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

E-Waste

We are a technological generation. That means that a big part of our planet uses computers, TV's, fax machines and other common electronic products. The fact is that many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, not many people do that, and the problem is that there's some difficulty and cost in recycling used electronics.

The so known "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" should be used right there:

» Reduce your generation of e-waste through smart procurement and good maintenance.

» Reuse still functioning electronic equipment by donating or selling it to someone who can still use it. 

» Recycle those components that cannot be repaired. 

Electronic waste represents 2 percent of America's trash in landfills, but it equals 70 percent of overall toxic waste.

So next time you think about throwing an electronic product away, think twice. ;)

Sources: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/electronics/WhatisEWaste/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-waste

How to recycle

When we recycle, we must have three key actions in our mind: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Probably you’ve heard these names in Jack Johnson’s ‘The Three R’s Song’, but do you know how they work?

Reduce

Waste reduction starts at the supermarket. By making slight alterations to your shopping list you can significantly reduce the amount of waste created in and around the home.

A few tips to start reducing your waste:

1. Buy only what you need;
2. Buy products that can be reused;
3. Buy all-purpose household cleaner;
4. Buy products with little packaging;
5. Buy non-toxic products whenever possible;
6. Recycle motor products;
7. Find safer alternatives to hazardous household products.

Reuse

Many items found around the home can be used for different purposes. So before you throw those items away, think about how they can be reused.

These are some reusable items:

1. Carrier bags and twist ties;
2. Envelopes;
3. Jars and pots;
4. Newspapers, cardboard and bubble wrap;
5. Old clothes;
6. Scrap paper;
7. Tyres;
8. Used wood.

Recycle

Recycling in and around the home can be easy when you know how. By thinking carefully about what products you buy at the supermarket and how to recycle them is the first step towards efficient recycling.

Some suggestions:

1. Find ways of recycling different materials;
2. Buy products that can be recycled;
3. Buy products that have been made from recycled material;
4. Avoid buying hazardous material;
5. Use recycle bins.

Let's recycle! What do you think about it?

Source:
http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/

Greenpeace

Greenpeace is an international non-governmental organisation for the protection and conservation of the environment. 

Initially, the main reason for the existence of this organisation was the anti-nuclear protest, but now their focus are other environmental issues like whaling, bottom trawling, global warming, old growth and nuclear power.

This organisation was created in 1971 in Canada by american emigrants, and it is financied with money from physical people, not accepting resources from governments or enterprises. Today, it has about 3 millions of financial supporters all over the world who donate money every month.

Its main goal is to mobilize people to do something about the planet's main issues mentioned above. They do that through acts, advertisement and other.

Greenpeace achieved some important victories, such as: 

» the end of nuclear tests at Amchitka Island, Alaska

» European Commission baning the import of seal pup skins in response to public criticism triggered by Greenpeace actions in Canada

»  30 million people worldwide create the largest anti-war protest in the history of humankind.

Below, you can see some advertisements made by Greenpeace, using always a great concept.

Some random images:

World Records

• The Wettest Place in the world is Cherrapunji, in India;
• The Driest Place is the Atacama Desert, in Chile;
• The Hottest Place is the El Azizia, in Libya;
• The Coldest Place is the Pole of Inaccessibility, in Antarctica;

Source: http://www.extremescience.com/record_index.htm

Some Types of Extreme Weather

The extreme weather events – such as hurricanes, floods, droughts and heat waves – are increasing because of climate change.




*Hurricanes
A hurricane is a storm system that is characterized by a low pressure center and numerous thunderstorms. These thunderstorms produce strong winds and flooding rain that detroy all where it occurs.
Depending on its location and strength, it can be referred by many other names, such as typhoon, tropical storm, cyclonic storm, tropical depression, and simply cyclone.

*Floods
A flood is the result of a strong storm whose rain is not completely absorved by the soil and it can cause serious damages.

*Drought
A drought is a period of unusually persistant dry weather that persists long enough to cause serious problems such as crop damage and/or water supply shortages. There are actually four different ways that drought can be defined: Meteorological, Agricultural, Hydrological and Socioeconomic;

*Heat Wave
A heat wave is caused by a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity or not.
Some tips for Heat Wave: http://www.wkyc.com/weblog/weather/2007/07/heat-wave-preparedness.html

Test your knowlegde: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/games/kidsquiz.html

Sources:

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

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

http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/droughts.php

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

Stop the Seal Hunt!

I was surfing on the internet and I found this video.
Watch this and think. Is it necessary?
These poor seals are in their habitat, living their life, and suddenly, some humans without sensitivity persue them... and they have to die to make fur coats!
This is outrageous!

Source: YouTube
If you want to help, visit: http://www.stopthesealhunt.com/

Pollution - What is it?

According to the dictionary, the definition of pollution is the presence of matter (gas, liquid, solid) or energy (heat, noise, radiation) whose nature, location, or quantity directly or indirectly alters characteristics or processes of any part of the environment, and causes (or has the potential to cause) damage to the condition, health, safety, or welfare of animals, humans, plants, or property.
A big definition to a big problem.

Major forms of pollution

• Air pollution [Korea Air Pollution];
• Water pollution [One of the most serious case of water pollution occurred in Minamata, Japan];
• Radioactive contamination [The most serious case was the Chernobyl disaster];
• Noise pollution;
  

Sources:
http://www.savephoenix.org/images/air-pollution.jpg
http://photo.ortho.free.fr/images/divers/pollution.JPG
http://eighterscreativity.com/projects/D2D/group2/img/Water-pollution.jpg
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/industrypollution/en/index1.html

The ice started melting

Look at the image. It seems normal? Yes. It's a bear looking for food...but look to the mountains.
Do you found any difference? No? So, look this:

"The Earth's ice cover is melting in more places and at higher rates than at any time since record keeping began. Reports from around the world compiled by the Worldwatch Institute show that global ice melting accelerated during the 1990s-which was also the warmest decade on record.

Scientists suspect that the enhanced melting is among the first observable signs of human-induced global warming, caused by the unprecedented release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases over the past century. Glaciers and other ice features are particularly sensitive to temperature shifts."

And now? As you can see, the ice is melting. It's time to do something while we have time.

What are you waiting for?
Tomorrow can be late...

Sources:

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/1673
http://leveesnotwar.org/Images/LNW_2007Arctic.IceMelt.jpg

Some Suggestions...

Here are some suggestions of movies and documentaries about the global warming and the protection of the environment.

Movies
* Erin Brockovich
* The Day After Tomorrow

Documentaries
* The 11th Hour [Produced and Narrated by Leonardio DiCaprio]
* An Inconvenient Truth [Written and Narrated by Al Gore]

[Click on the images to see the trailers]

The WWF

I shall now talk about the WWF, not the former World Wrestling Federation, but the World Wide Fund for Nature (which actually sued the first company for incorrect use of the initials “WWF”). This organization is known for its work with biodiversity, endangered species, pollution and climate change, and was originally an initiative of Julian Huxley and Max Nicholson who were joined by Sir Peter Scott and Guy Mountfort. It was created on September 11, 1961.

History

In the last few years, the organization set up offices and operations around the world. The initial focus of its activities was the protection of endangered species. As more resources became available, its operations expanded into other areas such as the preservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of natural resources, and the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption. WWF has been accused by a number of environmental groups and campaigners, such as Corporate Watch and PR Watch of being too close to businesses to campaign objectively. According to its official website – http://www.wwf.org - , these are the WWF’s plans for the next five years: to safeguard the natural world, to tackle climate change and to change the way we live.

Our contribution

We can help the WWF by joining it, adopting an animal (such as a panda, a tiger, an orangutan, a dolphin, an elephant, a bear or a rhino) and/or making a donation. There is also a webpage dedicated to children, where they can learn more about various animals and play interactive games.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Wide_Fund_for_Nature

Forgotten Endangered Wildlife

Here's a video about the endangered animals. It is entitled 'Forgotten Endangered Wildlife' because usually that's what happens. People keep forgetting and not caring about the species around them, and the result is the extinction of various innocent animals, who don't have any fault on what we, the humankind, are doing to their natural habitat.

Let's play a game, shall we? Let's pretend that we're some kind of wild animal who only wants to live and provide a safe life for our offspring. Now, let's imagine our habitat being destroyed and our family being killed. I'm sure none of you would be particularly fond of that, would you? What I'm trying to say here is, try to help the animals. Please, try to be more environment-friendly. If we all do that, our world will become a better place. Imagine our children, and their children, and so on in a few years. They shall thank us for what we've done and for providing a better place to live, and not just for them; for all creatures in general.

Video posted by YouTube user echosdusk.

Endangered species

There are many species in danger of extinction today. The main causes are habitat loss, pollution, diseases, predation and illegal killing. So which are the most known endangered animals?

The Iberian lynx.

This is the world's most threatened species of cat, and the most threatened carnivore in Europe. Studies conducted in March 2005 have estimated the number of surviving Iberian lynx to be as few as 100. If the Iberian lynx were to become extinct, it would be the first big cat species to do so since the extinction of the Smilodon. The Iberian lynx and its habitat are fully protected and are no longer legally hunted. Its critical status is mainly due to habitat loss, poisoning, road casualties, feral dogs and poaching. Its habitat loss is due mainly to infrastructure improvement, urban and resort development, tree monocultivation (pine, eucalyptus) which serves to break the lynx's distribution area. In addition, the lynx prey population of rabbits is also declining due to diseases like hemorrhagic pneumonia. On March 29, 2005, the birth of three cubs, the first born in captivity, was announced. Four more cubs were born in 2006. These recent births seem to open up the prospect of a future reintroduction of the species to parts of its former habitat where it has disappeared.

The giant panda.

Though the Wolong National Nature Reserve was set up by the PRC government in 1958 to save the declining panda population, few advances in the conservation of pandas were made, due to inexperience and insufficient knowledge of ecology. Many believed that the best way to save the pandas was to cage them. As a result, pandas were caged at any sign of decline, and suffered from terrible conditions. Because of pollution and destruction of their natural habitat, along with segregation due to caging, reproduction of wild pandas was severely limited. In the 1990s, however, several laws (including gun control and the removal of resident humans from the reserves) helped the chances of survival for pandas. With these renewed efforts and improved conservation methods, wild pandas have started to increase in numbers in some areas, even though they still are classified as a rare species.

In 2006, scientists reported that the number of pandas living in the wild may have been underestimated at about 1,000. Previous population surveys had used conventional methods to estimate the size of the wild panda population, but using a new method that analyzes DNA from panda droppings, scientists believe that the wild panda population may be as large as 3,000. Although the species is still endangered, it is thought that the conservation efforts are working. As of 2006, there were 40 panda reserves in China, compared to just 13 reserves two decades ago. The Giant Panda is among the world's most adored and protected rare animals, and is one of the few in the world whose natural inhabitant status was able to gain a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, located in the southwest Sichuan province and covering 7 natural reserves, were inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 2006.

The Javan Rhino.

The main factor in the continued decline of the Javan Rhinoceros population has been poaching for horns, a problem that affects all rhino species. The horns have been a traded commodity in China for over 2,000 years where they are believed to have healing properties in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Historically, its hide was used to make armor for Chinese soldiers and some local tribes in Vietnam believed the hide can be used to make an antidote for snake venom. Because the rhinoceros's range encompasses many areas of poverty, it has been difficult to convince local people not to kill a seemingly useless animal which could be sold for a large sum of money. When the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora first went into effect in 1975, the Javan Rhinoceros was placed under complete Appendix 1 protection: all international trade in the Javan Rhinoceros and products derived from it is illegal. Surveys of the rhinoceros horn black market have determined that Asian rhinoceros horn fetches a price as high as $30,000 per kilogram, three times the value of African rhinoceros horn.

Loss of habitat because of agriculture has also contributed to its decline, though this is no longer as significant a factor because the rhinoceros only lives in two nationally protected parks. Deteriorating habitats have hindered the recovery of rhino populations that fell victim to poaching. Even with all the conservation efforts, the prospects for the Javan Rhinoceros's survival are grim. Because the populations are restricted to two small areas, they are very susceptible to disease and the problems of inbreeding. Conservation geneticists estimate that a population of 100 rhinos would be needed to preserve the genetic diversity of the species.

The red wolf.

Aggressive predator control programs, hunting and agriculturalization have combined to bring the red wolf near to extinction, because it was thought to be a threat to livestock. It is now considered rare.

It is thought that its original distribution included much of eastern North America, where Red Wolves were found from New York in the east, Florida in the south, and Texas in the south-west. Records of bounty payments to Wappinger Indians in New York in the middle 1700s confirm its range at least that far north; it's possible that it could have extended as far as extreme eastern Canada. There are thought to be about 300 red wolves remaining in the world, with 220 of those in captivity. For decades, the Red Wolf has been indistinguishable genetically from either the Gray Wolf or the Coyote. The Red Wolf breeds with both species and may again be in peril as contact with other species in the wild resumes.

In 1987 approximately 100 were reintroduced into the wild as the first island propagation project in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge off the coast of North Carolina. In 1989 the second island propagation project initiated with release of a population on Horn Island off the Mississippi coast. This population was moved in 1998 because of a likelihood of encounters with humans.


Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_Lynx#Population
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Panda#Conservation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Javan_Rhinoceros#Conservation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Wolf#Conservation