Course Finale!

After taking this course, Environmental Resource Management, I feel as though I understand the working of the four spheres of the environment a lot better. This course has taught me quite a bit and I've really enjoyed learning how we can hlep the environment. The stewardship projects were a very unique way to wrap up the the semester and I had fun trying to make our school more aware of the benefits of CFLs. Overall, it was a good experience and I'm glad that I chose to take this course. :D

The Low Down on Lead in London and Area

In an article published by the London Free Press, schools across Thames Valley are testing their water for elevated lead levels in response to Ontario’s Chief Water Inspector, Jim Smith, requesting that the water be tested in older homes, nurseries, schools and hospitals. This order was made one week after The Free Press reported many older London homes had levels of lead that failed to meet health standards even after the pipes were flushed out. The testing has been ordered for older homes that may be begin supplied wit water via lead pipes and in institutions like hospitals and school that serve vulnerable populations like children and pregnant women.
Concern is being taken because of the nasty effects that lead exposure can have on humans of all ages.

According to the National Saftey Council at ncs.org, lead posiing can cause a wide array of problems in people of all ages. Young children under the age of six are especially vulnerable to lead’s harmful health effects because their brains and central nervous systems are not fully formed. The effects are as follows for low level exposure:
-reduced IQ
-learning disabilities
-attention deficit disorders
-behavioural problems
-stunted growth
-imparied hearing
-kidney damage

Effects on children under te age of six exposed to a high level of exposure:
-mental retardation
-coma
-death

Lead can also cause a wide array of problems in adults, even with their brains and central nervous systems fully formed. Lead can:
- increase blood pressure
-cause fertility problems
-nerve disorders
- muscle and joint pain
- irritability
- memory or concentration problems
It takes a significantly greater level of exposure to lead for adults than it does for kids to sustain adverse health effects. In pregnancy, a woman who has an elevated blood-lead level can easily transfer this to the fetus through the placenta. Pregnancy itself also can cause lead to be released from the bone, where lead is stored, and enter the blood stream. This lead will end up in the fetus.

An article published by the City of London outlines the areas at risk for lead poisoning within the city and what the city is doing about it. It was outlined that some homes in London, built before the mid-1950s, may have lead levels higher than Provincial Standards due to lead water pipes (water services) running from the City’s water main in the street into the home. As water travels through the lead service pipe it can uptake trace amounts of lead and may exceed the Provincial Standard (the Provincial Standard tis 10 micrograms per litre, as outlined by the Ministry of Environment).

A map is supplied to inform Londoners if their home is supplied with lead piping. Lead service connections were often used in London prior to 1952. To check for yourself, locate your water metre, typically found in the basement, and look at the pipe coming up through the basement floor into the bottom of the water metre. Lead is grey, does not echo if you gently strike it, scratches easily and leaves metallic marks when you rub the scratched area against paper.

The City has a three-pronged plan to address lead water pipes:
1. Education and awareness campaign to educate homeowners who have lead pipes and to provide information about replacing the pipes.
2.Investigation into changes to the water chemistry (pH, hardness, etc.) which could minimize the uptake of lead into the water.
3. Replacement of lead pipes, in conjunction with homeowners and as part of our broader infrastructure renewal efforts.
--Watermain Replacement Program is focused on ensuring our piped water infrastructure is renewed at a sustainable rate. As part of the program, when a watermain is replaced, the service connections are also replaced to the property line. On average, approximately 400 service connections are renewed each year.
--Lead Service Replacement Program provides opportunity for a homeowner to replace their portion of the lead service connection from the property line into the house. The City will replace the public portion at no cost to the homeowner, as outlined in the City of London (Water By-law W-3 Clause 6.17(b).

This site also discloses resources for professional residential water testing and how water delivry systems are beign replaced. In conclusion, the people of London should be concerned about lead in their water, as of the adverse effects that it can cause on the human body are permanent and life altering.

Sustainable Forestry Management

"Canada is a forest nation. With nearly 300 million hectares of forests and another 92 million hectares of wooded land, Canada has the third-largest expanse of forested land of any country in the world, including 30% of the planet’s boreal forest." (SFM Management in Canada: Clear Policy - Questionable Practice) As Canada is home to such lavish expanses of natural forest, it in our job and the governments to prevent the over harvesting of these stands of trees. The SFM, works to balance all the different uses of the forest while making sure that environmental functioning continues to preserve forest life for the future. So far, Canada is on there way to implementing sustainable forestry practises, but still needs some work in the field of standing by and enforcing their rules.

The current (2003-2008) National Forest Strategy, A Sustainable Forest: The Canadian Commitment, defines actions and goals that will lead to sustainable forest management in Canada. These are grouped under eight broad themes:
-ecosystem-based management;
-sustainable forest communities;
-rights and participation of Aboriginal peoples;
-forest product benefits;
-knowledge and innovation for competitiveness and sustainability;
-the urban forest and public engagement in sustainability;
-private woodlots’ contribution to sustainability;

-reporting and accountability.

Now, Canada has some great ideas and goals but how do they plan on implementing them?
The 1992 National Forest Strategy required the development of SFM Criteria and Indicators (C&I), which the CCFM published in 1995. In 2003, the CCFM updated these C&I, which have been referred to as "the most broadly accepted Canadian forest values generated to date"

The six criteria under the Canadian approach to SFM are:
-biological diversity;
-ecosystem condition and productivity;
-soil and water;
-role in global ecological cycles;
-economic and social benefits; and
-society’s responsibility.

The criteria are evaluated using a total of 46 indicators. According to the CCFM, this criteria will represent the forest values that Canada will need to sustain. So Canada has some great ideas, but the first and only report on Canada’s forests using these C&I was published in 2000 (based on the 1995 C&I). The report is a view of Canadian forests and their management through the lens of the six criteria, but it offers no inferences or conclusions regarding the sustainability of Canadian forests except to suggest that the efforts by various governments to protect more land are positive. Canada really needs to be completing these reports every year including conclusions regarding better ways to improve forest sustainability. A forest inventory that tracks the SFM indicators is an essential tool for successful monitoring and reporting on forest sustainability. The federal government produced Canada’s Forest Inventory (CanFI) reports in 1986, 1991, 1994, and 2001.

Overall, I just think that Canada has some great ideas for laying the foundation to sustaining the nations forests for future generations. The rules just need to be implemented more strictly and more often, maybe even with harder punishments for people and organizations that violate the protection of the forests. Canada needs to be doing yearly reports on their forests, as to better monitor and survey the changes and effects that their newfound policies have had on the forests of Canada.

Annoying Alien Bug Infestations!

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid aka Adelges tsugae
Link: http://www.saveourhemlocks.org/

This is a fluid-feeding insect that feeds on hemlock trees throughout North America. This insect was introduced from Asia to the Pacific Northwest in 1924, and to the Northeaster US in about the 1950s. This insect lacks natural enemies and has spread throughout the US creating extreme amounts of damage to stands of natural Hemlock trees and is considered to be the greatest threat to Hemloack Trees.

Due to this threat the USDA Forest Service is taking action by furthuring research to help prevent futhur infestations and by following these management steps:
· Biological Control: Mass rear and release available predators including
technology development of mass rearing and release techniques. Evaluate the
effectiveness of predator release and impacts on HWA populations.
· Chemical Control: Refine and update application technology; pilot test new
methods; update recommendations to users; where appropriate, provide technical
and financial assistance in control programs.
· Survey & Monitoring: Enhance detection and delineation of new and current
infestations; implement and evaluate improved sampling techniques and methods
to predict rate of spread; identify areas at high risk.
· Impacts/Economics: Conduct an assessment of potential economic and ecological
impacts. At a regional level, quantify impacts to the hemlock resource and assess
potential effects on associated fauna and flora, threatened and endangered species,
and water quality.
· Silvicultural Management: Identify, demonstrate, and disseminate information on
silvicultural alternatives for landowners.
· Slowing Spread: Facilitate the establishment of compatible state regulatory
policies; develop a program to enhance detection of new infestations; provide
financial and technical support for eradication of new infestations.
A full report on their managrement and research can be found at:http://www.na.fs.fed.us/fhp/hwa/pub/hwa_mgt_plan.pdf

Gypsy Moth aka Lymantria dispar
Links:

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/gypsymoth/gypsy.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/morgantown/4557/gmoth/.fs.fed.us/ne/morgantown/4557/gmoth/
http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/gypsymoth/manage.htm

The Gypsy Moth is a defoliating insect. It was introduced to the US in 1869 by a French scientist and the first real outbreak occurred in 1889. The gypsy moth is known to feed on hundreds of species foliage in North America, but usually infest hardwood and the most common hosts of the insect are oaks and aspen trees. These insects will defoliate the crown of a tree, which can severely stunt radial growth. Trees can recover from the Gypsy Moth, but if a tree is frequented more than once by the insect, they are made weaker and are unable to regenerate as well in the future.

There are a variety of natural enemies that are known to the Gypsy Moth which include: insect parasitoids and predators that were introduced over the last 100 years from Asia and Europe, small mammals are perhaps the most important gypsy moth predator, especially at low population densities, birds are also known to prey on gypsy moths but at least in North America this does not substantially affect populations.

A number of tactics have the potential to minimize damage from gypsy moth infestations and to contain or maintain gypsy moth populations at levels considered tolerable. These tactics include monitoring gypsy moth populations, maintaining the health and vigour of trees, discouraging gypsy moth survival, and treating with insecticides to kill larvae and protect tree foliage. The tactic or combination of tactics used will depend on the condition of the site and of the tree or stand and the level of the gypsy moth population. Tactics suggested for homeowners are probably too costly and too labour intensive for managers to use in forest stands.

The goverment of British Coloumbia prevents infestation by following these steps:

-Prevent shipment of or intercept, commercial goods and vehicles infested with life stages of gypsy moths. This activity is presently the responsibility of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency who have established regulated areas to minimize the risk of spread of known gypsy moth populations.

-Detect newly introduced populations through a province-wide inter-agency detection program. Click here for more information on the detection program.
-Eradicate new introduced populations when detected before they become widely established and impossible to eradicate. Click on this link to obtain a more detailed description of the Eradication Strategy
-Develop cost effective and timely methods to prevent shipments of infested personal goods when people move to North America om areas permanently infested with gypsy moths.
-Seek new, proven, practical and environmentally sound methods of eradicating gypsy moths that further reduce effects on non-target moths and butterflies.
-Maintain communication systems to ensure advance knowledge of outbreaks of gypsy moths wherever they occur in the world so as to respond quickly to the increased threat of introduction such outbreaks produce.

The governement deals with already established infestations by following an eradication stadegdy:
This stadegdy depends on a monitoring system using pheromone traps to do early detection of moth introductions. Once moths are detected, the following year a more intensive trapping program, known as "delimiting trapping" is initiated to provide more accurate estimates of the location and approximate size of the moth population. If populations are significant (as determined by gypsy moth control specialists), the trap data - sometimes combined with egg mass survey information - is used to determine the area of treatment.



The Asian Long Horned Beetle aka Anoplophora glabripennis
Links:

http://www.asian-longhorned-beetle.com/asianlonghornedbeetle-3.htm
http://www.uvm.edu/albeetle/management/prevention.html

The Asian Long Horned Beetle (ALB) is believed to have arrived in North America in wooden packing material used in cargo shipments from China. The trees that are favoured by this insect are maples, but have been discovered in poplars, willows, elms, mullberries, and black locusts. The insect feeds on the heartwood of mature trees, and burrow through the bark, therefor leaving sawdust-like piles at the base of the tree. They make holes in which sap flow will seep from the tree, causing the tree damage.

Currently, there is no known biological or chemical form of defense against the ALB and to make matters worse, they have few natural predators. In case of infestation, the affected trees are cut down and the wood is destroyed. There have been large isolated outreaks in Brooklyn and Amityville, New York, and in Chicago, Illinois. In all instances where ALBs are found, authorities have reacted quickly to stop the infestation from spreading.

The University of Vermont list steps to eradicating and preventing the ALB as follows:
-Identify and remove all infested trees as soon as possible.
-Removal should include grinding of the stump to a depth of 8 inches when there is evidence of ALB infestation on the lower 2 feet of the bole or on the roots.
-All materials resulting from the tree removal will be chipped and burned.
-Replanting within the infested areas should be done with non-susceptible tree species
-Carry out visual delimiting survey to determine the extent and area of infestation.
-Initiate a public awareness program to alert the public and other organizations of additional infestation sites.
-Prevent by prohibiting infested wood

GMOs Need Labels!

GMO’s can be a very touchy subject, but in my opinion, the people of Canada should get to know if their food is genetically modified. I mean, if it is required that products have to be labelled with a list of the product’s ingredients, its nutritional values, and where is was grown or produced, I don’t think that it’d be asking too much to enlighten buyers are to whether their food is a GMO. Altering the genetics of a food is altering the food’s original state. If we were to add a new ingredient to a food, it’d have to be listed. So, why should altered genetics not be labelled?

GMOs and their effect on the long term health of the consuming population has been debated and is a highly controversial topic. GMOs are also being accused of causing problems and reactions for people with certain allergies. An article was published in In Motion Magaize that stands for the need for labelling foods and lists the common hazards that GMOs can cause to the population. An example of this is when Nebraska researchers used a Brazil-nut gene and spliced it into soybeans. The protein that was spliced from the nut and into the bean could potentially cause allergic reactions for children or adults living with nut allergies who ingest something made from one of these soybeans. Acording to an article published on Action on Bioscience.org by Arpad Pusztaie, a Ph.D. holder from the University of London, GMOs are still a very new science and needs to be further tested to discover the long term effects that new technology like this could have on the human body. This topic is just another reason for why GMOs should have to be labelled. It would offer the public a simple piece of mind and make people with these allergies feel more secure by knowing what they are consuming.

Some people have gone as far as saying that labelling GMO’s is a consumer right due to some of the reasons that I have listed above. The government claims that it would be too costly to label food that is genetically modified but, according to an article published by the Organic Consumers Organization, a study commissioned by Quebec’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods reveals that it would cost 28 million dollars Canadian. Compare that price to the first estimation of 950 million. So if it would actually only cost the new estimation, why would labelling food be such a bad idea?

But are Canadians willing to pay the extra price that would be incorporated into food prices for labelling? According to Dr. Wuyang Hu, a Post Doctoral Fellow in The Department of Rural Economy at the University of Alberta, who wrote his doctoral thesis, "Three Essays on Genetically Modified Food Labeling and Consumer Behavior", on how labeling GMO products could impact consumer behavior, he says,
"Consumers are willing to pay more money for more information about the food they are eating. Mandatory labeling does cost more, but the consumers are willing to pay that additional cost. I do not have a solution as to which is better economically, mandatory or voluntary labeling. That model would be too much work for a single PhD thesis. I focused on the consumer side. I hope, one day soon, someone will combine my research with the supply models so that we can have a clearer picture of the issue."

So, in conlusion, there is an abundence of reasons why GMOs shodl be labeled, as it would give consumers a simple piece of mind and prevent health related reaction risks like with allergies.

Some Ways to Reduce Your GHGs

Making a personal effort to reduce GHG emissions should be a personal goal for all Canadians, and people around the world. Here are a few ways that people can modify their personal activities if their lives to help reduce the emission of green house gases.
I’ve looked a few ways that people can reduce their emissions with help from the website, http://www.caledoncountryside.org/greenpower/CCA-2003021501.pdf , there is a list of "6 easy ways to Lose a Tonne (Of Air Pollution)". Their suggestions are written in italics.

1. "Replace 4 indoor lights with compact florescent light bulbs, and two outdoor lights with motion detector lights". This is a great idea, but to further it, couldn’t a house hold, or workplace just replace all of the their traditional light bulbs with fluorescent bulbs as they run out? The same goes for outdoor lights. People could drastically reduce their energy costs, and the amount of GHG’s they produce through using electricity if they replaced all or nearly all of their outdoor lights with motion lights.

2. "Have Energuide complete and audit of your home’s energy efficiency and follow up on their recommendations." This is a great idea, and could help to eliminate a lot of appliances that are energy sucking and waste producing machines. A few other home fixer-upers would be:
-improve window insulation so heat is not lost from poorly sealed window panes
-wash clothing in cold water
-hang dry clothes to reduce the energy required to use a dryer
-turn off lights when you leave a room
-recycle! Have bins for multiple types of recycling
-compost! This can reduce waste
-get some canvas bags for grocery shopping to eliminate the use of wasteful plastic bags
-try to cut down on waste produced by composting and avoiding individually packed items

3. "Turn off desktop computers overnight."
This is a great recommendation that can be applied at the workplace and at home. I know that the family computer at my house if left running frequently. Imagine how much energy is wasted in big office buildings because of all the computers being left on. This suggestion can also apply to radios, stereos, televisions, video players and other entertainment systems that are constantly left running.

4. "Reduce car emissions by: driving less than 80 kilometers a week (car pool, commute, combine errands, bike, roller blade, skateboard, walk), keeping your car tuned up with the tires inflated, reducing idling, and staying close to the speed limit will reduce pollution. Also, working close to home can reduce the amount of emissions that are produced by making lengthy commutes to work or can cut them out entirely by using a bike or walking.

5. "Plant Trees!" There are oodles of ways that trees can reduce emissions. First, they are carbon sinks, and they produce more oxygen. Plus, they can provide more shade for your house in the summer and reduce the cost of air conditioning.

And...if you have some money to throw around you could:
-invest in solar panels to make your home more energy efficient
-buy a fuel reducing car like a hybrid

Finally, in the market for a new home? Make it small, the smaller the house the less money that is spent on things like heating and cooling, which in turn would lower a person’s level of energy consumption.

My Ecological Footprint

After completing the ecological footprint, I received the following results:

Category Global Hectares
Food 3.1
Mobility 0.4
Shelter 0.6
Goods/Services 1
Total 5.1

If everyone lived like you we would need 2.8 planets

For the Lifestyle footprint I received the following result:
Low Growth: Everything goes wrong that can go wrong, in this future of risk and paranoia. Total ecological footprint is halved, but for the wrong reasons - economic stagnation and social malaise. The rich consume avariciously while others tighten their belts, amidst a host of problems - climate change, urban unrest, toxic waste, mutant organisms, and international terrorism.

A few of the possibly ways that I could reduce my emissions would be to make all (not just some) of the light bulbs in my house energy efficient. I could wash my clothes with cold water all the time, and use the clothes line to dry them (weather permitting), as well I could influence the rest of my family to do this. I could also do more recycling and separate all the recyclables into separate piles. By buying energy efficient appliances (or asking my paretns to do so), I could reduce the amount fo energy that my house consume everyday. Driving an energy efficient vehicle would also help to reduce my ecological footprint, but I don’t exactly have the money to buy one. When I’m older I’ll buy a small house to reduce the amount of energy needed, but that’s in the future. When I have control over what is purchased in my home I will make sure that it is environmentally friendly.

:)

Refine the Carbon Tax

Overall, I don’t support the current proposed form of a carbon tax.

I agree, that theoretically it is a great idea that could help Canada curb their emissions and embrace more environmentally friendly ways of living. But, the instilling a carbon tax could hurt Canadian’s too. The Premiere of Alberta, Ralph Klein, says that Albertans agree that the carbon tax is missing a key element-it doesn’t say how much they would have to pay. I agree with his proposal, a carbon tax is a great idea until you have to produce the money to pay for it. A carbon tax could be supported by everyone if it only required to pay $10 a month, but paying $100 a month could cause problems.

I believe that there are better ways to reduce emissions than putting a tax on anything and everything carbon. The Liberal’s deny the idea of supporting a carbon tax, and instead will soon announce a plan for helping large polluters curb their emissions in a way that honours Canada’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocol.

Similar to the Liberal’s claims and future ideas, The Conservative party of Canada also rejects the idea of having a carbon tax. The Minister of Environment, John Baird, said, "I disagree with the notion of a carbon tax. Our approach will be to provide regulation for industry to ensure we reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and reduce air pollutants."

On a web-journal, an author claims that having a gas tax would wreck havoc on the poor, as they could depend on things like their cars to travel to work so they can make money. I agree with this authors proposal to tax certain specific things, not everything from carbon. It would be too much of a shock to impose a carbon tax on everything all at once.

All in all, I believe that a carbon tax would end up hurting Canadians. If a carbon tax could be refined to certain things that are made of carbon, it would ease the shock and the costs that would be forced on the people of Canada with the introduction of a carbon tax.

Documentary or Docuganda?

After watching An Inconvenient Truth, a small part of me wanted to become a recycling nut and go completely "green". But, the rational part of my brain told me to get a grip. I guess I felt like a should be doing more for the environment on my own, not waiting for a law to be established or a politician to tell me that I have to meet a standard. At the same time, I was second guessing some of the "facts" that Al Gore was presenting in his video. They seemed so drastic that it was hard to believe, but that might just be the reality that hasn’t hit the population yet. I’m not exactly the most qualified person to say what is true fact and what is overblown fiction, so I’ve looked at several resources that either support Al Gore’s documentary or believe that An Inconvenient Truth is rubbish.

On the Support Side:

National Geographic Magazine wanted to help their readers figure out the truth behind the widely debated documentary so they turned to Eric Steig, an earth scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle. Steig proceeds to defend and qualify some of the arguments that Gare presented that are being second-guessed by the public. For the full article go to, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/05/060524-global-warming_2.html.

On the internet, Grist, an environmental news and commentary site, praised Gore for his video. They believed that we could learn a lot from this film, and that Gore presented in a way that brought the truth into the light. The full article can be found at, http://www.grist.org/advice/books/2006/05/24/roberts/.

Another internet site devoted to stopping Global Warming supported An Inconvient Truth. Author, Robert Ebert, re-iterates how Gore emphasize that global warming is real and that Americans can learn a lot from watching this video. Link: http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_feature.asp?id=11

Finally, on the support side, the Washington Post published and article titled, "Scientists OK Gore’s movie for accuracy. The article gives references to the AP and quotes several environmental specialists from universities that support the views that Gore presented. Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/27/AR2006062700780.html

On the Opposition:

Website, junkscience.com presents an oppasition argument complete with diagrams, graphs and pictures that criticize the accuracy of Gore’s presentation. They don’t deny global warming, but they deny the accuracy of Gore’s claims. The complete article can be found at: http://www.junkscience.com/Greenhouse/

Canada Free Press published an article titled "Scientists Respond to Gore’s Warnings of Climate Catastrophe" that completely contradicts the Washington Post article that I wrote of above. This article quotes multiple scientists that claim that Gore’s argument is weak and pathetic. These scientists aren’t denying global warming, but they ridicule and provide the supposed "truthful" answers to the global warming debate. Link: http://www.canadafreepress.com/2006/harris061206.htm

Finally, a CBC journalist criticizes Al Gore for being a hypocrite on all of the claims that he has made through his documentary. Titled "Gore’s power usage an inconvenient truth", the article goes on to claim that Gore uses 20 items the amount of electricity than the average American home. Link: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/02/28/gore-electricity.html

After reading through arguments that support and criticize Gore’s argument, I can’t say that I wholly believe that Gore is telling the truth. There is just too much controversy for every single fact he presents to be true. As for wether I believe if it is docuganda or not, I’d say that it isn’t a docuganda. I mean, even if every little fact isn’t true, it is still an education video that could inspire people to become more environmentally friendly. And anything that can do that is a good thing. I felt more aware of the environment after viewing this video, and I’m sure others did too, and on the whole, that can be a very good thing.

Unusual Winter Temperatures

I do believe that this winter has been hallmarked in Ontario as a strange winter due to the lack of snow, creating a "green Christmas", then rebounding in January with incredibly low local temperatures.

My opinion on global warming is that global warming is a very real thing, and should be a concern for everyone globally. I’ve noticed that in the last few years, more awareness of the environment has been being spread throughout the media. This includes magazine and television advertisements by the government and environmental foundations, articles in the newspapers, and movies and television programs that highlight and are educational to the population on global warming. I think that this is a good step forward to prevent global warming, but I do think more action should be taken on by everyone globally. There are other reasons why this winter was seasonally warmer, such as El Nino and changeing wind patterns, but I guess we’ll have to see next year whether this warming climate was a one-time thing or here to stay.

The Goldilocks Effect is the theory that reflects storybook character goldilocks, who was scratching for her porridge to be not too hot and not too cold. Scenists have applied this theory to Venus, Earth and Mars. Venus having raging heat, storms, and climate overall, making it "too hot", Mars having little life, and very cold temperatures, being "too cold" and Earth sitting right in between the two with the "just right" temperature.

This "just right" temperature is produced by Earth’s greenhouse-like atmosphere that protects from sunlight, and keeps the atmosphere warm to livable temperature. But, it is being theorized that this greenhouse that protects life could become too thick, eventually keeping too much heat on earth’s surface. This happens because the with a thinning ozone, more UV light can travel through to earth’s surface from the sun. Then there are the emissions and pollutants that humans produce, that in a sense create a blanket that won’t let heat back out and into the atmosphere. The conclusion from this is that by combing the above actions, will create a slow increase in earth’s temperature, and maybe, over a bunch of time, make earth an unlivable planet.

The NOAA is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, run by the US Department of Commerce. It is a federal agency that focuses on the condition of the aceans and the atmosphere. Their mission statement is " To understand and predict the changes in Earth’s environment and conserve and manage costal and marine resources to meet our nation’s economic, social and environmental needs." They are a supplier of environmental information products, a provider of environment stewardship services, a leader in applied scientific research that focus on ecosystems, climate, weather, water, commerce and transportation. For more information this is their home website: http://www.noaa.gov/about-noaa.html
:D

Incentives for the Environment

Incentives that benifit the environment and resources are a great way to encourage people to become more environmentally sound; The Government of Canada offers multiple incentives to motivate the people of Ontario to reduce the over-consumption of natural resources. The problem is, is that few people actually know that incentives like this exist to help make Canada a more efficient and environmentally friendly nation. You can check out a complete list of incentives at, www.incentivesandrebates.ca, but here are a few that I picked out as particularly effective and interesting.

Government of Canada Transit Pass Tax Credit
http://www.incentivesandrebates.ca/gc_fi_search_display.asp?id=222&jurisdiction=10&actionArea=0&keyword=

This incentive offers individuals a non-refundable tax credit to cover the costs of monthly or longer use of public transit services like, subways, buses, street cars, and ferries. It offers a value of $150 per year for monthly transit pass users.

I think that this incentive is particularly effective because it would motivate people living in urban cities to use public transit, this would then reduce the number of vehicles on the street producing emissions and using fossil fuels just to drive around the city. By offering a non-refundable tax-credit, it will lower the amount of money that people have to pay on their taxes, which acts as a motivator to use available public transit.

Retail Sales Tax Rebate for Wind, Micro Hydro-Electric and Geothermal Energy Systems for Residential Premises
http://www.incentivesandrebates.ca/gc_fi_search_display.asp?id=82&jurisdiction=10&actionArea=6&keyword=

This incentive is offered to the owners of residential premises, including multi-residential buildings the ability to claim a refund of 8% Retail Sales Tax, when they have paid for new wind, geothermal energy systems, and micro hydro-electric energy systems on any expansions or upgrades to the existing systems that are installed on their premises. These systems either produce electrical or mechanical energy or absorb heat from a solar-heated ground.

I believe that this incentive is effective because it would be encouraging the residents of Ontario to invest in renewable sources of energy use don residential premises. This would cut down on the amount of fossil fuels being used and electricity being produced to power the homes of Ontario. By offering the ability for people to claim a rebate, they will feel that they are saving money on their purchase.

Vehicles Powered by Alternative Fuels — tax refund
http://www.incentivesandrebates.ca/gc_fi_search_display.asp?id=72&jurisdiction=10&actionArea=0&keyword=

Vehicles Powered bu Alternative Fuels-tax refund, is an offer for a refund of the 8% Retail Sales Tax an offer for people who have purchased or leased vehicles that operate or have been converted to operate on:
• exclusively on electrical energy
• as a hybrid electric vehicle
• exclusively on propane, natural gas, ethanol, methanol, or other manufactured gases
• as dual-powered vehicles (vehicles that use one of the alternative fuels mentioned above and that can also be powered by gasoline or diesel fuel).
This refund has limits of $750 for propane vehicles, $1000 for vehicles powered by any other alternative fuel, and $2000 for electric or hybrid electric vehicles. For converted vehicles, this refund will only apply if the conversion has been made within 180 days of the date form which the vehicle was purchased. For conversions that were made later, the refund only applies to the cost of the conversion kit and its installation. The refund is NOT available for vehicles that use a mixture of alternative fuel and gasoline or diesel fuel.

I think that this is a great incentive because it encourages people to use more environmentally friendly means of automotive transport. Being that having a vehicle today is so incredibly common, almost everyone has one, this would then lead to lots and lots of emissions. As fossil fuels are non-renewable, focusing on finding alternate ways to fuel transportation is becoming very prominent and this incentive is motivating people to do so with tax refunds for making their vehicles more safe.


This is an incentive that is not in place yet, but I still think it’ll be pretty cool.
Summer Savings 10/10
http://www.incentivesandrebates.ca/gc_fi_search_display.asp?id=249&jurisdiction=10&actionArea=0&keyword=

Summer Savings 10/10 is an incentive that has been announced but is not yet available to the residents of Ontario. It is hoping to motivate people to reduce their power use by 10% during a set period by offering them a 10% rebate on their electricity bill.

Given the soaring cost of energy bills, this incentive is a great idea. It will both motivate people to reduce the amount of energy consumed in a residence and also offer them a reduction in the amount of money that they have to pay for their electricity bills. It is another great incentive that will help Canada work towards the amount of energy used and wasted in residential housing.

:D

Why I'm taking this course....

I decided to take Environmental Resource Management out of personal interest. As of now, I don’t plan on continuing after high school in environmentally related studies, but I do have an interest in the environment. Though, I may possibly take environmental courses as electives in university. Basically, I decided to take this course in hope to better educate myself on the environment and the earth’s resources.

Out of this course, I hope to gain a better understanding of the environmental problems that are prominent in around the world today. As well, the idea of how people can possibly manage resources is quite interesting and would be a neat topic to learn about. Last, it would be great to learn how possibly the problems in our environment could be stopped and or prevented in the future.

As for concerns that I have for the environment, the big one that everyone seems to be becoming more aware of these days, is global warming. I think that people should be made very aware of this problem, and work together to prevent it from progressing drastically. Also, the topic of air quality and the atmosphere is interesting and it is a concern of which I have become aware. Now, I don’t know that much about it, but I’d love to gain in-site into it through this course.