Russo Module 10-Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot

1.) In 175 – 250 words, choose and discuss a biodiversity hotspot. Describe how large it is, what types of species are located there, what the geography of the hotspot is like and what are threats to the native populations of species.

2.) Build a system diagram of the history of threats to this specific biodiversity hotspot.

3.) Explain what you put in your system diagram in 100-150 words.

 

I chose the Polynesia-Micronesia biodiversity hotspot which contains more than 4,500 islands covering 46,315 square kilometers of land (“Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot”). Its marine coverage is 2.6 times larger than the continental US and comprises Micronesia, Polynesia, and Fiji (“Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot”). The geography of this region consists of rocky islets, low-lying coral atolls, uplifted limestone islands, and volcanic islands (McGinley). There are a little less than 7,000 native species in this hotspot (McGinley). The primary species in this hotspot are plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, snails, amphibians and freshwater fish. This hotspot is one of the most endangered in the world because of human disturbances. The introduction of invasive species and habitat loss due to humans using the land for agriculture are the two major threats to this area. Natural events such as hurricanes and earthquakes are also threats to natural island biodiversity. Birds and reptiles are the most at risk for extinction. Pacific island species are very vulnerable to invasive species because they evolved in the absence of mammalian predators and mainland diseases (McGinley). The introduction of plant and animal species from other regions have slowly overtaken the native species in the past thousand years. For example, there are more alien than endemic species of plants in Hawaii (McGinley).

Geog Mod 10

For the system diagram, I started with the introduction of humans to the region by migration. They were the catalysts for the threats to the Polynesia-Micronesia hotspot. Most came from Southeast Asia and did three main activities. They converted land on islands for agricultural purposes, they brought animals and plants, and they hunted the native species. The extravagant land conversion and overharvesting led to the mitigation of natural vegetation through habitat loss. The humans introduced invasive plant and animal species that became predatory of endemic animals and plants. They hunted native birds and reptiles to extinction. All of these actions ultimately resulted in the Polynesia-Micronesia Hotspot losing more species than any other region. Today, there are now 365 protected areas in the Pacific region to prevent any further extinction of native species.

McGinley, Mark. “Biological Diversity in Polynesia-Micronesia.” The Encyclopedia of Earth. N.p., 1 Dec. Web. 13 Apr. 2016.

“Polynesia-Micronesia Biodiversity Hotspot.” Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund. Conservation International-Melanesia Center for Biodiversity Conservation, May 2007. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

Russo Module 9 – Climate Diplomacy

Burning fossil fuels started 200 years ago. Once this started, the world was burning more than they could regenerate. This led to a substantial amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. Climate change is a major problem affecting the entire planet. In order to adapt to this problem and combat it, the world must unite to form a plan of action. As a way to unite and discuss this issue, the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit was held in 2009. The result of the summit was an unofficial document known as the Copenhagen Accord. This document was not adopted into the UN process, so it was irrelevant to many countries. The accord offered to solve US problems, such as finding an easier way than the UN process to bind in rapidly growing countries. Negotiating a climate treaty is no small process, it involves the re-arrangement of the flow of billions of dollars to reduce global carbon. In order to reap the benefits of the accord, the United States needed to get as many countries as possible to back it. They accomplished this by sending financial aid to some nations and by using espionage on other more powerful nations. They were able to gain supporters both ways which led them to receiving allies against some of its most powerful adversaries. As a result, 116 countries are currently associated with the Accord and there are another 26 with intent to join. These countries produce 80% of the world’s emissions. The United States now has the upper hand when it comes to combating global warming.

I personally believe that climate change mitigation is a collective action problem. In order to adapt to this changing climate, we need to find a middle ground and work together. No matter what country burned the most fossil fuels, every single person on this planet is affected by our choices. Even though it is a collective action problem, the larger countries who produce the most greenhouse gases should pay or contribute more to solve this problem. A small island nation with environment friendly attributes should not have to be burdened with solving this problem as much as heavy polluters like the United States and China. It would be difficult for the richer nations because they would have to reduce emissions by reducing industrial production which leads to less money for the nation and its citizens. Nobody wants to make less money. We can also help reduce greenhouse gases ourselves. Individual action also comes into play. One person may not seem like they will make a difference, but there are many people who are similar in their lifestyles. There is a large percent of the American population that live in automobile suburbs. If everyone carpooled to work or school, that would cut emissions greatly. I do not believe the State Department cables should have been leaked to the public because it will make climate change negotiations much more difficult. I feel as if countries will not trust the United States and make things worse off than when the talks began. The United States should not have been so shady in conducting their deals. They should have been open with other nations and gain trust the respectable way. There should have been no espionage or bribes. The United States should find a common ground with the UN. The countries supporting the accord should merge with those supporting the UN’s protocol. There should be a plan that every country agrees with. This would be a very hard task but extremely beneficial for the world.

 

Mod 9 System Diagram

Russo Vulnerability Reduction-Module 8

My town of Douglassville, Pennsylvania is under threat from tropical cyclone activity. This may not make sense due to the distance from the coast, but my area experienced flooding, power outages, and high winds from Hurricane Sandy. I live right near a river, so there is a threat of the water level rising. The biggest threats to my area are meteorological and hydrological hazards. My area has a surprisingly high frequency of tornadoes and snowstorms. I am in zone 0 for earthquakes. There is  a nuclear power plant about thirty minutes from my home. If a storm were to rupture the plant, my area would be in range of a nuclear disaster. The area around the plant is wealthy and well populated. There would be a tremendous amount of damage causing a huge loss in money. The Nathan map is very broad. Large portions of the map have no hazard shown so it is difficult to figure out if the area you are looking for possibly gets any form of natural hazard.

 

 

I chose an earthquake in Oklahoma with a magnitude of 4.2. Earthquakes are very rare in my hometown. If a large earthquake were to occur in my hometown, there would be a high risk because my area was not built to sustain earthquakes. There is not a substantial amount of tectonic plate activity in my area. The earthquake in Oklahoma is occurring in a non-populated flat area. The scale would be very different in my area. The damage would be greater because there would be a human factor in the outcome of the quake. The damage of property will cost a lot because I live in a wealthy area but there are poorer residents who would struggle with rebuilding or health care costs. They also may not have sufficient insurance. A good way to reduce vulnerability would be to construct buildings that can withstand earthquakes and improve local pre-event preparedness.
My town faces the meteorological natural hazard of tornadoes. Based on historical tornado events in my area, Douglassville has a higher chance of tornado events than the state of Pennsylvania. According to usa.com, Douglassville also has a higher tornado index value than the country. This is due to the fact that there have been a long history of tornadoes occurring in southeastern Pennsylvania causing millions of dollars in damage. The past tornados have not had large magnitudes, but they didn’t have to be to cause damage to closely located neighborhoods. I live in an automobile suburb so there are a lot of suburban neighborhoods with many houses. Because of the social nature of the area, the largest vulnerability is the cost of rebuilding.
“Douglassville, PA Natural Disasters and Weather Extremes.” USA.com. Accessed March 29, 2016. http://www.usa.com/douglassville-pa-natural-disasters-extremes.htm.

 

 

In order to reduce vulnerability to natural hazards in my town, I believe the local area should improve their warning system. They should be able to notify homes and businesses in a good amount of time before the disaster strikes so the citizens can be prepared. The local emergency response crews should be trained specifically for handling flooding and tornado damage. These two natural hazards are the most popular in the area and they lead to other problems such as power outages. In the reconstruction period, the local government needs to have a plan where they can get “all hands on deck”. This includes calling in linesman to amend powerlines and clean-up crews to clear debris in populated areas. There should be a mandate that depending on the severity of the damage, no person besides emergency personnel can go to work or school for a certain amount of time. The best thing I can do is follow these rules and not be a part of the problem.

Russo Urban Planning-Module 7

My hometown is Douglassville, PA. It is technically considered a census-designated place which means it is a populated area with no municipal government. It has a low density. Douglassville is located in southeastern Pennsylvania. It is situated a half-hour east of Reading and an hour west of Philadelphia. Douglassville is an automobile suburb. This is because all the residents drive to their destinations. There is also a main route that begins in my town that runs straight to Philadelphia. Many local residents use this route to go to work every day. The population of Douglassville is approximately 500 residents. The size is approximately .65 square miles. I have personally lived in Douglassville my entire life. Despite this, I spent more time in neighboring towns. This is because all of my family and friends live in these other places. I also went to school outside of the local area. Douglassville is basically a populated area that surrounds a main route that goes to Philadelphia one way and Reading the other. All the residents of Douglassville commute these two directions for work.
The first city from the module I will discuss is the suburb of Rochester, NY. I chose this area because it is also an automobile suburb and located outside of a major city. The comparable major city to Douglassville would be Philadelphia. My neighborhood and this neighborhood are both single-use, as well as, have low density. The street in the picture reminds me of my street due to the lack of sidewalks and partially worn-down macadam. The rows of two-story homes and large lawns are also similar to my neighborhood. For both of these places, I believe it would be hard to become much more sustainable. These two areas are built off of commuters who drive to work every day. Buses and bicycles would prove futile due to the distance between home and work for the residents.
The second city from the module I will discuss is Chicago. Chicago and Douglassville are not very similar since one is a city and the other is a suburb. Their scales are completely different. The reason I chose Chicago is because of their urban farming. Douglassville is rural with local farms in the area, but I feel like the residents could definitely do some more residence farming. Douglassville can be even more sustainable if everybody grew certain food in gardens in their own yards. If major cities are growing food on rooftops, a rural town can definitely grow even more food on their own property. This would lead to less commuting by Douglassville residents. The closest grocery store has to be driven to, so growing our own food would reduce the number of grocery trips, ultimately reducing the use of gas.

Russo Food Choice and Social Norms: Module 6

One situation that I fell into a social norm was the day of the Super Bowl. My roommates and I invited people over to watch the game. When we were figuring out what food to get, we fell under the social norm that everybody orders pizza and wings to watch the Super Bowl. This is the typical food for any occasion that somebody invites people over to watch a football game. Ever since I was young, pizza and wings have always been the unofficial party food. Pizza and wings are not nutritious, but they fall under the social input of good tasting food. The poor nutritional values of pizza and wings are never thought of when being consumed. Another social input they categorize under is the socialization that occurs as people share this food because it is associated with parties and hangouts.

Ordering food such as pizza and wings for watching sporting events or even hanging out with friends is directly tied to obesity. We live in a sports-dominated culture. Americans love to hang out, watch TV and eat. We do this very often and consume copious amounts of food every time. In America, this is a big issue. People tend to order food, which is usually unhealthy, instead of making more nutritious meals for watching sporting events. Ordering food is much easier and convenient than self-cooking. Unfortunately, I believe we as a country tend to suffer from another societal norm which would be laziness. Nobody wants to put effort into anything, so they pick the easiest option. In this scenario, picking up the phone and having food delivered to the door portrays the societal issue of laziness. Laziness ultimately leads to obesity.

Food Diagram

Russo Development Case Studies – Module 5

Case 1:

A recent initiative combats waste management in Germany, a highly developed commercial country. Due to an increase in the concern of unsustainable development, Germany created an ordinance on packaging in 1991 called the Green Dot System. This ordinance put the responsibility of minimizing waste on the manufacturers by requiring them to recycle or reuse their consumed packaging. The original goals were to recycle 72 percent of glass, tinplate and aluminum packaging waste and 64 percent of paper, plastic and composite packaging. Because companies were initially struggling with this initiative, a non-profit organization called the “Dual System” was created. This organization called for companies to pay for a membership as well as fees per packaging volume. In return, the Dual System would put green dot trademarks on the members’ packaging materials. This way, consumers are reassured the packaging will be recycled. As a result of these efforts, consumption of packaging waste has decreased and the reusing of packaging has gone up. For the green dot system to be successful, every piece of packaging needs to be reused or recycled.

Sources:

(1) Rousso, A. S. And S. P. Shah, “Packaging Taxes And Recycling Incentives: The German Green Dot Program” National Tax Journal Vol. 47, No. 3 (1994): 689-701.
(2) Chilton, Kenneth, “Making Manufacturers Responsible for Recycling: Passing the Garbage Buck” Solid Waste Association of North America 1995 US/Canadian Fed Solid Waste Management Conference (1995): 17-32.
(3) “Duales System on Firmer Ground in Germany” BioCycle Vol. 35, No. 6 (1994): 61-64.

Link: http://personal.colby.edu/personal/t/thtieten/swm-germ.html

Case 2:

Landfill Gas from South Korea can be turned into a renewable energy source. The waste sector in South Korea produced 37.6% of the country’s total methane emissions in 2001. Methane also plays a powerful role in climate change because it accounts for 16% of global emissions from humans. While this may seem like a detrimental example of human impact on the environment, it is actually a great opportunity for South Korea to produce a renewable energy source. Landfill gas can be utilized by different measures. The energy can be generated into electricity for the power grid through turbines. It can also be directly applied to offset unsustainable development through on-scene boilers and greenhouses. This would cause reduction in usage of fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal, and oil. South Korea is a rapidly developing country that relies on outside sources for 98% of its energy. The goal of implementing landfill gas projects is to make South Korea less dependent on imported energy sources by utilizing landfill methane as a domestic energy source.

Sources: National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the US Department of Energy  Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Link: http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy07osti/40428.pdf

Case 3:

I chose these case studies because I feel I live in a very relatable environment. I am from Douglassville, PA just outside of Reading. I live 15 minutes from the Western Berks Landfill in a developed area just like Germany and South Korea. I always think about how the landfill affects the local biodiversity and environment. The biodiversity of the three geographic environments are pretty similar. The difference is that my area is more rural compared to the regions discussed in both case studies, so their environment is more polluted. I chose to discuss the green dot system in Germany because a large portion of the materials accepted at my local landfill is municipal solid waste. If we implemented a similar policy, the landfill would take longer to develop and my area would be more recycle-friendly. I chose to discuss the initiative of capturing methane gas for energy in South Korea because it demonstrates that humans can have a positive impact on the environment. There is a chance that one day my local landfill can utilize landfill gas projects to produce energy for the area.

Russo Water Activity-Module 4

My hometown is Douglassville, PA which is located in the southeastern part of the state. It is a well-irrigated area. My house gets its water supply from a shallow underground well. This process is not very collective because it is a private well. The water is electrically pumped into my house by a submersible pump. The water is then fed into a pressurized tank that leads to a filter followed by a water tank for hot water. The hard water from the well is softened during this process. Once the water is used for flushing, showering or whatever other purpose, it is sent into the local sewer system. From the sewer system it is led to a waste water treatment plant in the next town over. After the treatment plant, the water is put into marshes where it rejoins the water cycle. In the marshes are reed beds that help process the aerobic sludge. The reeds are constantly replaced.

Activity                         Number of Times Performed           Gallons of Water Consumed
Teeth Brushing                           2                                                   1 gallon
Hand Washing                            6                                                   6 gallons
Face Shaving                             1                                                   1 gallon
Showering                                  2                                                   120 gallons
Toilet Flushing                            6                                                   18 gallons
Water Drinking                           2 glasses                                       .125 gallons
Clothes Washing                        2                                                    50 gallons

The day I tracked my typical water usage, I almost used two gallons of water just from brushing my teeth. Areas of water use in the experiment included getting ready in the morning, hydrating and using the bathroom. One priority for water usage for the day was using the bathroom which includes flushing the toilet and washing my hands. Another priority was water drinking to stay hydrated. In order to cut down on water usage for the day, I set strategies of not doing any wash, not shaving, taking one shower in the morning and washing my hands as many times as I use the bathroom. Even though I used less than I did in a typical day, I still consumed a lot of water. When people think they are saving water, no matter how hard they try, they will still use a lot. Geography is very key to water consumption especially if the water supply is collective among many humans and even animals. A dry area would cause a smaller amount of water to be used by a person, while a well irrigated area would allow humans to consume more without worrying about the source running out.

Russo Module 3-Ethics

There are times that ends do justify the means and there are times that they do not. It all depends on the decision-making environment. If the goals to be achieved are good and the means are noble, the ends justify the means. If the means to achieve a positive end are wrong or unjust, the ends do not justify the means. Unfortunately, most people’s decisions do not justify the means, but they believe they do because the result is a positive outcome for them. The classic example of stealing bread for your family is very hard to distinguish if the act is justified. The ends are justified, but the means are wrong. The ends do not justify the means in this scenario. An example of ends justifying the means is someone wanting to better the lives of their family, so they go to school and ultimately get a better paying job. The goal of improving the lives of the family is good and noble. The means to achieve that were good and noble as well. The person didn’t do anything illegal like sell drugs to gain the money. They went to school and worked hard.
The pleasure and pain of non-human animals do matter because they are living things. However, I believe it is just if it is for a good end. If someone needs to kill a deer for food to survive, the pleasure and pain is justified. If a person is stranded on a deserted island with animals, killing those animals for food is just. This is due to the fact that it is a matter of life or death for the stranded human. If animals are being used by humans to test cosmetics, that is wrong and not just. I understand hunting as a sport, but I don’t believe it is just. Recreational hunting is ultimately killing for pleasure. Killing animals for no justified reason is wrong. However, if I had to make a choice between saving a human and an animal, I would save the human ten out of ten times. Human lives are worth more.
It doesn’t matter how wealthy, how good-looking or how famous someone is. I was brought up believing that everyone is equal because we were all created the same. Everybody should be altruistic. I still believe that, but it is hard. There are terrible people out there that shouldn’t be considered equal to others. A truly good person should be willing to sacrifice their life for another if the right circumstance arose. An example is a soldier in battle jumping on a grenade so his buddy can live. He put his buddy’s life before his own. It just isn’t right that people think they are better than others. Those are the people whose lives are worth less than others. Unfortunately, there are people in the world that could be considered to be worth less than others. The lives of criminals and terrorists are definitely not worth the same as other people. How could someone justify Adolf Hitler’s life being worth more than someone else? My life is not worth more than others, but my life should be worth more than absolutely horrible people.

Anthony Russo India Biogas System Diagram

biogas_avr5496-

The whole problem or cause of this system diagram is that of wood stoves in homes of poor families. The wood stoves cause household smoke which can cause health complications such as eye irritation. Another negative effect of wood stoves is the time consumption associated with collecting firewood. Children are used to help find the wood which leads to them missing school. The IT revolution in the Indian technology capital of Bangalore inspires people to be innovative. People go there and get educated with new technology so they can bring their skills back home. This is a feedback loop because the education of the people is the consequence of them taking advantage of the IT revolution. People such as D Vidya Sagar, who came from a poor area of the country, used what he learned in Bangalore to invent biogas tanks to solve the problem. Biogas tanks use cow dung from the area to produce gas which is used in electric stoves. The waste product from these tanks make a compostable substance called slurry. This substance has created jobs for women of selling the surrey to farmers to use for fertilizer. The farmers believe surrey increases their cash crop yields giving them a better profit. In both system diagrams, animal dung powers the biogas generators. One difference is the positive impact the compost has on women. The two charts can be different due to location. We can learn how huge of an impact this technology has on the local people.

Anthony Russo Learning Activity: Getting to Know You

Hello everyone, my name is Anthony Russo and I am currently a sophomore at Penn State University Park. I currently live in downtown State College for school and I am from a small town about half an hour outside of Reading called Douglassville. For those not familiar with that area, it is about one and a half hours west of Philadelphia. The major I am currently studying is Security and Risk Analysis with the Intelligence Analysis and Modeling option. With this major I hope to work for either the government or a large corporation in the business sector. I am not very sure which route I want to pursue yet. Geography has always interested me when it came up in lesson plans of former courses. I wanted to learn about the subject more in depth. One fun fact about me is that I like to play golf and have scored a hole-in-one from 169 yards out.

After being introduced to the breadth of perspectives in the field of geography, a major issue that has come to my attention is that of global warming. This issue is important because there is a good chance it is responsible for the changes currently being witnessed on Earth. The influx in temperatures and the melting of the top of the planet are just a few examples. The scale of global warming is not just a small region, but the entire planet. This is very well suited for the subject of geography because a major contributor to this epidemic is human impact on the environment such as carbon monoxide produced from man-made cars. This leads to humans questioning whether we can sustain ourselves with other ecological systems. I would like to explore the ethics of humans and see how much we put ourselves over the ecosystem. What would be different if humans didn’t prioritize themselves over non-human ecological systems?