Warning Flash Flood free essay sample

Humans are born saplings. Vulnerable at first, we begin to grow and branch out. Each person is different; they could be a vibrant spruce or a steadfast sequoia. Together we grow up in communities and with institutions or, in other words, forests. Other trees that influence our growth surround us. I fancy myself as an Apple Blossom Dogwood in full bloom. My vibrant personality emanates from my rosy flowers. As a sixth grader in the familiar woods of St. Michael’s Parish Day School, I first met Jose Rincon. Jose was a Sycamore tree. One day he would be tall and steadfast, always reaching for the highest goal. In a small class of approximately forty-five students it was easy to know everyone, but I never talked much with Jose until eighth grade. I sat behind Jose in history class and we were lab partners for science. At the time, I never thought much about our relationship. We will write a custom essay sample on Warning: Flash Flood or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Whenever we received history test scores, I would anxiously poke his red polo covered back to inquire about his grade. He always scored higher than I. Then in science we would giggle in the back of the room while Mr. Smith, our science teacher with a bushy walrus mustache, would sarcastically guide us through the dissection of a starfish. Jose was brilliant. He was a proud, yet awkward, Hispanic Sycamore sapling with spiky gelled hair that he never let anyone touch, complete with glasses and braces. We were not best friends or even close friends, but his smile was infectious and we regularly were reprimanded for talking and laughing. On Saturday, January 12, 2008, Jose and I, along with most of our class, took the placement test for a private Catholic high school. After the test and amongst the thicket of middle school saplings, we waved goodbye and went our separate ways. I spent that night at my friend Olivia â€Å"Liv† Wolfe’s house. The next morning, Olivia and I were deciding between watching the movie Knocked Up and the television series, Laguna Beach, when her mother called us to breakfast. Sleepily I dragged myself into the kitchen table and plopped down in a seat. Mrs. Wolfe was sorting through the morning newspaper on the island while Mr. Wolfe flipped golden brown pancakes on the stove. I watched her parents lazily while Liv ran to her room to answer her ringing phone. I thought nothing of it as it was probably our friend Nicole calling Liv about seeing a movie. Before I knew what was happening my entire life changed. â€Å"No! No! You’re lying! No!† Liv screamed from the other room. This was not the joking squeal for which teenage girls are infamous. This scream was filled with shock and pain. Everyone in the kitchen froze and my mind raced. Liv slowly stumbled into the kitchen doorway from the hall, her face stricken with disbelief. Still clutching the phone and shaking, she choked, â€Å"Jose died†. The flash flood hit me so hard I could not breathe. Despite being rooted to the forest floor, I felt as though I had been dragged under and did not know which direction the surface was. My lungs were screaming for air while my stomach plummeted to the ground and my heart was ripped into infinite pieces. All I could manage to stammer was â€Å"what†¦?† â€Å"Jose is dead. Nicole just called me. Isabel, Jose is dead.† Numb. I could not and would not feel. Not really aware of what I was doing, I walked towards Liv and together we went to her room. I burst into tears. I could no longer repress the overwhelming grief of losing a classmate. Liv and I called other classmates to confirm that Jose was actually gone. By the time I called my parents I was hysterical. That afternoon my eighth grade class and their parents gathered at St. Michael’s to inform everyone about what had happened and help ease the pain. Nothing could ease the pain of a drunken woman swerving off the road and hitting Jose while he rode his bike with another classmate of mine. That night I experienced an unsettling epiphany. Children have the tendency to believe that, because they are young and have their entire lives ahead of them, they are impervious to anything that may cause them serious harm or kill them. In a moment of sheer terror I realized that I could die. I was not guaranteed a long, happy life simply because I was born. I had experienced the death of an elderly person, but it was natural for an old person to die. It was unnatural and wrong for a thirteen-year-old to die. A sapling had been swept away in a flash flood. There was no warning and no time for him to prepare himself for the coming storm. The rest of the woods remained intact except for the void where Jose had been unjustly uprooted and carried off. He left behind both his parents and two sisters along with the many lives he had touched. Everyone experienced the flash flood and some will never recover. In l ight of the tragedy, I learned that there is a reason roots grow so deep into the ground. A tree’s roots give it life. We are all rooted in our communities, families, countries, religions, sports teams, and clubs. Through those roots we gain strength. Whatever natural disaster may come, our roots are there to anchor us and keep us grounded despite the hurricanes, tornados, or tsunamis. We never know what could happen to us, but losing Jose taught me to be grateful for the things I have thus far and realize that I could lose everything in a second. I was not prepared for that loss, but I know now to be grateful for every day and for the wonderful people in my life with whom I am blessed. Because of Jose, I no longer take the precious gift of life for granted.

The Harmful Effects of Red Tides

The Harmful Effects of Red Tides â€Å"Red tide† is the common name for what scientists now prefer to call â€Å"harmful algae blooms.† Harmful algae blooms (HAB) are the sudden proliferation of one or more species of microscopic plants (algae or phytoplankton), which live in the ocean and produce neurotoxins that can cause negative and sometimes fatal effects in fish, birds, marine mammals, and even humans. There are approximately 85 species of aquatic plants that can cause harmful algae blooms. In high concentrations, some HAB species can turn the water a reddish color, which is the source of the name red tide. Other species can turn the water green, brown, or purple, while others, although highly toxic, do not discolor the water at all. Most species of algae or phytoplankton are beneficial, not harmful. They are essential elements in the foundation of the global food chain. Without them, higher life forms, including humans, would not exist and could not survive. Causes Red tides are caused by the rapid multiplication of dinoflagellates, a type of phytoplankton. There is no single cause of red tides or other harmful algae blooms, though abundant nutrients must be present in sea water to support the explosive growth of dinoflagellates. A common source of nutrients is water pollution. Scientists generally believe that coastal pollution from human sewage, agricultural runoff, and other sources contributes to red tides, along with rising ocean temperatures. On the Pacific coast of the United States, for example, red tide occurrences have been increasing since about 1991. Scientists have correlated the increase of Pacific red tides, and other harmful algae blooms with a rise in ocean temperature of approximately one degree Celsius as well as increased nutrients in coastal waters from sewage and fertilizers. On the other hand, red tides and harmful algae blooms sometimes occur where there is no apparent link to human activity. Another way nutrients are brought to surface waters is by powerful, deep currents along coastlines. These currents, called upwellings, come from nutrient-rich bottom layers of the ocean and bring to the surface massive amounts of deep-water minerals and other nutrients. It appears that wind-driven, near-coast upwelling events are more likely to bring the right types of nutrients to cause large-scale harmful blooms, while current-generated, offshore upwellings seem to lack some necessary elements. Some red tides and harmful algae blooms along the Pacific coast also have been associated with cyclical El Nino weather patterns, which are influenced by global climate change. Interestingly, it appears that iron deficiencies in sea water may limit the ability of dinoflagellates to take advantage of the abundant nutrients present. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Florida, and probably elsewhere, large amounts of dust blown west from Africas Sahara Desert, thousands of miles away, settle on the water during rain events. This dust is believed to contain significant amounts of iron, enough to trigger large red tide events. Effects on Human Health Most people who become ill from exposure to the toxins in harmful algae do so by eating contaminated seafood, particularly shellfish. However, toxins from some harmful algae can also infect people by spreading through the air. The most common human health problems associated with red tides and other harmful algae blooms are various types of gastrointestinal, respiratory, and neurological disorders. The natural toxins in harmful algae can cause a variety of illnesses. Most develop rapidly after exposure occurs and are characterized by severe symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, and headaches. Most people recover within a few days, though some illnesses linked to harmful algae blooms can be fatal. Effects on Animal Populations Most shellfish filter seawater to collect their food. As they eat, they may consume toxic phytoplankton and accumulate toxins in their flesh, eventually becoming dangerous, even deadly, to fish, birds, animals, and humans. The shellfish themselves are unaffected by the toxins. Harmful algae blooms and subsequent shellfish contamination can cause massive fish kills. The dead fish continue to be health hazards because of the risk that they will be eaten by birds or marine mammals. Economic Impacts Red tides and other harmful algae blooms have serious economic as well as health impacts. Coastal communities that rely heavily on tourism often lose millions of dollars when dead fish wash up on beaches, tourists fall ill, or shellfish warnings are issued because of harmful algae blooms. Commercial fishing and shellfish businesses lose income when shellfish beds are closed, or harmful algae toxins contaminate their fish. Charter boat operators are also affected, receiving numerous cancellations even when the waters they typically fish are not affected by the harmful algae blooms. Likewise, tourism, recreation, and other industries may be adversely affected even though they are not directly hurt by the algae. When a bloom is reported, many people grow cautious, even though most water activities are safe during red tides and other harmful algae blooms. Calculating the actual economic cost of red tides and other harmful algae blooms is difficult, and not many figures exist. One study of three harmful algae blooms that took place in the 1970s and 1980s estimated losses of $15 million to $25 million for each of the three red tides. Given the inflation that has occurred in the decades since the cost in today’s dollars would be significantly higher.