Susie Goodell
Mr. Ippolito
AP Biology
3/27/18
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times, 25 Mar. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm.
Current Event 20
For this current event, I decided to read the article “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate” by Athena Chan of Tech Times. This article discusses the results of four new papers on the state of biodiversity and ecosystems of the planet. The 550 researchers from all across the globe spent three years compiling data into the reports. They studied the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Central Asia. The results found for the Americas show high biodiversity has a huge impact on poverty reduction and the economy. However, after taking a closer look, scientists realized that the average species population of a particular area is 31 percent less than at the time of European colonization. Scientists calculated that because of climate change, this rate will reach 40 by 2050. They also stated that “nature's land-based contributions of $24 trillion per year are already 65 percent in decline.” In Africa, manmade and natural causes are already affecting biodiversity, especially climate change to which the continent is very vulnerable. By 2100, scientists estimate, half of the birds and mammals in Africa will be gone and lakes and plants could be 30 to 40 percent reduced. The population is also having an effect on biodiversity and will only get stronger as it is expected to double by 2050. In Asia and the Pacific, extreme weather events, invasive species, waste pollution, agricultural intensification, and sea level rise have the most impact on biodiversity. Steps have been taken over the past 25 years to fight the steep decline in biodiversity. Marine protected areas have increased by 14 percent and a 0.3 percent increase in land protected areas has led to a 2.5 percent growth of forest cover. However, the actions may not be enough, especially for the marine ecosystems and their extremely endangered coral reefs. In Europe and Central Asia, growth of conventional agriculture and forestry has the biggest impact on biodiversity. 28 percent of solely European-based species are threatened and 42 percent of all land and animal species are already declined. The wetlands have been cut in half since the 1970s, as well. Professor Markus Fischer of Switzerland, co-chair of the Europe and Central Asia assessment, said that "The people of the region consume more renewable natural resources than the region produces," which has led to the decline in biodiversity.
Overall, the research shows that plants, animals, and clean water are disappearing at dangerous rates. As the author states, “[The] four scientific reports from the United Nations reveal that the Earth may be in store for a lonelier existence.” The main pressures that cause the rate to increase so much include habitat stress, air, water and land pollution, and invasive species, climate change, and an unsustainable use of resources. Everyone has to do their part to fight the effects of climate change and our own misuse of the environment to protect the biodiversity of our planet and keep it habitable for all species. There are actions already being taken, such as some sustainable agriculture practices in Europe and Central Asia, that have been beneficial to biodiversity, but it is not enough. We have to take stronger action to combat the destruction of our planet and its beautiful biodiversity.
The author did a great job on this article. It was easy to understand and was not packed with information that would confuse the reader or turn them away from reading it. However, there are a few things that the author could have done better. She could have added a paragraph at the end of the article describing the importance of the research. Although, it may seem obvious, it would be more powerful if it was stated. Also, the author should have included more details about the research and the steps they took to obtain their results. Overall, the author wrote a powerful, informative article.
Kunzang Namgyal
ReplyDeleteMr.Ippolito
AP Biology- EF even
26 March 2018
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times, 25 Mar. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm.
This week I chose to read Susie’s current event on the article, "Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Susie a did a good job of summarizing the article, explaining the biodiversity of plants and animals in communities is rapidly decreasing. Susie also successfully picked effective quotes and statistics to insert into her article that left a lasting affect. Susie concisely explained the experiment, in which species inhabiting certain communities were recorded and their numbers compared to prior years.
There are two areas in which Susie could improve. Susie could have given a more compelling reason as to why this article is relevant to readers. She could have explained that a lack of biodiversity is dangerous for the future of our planet. I also think that Susie could have summarized the article in a more concise way, she thoroughly explained the article however some of the details compromised the flow of her writing.
Before reading Susie’s review I was aware that many plants and animals on our planet were going extinct, however I was unaware as to the extent of this issue. I learned that the rates for extinctions of both plants and animals are dangerously increasing rapidly.
Nina Veru
ReplyDeleteAP Bio, C-Odd
Current Event 20
3/26/18
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times, 25 Mar. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm.
Susie Goodell wrote a review on the article, “Report: Earth is Losing Plants and Animals at a Dangerous Rate” by Athena Chan. Throughout her piece, Goodell did several things well. First of all, she did an excellent job explaining the article and the scientific information within it. While reading her piece, I understood that researchers around the world have spent about three years studying biodiversity. What scientists have learned is that the biodiversity in the Americas has decreased significantly from the time of European colonization. This decrease has been a result of climate change. In addition, I think the author utilized quotes from the original article well. For instance, when speaking of climate changes impact, Goodell quotes, “nature's land-based contributions of $24 trillion per year are already 65 percent in decline.” This quote further emphasizes that climate change is causing a decrease in biodiversity, and that climate change is impacted by natural and manmade causes. Lastly, I think that the author did a good job discussing the pros and cons of the original article. She stated that the author did an excellent job only choosing important facts, but that the article would have been more impactful if the author discussed the impact of this research.
Although this piece was well written, there are some areas the author could have improved on. For instance, the author mentioned that there were about “550 researchers from all across the globe” studying biodiversity. Goodell could have included one particular researcher, to help the reader visualize the work being done. In addition, Goodell could have improved her grammar. For example, she states “The results found for the Americas show high biodiversity has a huge impact on poverty reduction and the economy.” Instead of using high, I think she meant to use how.
Overall, this piece was well written and helped me gain insight into the issue of decreasing biodiversity. From our studies in class, we have learned how biodiversity is beneficial towards our environment. Due to this fact, I think it’s important for society to learn the information presented in this article, so that we can prevent the issue from getting worse.
Ellie Parson
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
Current Events
Citations
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times, 25 Mar. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm.
Goodell, Susie. “‘Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.’” Review of Tech Times.
Comment:
Susie Goodell wrote an exceptional review on “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate” by Athena Chan, an author for the Tech Times. One aspect well done is in her summary paragraph. Here, Goodell includes many examples of quantitative data, such as percentages and estimated years those percentages of species loss will take effect. The addition of this information allows readers to better understand the results from the experiment, and it also allows them to picture the percent loss of species compared to the present day. Another aspect well done can be found in both her summary and her connection to society paragraphs. In both of these paragraphs, Goodell took quotes from the article to support and aid her in her explanations of the article. These quotes provided critical evidence from the article in her review. For example, one quote in her connection to society paragraph was very dramatic, but as it came from a reliable source it was supported. This quote set up the rest of the paragraph, drawing in readers with the possibility of a lonelier planet. A third aspect well done is found in Goodell’s relevance to society paragraph. Here, she states the main pressures that result in habitat deformation, including factors added by humans. She then calls people to action, motivating her readers with the idea that they can change all of the depressing facts stated in her summary if they are environmentally conscious.
Even though Goodell’s review had some strong points, there were some areas that needed improvement. For example, within her relevance to society paragraph, Goodell calls people to act on the news of the article, but does not mention in what ways they can help the environment. To fix this, she could include a few sentences with examples on how to reduce the amount of waste a person makes, or how to recycle more objects. Another area in need improvement can be found in the critique. Goodell critiqued that the author should have included a paragraph at the end of the article to explain why the information was important, but did not explain in what way the author should do so. The loss of species and increase of pollution affect many things, and it would take more than a paragraph to explain why it is all important. A solution to this would be for Goodell to be more specific as to what should be considered “important” and therefore be included in the paragraph she proposed.
From this review I learned just how much humans have an impact on their surroundings. At first, the review didn’t seem as depressing as it was, but as I kept reading I realized how much the world was going to change in less than a century from now and how many species we could lose. From now on, I will try to be more economically friendly and conscious of my environment. This review was extremely interesting to read and I enjoy learning about species statistics.
AP Bio
ReplyDeleteOlivia Scotti
3/27/18
Current Event # 20
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times,
25 Mar. 2018,
www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-
At-dangerous-rate.htm.
There were many aspects of Susie’s review written well. One part of her review that I felt she did particularly well was her description of the rapid disappearance of plants and animals. For instance she states how “ The results found for the Americas show high biodiversity has a huge impact on poverty reduction and the economy. ” Through this summary the reader is able to understand the main point of the article that is being reviewed. Another part of the review which was done well was the addition of quotes from research on this topic. For example, “They also stated that “nature's land-based contributions of $24 trillion per year are already 65 percent in decline.”” Through this the reader understands what research was conducted. This is also allows the reader to understand the tone of the article through direct quotes from the passage. Another part of the review that was done well was her ability to describe how this discovery is beneficial to the rest of the world. For instance she states, “ Everyone has to do their part to fight the effects of climate change and our own misuse of the environment to protect the biodiversity of our planet and keep it habitable for all species.” This strengthened her review because the reader was able to see how research is useful for a lot of the population.
Although there were many parts of Susie’s review written well there were areas for improvement. One part of her review which could have been improved was her critique paragraph. Although she did mention the negatives and positives of the article I wish she had been less general when stating her positives and gone into more detail. Through adding more specific details about the positives of the article the reader would have had a better understanding of the article. Another part of the article that could have been improved was if she added more details about the new discoveries that could occur from this study. Also this would help strengthen her description of the research as a whole.
Overall, I felt Susie wrote a strong review of this article which the reader could easily understand. Her review was written clearly and smoothly which allowed the reader to learn about the topic more easily and understand the research conducted. I enjoyed reading this review because I learned more about the disappearance of species. Overall, I liked how she described the research that was done and the effects on the present world. Through her discussion of this article the reader got a better grasp on the topic and the importance of this new discovery.
Abbey Thomas
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology
27 March 2018
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times, 25 Mar. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm.
For this week’s current event, I reviewed Susie’s response to “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate” by Athena Chan at the Tech Times. One thing that Susie did well in her current event was include statistics that helped prove and validate her information. An example is her inclusion of how much lower the biodiversity is compared to when the English Settlers first arrived, and this data also helps the reader understand how drastic the change is. Another thing Susie did well was include future estimates of biodiversity and the environment, which helped show where things are headed and the future is not solution is implemented. Lastly, she included quotes from the 4 reports on biodiversity that were used by Chan to write the article. And these quotes are primary sources that help the reader understand.
While there were many things that Susie did well, there are some areas that could be improved. One thing she could have included was what steps were being done to prevent the decreasing biodiversity around the world. She mentioned that “everyone has to do their part” but could have been more specific. Another thing she could have included were more critics of the author and her article.
One thing that I learned from Susie’s current event is that there are 31% less species on Earth now than there were when the European nations were first colonizing. This data shows how drastic the drop in species numbers has been. Overall, Susie wrote a very strong article that conveyed the importance of actions against biodiversity loss, and what humans have to lose.
David Weild
ReplyDeleteMr.Ippolito
AP Biology- EF even
27 March 2018
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times, 25 Mar. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm.
I chose to read Susie’s current event on the article, "Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” She gave a great background of the article. Susie did well explaining the biodiversity of plants and animals in communities is rapidly decreasing. She picked great quotes which helped move along the review and gave credibility. Susie explained the experiment in a detailed manner about the species inhabiting certain communities were recorded and their numbers compared to prior years.
There were two areas in which Susie could have improved. Susie could have cited more scientists in this experiment so that there would have been more credibility to the review. In addition, she could have proof read her work before turning it in because as of now, the work has mechanical errors.
I knew many plants were going extinct but I didn’t know how quickly. I figured out that the rates are increasing more and more as time goes on.
Robby Schetlick
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Current Comment 20
26 March 2018
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times,
25 Mar. 2018,
www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-
At-dangerous-rate.htm.
This cycle, I read Susie’s review of a tech times article about the increasing loss rate of plants and animals.. One part of her review that I felt she wrote well was her summary of the disappearance of plants and animals. It allows the reader to understand the main point of the article in a simple and efficient manner. Another part of the review which was done well was the addition of quotes from research on this topic. For example a quote that is used is, “They also stated that “nature's land-based contributions of $24 trillion per year are already 65 percent in decline.”” It is an informative quote and helps the readers better understand the context through the use of statistics. This is also allows the reader to better understand the tone of the article. Another part of the review that was done well was her relevance paragraph. It strengthened her review because the reader was able to see how research is important to the majority of the population.
Although her review was mostly written well, there are always areas for improvement. One part of her review which could have been improved was her critique paragraph. Although she did mention the negatives and positives of the article, it lacked examples and detail. Through adding more specific details about aspects of the article, the reader would have gained a better understanding. Another part of the article that could have been improved was if she added more information about the new discoveries that could spawn from this study. This would also help strengthen her description of the research as a whole.
In summary, Susie wrote a strong review of this article. Her review was written clearly and smoothly which allowed the reader to learn about the topic more easily and understand the research conducted. I enjoyed reading this review because I learned more about the disappearance of species. Overall, I liked how she described the research that was done and the effects on the present world. Through her discussion of this article the reader got a better grasp on the topic and the importance of this new discovery.
Hannah Beldotti
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Mr. Ippolito
Current Event #20
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times,
25 Mar. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm.
This week, I decided to read Susie Goodell’s current event review on Athena Chan’s “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” The article she reviewed discusses information which many researchers have studied of various locations: the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific,, Europe, and Central Asia. She explains in that, “The results found for the Americas show high biodiversity has a huge impact on poverty reduction and the economy.” There were many aspects of Susie’s review that I found commendable. First off, it was interesting the information which she included regarding actions to prevent these plants, animals, and clean water from disappearing. For example, she states, “Everyone has to do their part to fight the effects of climate change and our own misuse of the environment to protect the biodiversity of our planet and keep it habitable for all species. There are actions already being taken, such as some sustainable agriculture practices in Europe and Central Asia, that have been beneficial to biodiversity, but it is not enough. We have to take stronger action to combat the destruction of our planet and its beautiful biodiversity.” Also, Susie’s final paragraph allowed for the reader to recognize what she thought the author did well and what he could improve upon. Lastly, Susie made sure to include details about the researchers and scientists she mentioned to show their relevance to the article.
Although Susie’s article was very well-written, there are some improvements that could be made. For instance, I found that the introduction paragraph which included her summary was at times hard to follow because of the amount of detail she included. However, it did provide the reader with background on the topic on which the article was written about. Also, there were times at which Susie’s grammar could have been improved. For example, she states, “The wetlands have been cut in half since the 1970s, as well. Professor Markus Fischer of Switzerland, co-chair of the Europe and Central Asia assessment, said that "The people of the region consume more renewable natural resources than the region produces," which has led to the decline in biodiversity.” However, this should have been written as, “The wetlands have been cut in half since the 1970s, as well. Professor Markus Fischer of Switzerland, co-chair of the Europe and Central Asia assessment, said that, "The people of the region consume more renewable natural resources than the region produces," which has led to the decline in biodiversity,” with a comma after that.
Overall, Susie did a great job on her current event review. I learned a lot while reading her review. For example, I found that, “The wetlands have been cut in half since the 1970s, as well. Professor Markus Fischer of Switzerland, co-chair of the Europe and Central Asia assessment, said that "The people of the region consume more renewable natural resources than the region produces," which has led to the decline in biodiversity.” Initially, I was drawn to this article because of the title which seemed urgent and it was interesting to learn about a topic I was not well-versed in.
Ava Austi
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Current Event #21
4/10/18
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times, 25 Mar. 2018,
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm
Susie wrote a great review based off the article "Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate” by Athena Chan from Tech Times. The article discusses the results of four new papers on the state of biodiversity and ecosystems of the planet. Throughout the review of the article, there were many aspects that Susie did well in order to write a great review. Firstly, Susie did an excellent job with explaining the article she read but also explaining the scientific information within it. I was able to understand that researchers around the world have spent about three years studying biodiversity and they have learned that biodiversity in the Americas has decreased significantly from the time of European colonization. Susie also did a great job of incorporating quotes from her original article. For example she states, “nature's land-based contributions of $24 trillion per year are already 65 percent in decline.” By doing this, it further explained and emphasized that climate change is causing a decrease in biodiversity. The last aspect that Susie presented was the relevance to society paragraph. She did a great job stating the main pressures that result in habitat deformation, including factors added by humans. Susie successfully wrote a clear and interesting review of the article she read.
Although Susie presented a great review of the article, there were some aspects where she could have improved. Firstly, in Susie’s article she mentioned that there were about 550 researchers that are studying biodiversity, but she never mentioned one. She would have benefited if she had mentioned one of those researchers to help the reader visualize what work was being done by different researchers. Also, a quick proof-read of Susie’s work would have fixed the grammar and spelling errors which often distract and slow down readers. These issues are both easy to fix in order to make Susie’s review even better. Even though there were some parts of the review that Susie could have improved, I think she wrote a great review of the article.
I thought Susie did a great job in writing her review and I really enjoyed reading it. I learned that there are 31% less species on Earth now than there were when European nations were first colonizing. I found it intriguing to read how much humans have an impact on their surroundings. I chose to read this review because we have learned in class how biodiversity is beneficial towards our environments. Overall, Susie wrote a very strong review that discussed the important of actions against biodiversity and what humans have to lose.
Timothy Cushman
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
Ap Biology - Current Events Comment
19 April 2018
Current Events #22
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times, 25 Mar. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-at-dangerous-rate.htm.
Susie wrote a great review of the Tech Times article “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” One aspect of her review that was done well was her summary. Her summary helped set up the research that was done and explained in detail the results that were found from the study. Her summary also included many important facts about the Earth’s biodiversity that helped set up points made later in her review. Susie did a great job including data from the article. The data she included enhanced the reader’s understanding of the overall topic and backed up her claims with results from a study. This data also allowed the reader to better understand the research that was conducted and make their own interpretations of the results. Finally, she did a great job including quotes from the author. Quotes such as, “[The] four scientific reports from the United Nations reveal that the Earth may be in store for a lonelier existence” helped Susie make a point. Other quotes she included also aided in the reader’s understanding while bringing interesting points to the review.
Despite writing an overall great article, there were two areas that Susie could improve. Firstly, in her paragraph about how this article is important to everyone she states “Everyone has to do their part to fight the effects of climate change and our own misuse of the environment to protect the biodiversity of our planet and keep it habitable for all species,” however, she never goes on to say what each individual can do to help. By adding this information the reader would have a better understanding of how they can have a large impact on the Earth. Secondly, throughout Susie mentions different areas and tells how the biodiversity has decreased, however she fails to mention the main cause in many of these areas. In Asia and the Pacific, she states how “extreme weather events, invasive species, waste pollution, agricultural intensification, and sea level rise have the most impact on biodiversity” but never states what the largest impact on biodiversity is in other areas. By adding this information, the reader would be better able to see what needs to be done in different areas of Earth to combat the decrease in biodiversity. The addition of these two pieces of information would allow the reader to be better able to help try and reduce humans impact on Earth. This information would also give the reader a fuller understanding of the topic.
I chose to read Susie’s review because I was intrigued by the name, wanting to learn more about how Earth is losing plants and animals. Through reading her review, I was better able to understand how every people can make a large difference in helping reduce the effects of climate change and reduce the destruction of ecosystems and habitats.
Caroline McGrath
ReplyDelete1/05/20
https://bronxvilleapbiology.blogspot.com/2018/03/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and.html#comment-form
Chan, Athena. “Report: Earth Is Losing Plants And Animals At A Dangerous Rate.” Tech Times,
25 Mar. 2018,
www.techtimes.com/articles/223648/20180325/report-earth-is-losing-plants-and-animals-
at-dangerous-rate.htm.
The author did a good job of summarizing the article in a way that made sense, but still went into detail about the biodiversity of both plants and animals; giving enough information to help the reader understand the background information needed for the article. I also think the author used quotes to her advantage, specifically “nature's land-based contributions of $24 trillion per year are already 65 percent in decline.” This really helped articulate the article’s point and further emphasized the effect that climate change has on the decrease in biodiversity. Finally, the author’s relation and explanation of how this impacted the real world was good. She called on the audience to become environmentally aware, and thus making a small difference, but a difference nonetheless, to prevent the drastic measures previously stated.
I think the author could have made a few improvements to her review, starting with explaining the issue in more depth. I was left with questions about why the decrease in biodiversity is dangerous to our planet. I also think she could have had better grammar, for instance in her sentence “The results found for the Americas show high biodiversity has a huge impact on poverty reduction and the economy.” I think the author meant to say “how” not “high”.
From reading this review I became more aware of the drastic impact humans have on their environment, and to just what measure climate change could make. There are still so many different impacts climate change has on our world, and after reading this article I am still learning about those effects. But from now on, I will become more environmentally aware of my actions.