Kozan & Hock 1 Chad Kozan Ryan Hock Professor Katherine Robisch College Writing 1 10/14/13 The Black

Squirrel Issue How many Kent residents know that Kents famous black squirrel has such a large impact on the environment? In recent studies, black squirrels have been found to cause a change in weather patterns, a decrease in tree production, and higher levels of air pollution. The population of black squirrels has nearly doubled since the 1990s. Scientists are working daily to reduce the growing population of the black squirrels. With little to no success with the scientific studies, Global warming is rising dangerously in the city of Kent due to the high population of black squirrels. The recent changing weather patterns in Kent are directly linked to the Black Squirrels. The Black Squirrels black color attracts large amounts of sunlight which increases the heat index. In fact, a 2011 study showed that the Black Squirrel attracted 15 times more UV rays than the grey squirrel (Clark 4). With the black squirrels constantly attracting more rays and the heat index rising, global warming is being rapidly increased. The uneven distribution of rays throughout Kent has left our ecosystem damaged. We are forced to deal with the repercussions handed to us by mother nature. This includes excessive heat and longer summers. An even more recent study conducted in 2012 by George Michael showed that the average temperature at Kent State during October has risen .5 degrees fahrenheit annually since 1990 when the black squirrels inhabited Kent. This study proves that the heat index has been rising since the introduction of

Kozan & Hock 2 black squirrels to Kent. The results of this study show substantial evidence that the Black Squirrel has only impacted this environment negatively. With fluctuating temperatures, local weather patterns are disrupted, which this causes abnormal weather. Storms have become unpredictable and have grown stronger than usual. Another scientific study conducted by Joe Clark concluded that Kent falls victim to a class 5 storm at least once a week. The Black Squirrel has played a pivotal role in the severity of Kents weather patterns. These conditions make living in Kent very depressing. The residents of Kent have been forced to deal with the increased severity in weather, as well as the lack in tree production. The trees in the city of kent are suffering severely. The invasive black squirrels eat the abundance of nuts. Due to this, the grey squirrels are left with no food. Left to their own devices, they are forced to compensate somehow; so they eat the tree itself instead of the tasty nuts. The degradation of the bark inhibits their ability to reproduce, thus slowing tree production in Kent. There are many negative ways in which this impacts the environment, such as the loss of oxygen, not to mention the growing death rate of grey squirrels. A study done by the Yale Environmental Society shows that the degradation of trees on college campuses is largely due to the excessive loss of tree bark (Hawk 394). The problem here in Kent stems from the grey squirrel, in particular, eating the tree bark. The solution to this problem is very complex. The university has been reprimanded by the local authorities and has been sanctioned. This sanction includes placing fertilizer on the lawn which will seep into the soil with rainfall. Once soaked up by the tree roots, the fertilizer will act as a steroid forcing the tree to produce approximately three times as many nuts. With the new abundance of food, both the grey and the black squirrels will be able to survive strictly off of nuts (Nutty) . This will be the environmental groups first attempt at regaining control of the ecosystem in Kent. If this fails, the entire city of Kent and the

Kozan & Hock 3 remainder of its residence may be completely wiped out due to the lack of oxygen in the air; all of which is due to the black squirrel population. The amount of air pollution in Kent has been on the rise since the introduction of Black Squirrels into the ecosystem. An increase in car emissions has been shown throughout Kent. The main cause of this is due to cars driving down Eastway Drive must constantly stop and wait for squirrels to cross. They then must proceed to use unnecessary acceleration in order to continue driving to their destination. On average, a car traveling down Eastway Drive has to come to a complete stop 10-15 times per mile (Clark 4). This statistic shows the above average fossil fuel emissions as well as the excessive smog that is created by cars traveling down Eastway Drive. Higher smog levels are taking a toll on our atmosphere, thus creating problems which will prove detrimental to the city of Kent in the near future. Kent State residents reported that they have already noticed breathing problems. About 45% of adults (ages 18+) and 55% children (ages 17 & younger) reported headaches, consistent coughing, and breathing issues in the last 5 years (Michael 2). These physical issues directly relate to the growing population of Black Squirrels in Kent. The introduction of Black Squirrels in Kent have lead to an increase in air pollution, thus it is safe to say Black Squirrels are contributing negatively towards global warming. Global warming is rising dangerously in the city of Kent due to the high population of black squirrels. The atmosphere above Kent is now damaged permanently, thus causing a change in weather patterns, low tree production rates, and an insufficient amount of breathable air. These conditions make living in the city of Kent unbearable. Residents are moving out of Kent and moving to secluded areas away from the dangerous black squirrels. Scientists have not come up with a way to stop the reproduction of black squirrels and the problems still continue today. With the future of Kent in the hands of the black squirrel, the city is in for inevitable failure.

Kozan & Hock 4 Works Cited Clark, Joe. "Black Squirrels." Black Squirrels: The End of the World 3 (2011): 4. Print. Hawk, Charles D. Environmental Studies. Vol. 34. New York: Joe Maddix Studios, 2012. 394. Print. Yale Sciences. Michael, George. "Causes of Global Warming." Squirrels 2 (2012): 2. Web. Nutty, Buddy. "Squirrels: The Fight for Food." STFFF. Environmental Science, 2 Feb. 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2013. <http://www.squirrels.edu.nuts//eatmorenuts.htt>.