Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Climate Change and Our Crops


The global climate change is an obvious factor to our weather. It is causing the summers to be much hotter than ever before. The heat causes droughts for many farmers resulting in less crops which means less money for them. They have had to change crops due to the fact that the crops they had been producing could no longer grow as the climate had become so warm.

Farmers in recent years have had to use more pesticides, which not only costs more but pollutes more. Their reason for having to use more pesticides is because the insects stay in the area longer. The longer and warmer the season, the more time the insects have to breed, grow and feed on the crops. With the diminishing crops farmers are losing money, which is a negative effect for everyone. As it causes prices to rise on vegetables and other crops.

Rice is a crop which has been hit hard. It needs a lot of rain to grow but because they have been lacking rain the crops have been drying up. Many of the countries growing rice have had to switch their crops to bananas and other plants that do not need as much water. Having to switch crops hit everyone hard.

If the video does not show up on the page, select "Swapping Crops - Climate Change"
Swapping Crops - Climate Change - The most amazing bloopers are here

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2003/aug /27/climatechange.climatechangeenvironment

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/jul/22/local/me-climate-farms22

Friday, January 8, 2010

Radioactive Cancer


Through extensive research a link has been found between the rate of diagnoses of certain cancers and the proximity of power plants. The incubation time for cancer is "50 years" of exposure to radiation. Everyone is susceptible to the radiation but it is more likely to affect older people and younger children. Some of the cancers that are highly affected by the radiation are thyroid cancer, breast cancer, bone cancer, leukemia, a sarcoma, liver cancer and testicular cancer. Along with causing testicular cancer the radiation can alter ones genes causing mutations in the next generation.

One of the poisons that have caused the rate of cancer to rise is Iodine 131. This is a chemical that has been released at nuclear accidents all around the world, however it only lasts for 6 weeks. It enters the body through the lungs and the stomach as it deposits itself in leafs which people then eat. The nutrients and poisons travel throughout the body and in the thyroid they cause cancer. As a result of one of the nuclear accidents more than 2000 children have had to have their thyroids removed due to thyroid cancer.

Strontium 90 is another one of the poisons, this one lasts much longer than Iodine 131. This chemical lasts for 600 years. It concentrated in the milk of mammals and in humans it can cause breast cancer, bone cancer and leukemia. It causes breast cancer from being concentrated in the breast and causes bone cancer and leukemia by being past through the breast milk to the infant. Cesium 137 also lasts for 600 years. It deposits itself in the muscle and causes a muscle cancer, a sarcoma.

One of the most deadly elements is in nuclear energy. This element is Plutonium 239, less than 1 millionth of a gram is deadly to humans. Along with being so deadly it lasts for 500,000 years continuing to cause cancer all those years. In each nuclear power plant over 200 kg is made each year which is enough to wipe out the entire population of Earth. When it enters the body it is stored in the liver causing liver cancer. Not only does it cause liver cancer though it also causes bone cancer as it is stored in the bone. It can enter through the placenta of an unborn baby and cause mutations. Another way it affects the future generation is through depositing itself in the testicles and causing mutations that way. Quite obviously nuclear energy is not the answer, it causes cancer.

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0415-23.htm