The invasive species
If you haven't stopped to think about the awesomeness of Mother Nature, maybe this time you will. For years she lay quiet and relenting to whatever it is man did to her resources. Man's invasiveness was a global occurrence it reached areas far and wide. At present, there are reports and documentaries to show how Mother Nature's own army of "invasive species" has wreaked havoc all across the globe, each with its own wickedness.

Problem is worldwide, ruining the eco systems
A bass fish inhabited the natural river of one American State because the water became still and cold due to the construction of a dam. The water condition suited their natural existence. At first, this was a welcome attribute until they became predators to the natural fish inhabitant and eventually the latter became scarce. To date, the bass fish dwells in the river by being on top of the food chain and claims the river as its own habitat.

Round Goby, Purple Loosestrife, and Eurasian water milfoil are other invasive species that created damage to the ecological balance of some American rivers. They affected food supplies, natural landscapes, industries and infrastructures. Hence, the dams built around them were brought down.

China alone is considered as a "biodiversity hotspot". It has 400 invasive species to account for, resulting to damaged crops and livelihood totaling US$ 24.5M.The magnitude of its damages would take more a lot more than this blog post to discuss them.

In the Philippines, the janitor fish was released in their rivers to clean the garbage that has been filling up the waterways. It gave a promising effect at the start until the janitor fish ate up even the original fish inhabitants. The ecological imbalance affected the food supply of the people who relied on the river.

Lessons learned
God created our environment the way He wanted it; free flowing and without interruption on the species He created and gave life to survive. Whatever problems we encounter, shouldn't we examine our own capabilities and ineptitudes first, before tampering with Gods' original plan?

 The origin

The problems all began when man built the dams. Dams were originally put up to control flood. In other places however, farmers found good use for them to irrigate the rice fields or as a source of drinking water. On a much larger scale hydro electric power plants used a dam as part of their generating system. On a lighter mood, these dams became a rendezvous for lovers where they promenaded under the moonlit sky and stroll along the dam's vast pavements.

At the beginning, dams were just fine
Dams were good actually; in fact the builders were glorified for its effectiveness. After serving mankind through years of flood and electrical power generation, these dams are now damned. Back when they were being built, nobody ever thought these dams will cause an ecological imbalance. In fact, nobody ever thought of ecology during those days, not to mention the balance or imbalance of it all.
The dams caused some entry and exit passages to be blocked, the natural inhabitants of some areas were affected by the lack of natural flow of its river. The water changed its temperature making it ideal for another species to live in.
So man thought he was smart, he could re-direct the flow of a powerful river into another direction. He forgot this was Mother Nature's turf that he was tampering with.

Nowadays it's a more anti-dams atmosphere
Today, we are feeling the brunt of Mother Nature's reaction to all our invasiveness with her resources. Slowly she has been letting loose her own army of "invasive species" to show how our impertinence against nature will get back to us.
Today, dams are no longer being built. Whereas before man spent millions of dollars to construct these dams, today it's the opposite. In recent years, millions were spent to bring these dams down.

Next time we'll take a look at how dams were one of the reason for disrupted natural eco systems and the invasive species affect.

What's up with Sequim Bay?
Composed of hydrocarbons and organic compounds, petroleum also originates from primeval zooplankton (microscopic animal organisms) and algae. This is where Sequim Bay comes into the picture. This area is situated in the Pacific Ocean, east of Sequim, Washington. It has plenty of algae due to its mild and temperate climate aside from its still waters. However instead of petroleum, an alternative fuel product known as biofuel is being developed out of algae here in Sequim bay.

Why is biofuel considered alternative?
As petroleum gets exhausted during combustion, its emissions contribute a lot in the pollution of the atmosphere. This leads to the greenhouse effect of damaging our ozone layer.
It is exactly for those reasons why biofuel is considered as an alternative source of fuel.
Biofuels are fuel derived from biodegradable sources like vegetables oils and animal fats. Being in itself eco-friendly Biofuel is also a non- hazardous compound in nature.

The Algae at Sequim Bay and problems with them
The algae at Sequim Bay are the focus of research of various laboratories in the area. Leading them is the United States Department of Energy.
The oils extracted from the algae are mixed with alcohol and subjected to chemical reaction called transesterification. Ethanol is then produced which can be later used as an alternate for petroleum fuels.

However, one particular problem is being raised. The researchers need a large quantity of algae coming from seaweeds to become commercially viable. As a probable solution, they are eyeing the possibility of planting algae in the sea. Otherwise, the algae at Sequim Bay will be consumed within a period of 5 years, give or take few.

Will there be time and will to research these algae?
As ethanol was extracted by the researchers in the algae, a lot of inexperienced businessmen are capitalizing on this and are riding on the popularity of this discovery. This will only mean one thing: the algae will be consumed faster without further scientific molecular research and eventually depleted without proper propagation.

What is mercury or quicksilver?
Mercury often called as quicksilver, is an element naturally found in the environment and is the symbol Hg in the periodic table of elements.

Mercury is something we take for granted as a component of things that we often use and encounter. It is naturally emitted in the air due to volcanic eruptions hence the air that circulates around us which we tend to breathe has mercury. In fact man-made sources like coal-fired power plants contribute in large part for the mercury emissions in the air and we tend to breathe that too. Industrial products containing mercury like paints, batteries, auto parts and fluorescent bulbs are only a few of the things we use and discard. How the mercury is eventually disposed of is something we never really thought of.

Health effects of mercury
Mercury a toxic and hazardous substance particularly when it is in its soluble form has continuously pervaded the earth's atmosphere without the public's general awareness about its harmful effects. It becomes detrimental when one is subjected to too much exposure and can cause damage to the lungs. In severe cases, the impairment of the pulmonary systems results to chest pains and coughing of blood.

Mercury is not harmful only to humans
Aside from human beings, shellfish and a species of fish like swordfish, albacore tuna, king mackerel and even sharks contain toxic mercury due to their inability to excrete this out of their body system. Being high in the food chain this species have consumed a great number of smaller fish that has already stored certain amounts of mercury in their tissues; the bigger predatory fish now becomes the receptacle of a great concentration of un-dissolved mercury. Unaware of this toxicity, we as humans delight in consuming these fish for our subsistence hence we become the final storage place for the toxic substance.

EPA's advice to pregnant women
Due to these recent findings, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised pregnant women, anticipating pregnancy, and even children not to eat higher than 6 ounces of fish in regular meals. However, shrimps, tilapia and salmon are some species that contain low mercury level.

What is sewage sludge?
Sewage sludge simply represents an accumulation of various wastes flushed by homes, hospitals, offices and malls from their waste disposal system into a common sewage wastewater system provided by the government.

EPA isn't quite following its mission
It's quite ironic that a government agency like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can get itself entangled in a controversy that involves a blatant disregard for both human and animal health. A government agency, supposed to be responsible for implementing laws that will protect the air, land and water systems, is a staunch advocate in the use of sewage sludge in food production.

In fact, US-EPA boldly announced its refusal to regulate dioxins in sewage sludge, not because they have proven it to be non-harmful, but only because the results of its studies show that the health and environmental risk is insignificant. However, they forgot to indicate on what standards their equation of insignificance was based.
It is also quite ironic that the Federal Bureau of Land Management is strict in imposing the rule that sewage and industrial sludge are deemed illegal to be dumped in landfills. EPA upholds that dumping this sewage sludge on farms and other agricultural areas give them better use as fertilizers. It doesn't seem to matter that food production is involved in these areas.

Whereas before we never bothered to ask where all those waste go, today we now have awareness that these sewage wastes is converted into some form of fertilizer used for food production. Of course, we have yet to mention the chemical industries that also deem it proper to pour their chemical wastes into these same sewages.

What we sow, we shall also reap
Authorities maintain standpoint that the people who have fallen ill due to exposure to sewage sludge fertilizers are mere allegations since they were only based on observations. Reported cases of health disorders such as respiratory diseases, rashes, nausea, reproductive complications, cysts and tumors were ignored by health and environmental departments, since they were said to be evident only in isolated farms.

In spite of all this information, EPA chooses not to regulate the use of sewage sludge in food production. Not even a journal to provide dates or location as to where this toxic waste-cum-fertilizer was applied to the country's croplands.

One cannot help but be biblical about it: "What we sow is what we shall reap". Perhaps we will eventually "reap" our own destruction, or even worst - our children will.

People nowadays are becoming more and more health conscious to prolong the human life. There is the vegetarian style of eating, the regular visits to the gym, including the practice of meditation in cleansing the body like yoga and other things people come up with for a healthier human body.

Currently, eco houses or environmentally friendly homes are being introduced as a means of preventing the negative impact of conventional houses to humans. Aside from this, eco houses are said to reduce wastes and energy, thereby contributing for a better environment. It is said to be helpful in the reduction of energy use resulting in lesser carbon emissions in the air. Hence, the aggravation of the damage to our ozone layer is lessened.

What is an eco house anyway?
An eco house is one that is built in harmony with the natural resources to meet the basic needs of humans. Through the use of sustainable construction designs, the idea of living in an environmentally friendly home will extend the benefits of our natural resources to future generations.

Some features of eco or environmentally friendly homes:
- Insulation is higher than normal level to reduce accumulation of heat.
- Installation of solar panels in generating electricity.
- Collection of rainwater in tanks for lavatory use.
- Organic materials are used in the construction like wool for insulation and straw bale for walls.
- The use of wood in the central heating system.

Cost to build an eco house
With the use of local materials, the cost to build eco houses is almost basically the same as in the construction of conventional homes. Difference, if any, is almost negligible. Based on the experience of some real estate brokers, eco homes still command a high resale value should the owner decide to sell in the future.

What are other issues regarding eco houses?
The people who conceptualized eco houses should be given credit where credit is due. First and foremost is their value for the human life and the environment around us. As long as their intentions are sincere and the objective of profit is set aside, due recognition to these individuals should be properly accorded.

If construction of eco houses will succeed in the future, will our remaining natural resources meet the demands of these eco houses? A lot of organic materials are being introduced in the market such as volatile organic compounds (VOC) in paint and formaldehyde in medium-density fiberboard (MDF) as suitable substitutes for natural construction materials.

For that matter, not all of us can afford to own these eco houses so the impact will probably remain un-resounding. In fact we do not have to go to such lengths to achieve eco goals such as reduction in energy consumption, zero harmful waste and emissions. Just a simple pull of all the electric plugs will do.

Ethical questions have been raised due to the practices of people as a whole. Ecologists who study and learn about different species of animals are known to leave an impact on the animal kingdom. The things we do and the choices we make effect our ecological system in various ways and a problem that we face today is animal extinction. There is a wide list of endangered species that will one day become extinct if we don't change our habitual ways.

Endangered is defined as a facing an enormously high risk of becoming extinct in the near future. This includes animals such as the blue whale, tiger, albatross, snow leopard and many more. Beyond a distinctly smaller number of these creatures remaining in the wild and those in captivity, their numbers are decreasing rapidly.

Loss of habitat is one of the main reasons these animals are becoming endangered. While population increases, there is a higher demand for housing, employment, and agriculture which means the destruction of wildlife habitat to make room for growing town, cities and farms. This causes at least eighty-five percent of the problem. Pollutants released into the water has lead to the destruction of aquatic life and has not only hurt our ecological system but has also hurt humanity as well. Not only are we cutting into their homeland but we are slowly cutting into our food source. Fisheries have found themselves lessened as of late due to the fact that there haven't been near enough fish swimming into the shores.

With each change we make globally we affect the climate. Changes in climate has had a significant impact on various animal species. The resources we use has been one of the largest contributing factors to endangered animals. With each resource we use, the affects are world wide. Unfortunately there are those who don't see the bigger picture. Whereas a person might assume that building in a certain area only affects that area, what they fail to realize is that whatever resources they are putting off are being let off into the air affecting our climate and making changes all around us.

With science growing in popularity and energy usage at all time highs, the affects that we put out globally is what ultimately decides the outcome of these endangered animals. There are animals around the world being killed for reasons so minimal one must scratch their head and wonder. A perfect example is the coqui frogs of Hawaii. It is said that the value of homes on Hawaii decrease due to these frogs and their nocturnal noises which is considered quite unappealing. It was proposed that they release a pathogen in order to destroy the frogs and raise the value of the homes. Unfortunately, the impact of destroying this species is yet to be questioned.

Evidence has proved that humans tend to have no regard for animal life and whether their life style is aiding in the destruction of each species. It will take drastic changes in order to stop the affects that we are having upon the animal kingdom and save these species from endangerment. Without the proper education, we will see losses which just might leave undesirable affects in the long run.

The permanent destruction of indigenous woodland and forests is known as deforestation which has become a huge ecological problem in the world today. Deforestation has downsized natural woodland and forests from its prior state to only 21% of coverage across the world. This does not include man planted trees such as pine trees.

It has been calculated that within the next 40 years or so all tropical forests could face mass destruction at the rate in which they are being cleared. There are only a few protected areas in the world left. Places such as Sri Lanka and Nigeria are determined to lose their tropical forests within the next couple of years.

In order to feed the number of people that the world accumulates on a daily basis, trees are destroyed to make room for agricultural needs. Loggers need to cut trees in order to keep up with production of wood based products to sell to consumers. Trees are also used for firewood which provides warmth for those in need. The problem with agriculture is that it has been known that the soil used among these grounds does not hold up for long and therefore the destruction of more trees is ascertained in order to keep up with the growing amount of hungry mouths to feed.

Whether it is known or unknown, deforestation leads to numerous problems in our ecological environment. Soil erosion occurs when it loses its protective covering which can lead to the silting of rivers, lakes and various other bodies of water. Forests provide storage for carbon dioxide in the air. When trees are cut down, generally they are either burnt or the remains are left to rot which releases that CO2 into the air and contributes to the greenhouse effect.

Certain regions suffering deforestation can also find themselves under the effects of drier climates due to the fact that trees release the water that they relinquish from the ground back into the atmosphere. With out these trees the earth suffers dehydration, therefore leaving the land drier and in desperate need of water. With each destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands, we also suffer a loss of various animal species. These animals find their homes within these forests and taking away their only harbor forces them further into extinction as they are running out of homeland.

It is said that an area the size of twenty football fields of indigenous forests and woodland are being lost every minute. Deforestation is regarded as one of the land's most common problems of today. If we do not pay attention to what little reserves we have left, we could be greatly affecting the outcome of our own future.

For those who wish to make a change, there are various suggestions offered. For every tree that you cut down, plant another indigenous tree in its place. When burning wood, take care to burn only what you need and when you need it. Invest in an energy efficient stove which uses less wood to produce heat.

Following a few careful steps and making sure you do your part actively for your environment can make the difference. Research indigenous trees and what will grown in your area. Remember that every person has a voice and no matter how small you think your opinion is, when gathered together, opinion always matter. Without our voices, these forests and woodlands do not stand a chance against the destruction that they face. It is up to humanity to strive to make the differences that our ecological system needs.

Water. Covering two thirds of the surface area of the earth and making up seventy percent of our bodies, it demands our attention. Water links both time and continents into one continuum in which we find ourselves part of a global eternity. Without it we die and with it we live, but only if we preserve its quality. With such an invaluable, nonrenewable resource as this, we need the world to realize the responsibility of caring for this priceless commodity.

Point and non-point pollution contributes to the poor quality of the water for our global community. Large industrial contributors, whose pollution is traceable, are called point pollution sources. Non-point is our own contributions, not traceable to one specific person. The real concern, however, is not necessarily who has done it, but who will fix it. The natural flow of the water cycle will continue to spread our agriculture waste, along with our personal pet waste, septic, chemical, detergents, automotive waste, and man-made erosion to everyone one on earth.

According to the EPA, 14 billion pounds of sewage and garbage are dumped into the world's oceans. Our pollution has far-reaching, long lasting effects. Pollution threatens the health and beauty of our natural habitats. The balance of aquatic life in our water bodies is deteriorating as animals and organisms fight for their existence against elements they were not created to endure.

Pollution also affects people on all levels of commercial and recreational activities. Vocations linked to water health feel the direct effect of our wasteful decisions. The health of our global community is also in this list of negative consequences for our polluting decisions. Less developed nations struggle with a death toll caused by waterborne diseases due to the lack of a clean water supply. The quality of the world's water supply has ramifications on all levels to all peoples. We must understand the gravity of the situation and our responsibility in it.

Studies show that the green house effect is a natural occurrence from earth's earliest beginnings. The presence of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere is innate in order for sunlight to reach the earth. Whatever heat it produces is prevented from bouncing back into outer space since life form also needs the warmth. However, as man became more intelligent, civilized and modern, the earth's atmosphere became saturated with carbon dioxide coming from inorganic sources. Earth's temperature rose at an accelerated and alarming rate.

As natural as the presence of carbon dioxide is in the earth's atmosphere, is the occurrence of natural calamity such as hurricanes and typhoons. These natural catastrophes have been studied, monitored and documented and became accepted facts.

Until recently, new studies show that hurricanes and typhoons have taken on much stronger forms and longer durations over the last 30 years. These changes accordingly increased by 50 % in a span of 3 decades.

Studies also show that the heat of the sun permeating on Earth is the prominent factor for its occurrence. Heat beats down on the oceans' surface causing evaporation, raising moisture in the atmosphere. Heat and moisture meet in clouds, scattered showers and thunderstorms that form into low-pressure areas and subsequently tropical depressions. As the Earth spins, the winds within get caught in the center of the low pressure area continuously whirling in the center and becomes the eye of the storm.

Henceforth, the ozone hole permeates more heat than what the Earth's atmosphere is used to. The same expanse of ocean surface gets heated but at a higher degree of temperature, more than what is normal. Naturally, evaporation will raise additional moisture, more rains, heat and wind will make up a depression which logically becomes a tropical depression with far greater magnitude. More unsurprisingly, Earth and its inhabitants are battered with natural catastrophes with less than natural enormity.

For as long as modernity of living allows the use of refrigeration, air conditioning and insulating foam areas without adopting non-ozone depleting substances, the only change we'll see in the Earth's natural processes will be for the worse.