AKS FOR ALL
mr.moore- 2nd block environmental science, hhs
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Kristin Sandra Angie The water resources of the
Shenandoah and Potomac rivers and the Chesapeake Bay’s
Ecosystem are having an increase in nutrients and
sediments. This in this case isn’t so good. All these
places are receiving a high amount of pollution in
various ways. This has been going on for some time now
but needs to be dealt with, in so saving our Ecosystem
and Environment. The District of Columbia and the U.S
Environmental Protection Agency try to solve the
problem. They have ‘Determined’ the key to the Bay’s
health: reduce flow of nutrients, sediments, try to
reduce current pollutant loads, restore (CLA) Cap Load
Allocations levels by the year 2010, and also load
reductions. In our rivers and such, 33% for nitrogen,
35% for phosphorus, and 6% for sediment is required of
West Virginia between 2002 and 2010. WEST VIRGINIA
POTOMAC TRIBUTARY STRATEGY STAKEHOLDER GROUP A document
thought to reduce nutrients and sediment loads. It also
minimizes economic and social burdens. Chapter 2, 3, and
4, provide background information on W.V. and use
mathematical models to simulate change. These are
changes in population, land use, or pollution
management. Chapter 5 covers the model of particular
importance to W.V. Potomac Tributary Strategy. CBWM This
model estimates Bays different challenges in reducing
its nutrient and sediment loads. Agriculture identified
contributing largest amounts; Nitrogen (48%), Phosphorus
(60%), and Sediment (70%) in West Virginia. Estimated
that between 1985 and 2002, which is seventeen years,
that nitrogen loads dropped 5%, phosphorus increased
about 1%, and sediment decreased 17%. During the same
period of time; agricultural sector reduced nitrogen 14%
and phosphorus 6%. WATER What if there was no water?
What if all the water was nasty (undrinkable) to all
mankind? Would there be life? If there was no water or
it went bad or something there would be no: plants,
wildlife, or humans. NONE! All living things, from the
tallest trees to the tiniest insects, all need water to
survive. Next to air, water is the most important
necessity. Humans can live without food for about……….Id
say, several weeks, But we can only survive without
water for a few days. Water makes up 70% of our bodies
and controls body temperatures, helps digest foods,
transport body wastes, take in oxygen and lubricate body
joints. Why waste it? Why ruin what has control over our
bodies? Water is our body. POINT SOURCE POLLUTION It
comes from an easily identifiable source. Like factories
and sewage plants. The flow of pollutants from point
sources is regulated by the state and federal
governments. It is fairly constant and predictable.
Control measures can be applied at the source. NON-POINT
POLLUTION These sources are hard to control and study,
because they are everywhere. ( streets, parking lots,
lawns, fields, barnyards, and construction sites. It is
very hard to determine and is very unpredictable. Occur
mostly when rain and snowmelt wash the surface of the
land. LOCAL IMPACTS Pollutants generated in a watershed
affect the people and environment in that watershed.
Bacteria washed from the surface into the river can
easily raise the bacteria levels in the river. STATEGYS
(WVPTS) 1. Developed Implementation Strategies • For the
point source, urban and mixed open, agriculture, and
forestry sectors. 2. Urban and Mixed Open Strategy •
Covers all urban, residential and rural areas that are
not managed agricultural and forested lands. 3. Point
Source Strategy • Recommendations to begin the process
of characterizing the nutrient loading from point
sources.(BMP’s) 4. Agricultural Strategy • Ask W.V
agricultural community to continue implementation of a
variety of best management practices (BMP’s)…………………………………………………………………………………………….
and so on. I just want a healthy environment I want to
go swimming in the creak, lake or ocean without worrying
about getting sick or something like that. You know the
estimated overall cost for W.V to achieve the Cap Load
Allocations by 2010 is $873,546,759.
Thoughtful
Questions
From: The
Amazing Chesapeake Bay
I have finished reading what you have
sent to me. I understand your point of view and
wanted to let you know that I have not written my
solutions, although I plan to get that accomplished
and hopefully we can keep in touch.
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Boaters
Mr. Moore- Environmental Science, Hampshire High
School
Thursday, April 13, 2006
We are a commercial boating company. We take groups
of people out fishing in the bay. We represent the
Boaters Of America. Water pollution has drasticly
effected our industries prod- uctivity. As water
pollution has increases the number of fish decrease.
The male bass fish are now carrying female eggs. The
mirky waters and trash floating in the bay doesn't
attract customers. What is going to be done about
this?
Thoughtful
Questions
From: Awsome Ecosystem
Your idea that something needs to be done is
correct, but you should offer some ideas of how to
fix the problem, instead of just complaining. You
should consider adding more information to back up
your claims.
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1st Block
Dea, Kyrstin, Heather, Rebecca, Erica, & Nikki
Mr. Moore- 1st Block, Hampshire High School
Thursday, April 13, 2006
The Ecosystem of the Bay The cleanliness of the
water is important to us because the water is what
provides us with oxygen. The silt and sediment that
pollutes the Chesapeake Bay clouds the water,
keeping this sunlight from the plant life at the
bottom of the Bay. Too much sediment will fertilize
the algae and we will die. As we decompose, oxygen
is removed from the water. The silt chokes us,
keeping oxygen from our lungs. We are directly
affected by the decisions of human kind and by the
pollution of the Bay. We should have some input
because of this. We are the ones that die for human
kind’s mistakes.
Thoughtful
Questions
From: Awsome Ecosystem
After reading your forum, I thought that it would be
interesting to ask you what your references were.
I'm not sure that all of your information is
correct. Your forum contained some good ideas, but
it could use some better information.
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Awsome
Ecosystem
Doc. Harman- Biology, Petersburg High
Monday, April 24, 2006
Brooke Hinkle Chesapeake Bay Clean Up Along the
eastern coast of the United States, the Chesapeake
Bay stretches for two hundred miles, from Maryland
to Virginia. It holds more than 18 trillion gallons
of water and supports more than 3,600 species of
plants, fish and animals. Now the Chesapeake, along
with everything in and around it, is in danger. The
bay has been acquiring pollution build up for a long
time. Everything we do on the land – including the
use of automobiles, fertilizers, pesticides,
toilets, water, and electricity - affects the
streams, the rivers, and the Bay. There are about
150 major rivers and streams that run into the
Chesapeake drainage basin. It is out job to keep
these rivers and streams clean, so that we don’t
lose the bay forever. (1) I represent the Chesapeake
Bay ecosystem. The accumulated pollution has
severely damaged the ecosystem. The Potomac River
alone dumps 4.75 million pounds of Nitrogen and .37
million pounds of Phosphorus every year. Sediment is
also eroded into the streams at .32 tons per year.
Air pollution can contaminate and kill wildlife. One
of the worst effects is that these animals carry the
toxins up the food change, eventually to humans. (2)
How can we save the Chesapeake Bay? Many have asked
this vary question. The answer can become very
complex as the views of many people are considered.
The number one source of nitrogen pollution to the
Bay comes from agricultural runoff. This alone
contributes 40 percent of the nitrogen and 50
percent of the phosphorus entering the Chesapeake
Bay. Unfortunately, it will take a great deal of
money to reduce pollution. The taxes of people
living in the bay region could be raised in order to
fund better fertilizes and to place sediment ponds
on farms. Another idea that we should consider is
the protection of natural filters. Finally, we can
conserve energy. This conservation will reduce the
demands on power companies’ that emit nitrogen.
Farmers can help greatly by putting grass and tree
buffers around their fields and pastures. They can
also use the cover crop method. Everyone can work
together to save the Chesapeake Bay. In time, we
just might be able to restore what has been so badly
damaged. (3) Resources (1) http://www.chesapeakebay.net/about.htm
(2) http://www.chesapeakebay.net/baybio.htm (3)
http://www.chesapeakebay.net/baybio.htm
Thoughtful
Questions
From: AKS for all
You all put a really good emphaisis on how badly the
ecosystem should be fixed, but, I wonder---how? Some
actions that should be taken should be included in
your POV. It was very factful, though.
From: Boaters
We agree with most of the facts you have presented,
But there are a few problems that we think should be
addressed. “Air pollution can contaminate and kill
wildlife.” I’ll have you know air pollution is also
killing human beings, I believe the air pollution is
the least of our worries right now. “The taxes of
people living in the bay region could be raised in
order to fund better fertilizes and to place
sediment ponds on farms.” Yeah, raise the taxes, I
bet that will go over well once your paying those
taxes. “Another idea that we should consider is the
protection of natural filters.” Finally, a good
idea, though how are we to go about saving them? “We
can conserve energy. This conservation will reduce
the demands on power companies’ that emit nitrogen.”
We have been trying to save energy for ages to stop
oil depletion. It would be rather hard to get people
to try to prevent a little nitrogen from entering
the streams “Farmers can help greatly by putting
grass and tree buffers around their fields and
pastures.” Good idea, but I don’t believe farmers
will spend their own money to fix something that
doesn’t concern them yet. “Everyone can work
together to save the Chesapeake Bay. In time, we
just might be able to restore what has been so badly
damaged.” Right, but how would we get everyone to
work with us? Who even knows about the problems of
the bay? We had no idea until we started this
assignment. Maybe the first step should be to raise
awareness of the problems in how it will effect the
population in their everyday lives. Oh and by the
way “Awsome” is spelled Awesome
From: chesapeake bay lovers
How do you feel about people polluting the whole
entire bay?
I have read what you wrote you have good advice but
what about the sollutions?
I have read what you wrote and it was very
intersting but what about a sollution to the
pollution problem??
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The Amazing Chesapeake Bay
Dr. Sharon Harman- Biology , 4th block, Petersburg
High School
Monday, April 24, 2006
The Amazing Chesapeake Bay CHESAPEAKE BAY ECOSYSTEM
1 The Chesapeake Bay developed from natural
occurrences during the last Ice Age. Around 9000
B.C., melting glaciers filled in the Susquehanna
Valley, and about 7000 years later, the Bay assumed
its current shape. All along, Native Americans lived
in the Bay region, beginning agricultural practices
around 1000 B.C. 2 The Chesapeake Bay receives about
half of its water volume from the Atlantic Ocean.
The bay holds more than 18 trillion gallons of
water. Water also enters the Bay through underground
waterways. The Bay itself is rivers, wetlands and
trees and land which all provide homes, protection
and food for complex groups of species. The Bay is
The Bay's width range from 3.4 miles to 35 miles
near the mouth of the Potomac River. Overall the Bay
is about 200 miles long. There are also many kinds
of pollutants that can cause an ecosystem to go
downhill. 3 Typically, air pollution is thought of
as smog that affects people's health, reduces
visibility, and obscures majestic vistas in national
parks. But, over time, it has become clear that air
pollution also contributes to land and water
pollution, which affects the health of the
Chesapeake Bay's valuable living resources - its
fish, shellfish, and other animals. Over the last
thirty years, research has provided us with more
knowledge on how air pollution can directly affect
the Bay. This is just one type of pollution. Can you
imagine what other pollutants are effecting the
ecosystem right now? I represent the Chesapeake Bay
ecosystem. I feel that this large area of about 200
miles is being polluted. The increased pollution of
nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment caused frequent
algal blooms and significantly decreased water
clarity that, in turn, caused difficult growing
conditions for underwater grasses. The sediment also
smothered habitat for oysters, clams, mussels,
worms, and other bottom dwellers that form the base
of the Bay’s food web. Nearly all of the Bay’s
aquatic life, from worms and crabs to perch, spot,
and striped bass, depend on oxygen to survive. This
dead zone took away much of their natural summertime
habitat in the cooler deep waters of the Bay.
Thoughtful
Questions
From: Agriculturists
We have provided a
solution that we could possibly create. If you read
thoroughly we said that we could maybe come up with
a better fertilizer. may i ask which entry is yours
then i can ask you a question.
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Final
Ecosystem
mr. moore- env. science, hampshire
Friday, April 28, 2006
Our group thinks that the ecosystem should be looked
at more closely because if affects everything like
oysters, birds, fish, crabs, and all other kinds of
sea/land creatures. The contamantated water affects
all kinds of creatures. The creatures drink the
water, then other animals eat them. Then the
population goes down alot. Some of those animals
could even go extinct. Not only does it affect
animals, it also affects humans because humans drink
the water or eat the the fish that comes out of the
affected ecosystem. The farmers are some of the
problems of the contamanation of the water, and etc.
Thoughtful
Questions
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