Environmental Issues

- jueves, 18 de marzo de 2010


*What are some important global environmental issues? What are some important environmental issues in your local community?

The most important global environmental issue is the global warming because Each year from 1998 through 2007 ranks among the top 25 warmest years. Scientists say that the earth could warm by an additional 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit during the 21st century if we fail to reduce emissions from burning fossil fuels, such as coal and oil.

The most important environmental problem in my community is the disappearance of Lightning Catatumbo, since late January has not been able to appreciate the weather flash, which represents its most prolonged disappearance in 104 years. The problem is linked to the phenomenon of El Nino, which has plunged to Venezuela in the worst drought since 1947 and has affected the river flow Catatumbo, whose basin is developed the "lightning".

*Of these issues, which one interests you the most?

In my opinion, the biggest problem and that we should pay more attention is global warming. Because it affects everyone and alter the ecosystem, and this rise in average temperature will have far-reaching effects on the earth's climate patterns and on all living things. Many of these changes have already begun.

*What do you know about this issues?

I know some of the problems or consequences of the global warming. For example, the change of weather patterns that cause more powerful and dangerous hurricanes, warmer water in the oceans pumps more energy into tropical storms, making them stronger and potentially more destructive. Also, cause drought and wildfire, warmer temperatures could increase the probability of drought. Greater evaporation, particularly during summer and fall, could exacerbate drought conditions and increase the risk of wildfires. Other consequence of global warming are ecosystem shifts and species die-off, the increasing global temperatures are expected to disrupt ecosystems, pushing to extinction those species that cannot adapt. The first comprehensive assessment of the extinction risk from global warming found that more than 1 million species could be obliterated by 2050 if the current trajectory continues.

*What more would you like to know?

I would like to know what the real state in which the world stands on account of global warming, and the most efficient way to help the world on this environmental problem.

*Where can you get information about this issue?

In internet you can get information of all those things, in www.nrdc.org, www.globalwarming.org. etc.. Or you can go to google and put global warming and get a lot of information of that theme.




Natural Disaster.. Hurricane Katrina

- jueves, 11 de marzo de 2010

Description of disaster:

FormedAugust 23, 2005
DissipatedAugust 30, 2005
Fatalities1,836 confirmed, 705 missing
Damage$81.2 billion (2005 USD)
$88.5 billion (2010 USD)
(Costilest tropical cyclone in history)
On August 28th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the southern coast of the United States with devastating effect. It was reported that more then 1,800 people lost there lives, and more then $81 billion dollars in damages occurred.

Hurricane Katrina formed as Tropical Depression Twelve over the southeastern Bahamas on August 23, 2005 as the result of an interaction of a tropical wav and the remains of Tropical Depression Ten. The system was upgraded to tropical storm status on the morning of August 24 and at this point, the storm was given the name Katrina. The tropical storm continued to move towards Florida, and became a hurricane only two hours before it made landfall between Hallndale Beach and a Aventura, Florida on the morning of August 25. The storm weakened over land, but it regained hurricane status about one hour after entering the Gulf of Mexico. The storm weakened before making its second landfall as a Category 3 storm on the morning of Monday, August 29 in southeast Louisiana. The storm rapidly intensified after entering the Gulf, growing from a Category 3 hurricane to a Category 5 hurricane in just nine hours. It caused severe destruction along the Gulf coast from central Florida to Texas, much of it due to the storm surge. The most severe loss of life occurred in New Orleand, Louisiana, which flooded as the levee system catastrophically failed, in many cases hours after the storm had moved inland. Katrina again rapidly intensified, attaining Category 5 status on the morning of August 28 and reached its peak strength at 1:00 p.m. CDT that day, with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph (280 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 902 mbar. The pressure measurement made Katrina the fourth most intense Atlantic hurricane on record at the time, only to be surpassed by Hurricanes Rita and Wilmas later in the season; it was also the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico at the time (a record also later broken by Rita).




Aftermath:

Economics effects:
Economist and crisis consultant Randall Bell wrote: "Hurricane Katrina in 2005 was the largest natural disaster in the history of the United States. Preliminary damage estimates were well in excess of $100 billion, eclipsing many times the damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.". Katrina damaged or destroyed 30 oil platforms and caused the closure of nine refineries; the total shut-in oil production from the Gulf of Mexico in the six-month period following Katrina was approximately 24% of the annual production and the shut-in gas production for the same period was about 18%. The forestry industry in Mississippi was also affected, as 1.3 million acres (5,300 km²) of forest lands were destroyed. The total loss to the forestry industry from Katrina is calculated to rise to about $5 billion.


Enviromental effects:

Katrina also had a profound impact on the environment. The storm surge caused substantial beach erosion, in some cases completely devastating coastal areas. In Dauphin Island, approximately 90 miles (150 km) to the east of the point where the hurricane made landfall, the sand that comprised the barrier island was transported across the island into the Mississippi Sound, pushing the island towards land. The storm surge and waves from Katrina also obliterated the Chandeleur Islands, which had been affected by Hurricane Ivan the previous year. The US Geological Survey has estimated 217 square miles (560 km2) of land was transformed to water by the hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In adittion, the lands that were lost were breeding grounds for marine mammals, brown pelicans, turtles and fish, as well as migratory species such as readhead ducks. Overall, about 20% of the local marshes were permanently overrun by water as a result of the storm.

Many of the levees have been reconstructed since the time of Katrina. In reconstructing them, precautions were taken to bring the levees up to modern building code standards and to ensure their safety. For example, in every situation possible, the Corps of Engineers replaced I-walls with T-walls. T-walls have a horizontal concrete base that protects against soil erosion underneath the floodwalls.



Government response:
The United States Northern Command established Joint Task Force (JTF) Katrina based out of Camp Shelby, Mississippi, to act as the military's on-scene response on Sunday, August 28, with US Army Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré as commander. Approximately 58,000 National Guard personnel were activated to deal with the storm's aftermath, with troops coming from all 50 states. The Department of Defense also activated volunteer members of the Civil Air Patrol.

Retirement:
Because of the large loss of life and property along the Gulf Coast, the name Katrina was officially retired on April 6, 2006 by the World Meteorological Organization at the request of the U.S. government. It was replaced by Katia on List III of the Atlantic hurricane naming lists, which will next be used in the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season.


Recontruction:

Reconstruction of each section of the southern portion of Louisiana has been addressed in the Army Corps LACPR (Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration) Final Technical Report which identifies areas to not be rebuilt and areas buildings need to be elevated. Four years later, thousands of displaced residents in Mississippi and Louisiana were still living in trailers. Reconstruction of each section of the southern portion of Louisiana has been addressed in the Army Corps LACPR Final Technical Report which identifies areas not to be rebuilt and areas and buildings that need to be elevated.

Advantages and Disavantages of Cell Phone

- jueves, 4 de marzo de 2010





The cell phone is a latest invention of the 21th century. Nowadays, people don't leave their homes without their cell phones. For many people, it`s a convenient way for communicate, and lot others advantages. But, also they have many disadvantages. In the first place, let's see what advantages do they have. One of we can mention is that cell phones have made a comunication easier, for example: fifteen years ago people could not communicate at any time and anywhere without them had access to a phone, nowadays, wherever we are, we can call in an easy and fast to anywhere in the world. Additionally, cell phones can help us with organize our daily plans, they can remind us of meetings, duties etc., such as, The cell phone has applications that can help us with our work (calculator, currency converter, alarms, calendars, etc.), the latest cell phones can even used as a pocket computer. Other advantages of the cell phone is that it can use for safety reasons. For example, many parents provide their children with a cell phone. The speed dial up option in cell phones lets people or children make contact wit emergency numbers by pressing one button. For many parents, a cell phone is a convenient way to get in touch whit they children.


Moreover, the principal disadvantage of cell phones is they are a big distraction. Such as, many people have car accidents due the lack of attentiveness of drivers when they answer the cell phones when they are driving or people who talk on mobile phones can be a huge safety concern, they aren't concentrating fully on the road and often cause accidents; as well as also, they can be a distraccion for the children and teenagers in the school, because SMS'es are being circulated even in the classroom when the classes are going on. Addicionally, they can present some troubles, one of them is that sometimes the reception is poor in some areas, limiting your conectivity, another of them is that use mobile phone can be addictive, because currently, the cell phones are having more importance that they have to have, and all that is cause the new applications that they have. And finally, the least disadvantage that we can mention is that they are too expensive, first they cost of each cell phone is high, as well like the cost of services, likewise in the order to get up in date, people tend to change their mobile phones too often. This habit causes them to spend unnecesary cost on mobile bills and cost.

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