The Unnatural Kingdom

The Unnatural Kingdom

One method of conservation described in The Unnatural Kingdom is animal relocation. Predictably, it involves relocating animals, but the population has to be monitored by the most advanced technologies available. When, or if the population reaches a desirable number, humans will go in and abduct a number of individuals and relocate them to another suitable environment. This separation promoted diversity in a species. Two herds may develop two distinct gene pools, making the species as a whole more resistant to disease and predation than one homogeneous herd.In the article, a situation of pregnant big horn sheep being relocated is used. 

Another conservation mention described was predation control. This involves monitoring tagged predators of an endangered species. If the predator overextends its "quota" of prey, it is eliminated. 

These two methods both use highly advanced technology at very high  reaction speeds. These two methods are different, but circumstantial. Predation control can be used to help an endangered species to begin recovering, and relocation can help the species stay strong. neither is better, instead the two methods are described like steps in a process in the article. Predator control of mountains lions is used first, and then "Once bighorn herds grew large enough to spare members, biologists moved them around — to establish new herds in long-vacant habitat." One us used, and then the other. Is depends upon how populous the species is. 

Any species recovering from the brink has less genetic diversity than they otherwise would have. genetic diversity expands over time, but suddenly contracts as a species is suddenly killed off. Diversity needs time to reexpand from this contracted state. 

Species used as examples in the article can still be described as "wild." Wild is, by definition, living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated. Animals with digital monitoring collars are still living in their natural habitat, and haven't been domesticated. Society's concept of "the wild" however, is not quite appropriate, but it is likely to evolve over time. 

Executive Summary for the Pew Commission Report on Industrialized Farm Animal Production

Environment:
Large scale farms often do not properly dispose of animal waste such as manure and methane. Animals produce 3x as much manure as humans. This often makes it's way into waterways and then a cholera epidemic breaks out. 


Pesticides and hormones also present a threat to the environment.
Large scale farms also require large amounts of water to feed crops and livestock taken from finite sources of groundwater. 
Large scale farms are also very fossil fuel reliant, adding greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. 
While animals in large scale farms are given less food, produces less manure, and reaches market faster than ever before, the environment impact has only increased. This is because small farms of the past achieved a balance in the natural productivity of the land, while modern large farms are very unbalanced. 

Water Stress:
87% of water usage in the United states is for Agriculture. It takes  countless gallons of water to irrigate crops, then countless more for the livestock on top of those crops. many large scale farms are located in dry environments, putting large amounts of stress on the local environment because of the farm's water demands. many groundwater and drinking water in the US is being outstripped. 

The best solution to this problem is to educate people about it. Water stress is not as well known as other environmental threats such as climate change or colony collapse. As people become more educated about this problem, they will alter their lifestyles to take on more water-friendly aspects, because I really don't think life with major water shortages will be very fun. Except for the cars.






http://www.circleofblue.org/waternews/2010/world/experts-name-the-top-19-solutions-to-the-global-freshwater-crisis/

Understanding Energy Return on Energy Investment (EROEI)

1) Tar sands are more energy efficient than oil shale.

2) As for oil shale, Their process involves drilling heater holes 1,000 to 2,000 feet down where they heat oil barring shale to very high temperatures. This causes the kerogen in the oil shale to form crude oil and natural gas. Producer wells are drilled into the formation to extract the oil and natural gas. The tar sands however, are heated with hot water or steam to extract bitumen, which is heavy thick oil. The energy to create the hot water or steam usually comes from natural gas. The bitumen then has to be upgraded so that it can be refined. 

3) The tar sands are more efficient due to their better EROI, which leads to lower overall carbon emissions.

4) offshore drilling is currently the process with the highest EROI, and a high EROI leads to less carbon being emitted in it's production. 

5) I take clothes off the top of their piles in my drawer. They are the easiest to get to, so I wear them first.

Head Count

One of the most influential discoveries in recorded history was the Haber-Bosch Process, a process that allows scientists to take nitrogen from the air and turn it into usable nitrogen in the soil for plants. Since the wide-scale implementation of the Haber-Bosch process, more than half of the worlds population has come to rely on crops grown with the Haber-Bosch process. This has allowed the human population to explode as we circumvent the nitrogen cycle. 

In the 2007 best-seller Countdown: Our Last, Best Hope for a Future on Earth, by Alan Weisman, the argument that this population boom is destroying the planet. Weisman says the buildup of greenhouse gasses is threatening not only humans, but every organism on the planet due to the rapid climate change it causes, but Weismann also makes another argument. He claims that human population will become unstable and some force of nature will come about to cut us down to size. The exact quote is “Either we decide to manage our own numbers, to avoid a collision of every line on civilization’s graph—or nature will do it for us.” 

Using Total Fertility Rates (TFR) population growth can be predicted by country and region. As we find out that some countries with a TFR under 2.1 children are losing people, some with greater than 2.1 are gaining them, but they gain a lot more than others lose, causing overall growth in the planet’s population. It can even be predicted how long it will take for the world’s population to double, creatively called the doubling time There are many worries that the growth is taking place in developing countries, putting even more stress on what resources can be had by any one person. It seems like nature is just not prepared to handle so many people created through the Haber-Bosch Process. This is widely viewed as a bad thing due to it’s pessimistic leanings, but I differ.

Yes, there will be difficulties faced that we cannot imagine, but humankind’s ability to singlehandedly render the nitrogen cycle, one of the fundamental processes of Earth irrelevant, is an outstanding positive. We can take whatever nature can throw at us, because every day it matters less and less. Our ingenuity will carry us to the stars and beyond. Any problem presented to us we can overcome

Seneca Lake Lab Report (Due: 11/13/15)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/144Imr4sFE4lr9fhuIuzEzFZ-4XarmEJfTOhtw9saItg/edit?usp=sharing

Research Plan for Seneca Lake (Due: 10/29/15)

Question: How is the water quality of areas with a high concentration of zebra mussels different from areas with a low population of zebra mussels. 

Controlled Variables: Areas being sampled, amount of water being sampled
Independent Variables: At least one area with high concentration of zebra mussels, low concentration, and moderate concentration
Relevant Variables: Measure the pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Chloride ion and the macro-invertebrates found in the water to determine water quality.

Zebra mussels are an invasive species in the Great lakes region originally from eastern Europe that have spread across the continental US since the 80's. They are filter feeders who purify the water, but also feed on microscopic organisms, causing a disruption in the feedback loops of the native species. They compete with juvenile fish and other mussels. They can clog up irrigation equipment, and they collect a lot of pollutants, causing trouble up the food chain due to biomagnification. They have more than doubled water visibility, but while that might look nice, that is very harmful to the native ecosystem. 

http://www.protectyourwaters.net/hitchhikers/mollusks_zebra_mussel.php
https://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Invasive-Species/Invasive-Mussels.aspx
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticanimals/zebramussel/index.html

Hypothesis: Areas with a high concentration of zebra mussels will have fewer microorganisms and have a lower turbidity due to the filter feeding nature of zebra mussels. 
Method: The controlled variables will be controlled by taking a sample of the bottom of the lake at similar depths and making a visual determination of the amount of zebra mussels. Differences will be made note of. Tests of the qualities of the water will be made. 
Procedure: 
I) A dredge will be used to sample the bottom of the lake
II) Count the amount of zebra mussels found
III) Take a water sample
IV) Test the turbidity, dissolved oxygen levels, pH, chloride, and hardness.
V) Find a new location with a similar depth
VI) Repeat 
VII) Compare differences found in relation to how many zebra mussels were found

Will we be able to go into the engine room after the trip?