Bored? Here's something that won't add to your life. School. Find it a bore? Maybe that's how I feel. Mentioning the word boring, there was an incident which caused me unduly worry.
Recess was just over. I had got back to my seat, gulping down huge amounts of oxygen adn water at simultaneously. Out of the blue, when our chinese teacher, Ms Ng, arrived, a student complained that his pet hamster was missing and said that I had allegedly took them. What? I couldn't believe my ears. Me. A pet stealer. Wow.
Upon hearing his false accusation, I stood up and declaimed against this injustice. Despite all his words, I still persevered that I didn't take his hamsters. In a moment of anger, I blurted out, "Yeah, I am culpable for the liquidation of your hamsters. Happy now?"
Suddenly, I heard a squeak from that student's bag. No wonder.
Tuesday 29 January 2008
Monday 21 January 2008
Term1 Week4 Journal Entry
What a bad day. It all started with getting up late and now this. Dan was starting to get on my nerves. He kept nettling me by throwing stapler bullets at my head. What a nuisance. But, what could i do? He was infamous for his notorious acts around school. None of the teachers dared to reprimand him.
He always was biased, only targeting me. What wrong did I do to desreve this? He would always inveigh me with loads of vulgarities. Only after school I could escape his clutches by scurrying through the mammoth throng of students.
What a really bad day. =(
He always was biased, only targeting me. What wrong did I do to desreve this? He would always inveigh me with loads of vulgarities. Only after school I could escape his clutches by scurrying through the mammoth throng of students.
What a really bad day. =(
Friday 18 January 2008
Term1 Week3 Journal Entry
It was yet another period of mathematics. I couldnt help but give out a huge sigh. I looked at the clock. 10.35am. I stared out the window, thinking: it seemed like eternity for school to end, while also trying to solve the cryptic maths problem.
The bell rang. I looked at the clock again. 10.45am. I looked at my table and suddenly remebered that I left my physics textbook in the lab! Worried, I importuned our maths techer, Miss Tan to let me retrieve it, which eventuated in me being late for the next lesson.
Our chemistry teacher, Mr Tay, then asked me why i was late, and i came up with an excuse that i forgot my maths stuff. Mr Tay then told me the incontrovertible fact that my maths stuff were right on my desk. An expression of embarrassment came over my face.
The next thing i knew, laughter permeated the classroom.
The bell rang. I looked at the clock again. 10.45am. I looked at my table and suddenly remebered that I left my physics textbook in the lab! Worried, I importuned our maths techer, Miss Tan to let me retrieve it, which eventuated in me being late for the next lesson.
Our chemistry teacher, Mr Tay, then asked me why i was late, and i came up with an excuse that i forgot my maths stuff. Mr Tay then told me the incontrovertible fact that my maths stuff were right on my desk. An expression of embarrassment came over my face.
The next thing i knew, laughter permeated the classroom.
Term1 Week2 Journal Entry
In the past, whenever i made many mistakes in my science homework, i was doomed. The teacher always asks me to attend sporadic remedials for about an hour. Although i knew that remedials was for my own good, i wasn’t as zealous as some other students.
During the remedials, all the teacher talked was the same topic over and over again. I tried to keep myself awake and pay attention. However, my efforts were fruitless. As time elapsed, i woke up, noticing that the other students were giggling away. What had happened? I looked around, garbled, only to see the teacher looking disgusted.
I had left a small puddle of saliva on the table.
( This is a made up story. -_-”)
During the remedials, all the teacher talked was the same topic over and over again. I tried to keep myself awake and pay attention. However, my efforts were fruitless. As time elapsed, i woke up, noticing that the other students were giggling away. What had happened? I looked around, garbled, only to see the teacher looking disgusted.
I had left a small puddle of saliva on the table.
( This is a made up story. -_-”)
Feature Article
Topic: Marine Life
The ocean is just so beautiful.
Have you ever been to someplace to awe at the amazing world of the sea? I bet some of you did. In the past, many sea creatures used to roam around freely in the ocean, without a care in the world. It wasnt until humans started living, that some of these precious species of marine life are threatened or endangered.
Until recently, humankind seemed to view the ocean as a source of infinite resources. Its vast size and depth and unexplored frontiers made the ocean appear invulnerable to overexploitation. The truth is that the populations of many species are decreasing at an unsustainable rate, and the number of species listed as endangered from marine life families such as whales, dolphins, manatees and dugongs, salmon, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks to name a few, are on the rise. Although it is difficult to perceive because marine life is not as visible as animals on land, it is equally if not more vulnerable to problems such as habitat destruction and overexploitation. Shallow water animals that breathe air, like turtles, manatees (dugongs), and whales are often hit by boats and caught in fishing gear. Species such as turtles that lay their eggs on land often lose their nurseries due to coastal development. Animals that have taken millions of years to evolve, that are invaluable to the ecosystem, have vanished from places were they once flourished.
Why are these animal species decreasing so fast?
Habitat destruction is a huge problem in the marine environment. Habitats are destroyed by:
Destructive fishing activity: bottom trawling and dynamiting coral reefs destroy entire ecosystems.
Coastal development: habitats are destroyed when marshes are dredged for real estate development. Soil runoff and erosion result in excess nutrients from fertilizers and domestic sewage, which then leads to harmful algae blooms that block sunlight and deplete the water of oxygen. It also causes silt to build-up on coral reefs, which blocks sunlight necessary for coral to grow.
Pollution: development near coastal waters contaminates the Ocean with toxic substances, such as industrial chemicals, pesticides, and motor oil.
Dredging ship channels: Removes accumulated sediment and pollutants re-suspending them into the water. Dredging can also destroy sea grass beds and other habitats that provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds. The dredged material must be disposed of, and is often dumped into salt marshes damaging a very productive marine habitat.
How can we help to keep these species alive?
Marine Protected Areas : marine sites such as sanctuaries, fisheries management areas, state conservation areas, and wildlife refuges established to protect habitats, endangered species, and to restore the health of marine ecosystems in areas jeopardized by habitat and species loss.
Examples: NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries: USA
Marine Reserves: marine sites that provide a higher degree of ecosystem protection by prohibiting fishing, mineral extraction, and other habitat-altering activities. Marine Reserves are far more effective than MPAs, but unfortunately they are not as common.
See: Roberts, C.M. and J.P. Hawkins. 2000. Fully-protected marine reserves: a guide. (PDF: 6.62MB) WWF Endangered Seas Campaign, 1250 24th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA and Environment Department, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
Example: Marine Reserves in New Zealand
Land use and development regulation: An integrated approach to land use and management based on scientific knowledge is needed to protect coastal areas. Policy makers need to be informed on the impact coastal development is having on marine habitats through accessible and evidence-based information.
Monitoring and reporting: some conservation efforts are empowering the citizens with the responsibility for monitoring water quality in their coastal communities through sampling and testing, photographing fouled areas, and providing information to local policy makers for action.
Zoning: related to integrated land use and development management, zoning coastal areas into MPAs, Marine Reserves, approved fishing areas, with varying levels of use has the potential to slow some of the habitat degradation caused by development. The Great Barrier Reef is managed in this way. Through cooperation among local, state, and national governments, this approach may provide a viable solution to all stakeholders from tourists, to the fishing industry, to conservation efforts etc.
Although habitat destruction has been increasing for many years, the protection of marine habitats has only recently become an issue of critical importance to conservation efforts, local and national governments, and international marine conservation groups. The Ocean’s invulnerability to human activity is now being realized as a myth. Coastal regions are still experiencing intense pressure by exploding coastal populations; however there are solutions at hand to prevent further damage from occurring.
Sources
www.marinebio.com, www.yahoo.com
The ocean is just so beautiful.
Have you ever been to someplace to awe at the amazing world of the sea? I bet some of you did. In the past, many sea creatures used to roam around freely in the ocean, without a care in the world. It wasnt until humans started living, that some of these precious species of marine life are threatened or endangered.
Until recently, humankind seemed to view the ocean as a source of infinite resources. Its vast size and depth and unexplored frontiers made the ocean appear invulnerable to overexploitation. The truth is that the populations of many species are decreasing at an unsustainable rate, and the number of species listed as endangered from marine life families such as whales, dolphins, manatees and dugongs, salmon, seabirds, sea turtles, and sharks to name a few, are on the rise. Although it is difficult to perceive because marine life is not as visible as animals on land, it is equally if not more vulnerable to problems such as habitat destruction and overexploitation. Shallow water animals that breathe air, like turtles, manatees (dugongs), and whales are often hit by boats and caught in fishing gear. Species such as turtles that lay their eggs on land often lose their nurseries due to coastal development. Animals that have taken millions of years to evolve, that are invaluable to the ecosystem, have vanished from places were they once flourished.
Why are these animal species decreasing so fast?
Habitat destruction is a huge problem in the marine environment. Habitats are destroyed by:
Destructive fishing activity: bottom trawling and dynamiting coral reefs destroy entire ecosystems.
Coastal development: habitats are destroyed when marshes are dredged for real estate development. Soil runoff and erosion result in excess nutrients from fertilizers and domestic sewage, which then leads to harmful algae blooms that block sunlight and deplete the water of oxygen. It also causes silt to build-up on coral reefs, which blocks sunlight necessary for coral to grow.
Pollution: development near coastal waters contaminates the Ocean with toxic substances, such as industrial chemicals, pesticides, and motor oil.
Dredging ship channels: Removes accumulated sediment and pollutants re-suspending them into the water. Dredging can also destroy sea grass beds and other habitats that provide food, shelter, and breeding grounds. The dredged material must be disposed of, and is often dumped into salt marshes damaging a very productive marine habitat.
How can we help to keep these species alive?
Marine Protected Areas : marine sites such as sanctuaries, fisheries management areas, state conservation areas, and wildlife refuges established to protect habitats, endangered species, and to restore the health of marine ecosystems in areas jeopardized by habitat and species loss.
Examples: NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries: USA
Marine Reserves: marine sites that provide a higher degree of ecosystem protection by prohibiting fishing, mineral extraction, and other habitat-altering activities. Marine Reserves are far more effective than MPAs, but unfortunately they are not as common.
See: Roberts, C.M. and J.P. Hawkins. 2000. Fully-protected marine reserves: a guide. (PDF: 6.62MB) WWF Endangered Seas Campaign, 1250 24th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, USA and Environment Department, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
Example: Marine Reserves in New Zealand
Land use and development regulation: An integrated approach to land use and management based on scientific knowledge is needed to protect coastal areas. Policy makers need to be informed on the impact coastal development is having on marine habitats through accessible and evidence-based information.
Monitoring and reporting: some conservation efforts are empowering the citizens with the responsibility for monitoring water quality in their coastal communities through sampling and testing, photographing fouled areas, and providing information to local policy makers for action.
Zoning: related to integrated land use and development management, zoning coastal areas into MPAs, Marine Reserves, approved fishing areas, with varying levels of use has the potential to slow some of the habitat degradation caused by development. The Great Barrier Reef is managed in this way. Through cooperation among local, state, and national governments, this approach may provide a viable solution to all stakeholders from tourists, to the fishing industry, to conservation efforts etc.
Although habitat destruction has been increasing for many years, the protection of marine habitats has only recently become an issue of critical importance to conservation efforts, local and national governments, and international marine conservation groups. The Ocean’s invulnerability to human activity is now being realized as a myth. Coastal regions are still experiencing intense pressure by exploding coastal populations; however there are solutions at hand to prevent further damage from occurring.
Sources
www.marinebio.com, www.yahoo.com
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