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2)Wildlife and Habitat Conservation News:
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3) From: R. Greenway, ENN

Published September 29, 2009 07:26 AM

5) Miller Ch. 12

6) National

7) The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service may remove the humpback whale from its list of endangered species. The species was on the brink of extinction in the 1960's until an international ban was placed on whaling which has resulted in a population increase of 4.7% each year. Humpbacks were hunted for their oil, meat and whalebone which reduced the population to between 5 and 10 percent of the original stock. This drastic population increase gives good reason to remove the species from the endangered list but many remain skeptical because of the risks humbacks continue to face. Driftnets, huge nets that range from 2 to 9 miles wide and 8 to 15 feet deep, continue to entrap and drown thousands of humback whales each year. Humpback whales may also be affected by climate change and ocean acidification which adds to the skepticism of taking them off the endangered species list.

8) I agree with many of the viewpoints in this article. While the humpback whales are making many large strides away from endangerment, there are still factors that plague their existence. Driftnets and the current climate problem may prove to be detrimental to this species of whale and it may be too soon to remove them from the endangered species list.

9) U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service: division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Department of Commerce, NMFS is responsible for the stewardship and management of the nation's living marine resources and their habitat within the United States' Exclusive Economic Zone.

Driftnets: huge nets made of lightweight nylon which measure between 1.25 to 90 miles in length and 8 and 15 feet in depth. They are left to "drift" in the open ocean for periods of 8 hours or more

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2) Climate Change Mitigation Strategies Ignore Carbon Cycling Processes Of Inland Waters, Scientists Say

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3) ScienceDaily: Sep. 27, 2009

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5) Chapter 3

6) International

7) Scientists have recently found that a critical player in carbon emissions and climate change has been unaccounted for in common carbon cycling models. In many carbon cycle models, inland waters such as streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands are only static roadways that transfer carbon from continents to oceans. In reality, the outgassing of respired carbon from rivers contributes the equivalent of 13% of annual fossil fuel burning. These findings were not accounted for in the "Kyoto Protocol" and this may lead countries to decide on a new climate agreement in 2012. The solution to the carbon cyle model problem is a "Boundless Carbon Cycle" which shows carbon transfers between the land-freshwater boundary, the freshwater-atmosphere boundary, and regional boundaries within continents.

8) I find this article very interesting because not many people would think inland waters would have such a profound effect on the atmosphere due to the small amount of area it takes up on earth's surface. This new data will definitely move scientists and policy makers in the right direction when it comes to protecting the environment and it's atmosphere.

9) Kyoto Protocol: an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.