Volatility of Wheat Prices Connected to Global Warming

When you think of global warming, do you think to research the changes in wheat prices? I definitely did not connect the two initially, but my post about the Marmots rose a few questions in my head about crops. Obviously, if animals are being impacted by climate change, crops and farming will also be affected. I started to do a little research and found that droughts and floods have ultimately affected farming, and wheat farming specifically.

Experts argued that wheat prices were changing because of new Russian export policies which banned wheat exports. However, the evidence proves otherwise because there were droughts and floods across the world.

In Canada there were harvesting problems because of too much rain.

Conversely, Australia experienced a drought this year.

The United States had a plentiful harvest this year, but they do not know how much wheat they should plant for next year because of environmental uncertainties. Farmers need to be able to predict how much wheat to plant, and this planning is done after they determine demand. But demand is no longer easily determined because it is impossible to try to predict floods and droughts in other countries.

Ultimately, the only way to fix this problem would be to stop climate change. Too much, or too little, rain can be dealt with by farmers because they can plan for what they expect. However, if the environment reacts unexpectedly and floods it creates trouble for those farmers which planned for droughts.

New Prius!

The new Prius is absolutely beautiful and will prevent the earth from exploding in a few years! Get them while the Toyota deals are still hot!

Green Champagne?

My blog is about public transportation and its ties to global warming. However, I think that it is important to determine other culprits who are contributing to the problem. Champagne manufacturers are also responsible for emitting large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. Not only do they contribute to global warming when they ship bottles, but also through the production of their products.

Bottle shape is being altered in order to decrease carbon emissions from production and shipment.

Specifically, the glass of the bottle is becoming thinner, and the shoulders of the bottle slimmer. The new bottle weights 65 grams less than the old bottle. By making the glass thinner, it decreases the overall weight of the bottle. Making the shoulders slimmer also decreases the weight of the bottle.

A lighter bottle reduces both shipping costs and the amount of gasoline used during shipment. Reducing the amount of gasoline used during shipment ultimately reduces the carbon dioxide emissions, in turn helping the environment. Weight reduction decreased the carbon emissions by about seven percent for each bottle. Reducing weight also decreased the necessary number of delivery trucks because they could on average fit about 2,400 more bottles per truck.

Altering the shape of the bottle is not as simple as it sounds. Companies must first consider how a change in shape will affect the reputation of the champagne. Champagne has always been considered classy Will champagne in a plastic bottle or a box be considered cheaper, or of a lower quality? Will the taste be altered by a different bottle? They must also consider if the bottle is strong enough to withstand the pressure necessary to make champagne. Consequently, they couldn’t decrease the weight significantly.

Bruno Delhorbe is in charge of the change of the bottles, and he strongly emphasizes the fact that he has not decided to go green in order to improve the finances of the company, but instead to improve the environment for the future. There is only a 2-cent price difference between the two bottles, and it does not have a significant effect on profits and customer pricing. But Delhorbe really believes in conserving the environment, and hopes that future generations can continue to enjoy champagne for many years to come.

All in all, this plan is a great move for Champagne manufacturers. They reduce costs, are considered themselves a green company, and help out the environment all at once.

Animals Affected by Global Warming Too

Global warming has led to warmer temperatures in the Colorado Rockies—the place where many yellow-bellied marmots call home. A mere temperature increase shouldn’t affect the marmots too greatly, right? Wrong. The Colorado winters have been ending sooner, and it has impacted the hibernation schedule of the animals.

Now the marmots wake from hibernation as much as a month earlier than they did in 1976. Average weight of marmots has increased since the change to their hibernation schedule. This happens because with less time spent in hibernation, the animals spend more time eating and growing. Now, female marmots weight about a pound more than they did in 1976. You may be wondering how weight affects their lives? As a result of the weight gain, more marmots have the chance to survive hibernation. From 2000 to 2010 the marmot population has tripled because of the increased number surviving hibernation. Right now, the heat is helping the marmot population increase. However, it is important to consider the future. Will the continued heat increase negatively impact the marmots? Could there possibly be droughts that harm the marmots?
Not only is this telling for the future of the marmot population, but it also hints at the fact that our animal population could vastly change as a result of global warming. One animal that has been paid a lot of attention to because of global warming is the polar bear. In a few years, will the polar bear have a sustainable environment? Will they cease to exist?

Additionally, this article made me wonder about the future of crops and farming. Are we going to have to change our farming methods to comply with warmer temperatures? Are we going to continue planting the same crops, or do we need to genetically mutate some plants to survive the heat? Global warming definitely stands to significantly change our world if we do not do our part to slow its effects.

Save the Polar Bears!

Rapid ice melting in 2007 is ruining the polar bear's habitat. Mitigate the extinction of these beautiful creatures by taking the bus to work, biking to the grocery store, or walking to lunch. Do your part to help!

New Train: Culver City to Downtown LA

Los Angeles is taking one huge step towards resolving climate change by building a train near the USC area. The train is called the Expo train and will run from Culver City to downtown Los Angeles. Construction began on May 14, 2007. The train was built in an effort to reduce congestion on the I-10 freeway.

The construction of this train will allow many downtown commuters to leave their cars at home. Not only will this save a few bucks in gas, but it will also save the o-zone layer.  The only thing that remains untold is whether people will actually utilize the train accordingly.

For more information please visit their site.

Global Warming

I thought this was an adorable image of global warming, and couldn't resist sharing it with you guys. Please don't let the earth melt!

I hope you appreciated it as much as I did!

Saving Money = Saving the Environment

I recently read a shocking article which turns my research into something more quantitative. A male by the name of Mantill Williams crunched some numbers in order to report the annual savings of using public transit. Several factors affected the estimate of average savings including the average national gas price, average parking fees, and average public transit costs. The average gas price was determined, with a little help from AAA, to be $2.97 a gallon. The average cost for parking in a downtown business district was determined to be $154.23 a month. If you are doubting these figures, you can read more about the methodology here. If you are interested in calculating your potential personal savings you can visit the website.

New York had the highest savings with about $1,153 saved a month, and $13,839 saved a year. Ranking number 4 on the list is my hometown, Chicago with an average monthly savings of $964 and a yearly savings of $11,568. Number 8 in the list was Los Angeles (a city known for its packed freeways) with a monthly savings of $843 and a yearly savings of $10,111. Even the city with the lowest savings was still a significant amount of money per month. Pittsburgh had the lowest savings of $685 per month and $8,214 per year. I don’t know about you, but I could go on an impressive shopping spree with an extra $8,214 a year.

I think that these findings are very important because money is something which speaks to everyone in the world. Some people still debate the existence of global warming, while others do not think they have the power to significantly reduce America’s carbon footprint. Nevertheless, if people understand that public transit can reduce their travel costs, they will be much more receptive to altering their driving routine. If it is these findings and cost efficiency that influence people to reduce their carbon footprint, then so be it. The means of solving the issue are less important than the actual resolution of the problem of global warming.

How big is your carbon footprint?

Ever wondered what the size of your carbon footprint is? Fill in a few boxes on the carbon footprint calculator to find out whether you are helping or hurting the environment!

Global Warming: A Very Real Concern

While it can be frustrating to spend hours in Los Angeles traffic, it is not the issue which drives me to write this blog. Global warming is the real reason why Los Angeles and other cities need to renovate its public transportation system.

For those of who are unaware of global warming and climate change, I will explain the main points behind the argument. Global warming describes the, “gradual increase in temperature of the Earth’s surface that has worsened since the industrial revolution.” The temperature has risen in response to the gradual build up of greenhouse gases. These gases are byproducts of various human activities, the most significant of which is the burning of fossil fuels (i.e. gasoline).

While there have not been sufficient studies to prove causation between recent natural disasters and global warming, there is a strong correlation. Additionally, the numbers and frequency of natural disasters (and their strength) provide further evidence. From 1995-1999 33 hurricanes struck the Atlantic basin. Not only have the number of hurricanes increased over the years, they have also increased in intensity. All of this provides evidence for the existence of global warming. It is important that everyone do their part to mitigate global warming so that there will be an earth left for our children and grandchildren.

Introduction

When I learned that we would be writing a blog for my WRIT340 class, I immediately started to brainstorm topics. I considered just about everything including medicine, travel and real estate. I continued to brainstorm, and came to the conclusion that I should write about something that has affected me personally. While I have a great breadth of knowledge about travel and real estate, neither topic concerns me on a personal level. I continued to consider different blog topics before I finally decided to write about public transportation—a topic that I have had firsthand experience with.

I am a Chicago native and currently attend the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. I am one of the few students without a car. As a result, I have had to utilize public transportation regularly. I quickly learned that there is a reason why everyone in Los Angeles drives. During one of my travels on the Metro, I discovered that the Los Angeles area is in need of a public transportation makeover. An advanced city needs to be outfitted with advanced mass transit. Through this blog I plan to discuss the many faults, issues, solutions, and overall lack of public transportation in Los Angeles. I also plan to look to other cities, and even countries, to learn more about effective public transit. Hopefully Los Angeles officials will read my blog, and try to mend the situation accordingly.

In addition to discussing public transportation, I would like to discuss global warming. Unless you have remained ignorant to the news, you know that global warming is a new phenomenon that is slowly affecting the earth's climate. Not only is the climate changing, but storms are becoming more volatile and the earth is becoming a less desirable place to live. In order to preserve this world for our children and grandchildren, it is necessary that we take steps to mitigate global warming. The easiest step in the right direction can be taken through the use of public transit.  

If nothing more, I hope that you enjoy my blog and can also learn a little bit about public transit and global warming.