Michelle E.

Delaguna
BS-HRM 3A

Oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially
marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually applied to marine oil
spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land. Oil spills
may be due to releases of crude oil from tankers, offshore platforms, drilling rigs and wells, as well as
spills of refined petroleum products (such as gasoline, diesel) and their by-products, heavier fuels used
by large ships such as bunker fuel, or the spill of any oily refuse or waste oil.
Spilt oil penetrates into the structure of the plumage of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing
its insulating ability, and making them more vulnerable to temperature fluctuations and much less
buoyant in the water. Cleanup and recovery from an oil spill is difficult and depends upon many factors,
including the type of oil spilled, the temperature of the water (affecting evaporation and
biodegradation), and the types of shorelines and beaches involved.[1] Spills may take weeks, months or
even years to clean up.

Biodiversity Loss
Despite knowing about biodiversitys importance for a long time, human activity has been
causing massive extinctions. As the Environment New Service, reported back in August 1999 (previous
link): the current extinction rate is now approaching 1,000 times the background rate and may climb to
10,000 times the background rate during the next century, if present trends continue [resulting in] a loss
that would easily equal those of past extinctions. (Emphasis added)
A major report, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, released in March 2005 highlighted a
substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth, with some 10-30% of the
mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with extinction, due to human actions. The World
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) added that Earth is unable to keep up in the struggle to regenerate from
the demands we place on it.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) notes in a video that many species are
threatened with extinction. In addition,
At threat of extinction are
1 out of 8 birds
1 out of 4 mammals
1 out of 4 conifers
1 out of 3 amphibians
6 out of 7 marine turtles

75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost

75% of the worlds fisheries are fully or over exploited

Up to 70% of the worlds known species risk extinction if the global temperatures rise by more than
3.5C
1/3rd of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction
Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity
In different parts of the world, species face different levels and types of threats. But overall
patterns show a downward trend in most cases.
Proportion of all assessed species in different threat categories of extinction risk on the IUCN Red
List, based on data from 47,677 species.
Source: IUCN, pie chart compiled by
Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (2010) Global
Biodiversity Outlook 3, May 2010
As explained in the UNs 3rd Global
Biodiversity Outlook, the rate of
biodiversity loss has not been reduced
because the 5 principle pressures on
biodiversity are persistent, even
intensifying:
Habitat loss and degradation
Climate change
Excessive nutrient load and other forms
of pollution
Over-exploitation and unsustainable use
Invasive alien species
Most governments report to the UN
Convention on Biological Diversity that
these
pressures
are
affecting
biodiversity in their country (see p. 55 of
the report).
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the Red List to assess the
conservation status of species, subspecies, varieties, and even selected subpopulations on a global scale.

Extinction risks out pace any conservation successes. Amphibians are the most at risk, while corals have had
a dramatic increase in risk of extinction in recent years.

Threat status of comprehensively assessed species by IUCN.

Source: IUCN, compiled by Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (2010) Global Biodiversity
Outlook 3, May 2010, p. 28
The reasons vary from overuse of resource by humans, climate change, fragmented habitats, habitat
destruction, ocean acidification and more.

Red Tide
Red tide is a common name for a phenomenon known as an algal bloom (large concentrations of aquatic
microorganisms) when it is caused by a few species of dinoflagellates and the bloom takes on a red or
brown color. Red tides are events in which estuarine, marine, or fresh water algae accumulate rapidly in the
water column, resulting in coloration of the surface water. It is usually found in coastal areas. It kills many
manatees every year.
These algae, known as phytoplankton, are single-celled protists, plant-like organisms that can form dense,
visible patches near the water's surface. Certain species of phytoplankton, dinoflagellates, contain
photosynthetic pigments that vary in color from green to brown to red.

When the algae are present in high concentrations, the water appears to be discolored or murky, varying in
color from purple to almost pink, normally being red or green. Not all algal blooms are dense enough to
cause water discoloration, and not all discolored waters associated with algal blooms are red. Additionally,
red tides are not typically associated with tidal movement of water, hence the preference among scientists
to use the term algal bloom.
Some red tides are associated with the production of natural toxins, depletion of dissolved oxygen or
other harmful effects, and are generally described as harmful algal blooms. The most conspicuous
effects of these kinds of red tides are the associated wildlife mortalities of marine and coastal species of
fish, birds, marine mammals, and other organisms.

Volcanic Eruption
During a volcanic eruption, lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and blocks), and various gases are
expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure. Several types of volcanic eruptions have been distinguished by
volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior has been
observed. Some volcanoes may exhibit only one characteristic type of eruption during a period of
activity, while others may display an entire sequence of types all in one eruptive series.
There are three different metatypes of eruptions. The most well-observed are magmatic eruptions,
which involve the decompression of gas within magma that propels it forward. Phreatomagmatic
eruptions are another type of volcanic eruption, driven by the compression of gas within magma, the
direct opposite of the process powering magmatic activity. The last eruptive metatype is the phreatic
eruption, which is driven by the superheating of steam via contact with magma; these eruptive types
often exhibit no magmatic release, instead causing the granulation of existing rock.
Within these wide-defining eruptive types are several subtypes. The weakest are Hawaiian and
submarine, then Strombolian, followed by Vulcanian and Surtseyan. The stronger eruptive types are
Pelean eruptions, followed by Plinian eruptions; the strongest eruptions are called "Ultra Plinian."
Subglacial and phreatic eruptions are defined by their eruptive mechanism, and vary in strength. An
important measure of eruptive strength is Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI), a magnitudic scale ranging
from 0 to 8 that often correlates to eruptive types.

Waste Management
Waste management is the "generation, prevention, characterization, monitoring, treatment, handling,
reuse and residual disposition of solid wastes". There are various types of solid waste including
municipal (residential, institutional, commercial), agricultural, and special (health care, household
hazardous wastes, sewage sludge). The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity,
and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics.

There is a wide array of issues relating to waste management and those areas include:

Generation of waste
Waste minimization
Waste removal
Waste transportation
Waste treatment
Recycling and reuse
Storage, collection, transport, and transfer
Treatment
Landfill disposal
Environmental considerations
Financial and marketing aspects
Policy and regulations
Education and training
Planning and implementation

Waste management practices are not uniform among: countries (developed and developing nations);
regions (urban and rural area), and sectors (residential and industrial).