Summary

In New York City there was a new recycling facility that will cut done on the amount of trucking (the recyclables) by 260,000 miles a year. This will reach two goals set by PlaNYC, the city's long-term sustainability plan, by improving air quality and it will reduce the city’s carbon footprint. The new facility will occupy 100,000 square feet of Sunset Park's 30th Street Pier. It will get its metal, glass and plastic recyclables from Brooklyn, by truck 100 or fewer per day, and the rest from Bronx and Queens, by barge. Robert Kelman, president of commercial development for Sims Metal Management North America, said, "Between the city and our investments, we will be putting approximately $80 million into the 30th Street pier and will utilize the best available technologies from around the world, creating up to 100 new jobs that, with all of our 230 locations around the world, will be good quality jobs that will make an important contribution to the sustainability of our city." There are no objections from nearby communities; they also hope to make learning certain to teach kids about recycling. The facility is expected to open in December 2011, and to generate 100 new jobs. The city's press release adds that the facility is part of the Sunset Park Waterfront Vision Plan, which will see more than $165 million of city funds invested in developing over 3.5 million square feet of waterfront industrial space and improving pedestrian access to the waterfront with 22 acres of new open space. Truck traffic is also expected to be reduced in the region by 70,000 trips annually, and the plan overall is expected to add 11,000 jobs over 10 years.

Opinion

I think this is a great idea. I think it will encourage more people to recycle and it will cut down on carbon pollution. I personally always recycle as mush as I can. Also the fact that it will create more jobs is great. I hope it will bust the economy.

Questions

1.) Is the building really worth the investment?

2.) What is used to power the recycling facility?

3.) How well will this work to help the PlaNYC plans for New York?

4.) Where are the other 229 locations in the world?

Link

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/10/new-recycling-facility-nyc-educate-add-jobs-clean-brooklyn-waterfront.php?campaign=th_rss

As Arctic Warms, Increased Shipping Likely to Accelerate Climate Change

Summary;

As we all know, the polar regions of Earth are melting. This is creating more waterways for ships, which can now travel through the top of the world, but the ships will bring with it air pollution that can accelerate climate changes in the world's northern areas. According to researchers, this could increase the warming by about 17-18 percent. Also, the ships operating near the Arctic are currently using advanced diesel engines that release black carbon into this sensitive region for climate change. This carbon acts like a heater that absorbs sunlight, and they will more quickly melt the ice.

Opinion;

What they are doing makes sense- by going through the Arctic, the ships are moving faster to the continents than by simply going around them, and this could save them fuel. While using less fuel, that's a few less tons of CO2 in the air. However, I still don't think that they should be doing this until we develop a new, greener way to transport goods from one place to the other. This way, we can eventually do this without worrying about melting even more ice, and killing more polar bears. Not only that, but unless the icebergs re-freeze again, Manhattan still has a chance of being completely submerged by the extra water.

Questions;

1- Do you think that what they're doing is a good idea?

2- Is there any way that we can stop the boaters from using this route?

3- How do you think we can reduce the releasing the black carbon?

4- Should the public be aware of this?

5- Which countries/continents would you assume be using this route?

Citations-

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101025161150.htm

(picture also came from this site)

Red-bearded monkey discovered, but faces extinction

Summary:

Recently, they have discovered a new type of monkey in the Amazon Rainforest in South America. Studies have shown that there are only about 250 of them left because of the deforestation occurring in the forest. If this continues then they will go extinct within the time of less than one year. Most scientists had heard of this monkey but had never actually made the discover of it because there's so many animals in the forest. It is now called the Caquetá monkey because it was able to make it's way to habitats through the Caquetá river. When the discovery was made, head of science at Conservation International in Colombia and president of the Colombian Association of Zoology, José Vicente Rodrígue, stated "This discovery is particulary important becayse it reminds of that we should celebrate the diversity of Earth but also we much take action now to preserve it."

Opinion:

I definitely think that if people don't think about what they're doing, most of the animals in the Amazon Rainforest are going to begin becoming endangered and/or become extinct. Much of the oxygen that we have on Earth comes from the forest. And much of the diversity of animals resides in the Amazon. The people working on it are destroying everything. Knowing that there's only about 250 of these monkeys left is devastating to me. I definitely think that people should more to try and change it.

Questions:

1. What do you think people can do to make a difference?

2. What can be done to help the monkeys?

3. How do you think that these monkeys were discovered after so long?

4. Why do you think that no one is taking charge for this?

5. Why do you think that so much deforestation is occuring?

Pakistan Faces Flooding Due to Global Climate Change

                 A new indicator has joined the century-long rise in temperature to signal that the planet's climate is changing: the global water cycle is speeding up. With global warming the earth’s temperature is rising and the ice caps are melting. In the past 12 years 18% more water is being added to the oceans.  The findings, which appear in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, say that the amount of water running off the land toward the sea is expanding by roughly one Mississippi River each year. This is adding a ton more water to the sea. The amount of extra water might sound like a good thing but it is in areas where no more water is needed. Why is the water cycle speeding up? As the atmosphere warms from the extra amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are being added to the atmosphere, it can hold more moisture. As a result, more water evaporates from the oceans, leading to thicker clouds that then dump more rainfall over the land. That heavier-than-normal rain can then cause massive flooding as it runs back toward the sea, where the cycle repeats itself.


Opinion:
               I think that it is horrible that pakistan is facing these horrible floods. We caused this mess and i can't help feeling somewhat responsible for what is going on. I hope that we can fix the problem of global warming and fix these floods. If this keeps going on we are going to drown. The continents will flood eventually and we would have wished that we took action sooner. We as a planet all need to contribute and help the earth. 

1. When will this slow down?
2. Will the water engulf the whole nation of  pakistan?
3. How much time will we have if that happens? 
4. what can we do to stop this problem?
5. Is it slowing down or accelerating?

Summery

MTA has created something they call “Bus Roots. These are buses, which on the top of them, have “green roofs”. This will add a lot more green space to New York City (where green roots is located). This was the idea of a NYU graduate named Marco Castro Cosio to " ’reclaim forgotten space, increase quality of life and grow the amount of green spaces’ in New York City.” To understand what a good idea it is here are some facts “A public transit bus has a surface of 340 square feet. The MTA fleet has around 4,500 buses. If we grew a garden on the roof of every one of the 4,500 buses in the MTA bus fleet, we would have 35 acres of new rolling green space in the city. The equivalent to Four Bryant Parks.” This idea won place at the DesignWala Grand Idea Competition. For 5 months a prototype has been driving around New York and other close by states like Ohio.

Opinion

I think that this is a great idea. I think it would look nice on all they buses. At first it seemed like a silly idea but after reading this I think it’s pretty smart. I don’t think I would ever come up with such an idea (not saying it’s bad because it’s not).

Questions

1) What made Marco think of this idea?

2) Will it catch on with other people?

3) How many buses with be like this?

4) Will other buses companies follow this example?

5) Does it really help the environment?

EPA comes down hard on Chesapeake Bay Cleanup

By Curtis Sumner

Summary: EPA has just been disciplining five U.S. states that have been treating the Chesapeake Bay like garbage, using garbage. Over the past 27 years they have ignored warnings to stop polluting, however they continue to be stubborn. On Friday September 24th, Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and New York have been given the ultimatum of November 29th to change their ways, or suffer the consequences. These 5 states provide more than 70% of pollution in Chesapeake Bay, causing numerous dead zones. If the states ignore the ultimatum, the EPA has promised to impose economically expensive rules that could increase the price on many important things. This action is a result of the order that Obama issued in May last year, which gave the EPA more power, and now the states are pushing back because of it.

Opinion. What is wrong with those places!?!? This has been going on since 1983, and has to stop. What's really scary, for me, is the fact that P.A. is getting punished, too. But I guess that gives us freshmen a good topic for our Grad Project. It's a shame that the EPA has not been able to do anything about this issue, without the power to reinforce any orders made, but thanks to Obama, that's over. I think that the EPA can do a lot more with this newfound power, they just need to find a way to use it. As for the 5 states, I have nothing but shame for them. They have had 27 years to stop polluting. 27 years! And we're part of one of the states! We've got to do something about it now, before it gets out of hand.

Questions;

1.How do you think the states will continue to react to EPA's demands?

2.Is there anything that we as students can do to help?

3. Why do you think that those 5 states have ignored this issue for so long?

4.Why do you think Obama gave the EPA more power, in a way?

5. Do you think that the states will make this kind of mistake again, after the EPA's ultimatum?

Citing;

http://environment.about.com/

http://steelbuildingshq.com/chesapeake-bay-bridge-tunnel/