ENN: Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment

Champy. Bigfoot. The Chupacabra. The Mothman. Ogopogo. The Yeti. The Jersey Devil. Man-Bear-Pig. What do all these creatures have in common? They are all mythical beasts, that despite no real proof of their existence, still have a following of people who believe that they do exist.

Take for example the Loch Ness Monster. For those of you unfamiliar with the Loch Ness Monster, also known as Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster is described as a large pleasaurus like creature that is believed to inhabit the Loch Ness, a large lake in Scotland. The first believed sighting of Nessie took place over a thousand years ago during the 6th century, by a monk who happened to be preaching by the lake. Since then, there have been hundreds of sightings of Nessie, many of which have been disproved. Scientists have even scanned the lake looking for Nessie with no positive sightings. Yet Nessie fans continue to believe in Nessie. They theorize that since Loch Ness is the largest lake in the UK, it provides may places for Nessie to hide and not be detected.

Recently a new photographic proof of “Nessie” has been released. George Edwards, a Loch Ness tour guide, and a “Nessie Hunter” for the last 26 years, took the photo of Nessie last November, though it only was only recently released and gone viral. Edwards says he watched the creature for 5 to 10 minutes the day he took the photo. The photo shows the lake, with Urquhart Castle in the background, and a singular hump like shape coming out of the water. The shape is nondescript enough that it could be interpreted as anything, or nothing. The photo shows that “Nessie” is not your typical long-necked snake-like beast. Edwards say this is because “Nessie” is actually a manatee-like creature and a typical “Nessie”photo of a multi humped creature swimming through the water is actually multiple creatures.

So, is the photo proof of Nessie actually existing? Personally, I don’t think so. Besides being an unclear picture, if Edwards had watched the creature for 5-10 minutes, why is there only one photo? Loch Ness is a very large lake which has been completely surveyed. Yet if there was a sustainable population of large creatures, there would be more solid proof by now.

I do believe that fantastic creatures can go hidden for years. Take for example the okapi, once called the “ African Unicorn”. The okapi looks like a cross between a giraffe and a zebra. Despite its size and peculiar markings, the okapi was unknown to the western world until the 20th century. Other creatures, though not as big as the okapi, may live deep within Earth’s forests and oceans waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, with the destruction of the environment we are risking the chance of ever meeting these creatures.

Loch Ness Monster Via Shutterstock

In a lot of urban cities around the world, space is consistently an issue. It’s even truer when people are looking for some greenery to just hike boat or just lie down barefoot in the grass.

For instance, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania only has 14.37 square miles of greenery within its city limits. That may sound like a lot, but considering the city is over 135 square miles in total area, that makes it only approximately ten percent of the city. So only ten percent of the city has trees and shrubs that produce clean air for its residents or provide fresh vegetables to feed millions of people? That’s why a lot of people are looking to the skies to get some fresh produce and some cleaner air.

From an experiment out of Hong Kong, many people are taking advantage of the unused space atop the city for inspiration to lead healthier lives for themselves. Many of the city’s rooftops are being left vacant except for some stagnant rainwater. So many residents are taking advantage of that to create their very own rooftop gardens and farms.

Many people feel pride in growing their own food in comparison to what they can buy in the supermarkets within the concrete jungle. There are no official records of how many rooftop farming sites there are within Hong Kong, but there are about 400 growing boxes on the 10,000-square foot roof known as “City Farm.” This rooftop community farm rents out these growing boxes for 20-25 American dollars per month.

People also feel the need to make this part of their own home as well. After the rooftop farms started in the early 2000s, many farmers personalize their growing boxes with fun paintings of what they grow, and sometimes, little reminders of the homes where the fruits and vegetables may soon see the inside of a refrigerator a human stomach.

Whether you’re growing turnips, potatoes or rutabagas on top of a rooftop in one of the world’s most populated cities: it doesn’t matter. What matters is that people are taking part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience to ensure that they’re getting the healthy food that their bodies need.

Rooftop Farm via Shutterstock

Photo by Alan James/ Naturepl.com Courtesy of BBC.CO.UK

Sharks have been in the news a lot lately. Between the shark attack in Cape Cod, the recent Jaws fest, and Discovery Channel’s 25th Annual Shark Week, it’s as if there are fins everywhere you look. For me, that’s a good thing because since I can remember, I have always found sharks fascinating. There is something intriguing about their shapes (consider the hammerhead shark, the goblin shark, the frilled shark, and the mako shark), and how each species has its own unique set of behaviors and diet.

Over the last year, ENN has published multiple articles about sharks, most of them addressing the decrease in shark populations as a result of them being slaughtered for their fins. Luckily not all shark species are in peril, in fact Basking Shark populations in British Waters are showing signs of growth after years of commercial hunting.

For those of you unfamiliar with Basking Sharks, they are the second largest species of fish on earth, second only to the whale shark, and are one of three shark species that rely on plankton as a food source. Basking sharks can be found in cold to warm temperate waters globally. Basking sharks have been heavily fished in the Atlantic Northeast, especially for their liver oil. In 1998 legislation was created in the UK to protect the Basking Shark, it is believed that over 81,000 basking sharks were killed between 1952 and 2004.

In a recent study published as a collaboration between The University of Exeter, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Wave Action, and the Marine Conservation Society in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series, scientists analyzed data on reported basking shark sightings in the UK. Scientists analyzed 11,781 reports from databases generated by the Marine Conservation Society and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust during the period of 1998 to 2008.

The study found an increase in basking shark sightings, especially off South West England, Western Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The study also found an increase in proportion of medium and large sharks. This is extremely good news, and shows signs of an increasing older population of basking sharks. Basking sharks reach maturity very slowly, making this discovery extremely significant for the once over-exploited population.

This study shows that there is hope for all shark species if the proper conservation laws can be enacted and followed. Sharks are extremely important members of our Eco-system, whether they munch on fish, seals, or plankton. I think the current fascination with sharks in the media is a good thing because it exposes the myths that cause us to fear these beautiful creatures, and teaches people why shark conservation is important.

Courtesy of jetpens.com

It’s that time of year that students dread. Whether you’re getting your milk money from your mommy for your first day of kindergarten or you’re moving off-campus to begin your senior year of college, kids of all ages strongly dislike the beginning of school. But with this specific time of year, most students aren’t thinking about ways they can help the environment. However, you can have everything you need for your first day of school, including your lunch packed up and your boots tied tight (yes, that’s a Billy Madison reference), and still be environmentally friendly!

– When looking for a green pen, don’t just look for green ink (well, actually, you should). Buying refillable pens is a way that you can save money and pens (unless you’re like me and always lose them). Refillable pens only require ink refills once every month; depending on how much how you use them. It also saves on plastic being used to create the writing implements. Companies such as Wheely, Woody ball point pens, and Pilot have a large line of refillable pens with different color inks to choose from.

– Mechanical pencils can also be green! Many companies are now making them with canvas, old denim and even newsprint. This saves plastic from being used in the production of the mechanical pencils. These reusable pencils can also be made of 100 percent pure graphite that writers use in math and art classes; people like this option if they don’t mind their hands getting a little dirty.

– When stocking up on notebooks and binders, many people don’t think twice about the quality of what they buy, but instead, go for the cheapest product. However, you can get paper products for school, including post-its and graph paper too, that were made with the environment in mind.  The Green Office helps you find all the paper products that you need for school that were made with Mother Nature in mind. For big orders, their shipping could offset carbon emissions too!

Now when I start school in just about two weeks, I have my shopping to do. Whether or not the price is right, I’ve gotta shop with the Earth in mind.

“Architecture is entering a new period where buildings have personality, rights, and responsibility.”-HWKN Co-principal Matthias Hollwich            

What is the purpose of art? Is it created  merely for show or can it have other purposes? For MOMA PS1’s 13th Annual Young Architects Program, MOMA PS1 asked architects to design a temporary outdoor installation that provided shade, seating, and water, while also addressing environmental issues like sustainability and recycling.  The winning design, Wendy, designed by HKWN, an architecture and design office in New York City, demonstrates that architecture can be more than just beautiful structures that provide shelter from the elements.

Photo: Matthew Septimus Courtsey MOMA PS1 website

For those of you unfamiliar with MOMA PS1, let me start from the beginning. PS1 is one of the oldest and largest nonprofit contemporary art spaces in the United States. Located in Long Island City, Queens, PS1 first opened in 1976 as the Institute for Art and Urban Resources Inc.  In 1997 the building was renovated and renamed PS1 Contemporary Art Center based on the buildings history of being a school. In 2000, PS1 became affiliated with the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the home of Vang Goghs’s Starry Night and other infamous art works. PS1 functions as exhibition space rather than a collecting institution like most museums. Specializing in experimental art, PS1 sees itself as an artistic laboratory.

One of PS1’s main attractions is that every year they hold an architectural design contest called the Young Architects Program (YAP), where young designers are challenged to design a temporary outdoor installation for the museum’s summer music series, Warm Up. The structures must be interactive and provide shade, seating, and water to summer visitors. Now in its 13th year, architects are asked to address environmental issues while designing.  Last year’s winner, titled Holding Pattern, by Interboro Partners, was created with materials that can be donated to the Long Island City community after the installation was taken down.

This year’s winner titled Wendy, was designed by HWKN (Matthais Hollwich and Marc Kushner), and has been on display since July 1st, and goes through September 8th. Besides looking like a giant mutant sea urchin, being recyclable and ,providing shade, seating, and interactive cooling features to anyone who wishes to visit the installation, Wendy actively cleans the air. 

How is this possible? Wendy is created from blue nylon fabric treated with titania nanoparticles, which neutralizes pollutants in the air.  The fabric, which is held together by scaffolding, forms an angular sea urchin, a shape that maximizes the fabrics surface area. With dimensions of 70’ X 70’ X 45’ this creates a very large air filter. While the installation is up, it will filter enough air equal to removing 260 cars from the road.

Wendy demonstrates that art and architecture are important mediums for addressing environmental issues.  Instead of designers only focusing on minimizing environmental impact, they should also consider including features that actively address environmental concerns. I found HKWN’s use of fabric to filter air an innovative contribution to the field of architecture and I look forward to what innovations next year’s winners come up with.

Derecho sounds like something you would eat with chips and guacamole at a Mexican restaurant. Mammatus sounds like a distant cousin of a walrus or a hippo. And haboob sounds like something I shouldn’t be saying on this blog. But all three of these obscure words are very similar and have one thing in common: they’re unique weather terms.

Lately, people have gotten extremely familiar with derechos because of the recent lines of storms that we have seen over the past couple of months. Specifically, they’re a widespread wind storm in a straight line that is associated with an extremely fast-moving band of thunderstorms. The thing that makes

Courtesy of Discovery News

them so neat is that they can also produce hail, tropical storm force wind gusts and a devastating amount of destruction (which could potentially include snapped trees and downed power lines).

Now haboobs are a completely different story. Even though it’s really funny to say, they’re quite dangerous in dry areas, especially in the desert Southwest regions of Arizona, California and Nevada. Haboobs are a type of intense dust storm carried by a strong atmospheric gravity current. Areas that are in severe drought, in addition to areas that are sandy and rocky by nature are prone to these wind storms. The storms stir up a lot of debris and create blinding conditions along roadways. These storms make people think twice before making fun of the word again.

Mammatus clouds are a different story, however. When you look at these condensed water droplets in the sky, you might not think that they’re just hydrogen and oxygen; you might think that you’re looking at a cow’s set of udders. The clouds often group together into a set of larger clouds and then potentially could grow into an anvil cloud. This specific anvil cloud could be a precursor for things to come, potentially severe weather such as thunderstorms, high winds, or possibly, derechos.

These meteorological terms are all pieces of the atmosphere that play a large and important role in the atmosphere’s weather patterns. As funny as they sound, you want to take them seriously; otherwise, the weather may get the last laugh.

“Consider the black widow spider. It’s a timid little beastie, useful and, for my taste, the prettiest of the arachnids, with its shiny, patent-leather finish and its red hourglass trademark. But the poor thing has the fatal misfortune of possessing enormously too much power for its size. So everybody kills it on sight.”

― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

If you live in the United States you are most likely familiar with the black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans, Latrodectus hesperus, Latrodectus variolus). Known for its venomous bite, cannibalistic mating habits, and the distinctive red pattern on its abdomen, the black widow is probably the most feared spider in the United States.  Black widow venom contains a potent neurotoxin that can cause localized burning pain, sweating, muscle pain and weakness, headache, nausea and vomiting, tremors, difficulty breathing, partial paralysis, and very rarely, death.  Systemic responses are most common in the very young or old.  Severity of the reaction is dose dependent and the bite victim usually recovers in 1 to 5 days. Luckily, black widow bites are not very common because black widows prefer to shy away from human activity, living in protected areas, under debris, and areas of high insect activity. Unfortunately, the black widows “new” cousin, the brown widow, is a little more easily found.

The brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus) was  first documented in the United States in 1935, in Florida. Originally believed to be from Africa, brown widow populations are now established in the southeastern United States, from Texas to South Carolina, and in Southern California. The brown widow is now a “common” sight in areas with established populations.

 The University of California-Riverside recently published a study in the July issue of the Journal of Medical Entomology comparing the habitats of the two species. The study found brown widows around urban structures, such as the outside of homes, in parks, on playground equipment, and landscaping areas. Brown widow spiders were rarely found in agricultural settings and natural habitats. On the other hand black widows can be found in natural habitats and though there is overlap in habitat, black widows are much less common (20 times less) and prefer to be less exposed. Brown widows require minimal protection and were regularly found under outdoor furniture and under the recessed handles of trash bins.

The good news is, neither species were found in indoor living spaces, and though brown widow spiders are more common, their venom is much less dangerous than the venom of the black widow. Spider bites are extremely uncommon, according to the study. Despite large spider populations there has only been only one identified brown widow envenomation in South California, and the symptoms were minor. Though bite risk is low, one should still be careful when reaching into “spider-friendly” nooks and crannies.

The authors of the study were unsure whether brown widows are displacing black widows. Though displacement of the black widow may be a good thing for humans because of the reduced risk of severe envenomation, we do not yet know the potential ecological effects of such a possible species switch. Spiders are important members of the ecosystem because they serve as natural pest control and shouldn’t be taken for granted.

On another note, if you find spiders completely fascinating like me, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City will be opening a new exhibit named “Spiders Alive!” starting July 28. The exhibit will include both live and preserved specimens, along models, videos, and  live  demonstrations. The exhibit is appropriate for spider fans of all ages.

Black Widow via Shutterstock

Everyone likes the sunshine, but wouldn’t you like to see some rain once in a while? The United States is experiencing one of the worst droughts in history. This drought is considered to be so bad that it rivals some of the droughts from the Dust Bowl days in the early 20^th century. A lot of farmers, especially in the Midwest and Great Plains regions, are losing money at an alarming rate all because the rain is not falling from the sky. So it’s hard not to believe that they’re not doing a rain dance.

The National Climatic Data Center’s Palmer Drought Indices state that 54.6 percent of the country was in a state of moderate-to-severe drought in June 2012. There is also a county in every single state, including 15 entire states, which are in some form of drought. Now a lot of people think, “This drought’s not gonna affect me.”

Courtesy of the Des Moines Register

On a short-term basis, they’re right. People are going to be doing their normal summer activities, like kayaking in a river, going down to the beach and even playing sports on a recently-watered field. But people need to think about a month or two down the road. This drought is mainly affecting domestic corn producers (like farmers in Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska) and produce markets across the country. This lack of rain will not let the farmers have much of a chance for business as they rely heavily on the weather to produce their crops to its full potential. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said that because of favorable conditions in March and April, nearly 96 million acres of corn were planted across the country, but only about 70 percent will pollinate properly prior to harvest this summer.

The lower yield of corn could spill into a domino effect for American consumers as this widespread dry spell is going to make us pinch our pennies as it affects not only what comes out of our wallets, but what goes into our cars and our dinner table.

Want to make a change in the world? Is there a policy or corporate decision you disagree with and believe that you could collect enough signatures on a petition to reverse it? Up until a few years ago you would either have to stand in the entrance of your local supermarket, or go door to door to collect signatures for your petition. As someone who has tried going door to door before, I know that this method can be very time consuming and ineffective. Luckily, the website Change.org has made creating a successful and effective petition campaign painless.

Going Door-to-Door Petitioning Can Be Time Consuming and Ineffective

Change.org was started in 2007 by Standford University classmates Ben Rattray and Mark Dimas as a free social enterprise to empower people in changing their communities. Before becoming a petition site, Rattray and Dimas experimented in social fundraising, group volunteerism, and virtual political action groups until they came upon the idea of making Change.org a site for petitions in 2010. Since then, Change.org has been a contributing factor in many successful community campaigns including; getting Bank of America to cancel a new debit charge, getting the National Park Service to reinstate a water bottle ban(see my previous article A Water Bottle Story), and Seventeen Magazines recent policy change that they will no longer Photoshop images of their models.

According to the Change.org tips page, running a successful campaign can be done in three steps. The first step is to create your free online petition via Change.org. The second step is to  promote your campaign through your social networks and social media( ex. Facebook or twitter), and the third step is to talk to your decision makers. Change.org then breaks down each of these steps and provides tips on how to complete each step effectively. 

Each petition page includes a signature counter tracking the campaigns progress, a description of the campaign, a sample petition letter, explanations of support by signers, and a place to follow the petitions progress.  When you sign a petition you have the option to choose whether you want your signature displayed publicly or not.  Though your email is required for signature, Change.org promises not to sell or distribute the signers email address. Change.org also monitors all petitions for spammers and fake signatures.

For those of you who don’t have a campaign of your own but would like to support or read about other people’s petitions, Change.org is a very easy website to browse  You can look through featured petitions, search by keyword, or browse by topic. Some ENN blog related topic categories include Animals, Environment ,and Sustainable Food. 

Change.org is an excellent tool for anyone interested in being a catalyst for political and social change.  By using society’s current obsession with social media and the internet, Change.org allows site users to have a real impact. I recommend checking out Change.org to all ENN readers. Not every petition on Change.org has been a success (there must be thousands of incomplete petitions) but they probably made it a lot further then without the sight.

Door-to-Door via Shutterstock

The four oceans on the planet Earth are quite an interesting piece of science to investigate. One thing that I have always wondered was what actually happens down there. Yes, we have access to underwater films made into IMAX movies, and that shows us fish and other stuff like that. But if there’s a chance to actually get live updates of what the ocean is saying about itself—describing its chemistry, how healthy it is for fish to live in one specific spot, etc.—I definitely want to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Lucky for me, there is!

Courtesy of Discover Magazine and the University of Washington

According to Discover magazine, scientists in the Pacific Northwest are working on a fiber-optic, cable system (similar to how most Americans receive television and internet signals) which will eventually spread from Puget Sound in Washington State to the southern tip of South America and beyond. John Delaney said that this “deep sea internet” will have millions of sensors in all four oceans and then gather information over decades to give international scientists the resources they need. This important information like where and when earthquakes are occurring could give scientists and politicians important information to help humankind try to prevent tragedy (i.e. the Japan earthquake and tsunami).

Delaney also said that the new Ocean Observatories Initiative technology will answer a lot of brewing for scientists and ocean lovers across the globe. The proposed sensors on several schools of fish will help determine migration patterns for the aquatic animals as well as how the fish keep eyes on predators and their prey. This underwater network will also use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) which have cameras that will scan the ocean floor to learn what kind of rocks are on it and to see if there is any undiscovered sea life worth exploring. Delaney said that this project is just the start of some advanced underwater research in the coming years. “We’re pushing the envelope with this project,” he says, “but we’ll be a test bed for future observatories around the world.”

This new underwater research is going to spark a whole, new outlook into what happens under the sea. However, I think it’ll be interesting to see what is discovered and see how those new findings are applied here on the land. We’ll just have to wait and sea, won’t we?