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Look around your town and you will see trash littering the roads and waterways. Gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs are roaming the streets. In rural communities people are burning trash releasing toxic gases into our atmosphere. Where does it all end? Isn’t it about time we do something to better our world? Florida Governor Charlie Crist is asking just these questions. In Miami Governor Crist brought together experts and lawmakers to address issues facing Florida and its need to change policies in regards to the environment. Serve To Preserve: A Florida Summit on Global Climate Change was held on July 12-13, 2007. Guest speakers included California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Theodore Roosevelt IV, Robert Kennedy Jr., Vinod Khosla, Dr. John Ashton, Matthias Machnig and other leaders, scientists and professionals. Taken from the California model, Governor Crist called for a statewide increase in energy efficiency including solar, wind and other energy sources. He also called for a statewide reduction in greenhouse gases of 10 % by 2012, 25 % by 2017 and 40% by 2025. Floridians can do this by building energy efficient buildings and using solar panels. State entities will use fuel efficient state vehicles, including Crist’s proposal to use energy efficient car rental agreements for 2009. Crist is asking the utility companies to reduce their carbon emissions to year 2000 levels by 2017 while using alternative energy to accomplish this. Crist is looking beyond his time as governor of Florida. He’s looking at the future of our state. As stated in Crist’s opening address at the summit, “Much of the Florida lifestyle we enjoy is connected to our state’s beautiful natural environment. Our weather, our beaches, our fishing attract 86 million visitors each and every year.” Without our pristine beaches and natural springs, rivers and lakes, what will draw visitors to our state? What will be left for future generations? Crist is setting in motion a change in how Floridians view environmental issues. “We can not afford to ignore this issue any longer,” Crist explained. “We have a responsibility to face this issue head on and take action to address it now. Even if it turns out someday that global climate change is not as serious as some scientists believe, the actions needed to reduce greenhouse gases can have nothing but good outcomes for Florida and our nation.”
So I ask again, what have you done or will you do to preserve and better our Earth? How can you inspire others, as the speakers at the Florida Summit on Global Climate Change did, to change their ways in regards to our environment? Earth to America: It’s Time to Fight Global Warming
You might be thinking that a few degrees increase in earth’s temperature isn’t a big deal, but the truth is, yes, it is. Warming by just a few degrees can be disastrous for the earth: Wet areas could become dry, dry areas could become wet, production of food could be upset, violent storms and floods could become stronger and occur more often and sea levels could rise due to the ice caps melting.
It isn’t the end of the world, though. Many people and organizations are trying to make a difference, and it’s all over the news. Stopglobalwarming.org, for example, has 283,193 people over the internet taking action against global warming as of February 21, 2006. In addition, a pastor of a Longwood church joined 85 other leaders to make the front page of the Orlando Sentinel on February 9, 2006, trying to fight against global warming, one of the most important issues facing the nation today. Pollution Affects the Whole World
First, in the 1500’s, the earth did not have so much pollution. The earth was cleaner and the air wasn’t filled with carbon dioxide. Bus as pollution worsened, people and animals were exposed to diseases and became sick. Today, the water is filled with pollution, the air is filled with pollutants and people are dying because of pollution. When the world became industrialized, machines came into existence. To run and work efficiently, they gave off toxic fumes and gasses. The wastes that these machines gave off are toxic and pollute the earth. For example, when trains first started to work, they gave off carbon dioxide. People are also helping to pollute the earth. Smoke from cars, factories, cigars and nuclear plants pollute the earth, altering the ecosystem. Manufacturing plants for example, produce carbon dioxide and other chemicals that contaminate oceans and steams. These factories are the main cause of pollution. Besides all the run-off from the factories and the carbon dioxide from cars, garbage is a big cause of pollution. Landfills overflow with garbage, and it just sits there. Another cause of pollution is littering. Humans just don’t care about the earth and toss their garbage out into the street and leave it there. Littering pollutes the land oceans as well. When people litter, the earth is being destroyed and the animals die, too. They get twisted in the plastic wrappers or get hurt by plastic or glass. If humans would stop littering, the earth would be a lot safer.
Rain forests and plant life are ruined by acid rain, which is caused by pollution. Not only is the acid rain very harmful to plants, but it is also hazardous for humans. Moreover, nuclear plants have run-off that contaminate the oceans and rivers. Such runoff kills many animals in the water and on the land since the rivers are their drinking source. Pollution is a very dangerous problem facing the world affecting humans, animals, plants and the earth itself. Once pollution was not a problem because it did not exist. Now it is one of the greatest problems facing not just the nation, but the world. Sea Turtles
One of the animals most affected by the erosion problem is the sea turtle, which comes to Florida’s mid-Atlantic coastlines to lay eggs. With the A 646-Pound Catfish was Netted in Thailand "I'm thrilled that we've set a new record, but we need to put this discovery in context: these giant fish are uniformly poorly studied and some are critically endangered. Some, like the Mekong giant catfish, face extinction," continued Dr. Hogan. "My study of giant freshwater fish is showing a clear and global pattern: the largest fish species are disappearing. The challenge is clear: we must find methods to protect these species and their habitats. By acting now, we can save animals like the Mekong giant catfish from extinction." The Mekong River Basin is home to more species of massive fish than any river on Earth. It is also the most productive fishery in the world, generating $1.7 billion each year. Fish from the Mekong are the primary source of protein for the 73 million people that live along the river. Learn more about the Mekong giant catfish On April 28th the Ivory-billed Woodpecker was Rediscovered in Arkansas The ivory-billed woodpecker, Campephilus principalis, is among the world’s largest woodpeckers. Only the imperial woodpecker of Mexico, now thought by many to be extinct, was larger. Averaging about 20 inches in length, the ivory-bill is frequently mistaken for the smaller but similarly marked pileated woodpecker. See footage of the sighting and learn more about the Ivory-billed woodpecker. Birth of a Hurricane Put Yourself Ahead of the Game In the summer of 2004, I was awarded the George Washington Carver Scholarship and was able to During this internship, I discovered a nitrogen-fixing bacteria that can Two other high school students and eighteen undergraduates shared this wonderful experience with me. My advice to others is to take advantage of opportunities such as summer internships or work experience. It will put you ahead of the game of people who haven’t had the experience, and it would definitely look good on your resume. Arrival of periodical cicadas occur every 17 years Keep an eye out for emerging cicada nymphs, which leave their burrows at dusk. Under cover of darkness, they slowly struggle out of their old skins in an exhausting process that takes several hours to complete. At this time, the cicada's exoskeleton is very soft and the animal is most vulnerable to its predators. May
27 is Rachel Carson Day In 1962 Rachel Carson's pioneering and meticulously researched exposé, Silent Spring, identified the devastating and irrevocable hazards of DDT, one of the most powerful pesticides the world had known.
Carson, a renowned nature author and a former marine biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, had grown up with an enthusiasm for nature matched only by her love of writing and poetry. Born in 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania, the youngest of three children, Rachel's interest in all living things in the woods, meadows and stream near her home was encouraged by her mother, Maria McLean Carson, who remained Rachel's strongest supporter throughout her life. |
| Eastern Whooping Cranes are taking flight March 2004 These are historic times for whooping cranes. On
the brink of extinction in the early 1940s, the fragile population
has a hopeful future. A dedicated partnership |
| Spirit and Opportunity Rovers Land on Mars February 2004 Humans have been fascinated with Mars for thousands
of years. To the ancient Greeks and Romans, Mars embodied For the past 40 years, NASA spacecraft have been turning our vision of Mars from fantasy and remote astronomy toward science fact, sometimes at human scales. The Mariner 9 and Viking missions, for example, showed that Mars indeed has channels, perhaps cut by the waters of ancient martian rivers. Spirit and Opportunity, the Mars Exploration Rovers, will continue our exploration of Mars as it really is . . . which may turn out to be more fascinating and even bizarre, in its own way, as those tales of little green men. |
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Lightning occurs in 7 different forms. January 2004 Lightning is a giant spark. A single stroke of lightning can heat the air around it to 30,000 degrees Celsius (54,000 degrees Fahrenheit)! This extreme heating causes the air to expand at an explosive rate.  The
expansion creates a shock wave that turns into a booming sound wave,
better known as thunder. Thus the name thunderstorm.
Lightning can take place in several different areas of a thunderstorm. About 80% of all lightning occurs within a single cloud. Most of the other 20% occurs from cloud to ground. Sometimes lightning can jump from one cloud to another or to the surrounding air. Most of the lightning we see appears as a single line of bright white light. However, there are several other types of lightning that can occur. These include forked lightning, ribbon lightning, bead lightning, ball lightning, sheet lightning, heat lightning, and St. Elmo’s fire. |
Our state, our country and our planet need leaders like Crist to make changes now to make our world a better place to live for tomorrow. As California is for the west coast, Florida will be an example for the east coast, more specifically the south, on how to be environmentally-friendly. We have the ability to be a leader in use of solar energy, a renewable resource which will lessen our dependence on non-renewable sources of energy and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
Despite the war in Iraq, one of the most important issues facing the nation in the news today is global warming, the constant and steady increase of the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. The main cause of global warming is burning fossil fuels that create a greenhouse effect because of the earth’s protective ozone layer. Greenhouse gases, formed around the earth’s atmosphere, trap all the heat that comes in from the sun. Some burned fossil fuels can even damage the ozone layer, which lets even more of the sun’s powerful rays in the earth’s atmosphere, heating it up degree by degree, year by year.
The real question, though, is “Who causes this phenomenon and why has it become such a big issue in our nation today?” The answer is simple: We cause it. It’s our fault! By burning fossil fuels in cars and factories, we are the culprits of global warming. For a number of years now, scientists have been studying global warming and have seen the earth gradually warming up. Nine out of the top ten warmest years have occurred since 1995, with year 2005 being the hottest. 
This is especially a problem in our nation today because the United States is responsible for 25 percent of the world’s pollution. The worst part is that the US refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol—a plan for countries to follow until 2012 to reduce air pollution and global warming. America must come together to fight against this issue before it is too late.
Everywhere in the world there is pollution, and the problem is getting even worse. The results of pollution hurt animals, plants and humans as well. It is a dangerous problem that causes undesired effects on the earth and the atmosphere. Pollution is a big issue that concerns not just the nation, but everyone.
Pollution has many dangerous effects on earth. For example, carbon dioxide deteriorates the atmosphere and breaks up the ozone layer. This layer is important to the earth and life on earth because the ozone layer filters the radiation from the sun and helps us not to get sunburns or skin cancer. Because of pollution, this layer is being worn down, and now people are at higher risk of getting skin cancer. People are getting sunburned quicker when exposed to the sun. Getting sunburns contributes to getting skin cancer. 
Florida has 825 miles of beautiful sandy beaches; however, 40 percent of these beaches are now in a state of critical erosion. Research shows that there is a direct correlation between beach erosion and human activities, such as land development. Real estate in these costal regions is such a sparse commodity that buildings are being erected closer and closer to the beaches--decreasing available space needed for natural erosion. 
diminishing coastlines there are increasingly fewer coastal habitats for these turtles to lay their eggs. The two defenses currently enacted to save our real estate and our beaches greatly affect these beautiful animals. Florida’s re-nourishment project involves dredging sand from offshore and pumping it onto the beaches. They are often made too large, causing turtles to lay their eggs in the tidal area, which leads to their being washed away with the tide. Dredging sand from offshore areas can also have a drastic affect on these turtles because it destroys offshore habitat for baby turtles. Additionally, the use of sea walls to stop the water from destroying real estate ruins the turtles’ nesting areas.
Chiang Khong, Thailand - Fishermen in northern Thailand have netted a fish as big as a grizzly bear, a 646-pound Mekong giant catfish, the heaviest recorded since Thai officials started keeping records in 1981. The behemoth was caught in the Mekong River and may be the largest freshwater fish ever found. 
Brinkley, Arkansas —Long believed to be extinct, a magnificent bird – the ivory-billed woodpecker – has been rediscovered in the Big Woods of eastern Arkansas. More than 60 years after the last confirmed sighting of the species in the United States, a research team today announced that at least one male ivory-bill still survives in vast areas of bottomland swamp forest.
In order for a hurricane to form and grow in size, there must be heat and moist air. Air masses are heated by warm oceans. The air then absorbs lots of moisture and begins rotating in a column formation. As the column’s size increases, condensation occurs, which develops into rain and then thunderstorms. As thunderstorm winds increase, they develop into a tropical wave. 
attend a fully-paid, six-week internship at the University of Iowa. I was able to experience the opportunities that Iowa State University had to offer. I was also able to interact with other students and experience life on campus. Lastly, I learned how the college admission process works.
increase the fertility of the soil. This discovery came about because I was concerned about synthetic fertilizers being heavily used to increase the fertility of the soil. They are high in salt, and high salts in the soil cause disease-causing bacteria to form, which then can cause the disease of plants. This subject inspired me, and now I’m conducting further research to increase the awareness of this natural process and to decrease the heavy use of synthetic fertilizers. 
After 17 years underground, periodical cicadas are emerging throughout 
the eastern U.S., with the heaviest emergences ocurring in the areas shaded in blue. Soon, male cicadas will begin forming chorusing centers, filling the air with their noisy serenade as they strive to attract a mate. 
This
disclosure helped set the stage for the environmental movement of
the late 20th century. The book's publication caused a firestorm
of controversy. Some of the attacks were very personal, questioning
Carson's integrity and even her sanity. 
of
pilots and biologists are reintroducing a brand new wild flock of
whooping cranes to the eastern U.S, where these birds have not flown
for over a century. The reintroduction began in October 2001 as
a project of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP). In this
bold plan, a small experimental flock of whooping cranes was led
by ultralight planes from Wisconsin to Florida. The
tiny plane taught the birds a migration route that their ancestors
flew over a century ago. Five young birds that survived the winter
returned on their own to Wisconsin in the spring. Everyone celebrated!
These are the founding members of what is hoped will establish a
second breeding, migratory population, restored to their former
range in the eastern U.S. The Eastern flock now numbers 36! Each
fall through 2005, ultralight planes will teach another new generation
of chicks the migration route between the new flock's summer nesting
grounds in Wisconsin and their winter feeding grounds in Florida.
their
god of war, perhaps because of its red appearance. Science fiction
writers have made the Red Planet a mirror in which to observe humanity.
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As the dominant species of our planet, humans tend to take advantage of our planet by exploiting its resources on an immense level and failing to recognize the damage caused by leaving behind so much waste. Most people are either unaware of the consequences of their actions on the environment or do not care what the environmental consequences may occur on our planet after they are gone. 
He spoke to us about the illustrious three R’s: Reduce, reuse, and recycle. These three R’s then became words I lived by. I felt it was my responsibility to protect and better the environment by doing each of these three actions. I remember telling my parents about recycling; but at the time, it was difficult for us to find places in the community where we could recycle, and a recycling collection service could not be provided to my family because we lived in an apartment. 
At my high school, I was bothered by the amount of paper that was used and thrown in the trash. I realized it was necessary for the school to start recycling and that I could make an immense difference by establishing a paper recycle program. After doing my research and becoming a member of Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful, I have become a connoisseur of starting school recycling guides. First and foremost, I needed a group of supporters or a “go green” team. At my school, an excellent way to get students involved with something is through clubs; thus, I decided to establish a “green club.” After completing all the paperwork for establishing a club and finding a club sponsor, the club was official. 
After the Green Club’s first priority was accomplished, I chose to have the club adopt a park with the Mayor’s Beautification Program’s Adopt-A-Park program. As the adoption organization, we promised to pick up trash and twigs from the New Tampa Community Park for a year. Each month, about ten Green Club members volunteer to clean up the park. By adopting a park, our club will not only increase its recognition as an environmental organization, but our school’s recognition as well. As a result, my school has become more aware of what our club is trying to accomplish in our school and in the community. Through the adoption park more students in the school have become aware of how they can improve the environment.
In my community, I, Apurv Suman, am quite the environmental steward. I lead by example and through many of my accomplishments in environmental fields. I am recognized within my community and I place an enormous emphasis on environmental development and progress.
Recently, I have embarked on a new project that will grab greater attention of the public in my community. My school is building a small biodiesel plant. The project is student led. I, along with three other students, will collect leftover cooking oil and use it to create biodiesel. This will then be used in lawn equipment around our school and eventually, hopefully, in our school buses. 
My environmental theory is based on two things: education and renewable fuels. So many people are ignorant of the problems at hand. Some know of the problems but don’t see the advantages of being eco-friendly. More people care about this issue because it is a material thing that affects them every day (especially with gas prices). It plays a large role in the economy. I teach people that in order to see progress in the future we must become environmentally friendly.
Science Teacher and Club Advisor, and to all 44 ECOmmodores members for winning the 2007 Environmental Stewardship Awards. 
Being an environmental steward is, has been, and always will be a characteristic I carry with me wherever I go. Garrett Hardin, an ecologist, once wrote an essay titled “Tragedy of the Commons,” which describes how free access of a finite resource, such as a public beach, ultimately dooms the resource through over-exploitation. I do not overlook a single piece of trash. Since day one, I was taught to leave with more than I came with including beaches, parks, soccer fields, etc. I believe that environmental stewardship starts with each individual at the local level. If all citizens left their outdoor activities with less trash than when they arrived, the environment would be beautified and more sustainable. 
I believe it is everyone’s responsibility to take care of our environment. It is easy to get caught up in our daily routine and become indifferent about our surroundings. I feel that through education and awareness people will respect our planet more. One of my main goals as president of this club is to motivate and inspire students to get involved and be more environmentally conscious.
The International Astronomical Union, dramatically reversing course just a week after floating the idea of reaffirming Pluto's planethood and adding three new planets to Earth's neighborhood, downgraded the ninth rock from the sun in historic new galactic guidelines.
Turtle Talks is an educational program that I designed in 2001. At age 11, I presented my idea to the Venice Foundation and received a Youth Grant that I used to launch my program. I began asking teachers and librarians to let me come and speak to school-age children about the endangered sea turtles that nest in our area.
I worked with a wildlife veterinarian and his assistants. We were located mainly at the Aquatic Biology Department, which housed large tanks for the Amazonian River Manatee. In Brazil it is still common practice among locals to hunt manatees, which involves using the infants to lure the mothers. The infants are usually left, and if spotted by the right person, they are quickly taken back to the tanks at INPA, where they stand a better chance of survival. Many infants though still die. 
I learned how to identify certain species of exotic and/or invasive plants and how to hand remove them from certain areas of the park. I also tended to the native plants being raised in the nursery and later planted them in the areas where exotics had been removed. My work has inspired my friends to take those field trips more often (there are several throughout the course of the year) and one friend to come out with me on Saturdays to work.
I became interested in conservation and environmental improvements when I joined the Boy Scouts of America, one of the world’s oldest environmental organizations. In a letter I received, Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton stated that Eagle Scouts are stewards of our nation’s natural resources. My Eagle Scout Leadership Service Project was to research, design, and construct a large bird cage for a teaching bird at Boyd Hill Nature Park. The number of hours spent on designing and constructing of this project was 113 hours. This bird is used to educate the children of Pinellas County about the importance of birds and their habitats. After I completed this project, I remained as a volunteer with the park’s Avian Education Program and have volunteered 88 hours do date.
Preserve. I do so with trimmers, a handsaw, and a shovel. I am an Official Volunteer of Pinellas County in the Environmental Management Division. I have volunteered 53 hours to date and have cleared by hand three-fourths of an acre.
My third project is Forestry and Range Management. I helped build a Migratory Songbird Habitat on a one-acre oak-pine hammock at Boyd Hill Nature Park, which is on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s West Coast Florida Birding Trail. To fund this project, I applied for a State Farm Good Neighbor Service-Learning Award from Youth Service America. I was awarded a National Youth Service Day Grant of $1000.00. National Youth Service Day, the largest worldwide service event, occurred on April 16-18, 2004. My service hours prior to April 17 were 37.5 hours. On April 17, I directed 15 youth and 18 adults in planting 360 native plants in the bird habitat. The students who helped with this project ranged from elementary school age to college age. Service hours on April 17 totaled 109.5 hours. Combined hours were 147 hours. The youths learned about erosion control along a small stream, native plants and invasive species and their effect on the environment. Both Mayor Rick Baker and Governor Jeb Bush wrote proclamations for National Youth Service Day at my request. 
limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest – a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole [of] nature in its beauty.” ~Albert Einstein
sided. As a result, my administrator consulted school officials and changed the copy room policy. Now, the school requires all copies to be double sided and puts limits on the number of copies teacher can make for a year.
mile stretch of waterway. I also participated in two Audubon Christmas Bird Counts in which my family was the only group to patrol a habitat and record important information about its feeding and nesting 
shorebirds. These environmental beautification and bird count activities are essential in that they help restore the health of the habitat and measure the use of the resource by many diverse species of birds. I am looking forward to doing this year’s counts as well.
from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, I would work with rangers and naturalists to restore and protect the environment, helping them pick up debris and trash, eradicate non-native plants, plant rare native plants, establish habitats, and tend to the display 
animals. I also worked under a grant to monitor the water quality of a polluted lake that the nature park borders. This was a wonderful experience and I learned much of my ecological and environmental knowledge through this program. Moreover, I have participated in similar programs in North Carolina and Virginia state parks and collected debris throughout the South. This experience helped me learn about many of the unique differences and similarities between these states.
school. I am in the process of creating an Environmental Club of with I will be the president. The official start of the club is pending the school board’s finalization of paperwork, including the bylaws we wrote. Another valuable experience was entering into the Environmental Division of School Science Fairs, progressing to the state level and winning several awards for three consecutive years.
Friends who participated in and helped orchestrate the waterway clean-ups and I are officially adopting a shoreline. Once the Environment Club has started, we are also adopting a mile of adjacent roadway. Adopting either requires that each
to be cleaned at least four times a year along the entire stretch. Both adoptions are going to be conducted by “The Green Team,” as we are called. We are St. Petersburg’s only permanent waterway clean-up team, working through Keep Pinellas Beautiful. I strongly believe in setting an example for what an “environmental steward” should be: not waiting for others to do something, but proactively finding a way to make it happen.
Community Service Award
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©2003 Role Models Foundation,
Inc., No part of this website may be used without the express permission of the author. |
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