Article 5: Please Stop Killing Seals!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrlrMtqhepooutube.com/watch?v=VrlrMtqhepo

http://www.pbones.com/writings/babyharpseals.php

Seal populations were severely depleted when commercial sealing became a major industry, with the world harp seal population declining to 1.5 million.
The commercial hunting of infant harp seals (whitecoats) and infant hooded seals (bluebacks) was banned in Canada in 1987 under pressure from animal rights groups. Now seals may only be killed once they have started moulting (from 12 to 15 days of age for harp seals), as this coincides with the time when they are abandoned by their mothers. These pups, who have not yet completely moulted, are known as "ragged-jackets". Once the pups have completely moulted, they are called "beaters".

According to recent studies done by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), the hakapik, when used properly, kills the animal quickly and painlessly. A study of the 2001 Canadian seal hunt conducted by five independent veterinarians, commissioned by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), concluded that, although the hakapik is a humane means of hunting, many hunters were not using it properly. . In numerous other cases, the seals had to be struck multiple times before they were considered "unconscious."

The 2002 CVMA report, however, indicated an average time of 45.2 seconds between the animal being shot and a sealer killing it with a hakapik. The report concluded that this time compared well with established and acceptable humane killing practices according to the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards where acceptable times range from 45-300 seconds.

Please help to stop the seals killing!!! We are nobody to decide the seals's life, we are only human!!!

Article 4: Are We Threaten By Biphenol A???

http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/38407

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical produced in large quantities for use primarily in the production of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics have many applications including use in some food and drink packaging, e.g., water and infant bottles, compact discs, impact-resistant safety equipment, and medical devices. Epoxy resins are used as lacquers to coat metal products such as food cans, bottle tops, and water supply pipes. Some dental sealants and composites may also contribute to BPA exposure. Thus, human exposure to BPA majority through daily diet.

True to form, the U.S. FDA upheld their decision that BPA is safe and can remain in food packaging, including infant formula containers and baby bottles, despite the more than 100 independent studies linking the chemical to serious disorders in humans, including:
· Prostate cancer
· Breast cancer
· Diabetes
· Early puberty
· Obesity, and
· Learning and behavioral problems

A study published in the Environmental Health Perspectives in April 2008, discovered that BPA promotes the development of Th2 cells in adulthood, and both Th1 and Th2 cells in prenatal stages, by reducing the number of regulatory T cells.
This could have a profound effect on your health as Th1 and Th2 are the two “attack modes” of your immune system. Based on the type of invader, your immune system activates either Th1 or Th2 cells to get rid of the pathogen. Th1 (T Helper 1) attacks organisms that get inside your cells, whereas Th2 (T Helper 2) goes after extracellular pathogens; organisms that are found outside the cells in your blood and other body fluids.
When your Th2 are over-activated, your immune system will over-respond to toxins, allergens, normal bacteria and parasites, and under-respond to viruses, yeast, cancer, and intracellular bacteria, because as one system activates, the other is blocked.

After I have read through the article, I suggest that:
a) Don’t microwave polycarbonate plastic food containers. Polycarbonate is strong and durable, but over time it may break down from over use at high temperatures.
b) Reduce your use of canned foods.
c) When possible, opt for glass, porcelain or stainless steel containers, particularly for hot food or liquids.
d) Use baby bottles that are BPA free.

Article 3: Biofuel as solution of Environmental Problem?

www.the-signal.com/news/article/2098

Nowadays, biofuels consider as an alternative of fossil fuels, offer a reasonably good option to satisfy the fuel and energy requirement over the world. In the world transportation fuel usage, biofuels now occupy 3 percent and is expected to grow to 6.5 percent by 2012 and to 8.5 percent by 2015. Moreover, its has not only contributed significantly to energy crisis follow by increasing of petroleum prices day by day and has recently touched the hundred dollars a barrel, but possibly might become a major source of income for country.

It is said that the increased use of biofuels leading to:
a) Diversify agricultural and forestry activities
b) Improve food security
c) Contribute to sustainable development and
d) Mitigate climate change by replacing fossil fuels that leading up to global warming which attributed to greenhouse gases.

In my opinion, it was be debatable of the advantages for solution of either global warming or environmental problems caused by the fossil fuels. For instance, during the biofuels production, changes in land use whereas forests are cleared to make approach for biofuel crops leading to a massive release in greenhouse gases. We have to always keeping in mind that biofuels was the fuel produced from recently dead organic matter or biomass, it’s mainly contributed to deforestation.

Despite that, constraints regard as shortage of food supply due to the growing crops for use in biofuel production. According to International Food Policy Research Institute, around 30% of recent food price inflation can be attributed to biofuel production.

We can conclude that biofuel can be one of the solutions to environmental or economical problems caused by fossil fuel and so on. However, reappearance of other environmental pollution might attribute to biofuel application in accordance with replacement of fossil fuel by today.

Article 2: DO U LOve Salmon Fish?

http:www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30322493

More than ten years ago, the first Pacific salmon species was listed under the Endangered Species Act. Twenty-six different salmon species are now listed as threatened or endangered.

How the pesticides can affect salmon life cycle? As we know, pesticides can kill salmon directly, or perhaps more commonly, causes certain damage that reduces their chance of survival. For example:

1. Pesticides can kill fish directly.
Pesticides are capable of killing salmon directly and within a short period of time. For example, in 1996 the Talent Irrigation District’s use of the herbicide acrolein resulted in the death of almost 10,000 salmon and thousands of other fish in Bear Creek in southern Oregon.

2. Pesticides can impair swimming performance.
Swimming ability is crucial for feeding, avoidance of predators, and defense of territories. A number of studies have found that pesticides reduce swimming speed and stamina. Studies found that five different pesticides – carbaryl, chlordane, 2,4-D amine, methyl parathion, and pentachlorophenol – reduced rainbow trout swimming activity and stamina, thereby decreasing their survival ability.

3. Pesticides can increase predation.
Diazinon at very low concentrations can impair a salmon’s sense of smell, resulting in a decreased ability to avoid predators. Salmon need their sense of smell to detect alarm pheromones emitted by other salmon that direct them to hide.

4. Pesticides can harm the immune system.
Pesticides have been shown to depress the immune systems of rainbow trout and other fish species, causing a decreased ability to fight off disease.

5. Pesticides can disrupt the hormonal system.
The endocrine, or hormonal, system is particularly susceptible to disruption because of the low concentrations at which hormones operate. Pesticides at low concentrations interfere with the production and activity of sex hormones in salmon, causing decreases in the production of sperm.

If we really love to our environment, what we can do to save the salmon fish or even other aquatic life that been threatened by pesticides?

a) Each of us has responsibility to ensure the safety uses of pesticides. In addition, pesticides were damage to aquatic vegetation decreases habitat suitability and increase the salmon’s susceptibility to predation.
b) Establish pesticide use reporting for tracking of pesticide use to aid in salmon recovery.
c) Promote salmon-friendly practices that reduce reliance on pesticides.

Article 1: Oil Spill at Mississippi River

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/07/23/mississippi...pill/index.html

The Mississippi is the primary source of drinking water for the region, and workers have deployed booms around intakes for local water systems, said Paul Book, the head of the cleanup effort for barge owners American Commercial Lines.

Water intakes in the oil spill area -- those for Algiers, Gretna, St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish -- were closed to prevent contamination, though residents there still could get water through their taps because of reserve supplies, the Times-Picayune reported.
The cleanup has to be faster, said Gary LaGrange, so the hundreds of waiting ships can get to port to load and unload goods.

"Somebody's gotta move a little quicker," he said as workers spent hours doing labor intensive work to decontaminate each vessel in the area.

The spill initially covered about 90 percent of the surface of the river after a barge collided with a tanker Wednesday.

A swifter-than-normal current quickly drew the slick downstream. The Coast Guard initially closed 29 miles of the river but expanded that to 98 miles by Wednesday evening, the service said.

The heavy, sticky oil left a "real strong" smell hanging over much of downtown New Orleans, said Carl Bauder, who runs a barber shop near the foot of Canal Street.

As we know, oil spill creates a huge oil cover or layer over the water surface which spreads over millions of miles. This oil cover prevents or blocks the interaction between air and water, due to which the oxygen level inside the water very rapidly decreases creating problems in breathing for marine animals like fishes etc. and plants. Ultimately they start dying and oceans become the fish graveyards, destroying the marine life.

Oil spills simultaneously can have a serious economic impact on coastal activities and on those who exploit the resources of the sea. In most cases such damage is temporary and is caused primarily by the physical properties of oil creating nuisance and hazardous conditions. The impact on marine life is compounded by toxicity and tainting effects resulting from the chemical composition of oil, as well as by the diversity and variability of biological systems and their sensitivity to oil pollution.

Biologically, the oil spill coats the surface of the water so that when mammals like whales & dolphins come up for air, they get coated in oil. This stops them from being able to breathe properly and also can make it hard for them to swim. Sea birds get coated in oil as they dive for food. The oil covers their feathers and they can't fly. Oil kills ocean plant-life and eventually when it comes ashore, coats coastal areas, causing damage to coastal dwelling animals, insects & birds.

The impact of oil on shorelines may be particularly great where large areas of rocks, sand and mud are uncovered at low tide. The amenity value of beaches and rocky shores may require the use of rapid and effective clean-up techniques, which may not be compatible with the survival of plants and animals.

Birds which congregate in large numbers on the sea or shorelines to breed, feed or moult are particularly vulnerable to oil pollution. Although oil ingested by birds during preening may be lethal, the most common cause of death is from drowning, starvation and loss of body heat following damage to the plumage by oil.

Industries that rely on a clean supply of seawater for their normal operations can be adversely affected by oil spills. Hotel and restaurant owners and others who gain their livelihood from the tourist trade can also be affected.
Since the public may be unwilling to purchase marine products from the region irrespective of whether the seafood is actually tainted lead to an increasing or decreasing of prices in different ways as follow:
i) SUPPLY EFFECTS: Lower supply causes increase in prices.
ii) DEMAND EFFECTS: Supply disruptions cause loss of markets with concerns about tainted fish cause lower demand and lower price.

What we can do? Most importantly, we have to find ways to avoid using oil in the first place: for example, we can bicycle, walk, or take the bus rather than taking a car to some places we need to go. Lower oil usage will be reducing needs to be transported, and there's a lower risk of future oil spills. We should understand that it is because we rely on oil that we run the risk of oil spills. That means that all of us share both the responsibility for creating the problem of oil spills and the responsibility for finding ways to solve the problem.

External Hard Disk

Dear all,

Did any of you are familiar to the price of external hard disk?

I'm plan to buy one on this weekend at KLCC PC Fair or maybe not depend on my schedule......

Any suggestion/opinion for me?

ps: The external hard disk memory is 120-160GB for my option.

How to Post our Assignment 1 in blog?

Dear dr & all my friend,

How we post our assignment 1 (comment of article selected) in blog?

As seen it will be a problem because some of us was lack of time & skills to post a assignment.........there will be so rushing.........

Any option on it?