World's Climates

The Köppen Climate Classification System is the most widely used for classifying the world's climates. Most classification systems used today are based on the one introduced in 1900 by the Russian-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen.
The climate depends of a lot of factors, that includes: Latitude, Continentality, Ocean Currents and Terrain.
The Köppen system recognizes five major climate types based on the annual and monthly averages of temperature and precipitation.

• Tropical Climates are known for their high temperatures year round and for their large amount of year round rain.
  
  
• Dry Climates are characterized by little rain and a huge daily temperature range. [It has two subgroups: the semiarid or steppe and the arid or desert].
  
  
• In Humid Middle Latitude Climates land/water differences play a large part. These climates have warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
  
  
• Continental Climates can be found in the interior regions of large land masses. The total precipitation isn't very high and seasonal temperatures vary widely.
  
  
• Cold Climates describe this climate type perfectly. These climates are part of areas where permanent ice and tundra are always present. Only about four months of the year have above freezing temperatures.

But as you know, the climate is change because of the global warming, so in the future will be totally different... Our generation have to act now!

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification

Nature reserves in Portugal

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research.

In Portugal, there are many nature reserves, all over the country. Here they are:

» Reserva Natural da Serra da Malcata 

» Reserva Natural das Berlengas 

» Reserva Natural das Dunas de São Jacinto 

» Reserva Natural das Lagoas de Santo André e da Sancha 

» Reserva Natural do Estuário do Sado 

» Reserva Natural do Estuário do Tejo 

» Reserva Natural do Paul de Arzila 

» Reserva Natural do Paul de Boquilobo 

» Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e V. R. Sto. António

Check these pictures below:

This is the nature reserve of Berlengas.

This is the nature reserve of Serra da Malcata.

This is the nature reserve of Ilhas Selvagens, in Madeira. It was the first nature reserve in Portugal, in 1971.

Sources: http://www.agroportal.pt/ambiente/parques.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nature_reserve

http://geonucleo.ufp.pt/parques/parques.htm

Live Earth - One World. One Climate. Be the change.

Today, I decided to talk about Live Earth, just to change it all a little bit.

Live Earth was inspired by Live Aid (1985) and Live 8 (2005). This time, the main focus of Live Earth was raising awareness of global warming. Supported since the beginning by Al Gore, the concerts for Live Earth were made the 7th July 2007 (07/07/07), all over the world in eleven locations, and brought together more than 150 musical acts and 2 billions of people! These concerts were broadcast to a mass global audience through televisions, radio, and streamed via the Internet.

Worldwide successful artists like Bon Jovi, Shakira, The Black Eyed Peas, The Pussycat Dolls, Lenny Kravitz, Joss Stone, Alicia Keys, Madonna and Linkin Park performed on Live Earth.

During the concerts people were asked to support the following 7-point pledge:

1. To demand that their countries to join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution by 90% in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy earth;

2. To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing their own CO2 pollution as much as they can and offsetting the rest to become 'carbon neutral;'

3.To fight for a moratorium on the construction of any new generating facility that burns coal without the capacity to safely trap and store the CO2;

4.To work for a dramatic increase in the energy efficiency of their home, workplace, school, place of worship, and means of transportation;

5.To fight for laws and policies that expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;

6.To plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests;

7.To buy from businesses and support leaders who share their commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century.

Are you willing to be the change?

'The Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin

I shall now present to you a very special man. He was a great activist who unfortunately has passed away in a young age. His love for wild animals and the environment in general made him famous in the entire planet. To this day forward, he’s still a role model for everyone who is concerned about the wildlife. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steve Irwin.

Life and career

Stephen Robert Irwin, also known as Steve Irwin and nicknamed as “The Crocodile Hunter” was born in February 22nd, 1962 in Essendon, Melbourne, Australia. Irwin became famous for his television series, also named The Crocodile Hunter. His exuberant and enthusiastic presenting style, broad Australian accent, signature khaki shorts, and catchphrase "Crikey!" became known worldwide. Steve and his wife Terri founded a conservationist organization called at first the Steve Irwin Conservation Foundation – later renamed as Wildlife Warriors - to involve and educate others in the protection of injured, threatened or endangered wildlife. Terri Irwin is still involved in the organization as patron and significant advisor.

He also helped to found a number of other projects, such as the International Crocodile Rescue, as well as the Lyn Irwin Memorial Fund, in memory of his mother (who was in a fatal car crash in 2000), with proceeds going to the Iron Bark Station Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre.
Irwin, however, was criticised for having an unsophisticated view of conservation in Australia that seemed more linked to tourism than to the problems Australia faces as a continent.

In response to questions of Australia's problems with overgrazing, salinity, and erosion, Irwin responded, "Cows have been on our land for so long that Australia has evolved to handle those big animals." The Sydney Morning Herald concluded with the opinion that his message was confusing and amounted to "eating roos and crocs is bad for tourism, and therefore more cruel than eating other animals".



Steve Irwin talks about 'The Crocodile Hunter' Series.

Death

On 4 September 2006, Irwin was fatally pierced in the chest by a stingray spine while snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, at Batt Reef, which is located off the coast of Port Douglas in Queensland. Irwin was in the area filming his own documentary, Ocean's Deadliest, but weather had stalled filming. Production was completed on Ocean's Deadliest, which aired for the first time on the Discovery Channel on 21 January 2007. The documentary was completed with footage shot in the weeks following the accident. Perhaps to maintain the film's original purpose as a nature documentary and prevent it from becoming a documentary of Irwin's final days, his death is not mentioned in the film, aside from a still image of Irwin at the end alongside the text "In Memory of Steve Irwin".

Trivia

• Steve's children's names are Bindi Sue and Robert Clarence.
• He was particularly interested in Singapore Zoo, which he considered a sister institution of the Australia Zoo.
• Irwin loved mixed martial arts competitions and trained with Greg Jackson in the fighting/grappling system of Gaidojutsu.
• In 2004, during an interview with Larry King, he admitted that he had a fear of parrots, having received many painful bites from the animals in the past.
• In 2005, in an interview for New Idea, he stated that he was afraid of being killed in a car crash.
• He made a cameo appearance on Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), participated in The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002) and was the voice of Happy Feet's Trev the Seal (2006).
  
  

Tribute video to Steve Irwin.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Irwin

"Steve Irwin on "The Crocodile Hunter" Series" video posted by YouTube user FirstTimeUnlucky.

"Steve Irwin Tribute" video posted by YouTube user thesacrement.

Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions

Biodiversity is the variety of species, their genetic make-up, and the natural communities in which they occur. The benefits and services provided by them include:

»  Generation of soils and maintenance of soil quality

»  Maintenance of air quality

»  Maintenance of water quality

»  Pest control

»  Detoxification and decomposition of wastes

»  Pollination and crop production

»  Climate stabilization

»  Prevention and mitigation of natural disasters

»  Provision of food security

»  Provision of health care

»  Income generation

»  Spiritual / cultural value

Even though they're vital to everyday life, it is feared that human's actions is causing many extinctions. If it continues, one-third to two-thirds of all species of plants, animals, and other organisms will be lost during the second half of the next century.

A huge report known as the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, started in 2000, was released in March 2005. Besides many warnings for humankind, it noted that there has been a large irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, and all due to human actions!

According to another study, over a million species will be lost in the coming 50 years!

How to prevent extinction?

» Conserve Habitats

» Make Space For Our Wildlife

» Recycle, Reduce, And Reuse

» Plant Native Plants That Are Local To The Area

» Control Introduced Plants And Animals

» Make Your Voice Heard

Sources: http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctions#MassiveExtinctionsFromHumanActivity

http://www.pabiodiversity.org/whatisbiodiversity.html

http://www.undp.org/biodiversity/biodiversitycd/bioImport.htm

http://www.aboutextinction.com/prevent-extinction.php