Philidelphia’s Weblog

Pollution comes in many different forms, in many different locations.  The oil pools floating on top of the oceans, seagulls that have garbage wrapped around their necks, and land-fills are all visible examples of pollution that we see everyday.  But there are other kinds of pollution that we cant see, and do encounter everyday; air pollution.  This silent killer is more evident in big cities that have a lot of cars; the huge cloud of smog that seems to haunt the city on hot days and chokes our lungs shows how bad this problem has gotten.

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Many factors contribute to the high levels of greenhouse gasses. For instance, the earth has always been battling carbon dioxide. All animals exhale this gas as a result of breathing, so where does it all go? Well, in order for plants to undergo photosynthesis, they use this gas; thus creating a self-sustaining life cycle. But when this cycle is broken, that is where there is a problem.  Responsible for the hole in the ozone layer, the exhaust that comes from the tail end of our cars does nothing good for our atmosphere. Cars have increased this level of gas to unpresidented levels, and now the plants cannot keep up; and im sure all the clear cutting of forests we do is not helping at all. There are many simple ways to combat this ever growing problem.  Decreasing the amount of time you drive your car is an obvious one, but have you ever thought of any other alternatives.  Fight fire with fire and try to acquire some Carbon Dioxide fighting machines; TREES!!! Plant them everywhere, not only will they absorb this toxic gas, provide a home for many animals, but they will also look amazing!

Another greenhouse gas that gets less press is methane.  This gas occurs naturally; emmitted from swamps and from the rear end of cattle, it has never caused that much damage.  Eventually the levels will increase to dangerous amounts, which has already happened.  When you girls spray half a bottle of hairspray into your hair, where do you think all those fumes go? Well those fumes are methane, and they rise into the upper atmosphere and block the sun in.

The biggest problem with air pollution isnt the fact that it hangs in our cities making it hard to breathe, think of that as just a small punishment for being so careless.  The biggest disaster it is responsible for is global warming.  These gases act like a mirror, holding in the suns heat, warming the earth, and changing the fragile environments for many animals.

Charles Darwin introduced natural selection to the world in 1838.  In his book, The Origin of Species he explains a logical reason for the immense specie diversity of planet Earth.  What he uncovered was the process of evolution where only the strongest survive, or survival of the fittest.  This applies to all animals and especially to humans.  Humans are selfish, they want to be the best, the richest, and the most famous. This isn’t anything bad against humans, I mean it’s ingrained into us from birth; we want to be the ones to pass on our genes and keep our family heritage alive. Natural selection has made humans what they are today.  People weren’t endowed with huge claws or menacing teeth; and we didn’t need them.  We have an intelligent brain, and we are forced to use our brain to invent tools to help our shortcomings.

This was a long time ago, and many things have changed.  We have created such modern conveniences that it no longer matters who is the strongest or who has the biggest teeth, we all survive equally and even the weak are able to reproduce. Because there is no need to compete with one another, why are humans still selfish? Why do they strive so hard to be the best at the expense of everything else?

A great example of this can be seen in the study of the last 100 years and the introduction of cars. Now, humans could go almost anywhere, with little effort, very comfortably.  The gas was endless and the roads were a little bit rocky. Over time, people created faster, more inefficient, and more pollution ridden cars than ever. Now with the dawning of the 21st century, people are just beginning to notice how this manmade invention is negatively affecting every living thing around us.  The environment has to soak up all the emissions, the herds of buffalo are now cut off from their land by the network of highways that so carelessly divide our nation, and the precious gas that runs these machines is quickly running out.  The car seemed like a good idea, and it is; but the process by which it was created is very harmful. 

This is the root, or essence, of environmentalism.  One has to force themselves to erase this primal instinct and think about something bigger than personal gain. What can be bigger than the other 99% of living creatures that co-inhabit our earth? Humans have evolved away from only being concerned with helping ourselves, to now having room to think about larger issues like the plants and animals we live with every single day.  

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It’s no surprise that 95% of the Worlds population lives within 100 miles of a stream or ocean.  This isn’t hard to believe, all habitats depend on water one way or another, and humans are no exception.  Have you ever noticed that most all the major cities have direct water access? And over time, people have abused their water needs, to the point that it is toxic to even touch the water. We are lucky that in the Northwest we are still able to go swimming at our local beaches and not be scared we might catch something. But who wants to go clam-digging in Birch Bay, and then go home and cook up your catch for dinner?  That’s almost the same as asking; who wants two days of agonizing stomach pain accompanied with unmentionable suffering? If we aren’t able to eat the local wildlife, then neither can the predators that depend upon these natural resources to sustain life.

The beach plays an important role for many animals; fish spawn in the shallow waters, shellfish thrive on the nutrient rich sand, and the huge crops of kelp create an underwater forest.  If we continue to dump our solid waste, storm water, and other junk into the streams and out into the bay, these fragile ecosystems will be history due to contamination, and before you know it the Bay we once loved will be off limits to all forms of life. You can’t deny it; we all recognize that faint smell of garbage that Birch Bay is already beginning to exude.

But don’t worry it isn’t too late! There are many small things that will create huge changes at our local beach.  First, when you are at the beach, remember to bring a trash bag along with you for all the garbage you might create, but also for the trash that other people have left behind. If everyone picks up their share and then some, pretty soon that will compensate for all of the ignorant beach goers that have no respect, and there will be no trash at all!  Always leave the beach cleaner then when you found it.  

Another easy fix to improve our environment is to watch what you dump down drains and in ditches. Of course you don’t do this intentionally, but every time you either wash your car or spray your plants for bugs, harmful detergents and chemicals can infuse dangerous chemicals into storm drain water, which eventually ends up into our streams and bays. It doesn’t take much effort or hard work to keep our beaches garbage and pollution free, we all just need to be a little more self-aware.

What can we as human being do to protect and insure the quality of life for all animals around the world? We’ve all heard about those charitable organizations that collect your money and claim they help the tigers and giraffes in Africa, but how reliable are they?  Why should we be worrying about animals on the other side of the world, when many species right here at home are suffering?  And why should we trust our hard earned money on less than trustworthy charities, that could be doing who knows what with it?  Instead of throwing your money away to random ”volunteers” and hoping something happens, there are many ways to insure that animals get the help they need; many times without spending even a dime. 

One of the biggest problems that animals all around the world are facing right now is the rapid loss of habitat.  Huge tracks of hundred year old rainforest are being cleared hourly in order to produce wood, so we can build more mega shoppingmalls and Walmarts ontop of our local swamplands.  When this happens, there is no room for all of the displaced animals who either die, or find some new home that they will be quickly kicked out of.  What can we do? Stop shopping at Walmart? No, they have awesome deals at low prices; so take advantage of them.  Use the extra savings around your house. A simple, cost effective way to provide a natural habitat and help local wildlife is to build a birdhouse in your backyard.  Coupled with a birdfeeder and possibly a birdbath, pretty soon beautiful endangered birds and others alike will be coming from all over the neighbourhood to hang out in your back yard. Just remember, all wild animals are WILD, so dont touch them.  Just enjoy their chirps, squacks and pretty feathers from the comfort of your front portch. 

Also, another way to help all living creatures is to give back to the environment.  Humans take so much from our Earth, and everyday we consume more and more.  Our Earth can’t handle this drastic increase. While we live in luxury, fragile ecosysterms of plants and animals are being devastated.  They have lived in prosperity for millions of years, and just recently they have started dying off.  Once the plants are gone, so are the animals, and then so are we. How can one help to stop this horrible cycle? Go to your local supermarket or nursery and get packets full of seeds.  Next time you go for a walk or bike ride sprinkle the seeds in the ditch or beside the road, you dont even need to plant them.  Before you know, mother nature will nurture them into huge plantations of beautiful wildflowers, where many more generations of animals can prosper.

Washington State is home to 31 threatened or endangered specie of animals.  Stretching from the fearless Bald Eagle to the noble Chinook salmon, these animals are dying in huge numbers everyday due to human interferences.  The purpose of my blog is to highlight the causes for this drastic decline in local wildlife, and more importantly, what we can do to help it. 

Growing up, I can remember fond memories of crossing the street and darting into the forest; to build yet another room onto our already HUGE tree fort! Today, some of my favorite joys come from being outside, playing with animals, and even a little gardening.  That last time I went into the city, I was astounded by the amount of pollution and lack of greenery.  When I finally escaped back home, the fresh air reminded me how much one takes for granted a few plants and animals. It doesn’t take much effort to better our planet, if everyone helps a little, it will create a large improvement.

That is what has motivated me today to write this blog. I hope that this website will serve as an informational site to offer people important news about local wildlife that is on the brink of extinction.  Ultimately, I hope that it serves as an important archive full of rich resources the public may access in order to better the world around them.      

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