Darwin's Theory and Turtles

Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who travelled thousands of miles to obtain factual evidence to support the theory of evolution. According to Charles Darwin animals with variations better suited to their environment would have a better chance of survival and ability to breed. They would then pass on the favourable characteristics to their offspring.

Darwin went on a journey in September 1835 and reached the Galapagos Islands. This was when Darwin made an extremely interesting observation. He discovered that the animals on the Galapagos Islands were not quite like the animals he had seen in South America. In some ways the lizards were the same as those in South America but were different in others. Darwin also observed this to be the same with the many different types of finches on the islands. They were different from the finches he had seen in South America. Darwin then found out something even more important. A tortoise or finch on one island was not quite like a tortoise or a finch on another island. By looking at the shell of a tortoise or the beak of a finch you could tell which island it had come from. All the finches had dull colored feathers and short tails. They all laid four pink and white eggs in nests with small roofs. The difference was they all had different beaks. On one island they had strong thick beaks for cracking open nuts and seeds. On another island eighty kilometres away they had long thin beaks for catching insects.

There are about 250 species of turtles and tortoises, ranging from the tiny three-inch bog turtle of eastern North America to the seven-foot-long, one-ton leatherback sea turtle of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. There are freshwater turtles, sea turtles who live in oceans, and tortoises—turtles that live on land.
All turtles have shells and scaly skin, but each species has special characteristics to live in its environment, such as webbed feet for swimming, long claws for digging, or a flattened shell to hide from predators in rock crevices.

Let's take a couple looks at some different turtles and their characteristics:

SNAKENECK TURTLE

The common snakeback turtle has powerful webbed feet for swimming, digging, and tearing apart prey. Its carapace (shell) is flattened, broad, and brown with black-edged scutes.

RED FOOTED TORTOISE
Also known as the South American Red-footed tortoise, the male grows up to 13.5 inches and are somewhat larger than females, which average 11.25 inches in length. It has several yellow head scales and a horizontal bar behind its eye. The carapace (shell top) is black with a small, distinct, yellow area around the areola on each.

In conclusion, turtles and tortoises have different characteristics and each characteristic makes them adjust to their environment. The types of shells, or legs or even the types of necks and mouths makes you know what environment they are living in, including if they are living in land or water environments.

REFERENCED WEBSITES:
http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_closer_look_at_wildlife/turtles_and_tortoises/
http://www.zephyrus.co.uk/charlesdarwin.html
http://www.honoluluzoo.org/red-footed_tortoise.htm

REFERENCED PICTURES WEBSITES:
http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/937/50336265.JPG
http://www.monsterreef.com/images/REPTILES/TURTLESTORTOISES/TortoiseTEST.jpg

Superfund Sites

The following information has been directly quoted from the provided website:

The Superfund program was created by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA). The acts established authority for the government to respond to the release/threat of release of hazardous wastes, including cleanup and enforcement actions.

In Jacksonville, FL.

EPA Region 4 successfully negotiated a complex Consent Decree with the City of Jacksonville for the cleanup of the Jacksonville Ash/Brown’s Dump Superfund Sites in 2007. This settlement entails approximately $100 million in Remedial Design/Remedial Action, one of the largest settlements in the history of Region 4, and will address more than 1.6 million cubic yards of contaminated soil located in four neighborhoods in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. The remedy will provide for the removal or isolation of contaminated soil and address concerns about both public health and property values for thousands of residents in low-income environmental justice neighborhoods.

As also directly quoted from the provided website:

EPA maintains a National Priority List (NPL) which serves primarily informational purposes, identifying for the States and the public those sites or other releases that appear to warrant remedial (long term) actions.
Proposed: Sites may be proposed for the NPL and then may be placed on the NPL as Final or be removed from the Proposed NPL.
Final: Those sites placed on the NPL are called "final," and for these sites, a cleanup remedy is selected and implemented. However, it may be several years after construction of the remedy is completed before the hazardous substances are completely cleaned up or controlled in place.
Deleted: After the cleanup process is complete, and appropriate reviews confirm the area is cleaned up or the hazards are controlled, sites can be deleted from the NPL.

SUPERFUND NPList:
Proposed: Circles with the half of dark blue
Final: Circles with the half of light blue
Deleted: Circles with the half of gray

For any questions or concerns regarding the superfund sites in FL (which is considered to be region 4) please go to: http://www.epa.gov/region4/home/contact.html

REFERENCED WEBSITE and PICTURE MAPPED FROM:
http://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/sf/index.htm

Genetically Modified Foods

Genetically modifed foods are most commonly used to refer to crop plants created for human or animal consumption using the latest molecular biology techniques. These plants have been modified in the laboratory to enhance desired traits such as increased resistance to herbicides or improved nutritional content. The enhancement of desired traits has traditionally been undertaken through breeding, but conventional plant breeding methods can be very time consuming and are often not very accurate. GM foods are developed – and marketed – because there is some perceived advantage either to the producer or consumer of these foods. This is meant to translate into a product with a lower price, greater benefit (in terms of durability or nutritional value) or both.

The following are a list of genetically modified foods:

• Kellogg's Pop Tarts
• Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Bars
• Kellogg's Eggo Homestyle Waffles
• Thomas' English Muffins (Original)
• General Mills Lucky Charms cereal
• Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal
• Quaker Cap'n Crunch cereal
• Post Cocoa Pebbles cereal
• Ball Park Franks
• Hershey's Kit Kat chocolate
• Heinz Ketchup
• Nabisco Oreo cookies
• Nabisco Ritz crackers
• Doritos Corn chips
• Pringles chips
• Ragu Traditional tomato sauce
• Alpo dry pet food

Referenced website:
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/overview.php

ENDANGERED SPECIES IN JAMAICA

THE JAMAICAN IGUANA

A remarkable specimen that in recent years has made some concern and interest both from within and outside Jamaica is the Jamaican Iguana. It is the island’s largest native land animal measuring up to 150 centimeters. The Jamaican Iguana is on the world endangered species list as the adult population is thought to be below 200. Discoveries have been made that there were at least fifteen Iguanas remaining in the central and western sections of the Hellshire Hills and two active nesting sites in Jamaica. They were no longer present elsewhere, as a result of charcoal burning by locals which had destroyed a large part of their natural habitat in the north-eastern section. In addition they found that other threats posed were from some animals namelycats, dogs and pigs.

JAMAICAN GIANT SWALLOWTAIL

The jamaican giant swallowtail butterfly is the largest butterfly in the Americas and they can grow up to three inches with a wingspan of six inches. The swallowtail butterfly differs from other butterflies in different anatomical traits such as their unique organ they possess in the back of their heads as caterpillars. The swallowtail is now only found in two isolated populations in Jamaica. The main threats to these butterflies include loss of habitat and commercial collecting. Conservation efforts include captive breeding and plans to legally protect the species from collectors.

YELLOW BILLED PARROT

BLACK BILLED PARROT
Jamaica is home to two endemic parrots, the Yellow and Black-billed Parrots. They live mainly in undisturbed forest areas, such as the Cockpit Country in Trelawny and John Crow Mountains in Portland. Major populations currently are restricted to extant mid-level wet limestone forests of the John Crow and Blue Mountains and Cockpit Country. This latter region represents the stronghold of the Black-billed Parrot and the only region where both species occur sympatrically in significant numbers. Populations have been estimated between 1000-2000 each, with the Black-billed Parrot thought to be the rarer of the two.

JAMAICAN BOA

The Jamaican Boa or Yellow Snake is black and yellow in coloration. Its reported sightings of these snakes are up to 3 metres in length have been made. Reports suggest a wide distribution across the island, including the Blue Mountains, Southern St. Thomas, Hellshire Hills, Portland Ridge, Clarendon and Cockpit Country, St. Elizabeth. It is found in forests and wetlands, and also in dry scrublands forests of the southern coasts in Jamaica. The extinction of these snakes include deforestation and development. Their destruction also comes from individuals who kill them from fear that they are dangerous, being misinformed, because they are not even poisonous.

REFERENCED WEBSITES:

http://www.jamaicans.com/articles/primearticles/saving-the-jamaican-iguan.shtml

http://www.earthsendangered.com/profile.asp?view=c&ID=5&sp=50
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20080325/news/news7.html
http://www.cockpitcountry.com/jppreport.html

PICTURES TAKEN FROM:
http://www.jamaicans.com/articles/primearticles/saving-the-jamaican-iguan.shtml
http://www.care2.com/news/member/442150667/730993

http://www.animalpicturesarchive.com/ArchOLD-7/1188913710.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/407876971_22bb7f972e.jpg

http://www.stockpix.com/image/9543.jpg

Carbon Cycle Diagram

To start, carbon is the fourth most abundant element in our universe. On land, the major exchange of carbon with the atmosphere results from photosynthesis and respiration. Through photosynthesis, in both land and water, plants convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. The carbon can be released into the atmosphere, eaten by animals when plants die, or can be decomposed into soil for future use by plants and useful resources. Carbon is also found in abundance in our oceans. When carbon reaches water, it precipitates, and through this process, the corals and algae builds up limestone reefs. This then creates a good environment for them and sources of carbon for further respiration. Now, humans also have an impact on our environment when fossil fuels are burned and also in deforestation, releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. We are effectively moving carbon more rapidly into the atmosphere than is being removed naturally causing the carbon dioxide concentration to increase which could lead to global warming.

Image from NASA Earth Observatory.

Greenpeace Organization

The organization which I chose to join is Greenpeace. Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organization who's mission is to conserve the environment. They work on different issues such as protecting our forests, defending oceans and stopping climate change, to only name a few. I would join this organization because they are indeed changing the world and saving our planet. They are making the world in which we live in a better place for us and our children.