Grocery List

I usually go to Publix for my weekly grocery shopping. The sweet taste of strawberries, the fresh scent of a pineapple, the bright green color of broccolis, the Produce Section looks as if it were in a movie and the tech guys used airbrush to polish it up. These products must be genetically altered, so here is my list that I found in Publix this week that was on sale.

1.) Premium Peaches/Nectarines $1.49 lb
2.) Seedless Grapes $1.49 lb
3.) Bartlett Pears $0.99 lb
4.) Honeydews $2.99
5.) Western Cantaloupes 2 for $5
6.) Baking Potatoes $2.99
7.) Tomatoes on the Vine $1.49 lb
8.) Hass Avocados 4 for $5

Endangered Species

Before I moved to Florida more than 4 years ago, I lived in New York City. And as many New Yorkers, my animal viewings were limited to the average pigeon, rat and stray cat that wandered throughout the city. But what most New Yorkers don't realize is that outside the city is where animal kingdom rules. However, many of these animals are on the endangered species list.

Here is a list of the current endangered species in the state of New York as of this year (2008):

Molluscs Family:
1.) Dwarf Wedgemussel (Scientific Name: Alasmidonta Heterodon)
2.) Pink Mucket (Scientific Name: Lampsilis Abrupta)
3.) Clubshell (Scientific Name: Pleurobema Claval)
4.) Fat Pocketbook (Scientific Name: Potamilus Capax)
5.) Rayed Bean (Scientific Name: Villosa Fabalis)
6.) Chittenanao Ovate Amber Snail (Scientific Name: Novisuccinea Chittenangoensis)

Insect Family:
1.) Tomah Mayfly (Siphlonisca Aerodromia)
2.) American Burying Beetle (Nicrophorus Americanus)
3.) Hessel's Hairstreak (Callophrys Hesseli)
4.) Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides Melissa Samuelis)
5.) Regal Fritillary (Speyeria Idalia)
6.) Persius Duskywing (Erynnis Persius)
7.) Grizzled Skipper (Pyrgus Cenaureae)
8.) Arogos Skipper (Atrytone Arogos Arogos)
9.) Bog Buckmoth (Hemileuca Species 1)
10.) Pine Pinion Moth (Lithophane Lepida Lepida)

Fishes:
1.) Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser Brevirostrum)
2.) Silver Chub (Macrhybopsis Storeiana)
3.) Pugnose Shiner (Notropis Anogenus)
4.) Round Whitefish (Prosopium Cylinraceum)
5.) Bluebreast Darter (Etheostoma Camurum)
6.) Glit Darter (Percina Evides)
7.) Spoonhead Sculpin (Cottus Ricei)
8.) Deepwater Sculpin (Myoxocephalus Thompsoni)

Amphibians:
1.) Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Tigrinum)
2.) Northern Cricket Frog (Acris Crepitans)

Reptiles:
1.) Mud Turtle (Kinosternon Subrubrum)
2.) Bog Turtle (Clemmys Muhlenbergii)
3.) Atlantic Hawksbill Sea Turtle (Eretmochelys Imbricata)
4.) Atlantic Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys Kempii)
5.) Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea)
6.) Queen Snake (Regina Septemvittata)
7.) Massasauga (Sistrurus Catenatus)

Birds:
1.) Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis Canadensis)
2.) Golden Eagle (Aquila Chrysaetos)
3.) Peregrine Falcon (Falco Peregrinus)
4.) Black Rail (Laterallus Jamaicensis)
5.) Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus)
6.) Eskimo Curlew (Numenius Borealis)
7.) Roseate Tern (Sterna Dougallii Dougallii)
8.) Black Tern (Chlidonias Niger)
9.) Short-eared Owl (Asio Flammeus)
10.) Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus)

Mammals:
1.) Indiana Bat (Myotis Sodalis)
2.) Allegheny Woodrat (Neotoma Magister)
3.) Sperm Whale (Physeter Catodon)
4.) Sei Whale (Balaenoptera Borealis)
5.) Blue Whale (Balaenoptera Musculus)
6.) Finback Whale (Balaenoptera Physalus)
7.) Humpback Whale (Megatera Novaeangliae)
8.) Right Whale (Eubalaena Glacialis)
9.) Gray Wolf (canis Lupus)
10.) Cougar (Felis Concolor)

This information is from The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

Environmental Organizations

Greenpeace is an environmental organization that covers from issues of global warming to nuclear waste, deforestation to deterioration of the oceans. This activist group was created in 1971, with a mission to protest nuclear testing. After searching around the internet on Greenpeace, I learned that Patrick Moore, Co-founder of Greenpeace, left the organization in 1986. He is now against Greenpeace, saying they are more into politics instead of science. As I continued researching, I also learned more of the founding members left to start their own organizations. It seems that Greenpeace goes back and forth with their beliefs and issues, not to mention the mistakes they committed in the last 15 years (i.e. the picture of "deforestation" that in actuallity it was a swap, or a certain memo (joke) was "accidently" sent out to the press).

The website for National Resource Defense Council is extremely vague. While I was researching this group, the website mentions the issues they cover (global warming, saving endangered places, building a clean economy, etc.), but does not show what exactly they do like Greenpeace's website does. However, NRDC was founded in 1970 by a group of lawyers who showed interest in the environmental movement at the time. It now has 1.2 million supporters and was on Worth magazine's "America's Best 100 Charities". NRDC has filed a report on the health effects from September 11 attacks, and the one of the few major environmental organizations to be involved in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. After some research outside of the website, I realized NRDC actually has a few other programs to help the environment such as Land Program, Health Program, Nuclear Program, and Urban Program. They also have a program for the Latino Community - Latino Outreach Program, or La Onda Verde de NRDC. The National Resource Defense Council has been involved in some supreme court cases. However, some of those case decisions have turned against NRDC.

Wild Spots Foundation's website has been the most useful source. Not only does it include indepth details of it's mission statement, but the meaning of biodiversity, the reasons for their missions and the strategies included. They believe in promoting and protecting biodiversity, to educate the youth of our environment, and protect the endangered species. The foundation also includes travels and workshops to join. After looking carefully, I noticed the group invites others to join them in their travels (such as going to China for Panada Volunteering). The site has incredible pictures of endangered animals (one of their strategies to promote education on biodiversity), and has a description of ongoing projects. Although the site has very little to add, I believe they were straight to the point, and seemed to want the public to be involved by being educated and actually invite them to these volunteer trips (instead of just a simple donation box on every page like the other oganizations). I think if I had to choose between the three organizations that were described in this blog, I would choose WSF. I believe they have less issues with politics and law. They do involve the community and educate others before pushing the donation box in front of them.