Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Reflective summary .
From my readings and research, I learnt that global warming is the biggest threat posted to these endangered species. When too much heat is trapped in the atmosphere, the earth gets warmer as the temperature rises. This causes the ice to melt. Marine animals like penguins and polar bears will be affected. Habitat loss leads to starvation. Penguins die of starvation due to lack of food supply. Polar bears has too swim a longer distance in order to hunt for food which depletes their energy stores and ocassionally leads to drowning. Water pollution--Penguins are victims of oil spills and as a result, the death of penguins. Over hunting for fur, meat, feathers, fats and eggs.
Before the reasearch, I thought animals are facing extinction mainly because of their slow reproduction. But my perspective changed. All of the factors above, are caused by mankind. Why are humans so cruel to kill these animals? Imagine the world without them? If humans dont stop, who will. I think there are just too little or rather, not enough measures done. Perhaps majority of them dont bother about it. They'll ask, what impact does it have on us? Of course there is, it's global warming. If greenhouse gases can be reduced, the world would be a much better place.
Ways to help:
No disposal of waste in sea or beaches.
Reduce the amount of electricity used.
Use public transport.
(235 words)
Before the reasearch, I thought animals are facing extinction mainly because of their slow reproduction. But my perspective changed. All of the factors above, are caused by mankind. Why are humans so cruel to kill these animals? Imagine the world without them? If humans dont stop, who will. I think there are just too little or rather, not enough measures done. Perhaps majority of them dont bother about it. They'll ask, what impact does it have on us? Of course there is, it's global warming. If greenhouse gases can be reduced, the world would be a much better place.
Ways to help:
No disposal of waste in sea or beaches.
Reduce the amount of electricity used.
Use public transport.
(235 words)
Reflective journal five .
There is hope-but only if we humans act NOW by slashing greenhouse gas emissions. And you have a chance to tell the world's decision leaders how much you want this to happen.Simply sign up and switch off the lights in your home, workplace, or wherever you are, for one hour at 8.30pm on Saturday March 28.WWF is spearheading the switch-off, which is called Earth Hour, and hopes that more than a billion people across the world will take part and influence the decisions made at the summit.And the News of the World is calling on our eight million readers to take part in the bid to save some of the most loved creatures on Earth.WWF's UK spokesman Diane Walkington explained: "It is not too late to turn the tide of extinction around, but there is no time to waste. The future of wildlife, like tigers and polar bears, really does depend on a global collective effort. "
(161 words)
Taken from:
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/green/218031/Endangered-polar-bears-penguins-turtles-and-tigers-need-your-help.html
(161 words)
Taken from:
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/green/218031/Endangered-polar-bears-penguins-turtles-and-tigers-need-your-help.html
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Reflective journal four .
The key danger posed by global warming is malnutrition or starvation due to habitat loss. Polar bears hunt seals from a platform of sea ice. Rising temperatures cause the sea ice to melt earlier in the year, driving the bears to shore before they have built sufficient fat reserves to survive the period of scarce food in the late summer and early fall. Reduction in sea-ice cover also forces bears to swim longer distances, which further depletes their energy stores and occasionally leads to drowning. Thinner sea ice tends to deform more easily, which appears to make it more difficult for polar bears to access seals.
WITHIN 75 years polar bears could be extinct if we don't take urgent action now. And in just 40 years' time two-thirds of their population will have vanished.IF temperatures rise by 2°C by 2050 as expected, 50 per cent of Emperor penguins and 75 per cent of Adelie penguins will die.In fact, 11 of the 19 penguin species are already under threat. Many struggle to find food because higher sea temperatures are killing their main food, the shrimp-like krill.
(186 words)
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Bear#Conservation_status.2C_efforts_and_controversies
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/green/218031/Endangered-polar-bears-penguins-turtles-and-tigers-need-your-help.html
WITHIN 75 years polar bears could be extinct if we don't take urgent action now. And in just 40 years' time two-thirds of their population will have vanished.IF temperatures rise by 2°C by 2050 as expected, 50 per cent of Emperor penguins and 75 per cent of Adelie penguins will die.In fact, 11 of the 19 penguin species are already under threat. Many struggle to find food because higher sea temperatures are killing their main food, the shrimp-like krill.
(186 words)
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_Bear#Conservation_status.2C_efforts_and_controversies
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/green/218031/Endangered-polar-bears-penguins-turtles-and-tigers-need-your-help.html
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Reflective journal three .
How to protects these endangered marine lives :
WWF works to:
Fund field research by the world's foremost experts on polar bears to find out how global warming will affect the long-term condition of polar bears
Work with governments, industry, and individuals to reduce GHG emissions and mitigate climate change
Promote sustainable consumptive and non-consumptive use of polar bears that directly affect the species, such as hunting, poaching, industrial take, illegal trade, and unsustainable tourism
Protect critical habitat including important movement corridors, and denning habitat
Prevent or remove direct threats from industrial activity such as oil and gas development, and arctic shipping.
Ways you can help :
Use public transport.
Save electricity.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/polarbear.html
WWF works to:
Fund field research by the world's foremost experts on polar bears to find out how global warming will affect the long-term condition of polar bears
Work with governments, industry, and individuals to reduce GHG emissions and mitigate climate change
Promote sustainable consumptive and non-consumptive use of polar bears that directly affect the species, such as hunting, poaching, industrial take, illegal trade, and unsustainable tourism
Protect critical habitat including important movement corridors, and denning habitat
Prevent or remove direct threats from industrial activity such as oil and gas development, and arctic shipping.
Ways you can help :
Use public transport.
Save electricity.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/polarbear/polarbear.html
Friday, March 13, 2009
Reflective journal two .
Polar bears.
The polar bear or the sea/ice bear are the world's largest land predators. They can be found in the Artic, the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway.
The reason for the concern is global warming, which seems to be having its greatest impact so far on the polar regions, particularly the Arctic, the only place on the planet with polar bears. Warming trends of recent years have caused the ice pack that is so vital to the bears' survival to shrink, moving farther offshore and taking longer to form during the critical winter months when the bears load up on seals to get them through the summers. Of course, it's a bit premature to say these clever hunters that adapted to one of the harshest environments on Earth can't make yet another adaptation to a warmer habitat, but experts are doubtful. He is not alone in his concerns. Ian Stirling, an adjunct professor at the university who gained fame through his study of polar bears that have given the northern Canadian community of Churchill its identity, has documented a gradual decline in the well-being of those bears. They are leaner, smaller, and less able to find enough food to survive, according to Stirling.
"The polar bear is in need of intensive care," said Brendan Cummings of the Center for Biological Diversity, "but with this lease sale the Bush administration is proposing to burn down the hospital." "MMS, by its own admission, has stated that oil spills are likely from its proposal to open up the Chukchi Sea to oil and gas development," said Mike Daulton, Audubon's Director of Conservation Policy. "That, combined with findings from the Army Corps of Engineers citing there are no effective methods for cleaning up oil spills in Arctic waters, seems enough reason to halt oil and gas activities until more is known about the migratory birds, marine life and unique conditions in this very harsh environment."
(323 words)
Taken from:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=97762&page=1
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104144354.htm
The polar bear or the sea/ice bear are the world's largest land predators. They can be found in the Artic, the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway.
The reason for the concern is global warming, which seems to be having its greatest impact so far on the polar regions, particularly the Arctic, the only place on the planet with polar bears. Warming trends of recent years have caused the ice pack that is so vital to the bears' survival to shrink, moving farther offshore and taking longer to form during the critical winter months when the bears load up on seals to get them through the summers. Of course, it's a bit premature to say these clever hunters that adapted to one of the harshest environments on Earth can't make yet another adaptation to a warmer habitat, but experts are doubtful. He is not alone in his concerns. Ian Stirling, an adjunct professor at the university who gained fame through his study of polar bears that have given the northern Canadian community of Churchill its identity, has documented a gradual decline in the well-being of those bears. They are leaner, smaller, and less able to find enough food to survive, according to Stirling.
"The polar bear is in need of intensive care," said Brendan Cummings of the Center for Biological Diversity, "but with this lease sale the Bush administration is proposing to burn down the hospital." "MMS, by its own admission, has stated that oil spills are likely from its proposal to open up the Chukchi Sea to oil and gas development," said Mike Daulton, Audubon's Director of Conservation Policy. "That, combined with findings from the Army Corps of Engineers citing there are no effective methods for cleaning up oil spills in Arctic waters, seems enough reason to halt oil and gas activities until more is known about the migratory birds, marine life and unique conditions in this very harsh environment."
(323 words)
Taken from:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Story?id=97762&page=1
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080104144354.htm
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Reflective journal one .
Penguins.
The penguin species inhabit areas of Antarctica, Argentina, Australian Territory Islands, Chile, French Territory Islands, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and United Kingdom Territory Islands. Threats to the species include commercial fishing, competition for prey, habitat loss, danger from non-native predators, contaminants, pollution and impacts to the marine and terrestrial environment brought on by climate change. The petition asked that 12 penguin species be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Some other threats to penguins were that fishermen would kill them for bait or other reason like that. Another main threat to penguins is the fisherman will catch them and kill them right were they caught them and they do not evene give notice to people, this is now illegal, but it is still being done. Some other main threats to penguins are there food supply is running low. Some main predators which are a very big threat to the penguins are leaopord seal,which are only a threat when the penguins are in the water,stoat which are the size of a weasel also are a threat to the penguins when they are on the land, and medium sized shark will kill penguins occasionally.
Penguins would be extinct soon unless all these greenhouse gases are reduced. If not, penguins would dissapear from this world forever. We have to start helping these endangered species before it's too late. These factors are caused by humans, yet these innocent animals have to face this. If we don't want this penguins to be extinct, SAVE THE PENGUINS!
(253 words)
Taken from: http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/news/penguins.html
http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/penguins10/penguins.html
The penguin species inhabit areas of Antarctica, Argentina, Australian Territory Islands, Chile, French Territory Islands, Namibia, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and United Kingdom Territory Islands. Threats to the species include commercial fishing, competition for prey, habitat loss, danger from non-native predators, contaminants, pollution and impacts to the marine and terrestrial environment brought on by climate change. The petition asked that 12 penguin species be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Some other threats to penguins were that fishermen would kill them for bait or other reason like that. Another main threat to penguins is the fisherman will catch them and kill them right were they caught them and they do not evene give notice to people, this is now illegal, but it is still being done. Some other main threats to penguins are there food supply is running low. Some main predators which are a very big threat to the penguins are leaopord seal,which are only a threat when the penguins are in the water,stoat which are the size of a weasel also are a threat to the penguins when they are on the land, and medium sized shark will kill penguins occasionally.
Penguins would be extinct soon unless all these greenhouse gases are reduced. If not, penguins would dissapear from this world forever. We have to start helping these endangered species before it's too late. These factors are caused by humans, yet these innocent animals have to face this. If we don't want this penguins to be extinct, SAVE THE PENGUINS!
(253 words)
Taken from: http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/news/penguins.html
http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/penguins10/penguins.html
Monday, March 2, 2009
Places I want to visit
Which place I want to visit the most? I would like to tour around the world if I have the chance in future. Taiwan, HongKong, Australia, Bali etc. I want to go Taipei 101, wondering how tall it is and how long it takes to go from the first storey to the one hundred and one storey. And also, Hong Kong Disneyland, heard it's fun there. Australia! After reading my friend's post, I wanna go! There's Sea World, Dream World and Movie World. Dream World would definitely attract me the most, cos there are batman, bugs bunny etc. Maybe there's a theme park, cos there's rollercoaster. I wanna get a ride of it, I'm sure it's thrilling! Lastly, Bali, it's famous for the beach. Perhaps the sea water is really clean, and clear; unlike Singapore's beach. Hopefully, I can go more than these places and enjoy what's all around the world.
:D
:D