Nature

    Unparalleled changes in the global environment especially of the climate were already taking place with the entry of various unexpected calamities especially in developing countries.  As a result, the main sustainability of the Earth itself is now highly in question. In the19th century, the worlds climate has remained unchanged primarily due to the limited activities of the people of the world as well as on the limited growth of the population. Unexpectedly, after 200 years, changes began to take place especially in the environment. To be specific, improvements in the technology as well as in medicine has provided the big leaps to the explosion of human population. As a result, 99 of all humans who ever lived are still alive today due to the developments in medical technology. In the same manner, fossil fuel energies or non-renewable sources of energies like coal, oil and gas have been rampant in usage that became the source of energy for all humans. These sources of energy have facilitated the rapid industrialization of countries resulting to further fuel consumption. The carbon found in fossil fuels was gradually produced from the decay of plants stored in the Earths crust that stayed there millions of years ago. The burning of carbon for the past 150 years has augmented the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by about 33 percent. Carbon dioxide is known as a greenhouse gas that has the ability to trap the lower atmosphere bringing heat to our planet (Hardy, p. 11).

    Heavy dependence of developed countries on fossil fuels has triggered the global warming that brought changes on the global climate including the behavior of weather disturbances like typhoons and hurricanes. These results to the worsening deterioration of the global environment which is the main focus of this international relations research paper. To be specific, this paper will analyze the causes and effects of global environment deterioration and what sets of actions could be taken to stop the bleeding of the planet.

Historical Roots of Global Environment Deterioration
Major changes in the global environment or of the planet as a whole have been primarily link or related to the significant changes in the world economy especially with the birth of globalization. This economic phenomenon has allowed countries to use other countries resources for the purpose of generating income without regard to the effect of such operations to the environment. Economic globalization is actually promoting or adding to the problems of the environment because of the following (1) economic growth that is considered environmentally destructive (2) decline in the capacity of national governments for the regulation of environmental challenges (3) increase in the power and reach of multinational companies (4) the growth of environmentally harmful sectors like mining and transportation (5) the increased probability of global economic crises (6) the decline of established local controls on the use of resources (7) the clear separation of impact and action from obligation (8) the continuing dominance of the growth imperative and (9) the swift multiplication of invasive species resulting from the biological homogenization (Speth, 2004).

Another root of the global environment deterioration was the exponential growth of the human population. In the year 2008, the world approximately recorded the world population at 6.7 billion people. In a collective manner, these people are consuming huge amounts of food, raw materials, energy and water that, in turn, produced vast amounts of wastes and pollution. Population estimates suggested that by the year 2050, world population could reach by around 9.3 billion or 10 billion by the end of this century unless death rates rise significantly (Miller, Brewer and Spoolman, p. 218).
Global warming is considered a human-induced environmental problem due to the activities of people that bring negative changes to the environment. To be specific, human activities like poor agricultural practices results to the loss of soil and quickly followed by its impoverishment due to the loss of minerals, groundwater over-extraction, and damages due to acid rain. These are some examples of environmental degradations that highly impact on both local and regional scales.  Another environmental hazard, which is considered the effect of global environment degradation or global warming, is the rise of sea level. Based on studies, an increase in the average level of the sea by 12 centimeters by the year 2030 could not highly affect the environment and the people living in coastal areas (Houghton, p. 54). Nevertheless, half of the population of the world lives or inhabits in coastal areas or zones. As such, the low lying areas are considered the most fertile and densely populated areas. People living in these communities are vulnerable to problems that would be brought about even by a fraction of a meter rise in sea level. Countries that are especially in danger of sea level increase include low lying areas like Bangladesh and related delta regions, the Netherlands, and tiny low-lying islands of the Pacific and other huge oceans.

Climate change that is considered human induced is a recognized phenomenon nowadays. At present, people have the ability to predict how the climate will change and how these changes will actually affect the environment. Global debates continue to flourish regarding the degree of future change that provides the uncertainties on the impact of climate change to the environment (Hardy, 2003). Environmental groups pushed for drastic and immediate steps to be taken by governments to curtail emissions of greenhouse gases with the passage of various international treaties like the Kyoto Protocol. In this agreement, many countries have agreed to limit their greenhouse gas emissions however countries that is emitting the greatest share of the worlds greenhouse gas emissions were reluctant to cut their emissions, making these global treaties ineffective.

As a process that is considered worldwide and human generated, global climate change is a known as an addition to the number of environmental health hazards faced by humankind (McMichael and World Health Organization, p. 86). New viruses that affect humans have been reported to kill and affect the health of several populations. Famous of them was the entry of a new virus called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS and the recent health damages caused by Influence AH1N1 virus. These diseases provided evidence that activities of human beings are greatly affecting the balance of energyheat exchange between the space, the atmosphere and the Earth itself that induced global climate change. In this case, a warmer climate could have far reaching effects to forestry and agriculture, unmanaged and managed ecosystems that includes human health, natural habitats, and sea level and water resources depending on the responses of the climate. In addition, a volatile climate could bring changes to regional practices in agriculture, stability of harvests or yields could decline in some regions, and survival of some pests in the months of winter may increase. Likewise, productivity of forests may decline in selected regions and global climate changes, when added to other stressors of the environment could generate major disturbances in various regions of the world (Karling, p. 63).

    Negative environmental changes could bring in conflicts as diverse as terrorism, war or disputes in the area of trade and diplomatic relations (Homer-Dixon, p. 89). Moreover, global environmental deterioration could have various causal roles and may include many physical, political and economic factors. To be specific, experts argued that conflicts may arise due to global environmental changes with the shift of the balance of power among states either globally or regionally that could produce instabilities leading to war or aggression. As such, government leaders and the participation of the public sector could somehow curb the burgeoning problem of global environment deterioration.
Social Causes of Global Environmental Deterioration

    The orientation on most consumers called dominant preference is considered the hindrance to the effective implementation of environmental measures. For instance, in purchasing a car, style and color are far more significant in most of the decisions of consumers than emission control or fuel efficiency. As such, citizens and parents are afraid that this type of consumer preference could replace the concept of consumerism as the main foundation of popular structures of preferences. To be specific, the parent would usually be worried about the security or safety of the automobile while citizens will be concerned with the carbon emissions of the automobile which could contribute to greenhouse gas emissions In this regard even environmentalists are considering the communities as one of the organized factors of global environmental deterioration (Hempel, p. 16). Communities are defined as populations that are interacting with limited size and are having collective sense of obligation or responsibility.

Continuity preserved the common goals and lasting relationships of communities. However, environmentalists claimed that these community goals and relationships are not assured to be environmentally sound. They added that the quality of the environment primarily relies on the improvement of community goals that link the environment as a priority. Ecological literacy is needed to have local knowledge and sense about the place where we are living in for the great purpose of protecting, preserving and understanding the quality of the environment and life within biotic communities (Viotti and Kauppi, p. 28). The process of ecological literacy promotes the centralization of natural landscapes within the diversity of developing the human mindscapes. However, the birth of the global village could be a hindrance to the formation of a real community that cares to the environment due to its nature of virtualization.

Approaching Realism in Dealing with the Environment
Realism is defined as the inclination towards literal truth and pragmatism. The problem of global environment deterioration is considered a real phenomenon and so the need for real and genuine environmental policies to avert the bleeding of the planet is badly necessary. Efforts of one country could not stop the effects of climate change in the environment but a collective effort towards the mitigation of the causes of climate change would be a favorable solution. Since developed countries are the primary emitters of greenhouse gases, they should be required to sign treaties that are pro-environment. In the end, they will be blamed for the destruction and unusual calamities brought about by global warming. However, countries like the United States always have their reasons for not complying with international treaties like the Kyoto Protocol. Two central issues have emerged as the United States designs its strategies for the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. The first issue is on how to limit compliance costs while still maintaining the integrity of the environment and the second issue was on how to involve developing countries in a combined effort of limiting carbon emissions. A new strategy called the Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism was also known as the worlds largest offset market. Offsets markets that are well designed could play a big role in the process of engaging developing countries as well as the encouragement of sound investment mechanisms for the control of greenhouse gas emissions (Viotti and Kauppi, p. 37). To be specific, the United States should be able to collaborate with developing countries and talk about the possibility of establishing a Climate Fund for the purpose of financing critical changes in the policies of developing countries leading to reductions of greenhouse gases in the short term. This step is considered a realistic act for the purpose of reducing carbon emissions worldwide. Meanwhile, the Copenhagen environment summit to be held in December of 2009 could be a milestone for the establishment of pro-environment initiatives that would save the global environment from deterioration.

The Global Environment is Deteriorated
It is evident nowadays that the global environment is continuously going into worse due to the severe calamities experienced by developing countries like the Philippines which was primarily caused by global warming and climate change that generated unusual weather disturbance in most developing countries. As such, the author stands firmly on the issue that the global environment is in a crisis due to human activities that generates imbalances in the environment. Global environment crisis refers to the deterioration or decay of the worlds natural resources due to the activities of people that harm their existence (Redclift, p. 77). It is clear that the worlds people do not fully understand the actions that can influence the changes in the global climate.

Operations of factories in most developed countries still continue despite of the fact that they are emitting excessive carbon dioxide to the worlds atmosphere (Houghton, p. 89). As a result, global climate has changed significantly due to the following factors (1) chemical changes happening in the atmosphere due to the increased in carbon dioxide concentration in the air (2) the presence of aerosols and dust (3) clearing of land, inundation and the building of new cities and (4) the use of non-renewable sources of energy (Singer, 1975). Despite of the fact that the exploitation of fossil fuels has produced several negative externalities to the environment, governments still continue to adapt these system of acquiring energy with no concern to its global effects. To be specific, the carbon dioxide generated by these fossil fuels has contributed to global warming of the climate. These results to the suffering of people around the world due to the poor quality of the air they breathe affecting their overall health conditions. Likewise, water pollution has been the result of the continued operation of fossil fuel and coal plants with the past oil spills in major water bodies in the world. These factors especially the fossil fuel use has greatly contributed to global environment deterioration. In this case, debates are not anymore needed to prove that the environment is deteriorated or not. Instead, swift actions should be taken by various governments and non-government organizations to reduce or eradicate the effect of human activities to the environment. As mentioned, aside from governments collaboration, small communities must do their share by making sure that their wastes are properly disposed or segregated, products that consumers are purchasing are not environmentally harmful and making sure that transportation facilities are environmentally compliant.

The global environment is evidently deteriorated but there is plenty of time for governments and the private sector to act on the issue. It is a matter of political willingness to curb the effects of global warming. Likewise, films and documentaries that showed how the world will be depleted if actions were not taken today are signs that we are actually the burden of depletion of our planet. The need to act collectively and in harmony against carbon emitters is important to address the problem of climate change and global warming. Non-government organizations like the Greenpeace International and World Wildlife Fund are consistently rallying for the purpose of enlightening the minds of leaders regarding the harmful effects of economic growth and globalization to the environment. These organizations are also focus on the effects of various non-renewable sources of energy that largely affect the earths atmosphere. On our part, we have to do things that are environment friendly so that we can do our tiny share for the global environment. Reuse, Reduce and Recycle are some of the efforts we can take to help mitigate the effects of our activities to the global environment.

The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 was one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in U.S. history. Being on the most northern part of the San Andreas Fault, in 60 seconds the 7.8-7.9 earthquake reduced a thriving city to rubble, fire, and chaos (USGS, 2009, pg.1). From San Francisco to southern Los Angeles, and even as far as southern Oregon and inland Nevada, the force of the quake could be felt. Shaking damage didnt just harm the City by the Bay, but any city or town on or close to the fault line. Between the earthquake and fires caused by the friction, over 700 people died and many others lost their livelihoods at an appalling cost of 400 million dollars (USGS, 2009, pg.1).This earthquake has always served as a warning of what could come again and because of it planning and preparation needed to be enacted to save lives and property.

Recently, a major comprehensive study was completed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), so that geologists could understand how the 1906 earthquake formed, where it caused the most damage, and how certain aspects could be prevented or prepared for in the future. This is because in the future, scientists know many parts along the fault line will be hit again and where the most damage is likely to occur. Prior to the 1970s there really werent enough proper measures put in place to secure buildings and property from future damage (The Next Big Quake, 2006). By conducting this study, scientists were able to see what types of building materials couldnt be used or which current buildings needed to be reinforced, as well as make recommendations for future earthquake events.

    In the next few decades, a major earthquake is predicted to hit Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, and the USGS has put in place several precautions for all communities on or in the path of destruction. First, it is recommended that each community know their risks whether they are property owners or inhabitants. It should be no surprise of potential problems they might face. Next, people need to be self-sufficient. If major damage does occur, people will need to have the appropriate supplies and materials until essential help arrives. Third, people need to have a plan to care for the most vulnerable the sick, the elderly, those with disabilities, et cetera. These people cant help themselves and will need proper assistance. Fourth, there must be collaborations with regional governments to plan and prepare for upcoming earthquake disasters. This way they can help each other out as well as share possible costs. Last, additional areas such as safeguarding hospitals and shelters, and preparing for economic recovery when an inevitable earthquake does occur should be considered (The Next Big Quake, 2006).

This San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 was another reminder of how destructive an earthly frictional force can be in only a matter of minutes. It showed the damage, destruction, and problems people faced during a natural disaster.  Because of this, they must be studied and researched legislation put in place that will protect people and their communities from harsh damage from future disasters that occur.

The dispute between Los Angeles and the Owens valley which is located in California over who has the rights for water that is in Sierra Nevada has come to be described as the California water wars. The location of Los Angeles being in a semi arid it always needed the water which runoff to the Owens valley thus creating the conflict. (Laura, 2010)

The war for water began in 1898 as soon as Frederick Eaton was voted as the mayor of Los Angeles and chose William Mulholland one of his closest friends as the senior administrator of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). (Laura, 2010)

Eaton along with Mulholland had a vision of making Los Angeles a far bigger city than the Los Angeles of previous centuries. The development and growth of Los Angeles was limited by lack of a good water supply. Thus Eaton and Mulholland discovered that Owens Valley had a vast quantity of overflow originating from the Sierra Nevada, furthermore a well built supply canal possibly would carry the Owens water to Los Angeles. A large amount of the water rights were obtained using deception, with acquisitions dividing water corporations as well as infuriating neighbors against each one and the other. (Laura, 2010)

The acquirement of these water rights led to fury amongst local farmers, which exploded into full violence in 1924, at the same time portions of the water system were interfered with by neighboring farmers. Finally Los Angeles obtained a huge portion of the water rights to above the land in the valley in that all inflows to Owens Lake were nearly entirely sidetracked. The lake afterward desiccated fully, leaving the current alkali objects which afflict the southern valley through alkali dust tempest (Laura, 2010).

As a lot of natives traveled to California when the United States took over the territory following the1847 Mexican American war in as well as the1849 gold rush, innovative systems of transportation were initiated. Steamships embarked on normal services from San Francisco in addition to that the earliest transcontinental railroad was launched. These developments united California with the eastern as well as the central parts of the United States (Laura, 2010).

The opportunity unlocked by the opening up of this border line also allowed the newly settled land to be used for farming as well as for grazing. Agriculture as well as livestock major development was founded. This increase in inhabitants along with homestead led to some clashes which included a war of water among farmers and ranchers close to the Owen valley and the fast growing city of Los Angeles which had been developed in a dry region in southern California. The taking of so much water by Eaton along with Mulholland from the normally productive valley ultimately made it desiccated and useless for agriculture. (Walton, 1992)

In 1970, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power finished a second canal from Owens Valley. More and more of the surface water got diverted and the groundwater started being drained to provide for the new canal. Owens Valley wells and seeps dried up and vanished, in addition vegetation which was dependent on the groundwater started to die.According to Dan OSullivan the pursuit for legal action began and in 1997 a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between
Memorandum of understanding The Owens Valley Committee, Los Angeles Inyo County, the Sierra Club, as well as other involved factions.A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action...

The memorandum gave specific provisions of how the lower Owens River could be re-watered by June of 2003. LADWP fail to meet this deadline and was taken to court again. In a different agreement, and this instance included the State of California, Los Angeles guaranteed by September 2005 it would re-water the lower Owens River. By February 2005, LADWP stated that it was doubtful if it would meet the extended deadline but at least by 2008 Los Angeles had re-watered the lower Owens River (OSullivan)

Being a fertile fishery ground, the California Delta has hosted  a number of important events in deep fishing history for instance the discovery of flipping by Thomas Dee, four BASS victories by Robert Lees, as well as 14-pound, 9-ounce largemouth in 1999 by  Mark Tylers which  still stands as the largest ever trapped in a Bass contest. What traditionally has been a place for tough battles fought between anglers has become the scene for a soaring sequence of conflict in Californias ongoing wars on water. The state government of California, along with the states corporate agricultural businesses, is determined to modify the course of the states main central watercourse as well as freshwater fishery (OSullivan).

OSullivan states the California Delta is a man made levees and a complex network which holds the greater part of Californias most precious product and that is water. although mainly well-known for its link to the San Francisco Bay, the Delta ultimately gets the water which is released from Shasta Dam, which also gets its water from the McCloud River, Sacramento River, as well as the Pit River from the Oroville Dam, which eventually holds back the Feather River from Folsom Dam which includes both forks of the American River.

Between the three biggest watershed storage reservoirs in northern California, the San Joaquin River is the heart of the Delta. In addition the vast and plenty of fresh water coming from the northern part of California as well as the eastern Sierra Mountains go all the way to the California Delta (OSullivan)

The California state is making every effort to redirect much of the water supply of the Delta through a Bay Delta Conservation Plan, or BDCP for which its plans began in 2008.part of the agreement is the construction of 500 foot wide canal known as the New Conveyance which will take out fresh water from the Sacramento River above the Delta and carry it all around the middle of the Delta to Tracy. It is assumed that this is just a resurgence of an earlier Peripheral Canal discarded by voters back in 1982. Alongside the most modern canal, a sequence of tide management gates will be constructed, where two will be permanently in the western Delta and two will be located in the central Delta as long term solutions. This is so as to let the fresh water which flows into the system on high surge to be controlled as the wave starts to turn around for the outflow (OSullivan).

Johnson in his article the water wars Californias salmon versus agribiz interests pushes the notion that water and money surges in the same direction in California State. He adds that the salmon fishers of West Coast have been denied of their constitutional rights and source of revenue by influential corporate agricultural individuals in the San Joaquin Valley. Despite the fact that they are a small number, the managers as well as the owners of these huge agricultural production ventures have been capable to grab the states water for their personal use through effectively sponsored political lobbying as well as a sophisticated publicity campaign.

They precisely obtain water pursuant through junior state water human rights which means they come instantly second in allocation following individuals who have held these civil rights longer.  However the regulator has been cranked extensively and has become open in favor of them, at extremely subsidized costs. Nevertheless their single reaction has been to solicit for more. Even more disheartening is that theyre not even using it for growing crops instead they are selling it.

Conclusion
In 1982 the time the Peripheral Canal was rejected by the voters, the population of California was almost 25 million. At the moment, the people of California are more than 38 million and this number is increasing. The unfortunate thing is that the water resource as well as the infrastructure network which is in place presently, is basically the same like it was in the 1960s, at a time where the general population was approximately 15 million people. For this reason, demography is not essentially the future when the Californias water system is put into consideration.

What we can learn from the accounts and the histories of the California water wars at the moment is that it is really doubtful if there will ever be any political faction that would be able to bring a solution to what we would call The Perfect Drought except there is an  event which is catastrophic, similar to the levees in the Sacramento Delta rupturing owing to too much rainfall or maybe an earthquake on the San Andreas Fault, similar to the current one in China, which would  result to a breach of the levees which surround the delta. The water fortunes in Southern California could be reliant on an erratic catastrophic event. Despite the fact that we cannot have power over political authority, brilliant leaders ought to be tolerant as well as preparing for it. This is because water wars are long-lasting conflicts of attrition and to those who are patient and enduring along with being unrelenting get the rewards of triumph.

Todays western world has a lot to claim in the form of all the development and progress that has taken place around us. The innumerable gadgets and appliances, which were never there before for our grandmothers must make us proud our cell phones and computers the toys our children play with and our microwaves and processed food, because we no longer have time to cook. However, we dont realize what this consumerist culture is doing to our environment and health.

We believe that all these goods that we are consuming today are being paid for from our paychecks. However, in reality all this progress is costing us our trees and clean drinking water, our natural habitats, our fragile eco system, and our climate and health.

We are damaging the natural equilibrium of our planet without thinking of the consequences...so immersed are we shopping. The impact of consumerism, to put it concisely, is devastating for our environmental health.

Due to our greed to consume more and more, we have exposed ourselves to a number of diseases that are increasing in their intensity. Every year more than five million children die of environment related diseases such as diarrhea and malaria (WHO).

We have contaminated our bodies to a point where we have high levels of contaminants even in breast milk.

Womens exposure to high levels of toxins and chemicals in air and food is causing infertility and other reproduction related complications (WHO).

Unbridled exploitation of natural recourses is doing irrevocable damage to our fragile ecological system.

Extraction of local resources destroys the natural habitat and life style of the natives and leaves them in abject poverty.

Deforestation, combined with the emission of green house gases is not only raising the temperature of our planet, but also changing the climate for worst.

A number of developing countries are at risk due to rising sea levels.

These resources are devoured only to be treated with poisonous chemicals with utmost care, to produce goods for our consumption.

These goods include toys which are contaminated by lead, among other toxins (Rysavy).

What happens to these goods once we have consumed and discarded them is any bodys guess. Recycling is not the solution it has been made out to be.

Unsustainable production sustains the corporations but threatens our existence.

Our mental health is also in no better conditions. We have more goods and less happiness.

One link in this chain the corporations that would rather cut trees than cut their profit can be contained if the society decides to change its way of life.

The story of stuff questions the entire structure of the post WW II western world. Materialistic consumerism has affected us in a way that will take generations to rectify, if rectification is begun before it is too late.

    About four billion years ago, the only place where life can exist was formed. Approximately 71 of the Earths surface is covered with water and the remaining percent comprises the land. As years passed on, changes were made to the world. People grew more technologically advanced and polluted the Earth. Resources became scarce and nations fought each other for survival. Indeed the more people grew more advanced, the faster they destroyed the Earth.

    At present, we have various ways to utilize the resources provided by our planet. Scientists continuously research ways on how to improve the lives of the people. However, though these advancements benefit the people, our planet is paying the price. Natural disasters are occurring because of the peoples obliviousness to the call of the Earth.

    Human beings are social creatures which mean they cannot live in isolation. At the same time, other creatures cannot live by themselves so they depend on others for food and the environment for as shelter. Ecology or the study of the abundance and distribution of organisms and their interaction with the environment is an essential part of a persons learning (Miller 51). Ecology focuses on the development of the ecosystems, life processes and biodiversity. Though the etymology of the word is remains to be uncertain, there is a general consensus that Ernst Haeckel, a German biologist first used the term in 1869 in his book Generelle Morpologie der Organismen (Rana 1). This study is preferred because of its many uses in the management of the natural resources and the further understanding of the human interaction.

Ecology is an established branch of science at the present. Ecologists around the world are striving to look for ways to decrease the rate of destruction of nature. Despite the lack of funding that the ecologists experience, they are doing their best to educate the people about how to save the Earth. The ecosystems of the planet are tied with the environment in which humans live in. What people do affects not only themselves but also the plants and other creatures around them. The natures machinery is gradually deteriorating even before the people figure out the full capacity of the world (Goodland 28). If the people are responsible for the deterioration of the environment then the people are also responsible for the deterioration of the ecosystems where other creatures live in.

    Much of the damages done to the Earth are irreversible now. The irresponsible ways of the people when they are disposing their trash are damaging the environment. One effect of pollution is the unusual acidity of the rainfall. The emissions released by factories which are harmful to the environment causes acid rain (McCormick xv).  Acid rain has adverse effects on animals, plants and the health of the people. The soil becomes polluted therefore trees and other vegetation cannot grow properly. Acidic rain also causes skin diseases such as cancer to the people. 

The threat of global warming is around us. We can see the effects of the threat when we turn on our televisions or read the newspaper. Earthquakes and great floods which kill thousands of people are occurring more often and the people are powerless to stop it. Over the centuries, the people learned to adapt to their climate and if a single disturbance happens, the people tend to be incapable of saving themselves (Houghton 8). Global warming is the continuous increase in the Earths average near-surface air and water temperature. If the problem of global warming is not addressed immediately, unusual weather events may occur and the ice caps may possibly melt that may submerge several low-lying countries.

The study of ecology therefore is important in order to understand the causes and consequences of ecological damages that the people create (Freedman xi). Though it may take years before researchers can completely comprehend solutions to the ecological problems, people should always keep in mind that they should take care of the environment they live in. If the people will remain oblivious to the problems they are causing, then they will be affected by more calamities sooner or later.

I believe that materialism also plays a role in the continuous destruction of the environment. Materialism is the idea that everything in this world is either made up of matter or fully dependent on matter for its existence. Some people are taking the concept of materialism seriously to the point that they are truly dependent on material things for their daily activities. If we look at the situation closely, instead of bridging people, materialism is creating a rift between people- the first group who are filled with luxury and the second group who are basically deprived of material convenience (Kasser ix).
Before we delve into the connection between materialism and the environment, it is important to understand first the effects of materialism to the peoples way of thinking. Most of us are either consciously or unconsciously seduced into believing that having more wealth and material things are essential to a persons life. Whenever we open the television or read magazines, we always see advertisements about luxurious things and these advertisements make the public want more. Even though the thing is not a necessity, they are enticed to buy more and consume more. Consciously or unconsciously, we are becoming more and more materialistic or more concerned with material possessions rather than spiritual and cultural values.

So what does materialism got to do with the destruction of nature When people demand more, manufacturers create more. Manufacturers use their factories more and their unprecedented utilization of resources is harmful to the environment. For an instance, when people demand more paper, manufacturers cut more trees. These trees are more often than not never replaced by the loggers who cut them and therefore cause soil erosion and flooding. If the trees used to make paper and other things are not replaced sooner, then the much feared global warming will have worsening effects.

    Another example is when people buy several cars which they do not need. Cars are not basic necessities. However, people still feel the need to buy it because of everyday demands. They use it to go to work, go places or just for collections. I actually do not see the reason why people need to purchase several cars especially when they do not use them regularly. More cars mean more demand for oil products. When there are also more cars in the streets, then there will be more pollution and a greater chance of increasing the greenhouse gases in the world.

    Indeed consuming and buying is not wrong especially if it is really needed by the person. What is wrong in this kind of scenario is the fact that when we, the people, consume too much, we often disregard the consequences it brings to nature. We should always remember that what we have in our lives came from nature so therefore we should do our share in conserving the environment. It does not necessarily mean that we should all study ecology and research ways on how to save the planet. What is important is we are aware of the present situation of our planet and we are doing our parts to save it. Our planet, the Earth, is the only place where we can live. So if we do not save it now, then we will be left with no place to live at all in the future.

Global warming conspiracy
The Great Global Warming Swindle documentary was aired on 8th March 2007 in the channel 4 screen. The documentary was confiscating global warming is not as a result of the green house gases which in turn results from human activities. This contradicts the scientific consensus for the causes of climate change and the campaign for the reduction of these gases. But the documentary was full of confusing and misappropriating information that I need to justify.

I will examine their devastating presentation which includes that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is not the cause of the higher temperatures. They claimed this to be the opposite where the increase in temperature has led to the increase in the carbon dioxide concentration. This was supported using the 1940-1970 temperature fall arguing that the fall was not as a result of increased carbon dioxide since at the time the co2 levels were still moving up. (William 1).

First, in order to justify their arguments, they manipulated the data used in the plotting or choose a graph from unreliable sources. The result for the temperatures fall in the four decades was comprehensively explained in the IPCC and this resulted due to the increased presence of sulphates in the atmosphere resulting from the increased industrial activities. These aerosols acted as inhibitors pr a cloud and shielded the solar direct radiation thus a cooling effect. Increased warming over time has led to the continued rising of temperatures as from 1980 the effect was turning to be a positive feed back mechanism and the rising is continued. (Mihkel M 104).

The film was advocating that scientists argue that global warming is only due to the green house gases. But this is not the case, since the solar activity has a minima influence to this. This has been used to explain some differences. If one was to consider the solar activity, the solar activity is related with the cloud formation the cloud cover above the surface varies with the intensity of galactic cosmic radiation. The magnetic storms resulting from a high level of solar activity, coronal holes, solar flares and mass ejections diminishes the incoming cosmic radiation and reduces the cloud cover. This would allow more solar radiation to reach the earth surface and higher secondary radiation thus increased global temperatures. However, there seems to be some little delay inn the temperature response to solar activity as the scientists had illustrated. (Mihkel M 105).

Ironically, considering on the sunspot cycle and earths temperatures the duration should be affected by the seven to seventeen years cycle length.  This also illustrates the four decades difference.
Fig (c) Temperature and solar activity correlation.


The film was advocating that the temperatures should be high in the higher troposphere and not in the surface. In effect to this science has proven that at higher altitudes in the atmosphere, carbon dioxide undergoes some photochemical reactions and produces carbon monoxide. This is given by the equation
CO2  hv  CO  O
          (uv)
  This is a significant source of carbon monoxide at these levels. This nullifies the effects of carbon dioxide in the rising of temperatures in the troposphere with respect to that of the surface. (Tyagi O 45).

The film also presented on the 800 years lag of carbon dioxide to that of the rise in temperature, arguing that the gas cannot then be responsible for the climate change. They used the ice age evidence for this. He argued that rising temperatures then are the causes to the rise in carbon dioxide levels. This is a misconception and a dispute of the theory. Whereas the ice cores cannot be disputed they show that CO2 levels changes over long timescales, but the temperatures are linked with the CO2 levels. Reduced ice causes less reflection of sunlight, which leads to warmer temperatures and increased green house effect. Therefore, carbon dioxide and the amount of ice should lag temperatures for a glacial time frame. This can also be explained through the 800 period taken by the natural ocean currents to complete a circulation. The currents may act as transport of the deep stored oceanic CO2 and bring it to the surface. (Simon Rosser 72).

For the Al Gore case I truly differ with his claim on rising of sea level to that magnitude. There is enough evidence to show that the rise in the sea level is very minimal and cannot each to those heights by one hundred years. He also suggests that the polar bears were drowning due to the global warming through melting of ice. This usually happened due to a heavy storm in the region.

In conclusion, the film was a conspiracy and an entertainment gimmick. This is shown by their baseless theories and contradicting arguments. Careful examination is required before the airing of these documentaries to avoid misinformation.

    The Bald Eagle always symbolized the power and prosperity of the American nation. North American cultures treated the Bald eagle as their sacred bird. For many decades, the Bald eagle carried a status of the divine messenger between people and gods, and it was not until the 20th century that Bald eagles were included into the list of endangered species. Under the influence of urbanization, industrialization, and ecological factors, the number of Bald eagles in the American continent dramatically dropped. Those who survived did not have a chance to breed successfully. Today, a whole range of programs and laws work to resuscitate Bald eagle populations in North America, and Bald eagle projects will, most probably, restore Bald eagle to the point when it will be removed from the threatened species list.

The Bald eagle (or Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a large raptor, with a wingspread of around 7 feet, with dark brown body, dark brown wings, white head and tail, and a yellow beak (U.S. Fish  Wildlife Service). Adult plumage in Bald eagles is obtained by the 6th year (U.S. Fish  Wildlife Service). The major population locations of the Bald eagle in the United States include Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas (U.S. Fish  Wildlife Service). Arizona is currently the central location and the basic element of monitoring Bald eagle populations in America U.S. Fish  Wildlife Service constantly monitors Bald eagle populations, their location and migration, and supports numerous Bald eagle restoration projects in the U.S. (U.S. Fish  Wildlife Service).

No one knows the number of Bald eagles that lived in America before European settlement, but once Bald eagles could be seen in every state (Patent  Munoz 33). The number of Bald eagles in the lower 48 states ranged between 25,000 and 75,000, and as more and more people settled across the continent, the number of Bald eagles gradually decreased (Patent  Munoz 33). Urbanization and industrialization destroyed the places where Bald eagles used to settle, and the 350 years following European settlement in America were accompanied by the steady decrease in Bald eagle populations (Patent  Munoz 33). To raise their families, Bald eagles need peace and quiet they need high trees to carry their heavy nests, but cities destroy forests and, as a result, threaten Bald eagles, leaving them no opportunity to breed successfully (Patent  Munoz 33). However, urbanization and industrialization were not the only factors that threatened the stability of Bald eagle populations in America.

As far as in the late 1940s, Bald eagle populations were dropping with an alarming speed, and by the middle of the 1960s, only five hundred of breeding pairs survived (Patent  Munoz 34). American biologists feared that Bald eagles would disappear from the face of the American continent. However, the cause of the trouble was soon discovered  DDT, a dangerous pesticide used to control insects and crop pests, got into the food chain, contaminating fish and prey which eagles ate (Patent  Munoz 35). The pesticide did not kill Bald eagles but made their egg shells thinner and weaker as a result, parent birds that sought to warm up their eggs would break them, killing the unborn birds (Patent  Munoz 35). Since the middle of the 1960s, Bald eagles have been included into the list of endangered species, meaning that the state would engage in the development and implementation of various Bald eagle restoration policies. In 1995, their status was changed to threatened to signify increased bird population and improved reproduction (Jenkins  Sherrod 810). Today, a whole set of national and state laws protect Bald eagles, and their population gradually increases.

In 2002, the Bald eagle was reintroduced at Channel Islands National Park (Anonymous 14). The Channel Islands reintroduction was one of the numerous projects aimed to resuscitate the endangered species and to give Bald eagles another chance to live and raise their families. Each year, the park would release 12 chicks into its park zone to see how well birds could survive the Californian climate (Anonymous 14). It should be noted, that before the DDT accident, Channel Islands had been one of the major locations for Bald eagles. Given that the park covers a key coastal area at which bald eagles once resided, the project is likely to become the turning point in the development and spreading of Bald eagles over the continent (Anonymous 14). The project gives some hope to those, who long to see Bald eagles back to Channel Islands.

Bald eagle populations in Oklahoma also display positive growth as of 2003, the population of Bald eagles in Oklahoma was 4 times greater compared with the recovery goal set by the Northern States Bald Eagle Recovery Team (Jenkins  Sherrod 812). Those increases in Bald eagle populations mostly were due to the increase of favorable habitat, the decrease of DDT in the environment, and the reintroduction of species similar to that in Channels Islands (Jenkins  Jerrod 812). The media keep spreading the message about the successful restoration all over the North American states, and the Hudson Valley has recently become an object of the peer media attention the Bald Eagle Fest held at Croton Point Park aimed to attract public attention to the Bald eagle problem and to celebrate positive changes in Bald eagle populations nesting in the Hudson Valley (Lombardi). Once endangered, the bald eagle has rebounded in recent decades but remains under the protection of the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Correll). All these attempts and strategies will likely result in the Bald eagle population increase and will help to resuscitate Bald eagle populations to the point, when they will be removed from the threatened species list.

The Bald Eagle is fairly regarded as one of the basic symbols of the American continent. For years, the Bald Eagle symbolized the power and prosperity of the American nation. European settlement, industrialization, urbanization, and ecological factors have significantly reduced the number of Bald eagles in America and since the 1960s, Bald eagles have been included into the endangered species list. Today, the federal and state laws protect Bald eagles, and numerous projects work to restore Bald eagle populations in the American continent. Bald eagle populations gradually increase, and their status is now changed to threatened. Obviously, Bald eagle strategies and initiatives will help to resuscitate Bald eagles to the point when they will be finally removed from the threatened species list.

Hormones are chemicals produced in one part of the body that has a target in another part in the body. While a large number of hormones are present in animal bodies, here are five main classes of hormones in plants Auxin, Cytokinin, Gibberellin, Ethylene and Abscisic acid. These plant hormones, together with enzymes, serve to help regulate normal body functioning in plants and one important aspect of this is obtaining food or nutrients. Overall plant hormones affect flowering, aging, root growth and many other conditions associated with plant physiology. It is also important to take note that only very small concentrations of plant hormones can produce major changes in growth.

Three Major Divisions of the Plant Hormones
Cowan (n.d.) states that the five main plant hormones can be classified into three main categories Growth hormones which include Auxin and Cytokinins Stress hormones which include Ethylene and Gibberellins and Survival hormones that include Abscisic Acid. Growth hormones are mainly located in young meristematic cells, stress hormones in mature cells, and survival in all cells (Cowan,n.d.).

    Apart from the five major groups and the three major categories, there are other hormones which are fairly new and only partly understood. They include Jasmonates, Brassinosteriods, and Salicylates (Cowan, n.d.).

The Five Main Plant Hormones
Auxins. The hormone Auxin is considered the major hormone involved in growth. It is initiated in any cell which has an excess of sugar and gases that are needed for survival during peak activity (Cowan, n.d.). This hormone is also the active ingredient of most rooting compounds into which stem cuttings are dipped during vegetative propagation (Plant hormones, n.d.).

Location. Auxin is found in the embryo of the seed, in young leaves and in the meristems of apical buds (Farabee, 2007).

Major Functions. Farabee (2007) states that auxin functions as a stimulant of cell elongation. It is also involved in gravitropism, phototropism, apical dominance as well as vascular differentiation. It also acts as an inhibitor of abscission before an abscission layer is formed. Auxin also stimulates the synthesis of ethylene. It also stimulates the formation of the flowers and the development of the fruit. Moreover, it induces the formation and growth of adventitious roots in stem cuttings.

Specific Chemical Forms. Kende and Zeevaart (1997) states that the primary form of Auxin found in plants is indole-3-acetic acid, or IAA. Other compounds that have auxin activity include phenyl acetic acid, indole-3-butryric acid and 4-chloro-IAA.

Cytokinins. Cytokinins are different from other hormones because they are both found in plants and animals. Cytokinins usually trigger mitosis that is why they are used in sterile media for growing plants from tissue culture (Plant hormones, n.d.).
Location. Cytokinins are synthesized in the roots and then transported to the other organs (Farabee, 2007).

Major Functions. Cytokinins first of all stimulate cell division, promote the growth of shoots, reverse apical dominance and delay leaf sequence (Farabee, 2007). They also delay aging and senescence in plants (Plant hormones, n.d.).

Specific Chemical Forms. Kende and Zeevaart (1997) states that naturally-occurring cytokinins in plants include N6-substituted adenine derivatives. There are also several bacteria that produce cytokinins, such as the Agrobacterium.
Ethylene. Ethylene is a plant hormone in the gaseous form. It is in fact a gas produced by ripe fruits. (Farabee, 2007).
Location. Ethylene is produced in the tissues of ripening fruits, in senescent leaves and flowers and in the nodes of stems (Farabee, 2007). There is often an increase in the ethylene production in plants in response to stress, and high concentrations of the plant hormone are often found at the end of a plants life (Plant Hormones, n.d.).
Major Functions. Ethylene functions for the stimulation of the ripening of fruits, sprouting of potato buds, seed germination, stem elongation in rice, flower formation in certain species, and leaf and flower senescence (Farabee, 2007). Ethylene causes epinasty, or the drooping of leaves. It also causes abscission, or the dropping of leaves especially during the fall (Plant Hormones, n.d.).
Specific Chemical Forms. Ethylene is an alkene with a molecular structure of H2CCH2 (Ethylene, 2009).

Gibberellins. Gibberellins are plant hormones that function for mitosis and germination of seeds. Gibberellic acid (GA) solution is even used to hasten the germination of certain seeds. Gibberellins are actually the first type of hormones ever to be discovered (Farabee, 2007).
Location. Gibberellins are located in the meristems of apical buds and roots as well as in young leaves and embryos (Farabee, 2007).

Major Functions. Gibberellins function for the stimulation of shoot elongation, stimulation of bolting and flowering in biennials, and the regulation of the production of hydrolytic enzymes in grains (Farabee, 2007). Gibberellins also cause root expansion (Cowan, n.d.).
Specific Chemical Forms. Gibberellins usually occur in the form of Gibberellic acid (GA) with the following structure (Gibberellins, 2009)


Abscisic Acid. Abscisic Acid, or ABA, is generally an inhibitor of plant growth. ABA also serves to indicate if environmental conditions are poor such as in the case of very low soil temperature that would hamper the growth of the roots. ABA activity would then lower and Auxins would go higher in order to cause sugar production to be used for growth (Cowan, n.d.).
Location. Generally, Abscisic Acid is found in the leaves, stems and green fruit of plants (Farabee, 2007).

Major Functions. The main function of Abscisic Acid is the stimulation of stomatal closure (Farabee, 2007). Abscisic Acid also induces dormancy and unlike Gibberellins, it prevents seeds from germinating. It also causes abscission of leaves, flowers, and fruits (Plant hormones, n.d.). Other functions of ABA include inducing seeds for the synthesis of storage proteins, inhibiting the action of Gibberellins on the stimulation of the de novo synthesis of -amylase, and inducing gene transcription especially for proteinase inhibitors as a response to wounding. This may explain the apparent role of Abscisic Acid in pathogen defense (Abscisic Acid, n.d.). ABA is above all considered a major player in helping the plant to adapt to stress caused by drought, freezing, and exposure to salinated soil (Abscisic Acid, 2009).
Specific Chemical Forms. Abscisic Acid has the molecular form C15H20O4 with the chemical structure (Abscisic Acid, 2009)

The Monarch butterfly is scientifically called the Danaus plexippus. The monarch feed on milkweeds thereby making them poisonous and hence also called milkweed butterfly. The monarch butterfly is most commonly seen in North America. The life span of a monarch butterfly is between six and eight weeks. The metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly includes the egg stage, the caterpillar stage, the chrysalis stage and the mature butterfly. Their respective life spans are four days, two weeks, ten days and 2-6 weeks.

One major characteristic of the monarch butterfly is their migrating capacity. They travel a very long distance between 1200 and 2800 miles for this purpose. They can travel at a maximum speed of 80 miles an hour. This is the only butterfly that can fly both north and south. The monarch butterfly travel from their North American habitats to Mexico as the winter is less severe and extends their life span to a maximum of five months. This mostly happens in the months of February and March. Once the monarchs come out of hibernation, they move north breeding along the way.

The first generation monarchs live through March and April, the second generation through May and June and the third generation through July and August. The months of September and October gives rise to the fourth generation monarch that fly southwards to Mexico for their hibernation and an enhanced life span. In short, the generation of monarch that head for hibernation are the great-great-grandchildren of the monarch generation previously migrated to Mexico.

The levels of Juvenile Hormone (JH) in the monarch butterflies indicate their life span and their ability to stop laying eggs. The duration of their journey exceeds the average life span of the monarch butterflies. The butterflies that spend their winters in Mexico are more reproductively active than the fall butterflies. The reduction in the JH level increases their ability to live longer and abstain from actively reproducing and laying eggs. The reproduction period for these hibernating butterflies starts in spring when they prepare themselves to return to their Northern habitats. This is the reason why the overwintering butterflies do not lay eggs in Mexico.

Monarchs are not warm-blooded insects. Low temperatures could freeze their body tissues literally breaking them from the inside. This is the reason for their migration south during winters. The monarchs migration can be equaled to that of birds that fly south for overwintering. The trans-volcanic range mountains of Mexico are a favored location of these monarchs. The monarch butterfly roosts are located 60 miles west of Mexico City.

As the monarch butterflies travel on their own it is believed that they are guided by the suns orbit during their journey. The butterflies feed themselves on nectar to supplement their energy. The problems that are faced by these migrating insects include fatal illness, winter storms and other predators.

Botanical Name Verbena Gooddingii
Common Name Gooddings Verbena


Plant Uses
     The landscape value of verbena, it is included in native wildflower gardens, also it is useful for revegetation. Verbena combine well with other butterfly attracting plants such as Dill, Delphinium, Echinacea, Solidago and Sunflower. For dramatic plantings, consider pairing verbena with other container plants.

Plant Characteristics
    Verbena is an annual plant that forms as low groundcover or soft mound. They grow in 12-18 inches in high and spread from two to three feet or more. The leaves are bright green, pubescent deeply cut 1.5 inches long 1 inch. wide not as moss-like as V. tenuisecta. Verbena Gooddingii flowers are five-petaled and very tiny individually. Colors include solid and bicolored blooms in red, purple, white, yellow, orange, and peach with generally white or cream colored eyes. They can bloom in early spring, through summer, then sporadically in response to rain.

Growing
    The plan Verbena tends to have a loose sprawling growth habit. They do best in sunny sites, however they can tolerate a wide range of soils as long as it is well-drained. Deadhead and prune the plant back to encourage reblooming if the flowering begins to stall.

Light Requirements is full sun
Verbena grow in beautiful clusters or domed head held above the foliage. And most can tolerate partial shade.

Propagation Methods and Maintenance
Verbena in seed packets should be started indoors a few weeks before last frost take summer cuttings and let the stems overwinter indoors and preserve that way.
This plant requires little maintenance beyond periodic watering and light pruning to maintain shape if it should be bushier.

Pests or Diseases
Verbena plants have few significant pest or disease problems but in soggy conditions mildew can occur so the soil should be well-drained.

    Organisms acquire certain traits through various means which have been formulated in several theories. Traits of organism can be traced through successive generations. This change in traits through successive generation is referred to as evolution. The trait acquired may seem to be small but the accumulation through various generations creates a significant change in population. New species arise due to the traits acquired. This is an indication that all species share the same ancestor. Evolution involves transfer of genes from a generation to another. The inherited traits are produced by the genes passed over. It is not all the population that shows the same traits as a result of gene transfer (Haught, 19). Variations occur depending on the population involved. There are various forces which are responsible for evolution. There are forces behind variation while others affect the variants. Gene mutation is one of the processes which bring about variation. Gene transfer may either occur in populations or species. Variation occurring in organism may be contributed by genetic recombination. There are distinct processes that make variants to be pronounced in population. Natural selection is one of the processes that contribute to certain traits in populations.

    Darwinian evolution is a theory that explains the origin. This theory considers all life to be related in a way. Life is perceived to originate from a common ancestor according to this theory. This theory assumes that all organisms are related. This includes plants to animal species. Life is perceived to have developed from non life. Some of the complex creatures are believed to have descended from simple ancestors. This takes a couple of years. Gene mutation brings changes in the orientation of genes. There are some mutations which are beneficial for continuation of life (Ruse, 52). These mutations are preserved since they are beneficial. This involves natural selection. Natural selection involves the transfer of beneficial mutation from a generation to another. The accumulation of the beneficial mutations brings about a new species. It may happen that the organism formed may be totally different from the original organism. In essence a different creature occurs in natural selection.

    It is through natural selection that small genetic mutations are accumulated to which about a new creature. An organism may acquire a functional advantage which is transferred to other generations. The offspring of the organism inherit the advantage. All the other members who are inferior do not survive. In this case, the members who are superior in a certain species survive. The functional advantage is preserved through natural selection. It enables fair competition. It is clear that only those species which are superior are allowed to survive. The equivalence of the process is the domestic breeding of species. It is been the trend to breed species at home (Alland, 29). This has been possible by eliminating the undesirable traits. Undesirable traits are traits which may not compete well with other organisms. The functional advantage is achieved by eliminated these traits which are not competitive enough. The same way breeders eliminate undesirable traits within a certain time, it is also the same for natural selection.

    There are several strengths of this research. Darwinian evolution is considered to be a slow process. The process of evolution is believed to go through successive steps which lead to accumulation of beneficial traits. The transfer of genes from one generation to another leads to preservation of desirable traits. This research is applicable since it highlights on how breeders use the method of natural selection in domestic breeding. The functional advantage leads to creation of a new creature with superior traits (Low, 97). Those with minor traits are eliminated.

    Darwinian Theory explains on the concept of life. It is my opinion that, the research carried out on natural selection is a strong theory. It is through natural selection that genetic mutations are maintained in successive generations. This process is based on certain facts there is the fact that the number of offspring is more. It is in populations that variation exists. The ability of reproduction and survival vary in offspring. Competition of organism is possible due to these simple facts. They provide a good ground for reproduction and survival. The organisms carrying traits which are beneficial compared to their competitors pass these traits to next generation. The traits which are not beneficial are not passed to the next generation. In my opinion, this research is essential since it provides tricks of survival (Gertrude, 33). It is survival for the fittest. The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce defines the fitness of the organism. The fitness of an organism is determined by the genes transferred.

    In conclusion, Darwinian Theory of evolution elaborates on the origin of life.  It considers life to have descended from the same ancestor. All forms of life, plants to animal species adopt certain traits. Genetic mutation leads to creation of genes which confer genes which contribute to beneficial traits. These genes have functional advantage. Organisms with this functional advantage are allowed to survive while those with minor traits are eliminated. This elimination enables a competitive ground for the organisms spared.

    For a long time now, it has been reported that different plant and animal species have been mysteriously vanishing from the face of the earth without any trace (Sunstein 261). As this trend has continued, issues have emerged as to the role that mankind plays in this extinction, as in most cases the blame has been on mans many activities as he tries to make his own life as comfortable as possible. The other issue has been the ethical side of life, with concerns being whether or not man has the right to knowingly kill animal or plant species for whatever reason. This essay explores these issues in detail.

Discussion
    The debate about the legality of the actions of man that lead directly or indirectly to the death of animal and plant species has been ceaselessly going on (Sunstein 261). While it is very difficult to justify or condemn these actions outright, one can assess the cases involved and draw conclusions. First of all, every creature has the right to life and ought to let alone to enjoy this right. It is therefore unjustifiable for man to do anything that he knows will endanger or lead to the death of such an animal or plant. Therefore, such actions as deforestation and pest control which kill plants and small animals ought not to be allowed to go on.

Man has no right to kill even those little insects that cause direct harm to him or to his crops and animals like the mosquitoes, the termites, and the guinea pigs (Sunstein 248). Instead, man ought to find other ways of keeping what he values safe from such animal species. It is ironical that while the same man purporting to be concerned about the extinction of certain animals will go right ahead and kill others. In essence, man has tried to class animals as either good or bad, useful or of no value. He therefore readily kills the so-called bad ones while spring the good ones. This, too, has no justification because scientifically speaking there is no animal or plant species that has no value (Sunstein 270).

 Although some plant and animal species are thought to be of value only when they are dead, this analogy cannot be totally true (Sunstein 262). The desire for mankind to be comfortable has accelerated the rate at which animal and plant species are becoming extinct through habitat destruction. For instance, beaches - including those which are known to be home to some of the worlds most rare and so greatly endangered species - are being encroached on as villas and holiday resorts are set up there. In addition, mans huge appetitive for game meat and other game products has driven him to hunt down animals line rhinos, elephants, and leopards, a trend that has put the existence of such animals in danger (Sunstein 262).

Conclusion
    Man has no right to knowingly kill other animals because this threatens their very existence and subjects them to the risk of extinction. It is also important that mankind supports efforts to protect all animal species from danger, and gives them a chance to live normally and to procreate. This should include even the species that pose direct danger to his survival like the malaria-transmitting mosquito. Man ought to ensure that he does not discriminate against any animal but gives all species equal rights to live. Therefore, just as he has life and no-one threatens it but loses it naturally, man has to let animal and plant species to live until they die a natural death.

I have personally observed that compared to all other life forms on this planet, humans are emotional, that is, they allow themselves to be governed by emotion before reason.

Plants and animals I believe are rational first before they are emotional. I have observed that no normal dog will attack you unless you provoke it.

However, I have seen people on TV and in the movies who were so emotional that they brutally committed crimes just because they liked doing it. Some criminals featured in the news and in films do all other sorts of evil things like torturing others not even for revenge but for the sake of fun. Yes, animals may kill but I am not sure if they would do so for entertainment.

On a more positive note, I have seen people on TV sacrifice even their very lives just to save someone they didnt even know or humans who would do the most ridiculous things just for the sake of a seemingly impossible relationship that they would desperately hold on to. And in all these acts, either their reasons were too personal, illogical or purely emotional. Some did not even have any reason for their acts.

Based on the above observations, I have come up with the following hypothesis That with the exception of those with abnormal physiology and psychological make-up, all humans, I strongly believe, are emotional, that is, they tend to do certain things regardless of whether the reason behind it is logical or not, or even whether there is a clear reason or not. It seems to me that humans do not do things primarily because they have a reason to but because they want to. Simply speaking, I think that humans are emotional first and only rational second. This, I believe, is the most distinct quality of humans in contrast with other creatures.

This hypothesis will be tested using information available on the Internet as well as using results from personal interviews.


Part Two
Based on the results of my research on the Internet, one of the most striking of my findings is the fact that most people are either torn between being rational or not, or simply cannot admit that that they are emotional that is why, even after sharing an emotional experience, they admit they can be both emotional and rational at times.

The article Our Brains and Decision-Making Emotional or Rational by Patti Krakoff clearly emphasizes the fact that the more ancient dog brain is activated as well as the executive brain and that the dog brain can just as easily win the debate even when logic should win out (Krakoff, 2006). Most sites have a similar opinion to this, with opinions that usually start with It depends on the situation.
However, it is interesting to note that the entry of a certain ez80227 in a yahoo blog states that humans are not emotional except the young ones (ez80227, 2010), which implies the age factor in determining whether a person is emotional or not. The blogger further states that older ones stop and think once in a while. This is slightly different from the other findings that base rationality and emotionality on external circumstances rather than on an intrinsic quality like age.
Most articles I have found on the Internet support my hypothesis and one of these articles worth mentioning is Humans are emotional creatures written by Elliot Lee. He says in his article that each and every thought and action is dependent on the mood, emotional state, and current disposition of all the people involved and though it is much more comforting to me to think that things can be perfectly logicalthats simply not the case at all. At all. Really, people make decisions based on their moods, and their moods change wildly and irrationally (Lee, 2006).


Part Three

The next test of my hypothesis involves an interview with randomly selected people to answer the same question that was answered in Part One. Their answers were varied and only one answer implied that humans were emotional.

My friend Ann, 23 years old, single and a Law student, said that humans possess well-developed cognitive abilities as shown by their refined culture and spoken language. There seems to be no connection between Ann and her neutral, unbiased answer to the question. This neutrality may still be due to the fact that, as far as I know, she answered the question during her free time when she was not under any kind of pressure. The neutrality of the question may also be due to Anns logical, rational character as a law student.

My mother Tess, 61 years old, widow and a member of a religious organization, said that humans are the only beings with a soul and the only ones created in the image of God. Obviously my mother gave an answer which is conveniently parallel to her own ideas and religious beliefs.

My co-worker Roma, 24 years old, single and has just broken up with her boyfriend, said that humans are the only creatures capable of hurting another for the sake of entertainment. Her answer seems to appear resentful and this may have been due to the recent breakup.

My hypothesis that The biggest difference between humans and other creatures is that humans are emotional creatures first before they are rational creatures was tested. The findings yielded slightly confusing results that cannot exactly confirm whether the tendency of humans to be emotional first is true or not. Most articles and blog entries support a neutral view between emotionality and rationality. On the other hand, the interviews yielded varied results. Hence this hypothesis remains inconclusive.
One particular observation, however, is that the opinions of people in the blog entries as well as in the interview seem to have a direct bearing to their personal circumstances. This, I believe, is seeing the question at hand in light of their own personal views and not necessarily based on objective observation. I therefore personally think that the emotionality of humans is innate and unconscious and that (allow me to use this pronoun) we do not even realize that we are already being emotional in simply answering the question asked in Part One.

The world is ridden with many resources that are often taken for granted.  Some of these resources have to be dug up or mined, but many are spread out all over the land for the taking.  One of these natural gifts that has found indispensable use in our society is peat.  Peat is a combination of various things, mostly vegetable and plant matter that has decayed over millions of years. (Smith)  The proper term for this process is carbonization, and while peat has yet to completely carbonize into coal, this can take thousands of years more.  (Smith)  Although peat is composed of many other vegetation decaying over the years, most of it is moss. (Smith)  The decay of these materials occurs mostly under anaerobic (oxygen-deficient) conditions.  (LMU)  Peat in its raw form contains 96 water (LMU) and is harvested primarily for fuel and agricultural (fertilizer) purposes.  (Smith)

    The process of peat decay causes the material to store organic carbon which is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide or methane, greenhouse gasses that affect global climate. (LMU)  The gases released by peat as it decomposes are highly flammable.  However, peat, in its natural form is totally harmless because it is too wet to burn. (LMU)  In certain cases where the natural state of peat is disturbed it becomes vulnerable to fire, which is often the cause of forest fires or fires commonly occurring in wetlands. This can be very dangerous because burning peat can release smoke that contains aerosols and toxic gases, which can result to respiratory diseases and problems. (LMU)    Peat is best harvested, obviously, after hundreds of thousands of years, or the time it takes for the materials to totally decompose.  Peat bogs have a surface living layer that gets destroyed when mature peat, beneath the living layer is harvested.  (LMU)

    Of the many uses of peat, fuel is the most common.  In remote areas where there are no other resources, peat is used for energy production.  (LMU) Peat is shown to be an economical alternative to oil or coal-fired electric-power generating stations in some circumstances (LMU) and it is also used to produce methanol.

    Peat can also be used as garden fertilizer as it is an efficient moisture retainer.  Using it in gardens can promote the formation and retention of nutrients.  Some companies also use peat as a raw material in producing biodegradable planters.  (Smith)  Peat can also be used to make paper, pad livestock beds, or pack products for shipment. (LMU)  Peat is also a decorative implement in creating handicraft and artwork.  Many handmade crafts and arts use peat as an aesthetically pleasing accent.

    Peat is an irreplaceable resource, if not for eternity, for this generation at least, because it will take hundreds of thousands of years in the future for other peat layers to form.  However, peat is abundant nowadays in many countries all over the world, but the indiscriminate harvesting of this resource can lead to ecological imbalance and eventually, its irreversible depletion.  Like any other natural resource, peat should be harvested reasonably to preserve existing peat bogs and ensure that plenty will be available for future generations to use.  Like oil, which is a fossil fuel, peat has to be harvested with much discretion because once all of it is gone, we will all have to wait for hundreds of thousands of years to harvest it again  surely, none of us can live that long.

In the last four years, over 30 percent of commercial bees have died as a result of colony collapse disorder. There have been various theories that have been developed by scientists to explain the destructive phenomena. The phenomenon has also attracted surprising suggestions on the possible solutions to the problems. The effects of the destruction of bee colonies have been far reaching because of their contribution in agriculture as they pollinate almost a third of the agricultural plants in the world. However, reliable research point out complex diseases combined with other factors such as farming methods as the cause of the colony collapse disorder. 

Colony Collapse Disorder
    A colony collapse disorder is a phenomenon in which the worker bees disappear mysteriously from the colony or the beehive. The phenomenon which is also called honey bee depopulation syndrome has occurred throughout since man started apiculture. It has been worst experienced since 2006 especially in the United States and Canada. The collapse has had significant effects on the economy due to the dependence of agriculture on bees pollination. The syndrome has also been witnessed in various parts of Europe though the situation has been less severe. The major colony collapse disorder is still under investigation by scientists although it has been linked to biotic factors such as pathogenic diseases and bee parasites such as Varroa mites. Other factors which may have possibly caused the syndrome includes changes in the environment which results into stress, lack of food, migratory beekeeping and extensive use of pesticides in agriculture. Some scientists have also suggested that radiations from telecommunication facilities and GMO crops may have contributed to the syndrome. However, it has not been fully established what could be the main cause of the syndrome with scientists maintaining that it is as a result of a combination of factors (Ratnieks  Carreck, p 152).        

    A bee colony which has collapsed from this syndrome can be identified from some simultaneous general symptoms. The most pronounced symptom is the general reduction in the population of adult bees in the colony where there could be a presence of few dead bees. The presence of abandoned capped brood is an indication of CCD. Under normal conditions, the bees do not abandon capped brood. Stored food, either honey or pollen that has been abandoned also indicates that the bees were destroyed by the syndrome. The symptoms occur simultaneously in many cases of colony collapse disorder. The symptoms results from inadequate workforce in the colony due to disappearance of the work bees.

    The phenomenon has since been reported in over 20 states in the United States and several parts of Canada. It has been suggested that the collapse is caused by the Israel acute paralysis virus which was identified in 2004. The virus causes shivering wings in bees which later lead to paralysis and eventually death of the bee outside the colony. However, most beekeepers believe that the main cause of the colony collapse is malnutrition and drought. Malnutrition has been the common factor causing the syndrome in almost all surveys that have been carried out to access the syndrome. The hypothesis of the relationship between the disorder and nutritional stress hold no water because of the unlikelihood of well nourished colonies being affected by the syndrome. Recent research indicates that bees are adversely affected by feeding on syrup rich in fructose which is provided by farmers during winter. The syrup has more so been associated with genetically modified corn. Studies suggest that the syrup leads to the production of a toxic by products which eventually destroy the colony. The mono diet available to the bees during winter has shown to have negative effects on the bees health. Research has confirmed that bees that feed on pollen from a variety of plant species are healthier and less likely to be affected by diseases. However, this has proved not to be the main cause since colony collapse disorder does not occur exclusively during winter. But scientists supporting this hypothesis argue that the syndrome is due to the loss of plant biodiversity (Higes  Meana, p 93).      

    Another common hypothesis on the cause of colony collapse disorder has been the use of insecticides in agricultural activities. The hypothesis was first developed in France in the mid 1990s where a pesticide Imidacloprid which was used in sunflowers caused colony collapse disorder. The pesticide caused massive migration of bees from France while others died as a result of colony collapse disorder. However, in the recent outbreak of the syndrome, it is not easy to access the impacts of specific pesticide because of the numerous brands used in the affected areas. Moreover, commercial beekeepers usually transport their beehive to different places exposing the bees to a larger variety of pesticides used in different areas (Thompson, p 318). Bees collect and store pollen for days or months before they consume and therefore the effect of contamination can be delayed for days or months which make research on this factor complex. The development in biotechnology which has introduced genetically engineered plants has also been associated with this syndrome. Scientists argue that the natural pesticide Bt toxin produced by these plants have an adverse effect on bees colonies. However, there are no experimental evidences to prove the hypothesis. The wide spread migratory beekeeping in the United States has had negative effects on the bees. American beekeepers earn more from renting their bees for pollination than honey production. This trend has been associated with spread of diseases and bee parasites (mites) and had been proposed as one of the causes of colony collapse. The movement of beehives from one place to another has also been proposed to cause strain and disrupts the hive rendering the bees more susceptible to systematic disorders (Medrzycki et al, pg 60).

    Other factors associated with colony collapse disorder include the change in climate which make the bees more susceptible although not directly. Electromagnetic radiations from telecommunication systems have been associated with airborne creatures complications. The phenomenon has had far reaching economic impacts especially to almond farmers in California which wholly depend on bees pollination. Scientists have however proposed different mechanisms that can be used to save colonies from the syndrome. This includes separating collapsing colonies from health colonies, replacing the sugar syrup in winter with Fumagillin and treating the colonies with appropriate medication incase of infection.

     Over the past few years, beekeepers and scientists have been baffled by colony collapse disorder which has claimed over 30 percent of colonies since 2006. However, scientists have carried out numerous researches on the causes of the syndrome but have not singled out one cause. The syndrome has been associated with human activity and biotic factors.

Atmospheric pollution, mainly caused by human activity, has been known to be the biggest contributor to global warming. The motor vehicle industry contributes to a huge percentage of the pollution. This is through engines that combust fuels rich in hydrocarbons so as to propel them from one point to the other. The combustion of hydrocarbons leaves the environment with such compounds that are known to cause environmental degradation leading to serious results such as global warming. The effects of global warming can be so devastating to human beings and other living organisms if left unchecked. As such, we will find out the types of alternative-fuels vehicles that have the least effect on the environment. The ones that have been noted to be least harmful are the electric vehicle, the hybrid vehicle and the hydrogen vehicle. We are going to look at their environmental and economic advantage and disadvantages. This would be a good guide to finding out which method of providing propulsion is most suitable and safe on our roads.

    The use of hydrogen for vehicle engine propulsion has been recorded as one of the least harmful to the environment. This is due to the fact that only water is produced as a by-product of the hydrogen combustion. It is also a fact that hydrogen is abundant in the atmosphere and would in the long run keep us from worries that there may be depletion of its reserves. The economy in the use of hydrogen is seen as a very high amount of the energy that results is usually converted to electrical energy and utilized. Most of the other means of propulsion experience wastage of fuel during combustion. A disadvantage of hydrogen is that a cheaper way of carrying liquid hydrogen has not been discovered. This would mean that a cost in the production and maintaining of the liquid hydrogen at a favorable condition is relatively expensive (Putting a Value on Nature, 2008).

    Hybrid cars have been in use for sometime now and are observed to be also less harmful to the environment. In as much as their efficiency cannot be compared to that of the normal vehicle, the hybrid cars are not only cheaper but they also utilize a lesser amount of fuel. This is due to the fact that a little amount of fuel is used to charge either a battery or to run a generator that finally produces electric energy to run the engine of the vehicle. This is a technology that not only gives the engine time to rest but also keeps production of emissions to a much lower level than that of the normal cars. Therefore, hybrid cars are a better way of using the fossil fuels in comparison to the normal car that is relatively expensive (Greco, 2009).

     The third car is the electric charged car. They have some form of batteries that are charged from a terminal point located in the vehicle. Charge stored is then utilized to run the car. Such fees as congestion charge and parking fees are either reduced considerably or not charged at all in cities like London. This is in addition to the fact that the car is very environment-friendly. Therefore, it is advisable to rent such a car as a tourist due to the fact that this would reduce the amount of money that you pay for the use of the car as you go around touring an area. Of the three types of alternative-fuels vehicles looked at, we note that the hybrid car is the cheapest. It is so because the hybrid car is so far the most convenient option for the three of them. It reduces the consumption of fuel considerably while at the same time being environment-friendly. In terms of initial production costs, it is the cheapest. Most motorists find it easier to buy a refurbished hybrid car than the other vehicles. This is due to the fact that they wear out slowly in comparison to the other cars.

Having looked at the three cars that are the most environment-friendly, it is wise to note that in as much as they are environment friendly and cheaper to utilize, it does not mean that their production cost is cheaper. The production of such engines is known to be higher than that of the standard car as the technologies require a more specialized approach. Therefore, the shifting to alternative-fuels engine is a goal that will require much more financial input. In short, it is an expensive venture.

Ethiopia, is principally a rural society, the verve of peasants is entrenched in the land, from which they make out an insufficient existence. Throughout the years, they have encountered frequent but catastrophic natural disasters, political instability, and armed conflicts, and in the course of these disruptions they have faced hunger, social disruption and death.  Cyclic crop failures and losses of human and livestock frequently take place when recurrent rains fall short or when abnormally intense storms cause flooding (Pankhurst, 1961).

Pastoral nomads, who shift periodically looking for of water and grazing land, often are ensnared when drought hampers rejuvenation of the striped grasslands, which their overgrazing creates.  At some stage in such times, communities or familys crisis provisions shrink rapidly, food shortage and starvation become routine. For years, this has been the common model of existence for most Ethiopians the rebellious engagements in Ogaden, Eritrea and Tigray have only made the effects of these natural calamities to be worse.

It is instrumental to note that, four key Ethiopian provinces namely Hararghe, Wollo, Gojjam and Tigray received in record low rainfalls during this period, complemented by the lack of sufficient government preparations as well as rising insurgencies in the northern part of the country also played as significant role in fuelling the famine (Webb, P.and Braun, J, 1994). This can be attributed to the fact that, the governments counterrevolution in regard to the two separate rebellions involving  Tigrayan Peoples Liberation Front in the North and the Oromo Liberation Front in the south. These two incidences forced the government to allot more than 40 of the GDP to the military.

This step almost crippled the economy,hence,the consequences of this famine are said to have witnessed a significant number of Ethiopians free to the neighboring countries while a documented record indicate more than a million people died as result of this disaster. The insecurity in affected zones made the passage of food aid to be impossible and this was another indicator that another famine was in the making. Almost 9 million Ethiopians became victims during the 1984-85 droughts, while over 1 million were estimated to be dead. The governments failure to take action to this food crisis aggravated international censure by the international community (Webb, P.and Braun, J, 1994).
The government response to this famine was to relocate the peasants from one zone to the other while withholding food supplies to the rebel areas. This decision saw almost 600,000 peasants being relocated. Too, the prices of available commodities increased considerably, while on the other hand the pastoralists communities refused to sell their herds of livestock and this result in a massive losses and mortality. However, the international community intervention helped in delivering food to the starving people, such countries as the USA, Canada, Germany, and Poland responded by airlifting food and medical supplies to the affected millions.  While by Bob Geldof organized a charity show which had a record viewer ship of almost 300 million people across the globe and mobilized the west countries to support the Ethiopian cause through this show dubbed Live Aid.

In principal, the intervention by international community helped in alleviating the pain and suffering the Ethiopian people were undergoing. Though, the famine was not wiped out in total, but it can be said that the concentrated efforts were 80  successful. In regard to the Ethiopian famines, I am of opinion that, the respective governments should invest in the future of their citizens by encouraging afforestration as well as building food silos. This can be of great help in that the citizens can be taught the importance of not just relying the rains. It would be important also to explore concepts of irrigation in order to divert any future recurrences of the famine. Such measures would be significant in establishing the national food security as well as protecting the environment (Pankhurst, 1961).

Characteristics of the physical environment
Taiga is a cold climate biome where temperatures rage from -65 F to 70F (Whittaker).  Precipitation in these regions varies, but most of the precipitation occurs in the form of snow, precipitation varies from 20cm to 200 cm (Whittaker). The winters are cold and long whereas the summers are cool and short. The landscape is varied in this region and marked by forests, lowlands, hills and plains. It is almost equally distributed in two sections, one is open lichen woodlands while the other is the closed crown forest, and this reflects the temperature changes in the Boreal forest from north to south (Larsen). In the southern region, the soil is fertile and rich however in the north the soil is not as much fertile due to colder temperatures. This can also be seen by observing that the trees grow taller in the south than in the north.

Large bodies of water are also found in the boreal these include the Peace River, the Athabasca River and the Slave Lake (Larsen). As the snow melts in winter, the ground is very moist, but due to low temperatures even in winters, there is very little evaporation and the soil remains moist throughout much of the year. Due to the fact that days are longer in summer in many of the Boreal regions, there is possibility of explosive plant growth. This is because ample moisture and sunlight is available during the summers.

However, this growth period remains limited due to the short time span of the summer season, as winter starts in about 3 months. Hence, this growth period may be limited to 3 months at most (Hogan).

Dominant processes
A change in carbon di oxide concentrations in the atmosphere and fire regimes is important for boreal forests because the development of such changes affects the plantations that occur in these forests in particular and the whole ecosystem in general (Bond-Lamberty). Fire is an important part of the boreal forest because it keeps the forest eco system in a continuous flux. An important function of fires is to restore nutrients to the soil by breaking down organic matter (Bond-Lamberty).
Fires remove a part or the whole of the vegetation, depending upon its severity, and release the nutrients to the soil in the form of ash. After a part of the forest is burned, a new process of change begins. Initial species that sprout up in burned areas are the ones which could not have sprouted there before this is because of the more nutrient rich soil. After that, one species of plants take over the previous in a process which is called succession. Initially herbaceous plants such as fireweed grow deciduous species such as birch and aspen which grow fast also come in the beginning of this cycle. In time, conifers such as black and white spruce grow. This happens until there is another fire from where the whole process starts again. Fire also plays an important role in opening of the conifer cones (Bond-Lamberty). The drier western regions are more susceptible to fires because of low average rainfalls as compared to the eastern and central boreal forest, this is also the area which has a higher frequency of forest fires (State of Canada).

Poor soil drainage also affects the variability of landscape carbon balance, which is an important factor in Boreal forest (Bond-Lambardy). Such variation in carbon balance is due the increasing frequency of fire, this also increases the vegetation in the boreal forests (Hogan).

Family, genus and species names for significant organisms
There are many plant species that are found in the boreal forests, but the most dominant among these is coniferous e.g Black Spruce (Picea mariana). Coniferous plants are well suited for the harsh climate their conical shapes reduce snow buildup on branches during the winter, and their narrow needles which have thick waxy coating protect them from dry winds. They are important because the support a large variety of animal species in addition to storing large amount of carbon and producing a great deal of oxygen. Another importance of conifer trees is that under these trees mosses grow so thick that they form a carpet on the soils surface, which prevents other plant species from growing (Larsen).

An important animal species in boreal forest is the Grey Wolf, or Timber wolf (Canis lupus). This species is important because it is the only species in these forests that have no natural enemies and is at the top of the food chain. Wolves are an important part of the ecosystem and help keep the ecosystems population in check by preying on the weak animals so there will be food for the stronger ones (Banfield). The population of the grey wolf is stable in the boreal forests of Canada.

Conservation challenges
In general, there are many risks that boreal forest of Canada faces. For example habitat can be disturbed by construction of roads and mines in the forest area which in turn disturbs the plant life and the whole eco system, similarly, explorations, pipelining and oil and gas exploration is also one of the major challenges that boreal forests need to face.

This also affects the wildlife in the region, for example marten is one of the species in the boreal forest which is threatened by habitat loss (Larsen).

While these are the general threats that Boreal forest faces, a specific threat that can prove to be extremely destructive in the long run is global warming. As global temperatures increase, temperatures at boreal forests are also expected to increase (Mercier). This would have very lasting impact on the eco systems of the boreal forest which means that there would be increase in forest fires and might even mean the outbreak of various harmful insects in the area, which would adversely affect the natural habitat. Furthermore, the logging industry cuts down over 290,000 hectares of forest in Quebec, 185,000 hectares in Ontario and 67,000 hectares of forest in Alberta every year (Mercier). This is also a very grave threat to the boreal forest. As forest disappears, threats to the wildlife that inhabits it increases over time. This means that as the eco system is destroyed, wildlife might become extinct. The problem in boreal forest is that the areas which are heavily being cut down are also the areas where large amount of wildlife is present and it is heavily inhabited.

To save this forest we must conserve the environment. This can be a two pronged process to save the forest from slowly being destroyed, one can be the reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases which would reduce the rate of global warming, the second step is the reduction of cutting down of forests in areas which are heavily inhabited by wildlife (Mercier). Works Cited