Climate Change Infographic- Hawaii and the Pacific Islands

The Hawaii and U.S Affiliated Pacific Islands region is threatened by climate change.

The warming of the earth has resulted in a rise in sea levels, warming of the ocean and acidification, droughts and extreme weather which have created many problems in the region. The islands are composed of many demographically, culturally, and economically varied communities. Tourism is a main contributor to the economics of the area which can be greatly affected by climate change. As well, a majority of the communities rely on agriculture and ecosystems for sustenance and revenue which is being put at risk through the harming of such systems and loss of habitats. The ecosystems are especially important because they have such a large biodiversity and have a high concentration of native species which provide insights into evolution and adaptation. Freshwater supplies will become more limited on many islands and the mounting threats to food and water security, infrastructure, health, and safety are deeply affecting the future of the Pacific islands. The region includes more than 2,000 islands spanning millions of square miles of ocean, the effects of climate change will be and are immense.

Works Cited:

"Dungue Fever." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19 Jan. 2016. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

"Fat Coral More Likely to Survive Bleaching Events." Marine Science Today. N.p., 30 Nov. 2015. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

"Freshwater Demand (allocation)." Freshwater Demand (allocation). N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

"Hurricane Season Begins June 1." Hawaii Army Weekly. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

"National Climate Assessment." National Climate Assessment. Global Change. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

"Ocean Acidification Jun. 2014." Joomag. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

Gold King Mine Blowout (Conclusion)

Conclusion

The Gold King Mine blowout was a significant disaster in Colorado and probably will continue to be in the future. On August 5th, 2015, approximately 3 million gallons were spilled from the mine site as workers were trying to add a tap to the tailing pond for the mine. The disaster has opened more eyes in the abandonment of mines and how disastrous and dangerous the practice can be towards the environment around it. 

For additional information you can go to: http://www.hcn.org/articles/acid-mine-drainage-explainer-animas-pollution-epa-gold-king 

Gold King Mine Blowout (Works Cited)

Bastasch, Michael. "Colorado Official Says EPA Lied About Gold King Mine Spill." The Daily Caller. 13 Nov. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

Chief, Karletta, Janick Artiola, Sarah Wilkinson, Paloma Beamer, and Raina Maier. "Understanding the Gold King Mine Spill." Superfund Pharmacy Arizona. Superfund Research Program, 1 Nov. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

Gold King Mine Owner: 'I Foresaw Disaster' - CNN.com." CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

"Gold King Mine Water Was Headed for the Animas, Anyway." - High Country News. N.p., 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

Kirkemo, Harold. "Gold Prospecting in the United States." Gold Prospecting. Geology.com. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

"Little-Known Facts About The Importance of Silver in Technology."Scottsdale Bullion Coin. N.p., 09 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

Paul, Jesse. "Gold King Mine: EPA Was Told of Blowout Danger in June 2014." - The Denver Post. The Denver

"Technical Evaluation of the Gold King Mine Incident." Usbr.gov. Reclamation, Managing Water in the West, 1 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

Thompson, Jonathan. "Gold King Mine Water Was Headed for the Animas, Anyway." - High Country News. 28 Aug. 2015. Web. 13 Jan. 2016.

Gold King Mine Blowout (Background Information)

The Gold King Mine is located in the mountainous state of Colorado. Colorado has many unique landforms: the Great Plains in the east, the Rocky mountains dividing the state, and the Colorado Plateau region. The plants and animals in Colorado are usually very adaptive because of the changing weather. The mining done on the Gold King mine is subsurface mining, digging tunnels (or shafts) into the earth to reach the ore and bringing the ore up through the tunnels. Even though the EPA has taken responsibility for the blowout, Mr. Hennis is the owner of the company that owns the mine. He says that he foresaw the disaster but knew the EPA was in control (Gold King Mine Owner: 'I Foresaw Disaster').

Garrison, Steve. Silverton, Colorado Waste Continues to Spill. 2015. Silverton, Colo. Abqjournal.com. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.

Like mentioned before, the minerals mined from the Gold King mine were mostly gold and silver. Gold is obviously a very important aspect to the economy because they are worth a lot of money. Right now, gold is worth around $1320 an ounce. Silver is used in many resources such as solar energy, electronic devices, water purifiers, and bandages (Little-Known Facts About The Importance of Silver in Technology). 

Gold King Mine Blowout (Introduction)

The Gold Mine blow out occurred in Silverton, Colorado in August of 2015. It was a huge disaster causing acid mine drainage. This subsurface mine used tunnels which allowed water to leak in which initially caused the blowout. The mining done on this mine was to extract gold and silver. This mining blowout story that caused environmental disaster is very interesting and informative about some negative effects of mines (Gold King Mine Water Was Headed for the Animas, Anyway).

Waste Water Continues to Stream out of Gold King Mine. 2015. Silverton, Colorado. Theepochtimes.com. Web. 

Gold King Mine Blowout (Discussion)

Discussion

     The mineral extraction and processing methods used in the Gold King Mine were subsurface mining techniques such as tunneling and the use of mine shafts (Kirkemo). These methods can cause environmental degradation and pollution as acid mine drainage occurs. The water from the sky drains into the faults and holes and they run over deposits of pyrite or iron sulfide. Because the mine is normally really rich in oxygen, a chain of reactants occurs and one of the products is sulfuric acid.The result is acid mine drainage which messes with the PH of the water, and harms fishes and life in the nearby waters. It is harmful and irreversible (Thompson).


EMCBC Mining and the Environment Primer: Acid Mine Drainage. 2006. Mining Watch. Web. 14 Jan. 2016.
 

Short term results have occurred because of the spill. Cement Creek which is typically used for recreation and agriculture; as of September 15, 2015, was not meeting regulatory standards for agriculture due to elevated copper and zinc. Additional problems that have occurred is that many of the irrigation intakes close to the spill were closed for a long time and so the crop yields of many Navajo farmers were dramatically impacted. (Chief) 

     Environmental restoration has been proposed and taken place to clean up the mine waste damage. In May of 2015 the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) said they wanted to “de-water” the mine and remove blockages to prevent any blowout danger. Documents show that the work crew was supposed to remove loose rock from the Gold King’s portal bit by but while also pumping out the backed up waste water inside the mine. Then the waste was to be directed to the Red and Bonita Mine, lower in elevation, where the EPA and contractors already had set up treatment areas to prevent contaminants from entering the watershed.

Also the plan says that the crew was to step up structures at the portal to prevent a blowout, and also to install a gate at the portal that could be locked as part of blowout prevention for the future. But not much has happened because the conditions in the mine were a lot worse than they thought. Waste water is still flowing out of the mine but the EPA is treating the sludge below the mine through a series of sediment ponds and say they plan to construct a commercial water treatment apparatus before winter. (Paul)

     There are written mine regulations about what companies need to do which say that “prior to excavation near impounded water in flooded abandoned mine workings…” a mining company is is required to look at the extent of the water nearby and the location to determine safety measures to protect against water seeping into the excavations (holes). But, many of these companies can file bankruptcy and leave the mine abandoned which is a safety hazard. The Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Act was implemented in 1976 and applied to all of the types of mining in the state, working to fix land that was abandoned or closed. Additionally, the  Watershed Approach would be applied by evaluating the abandoned mines in the watershed, giving priority to reclaiming those that were causing the most significant shares of the pollution, especially those significant polluters that could be easily reclaimed. Its these laws and regulations that have been picking up the Gold King Mine and helping to restore the area. (Technical)

Before and After. 2015. Wattsupwiththat. Web.

     EPA claimed state experts signed off on its plan to put a drainage pipe in Gold King Mine to prevent waste water from leaking uncontrollably out of the mine and there’s that conflict between Colorado and the EPA because some officials are stating that “the investigation’s conclusions into the events surrounding the discharge were not consistent with our staff’s involvement and we felt it important to make sure the investigators were aware of our perspective,” King wrote to EPA.” Mike King, executive director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. There’s also economic issues in cleaning up the mine waste in the rivers because the Gold King Mine blowout could cost taxpayers as much as $28 billion to clean up over the years, but it’s unclear if all of the wastewater can be taken out of the rivers. There are social tensions happening between the Navajo Nation and the EPA as they took a long time to respond to the contamination of their rivers and the Navajo Nation has claimed to be used to historical mistreatment by companies. (Basatsch) 

Biodiversity Hotspots: Madagascar (Works Cited)

Works Cited

"A Conservation Plan for Madagascar." A Conservation Strategy for Madagascar. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

 "Biodiversity - Genetic Diversity." Biodiversity - Genetic Diversity. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

"Biodiversity & Human Well-being." 1. Biodiversity: What Is It, Where Is It, and Why Is It Important? GreenFacts, 2005. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. 

Luebbe, Angie. "Madagascar Tropical Rainforest." Prezi.com. 5 Jan. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

"Threats to Madagascar's Biodiversity and Ecosystems." Threats to Madagascar's Environment. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

"Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services."Madagascar Is All Set to Value Its Unique Natural Resources. Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. 

Hogan, Michael, and Conservation International. "Biological Diversity in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands." Biological Diversity in Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands. The Encyclopedia of Earth, 26 Aug. 2008. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

 Kremen, Claire. "Traditions That Threaten." PBS. PBS. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

 "Madagascar." WorldWildlife.org. World Wildlife Fund. Web. 15 Dec. 2015

Portela, Rosimeiry, and Paulo A.L.D. "ASSESSING AND VALUING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN THE ANKENIHENY-ZAHAMENA CORRIDOR (CAZ), MADAGASCAR." WAVES. WAVES, 1 June 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

 "SER." Ecological Restoration – a Means of Conserving Biodiversity and Sustaining Livelihoods. Web. 15 Dec. 2015

  "Support the Astrochelys Yniphora.” (Angonoka, Madagascar Angulated Tortoise, Madagascar Tortoise, Ploughshare Tortoise). Web. 15 Dec. 2015

 "Support the  Propithecus Candidus.” (Silky Sifaka, Silky Simpona). Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

"Amazon Development and Climate Impacts." Amazon Development and Climate Impacts. Web. 16 Dec. 2015.

Biodiversity Hotspots: Madagascar (Conclusion)

Conclusion

Madagascar is one of the major biodiversity hotspots of the world and it a very interesting place! The diverse plants and animals make it a very unique place, but action does need to be taken to preserve the hotspot. Because of deforestation from slash and burn agriculture, overexploitation, and introduction of alien species, the populations of these diverse organisms are becoming threatened. Humans need to take action by protecting diverse areas and sustainably collecting resources. We wouldn’t want these awesome species to die would we? The fun lemurs and pretty periwinkles? No. So we need to take a stand and conserve Madagascar!

Figure6

Still want to learn more? Visit these websites: 

http://www.greenfacts.org/en/biodiversity/l-3/1-define-biodiversity.htm  

http://www.wildmadagascar.org/conservation/threats.html 

http://www.worldwildlife.org/places/madagascar 

Diversity Hotspots: Madagascar (Discussion)

Discussion

In Madagascar, the unique hotspot provides many natural and economic services. Mining is on the brink of a major expansion which is benefiting countries worldwide. (Wealth Accounting and the Valuation of Ecosystem Services) As well, the vast forests provide carbon storage and they also have many renewable water resources. (Assessing and Evaluating Ecosystem Services) 
       However, due to enormous environmental degradation occurring, the area is damaged. Deforestation and habitat destruction play vital roles in the process as tavy or slash-and-burn agriculture is used to convert the tropical rainforests into rice fields in order to sustain the population. Additional logging for timber and using the forests for charcoal production assists in the degradation. Other factors negatively influencing the hotspot are agricultural fires, erosion and soil degradation, overexploitation of living resources and collection of wild species, and the introduction of alien species. Agricultural fires burn as much as a third of Madagascar each year, while the deforestation of highlands and weathering has resulted in soil erosion to the point where it looks as if the island is bleeding. Many animals such as Lemurs are hunted down, as well as others for international trade. With the fishery system poorly regulated, marine ecosystems are being depleted at unsustainable rates. Lastly, with the introduction of alien species many endemic ones are ruined such as seen with the new species found in the rivers and lakes.(Threats to Madagascar's Biodiversity and Ecosystems) 
      The causes of the degradation are rooted in many regional cultural, political and economic factors. Madagascar is one of the world’s poorest nations with about 80 percent of the population being subsistence farmers who depend entirely on ‘natural capital’ to support themselves. Many continue to practice slash and burn agriculture because they know no other way and have no other means to survive. Rural people depend on the forest in other ways and pose threats. In the rainforest, many species are used for food, shelter etc. which leads to over-collection and hunting. The government recognized the environmental degradation and implemented the National Environmental Action Plan in order to stop the destruction, reduce poverty and protect biodiversity. Global economic influences help majorly in creating plans for using their resources sustainably and helping save the country. (Kremen)
       Because of tavy, fires and deforestation mentioned above, the functional diversity and ecosystem processes have been lowered. The loss of habitat leads to the loss of animals and plants that maintain the ecosystem and keep it diverse. If those organisms don’t have a habitat, they can not provide the ecological services to maintain biodiversity. (“Threats to Madagascar’s Biodiversity and Ecosystems”). 
      Genetic diversity is the genetic variability and total diversity of the ecosystem. Genetic biodiversity is important because some species can thrive in environments that others can’t which leads to natural selection and the changes the genes over time to thrive and survive longer in the different conditions. There is a lot of pressure on populations closer to the coastal zones, such as Madagascar, which causes degradation. (Biodiversity-Genetic Diversity).

Figure 4: periwinkle

      The Silky Sifaka, a lemur, is one of the most rare mammals on earth. The lemur lives in north-eastern Madagascar in the humid forest in Marojejy National Park. Research has shown that there are less than 250 lemurs alive today. The species is threatened for many reasons. Slash and burn agriculture and hunting are the major threats because they cause habitat destruction. Logging also causes habitat destruction and hunters kill them for food (Support the  Propithecus Candidus). Another threatened species is the Ploughshare tortoise. There are less than 1,000 of these left. Threats to this species include being sold illegally for $200,000 in the international pet trade, poaching and exploitation ("Madagascar.")  One plant that is endangered in Madagascar is the Rosy Periwinkle. The plant has many powerful qualities that can be put in drugs. For example, it can enhance the memory of older people. The flower had been overcultivated because of the powerful qualities that it has ("Support the Astrochelys Yniphora.”) 

Figure 3

Figure 4: Lemur

      Degraded ecosystems are being restored by improving biodiversity conservation, improving livelihood, empowering local people, and improving ecosystem productivity ("SER.") In Madagascar many efforts are being made to sustain biodiversity. Conservationists are trying to get more area controlled and if the area is controlled they can still use the plants and animals for the resources people need, but they will do it sustainably. Along those same lines, there have been patrols put out in controlled areas. They make sure that the ecosystem is not being damaged, but civilians still get the income and resources needed from the area. As more protected areas are created, some people may be forced to move, so the government must compensate them for the hassle and then there is a chance they will be on board for setting up these areas and the people’s consent for conservation is very important ("A Conservation Plan for Madagascar." ) 

Biodiversity Hotspots: Madagascar (Background Information)

Background Information

Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean Islands region off the southeast coast of Africa. The country’s culture reflects the origins of the Malagasy people in Southeast Asia and East Africa with the influence of Arabs, Indians, British, French and Chinese settlers (Hogan). Besides the unique cultural mix, the large island holds many biomes and ecosystems. Tropical moist forests, Southern and western dry forests, secondary (man-made) communities, savannas, shrub-lands, wetlands, and coral reefs can all be found in the area.

Figure 2: Madagascar's Tropical Rainforest Food Web
(Luebbe)

Biodiversity Hotspots: Madagascar (Introduction)

Introduction

Biodiversity is everywhere around us and in our lives. It is defined as, “the variability among living organisms from all sources… and the ecological complexes of which they are part” (Greenfacts). Essentially, biodiversity is the variety of life in the world or a specific habitat or ecosystem. The importance of this is that it plays a huge role in how an ecosystem functions which provides natural and cultural services. Madagascar was chosen as our spot because it holds a great unique variety of life and is known for having many endemic species.

Figure 1"Amazon Development and Climate Impacts."