Research Paper. Killer Whales

Abstract:
The topic of this paper is the importance of preserving Killer Whales. It argues that humans are the causes of damages to these mammals. There are three possible solutions to help the Orcas. The first is creating protected areas to be habitat of Killer whales. Second, help the reproduction of the Orcas through a genetic way. Third, governments should help. Finally, the important point is that humans should fix the problem of the Killer whales, because they created the problem.

Killer Whales should survive

Did you know that Killer Whales in Western Washington’s waters “could disappear in a matter of a century or two?” (McClure, 2001, para. 3). Orcas do not have a lot of salmon to eat; “it looks like the whales have been starving to death” (Hume, 2008, para. 17). Orcas are fighting to survive in a warmer sea. The northern inhabitants are trying to get food to pass the winter. They are avoiding the oil spills, and the boat traffic, that cause a lot of pollution. Some killer whale protection groups are going to court “against the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, alleging it has failed to protect whale habitat” (Chan, 2008, para. 6). The Orcas’ experts stress the importance of taking actions, because these sea animals do not have a lot of time. The behavior of the killer whales is “suggesting a breakdown in the killer whale social structure never before observed” (Plater, 2002, para. 5). Environmentalists agree with the idea of creating a recovery plan. In order to do that it is necessary to not lose time in paperwork. According to West (2007), Mr. Balcomb said that the whales do not eat words.

It is important to stress that because of human behaviors, Killer Whales could be extinct in a few centuries, so it is necessary to take actions about it. For example, first, create some protected area to be the new habitat of killer whales. Second, help the reproduction of the Orcas through a genetic way. Third, create a governmental solution. Finally, it is important to make clear the fact that humans cause the majority of whales’ habitats to be damaged, and it is people’s responsibility to fix it.

The idea of creating a protected area for the killer whales is a way to make a guaranteed habitat for them. The Orcas could eat and live in a place that is safe. This is a way to protect the amount of whales. The problem with this solution is the resources that people need to make the refuge. It is necessary to have a big place, because the Orcas are one of the biggest animals in the sea. This place should have a lot of food for them. It will have to be donated by a country. On the other hand, it is not only the resources to start the refuge, after that it is necessary to maintain it. It is important to have a lot of money in order to keep this place as the perfect refuge for killer whales.

Marking some areas as a critical habitat could help Orcas survive, but this should change a lot of current things. One of these things could be the commercial routes of boats. The ships cause a enormous damages in the Killer whales’ habitat. An oil spill could accelerate the risk of Orcas’ extinction enough to make them totally disappear in just one century (McClure, 2001).

Until now the refuge that are available are the conservation animal centers, such Sea World. Even when these centers took Orcas from their habitat long time ago, this is not the only reason for the decline (McClure, 2001). The mammals that live in these theme parks that are at the same time Conservation Centers could have all the supplies for their necessities. Also, the Orcas in there have good help to get good reproduction.

The problem with these Conservation centers is the fact that the Killer whales are not in their natural habitat, and the persons who maintain the centers are not available to have big numbers of Orcas, so there is not a lot of place for all the endangered Killer whales. Orcas need their place, their home, somewhere where they could live and eat without someone trying to kill them.

To help the reproduction of the Orcas through a genetic way could be the matter to try to resolve the problem of the amount of Killer whales. The population of Orcas has gone down quickly in the last few years. “Dr. Barrett-Lenneard said the southern resident population fell to 90 in the 2004 from a historic level of about 200 and now is at 83” (Hume, 2008, para.9). To do this possible it is necessary to find a lot of professional and experts in the topic. It is necessary have a place to do the process, such as a laboratory. It is important to make it possible to have a good place in which the new killer whales could live, so it is essential to create the refuge before starting the genetic reproduction. This can help to conserve the correct DNA of the Orcas, and increase the current amount of these animals, by being careful of the behavior and life of these mammals.

The difficulty with this idea is the fact that it requires a lot of money, because the process of reproduction through a genetic ways is not something easy to do. It is really expensive get the experts in this area to be focus in the life of Orcas, and make the dream of get a big amount of the Killer whales again come true.

To make the last two solutions possible, it is indispensable to create governmental solutions, because for big problems big solutions are necessary, and civilians cannot create those big solutions. The urgency is to take actions in the current time. It is not possible to lose time in arguments. It is not possible for governments to be selfish. The Orcas needs international help, because their threats are global. They need agreements and collaboration of everybody.

Taking actions is more than just saying that the killer whales are in danger. Taking actions means doing something about it. They should make laws, fines, and charges to those who destroy everything related with the Orcas’ problem. The obstacle for this is the time that people think they need to do right things. People and government could not think that they need to know all the aspects in front and begin the problem to solve it. This problem warrants immediate action no matter if people do not know more than the fact that killer whales are dying.

Orcas cannot wait until the government agrees on the way to help them. Those animals do not have time, place, or food to wait for the paperwork that politicians say that they need to do to protect the Orcas. Governments should know that even when the killer whales’ problem is not an issue, like a war or some of the other priorities that a country has, it is a big topic and people have to find a way to fix it. Governments can make quick but effective propositions; they just have to want do it. Orcas cannot resolve the problem by themselves; they need people’s help.

Currently a lot of environmental groups exist and they are fighting to protect animals at risk, but unfortunately those groups do not have the support of countries, or influential people, so they are fighting without hands. Environmentalists need more than just good intentions; they need support, money, and respect, because without these things they are talking with themselves; they do not have a real impact in people’s minds.

Some people do not understand the problems that this extinction can make. They do not think that a sea animal can affect their lives, so they are not taking any action to try to fix the problem or at least to not make it worse. However Killer whales are a really big part of the ecosystem. If they disappear the cycle and the balance of life could be destroyed. That is the reason they live for. The fact that the Orcas live in a very faraway place and most of the people never see one is not a determinate way to say that they are not important.

One of the actions of the government could be the idea of keeping people informed, but not just saying that killer whales are in danger. People should know how their actions hurt these animals. People should know how to help the Orcas. To make this possible a lot of money is necessary, because an awareness campaign is not something easy to do, so government and organizations should support this idea and make economic contributions. With this education people will know what small or big changes they can do in order to protect the killer whales or their habitats.

In conclusion, Killer whales are dying and humans, made most of the problems that are making Killer whales extinct, so humans should help the Orcas. In order to do this people should take some actions to save them. For example, we should create some protected area to be the new habitat of the killer whale, help the reproduction of the Orcas through a genetic way, and create a governmental solution. Finally, the facts that the Orcas are animals and they live in water are not excuses to not do anything to help them. They need human help desperately.

People should be conscious that humans cause the extinction of killer whales, and it is just simply impossible to think that they can survive without people’s help. Humans already made a lot of damage in Orca’s habitats. Now it is time to repair it and give then a decent life. “We’re on the path toward extinction for Orcas if we just continue with business as usual” (Gordon, 2008, para. 5). It is necessary to be aware; everybody should help; everyone should collaborate, because it is a problem that human created.

Bibliography:

Chan, C. (2008, October 09). Killer whales off Southern B.C. face extinction, experts warn. Calgary Herald. Retrieved on November 3. 2008, from http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=3b6bcbd3-e6b8-4112-9ad4-094317d3dbc4

Gordon, D. (n.d.). Puget Sound Orca recovery plan released. Puget Sound Organization. Retrieved on November 3, 2008, from http://www.pugetsound.org/sound-spotlight/the-orcas-of-puget-sound/

Hume, M. (2008, October 29). Killer whales disappearing off southern B.C. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved on November 3, 2008, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081029.wbckillerwhales29/BNstory/National/home

McClure, R. (2001, February 21). Risk of Orca extinction underscored in analysis. Seattlepi.com. Retrieved on October 27, 2008, from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/orcas23.shtml

Plater, B. (2002, December 18). Killer whales in grave danger. Seattlepi.com. Retrieved on November 3, 2008, from http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/100332_orcalisting18.shtml

West, C. (2007, January 23). The fight to save the orcas; Whale watchers protest a lack of action: ‘I can’t just count them until they’re all gone.’ The Globe and Mail. p: S3. Retrieved on October 22, 2008, from Lexis Nexis database.

Practice Quiz. To Buy or Not To Buy

Carolina Borrero
Writer’s Workshop EAP 2-A
December 3, 2008

Quiz
To Buy or Not To Buy

Do you think it is the same shopping online or in real life? This is the debate between the buyers. Some people affirm that it is too dangerous, and others state that it is the best way to go shopping. There is no question that buying is one of the most popular things to do. Now there are more places that have extended their hours and their shopping options. Every day more and more stores are making shopping easier for the buyers. This will happen until the point that it is possible to buy in the most comfortable place for everyone, their own house. No matter what, each side of the debate defends their statement with a lot of proof. However it seems that the side pro shopping by Internet is winning because every day more and more people are using this method to find what they need.

Some of the arguments that shopping online is the best thing that people can do are first shopping online is very safe. Second, it is easy to do, and third Internet provides everything that people need.

A lot of people do not trust in the Internet because they think is very dangerous. However, “online shopping is quite safe, as long as you follow precautions. According to the director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumers Protections, the majority of identity theft occurred off-line with criminals intercepting mail or skimming data from carelessly discarded credit card receipts (Ball, 2008, para. 2).

Every day more and more stores are making easier the life of their consumers. Now the buyers can do car shopping, save their shopping list, and compare prices and products. In this case, Internet gives people one of the easier methods to find the best offers in one click, in their own homes (Ball, 2008).

The possibility of finding everything that people need in one place is one of the most attractive points that shopping online has. “There’s no question that shopping online is convenient. Online buying is not only timesaver, but it allows you to get great deals when you compare prices of the same item from different online shops. The internet is like a central shopping mall, where you can find just about everything you might need –from groceries and clothing to collectibles and hard-to-find replacement parts” (Robertson, 2006, para.1).

In conclusion, there always will be two sides because not everybody agrees with the idea of giving confidential information online. Shopping online is a delicate topic that at the end is very personal and subjective. The real question here is thinking of in the possibility of losing the human skills because of the lack of contact with other people, because more and more people prefer shopping online to shopping in a real store.

Reference:

Ball, G. (2008, April 15). Is using a credit-card for online purchase safe? Education Redefined. Retrieved on May 5, 2008, from http://www.bsu.edu/security/article/0,1384,86674-5031-17009,00.html

Robertson, C. (2006, January 03). Stay safe while shopping online. Majon International. Retrieved on May 5, 2008, from http://www.majon.com/articles/Shopping_-_General/shopping_online_126.html

F.E #7 Venezuelan food

When people go to live in another country, generally the food is one of their biggest problems. Each country has their own style of food. Sometimes it is very difficult the adaptation on this topic. For me, it was not too hard to eat American food, because I am used to eating it. However, after almost four months of eating the American food, I can say that I really miss the Venezuelan food. I think that the foodstuff here is too plastic. The food in my country is more real; I do not how explain the differences. I think the problem is in the traditions and the use of flavors. There are some styles of cooking that the United States does not have.

Hw 6. Memories

I think are a lot of things that remind me important moments in my life. Depends on the moment. In what of that moment made a difference in my life. For example, maybe some moments are made it by a song. Maybe another moment could be made it by a movie. Some phrases are important to me, and remind a moment. In Venezuela we play games that are part of my childhood. One of those games we called “Policia y ladron” (Police and robber). In this game we had teams. One were polices, and the other one were the robbers. The idea of the game is that polices had to try to catch all the robbers. At the beginning of the game the teams had to mark a place as a prision. Polices should put robbers into that place. The only way that robbers could go out was if another of their team touches him. I think the game finish when all robbers were in prision, or when we decided stop playing. For me, my memories are like a successive, when something remind me a moment; I start remembering all thing related with that fact. In this case, when I remember a game I began seeing all memories about my childhood. But, how I said there are a lot of factors that remind me a place or a time.

F.E #6 Vacations

Almost all the vacations are good for me. It is a time to relax and enjoy with family and friends. For me, I like go to the beach with my friends in spring break. I especially like to go to a Venezuelan Island called Margarita. However I really love my familiar Christmas vacations. Generally, my father and I go to Orlando, Florida. Maybe we can go with other friends' families. I love to spend time with my father. Now we don’t really go to the theme parks. We just go shopping, and visit my aunt, and my cousins. The problem is these vacations in my family have began disappearing because now I have a job and I cannot take the time that I had before.

Hw 5. A time for me

I think some time alone is important to anybody. In this time people can think everything better. For me, sometimes I need to clear my head off so I can think straight. Maybe I not do anything in that time, but that time is healthy for me. It is like a peaceful time. I love be with people and friends. I just need a little space once in a while. It is not necessary an entire day for me, maybe while I take a shower or when I am stock in the traffic. I just love play some music and sing, watch TV, think, or sleep. I don’t have anything prepared for that moment is what I feel I want to do. I don’t think that people should have this time alone like an appointment. People enjoy more something improvised. It is necessary a moment that occur without premeditation.

Not everybody likes spend time alone. Someone feels they are wasting their time. However I think everybody have this time, even when they don’t know it. It is something that people do unconscious. I really enjoy some minutes alone. I like see the big picture of the thing, and these times help me to do it. Maybe we’re very different, who knows?

F.E #5. Elections

Having the opportunity to experience the elections being in the United States was really good. I could see how the theory that I learned in my University was applied to real life. Actually, I learned about the popular election and the states elections. I did not know that each candidate was fighting for 270 points. I thought it was for the majority, such as it is in my country. One of the most interesting things that I saw was the fact that the elections in the U.S. always are on a Tuesday. People and communities need a lot of organization to vote in a workday without any problem. In Venezuela the election are on Sunday, so people just pass all day watching the elections news. Here it is so different; that day is like a regular day, the only difference is that in the night they have a new government. But, definitely the election works in the United States; everything happened with not problem or mistake; maybe we have to change our style