The story of Citizens united Vs. F.E.S

The Story of cosmetics.

This video shows how the companies that provide the average 12 products for women
(per day) and the average 6 products that men use in a day are Loaded with toxic chemicals, and what we can do to stop them. By following a simple rule :

Coyotes in Nova Scotia

Coyotes are permanent residents in Nova Scotia, so seeing or hearing them from time to time is not unusual. They have become part of the ecosystem as a top-line predator. Nocturnal by nature, coyotes tend to be most active and vocal at night.

Coyotes are normally shy and fearful of people. When this behaviour changes and they lose that fear, there is cause for concern. A coyote's loss of fear of people, called habituation, is nearly always caused by direct or indirect feeding by people, or by the presence of nonthreatening humans in coyote habitat. 


Eastern Coyote Profile:

Behaviour
• Nocturnal; most active and vocal at night
• High-pitched yelps, barks, and howls
• Normally shy of people

Territory
• Almost anywhere in Nova Scotia; year-round
• Territory ranges from 24 to 48 km² (9 to 18 sq. mi.)

Appearance
• Average size of 15 kg (34 lbs)
• Males can reach more than 23 kg (50 lbs)
• Tawny, grey, or black fur with long black guard hairs; thick fur makes them look large
• Muzzle, throat, legs, and belly colour ranges from yellowish to white

Mating/Raising Young
• Mate from January to March
• Five to seven pups born between April and May

Diet
• Carnivores, but will eat anything available including:
  -small mammals, rodents, and snowshoe hare
  -carrion (decaying carcasses)
  -berries and fallen tree fruit
  -garbage and compost
  -deer, fawns, sheep, and lambs
  -feral and pet cats, dogs
• Usually hunt alone or in pairs, occasionally in small family groups

Coyote Facts:

                                                                 


I've heard that the coyotes found here are as big as wolves, or a German shepherd?
The average Eastern coyote in Nova Scotia is about 15 kg (34 lbs) with some males reaching 23 kg (50 lbs.). This is about twice the size of coyotes found in southwestern USA. This larger size has been attributed to past interbreeding with wolves, as coyotes spread northward and eastward across the continent. Today, the coyotes found here are considerably smaller than wolves. In terms of dogs, they're about the size of a border collie or approximately 61 cm (24 in.) at the shoulder. 

Weren't coyotes brought into Nova Scotia by people? 
No. Their arrival here was part of a natural range expansion that began in the southwestern United States in the late 1800's due to pressures on their traditional habitat caused by land clearing and development. The first coyotes in Maritimes travelled here from Ontario, Quebec, New England. They eventually reached Cape Breton by crossing the ice-covered Canso Strait.

Are there wolf/coyote crossbreeds in Nova Scotia?
It is highly unlikely. It appears that interbreeding with wolves was in the past and that the Eastern coyote is now genetically distinct.

What about coyote/dog crosses, or coydogs?
There were reports of coyote/dog crosses during the initial stages of range expansion across the continent. Today the likelihood of successful coyote/dog crosses is remote. As young would be born mid-winter, their likelihood of survival would be low, and unlike wild dogs, male domestic dogs do not help provide food for the young.

How can I tell if what I'm seeing is a coyote or a fox?
Coyotes typically have a tawny, grey or black coat with long black guard hairs. The hair on the muzzle, throat, legs and belly usually ranges from yellowish to white.

Foxes are smaller and typically about 46 cm (18 in.) at the shoulder. A fox is often recognized by its red coat, although they can be grey or tawny as well. Foxes have a white chest patch. The foot and leg hair is dark giving a sooty look. See visually the size of coyotes.

Is it more common to see coyotes during the winter?
Yes, late winter is the breeding season and their activity increases. If natural food sources are unavailable, coyotes may become more active in search of food. Snow and the lack of leaf cover also make coyotes more visible, while heavy snow may encourage travel on or near roads.

Don't coyotes hunt in large packs?
Coyotes may hunt alone, in pairs, or family units. Family units often occur in the fall or early winter as an adult pair teaches their young to hunt.

Is it true that female coyotes can have super-sized litters to compensate for population losses due to hunting and trapping?
In Nova Scotia the average litter is five to seven pups. Our records show a low of two, and a high of ten, pups per litter. If the coyote population goes down there will be less competition for food and as a result females will be in better condition and the litter survival rate may increase, but there is no evidence that a female can somehow control the size of her litters.

Why is the population of coyotes in Nova Scotia increasing?
The population of coyotes in the province is actually fairly stable. There are slight variations often dependent on the amount of trapping activity as well as availability of traditional food sources.

                                                         


Why are coyotes also found in urban areas? Have we invaded their home?
As coyotes are a relatively new species to Nova Scotia, we have not invaded their traditional home. Coyotes are very adaptable opportunists and will live in and near human settlements, and take advantage of any food sources found there. Does the provincial government trap nuisance coyotes when people lose pets? No, but your local Department of Natural Resources office can provide a list of nuisance wildlife operators who are available for hire to capture animals that come into conflict with humans. Why do we have a pelt-incentive program instead of a bounty? The pelt-incentive program was put in place to increase trapper participation and thus have more coyotes harvested. Increased trapping can also affect coyote behaviour causing animals to fear and avoid humans. This is different from a bounty, which is a broad-scale price put on the target species to promote killing by anyone at anytime.

Isn't there some way to get rid of coyotes once and for all?
No. The Eastern coyote is a permanent year-round resident in Nova Scotia. Even a full scale bounty would have only a temporary effect on reducing coyote numbers. The best measure we can take is to Keep Coyotes Wild by not willingly or inadvertently providing food sources for them. This will help preserve their normal behaviour of avoiding people and places of human settlement.

-Sana

Global Warming, what is it?

GLOBAL WARMING CAN BE FRAMED AS HUMANS VS. FORCES OF NATURE
1. the most talked about problems:
 Increasing drought
 Rising sea level
 Pole ward movement of tropical diseases
 Increasing frequency of extreme weather
2. The majority of scientists view the evidence as telling us that global
warming is real and the effect is accelerating.


EVIDENCE - ICE
In the last 100 years global average temperature has risen 1
o
F – a huge
amount for a global average.
In the arctic and antarctic the temperature rise is greater (as climate
models predict) and in the past 50 years amounts to 4
o
 to 7
o
F.
Arctic – Arctic Ocean sea ice is
 Forming later  Melting earlier
 Covers less area and
 Is thinner
Antarctic - Ice Shelves are disintegrating
 Jan to Mar 2002 – Larsen Ice Shelf, a floating slab of ice the size of
Rhode Island disintegrated. See images below and check out the links:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Study/LarsenIceShelf/
http://web.pdx.edu/~chulbe/science/Larsen/larsen2002.html
In Africa Mt. Kilimanjaro will soon be ice free and glaciers in the Swiss Alps
are retreating rapidly. EVIDENCE – ATMOSPHERIC CIRCULATION
The major circulation systems of Earth are migrating and as a result
climates are changing and may be destabilizing threatening to change
agricultural productivity.
Drought prone areas like the Great Plains of the U.S. will become drier
(warmer weather means more evaporation)
Flood prone areas will get more precipitation
(the evaporated water has to go somewhere and it will be released by more
intense lift in areas where it rains)
Evidence indicates that this is happening now.


A WAY TO LOOK AT GLOBAL WARMING IS:
Ancient sunlight vs. current sunlight – ancient sunlight refers to energy
stored in fossil fuels (thus ancient sunlight) in the form of hydrocarbons.
When used these fuels release carbon to the environment and increase CO2
in the system.
Increased CO2 will affect:
 Photosynthesis
 Blood chemistry
 Ocean acidity and of course the
 Greenhouse effect
 Soil chemistry – nitrogen from fossil fuels fertilizes soil micro
organisms which then emit even more CO2



THE BIGGEST PLAYERS IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE:
China and India with:
 Large populations and
 An increasing standard of living
 = INCREASED GREENHOUSE EMISSIONS Increasing World Population:
 As many as 9.3 billion people by 2050


EVIDENCE – HEALTH EFFECTS
The CO2 fertilization to date has lead to an increase of 9% in plant growth
and a 61% increase in pollen production->allergy increase.
Henta virus and West Nile virus (spread by mosquitoes).
Insect infestations will increase – bark beetles in Alaska – not in the film.



THE INVESTIGATION
Sea temperatures are warming and that means:
1. more energy for hurricanes
2. more heat to melt ice leading to
a. more fresh water in the polar oceans – decrease of the
circulation of the conveyor belt – may have been a factor in
the Little Ice Age.
b. less albedo from less ice – positive feedback
c. increasing sea level
3. water will expand and sea level will rise from this too
4. Less dissolved CO2 in the warmer water so even more in the
atmosphere.
El Niño frequency may increase]
Barrier islands may disappear (they already have in many areas south
of New Orleans even pre-Katrina).
The situation
1. Climate will be more variable = less reliable harvests
2. Food need will be greater = more hunger 3. Civilization may be destabilized = remember the Little Ice Age and
the French Revolution.


THE NEXT STEPS: HOW DO WE CLEAN UP OUR ACT?
More reliance on current sunshine – solar energy alternatives - in one
day the sun sends the equivalent of 27 years of energy for all Earth
uses. In some areas you can sell power back to the energy company.
Clean coal – less particulate by still a great deal of CO2
Wind power – wind farms
Bio-diesel
Hybrid technology (then hydrogen fuel cells)
Use of landfill methane
Energy efficient homes
Agriculture = hybrid crops that create more biomass and thus remove
carbon from the system.
Pump CO2 into the ground.
OLD WAY OF THINKING = CONSERVATION AND NEW
TECHNOLOGY THREATENS JOBS.
NEW WAY OF THINKING – NEW TECHNOLOGY CREATES JOBS

10 ways to save the world before you die

1. Save energy to save money.
   
   
   • Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
   • Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
   • Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.
   • Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
   • Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.
2. Save water to save money.
   • Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.
   • Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.
   • Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
   • Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.
   
   
3. Less gas = more money (and better health!).
   
   
   • Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.
   • Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.
   • Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.
   
   
4. Eat smart.
   • If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.
   • Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmerskeeps money in the local economy.
   • Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.
   • Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain . This is especially true for seafood.
   
   
5. Skip the bottled water.
   
   
   • Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but itgenerates large amounts of container waste.
   • Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.
   • Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.
   
   
6. Think before you buy.
   
    
   • Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or FreeSharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.
   • Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.
   • When making purchases, make sure you know what's "Good Stuff" and what isn't.
   • Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.
   
   
7. Borrow instead of buying.
   • Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.
   • Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage.
   
   
8. Buy smart.
   
   
   • Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.
   • Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.
   • Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).
   
   
9. Keep electronics out of the trash.
   • Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
   • Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.
   • Recycle your cell phone.
   • Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event.
   
   
10. Make your own cleaning supplies.
    • 
       The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.
    • Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.
11. Bonus Item!
• Stay informed about going green. 

-Sana