Chemosynthesis vs. Photosynthesis

Ecosystems depend upon the ability of some organisms to convert inorganic compounds into food that other organisms can then exploit. In most cases, primary food production occurs in a process called photosynthesis, which is powered by sunlight. In a few environments, primary production happens though a process called chemosynthesis, which runs on chemical energy. Together, photosynthesis and chemosynthesis fuel all life on Earth.

Additional information
All photosynthetic organisms use solar energy to turn carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen. There is only one photosynthetic formula:
CO2 + 6H2O -> C6H12O6 + 6O2

Photosynthesis occurs in plants and some bacteria, wherever there is sufficient sunlight - on land, in shallow water, even inside and below clear ice.

All chemosynthetic organisms use the energy released by chemical reactions to make a sugar, but different species use different pathways. The vent bacteria used in the example above oxidize hydrogen sulfide, add carbon dioxide and oxygen, and produce sugar, sulfur, and water:
CO2 + 4H2S + O2 -> CH20 + 4S + 3H2O

Other bacteria make organic matter by reducing sulfide or oxidizing methane. Chemosynthetic bacterial communities have been found in hot springs on land, and on the sea floor around hydrothermal vents, cold seeps, whale carcasses, and sunken ships.


This is a great link.
http://www.learningdemo.com/noaa/ (lesson 5, Chemosynthesis and Hydrothermal Vent Life)

A September 2005 report revealed that the polar ice cap has shrunk by more than 20 percent since 1979, losing an area the size of Colorado in the preceding year alone.


Recently I have joined the StopGlobalWarming.org throught the Internet. And today, I have received an email about "HELP SAVE POLAR BEAR FROM GLOBAL WARMING". By showing your support, it can urge the Bush administration to hold public hearings so Americans across the country can express their support for protecting the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act.



http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_read.asp?id=140481222007



Global Warming: The Final Verdict
by: Robin McKie 22 January 2007

And there is a nws about Global Warming. A draft copy of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that it is the work of several thousand climate experts who have widely differing views about how greenhouse gases will have their effect.

"Although the final wording of the report is still being worked on, the draft indicates that scientists now have their clearest idea so far about future climate changes, as well as about recent events. It points out that:
12 of the past 13 years were the warmest since records began;

Ocean temperatures have risen at least three kilometres beneath the surface;

Glaciers, snow cover and permafrost have decreased in both hemispheres;

Sea levels are rising at the rate of almost 2mm a year;

Cold days, nights and frost have become rarer while hot days, hot nights and heatwaves have become more frequent.

And the cause is clear, say the authors: 'It is very likely that [man-made] greenhouse gas increases caused most of the average temperature increases since the mid-20th century,' says the report."

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_read.asp?id=140481222007


It is indisputable that "We are the masters of our own destruction". Global warming is the matter of you and me. It's never too late to get a start to conserve and protect our environment. I know and so I do.

More polar bears giving birth on land

Posted on Wed, Jan. 24, 2007
DAN JOLINGAssociated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Pregnant polar bears in Alaska, which spend most of their lives on sea ice, are increasingly giving birth on land, according to researchers who say global warming is probably to blame.

The study by three scientists for the U.S. Geological Survey suggests the state's bear population could be harmed if the climate continues to grow warmer. Though bears are powerful swimmers, at some point they might have to cross vast stretches of open water to reach habitat on shore suitable for building dens in which to give birth.

From 1985 to 1994, 62 percent of the female polar bears studied dug dens in snow on sea ice. From 1998 to 2004, just 37 percent made dens on ice. The rest dug snow dens on land, according to the study.

Researchers "hypothesized that the sea ice changes may have reduced the availability or degraded the quality of offshore denning habits," said wildlife biologist Anthony Fischbach, lead author of the study. In recent years, Arctic pack ice has formed progressively later and melted earlier each season, he said.

The study is under review by the Geological Survey. Fischbach spoke about the findings Monday at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium.Scientists estimate the Beaufort Sea polar bear population at 1,526. In the study, researchers used satellite technology to track 89 bears in northern Alaska that led them to 124 dens between 1985 and 2004.

http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/16529460.htm



Relevant News:

Polar bear cub survival wanes as climate warms
11/16/2006
Reuters
"Polar bear cubs in Alaska's Beaufort Sea are much less likely to survive compared to about 20 years ago, probably due to melting sea ice caused by global warming, a study released on Wednesday said."

http://urlsnip.com/251481


photo taken from Toronto Zoo 2006

coca cola


Will we need to go to the Zoo to see the polar bear?
Will we see the polar bear only from the images?
We care our lives but who cares their lives?
We can hardly estimate how global warming will bring to our lives and our surrounding environment. But we are sure that what it brings should be profound and devastating.

more information about polar bear:
http://www.answers.com/polar+bear&r=67

"Nova Scotia's 7,600 km of coastline include an astonishing variety of habitats including estuaries, tidal rivers, wetlands, mudflats, beaches, rocky headlands and coastal islands that provide habitat, food, refuge and breeding grounds to a variety of marine and terrestrial species.

The coast is Nova Scotia's most valuable asset, providing vital ecological functions, such as protection against pollution, storm surges, flooding and coastal erosion, as well as economic, social and recreational benefits. The coast is also where many people go to relax and feel connected to the natural world."

http://www.ecologyaction.ca/coastal_issues/coastal_issues.shtm

YES!! It's definitely true. When I had came to Halifax, I had searched the information about how Nova Scotia looks like; how the environment I would have studied for a year. When I first saw those beautiful photos displaying on the screens, I couldn't imagine how amazing the nature is! I did feel so fascinated that I would have stayed in such a pretty city. Til now, I still think so.

HOWEVER, when I read some articles about Nova Scotia's coastal issue and marine issue. Those statistics and surveys...I can't believe such a wonderful environment is degrading and deteriorating by our activities, by the poorly managed regulations and monitors.

http://www.ecologyaction.ca/coastal_issues/coastal_reconnect.htm

There's a lot we can do. But it's ever easier speak than act.
To protect and conserve our environment, it needs our real participation and donation.
Therefore, I'm now thinking about how I can do to our environment, like the assignment "Show what you know by what you do" in Ocean Use and Management course.

The Caribbean Sea

Location-The Caribbean Sea is located at 9-22ºN and 89 to 60ºW.The countries found to the south of the Caribbean is Venezuela, Columbia, and Panama. The countries found to the West are Coasta Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras,Guatemala,Belize,and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. The countries found to the north are the Greater Antilles Islands of Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Purto Rico. The land that is found to the east is the Lesser Antilles Islands.

Size-The extent of of the Caribbean is about 1,063,000 square miles or 2,754,000 kilometers. The Caribbean’s greatest depth is called the Cayman Trench, between Cuba and Jamaica. It is about 25,216 feet or 1,686 meters below sea level.

Climate-The climate is generally tropical, but it depends on the local variations depending on mountain altitude, water currents, and trade winds. Rain is about 10 inches a year 25 millimeters on the island of Bonaire off the coast of Venezuela to 350 inches a year in parts of Dominica. The hurricane season is from June to November., but thy are most common in September. The yearly average is eight such storms. The Caribbean has less hurricane than the western Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico.

History-The first European to enter the Caribbean was Christopher Columbus. He touched land in the Bahamas in 1492. He convinced himself that he had discovered a new route e to Asia. He continued south and found a Spanish colony on the island of Hispaniola.

Bibliography: Encyclopedia Britannica online, September 21, 2000

http://www.east-buc.k12.ia.us/00_01/BW/kg/kg.htm

Great Link: Caribbean Sea
http://www.answers.com/topic/caribbean-sea

http://www.cep.unep.org/

http://www.cep.unep.org/issues/sub_issues.htm

http://www.envirolink.org/

Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea, arm of the Atlantic Ocean, partially enclosed on the north and east by the islands of the West Indies, and bounded on the south by South America and Panama, and on the west by Central America. The name of the sea is derived from the Carib people, who inhabited the area when Spanish explorers arrived there in the 15th century. The Caribbean is 2,400 km (1,500 mi) long east and west and 640 to 1,400 km (400 to 1,400 mi) wide. It has an area of 2,718,000 sq km (1,049,000 sq mi). At the northwestern extremity it is connected with the Gulf of Mexico by the Yucatán Channel, a passage 190 km (120 mi) wide between Cuba and the Yucatán Peninsula. The Windward Passage between Cuba and Haiti is a major shipping route between the United States and the Panama Canal. Many gulfs and bays indent the coastline of South America, notably the Gulf of Venezuela, which carries tidal waters to Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela. With a few exceptions the entire Caribbean Basin is more than 1,830 m (more than 6,000 ft) deep. Large areas of the sea exceed 3,660 m (12,000 ft) in depth; the greatest depth measured thus far is Cayman Trench (7,686 m/25,220 ft) between Jamaica and Cayman Islands. Navigation is open and clear, making the Caribbean a major trade route for Latin American countries. The main oceanic current in the Caribbean Sea is an extension of the North Equatorial and South Equatorial currents, which enter the sea at the southeastern extremity and flow in a generally northwestern direction. A popular resort area, the Caribbean Sea is noted for its mild tropical climate.

http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761571085/Caribbean_Sea.html#461511805

Global Warming and Warm Weather: Connected?
by: Bill Blakemore 7 January 2007

It was expected to reach into the 70s today in New York City. Cherry blossoms were blooming in Washington, D.C.Is there a connection between the January heat wave that is sweeping the East Coast and man-made global warming?Scientists say yes -- in this way: What they know for sure is the warm winter fits the pattern, exactly, that has long been predicted for manmade global warming of more and more frequent unseasonable warm spells. While there were freak weather events like this in the past, even before the Industrial Age started pumping out more greenhouse gases, they were rare. But in recent decades they have increased. There has been "a fairly rapid rise of globally average temperatures, also temperatures in the United States, since about the mid-1970s," said David Easterling of the National Climate Data Center. The records from the National Climate Data Center show that over the last 55 years, especially the last 20, the number of unusually warm days and warm nights has steadily increased. The supercomputers that predicted all this decades ago have grown even more powerful. What do they project for the years immediately ahead, if greenhouse gas emissions are not drastically cut worldwide? "Over the next two or three decades, we will see a trend of just more frequent warm spells and less frequent cold snaps," said Jerry Meehl, a climatologist. But these changes are not limited to just warm weather. Colorado's third big snowfall in a month also fits a pattern long predicted for global warming. The warmer the air, the more moisture it can hold, which leads to heavier precipitation of rain or snow. Scientists say there are always immediate causes contributing to warm spells, such as the current warm El Nino patch that's appeared again in the Pacific.But El Nino, like everything in earth's climate, is influenced one way or another by manmade global warming.Climate scientists in the United Kingdom calculate that the current El Nino, combined with the additional warming effect of the increasing manmade greenhouse gases mean a better-than-even chance that 2007 will be the hottest year on earth since records have been kept. Already, the 10 hottest years on record have been in the past 11 years.


Can we feel the ever-changing and unpredictable weather?
The global climatic systems have lost its original routines. It changes that we can hardly predict and estimate. How do the changing climate influence the natural landscape and habitats? How do we react to the climatic change? We might think that the climatic system is dynamic and interactive with other elements. When the climate changes, all things, including abiotic and biotic factors change, and finally living organisms. It is a chain of reactions when only one element changes. We might think that there would be a self mechanism to re-balance and regulate the changing conditions, like evolutionary theory. "The fittest survive." and those organisms which cannot adjust to the changes subject to compel. However, i just wonder whether it is still a nice place to live in, with many species being extincted and so on. I just wonder whether we human beings will finally lose our civilization when facing keen competition for resources. Are we stepping closer to the doom of the world?

Agency Affirms Human Influence on Climate
(Quotation from the article)

"A contributing factor to the unusually warm temperatures throughout 2006 also is the long-term warming trend, which has been linked to increases in greenhouse gases," the release said, emphasizing that the relative contributions of El Niño and the human influence were not known.

Still, the climate agency's shift in language came as a surprise to several public affairs officials there. They said they had become accustomed in recent years to having any mention of a link between climate trends and human activities played down or trimmed when drafts of documents went to the Commerce Department and the White House for approval.

Mr. Bush has made two speeches on climate. He first expressly accepted that humans were contributing to global warming in a news conference in Denmark in July 2005 on the way to an economic summit in Scotland, saying, "Listen, I recognize that the surface of the Earth is warmer and that an increase in greenhouse gases caused by humans is contributing to the problem."

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/sgw_read.asp?id=201441102007


"The United States, with only four percent of the world's population, is responsible for 22% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions."

That's really a terrifying number. The US has always declared themselves as a civilized country. But why does it produce almost a quarter of the world's greenhouse gas emissions? The US people should be more educated to know about how greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. They do know about it.

But what driving us mad is that President Bush made 2 speeches on climate. And the White House and the commerce Department have trimmed the drafts of documents when there are any mentions of a link between climatic trends and human activities. They are trying to hide the real facts to the general public. They are trying not to bear the responsibiluty and acknowledge what they do to the environment. They are cowards. When will they have the courage to acknowledge their fault? When will they have courage to right the wrong?

Today, I have heard that Halifax pours untreated sewage to the sea. And those people who swim in the harbour will easily get infected. It's really shocked me. As Dr. Cathy said, HRM has the ability to have a better sewage system. Canada is a well-developed country. We do have a good sense about the environmental conservation. But why do we still pour untreated sewage to sea? It's ridiculous.

From my point of view, Halifax is a really nice harbour city. It's so different than where I come from, Hong Kong, the same as a harbour city. Halifax is less disturbed. People here can share the beautiful and more natural views. I do like the natural beauty of Halifax. But what's a pity, they are risky to put our wonderful nature in danger. That's the thing I really don't want to see.

Studiny aboard is really eye-opening, especially in Canada, such a pretty country with lots of natural habitats. These all have brought me a good memory and impression about Canada.


taken from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia



Hong Kong Night's view


It's so different from the world I am used to live in (cemented forest). The things surrounding me are all tall buildings and busy vehicles. How serious air pollution level is always entangled Hong Kong, even though it's named as an international city all over the world. To me, Hong Kong has been risky to loose its pronounced status. Every time when I hear the news about the global warming, the ice melting and so on. My heart is freezing. It is not beacuse I'm afraid of the doom of the world, but becasue I am heartbreaking that why we still keep deteriorating our world. We do feel the changing climate caused by global warming. We know about its existence. The more I learn about the oceans, or our environment, the more I have concerned about our world. It always alerts me to re-think what I can do to the environment, not only in Hong Kong, but to the world.

Ocean Myths:

Ocean is the subject we know a little. Hardly can I imagine we've better known about the moon than our oceans on the earth. We've only explored less than 5% of the ocean. It is hard to imagine we are living on the tiny land surrounded by the great ocean. But we've just known little about it. And more importantly, it's so hard to determine how important and influential the ocean brings to our daily lives, for example, oxygen and water.

http://thankyouocean.org/learn.php

The Oceans: A Physical Geography

Water covers 71% of the earth's surface. And 97% of the water is salty. We human beings are too little to know the oceans. And it must be so interesting to discover our ocean world, which is closer to us and brings influential effects to our daily lives.

And I think that course should and will bring another meaning to me. As being an exchange student from Hong Kong, I'm glad to learn about the oceans in Halifax, such a beautiful coastal city in Nova Scotia.