Paper or Plastic?

At the grocery store, everyone is always confronted with the dilemma of choosing paper or plastic bags. Most people consider paper bags more environmentally friendly because compared to plastic bags, a larger percent can be recycled. The negative of paper bags is that it requires the cutting down of millions of trees per year. By depleting the forests, we are removing a natural source of oxygen and carbon dioxide control. When producing paper bags they use about 1917 BTUs per ounce more energy than plastic bag production. And according to reusablebags.com, the chemicals used in paper mills release 70% more air pollution and 50 times more water pollution than plastic bag factories. After the bags are produced and used, the question goes to what effect does they have afterwards. If recycled it takes about 17 BTUs per ounce to recycle plastic bags and 1444 BTUs per ounce to recycle paper bags. However 10-15% of paper bags can be recycled, were as only 1-3% of plastic bags can be recycled. Comparing paper bags and plastic bags, which one would be more environmentally efficient? I’d say plastic bags.

Statistics are from reusablebags.com

Alien Encounter

In today’s society, exotic is considered beautiful. People always want that rare plant or exotic bird. Before seeing the movie Strange Days, I didn’t see anything wrong with it. I always thought these foreign organisms were harmless and just there to provide diversity. I never knew that such harmless creatures and plants could cause so much trouble. It is astonishing that such small creatures, like termites could destroy entire neighborhoods. These alien species also reak havoc on our economy, health and the earth itself. According to an article by Cornell University ecologists, as of 1999, in North America alone alien species are causing us 123 billion dollars a year. That’s a lot of money for the accidental importation of some non-indigenous creatures. Some of the alien species introduced into foreign lands are intentional. In the movie, they used the example of the mongooses in Puerto Rico who were supposed to take care of the rat population. The Cornell article describes how the plant Purple Loosestrife was brought from Europe to be an ornamental plant. Both the mongoose and the Purple Loosestrife seemed liked a good idea at the time but ended up endangering the native species of the area.

I would agree with the video, saying that the introduction of foreign species I also consider the foreign species that have helped our way of life. The video talked about how on Lake Victoria scientists introduced the weevils to the environment. Everyone benefited form the introduction because it helped resolve the problems the water hyacinth caused. The Cornell article also talks about how even though alien species are costing North America 123 billion dollars, 98% of the U.S. food supply consists of foreign species.

The lesson that we should learn form the video, Strange Days, and the Cornell article is that we should be careful what we introduce into or lands. Sometimes the outcome is good, but most of the time its bad.

Photo credit: en.wikipedia.org

Ocean Energy: Will it make a splash?

With concern for the elevation of sea levels, major cities around the world are using the excess water to their advantage. The September 2006 Scientific American explores this different type of energy and the changes that are being made to it to make it more efficient. Up until this point, ocean energy has been left behind by wind energy; but according to the ocean energy leader at the Electric Power Research Institute, Roger Bedard it will not be along until the technology will catch up. China, Portugal, Nova Scotia, New York and Britain are all setting up programs to harness the energy from the oceans. Even though environmental groups say that setting up the generators necessary to harness the energy, estuarine ecosystems would be in trouble. However, according to Peter Fraenkel of Marine Current Turbines, the turbines (generators) that they have created have a less impact on the ecosystems than dams do. I think that switching to ocean energy both the environment and people benefit. Even though it might interfere with the estuarine ecosystems, it still will lessen the impact that other fuels, such as petroleum, have the environment.