POPCORN NEWS

What's so important about Environment, Health and Science? Well obviously you havn't read Popcorn News' Environment and Health Section news! Not interested in this kind of stuff? Well you haven't read these amazing articles. They will surely change your mind and point of view of the world. -CD 

New Discoveries- by MAS.. 12/01/09

Kyoto Protocol- by SM...02/01/09

Conserving our Energy- by CD..29/12/08

Pluto- by MAS.. 05/12/08

Global Warming- by CD.. 01/12/08     

     As known as the “Vietnam’s Green Corridor”, scientists found some new animals and plants. They found a snake, 5 orchids, 2 butterflies and 3 other plants still new to scientists, but exclusive to the Annamites Mountain Range. Also, 10 plant species where found which were 5 orchids which are still under examination. Although, finding new species or plants are rare, they mainly occur in special places like the “Green Corridor”. The last discovery there was in 1990s and it was some big mammals.

     The new snake species called the white-lipped keelback, likes to live near streams where it can catch food (for example, frogs). This snake has a yellow-white strip along his head and red dots covering the body and it can reach a yard, well almost.

     3 of the orchid species do not have leave, which is rare in orchid. Therefore, it does not contain chlorophyll or green pigment, which is commonly found in plants. They live on decaying matter, like a lot of fungal species.  The other new plants species include an aspidistra which producers almost a black flower, and a new species of arum with yellow flowers. Arum plants have a funnel-shaped leaves, which surround the flower. 

     The 2 butterflies were among the 8 discovered in the province since 1996. Now going back to the new butter flies, one is a skipper, which is a very quick butterfly with darting flying habits, which his from the genus Zela. The other butterfly is a new genus from a sub family of Satyrinae.

     But, according to some experts, all of the species are at risk of illegal logging, hunting, unsustainable extraction of natural resources and conflicting development interests. Luckily, the local authorities would like to conserve and sustainably manage all the forests.

     This “Green Corridor” contains lots of endangered species. Surveys found 15 reptiles and 6 birds among the endangered species. This corridor is home to the world’s most endangered species, the white-cheeked gibbons; and the best location to save the saola (a rare type of cow discovered on 1992).

So, would you want to hurt any of these species for any reason at all, I know I don’t because I don’t want another animal or plant gone.

    As our environment needs to be protected more and more, our government has been doing the same thing. We need to make sure that we reduce, recycle, and reuse our materials, instead of polluting the air in the process. Canada’s government should sign in agreement with the Kyoto Project.

    The Kyoto protocol is a treaty that ensures that our greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. Under the protocol, the countries who have signed agreed to reduce their greenhouse gases by 5.2%. By reducing these greenhouse gases, we could have helped reduce the gases that could have lead to dangerous conditions.

     With this project, Canada could have helped preventing the global environmental crisis occurring. The protocol was open to signing December 11, 1987, and has been restarted by the political parties of the world. Recently, Gilles Duceppe, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois, promised that if he was elected, he would start this protocol in Canada. Stephen Harper said that the project was a way to suck money out of the rich countries. He also said that the project reduced carbon dioxide gases, which is essential to life. Yes, this is all true, but when there is too much carbon dioxide, it can become harmful.

    Secondly, there are third world countries that have signed in the agreement of the protocol. Harper says that it is a way to get the rich countries money, but how would these poor countries be valid to that claim? Our country could help with the reduction of four greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and sulphur hexafluoride), and two groups of regular gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons). Our struggle to help the environment could be reduced.

     Stephen Harper and his team should sign in accord with the Kyoto Protocol. It could help our country, and set an example for the other countries that haven’t joined- just like the US is doing. We deserve clean air, and if this protocol is one of the ways to achieve it, the government should be willing to give it a try.

    What is one of the most powerful yet helpful source we have in our lives? The answer to that is energy. Energy is used for cooking, work, internet and much much more, and we can have it all just by pluging a cord in! Everything is great right? Well not quite...

    You see, many homes use alot of energy even when they don't even need it! This is why the goverment is encouraging us to save energy. Saving energy is very easy and will save you a lot of money once you have done so.

    For an average houshold, 57-62% of the energy is used for space heating. 20-21% is used for water heating, 12-13% is used for appliances, 4-5% of the energy is used for lightings and 0-7% is used for cooling.

    For this average houshold, the bill would obtain a minimum total of $ 2,325 and a maximum of $ 2,775, which is a lot. Yet the majority of us fail to realize what this is doing to the earth and our wallet.

    To help save energy while using for heating, reduce the temperature of your house by a few degrees during the night while you're out instead of leaving it on. You can also use rugs to help keep your feet warm because if your feet are cold, your whole body will eventually get cold.

    Showers will save hot water in your house. If you take a bath, it will use approximatly 75 litres of hot water. While a 5 minute shower only uses about half of that amount. To help save water even more, make sure your water pipes are not leaking any amount of water, you never know how much water you are losing!

    To help reduce the energy used for your clothe washer and dryer, try using cold water for the RINSE cycle because using warm water won't make a difference in cleaning your clothes.

    Lightings can affect your money consuming bill, so if you are not using any lightings, turn them off. There is no use in turning them on if you aren't using them! You can also buy new lightbulbs that are energy efficient instead of using a regular lightbulb. Or you can open your blinds during the day and use nature's very own lightbulb!

    Ways to help save energy are all around you! All you have to do is open your eyes, and you too can make a BIG difference from your own home.

     Have you ever wondered why Pluto isn’t a planet anymore or how it became a planet?   Well, Pluto was first discovered in 1930 by Clyde W. Tombaugh, but it wasn’t a planet yet. At age 22, Clyde W. Tombaugh was given 2 pictures of the sky taken 2 weeks apart.   It took him around a year and a half to finally realize that he had seen it before.   Because he discovered it, he got to name it, and there comes in the name Pluto, because of an 11 year old school-girl suggested it (but not Pluto the Disney character).       

     Now, how Pluto isn’t a planet anymore because it doesn’t pass the 3 requirements that it needs to become a planet (they must have missed it when they made it a planet).  The first requirement is that it needs to orbit around the sun, Pluto does.  The second requirement is that it needs to have enough gravity to pull itself in a spherical shape, Pluto does.  The third requirement is that it needs to have “cleared the neighbourhood” of its orbit, and that is what Pluto doesn’t have. So now, Pluto is considered a dwarf planet because it of the third requirement.  And that is how Pluto became a planet and why it’s not a planet anymore.

     Green house gases are also causing global warming by heating the atmosphere around. Gases that unfortunately, takes about decades, hundreds, centuries,  and even millenniums of years to get rid of in our atmosphere.  Pollution isn’t something that's happening in your neighbourhood. It’s happening worldwide, including places as far as the Arctic. Polar bears there are being threatened in their own natural environment. Their environment that is melting because of pollution are putting their lives in danger.

     One of the most polluted countries in the world is China. It receives clouds of smoke near most cities and they are currently thinking of a solution probably by 2010. The problem isn’t that people aren’t taking care; its about how many people are taking care.

     As you are reading this article, stores in Downtown Toronto are charging 5 cents for every plastic bag that consumers use for groceries, appliances etc. They believe that if they start charging all the plastic bags, consumers will want to start buying re-usable bags that can be used for more than 2 years, therefore getting rid of thousands of plastic bags.

     I’m sure you have a Paper Bin, Plastic Bin and Garbage Bin in your house right? Well now there is a new bin in town called the Green Bin. The Green Bin is a specific bin for only compost such as leftovers, wood shaving etc. Ever since the Green Bin has been released, garbage has been decreasing up to 40% to 70%. Helping the environment is not really hard to do such as rinsing your yogurt containers and put them in the recycling box instead of the garbage.  It’s as easy as 1, 2, and 3! Remember, even the littlest thing, can make a big difference.

      As the enviroment monster starts to grow, the environment seems to start losing the natural balance which  also affects the weather. Have you ever experienced a day with extreme heat, then sudden rain? Well this is just an example of extreme weather. Scientists believe that if pollution start to decrease in the next few years, the now weak Mother Nature may be able to restore back to being clean.

     If we all try to help, we will be able to make our enviroment as clean as it was before so next time you see garbage you can always compost it, recycle it or even re-use your old containers.  

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