countering global warming. The Keystone XL oil pipeline, coal industry and reducing carbon emission standards are all favored by the Administration and the consequence will be an increase in carbon emissions. 

Despite the progress the US has made in decoupling, there are still the majority of countries who have not done that yet. For many countries, it has been happening at a low pace. 

China is the world's biggest polluter and has the right to continue because they have to catch up developmentally to other countries. India is in a similar situation where they have to develop and in order to do that, they have carbon emissions. 

Carbon emissions needs to be cut by half in order to prevent accumulation. Decoupling will eventually get harder to do when solutions run their course and new ones have to be created. 

]]> 2017-03-27 12:46:20 UTC https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162788342 18pryorf https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162789139 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/26/trump-executive-order-clean-power-plan-coal-plants

An executive order signed by President Trump will undue efforts created by Obama to conquer global warming. The Administration believes that the Paris agreement was a "bad deal" and efforts in place are not working. 

The executive order is going to undo the clean power plan which was implemented in 2015. This plan reduced the amount of gas emissions produced by power plants run on coal. 

Trump is stoping the clean power plan in order to boast the coal-mining industry by creating jobs and decreasing the cost of electricity. The Administration promises that they are not against the environment but holds increase in jobs at a higher priority. 

Democratic dominated states and environmental advocates believe they can promote job growth and reduce the amount of carbon emissions. 

The Administration does not support the Paris Deal because they believe it is unfair that China and India do not have to reduce anything until 2030. ]]> 2017-03-27 12:48:29 UTC https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162789139 18pryorf https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162789510 http://lancasteronline.com/sports/outdoors/bumble-bee-once-common-in-lancaster-county-now-an-endangered/article_e7b9ba08-10a7-11e7-88b6-93bbf653d913.html

In Lancaster County, the rusty patched bumble bee are the first ever to make the endangered species list on the mainland. This was caused by numerous factors including pesticides. 

The rusty patched bumble bee was found in Pennsylvania and 30 other states but now they are only found in 13 states. 

The Entomology Society of Pennsylvania voted to support the new endangered species. While there are three other bee species left to pollinate, they are also at risk for endangerment. 

In order for farmers to make up for the lost of bees, they have bee colonies delivered to their farm in order to pollinate their crops.



]]> 2017-03-27 12:49:33 UTC https://padlet.com/18pryorf/purjyy1ri0zp/wish/162789510