Voice of the Earth

Offshore wind turbines?

Spirit — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 04:01:37 +0000

The Swedish have got it right: Thanet Farm, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, has officially been opened. The farm, owned by Swedish company Vattenfall, has about one hundred turbines ready to power more than 200000 homes in England. All things considered, this is a very smart solution to the search for alternate energy sources. No inland space is being used, wind is clean and reliable, and all that energy is going to a lot of homes. Additionally, Thanet Farm will have a minimal effect on the lives of nearby humans and wildlife. It’s a win-win situation all around. A tip of the hat to Sweden and their ingenuity!
Info: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/sep2010/2010-09-23-02.html
Image: http://www.newenergyfocus.com/

Your opinion is vital!

Spirit — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:02:32 +0000

I think I’m just going to stop apologizing for my posting slumps, they’re becoming that frequent. Just know that there’s too much going on right now and that my priorities are elsewhere – if I had any free time, I would post here. I promise. Anyway, it’s opinion time! I’d like to ask my wonderful readers what you want to see more of on this blog (other than posts, I know you probably want more – again, very little time right now). I don’t want to be posting stuff that nobody’s going to read, so I’d love for you to tell me what you want to hear more about. If you all could please voice your opinions in this poll or tell me specifics in the comments, I would appreciate it no end!
View This Poll

It’s not gone

Spirit — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:01:56 +0000

Days after the capping of the leaking Gulf oil well, we have been informed that most of the crude has just disappeared. Some of it has been captured by booms, some has been burned in controlled fires, and some has even evaporated into our atmosphere. But where is all the rest? The answer is relatively simple: just look beneath the surface of the ocean – there, you will find oil plumes. That’s right, the oil isn’t gone yet – not even close, actually. It’s just moved below the surface. And now that the well has been capped, BP is letting up on the cleanup effort so that more energy and resources can be focused on the permanent plugging of the well. Why are they lowering their manpower on cleanup when it’s one of the most important steps towards getting this spill properly dealt with? With salvaged turtles and birds being released back into the spill area, shouldn’t cleaning up the oil still be a priority?

Stopped at last

Spirit — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 21:34:32 +0000

I sincerely apologize, once again, for my abysmal posting slump. Vacations were to be had, and tasks were to be completed!

Well, as I’m sure you all know by now, the leaking well in the Gulf has finally been capped. Although there is still a very small amount of oil escaping the cap, it is definitely a start and will allow more attention to be centered on the cleanup and the drilling of the relief wells. Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Bonnie is (of course) headed right towards the spill site, which has caused the work to stop and all BP ships to leave the area. If the storm lives up to expectations, the oil will be spread over an even bigger area and pushed closer to shores and beaches. In addition, the temporary cap might not be able to withstand such rough waters, and Bonnie may cause problems for the cap. A lot is at stake here: the Gulf ecosystem, the wildlife, the jobs of hundreds of fishermen, and most importantly, the safety of the leak’s cap and relief wells. Let’s hope that Bonnie doesn’t do any damage of consequence.

Yep, we’ve done it now

Spirit — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 16:46:55 +0000

There’s little else to talk about in the environment if you’re trying not to speak of the growing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. We’ve done it now. Thousands upon thousands of birds and aquatic animals have felt the effects of the oil spill, not to mention the fishermen who make a living off of them. And now the estimate of flowing oil is increasing by the day, turning the Gulf situation into a living nightmare. Yet there are people out there who still support deep-water drilling! I really don’t understand it. I mean, here we are, ravaging an entire ecosystem with no clear idea when we will be able to get it cleaned up and under control. We’re destroying the livelihoods of hundreds and thousands of fishermen who are going to be feeling the repercussions of this oil spill for decades to come. Everything is being hurt because of BP’s lack of adequate forethought and successful backup plans, but there are still some who take up Sarah Palin’s cry of “drill, baby, drill”. If anyone understands this, please, drop me a line.
Image: http://libertyboy.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/nooildrilling2.jpg

Good news for polar bears

Spirit — Sun, 30 May 2010 20:24:44 +0000

In light of the recent (not really, anymore) oil spill in the Gulf, a huge victory has been won for polar bears. President Obama has just passed a six-month ban on a planned drilling project that would have been located in the Chukchi Sea in the Arctic Circle. This offshore drilling rig would have put many polar bears and their habitats at risk, and if there was to be another major spill, the animals would be basically done for. The ban has saved many of those polar bears’ lives and has lessened the possibility of yet another disastrous crude oil leak.
Image: http://drake.marin.k12.ca.us/academics/rock/Warming_files/polar-bear-global-warming-1.jpg

Sea turtle salvage

Spirit — Sat, 22 May 2010 17:10:30 +0000

As the amount of oil gushing from the pipes in the Gulf increases by the hour, so does the number of native animals that are being affected by this terrible spill. The most-noticed among these are the endangered sea turtles. At this point in the year, sea turtles are returning to the shore to nest, lay their eggs, and allow their babies to hatch. They are now being forced to swim through miles and miles of crude oil in the Gulf of Mexico to get to shore. Not only are these dedicated mothers in danger, but their offspring could just as well experience the affects of a massive oil spill. The hatchlings will go to sea for the first time in just a few weeks, and they could be greeted by a toxic surprise. What can you do about it? Go to the Defenders of Wildlife website (see my blogroll) and donate to help raise awareness about this awful danger. The sea turtles are depending on you.
Info: www.defenders.org
Image: http://www.treehugger.com/loggerhead-sea-turtle.jpg

Back to Eyjafjallajökull

Spirit — Sun, 16 May 2010 21:31:22 +0000

While the world has become preoccupied with the Deepwater Horizons oil spill disaster, Eyjafjallajökull Volcano is still erupting up north in Iceland. There has been neither a decline nor a rise in the amount of activity going on at the volcano (although four earthquakes were recorded underneath it on the 13th), and the huge ash cloud is still spreading. Delays and flight cancellations due to the ash at European airports, however, are becoming slightly less common as we realize that we don’t honestly know when the eruption is going to slow or end. Again, if you live anywhere near the volcano or its ash cloud, take health precautions. Go outside only when absolutely essential, bring pets inside, make sure windows and doors completely seal the house off from the outside and, if you have asthma, be especially careful not to do physically demanding things that might cause your breathing rate to increase. All we can do is hope that the eruption will be over soon and not cause too much of an environmental disruption.
Info: http://cnmnewsnetwork.com/113950/iceland-volcano-eruption-2010-eyjafjallajokull-ash-and-airspace-in-uk/
Picture: http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/images/stories/large/2010/04/20/iceland_plume_98566292.jpg

Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

Spirit — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:36:15 +0000

Once more, I apologize for being a bit late in my posts – another busy week!

It is impossible that anyone, blog reader or otherwise, could not have heard about the massive oil spill off the shore of Louisiana on April 20. The spill has now spread west towards the Texas coastline and is gushing thousands of gallons of crude oil per day. It is threatening wildlife conservation areas that have already been damaged by Hurricane Katrina, and a few sea turtles have already been found dead due to this massive oil spill. Now, I don’t know why BP is having so much trouble cleaning this thing up. They should have anticipated a disaster like this a long time ago, and made adequate plans for spill containment. Now we see them rushing around at the last minute, trying one odd solution after another with limited success. I really hope this terrible incident teaches the world a lesson about oil drilling and how harmful it can be: not only to humanity, but to wildlife and endangered species as well.
Info: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6482L220100509
Image:

Oceans

Spirit — Tue, 04 May 2010 01:45:00 +0000

I apologize that I’m a few days late in getting this posted, it’s been very busy the past couple days.

I watched Disneynature’s new documentary Oceans yesterday and, I’ve got to say, I’m really glad I did. I guess it was more geared toward audiences younger than a high school student, but it was still a really interesting film. It wasn’t one of those boring documentaries that seem to go on forever and ever, nor did it just spout facts and figures at the audience. It taught me a lot about the ocean that I did not know, and towards the end it included a fair bit about how humans are polluting the ocean and what needs to be done to help save it and the wildlife living there. All in all, a great movie, definitely one you should consider seeing, especially if you love the environment like I do.