Making One With Nature

On a breeze, afternoon of Tuesday, in my grandparent's backyard, you can relax with the surrounding of nature. This leads me to my next environmental science assignment, I'm here to gather some information of an ecosystem that I observe for 20 minutes. It's important to stay quit for the whole 20 minutes and to have patience, so the nature can come to you. During, the task you should keep in mind what type of abiotic and biotic are in your area. I had to do some yard work a day ago, so I can make it more welcoming for the birds to search for food and enjoy the fresh cut grass. I live with my grandparents, and our house is located in the Fairmont Park housing area. Therefore, I can say nature is peaceful because there are a lot of trees around the neighbor hood. In addition, sitting in my backyard you can imagine the palm trees by Lake Evan looks like a paradise beaches in California. At times, you can see some geese, hawks, and planes making their routine fleights around the neighborhood. There is a golf course across the street, so the hawks soar around to prey on gophers, lizards, and anything it can get a hold of to consume which is knows for a food web.
Some biotic that I was able to spot out are 2 Blue Jays, 3 Acorn Woodpeckers, 2 British Show Racer Pigeon, 15 plus types of Sparrows. Then there were 1 Southern Alligator Lizard, 5 plus Honey Bees, 1 Humming Birds, 7 crows and several plus flies or natts flying around. The neighbor hood have a a solid black and white cat name Slick that walks freely. I ended up seeing a squirrel that comes around scavenging for food.
 My grandmother have a lot of abiotic in her developing garden, I'm suppose to keep up with the yard work and make it beautiful. She has a desert section, tropical section, and a forest section, so there are varieties of plants and cactus. For instance, in the tropical area there are some producer trees that humming birds and bees can contribute with the pollen. These trees areYuza Lemon, Eustis Limequats, and Tangerines. There are Morning Glory's growing on the fence. Several big rocks and bricks surround the back yard because its part of decorations. We have a lot of different type of cactus and plants, and  yes I got poked from everyone of those cactus.

            

How To Induct a Scholarly Report

My next environmental science blog, I will demonstrate how to provide a scholarly article. This is significant for anyone who have to do a research for a paper, present speech, and even here a blog because no one want to get false information. When getting the false or incorrect information, majority of the people will feel embarrassed for letting this happen in the first place. The task of my assignment, I was a required  to visit a reliable online news article, so I can present any kind of related environmental science news. Before telling you what site I have visited, I will like to present an article called "A New Light Shed On the Genetic History of the European Beavers" by an unknown publisher and published in February 17 2014.

In this scholarly article, an international team of scientist has used detailed analysis of ancient and modern DNA to show that the distribution and lack of genetic diversity among European beavers are due largely to human hunting. University of New York, professor Michi Hofreiter is the leading researcher for his providing on important new insights into the genetic history of the Eurasian beaver Castro fiber. He is a representative of New York's  Department of Biology and University of Potsdam's Faculty of Mathematics and Life Science. Since the beginning of Holocene, a stone engraving at Lake Onegain northern Europe indicates that beavers played a role in human societies from around 3,000-4,000 years ago. Recent studies shows that centuries of human hunting, unchanging climate condition, lack of genetic diversity, lack of geographic distribution of genetic diversity are hurting modern European beavers. Across the Northern continents, human population hunted beavers for their fur, meat, and costoreum. These people used fur for trading commodity, and an anal gland secration often used in traditional medicine.

By the end of 19th century, the Eurasian beaver had disappeared from most of its original range due to human hunting. An estimated recording of 1,200 beavers remains alive.Effective recording, it had lead an awareness to a group of international research scientists to figure out what was the problem. Reported from the Molecular Ecology, the other countries that were involve included Germany, USA, Noway, New Zealand, Russia, Poland, Sweden, Austria, and the Netherlands.The team researcher set out to discover whether the lack of genetic diversity and strong phylogeography seen today are the result of its near  extinction or already existed prior to the reduction in its range. These scientist examined DNA's from 48 ancient beaver samples, ranging in age from several hundred to around 11,000 years old, and 152 modern DNA sequences.This experiment took placed in Leipzig a city of Germany. Through the DNA sequencing, scientist said Eurasian beaver can be divided into three distinct groups discovered. The two main ones are Western and Eastern European, and the third is Danube basin. All three are found extinct, yet the Danube basin beaver been extinct only by at least 6,000 years ago.

 I have visited a site called Science Daily, it's one of the Internet's most popular science news web sites. Existed since 1995, Science Daily have been an award winning site. In winning those award, they have gained loyalty of students, researchers, healthcare professionals, government, agencies, educators and the general public around the world. Amazingly, Science Daily have 3 million monthly visitors, generates nearly, 15 million page views a month, and is steadily in its global audience. This site also have a mission to provide readers with a depth and breathe of breaking news about the latest scientific discoveries. They are user friendly and all freely accessible with no subscription fees. There are over 65,000 researcher articles, 15,000 images, 2,500 encyclopedia entries 1,500 book reviews, and hundreds of educational videos, and it have a lot to offer. For 14 years or more, a writer Dan Hogan founded Science Daily and has been linked to by thousands of schools, and universities, professional associations and research organizations, reference sources and other news services, and increasing bloggers, and social networking and bookmarking sites such as Digg, Facebook, MySpace and Technorati. In addition, Science Daily are highly ranked with web search engines such as Google and Yahoo. There are no fallacies on this article because they have their proper citing such as story source, journal reference, and MLA format of citation. I found this article really interesting on the part of the  diversity impact on Eurasian Beaver, and whether genetic of DNA had played a role. It opened a new eye for myself on the subject of ecology, and it's one of the area in environmental science that I am interested in.
University of York. "New light shed on the genetic history of the European beaver." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 February 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140218110932.htm>.

Get The Truth Behind Your Personal Care Products

Welcome back fellow followers, my next blog for my environmental science course is to present two chemical hazards that are contain in personal care products or household cleanser products. There are several American citizens that does not know they are consuming chemical hazards through so called tested safe products. Healthcare products companies does not give out truthful labels because it can safe their company from getting sued or go out of business. As a typical human being, we want to use products that we know can work effectively. For instance, we want our house or apartments sparkly clean, we want products to improve our facial or skin appearance, we want our hygiene to be fresh, and we want products to satisfy our hair conditions. However, majority of Americans does not take a part of their time to worry what lies in the ingredients of their useage. I'm shock to believe what is being put into my daily products that I use to look sharp.In this moment, I will like to present my two chemical hazards that are common in the personal care products so they are hydroquinone, and formaldehyde and  formaldehyde releasing preservative.

First chemical hazard is hydroquinone, usually associated with use in skin lighters (targeted for color women), contaminated in facial and skin cleansers, facial moisturizes, hair conditioners, and nail glue. Hydroquinone is number 1 of the most toxic ingredients still used in cosmetics. A list of notice to look out for in the products are hydroquinone, words starting with "toco" tocopheral acetate, and tocolinolate. An article by Lisa Sefcik and written on August 16 2013, "The Effects of Hydroquinone on Skin" has stated some great highlights on the effects of hydroquinone. The chemical is allowed in personal care products in the United States in concentrations up to two percent". Healthcare concern related to this products are cancer, organ - system toxicity, and allergies and immunotoxicity.  On the cancer side of view, hydroquinone works by decreasing the production of melanin pigments in the skin. Because the chemical lightens skin by reducing melanin, it simultaneously increases exposure to UVA and UVB rays deep in the skin. This skin cancer risks due to UV exposure, in addition to the the carcinogenic effects of the chemical itself. The higher toxic ingredients, is also seldom used anymore in other products such as hair relaxers, hair coloring, nail products. In addition to concerns about long - term toxicity, hydroquinone is linked to as kin condition called ochronsis in which the skin (our largest organ) becomes dark and thick.    Regulations have been put on hydroquinone such as being banned from cosmetics in the European Union, restrict use in Canadian cosmetics.    

Second chemical hazard is formaldehyde and formaldehyde - releasing preservative, which are used in many personal care. It can be added to products as an ingredient or released from formaldehyde - releasing preservatives such as quartnium - 15. Commonly found in nail polish, nail glue eyelash glue, hair gel, hair smoothing products, baby shampoo, body soap, and body wash. Other industrial applications of formaldehyde include production of resins in wood products, vinly flooring and other plastics, permanent - press fabric, and toilet  bowel cleaners. Once again you should look for reading such as formaldehyde, quaternium -15, DMDM hydantion innidazolidinylurea, diazolidnyl urea, sodium, hydroxymethylglycinante, 2 - nitropropane -, 3 - diol (bromopol). The Campaign for Cosmetics have great information and here are there findings. These ingredients are a concern because they slowly continuously release small amounts of formaldehyde, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies as known human carcinogen. Formaldehyde may cause off-gas from cosmetics containing these ingredients and be inhailed (most of the cancer research on formaldehyde has focused on risks from inhalation). Off - gassing of formaldehyde from building products is already a concern for indoor air quality and Health Canada recommends the reduction or elimination of as many sources of formaldehyde in cosmetics can also be asbsorbed through the skin. DMDM Hydration and quaternium - 15 can also irritate the skin and eyes and trigger allergies at low doses. Health Canada and Eviroment Canada categorized methenamine and quaternium 15, as "moderate human health priorities" and possibly persistent in the environment. They have been flagged for future assessment under the government's Chemical Management Plan.Cancers from formaldehyde is considered a known human carcinogen by many experts and government bodies, including the intend states National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Lastly, there are concerns that  formaldehyde can link to leukemia.

Next I will like to show you two alternatives personal care products that can be better to your health and on the environment. We look at the cosmetic for facial cream products because I know we all use them daily. Similar brand of facial cream products are Nivea, Clean and Clear, Lustra, AMBI, and Melanorm. Some products can be easily bought for $5 and other products can be expensive up to $50. I can say to purchase a facial cream products for $50 is not the risk to have a better looking skin, and to get cancer from hidden known truth labels. Here I am to show you can purchase a product called Meladrem Cream for $50 and it's a safer product to use with no chemicals hazards in it. Meladrem is actually a popular product, and most people do not realize. This product does not contain chemicals like mercury, steroids, parabens, and of course hydruinone.

If you want something more natural and home made, Robins Key had discovered to make a home made facial cream product. She claims it's made with high end ingredients, but totally affordable. Robine Key describes it less expensive, smell heavenly, feels wonderfully smooth and absorbs quickly into the skin. She also say you can feel great about putting pure, skin care products made with natural ingredients are very effective at reducing wrinkles, tightening and smoothing the skin and keep it youthfully elastic and supple. Not only it's healthy for your skin appearance, yet you can stay close to nature than to toxic ingredient product.Its's easy to get a hold of this home made product, and the ingredients are found at local health food stores. Her website will tell more about the product  http://www.robinskey.com/diy-beauty-luxurious-homemade-all-natural-face-cream-recipe/.

Robins Key's Homemade Product All Natural Facial Cream:

• 6 Tbsp Almond Oil
• 1/4 Cup Cocao Butter
•  3 Tbsp Shea Butter 
• 2 Tbsp Coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp Beeswax
• 2/3 Cup Floral water, aka Hydrosol (Sandalwood)
• 1/3 Cup Aloe Vera Gel
• 1/2 Tsp Vitamin E Oil (14/000ui)
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Exact
• 10 Drops of Essential Oils