Biodiversity Loss (Endangered, Threatened and Extinct Species)

BIODIVERSITY LOSS

"The diversity of life forms, so numerous that we have yet to identify most of them, is the greatest wonder of this planet." - E.O. Wilson.

 Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems. The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species, which is the product of nearly 3.5 billion years of evolution. 2010 has been declared as the International Year of Biodiversity.

 

Say the word biodiversity and it conjures many images, perhaps positive: a majestic beech woodland, a bird of prey gliding the thermals, a steamy tropical rainforest teeming with life - perhaps negative; caged birds to be smuggled for the pet industry, the razed ground of a woodland once occupied by activists, fire ripping through a tropical rainforest. I hope most readers had positive images, as biodiversity literally means the diversity of life, with no connotations of oppression and/or destruction. Beyond the obvious - a contraction of the words biological diversity - the word in scientific circles means the diversity of life in all its forms, and at all levels of organisation. The 'all its forms' bit reminds us that biodiversity includes plants, fungi, bacteria, other micro-organisms, invertebrate animals (like insects and worms), vertebrates (literally animals with backbones) like birds, and mammals including you and I. The idea of levels of organisation of life is a little more complicated, but essentially there are three major levels, genetic, organismal (or species) and ecological diversity, which are discussed below (see Table 1).

Unlike most new scientific terms the word biodiversity has entered the accepted vocabularies of science, the media, mainstream politics, radical politics and the public at large. The word biodiversity arose in the context of, and has remained wedded to, concerns over the loss of the natural world and its inhabitants. Environmental destruction is so evident, to so many, with so much information arriving that things are spiraling downwards that this new, complex, scientific term has been widely adopted by disparate groups - all with their own spin on what biodiversity is and means.

 SOURCES:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity

                     www.eco-action.org/dod/no8/biodiversity.html 

                     www.eco-action.org/dod/no8/biodiversity.html - 

                     eelink.net/EndSpp/causes-lossofbiodiversity.html -

ENDANGERED SPECIES

An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Also it could mean that due to deforestation there may be a lack of food and/or water. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has calculated the percentage of endangered species as 40 percent of all organisms based on the sample of species that have been evaluated through 2006. (Note: the IUCN groups all threatened species for their summary purposes.) Many nations have lawsoffering protection to conservation reliant species for example, forbidding hunting, restricting land development or creating preserves. Only a few of the many species at risk of extinction actually make it to the lists and obtain  legal protection. Many more species become extinct, or potentially will become extinct, without gaining public notice.

Here Are Some Ways That You Can Get Involved:

Conserve Habitats

• One of the most important ways to help threatened plants and animals survive is to protect their habitats permanently in national parks, nature reserves or wilderness areas. There they can live without too much interference from humans. It is also important to protect habitats outside reserves such as on farms and along roadsides.

•     You can visit a nearby national park or nature reserve. Some national parks have special guided tours and walks for kids. Talk to the rangers to find out whether there are any threatened species and how they are being protected. You and your friends might be able to help the rangers in their conservation work.

•     When you visit a national park, make sure you obey the wildlife code: follow fire regulations; leave your pets at home; leave flowers, birds’ eggs, logs and bush rocks where you find them; put your rubbish in a bin or, better still, take it home.

•      If you have friends who live on farms, encourage them to keep patches of bush as wildlife habitats and to leave old trees standing, especially those with hollows suitable for nesting animals.

•     Some areas have groups which look after local lands and nature reserves. They do this by removing weeds and planting local native species in their place. You could join one of these groups, or even start a new one with your parents and friends. Ask your local parks authority or council for information.

•     By removing rubbish and weeds and replanting with natives you will allow the native bush to gradually regenerate. This will also encourage native animals to return.

THREATENED SPECIES

 

Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to extinction  in the near future. World Conservation Union (IUCN) is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories: vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered, depending on the degree to which they are threatened.

Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of critical depensation, a mathematical measure of biomass related to population growth rate. This quantitative metric is one method of evaluating the degree of endangerment.

Less-than-threatened categories are Near Threatened, Least Concern, and the no longer assigned category of Conservation Dependent. Species which have not been evaluated (NE), or do not have sufficient data (Data Deficient) also are not considered "threatened" by the IUCN.

Although threatened and vulnerable may be used interchangeably when discussing IUCN categories, the term threatened is generally used to refer to the three categories (critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable), while vulnerable is used to refer to the least at risk of those three categories. They may be used interchangeably in most contexts however, as all vulnerable species are threatened species (vulnerable is a category of threatened species); and, as the more at-risk categories of threatened species (namely endangered and critically endangered) must, by definition, also qualify as vulnerable species, all threatened species may also be considered vulnerable.

Threatened species are also referred to as a red-listed species, as they are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Subspecies, populations and stocks may also be classified as threatened.
 

 EXTINCT SPECIES

Organisms that have become extinct.

Machairodus was a genus of large sabertooths. Different species varied in size, and have been found in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. It is not agreed upon whether or not all named species are valid. It is agreed that there are two basic types of Machairodus: an evolved and a more primitive type. The more primitive types, such as the European M. aphanistus, more closely resemble the typical sabertooths. (That is, the appear somewhat more like Smilodon for example) The more evolved type show specialized traits closer to the hyena-like Homotherium, and is most likely ancestral to this genus. These species have serrated teeth and elongated forelimbs; the forelimb structure most resembling Homotherium.

Machairodus giganteus

Machairodus giganteus juvenile

Because of the variation in ranges of the Machairodus species, there was most likely a great variation in coloring and behavior. For example, African species may have had lighter more brownish colored coats like that of a lion. Since forested areas were patchy, they most likely would have lived in the savanna areas with the large grazing herds, using the same stalking and rushing technique of hunting used by lions and leopards. Because of the size of some species, they may not have climbed trees as leopards would have for protection or hiding prey.

European species may have had thicker coats for a cooler climate. Some may have had spotted or striped coats for hunting in forested areas. Behavior of European and North American species may also have varied. Forrest dwelling species may have hunted much like a modern jaguar or leopard, relying more on stalking prey and then pouncing. Species living on open grassland may have relied more on running down prey. In fact, the more evolved varieties in Eurasia and North America have the elongated forelimbs of Homotherium which were built for long distance travel and endurance. Another possible lifestyle for these more evolved cats may have been a combination hunting / scavenging existence like that of a hyena. This may also be used to explain a possible reason for the extreme specialization leading to Homotherium. Perhaps competition with hyenas (relatives of whom lived in Europe during this time) led to this specialization in long distance travel for opportunistic hunting and scavenging.

Sources: The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives. Alan Turner. Columbia University Press, New York. 1997

 

.SOURCES:eelink.net/EndSpp/causes-lossofbiodiversity.html -                              en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species -     www.endangeredspecie.com/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threatened_species en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinct_species

El Nino and La Nina Weather Disturbances, Typhoons (Phil Setting)

 EL NINO WEATHER DISTURBANCE

This is a photo of the windmill field - just a regular, ordinary, green field..  The stream is even further off to the
right, also not in this photo.

During the night of the most flooding, water began rushing down our little side road. At first we
thought it was just a lot of runoff from the saturated hilly ground.

 what once was a flat field was now a field of rushing water and a new
waterfall! Somehow our windmill remained standing. We think the huge oaks behind it
helped.

What was once the beautiful green field in the top picture.

MANILA, Philippines — Be prepared for the onset of El Niño, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Friday.

In its July 2009 weather outlook, Pagasa said the country might experience a transition from El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions to a “weak El Niño.”

“A transition from ENSO-neutral to El Niño conditions will likely continue in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Statistical and dynamical models indicate a probability of a weak El Niño to develop in the coming months,” the agency said.

50% chance

Pagasa first raised the possibility of the coming of El Niño last month.

Pagasa spokesperson and Deputy Administrator for Operations and Services Nathaniel Cruz told the Inquirer that models by international monitoring agencies indicate an “above 50 percent chance” of the onset of moderate El Niño conditions.

“For now, there is no need to panic. El Niño is not like a storm whose effect we can immediately feel. It could take months before we can feel the effects. We have time to plan mitigation measures,” he said.

El Niño usually means lack of rainfall and lesser tropical cyclones for the Philippines.

Cruz said this would have an effect on sectors that depend on water like agriculture, energy and even health.

“For the farmers, it is time to plan their planting period, or plant other crops that require less water,” he said.

Pagasa, Cruz said, has been meeting monthly and coordinating with other government agencies on mitigation measures against El Niño.

Transition to El Niño

Cruz’s statements came after the United States Climate Prediction Center, an office under the US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, said in a monthly report that the equatorial Pacific Ocean has “transitioned ... to El Niño conditions.”

According to the center, climatic trends favor a “weak-to-moderate strength El Niño” into the northern hemisphere winter of 2009, “with further strengthening possible thereafter.”

It also said the sea surface temperature climbed to one degree Celsius above normal along a narrow band in the eastern equatorial Pacific in June.

The Climate Prediction Center also said temperatures in other tropical regions were also above normal, with warmer than usual readings of as much as 200 meters below the ocean surface.

El Niño is caused by warming of the seas in the Pacific and is associated with increased rainfall across the east-central and eastern Pacific but with drier than normal conditions over northern Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

A Reuters report said El Niño would pose major problems to wheat production in Australia, affect palm oil output in major producers Malaysia and Indonesia, and hit rice production in the Philippines, the world’s biggest importer of the staple.

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines, the world's biggest rice buyer, may import more of the grain if an expected moderate dry spell hits its harvest, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

Agriculture Undersecretary Bernardo Fondevilla told a media briefing local weather forecasters were expecting a moderate El Nino would hit the dry cropping season, affecting nearly 544,000 hectares planted to rice.

Asked whether Manila would import more rice due to El Nino, he said: "If we have to, we will." He did not give details.

Fondevilla said a mild El Nino episode may cause farm sector losses of nearly P10 billion ($215 million).

"If the effect is severe, and that is unlikely, then the losses will be greater."

Manila's rice purchases so far for 2010 are seen exceeding 2.4 million tons, a record high, after the government bought nearly 2.3 million from 4 tenders last year and said it would allow private firms to bring in 163,000 tons.

The country advanced imports for this year after losing 1.3 million tons of paddy rice from strong typhoons that ravaged crops in September and October.

The Southeast Asian nation's rice harvest shrank by more than 3% to 16.26 million tons in 2009, the first time output of the national staple dropped since a severe El Nino episode hit the entire archipelago.

The government had forecast paddy output to drop 1.7% to 7.25 million tons in the first half of 2010 from a year earlier due to the dry spell, which the agriculture department had estimated might impact around 50 provinces.El Niño is a large scale oceanographic / meteorological phenomenon that develops in the Pacific Ocean, which is associated with extreme climatic variability; ie, devastating rains, winds, drought, etc. It is the migration, from time to time, of warm surface waters from the western equatorial Pacific Basin to the eastern equatorial Pacific region, along the coasts of Peru and Ecuador.

Characteristics of El Niño

•  It occurs in the Pacific basin every 2 to 9 years;
• It usually starts during the Northern winter (December to February);
• Once established, it lasts until the first half of the following year,
• It exhibits phase-locking in annual cycles (El Niño and rainfall
• fluctuations associated with it tend to recur at the same time of the year; and
• It usually has a biennial cycle (El Niño events will often be preceded

Effects of El Niño in the Philippines

In the Philippines, drought events are associated with the occurrence of El Niño episodes.

Second and third order impacts of El Niño related drought events in the Philippines include:

(a) environmental (degradation of soil which could lead to desert-like conditions if persistent, effect on water quality like salt water intrusion, high forest/grass/bus fire risk, domestic water supply shortages, etc.);(b) social (disruption of normal human activities, migration to urban communities, human and health problems, etc.); and (c) economic (unemployment, food shortages, significant reduction in the productivity and subsequent revenue of various industries, hydro-electric power generation, etc.).

SOURCES:www.abs-cbnnews.com/.../el-nino-slash-philippine-growth-01-neda
                   newsinfo.inquirer.net › ... › Inquirer Headlines › Nation 
                   www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=551288...68

LA NINA  WEATHER DISTURBANCE

La Niña develops over the central and eastern equatorial Pacific and is characterized by unusually cold surface temperatures of the ocean.La Niña is associated with extreme climatic variability such as devastating rains, winds, drought, etc.This condition can prevail for two to three seasons (six to nine months) thus affecting the economy on both the local and global scales.The term La Niña (the Little Girl) was used by many scientists and meteorologists to differentiate it from El Niño.La Niña events are also linked to a change in atmospheric pressure known as the Southern Oscillation (SO).This is characterized by a seesaw (positive) in the atmospheric pressure between the western and central regions of the tropical Pacific Ocean, with one center of action located in the vicinity of Indonesia and the other center located over the central Pacific Ocean.This is characterized by a seesaw (positive) in the atmospheric pressure between the western and central regions of the tropical Pacific Ocean, with one center of action located in the vicinity of Indonesia and the other center located over the central Pacific Ocean.

How Are La Niña Events Detected?

La Niña events in the tropical Pacific Ocean can now be detected by many methods, including satellites, moored buoys, drifting buoys, sea level analysis and expendable bathythermographs. This research observing system is now evolving into an operational climate observing system.Large computer models of the global ocean and atmosphere use data from this observing system as input to predict/monitor La Niña, as well as El Niño.Other global models are used for research to further understand the phenomenon.

How Does La Niña Affect Our Climate?

Impacts of La Niña on Philippine climate include anomalies in rainfall, temperature and tropical cyclone activities. During La Niña conditions, major parts of the country experience near normal to above normal rainfall conditions particularly over the eastern sections of the country. La Niña conditions also favor tropical cyclone formation over the western Pacific which tend to increase the number of tropical cyclones.

sources:
www.uswaternews.com/archives/arcglobal/8lanin12.html
www.encyclopedia.com › ... › Compounds and Elements
www.reuters.com/article/idUSMAN31400820070314 -
www.cpc.noaa.gov › El Niño/La Niña › The ENSO Cycle

Mineral Depletion, Deforestation, Coral Bleaching, Mangrove Ecosystem

 MINERAL DEPLETION

DEFORESTATION

 Deforestation is the clearance of naturally occurring forests by logging  and burning.

Deforestation occurs for many reasons: trees or derived charcoal are used as, or sold, for fuel or as a commodity, while cleared land is used as pasture for livestock, plantations of commodities, and settlements. The removal of trees without sufficient reforestation has resulted in damage to habitat, biodiversity loss and aridity. It has adverse impacts on biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Deforested regions typically incur significant adverse soil erosion and frequently degrade into wasteland.

Disregard or ignorance of intrinsic value, lack of ascribed value, lax forest management and deficient environmental law are some of the factors that allow deforestation to occur on a large scale. In many countries, deforestation is an ongoing issue that is causing extinction, changes to climatic conditions, desertification, and displacement of indigenous people.

Among countries with a per capita GDP of at least US$4,600, net deforestation rates have ceased to increase.

CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION

here are many root causes of contemporary deforestation, including corruption of government institutions, the inequitable distribution of wealth and power, population growth  and overpopulation, and urbanization.Globalization is often viewed as another root cause of deforestation,  though there are cases in which the impacts of globalization (new flows of labor, capital, commodities, and ideas) have promoted localized forest recovery.

In 2000 the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that "the role of population dynamics in a local setting may vary from decisive to negligible," and that deforestation can result from "a combination of population pressure and stagnating economic, social and technological conditions."

According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, the overwhelming direct cause of deforestation is agriculture. Subsistence farming is responsible for 48% of deforestation; commercial agriculture is responsible for 32% of deforestation; logging is responsible for 14% of deforestation and fuel wood removals make up 5% of deforestation.

The degradation of forest ecosystems has also been traced to economic incentives that make forest conversion appear more profitable than forest conservation.[14] Many important forest functions have no markets, and hence, no economic value that is readily apparent to the forests' owners or the communities that rely on forests for their well-being.[14] From the perspective of the developing world, the benefits of forest as carbon sinks or biodiversity reserves go primarily to richer developed nations and there is insufficient compensation for these services. Developing countries feel that some countries in the developed world, such as the United States of America, cut down their forests centuries ago and benefited greatly from this deforestation, and that it is hypocritical to deny developing countries the same opportunities: that the poor shouldn't have to bear the cost of preservation when the rich created the problem.

Experts do not agree on whether industrial logging is an important contributor to global deforestation. Similarly, there is no consensus on whether poverty is important in deforestation. Some argue that poor people are more likely to clear forest because they have no alternatives, others that the poor lack the ability to pay for the materials and labour needed to clear forest. Claims that population growth drives deforestation have been disputed;[16] one study found that population increases due to high fertility rates were a primary driver of tropical deforestation in only 8% of cases.

Some commentators have noted a shift in the drivers of deforestation over the past 30 years.Whereas deforestation was primarily driven by subsistence activities and government-sponsored development projects like transmigration in countries like Indonesia and colonization in Latin America, India, Java etc during late 19th century and the earlier half of the 20th century. By the 1990s the majority of deforestation was caused by industrial factors, including extractive industries, large-scale cattle ranching, and extensive agriculture.

CORAL BLEACHING

  Coral bleaching is the whitening of corals, due to stress-induced expulsion or death of symbiotic, algae-like protozoa, or due to the loss of pigmentation within the protozoa. The corals that form the structure of the great reef  ecosystems  of tropical seas depend upon a symbiotic relationship with unicellular flagellate  protozoa, called zooxanthellae, that are photosynthetic and live within their tissues. Zooxanthellae give coral its coloration, with the specific color depending on the particular clade. Under stress, corals may expel their zooxanthellae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, hence the term "bleached".

Once bleaching begins, it tends to continue even without continuing stress. If the coral colony survives the stress period, zooxanthellae often require weeks to months to return to normal density. The new residents may be of a different species. Some species of zooxanthellae and corals are more resistant to stress than other species.

Causes of coral bleaching

Coral bleaching is a vivid sign of corals responding to stress, which can be induced by any of:

• increased (most commonly), or reduced water temperatures
• increased solar irradiance
• changes in water chemistry (in particular acidification)
• starvation caused by a decline in zooplankton
• increased sedimentation (due to silt runoff)
• pathogen infections
• changes in salinity
• wind
• low tide air exposure^[5] Temperature change

Unbleached (left) and bleached (right) coral

Temperature change is the most common cause of coral bleaching.

Large coral colonies such as Porites are able to withstand extreme temperature shocks, while fragile branching corals such as table coral are far more susceptible to stress following a temperature change. Corals consistently exposed to low stress levels may be more resistant to bleaching.

Factors that influence the outcome of a bleaching event include stress-resistance which reduces bleaching, tolerance to the absence of zooxanthellae, and how quickly new coral grows to replace the dead. Due to the patchy nature of bleaching, local climatic conditions such as shade or a stream of cooler water can reduce bleaching incidence. Coral and zooxanthellae health and genetics also influence bleaching.

 Monitoring reef sea surface temperature

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) monitors for bleaching "hot spots", areas where sea surface temperature rises 1 degree Celsius or more above the long-term monthly average. This system detected the worldwide 1998 bleaching event, that corresponded to an el nino. NOAA also uses a satellite with 50k resolution at night, which some argue covers too large a spatial area and does not detect the maximum sea surface temperatures occurring usually around noon.

 Changes in ocean chemistry

Increasing ocean acidification likely exacerbates the bleaching effects of thermal stress.

 Infectious disease

Bioerosion (coral damage) such as this may be caused by coral bleaching.

It was discovered in 1996 that the bleaching agent of Oculina patagonica in the Mediterranean Sea was infectious bacteria attacking the zooxanthellae. The bacteria were later identified as Vibrio shiloi. V. shiloi is infectious only during warm periods. Elevated temperature increases the virulence of V. shiloi, which then become able to adhere to abeta galactoside-containing receptor in the surface mucus of the host coral. V. shiloi then penetrates the coral's epidermis, multiplies, and produces both heat-stable and heat-sensitive toxins, which affect zooxanthellae by inhibiting photosynthesis and causing lysis.

During the summer of 2003, coral reefs in the Mediterranean Sea appeared to gain resistance to the pathogen, and further infection was not observed. The main hypothesis for the emerged resistance is the presence of symbiotic communities of protective bacteria living in the corals. The bacterial species capable of lysing V. shiloi has not been identified.

MANGROVE ECOSYSTEM

 Mangroves are trees and shrubs that grow saline  coastal habitats in the tropics and subtropics  – mainly between latitudes 25° N and 25° S. The saline conditions tolerated by various species range from brackish water, through pure seawater  (30 to 40 ppt), to water of over twice the salinity of ocean seawater, where the salt has become concentrated by evaporation  (up to 90 ppt).

There are many species of trees and shrubs adapted to saline conditions. Not all are closely related, and the term "mangrove" may be used for all of them, or more narrowly only for the mangrove family of plants, the Rhizophoraceae, or even more specifically just for mangrove trees of the genus Rhizophora.

Mangroves form a characteristic saline woodland or shrubland habitat, called mangrove swamp, mangrove forest, mangrove or mangal. Mangals are found in depositional coastal environments where fine sediments (often with high organic content) collect in areas protected from high energy wave action. They occur both in estuaries and along open coastlines. Mangroves dominate three quarters of tropical coastlines.

SOURCES: www.roperld.com/science/minerals/minerals.htm
                   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation
                  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching -
                  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangrove  

Renewable-vs-non renewable resources (types and uses)

Renewable Resources

A natural resource is a renewable resource if it is replaced by natural processes at a rate comparable or faster than its rate of consumption by humans. Solar radiation, tides, winds and hydroelectricity are perpetual resources that are in no danger of a lack of long-term availability. Renewable resources may also mean commodities  such as wood, paper, and leather, if harvesting is performed in a sustainable manner.

Some natural renewable resources such as geothermal power, fresh water, timber, and biomass must be carefully managed to avoid exceeding the world's capacity to replenish them. A life cycle assessment provides a systematic means of evaluating renewability.

The term has a connotation of sustainability of the natural environment. Gasoline, coal, natural gas, diesel, and other commodities derived from fossil fuels are non-renewable. Unlike fossil fuels, a renewable resource can have a sustainable yield.

TYPES OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Renewable energy resources are natural resources that replenish themselves within time limits that permit sustained use, in contrast to nonrenewable resources. That is, resources can be replenished by natural process at least as fast as they are used. Therefore it can be used over and over again. Five types of renewable resources are: Wind Power, Hydropower, Solar Energy, Geothermal Energy, Biomass Fuel and Wood.Hydropower
Hydropower is the capture of the energy of moving water (falling of water from one level to another) for some useful purpose. This falling of water can be natural falling source or from a dam. The falling water is used to turn waterwheels or modern turbine blades which is used to powering a generator to produce electricity. Hydropower system is a clean source of energy systems that can neither be polluted or consumed during its operation. It eliminates the cost of fuel, making it immune to price increases for fossil fuels. As long there is a water source (lake, river etc.) it is renewable.Solar Energy
Solar energy is the energy from the sun ( in the form of heat and light) that is directly capture and converted into thermal or electrical energy and harnessed as solar power. Solar power is the technology of obtaining (harnessing) usable energy from the light of the sun. Some applications of solar energy are hot water heating and space heating in the home. It is also used in the application of solar panels where individual homes (in region where it is warm and sunny) convert solar energy into thermal energy to generate electricity.

The use of solar energy displaces conventional energy where it results in a proportional decrease in green house gas emissions. The energy from the sun is free with just the initial cost to set up the technology. The sun provides unlimited (renewable) supply of solar energy. The only draw back is that its requires a large area to collect the sun’s radiation and requires some means of storage.Wind Power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into electricity using wind turbines (usually mounted on a tower). Wind power is used in large scale wind farms for national electrical grids. On a small scale it is also used to provide electricity to rural residences. Wind energy is ample, free, widely available, clean, renewable, produces no waste or greenhouse gases, need no fuel, good method of supplying energy to remote areas and can be a site for tourist attraction.Biomass Fuel
Biomass Fuel (Biofuels) is any organic material produced by living organisms (plants, animals, or microorganisms) that can be burned directly as a heat source or converted into a liquid or gas. Some examples of biomass fuels are wood, crop residues, peat, manure, leaves, animal materials and other plant material.

There are two major sources of biomass;
i. trees, gains, sugar crops and oil-bearing plants.
ii. waste organic materials from industrial, commercial, domestic, or agricultural wastes. Examples, crop residues, animal wastes, garbage, and human sewage.

Biomass fuels (biofuels) are sustainable. It is cheap and is less demanding on the environment or Earth's resources. A major advantage of biomass fuel, is its low greenhouse gas emission characteristic where it adds less carbon to the environment when compared with burning fossil fuels. This is due to the fact that the carbon atoms released by burning biofuel already exists as part of the carbon cycle. Biomass absorbs an equal amount of carbon in growing as it releases when consumed as a fuel.

Fuel diversity is another advantage of biomass, it can be transformed into fuel in many ways such as in gasification, anaerobic digestion - fermentation of wet wastes (e.g. sugarcane or corn to produce alcohol (ethanol) and esters, and animal dung to produce biogas) and direct combustion - burning of dry organic wastes (e.g. wood and peat) just to name a few.

The use of biomass fuels can reduce dependence on foreign sources of oil whereby providing energy security for the country using it as a fuel. This will therefore promote an economic boost for both agriculture and the industry of that country. However, for it to be economical as a fuel for electricity, the source of biomass must be located near to where it is used for power generation.Geothermal Energy
Geothermal Energy is power generated by the harnessing of heat from the interior of the earth when it comes to (or close to) the earth’s surface. The regions with highest underground temperatures are in areas with active or geologically young volcanoes. Chief energy resources are hot dry rock, magma (molten rock), hydrothermal (water/steam from geysers and fissures) and geo-pressure (methane-saturated water under tremendous pressure at great depths).

There are several methods of deriving energy from the earth’s heat where the heat energy that is generated by converting hot water or steam from deep beneath the Earth’s surface is converted into electricity. This hot water or steam come from a mile or more beneath the earth surface. geothermal applications includes:

i. Geothermal Electricity Production - generating electricity from the earth's heat. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity.
ii. Geothermal Direct Use - Producing heat directly from hot water within the earth.
iii. Geothermal Heat Pumps - Using the shallow ground to heat and cool buildings.

NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Is a natural resource which cannot be produced, re-grown, regenerated, or reused on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate. These resources often exist in a fixed amount, or are consumed much faster than nature can recreate them. Fossil fuel (such as coal, petroleum  and natural gas) and nuclear power are examples. In contrast, resources such as timber (when harvested sustainably) or metals (which can be recycled) are considered renewable resources.

TYPES OF NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

• crude oil (petroleum)
• coal
• natural gas
• batteries (unless they’re rechargeable batteries)

Natural resources such as coal, petroleum, oil and natural gas take thousands of years to form naturally and cannot be replaced as fast as they are being consumed. Eventually natural resources will become too costly to harvest and humanity will need to find other sources of energy. At present, the main energy sources used by humans are non-renewable as they are cheap to produce natural resources, called renewable resources, are replaced by natural processes given a reasonable amount of time. Soil, water, forests, plants, and animals are all renewable resources as long as they are properly conserved. Solar, wind, wave, and geothermal energies are based on renewable resources. Renewable resources such as the movement of water (hydropower, including tidal power; ocean surface waves used for wave power), wind  (used for wind power), geothermal heat (used for geothermal power); and radiant energy (used for solar power) are practically infinite and cannot be depleted, unlike their non-renewable counterparts, which are likely to run out if not used wisely. Still, these technologies are not fully utilized.
 
sources:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-renewable_resource -
            en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_resource
            wiki.answers.com/.../What_are_four_types_of_non-renewable_natural_resources  -

Rapid Urbanization

Rapid Urbanization greatly affected the lives of the citizens during the Industrial Revolution (negatively). The results of rapid urbanization caused poor living conditions, such as, poorly made homes, no sewage system, small living space (due to families forced to live together), and pollution, which resulted in unsanitary health. These places are now known as 'slums'. 

Unemployment in thePhilippines

Unemployment has remained high in the Philippines, at almost twice the level of neighboring countries, despite relatively fast employment growth in the past decade. Employment growth was not sufficient to reduce unemployment because of rapid population growth and increased labor force participation. This paper shows that Philippine employment growth and unemployment declines were positively correlated with real GDP growth and, to a lesser extent, negatively with the real minimum wage. The key policy implications are that higher economic growth and moderation of increases in the real minimum wage are required to reduce unemployment.
		CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT

The more probable cause of unemployment in the philippines is the unavailability of jobs provided. With a growing population of about a 8 million, millions needed jobs and only few can sure provide one. The lack of investors and businesses that could provide good jobs for the Filipino people is one key factor in the growing unemployment in the Philippines.

But probably, one cause of unemployment in the Philippines may be lack of education. With the increasing demands of the fast developing world, it is really hard to fing jobs when you are not a graduate of a particular skill or course. Though Philippines is a literate country, its not enough to be able to reach the qualifications of most in-demand jobs because even mere salesladies nowadays are required to have atleat 1-2 years in college. We are facing a competitive world and its a must to reach the norms of development. Thus, a high educational attainment, which most Filipinos lack, is one way to uplift the unemployment rate of the country.

SOURCES::wiki.answers.com/.../What_causes_unemployment_in_the_Philippines  -
www.ilsdole.gov.ph/PAPs/ResCon/rcon_03ens3.htm -

sources:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_planning -