1. Energy Weekly News, May 17, 2013.

Health defects found in fish exposed to Deepwater Horizon oil spill

A few years after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a research team pulled Gulf killifish out of an area of the Gulf to examine them. The killifish are the indicator species for the gulf. The scientists found that the embryos that were exposed to the oil laden sediments developed abnormalities that include heart disease, delayed hatching, or even no hatching. These abnormalities are consistent with symptoms of oil toxicity. This article is about an environmental problem. In my opinion this is very sad because people in that region rely on the gulf for food and money. The fact that the fish can be this toxic is scary because it could have easily transferred to humans and made them sick or even killed them. This article pertains to the unit of AP environmental science that has to do with environmental degradation and pollution.

2. The Times (London, England), January 19, 2008. Rare coral reefs plundered for fish tanks

The customs enforcement departments in London as well as a few other parts of the UK have had to increase security due to the increasing number of poachers illegally harvesting coral reefs for aquariums. Recently over 350 species of illegal coral and clam species were discovered in the Manchester airport, but the discovery was kept a secret till the culprits were identified. This particular haul included six species protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Officer estimated that the haul would have fetched 50,000 pounds. The coral was given to the London Zoo. This article focuses on an environmental problem. This article is just sickening to me. Why would people harvest endangered species for personal benefit, it just doesnt make sense. This article relates to APES in the aspect that we learned about environmental laws such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. We also learned about how coral is an important part of the ocean ecosystems.

3. Ecology, Environment, and Conservation, May 31, 2013. Climate change will cause widespread global-scale loss of common plants and animals

According to research from the University of East Anglia, more than one half of the plants and one third of the animals will lose more than half their climate range by 2080. Plants, reptiles, and amphibians in particular are said to be at high risk. Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, Amazonia, and Australia would lose the most plant and animal species. Their research showed that if we can mitigate the climate change we can reduce losses by 60 per cent and give the species an extra 40 years to adapt. This article is about both an environmental problem and solution; it talks about how global warming will reduce biodiversity as well as how we can prevent it. This article is scary to me because it presents some pretty solid statistics and the amount of project loss is uncanny. This article pertains to the global warming, climate change, and biodiversity portions of APES.

4. UPI NewsTrack, May 28, 2013. Data from 1870s expedition confirms century of global warming

Data from a British expedition over a century ago has confirmed that human activities have warmed our planet over the last century. Scientist from the University of Tasmania in Australia and NASAs Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California analyzed the data from the HMS Challenger that took the first global surveys from 1872-1876. According to the researchers a steady rise in ocean temperature is apparent since 1873. Based on the data the scientists estimate that the oceans absorb more than 90 percent of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases. This article is about an environmental problem. This problem in my opinion is the biggest environmental problem we face. Unfortunately, some believe global warming to be a myth and this study thankfully proved it to be fact. This article has to deal with climate change and greenhouse gases.

5. Agriculture Week, May 30, 2013. Studies from Columbia University Have Provided New Data on Deforestation

According to a research study in New York, New York the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso was a global deforestation hotspot in the early 2000s. Deforested land is primarily for use as meat production land. They found that 41 to 54 percent of the deforestation in 2000-2005 was tropical rainforest. Mato Grosso, with help from the governments leaders, farmers, and exporters have been able to dramatically reduce the amount of land disruption in that area and even restore some of the land. This article is about an environmental problem and how an area that was deeply impacted was able to recover. This article actually gives me some hope about the outlook of our planet and how maybe we can fix some of the damage weve done and prevent further damage. This article pertains to the deforestation and land disruption unit of APES.

6. New India Express, April 27, 2013. City researchers find plant that can fight water pollution

In India they are conducting studies to see how and if aquatic plants can remove toxic pollutants in our water supply. Studies have shown promising results for plants that have a very high stress tolerance. The plant that has shown the most promise is the Pistia Stratiotes. This plant has been placed in heavy metal-contaminated water and the enzymes have been analyzed and the toxic elements of the water were greatly reduced, but the plants toxicity increased. This article is about an environmental solution to water pollution. This article has made me very optimistic about the future of our water supply because we are running out of clean drinking water and if we can clean up some of the polluted water that would be amazing. The only problem is that some cultures consume some of the plants that remove the pollution and these people would have to be extremely careful when purchasing these plants for consumption. This article pertains to the water pollution unit of APES.

7. Los Angeles Times A1 and A19, August 17, 2012. Shark Contest stirs a Frenzy

Annually in Massachusetts theres a shark catching tournament. Activists have protested this tournament for years saying it is a crime against nature. Yet the tournament continues because the mayor said controversy sells, so every year these activists watch as fisherman bring in all different types of sharks including makos, threshers, and porbeagles. These activists are horrified to watch these species, some of which are very close to endangered, be pulled onto a slab to be weighed as a contents for who can catch the biggest monster. This article isnt really about a problem or solution, but this could be a potential problem due to tragedy of the commons that might eventually lead to extreme endangerment or even extinction of some of these species. This makes me really mad because Im a fisherman and Ive caught sharks but theyre beautiful animals and Id hate to see them disappear. This article pertains to the tragedy of the commons and overfishing.

8. Los Angeles Times A10, August 1, 2012. Pinnacles may reach new height

Pinnacles National Monument in Central California is known as a volcanic wonder and a climbers paradise. This amazing park would become the 59th national park if a bill passes the senate to preserve it. This park was a crucial part in the recovery of the California condor and gets its name from the volcanically formed spike formations. This park has been described as a rare jewel in California and a rare American landscaper. This article is not about an environmental solution or problem its about amazing rock formations and environmental laws. In my opinion making pinnacle a national park would be a great idea because it would preserve it and still allow people to enjoy all the marvels it has to offer. This article has to do with the environmental law chapter of APES.

9. Los Angeles Times A7, June 4, 2012. Pipelines opponents plan online blackout

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper attempted to construct a pipeline from Albertas oil sands to the U.S. to transport petroleum. Environmentalist groups in both the United States and Canada staged a day where over 350 website would be shut down. When someone would attempt to go on these sites they would see a black screen with a message that said While our websites may be dark, our together are louder than ever. The United States House Republicans tried to force the Obama administration to set a quick timetable for the construction of this $7 billion project. The administration did not set a quick timetable saying that they didnt have enough time to evaluate the safety of the project. This article is about an environmental problem because creating this pipeline would destroy acres and acres of land as well as transport a toxic substance that could possibly leak. In my opinion this pipeline is a terrible idea so I am very very glad that this plan failed. This article has to do with biohazards (oil) and deforestation.

10. Los Angeles Times A1 and A8, July 16, 2012. Region leads in Childhood asthma

In Calexico, California winds stir up dust and dirt creating a funnel of haze causing lots of children to suffer from asthma. In this city in California the average hospitalization rate for asthma patients is 16.3 per 10,000 which is 4.3 above the state average of 9.0. This city also gets smog from the surrounding businesses as well as dirt and pesticide particles from nearby farms. This causes lots of health problems for the residents of Calexico, including asthma. This article is about an environmental problem, air pollution. The statistics in this article are scary because it shows the frequency of childhood asthma and how many times these young children are sent to the hospital because of the terrible air quality. This article has to do with the air pollution portion of APES.

11. LA Extra AA1 and AA4, July 9, 2012. A Scientists unshakeable goal

Vladmir Keilis-Borok is the man who predicted the 1989 earthquake that struck the San Francisco and Oakland area. Ever since then, this now 90 year old man has been attempting to perfect a way to anticipate seismic activity in an attempt to warn people of coming earthquakes. This project has been said to be his white whale because he just wont give up on it because he says My main trouble is this feeling of responsibility. This article is about an environmental solution. It would absolutely amazing if one day scientists could predict earthquakes and even warn people before they happen. This would save millions if not billions of dollars and countless lives. This article pertains to earthquakes and seismic activity as well as geology.

12. Los Angeles Times A15, December 15, 2012. New air pollution standards aim to reduce soot particle

The Obama administration has passed a new air pollution standard that is aimed at reducing microscopic particles. According to the EPA these standards are fulfilling the promises of the Clean Air Act. These standards are projected to remove 50% of the particles from the Los Angeles are by 2020. The EPA estimates that by 2030 the amount of soot particles removed from diesel vehicles and equipment alone could prevent 40,000 premature deaths. This article is about an environmental solution that can save tens of thousands of lives. This is my opinion is a fantastic thing and I hope that the entirety of the U.S. will jump on board because I have asthma and terrible air makes it worse. This article deals with air pollution and environmental laws.

13. LA Extra AA3, June 21, 2012. Study predicts more hot spells in SoCal

A study by researchers at UCLA shows that the number of days where the temperature soars over 95 degrees could more than quadruple. This study used a unique model of southern California and the super computer at UCLA that is 2,500 times more precise than any previous climate model. Scientists say that modern day 35 year olds will be elderly by the time the shift occurs and therefore the most vulnerable to this climate shift. The chair of environmental health sciences at UCLA says that such a climate shift will cause severe health problems. This article is about an environmental problem that is the fault of humankind. This article is scary because I will alive during this projected climate shift and I dont want to have to deal with the extreme heat and the possible health problems that go along with it. This has to do with global warming and how it will cause lots of problems in the future.

14. Los Angeles Times A29 and A30, September 9, 2012. New Vantage Point

The Civilian Conservation Corps or CCC for short has been pulling trouble makers off the streets to restore a beautiful trail in southern California. The CCC is helping troubled teens by giving them a project to work on. The CCC has been working hard to restore, improve, and beautify parks all over California. This particular project focuses on Backbone Trail which connects 4 state parks. They are working to make the trail easier to walk on as well as planting trees and flowers to beautify the area. This article isnt really about a problem or solution but rather about environmental beautification. This is really amazing that this organization will pull troubled teens off the streets and teach them how to do honest work and how to be proud of what they do and give them an outlet. This article pertains to the environmental restoration portion of APES.

15. LA Extra AA and AA3, February 7, 2013. Risks at plant allegedly ignored

Southern California Edison was apparently aware of problems with replacement steam generators at its San Onofre nuclear power plant. A report was discovered that was written by government officials that pointed out a leak in one of the steam generators. This was the first sign that Edison and Mitsubishi knew about the problem. It was then discovered that Edison turned down fixes to the generators saying that it was an unnecessary cost that could have consequences. Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric spent a combine $771 million to replace the damaged generator. This isnt really about an environmental problem or solution but if this had gone unchecked it could have turned into a major environmental problem. This article scared me because what if this leak had caused a problem and Edison neglected it we all would have been in big trouble. This article pertains to toxic chemicals we learned about in APES.

16. LA Extra AA and AA2, January 2, 2013. Wolf likes state but is unlikely to find mate

A gray wolf pack was moved from northern California to Oregon because they were reported to have been killing livestock on local farms. One of the pups that, at the time, was not born broke away from a pack and returned to his ancestral home. He was relocated again to a different part of Oregon where his pack was reported to be. A few weeks later he was back again in the same area. This gray wolf persistently returns to area despite relocation. This wolf is the first gray wolf reported to be in California for the last 90 years and it is looking for a mate here, but is unlikely to find one. This is about an environmental problem because we impeded on the land of the wolves years and years ago and now one returned and is likely to never find a mate. This is really sad because wolves are beautiful animals and I would love for them to be in California. This article is about habitat loss due to human activity.

17. Los Angeles Times A16, September 7, 2012. Storm eases drought but not for everyone

Hurricane Isaac hit the United States and people were hopeful that they would receive some rain to end this drought they were in. The middle-east parts of the United States had been suffering from a devastating drought that was ended for some by rains associated with Hurricane Isaac. However, states like Nebraska and Iowa were bypassed by the storm and the crops suffered due to the drought. This is about an environmental problem because this drought caused crops to fail. This article was actually somewhat boring to me because as sad as it may be I just really didnt care. This article was about weather and drought.

18. Los Angeles Times A1 and A7 October 29, 2012. Tracker has a worldwide reputation

Jeff Sikich is a wildlife biologist that has gotten quite the reputation as a tracker and tagger. He has learned how to track dozens of different species so that he can shoot them with sedative dart and tag them. He is especially famous with tracking down, tagging, and counting mountain lion and cougar populations. While he is famous for his work with mountain lions and cougars he tracks all sorts of different carnivores so that they can be studied and tracked. This article is not about an environmental problem or solution but rather how people track populations. This guy is awesome because he can track a ton of animals and its amazing how he can keep records of them. This article pertains to species population and studies.

19. LA Extra AA3, June 21, 2012. Environment groups fought Browns plan

Governor Browns plan to build a high speed rail way connecting LA to San Francisco and then to Las Vegas has been widely opposed by environmental groups. This opposition is due to the vast amounts of land that would need to be destroyed in order to build such a railway. Brown argues that despite the losses the railway will stimulate the state economy. Farmers also oppose this plan because the rail way will destroy valuable cropland. This article is about an environmental problem. Browns lust for money would have destroyed acres of land affected hundreds of species. I am so glad that this plan was oppose and put to a stop before he did some real damage to the land. This article is about species displacement and land disturbance.

20. Los Angeles Times A23, January 6, 2013. La Jolla stuck with stench

La Jolla Cove is home to hundreds if not thousands of sea birds who nest and raise their young in the state protected cove. The cove has accumulated quite the collection of guano over the years and the smell is starting to magnify. The city would like to clean up the rocks and eliminate the stench but have faced many obstacles due to the state protection of the cove. Everything from scrubbing the rocks with water and a broom to using non-hazardous chemicals to clean them has to be approved by state officials and so far there is no approval. The start argues that its breeding season and a critical time for these birds, so for the time being La Jolla is stuck with the stench. This article is not about an environmental problem or solution, but rather a solution to a previous problem backfiring. This article makes me laugh every time I read it because honestly it is funny. La Jolla wants so bad to clean up the bird poop but California just keeps saying no. It just makes me laugh. This article is about environmental laws.

Joshua Jaros APES, Period 4 June 3, 2013

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