Pebble Mine Project - Bristol Bay, Alaska

The Pebble Mine Project of Bristol Bay, Alaska is a projected mining activity that is possibly undergoing its coming about into the world. It is in a remote area, near the headwaters to tributaries of both the Nushagak and Kvichak rivers. This project is currently being debated over as to whether or not it should exist. The Pebble Mine Project of Bristol Bay, Alaska would inevitably become the largest open pit copper and gold mine in the world! Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) is the developer of the proposed mine project. This project would mine minerals such as copper, gold, molybdenum, pyrite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite and bornite along with certain amounts of covellite, chalcocite, digenite and magnetite. However, it mostly contains low-grade ore. Mine officials have reported that the minerals involved in this project are worth over $400 billion dollars! Many of these listed minerals are/ will be used in today's society. For example, copper is in high demand because it is a good conductor of electricity and will allow us to compete with the world's desire for more electronic machines. Copper is very significant in today's society because it accounts for a large percentage of modern technology. Without copper, we would has to resort to aluminum which doesn't really give us our "bang for our buck" and in turn, won't allow our technology to advance so rapidly and steadily. Also, gold itself is used in today's society for mostly personal uses. The rare-ness and quality of gold has enabled humans to long for it and create a strong demand for the mineral. By mining gold, there is lots of profit being made, which is the PLP's driving force for operating this mine project. 

 Mining is the process of extracting ores from a mine. Our group got picked to research about the Pebble Mine Project in Bristol Bay, Alaska. A mine isn't just set up right of way there is testing and data that needs to happen in order to determine if it will degrade the environment and how it will effect the people around it. A lot of mining corporations only focus on the economic benefits and don't see all the issues that will come about from the mine. Luckily the Environmental Protection Agency has a say in permitting the organization to develop a mine in a specific location. This has come in handy with the Pebble Mine, because the EPA will not permit them unless they prove that the mine will not effect the environment. 

At the Pebble Mine, the extraction and processing they want to do is pretty similar to other existing mines. Because the groundwater around the area is so free it runs from stream to stream making it very prone to pollution from toxins. The mine wants to have dewatering streams for the pit so they can recycle the water back in. They would need to take all the toxin out that gets in somehow in order to prevent copper toxin. The steps the miners want to do to extract copper and gold are, blast the bed rock, hallow the ore, then put it into a series of crushers that grind the rock in sandy patterns, then this causes the liquid to separate the metal from the ore, forming a copper concentrate. The copper would then be transported over 100 miles with a pipeline and shipped to smelters. This process could produce 10 billion tons of waste, which would need to be stored and monitored for forever, and it would cover a shocking 29 to 30 miles. Once the ore in the extraction is processed, it is stored in tailing's that are stored behind massive dams.

The result of tailing's and the process of extraction could be very degrading. Tailing's cause an individual problem right of way on its own. The by product of tailing's is sulfide iron and cyonide heap leaching. These sulfide minerals are called pirite. If the pirite messes with oxygen and water it will break down into weak sulfuric acid. Metals that are in a solution are called acid mine drainage. This acid pollutes all the water and can devastate the rivers, streams, and aquatic life for so long. The fish are prone to being poisoned, which will result in them dying. If so many are effected the whole population of fish could decrease and would hurt the ecosystem. 

From all of the degradation and pollution going on there would be A LOT of loss in species diversity. Pebble mine is right next to the last greatest wild sockeye of salmon fishery, where you can find up to 60 million salmon just in one spawning event. They are also easily sustained which means you can catch more.

These salmon are the main food source not just only for the human life in Bristol Bay but for all the wildlife. They pretty much feed the food web, meaning they have the whole ecosystem under control. There is about 28 miles of salmon in the streams. That is so much and with the little baby salmon in smaller lakes growing they would die off very quickly if this mine was to pass. The water would become all toxic from the pollution, causing the degradation of the different aquatic life. The protection of the the biodiversity would be totally let down with that toxins being uncontrollable. If the trailing;s were to leach out waste, the whole water system would be messed up. It would take so long to regain everything the Bay has. Without the salmon people would starve and so would the other animals. People would then not even have the other animals to rely on and the animals wouldn't

get to rely on each other. This unique functioning ecosystem should not be disturbed by a mine that could potentially destroy the whole lifestyle of this bay.

 As for the restoration/reclamation, if the Pebble Project does go through the U.S EPA has made sure to acknowledge the possible technologies that could help to protect the area such as to help waste water, to help with management, discharge, and to help prevent or minimize water quality impacts. Other options such as providing new habitats and improving the passages for the fish. Beaver dam removal would be ideal for the improvement of the passages.

 

 

 

Salmon in Bristol Bay is a big part of the food chain with grizzlies.

 

 

 

 

With the Pebble Mine Project, there are many relevant environmental laws that complicate and come into play withe the project. In section 404 of the Clean Water Act, it authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to "protect rivers and wetlands that are important to for fish spawning and wildlife habitat." Other areas like Bristol Bay that are extremely important use this protection to keep these important places pristine. Specifically in Bristol Bay, their salmon fisheries are greatly relied on for the economy and for social, cultural and ecological aspects. The National Environmental Policy Act also comes into play in section 404 of the Clean Water Act. NEPA, "requires the completion of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for major federal actions that may significantly affect the environment." When the EIS discovers the impact the Pebble Project is going to have on the waters, ecosystems and the environment around Bristol Bay, it will likely be triggered. The Pebble Mine project also interferes with section 7 of the endangered species act. This section requires them to consult with National Marine Fisheries Services and/or The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service to perform a biological assessment, if that assessment finds the project can threaten species and habitats there would be an issue and the project wouldn't likely move forward. With this project affecting the waters and habitats of these salmon fish, it would not be possible for it to move forward.

 Economically, the salmon fisheries set up a $300 million dollar economy and has been the livelihood of many Alaskans to this day. Overtime the mine could have a huge impact on the commercial fisheries the salmon provide. The area provides, "millions of dollars in jobs and food resources for Alaska Native Villages and commercial fishermen." Socially this could harm a lot of small business and people of the smaller villages who rely on the salmon pretty heavily.

An example of one of these small businesses is, Mark Palmer, President & CEO, Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Seattle, Washington. Many of the jobs at Ocean Beauty are directly tied to "processing, canning, warehousing and delivering Bristol Bay sockeye salmon." There are many other companies like this who are tied to the fish of Bristol Bay, taking it away would also be harming all of these industries and businesses.

Works Cited: 

"2013 Bristol Bay Economic Report." Commercial Fishermen For Bristol Bay. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

"EPA Puts a Halt to Pebble Mine Project in Bristol Bay, Alaska." Triple Pundit RSS. Triple Pundit, 02 Mar. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

"Save Bristol Bay." Save Bristol Bay. Trout Unlimited, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

Snyder, Samuel. "Controversy in Bristol Bay: Coexistence, Mitigation, and Common Ground Over the Pebble Mine." Environment Magazine -. Environtment, Sept.-Oct. 2014. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

Alaska Gold. Perf. Frontline. Alaska Gold. PBS, 24 July 2012. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.

"Bristol Bay  ." Alaska Conservation Foundation Bristol Bay Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

"EARTHWORKS." EARTHWORKS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

 "Judge Halts Pebble Mine." Fly Fishing | Blog | Photos | Podcasts | Travel | Gear | and More - Moldy Chum. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

"Minera San Cristobal." Minera San Cristbal SA RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015.

"The Pebble Mine Report." Pebble Mine. Wild Salmon Center, n.d. Web. 09 Mar. 2015. 
  
"The Pebble Mine Report." Pebble Mine. History Bean, 4 Aug. 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2015. <http://www.wildsalmoncenter.org/programs/north_america/pebblemine.php>.

Biodiversity Hotspots: New Caledonia

Biodiversity can be defined as variety of life in a particular habitat, ecosystem or part of the world. The biodiversity hotspot I chose to research about is New Caledonia. New Caledonia is considered a biodiversity hotspot because even though it is smaller then other hot spots, it is extremely diverse and greatly supports endemism. New Caledonia is a series of islands located in the South Pacific.

New Caledonia is a terrestrial biome with tropical and subtropical dry broad lead forests; tropical dry forest. It has an Marine ecosystem because it is an island, coral reefs play a big role in the ecosystem.

New Caledonia has a high level of net primary productivity, 7,600 kcal/m2/year.

With the great diversity the species living on the island contribute to the ecosystem. There is commercial fishery, underwater tourism, protection against waves as well as, bringing research and education about species. Within the small island there is a lot of ecological biodiversity. The humid forests have the most biodiversity on the island but has decreased tremendously. As the island was once 70% covered by these forests but is now only 22% covered by them. Maquis, dry dense shrubs cover 89% of New Caledonia. Dry Forests are also a part of the island but there is only 2% of the original forest remaining. The freshwater marshes are located at the southern end of the island, the rarest conifer forests are found to grow here. Mangrove swamps make up 80% of the costal line. These swamps have estuaries and lagoons with high biodiversity. They also protect the island from waves and saltwater. As far as species go, New Caledonia has a wide variety of rare birds, fish, invertebrates, reptiles, mammals and plant species.

Crow Honeyeater bird in New Caledonia.

The environmental degradation threatening this hotspot is nickel mining, bush fires, logging, hunting and illegal collection of animals and alien invasive species. The nickel mining has caused the most damage as it leads to forestation and habitat destruction. The erosion from the mining devastated areas caused siltation and destruction of streams and offshore coral areas. Alien invasive species such as, ship rats, fire ants and Indonesian deer destroy the ecosystem and species. Cultural influences in New Caledonia are that it is a small isolated island making it extremely vulnerable for introduced species to take over.  These new species impact the native species creating a decrease. As for political influences, the population density has increased by 2.3% as in 1995 it was about 30 per kilometer. A very large decrease is very bad for the hotpot. More trees and habitats being cut down/lost creates an increase in extinction. Degradtion will increase as the ecosystems become more controlled by humans. Human activities has reduced the original vegetation by 75%. Economically open cast miners have been scraping out soil creating a dramatic issue. Resulting from the soil erosion then led to metal-rich sediment transport downstream into rivers and the lagoon. As for the global economic influences, deforestation from logging, mining, uncontrolled fires and tourism all increase pressure on the ecosystem. All of these activities are putting the habitats into danger which put stresses to keep up the ecosystem.
As for extinct/endangered species, New Caledonia doesn't have to many as of right now. The New Caledonian Loriket went extinct in 1913 as well as the New Caledonian Rail in the 20th century. Both part of the vast variety of birds. The phoboscincus bocourti is a lizard that was discovered by a single man in 1870 but then was never seen again and was presumed to be extinct. In 2003, this species was rediscovered but there are not many. The New Caledonian imperial pigeon is on the endangered list in New Caledonia due to habitat loss.

New Caledonian Imperial Pigeon

 To help the ecosystem be restored there have been some different types of conservations being implemented. The ICUN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) plans and manages decisions on the land. Assessments are used to list protected spevies, population size, growth rate, population fluctations, habitat fragmentation, and range size. Since this plan has appeared very time consuming and sometimes the data not there to assess, there is another conservation called the Narrow Endemic Species (NES). Here, people distribute the narrow endemic species to see where the issues are directly coming from. NES assessment can help with more detailed looks at individual species. 
Although New Caledonia is one of the smallest hotspots there is, it has one of the most varied plant and animal species. Many of the plants and birds found here are the only ones on Earth, some of the rarest and most incredible. The hotspot has been threatened greatly by mining, logging, fires, hunting as well as invasive species. Human activities have also been contributing by degrading the habitats putting the species in great danger. From the research I have done, the ecosystem included with this island has a lot of benefits as well as carrying some of the rarest species. Therefore, New Caledonia should be known about and we should be able to take action to protect is. 

                                                                                                                                                              


"Surfbirds Birding Trip Report: New Caledonia: The Quest for Kagu Wth Tropical Birding - 4th - 8th July 2007." Surfbirds Birding Trip Report: New Caledonia: The Quest for Kagu Wth Tropical Birding - 4th - 8th July 2007. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.

"New Caledonian Imperial Pigeon (Ducula Goliath)." ZooChat RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.

"EIC Conservation Database." EIC Conservation Database. EIC, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.

International, C. (2011). Biological diversity in New Caledonia. Retrieved from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150626 

"Conservation Priorities in a Biodiversity Hotspot: Analysis of Narrow Endemic Plant Species in New Caledonia." PLOS ONE:. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2014.

Learning About Food Webs and Energy Pyramids Summary

     Food Webs and Energy Pyramids

     During this activity I learned about food webs and energy pyramids. Food webs can be defined as multiple food chains interacting with each other creating a complex set of relationships. These food webs "give ecologists a picture of how energy and materials move through a community."(Learning About Food Webs and Energy Pyramids). Ecologists use energy pyramids to show the flow of energy from one organism to the next.
From this activity I was able to recognize how the energy pyramid works and how food webs can visualize energy flows explained in the pyramid. The pyramid starts with base of producers who get their food from solar energy such as plants. Each level of the pyramid can be called a trophic level. The primary consumer that eats the plant only receives a small portion of the original energy. The secondary consumer eating the primary consumer then gets an even smaller portion of the original energy and so on. Each trophic level gets a smaller fraction of energy each time, this is the reason there are not many carnivores as there are primary and secondary consumers. "By the time the top level is reached, the supply of remaining energy has become quite small indeed."(Learning About Food Webs and Energy Pyramids).

     Each member of my group created a food chain out of cards containing a producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer and a decomposer. Decomposers are at the top because they break down the tissues of nonliving/living organisms. Putting them together we were able to create a food web that shows the interactions. You are able to see here the many interactions organisms have with each other and the different ways animals can get their energy. Many of the tertiary consumers eat many organisms from different trophic levels and from different food chains.

      The type of biome my food web represents is a semi-arid desert. The soil has good drainage that supports larger root systems and also supports a wider variety of animals and plants. A semi-desert biome is presumed to have organisms such as insects, skunks, coyotes, squirrels and a wide variety of plants. While not every specie above is said by fact to be in a semi arid desert, all of the organisms fit within this biome pretty easily.



References
Frey Scientific. Environmental Issues and Solutions Module Curriculum Guide. Nashua, New Hampshire: Frey Scientific, 2013. Print

Ecological Footprint Summary

Through out the Ecological Footprint Web Activity you discover what an Ecological Footprint is as well as al the factors that come with it. First, an ecological footprint is the measure of biologically productive land and water (biocapacity) needed to provide people in a region with indefinite supply of renewable resources as well as to absorb recycle wastes and pollution. I was able to explore Ecological footprints of different parts of the world. In the United States, it takes about a year and a half to generate! Looking at the picture to the right, we can also see two possible scenarios for the year 2050.

During this activity I was also able to look at the trends of biocapacity and the ecological footprint over several years in different regions. Since 1961, the biocapacity has decreased. From this we can infer that we consume way more then we produce.

To get an even greater understanding of the ecological footprint I was able to calculate my own ecological footprint. My ecological footprint according to the number of earths was 4.6. It was surprising and interesting to see because I was able to see how many resources I actually use. My use of services was 44%, food resources was 19%, shelter was 8%, mobility was 17% and goods was 13%.

Once I received this information I went back and changed the mobility, if I were to use the bus more instead of driving a car the amount of earths drops to 4.3 and that is only a slight change. I found this very interesting because small changed can really make a change in how long it takes to renew these resources.

Overall throughout this activity I was able to get a deeper understanding of what the ecological footprint is!