Center for Biological Diversity Tackles EPA on Micro-Pollutants

On February 15^th in San Francisco, California, the Center for Biological Diversity agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding dangerous micro pollutants, or particulate matter. Particulate matter (PM-10) are microscopic polluting particles that, when inhaled, can pose serious threats to your body such as premature death and respiratory illnesses. Particulate matter is caused mainly by car exhaust, toxic emissions from smokestacks and chemical plants, etc. Sounds fun, doesn't it? It turns out that the EPA has been AWOL in their duties to keep up necessary evaluations and tests to make sure these dangerous pollutants aren't swimming around in our air. The CBD's settlement states that the EPA must evaluate areas in Arizona, Alaska, Montana and Nevada to make sure that the air quality is clean and in accordance with the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act mandates that the EPA take action and make plans to control PM-10 with the said states if they aren't up to chalk. The Center's new settlement will thankfully help to make sure the EPA does their job right in maintaining the Clean Air Act and upholding their duties.

Mother Nature - Taking Care of Business? A short report

By "business" I mean the aftermath of the BP oil spill and by "taking care of" I mean that mother ocean has unleashed an army of methane gas-devouring ocean bacteria.
In just 4 months, a key ingredient in the BP oil spill catastrophe(methane gas) has been literally eaten up by ocean bacteria. This bacteria has also often been called oil-eating bacteria. But this bacteria doesn't eat the oil, it eats separate ingredients of the oil like methane and propane.

Many scientists believe that this feast has come earlier than expected and has already surpassed their expectations. Scientists also found the exponential and immediate growth of the bacteria to be quite strange. A likely explanation for this momentous growth would be warmer water temperatures around where the bacteria were blooming.

Although this isn't a noticeable change to us on shore, it is indeed a very significant change in the ocean's ecosystem. Nature, much like our bodies, is constantly battling disease, infection and ailments. It is constantly healing itself. Treat nature like you would treat your body.

Thank you
- Hunter

A Silent Soliloquy: A Report on Whales

What do you think of when you think of the ocean? Amble waves? Starfish? Beautiful coral reefs?

How about a blue whale? For thousands of years, whales have roamed all of the major oceans of our world. They have been hunted since their discovery and have been deemed the largest known creatures to have ever existed. These tender giants used to exist in large numbers such as 30,000 to 300,000 per species, but now, due to numerous factors – they have been deduced to approximately 11,000 per species. To humans, the number 11,000 as a population is considered a small to midsized town such as Katy, Texas. In reality, however, this dwindling number is frightening. All species of whale are either endangered or very seriously threatened.

Why are they endangered?

Japan steals hundreds of whale’s lives every year. These murders are justified under an “institution” called The Institute of Cetacean Research. The ICR claims to be killing unspeakable amounts of whales for “research” but this claim has yet to be supported by any facts whatsoever. Who is letting these merciless murders continue? Why hasn’t anyone shut down the ICR? Perhaps it’s because after it is shut down, a new institute would open up and the process would repeat itself. Governments (such as Australia) and environmentalists have been calling the ICR on their bluff, but no positive progress has been made - meanwhile whales continue to lose their lives.

We can’t just blame corrupt Japanese corporations or illegal whaling on the decline of these creatures. Global warming, which we all play a part in every single day, is threatening plankton blooms. This decrease in blooms affects the entire baleen whale community. All baleen whales consume at least 40 million krill a day. How fast will this number also decrease? What could this mean for the baleen whales?

To say we know little about whales would be an exaggeration - which is why, I’m sure, that the Japanese can use the “research” excuse so freely. Regardless, extensive knowledge of these creatures is not worth killing them, nonetheless endangering them all together.

Without our interference, whales can live up to 30 years old. If we don’t act soon, all known species of whales could disappear from our planet forever. We may possibly be the last generation to live in a world that is shared with whales. We cannot let our generation fail these helpless creatures as previous generations have.

How to Begin Helping the Whales:

Become a Cyber Activist for the Whales!

http://www.madmermaids.com/stop_whaling_cyber_activist.html

Adopt a Whale!

http://www.whalecenter.org/component/content/article/17-roknewsrotator/146-whale-adoption.html

Learn about/donate to Whale Conservational Organizations:

http://www.wildaboutwhales.com.au/whale-conservation/conservation-organisations/

Most Importantly:

Spread the word. Discuss the importance of whales with your friends and family. Make them acknowledge the importance of whales on both the Earth and in your heart. Thank you.

-Hunter