Yellowstone National Park

Jahari Mitchell



Yellowstone National Park is one of the biggest and oldest National Parks in the United States. It is also home wide population of animals and hot springs such as the old Faithful, which is one of the main attraction for tourist. In my presentation I touched on very briefly the importance of why keeping this National park safe because it gives of just a beautiful image of what this world can produce if it is treated right. I also touched on the animals that live in this area such as the Bobcat which is an carnivorous animal that usually preys on smaller animals such as small deers and rabbits, and the black footed ferret which is one of the many endangered species that dwell within Yellowstone National Park. And these animals bring me back to my point from earlier on how without us keeping our planet clean and safe these animals won’t be able to survive and the beautiful environment that we once knew we won’t be able to see anymore. Finally these are the points I touched on inside of my presentation.

Chernobyl: By Sanjay Ramroop

 Chernobyl is recognized as historically, the world's worst nuclear disaster. With this disaster taking place, in the city of Ukraine housing, a population of about fourteen thousand people left many without homes due to the need to evacuate the area. About four thousand deaths occurred due to radiation exposure, along with three and a half million people exposed to Radiactive nuclides (atoms that contain nuclear energy). Radiation contaminated food sources, making life inhospitable. With efforts to contain the radiation by the soviet government, the sarcophagus was created; which covered the entire nuclear power station. With the sarcophagus now degrading, the government decides to cover the plant with a steel cover; which will stop radiation for escaping for another one hundred years. This plan allows for more people to think of better solutions. While this disaster is noted as being the worst nuclear disaster, the government is constantly looking for more ways to clean up this mess, to stop future mishaps. Now 190 people live just outside the "Zone of Alienation", along with wildlife who occupy the abandoned buildings as their home.

C.E.R.C.L.A : Superfund

C.E.R.C.L.A is an acronym for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. It is commonly known as Superfund. Cercla is a law created by Congress that focuses on cleaning up land contaminated by hazardous waste. A very important law to ensure the safety of our health and the environment. In the making of this law, Congress created the Superfund which is technically a "trust fund". The Superfund was created by taxing chemical and petroleum industries to help compensate for the cost of cleaning up these contaminated lands. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is in charge of any use of the Superfund. Money is normally used from the fund when the EPA finds nobody responsible for the damage. Whos exactly liable for contamination of a land? Any previous/present owner or operator of the land, whoever took part in arranging the dumping of wastes, and the transporters who transported the waste to the site. If and when the party responsible isn't able to pay for the cleanup of the hazardous waste, the EPA is authorized to use the Superfund to remedy the cost. The EPA then makes sure that the party eventually reimburses the money used from the Superfund. 

Superfund Site

There are over 1,300 Superfund Sites. Cercla and Superfund help protect not only the Environment but even us citizens, from any releases of hazardous substances created by these waste sites. 

Minamata Environmental Disease

Minamata disease was first discovered in Minamata city in Kumamoto prefecture Japan, in Japan, in 1956. It was caused by the release of methylmercury in the industrial wastewater from the Chisso Corporation's chemical factory, which continued from 1932 to 1968. The Chisso Corporation first opened a chemical factory in Minamata in 1908. Initially producing fertilizers, the factory followed the nationwide expansion of Japan's chemical industry, branching out into the production of acetylene, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, vinyl chloride, and octanol, among others. The Minamata factory became the most advanced in all Japan, both before and World War II. The products resulting from the manufacture of these chemicals were released into Minamata Bay in the factory wastewater. Inevitably, these pollutants had an environmental impact. Ultimately it was caused by daily intake of fish and shellfish highly contaminated by methylmercury.  Through gills and gastrointestinal tracts, fishery products such as fish, shrimp, carbs, and shellfish, take in methylmercury discharged from chemical plants into rivers and seas. Flesh-eating fish that eat those contaminated fish also accumulate the toxic substance( food web). Thus accumulated methylmercury in sea-food intoxicates people who have eaten a lot of such seafood daily. Sometimes referred to as Chisso-Minamata disease. The symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. A fundamental cure for Minamata disease has not yet been found. The main treatments involve the temporary relief of symptoms (symptoms therapy), rehabilitation (physiotherapy and occupational therapy). In all, 900 people died and 2,265 people were certified as having directly suffered from mercury poisoning- now known as Minamata disease.

The Year without a Summer

Mount Tambora is located in Sambora which is an island of Indonesia.On April tenth of 1815 the Volcano erupted over a span of two weeks.Covered a square area 100 miles on each side to a depth of almost 12 feet. The eruption killed 12,000 people in the span of those two weeks. Sulfur Dioxide was shot high into the air mixing with water vapor. This turned it into Sulfur Aerosols. These particles linger above the air and reflect light back to the atmosphere dropping the earth's temperature.Snow was reported on June 6, 1816 in New York and Maine and in Cape May, New Jersey had five days of frost that killed crops and left people with no food. Grain prices quadrupled and oats went up eight fold.In Europe the same things happened with the crops. European cities were ravaged with  famine, disease, arson, and looting. People lost faith in God and their Kings.

The Bhopal Gas Leak

The Bhopal Gas Leak was one of the most deadliest pollution that killed thousands of people. The Gas Leak was caused by methyl isocyanate. This chemical is a terrible mixture of methyl and cyanide plus oxygen causing your body to burn or even worse die, which happen back in December 2-3 1984 at Union Carbine. 
This happen by entries of water and methyl isocyanate being mixed in over heating the tank causing it to pop and letting out chemical. By this incident it cause the chemical to become gas and killing over 5,000 people. As of today people still get infected by this gas causing them to have disorders. But as of today people are still trying make an huge effort on trying to save Bhopal.

Terrance Parks                             3/11/ 19

Environmental science                        Block 4

In my presentation, I talked about the importance of The Endangered Species Act and its effect on the world. I inform the class of its origin, giving background details on why it was put in and who saw the importance of the issue. I presented a list of the various creatures who were endangered or on the verge of being endangered, to their current growth in species population due to the act. While some might not see the importance of this act, not only does it protect animals, but plants and other forms of life in the environments. Overall we should still be stressing the importance of this act so that the balance of multiple environments stay intact.