We can represent this winter as disaster. Do you know why? because, many people suffered coldness during this winter. In Seoul, almost thirty centimeters (11 inches) snow covered the city, the first time since 1910. The eastern U.S.A had 40 inches snow few weeks ago. Many people could not do anything because of the disastrous winter.
I think you all have heard about “Snowgeddon”. Not only in the eastern U.S.A but in South Korea, which locates far away from the U.S., many people suffered the disastrous winter. What and who caused this phenomena? Well, although people say many different reasons, factories, made by human beings, emit too much CO2, which causes the climate change. Before we start with a serious topic, let’s take interesting examples. Kobe and Shaq, Jordan and Pippen, and also Eminem and Dr. Dre… What can you imagine by seeing those guys? Yes! They are very famous in the world. However, those guys became famous, because they co-work together. No matter what we do, we have to help each other. For the climate change, many nations need to co-work. Many nations already tried to make corporation, such as Kyoto protocol in 1997, but the 1997 negotiation did not help climate change a lot. In 2009, at Copenhagen, many nations had a conference to make a climate treaty. Compared to the 1997’s treaty, the 2009’s treaty looked much more hopeful than the 1997’s treaty.
According to the 2009’s treaty, many countries, including Norway, Indonesia and the European nations, decide to cut off the amounts of CO2 emission. Additionally, the U.S. has started to establish reduction CO2 law for the first time. However, we cannot see the important country, which would lead the world’s economy for the next few decades: China. I will talk about China later. For preventing further climate change, wealthy nations and developing nations should co-work together. In other words, unless the wealthy nations offer financial supports to the developing nations, further CO2 reduction will not happen; the supports are the key to achieve the environmental protect. Last but not least, also, we need to have the time and perseverance for future.
I cannot accept the article about 2009’s treaty, which looks hopeful, because of China. Chinese quick growth makes many people think that China would lead the world after few years. According to “Economist React: China’s Growth Quickens, But So Does Inflation” in Wall Street Journal, it tells the Chinese quick economic growth. Will China give up on their quick growth to preserve the nature? I guess not. Let’s take an easy example. Suppose that one will have huge salary in the future. Will he or she give up on the salary? It is safe to say that no one would give up on the salary, no matter what will happen. So will China. In addition, I think wealthy nations, such as the U.S., would not give financial supports to developing nations. We have to look over, what happened in China at last February: Google case in China. In China, we could not find sensitive words in the Google, such as Tiananmen Square massacre. Why does this happen? It shows one of the communism countries’ features, so the Chinese government wants to unite their citizens by keeping their citizens from knowing sensitive and inhumane cases. Therefore, the Google said that they would stop working in China, unless they eliminate the web filtering. I really wonder that the Google, the current icon of the U.S., really care about the Chinese human right. Many people starve in the U.S., or many people suffer the racism or unfair treatment in the States, but why does Google care about other country? “To weaken Chinese power and growth.”The Google and America try to distract China and Chinese; they want to scatter the power of Chinese by making issue of the web filtering case.
Taking all these things into accounts, I want to ask; will wealthy nations give financial aids to developing nations for preventing further climate change? No! That will never happen. Therefore, the intergovernmental action will never happen.
Then, what should we do? Well, it seems that we have a very sensitive and tricky question. Many scholars and politicians tried and have tried to find solutions for the climate change, but no one has found the clear answer. These days, some people insist that we have to deal with CO2 emission by money. For example, if one firm wants to make factories, which cause the emission of CO2, a firm first has to purchase CO2 emission tickets from the government. Yes! It looks similar to stock trading in financial markets. However, I think this would cause other financial crisis in the future. Well, we can mention long and complicated reasons, but in brief, some guys’ greedy cause the financial crisis, mostly about dealing with bonds and stocks. We have to find the wisest and most beneficial solution for both human beings and the nature.
I like baseball. Do you know why? Because, unlike basketball, football or soccer, both teams have equal opportunities in a baseball game, since time limit does not exist in a baseball game. Like the rule of baseball, I think all nations should have equal opportunities in this world. Therefore, in my opinion, we should give developing nations opportunities to develop until specific numerical value. For example, we generally use GDP, Gross Domestic Products, to gauge economic values. Let’s take China and the U.S. examples. Currently, the U.S. produces 14204322 millions of dollars, the first in the world. China produces 4326187 millions of dollars, ranked fourth in the world. Let’s make China develop their economy, until they reach close to the U.S. It would not take long for China to catch up the U.S., because China has rapidly grown up. Then, if we make proper regulation, after developing nations catch up wealthy nations, it will not be too late.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v461/n7267/pdf/4611027a.pdf
http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/01/21/economists-react-chinas-growth-quickens-but-so-does-inflation/?KEYWORDS=china+economic+growth
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Feeder1.2
Why do we eat? Why do we have to fill in gases for moving vehicles? Or even now, what makes your PC work? The answers of all questions are “Energy”. As you see, the energy is very important because we cannot do anything without the energy. Currently, the energy issue is very controversial in the U.S. They are arguing between the defense against the climate change, which is reduction of greenhouse gases, and the energy security. Well, most of you do not know the definition of the energy security. What is the energy security? Well, different people have different opinions when it comes to the energy security, but I think it means enough possession of the energy not to make people frustrate from energy shortage. Which one looks more important between the energy security and the reduction of greenhouse gases? Yes! Both of things are very important for us. Then here is a question. What do we have to do for keeping both things? From now, I am going to tell you opinions of those who advocate the energy security and those who claim to cut off the greenhouse gases. Most importantly, I will tell you what should be needed for both the energy security and the reduction of greenhouse gases.
People, in general, talk about energy security; some people argue that securing stable energy supply is very important, while others claim that cutting off the amounts of CO2 is more important than the energy security. The U.S. largely depends on fossil fuel, cheap oil and gas and also easily access to those resources. They mostly import fossil fuel from other countries such as Eastern Middle Asia. However, oils in Eastern Middle Asia countries are very price sensitive because of political unstable at those countries. I bet you all have heard about the war and bringing peace into the Eastern Middle Asia, whether it is in a movie or new. Those phenomena refer to the political unstable. Additionally, demands from other Asian countries, such as China and India, have been increasing and large amounts of oil use will be moved from America to Asian countries. Some people strongly suggest that America use the domestic energy. It sounds simple and easy but it would be economically burdensome because many amounts of fossil fuel is located on Alaska, which means the government have to invest lots of money into equipment. Therefore, the U.S. has to find other countries to import oils such as West Africa, Europe, Russia or Latin America. What else should they do? Also, international cooperation is another way to keep the energy supply stable, because most of oil export countries, Middle East countries, are hostile to the U.S. For example, there would be military intervention, 1991 Gulf war. This shows the importance of foreign policy or international cooperation. The international cooperation and negotiation among developing countries look very important. Now, let’s talk about the reduction of the greenhouse gases, which are mostly CO2. The amounts of CO2 in the U.S. are the second largest in the world, which is 21%. Fossil fuel, that largely causes the climate change, is the main reason of CO2 emission. Although people know that they should reduce the emission of CO2 for further climate change, only two third of Americans think great deals have been done for the climate change. Moreover, half of them think that more strict policies should be done for the climate change. Then what do we really have to do for the effective policy? Of course, I would say human beings’ effort is very important. Specifically saying, making laws and policies, which involve votes, are very important to control the energy policies.
To make effective policy, co-working and agreement among house of representative, senates and the president, because the energy policies hugely depend on interest group such as politicians and lobbyist. Does it look complicated? Why do I say the interest groups such as lobbyists and politicians? Because, the world and business are much more complex than you think. For example, let’s say that the government decides to remove coal from the electrical source. Then, those who work at coal would be fired and mine workers will lose their jobs. Additionally, coal industry and the business which relate to coal industry will be down. This is why the role of the interest groups and business are important. Do you somehow understand? Then, let me talk a little bit deeper. Although the Democrats won the election in 2006 and made the law for the energy save, the policy was not effective because some interest groups, whose interests were not close to the law, were still against the law. Also, during Bush administration, new policy about the energy was enacted, which was mainly about alternative fuels, such as electric cars because they want to catch both things: Economy and the nature. However, the policy was not as effective as people thought because of the interest groups.
In conclusion, to resolve current energy issue, which are the energy security and cutting off CO2 emission, our effort is very important! It is our ground that we have lived and we have to preserve for our future generation! In the future, you have to choose the party or group that cares both the nature and human beings; in other words, we have to choose and support the party who could both take care of the energy security and the preserving of the nature. Remember one thing! Nothing is more important than other thing! Keeping both the energy security and the defense for the climate is important!
1. What are two energy issues that the U.S. face and why are these things important?
2. Why are the roles of political institutions and interested groups important in terms of making the energy policies?
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6V2W-4VV1BD3-2-1&_cdi=5713&_user=130907&_pii=S0301421509000718&_orig=search&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2010&_sk=999619995&view=c&wchp=dGLbVzb-zSkWb&md5=af203386e3945e563ba1f8f67e1999ec&ie=/sdarticle.pdf
People, in general, talk about energy security; some people argue that securing stable energy supply is very important, while others claim that cutting off the amounts of CO2 is more important than the energy security. The U.S. largely depends on fossil fuel, cheap oil and gas and also easily access to those resources. They mostly import fossil fuel from other countries such as Eastern Middle Asia. However, oils in Eastern Middle Asia countries are very price sensitive because of political unstable at those countries. I bet you all have heard about the war and bringing peace into the Eastern Middle Asia, whether it is in a movie or new. Those phenomena refer to the political unstable. Additionally, demands from other Asian countries, such as China and India, have been increasing and large amounts of oil use will be moved from America to Asian countries. Some people strongly suggest that America use the domestic energy. It sounds simple and easy but it would be economically burdensome because many amounts of fossil fuel is located on Alaska, which means the government have to invest lots of money into equipment. Therefore, the U.S. has to find other countries to import oils such as West Africa, Europe, Russia or Latin America. What else should they do? Also, international cooperation is another way to keep the energy supply stable, because most of oil export countries, Middle East countries, are hostile to the U.S. For example, there would be military intervention, 1991 Gulf war. This shows the importance of foreign policy or international cooperation. The international cooperation and negotiation among developing countries look very important. Now, let’s talk about the reduction of the greenhouse gases, which are mostly CO2. The amounts of CO2 in the U.S. are the second largest in the world, which is 21%. Fossil fuel, that largely causes the climate change, is the main reason of CO2 emission. Although people know that they should reduce the emission of CO2 for further climate change, only two third of Americans think great deals have been done for the climate change. Moreover, half of them think that more strict policies should be done for the climate change. Then what do we really have to do for the effective policy? Of course, I would say human beings’ effort is very important. Specifically saying, making laws and policies, which involve votes, are very important to control the energy policies.
To make effective policy, co-working and agreement among house of representative, senates and the president, because the energy policies hugely depend on interest group such as politicians and lobbyist. Does it look complicated? Why do I say the interest groups such as lobbyists and politicians? Because, the world and business are much more complex than you think. For example, let’s say that the government decides to remove coal from the electrical source. Then, those who work at coal would be fired and mine workers will lose their jobs. Additionally, coal industry and the business which relate to coal industry will be down. This is why the role of the interest groups and business are important. Do you somehow understand? Then, let me talk a little bit deeper. Although the Democrats won the election in 2006 and made the law for the energy save, the policy was not effective because some interest groups, whose interests were not close to the law, were still against the law. Also, during Bush administration, new policy about the energy was enacted, which was mainly about alternative fuels, such as electric cars because they want to catch both things: Economy and the nature. However, the policy was not as effective as people thought because of the interest groups.
In conclusion, to resolve current energy issue, which are the energy security and cutting off CO2 emission, our effort is very important! It is our ground that we have lived and we have to preserve for our future generation! In the future, you have to choose the party or group that cares both the nature and human beings; in other words, we have to choose and support the party who could both take care of the energy security and the preserving of the nature. Remember one thing! Nothing is more important than other thing! Keeping both the energy security and the defense for the climate is important!
1. What are two energy issues that the U.S. face and why are these things important?
2. Why are the roles of political institutions and interested groups important in terms of making the energy policies?
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6V2W-4VV1BD3-2-1&_cdi=5713&_user=130907&_pii=S0301421509000718&_orig=search&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2010&_sk=999619995&view=c&wchp=dGLbVzb-zSkWb&md5=af203386e3945e563ba1f8f67e1999ec&ie=/sdarticle.pdf
Friday, February 12, 2010
Global Warming and How We Are Trying to Change by Devin Cooney
Hey kids! Do you remember our first blog post about the debate concerning free will? It was about how sometimes we do not always control what we do as human beings. Some things are completely out of our control. In this blog post, we will talk about how, sometimes, the things that we do have control over affect our planet in a bad way.
One of the things that are negatively affected by the way we treat our environment is our climate. Climate is the weather patterns of a place. For example, a cold place like Michigan can have a warm and sunny day in the winter every once in a while. However, the climate for Michigan during the winter is cold and snowy.
However, a process called global warming is leading to climate change. Global warming is a process our planet is going through right now. It is when our average temperature increases. This climate change can lead to really bad things, such as a change in rainfall patterns or glaciers melting. A gas called carbon monoxide is one of the things leading to this global warming. When carbon monoxide is released into the air, it leads to something called the Greenhouse Effect. Imagine a car with all of the windows rolled up. When the sun’s rays hit the car, it heats it up. However, instead of getting rid of this heat, the car traps it and makes the car really hot. Greenhouse gasses, like carbon monoxide, trap the sun’s rays and make our planet hotter than it should be.
One group that is responsible for releasing carbon monoxide into the air is the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is an area that has a lot of oil and natural gas. Because of this, they release more carbon monoxide into the atmosphere than most other countries. Their levels are one of the highest in the world!
However, free will, which you guys learned is the ability to make decisions on your own, is making this region feel guilty about how much carbon they are putting into our air. The United Arab Emirates are trying really hard to find different types of energy sources that do not release harmful gases. They see that their actions are affecting the planet in a bad way. They are researching sources of energy that are safe. These include solar power, which comes from the sun, and wind power.
Another way the United Arab Emirates are helping is by educating the youth about how important it is to find other energy sources. They know how important the youth is to our future. Isn’t that cool?? Some of these students were so motivated that they decided to take action. Some students are getting jobs that are trying to find answers to the energy problem. Others are making presentations to companies on how they can lower their carbon output.
The way the environment is changing is bad for our planet. We have to make better choices in how we use energy so that Global Warming does not continue. We have the freedom to change our behavior and improve our environment. If we can do this, we would be able to save our planet. Even though these other sources of energy are expensive, it is worth it because it will help our planet. The United Arab Emirates should be proud about what they are doing. Educating our youth is the first step in changing our ways. Children are our future. It is up to kids like you to help make this planet a better place. You guys can change the world!!!
Fun Links:
Nourishing green minds in the land of oil by Lana El Charr and Lisa A. Lamont. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V4S-4X541J1-1&_user=130907&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000004198&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130907&md5=bb7f745604eee4accac3074ac3cb79e3. February 1 2010.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/ . February 8 2010.
One of the things that are negatively affected by the way we treat our environment is our climate. Climate is the weather patterns of a place. For example, a cold place like Michigan can have a warm and sunny day in the winter every once in a while. However, the climate for Michigan during the winter is cold and snowy.
However, a process called global warming is leading to climate change. Global warming is a process our planet is going through right now. It is when our average temperature increases. This climate change can lead to really bad things, such as a change in rainfall patterns or glaciers melting. A gas called carbon monoxide is one of the things leading to this global warming. When carbon monoxide is released into the air, it leads to something called the Greenhouse Effect. Imagine a car with all of the windows rolled up. When the sun’s rays hit the car, it heats it up. However, instead of getting rid of this heat, the car traps it and makes the car really hot. Greenhouse gasses, like carbon monoxide, trap the sun’s rays and make our planet hotter than it should be.
One group that is responsible for releasing carbon monoxide into the air is the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is an area that has a lot of oil and natural gas. Because of this, they release more carbon monoxide into the atmosphere than most other countries. Their levels are one of the highest in the world!
However, free will, which you guys learned is the ability to make decisions on your own, is making this region feel guilty about how much carbon they are putting into our air. The United Arab Emirates are trying really hard to find different types of energy sources that do not release harmful gases. They see that their actions are affecting the planet in a bad way. They are researching sources of energy that are safe. These include solar power, which comes from the sun, and wind power.
Another way the United Arab Emirates are helping is by educating the youth about how important it is to find other energy sources. They know how important the youth is to our future. Isn’t that cool?? Some of these students were so motivated that they decided to take action. Some students are getting jobs that are trying to find answers to the energy problem. Others are making presentations to companies on how they can lower their carbon output.
The way the environment is changing is bad for our planet. We have to make better choices in how we use energy so that Global Warming does not continue. We have the freedom to change our behavior and improve our environment. If we can do this, we would be able to save our planet. Even though these other sources of energy are expensive, it is worth it because it will help our planet. The United Arab Emirates should be proud about what they are doing. Educating our youth is the first step in changing our ways. Children are our future. It is up to kids like you to help make this planet a better place. You guys can change the world!!!
Fun Links:
Nourishing green minds in the land of oil by Lana El Charr and Lisa A. Lamont. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6V4S-4X541J1-1&_user=130907&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_acct=C000004198&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130907&md5=bb7f745604eee4accac3074ac3cb79e3. February 1 2010.
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/ . February 8 2010.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Polar Bears and the Changing Climate
Polar Bears live throughout the cold Arctic. These are the fuzzy white bears you see on the Coca-Cola commercials. Most of them like to live on the bodies of water that are covered in ice. These areas are called polar; hence the name “polar” bears. But the homes of these polar bears are quickly changing due to a change in climate.
Climate is like the average weather that occurs in a particular place. It is the temperature, the amount of rain, wind, and more. You might not know it, but slight changes in the climate can change the life of these fuzzy bears greatly!
But why is the climate changing? When we do such things as drive our cars, poisonous gases are released into the atmosphere. These harmful gases are called Greenhouse gases. They trap the heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere. When this happens it increases the temperature on earth. The climate then warms.
When the atmosphere and climate begin to warm, the ice that the polar bears live on begins to melt. This gives polar bears less room to live. Also when the ice melts it begins to crack and break apart. Then the ice then moves and spreads apart. The polar bears sometimes become stranded out on sea on one of these blocks of ice that breaks off. In addition, this will require polar bears to use greater amounts of energy and effort to move to live somewhere else or hunt for food. With the ice disappearing, it is doubtful that polar bears will survive.
The change in their habitat due to the climate change also affects the lives of the polar bear’s main prey, the seal. Seals also get stranded off in the ocean due to the melting of the ice. If the seals start to die off, the polar bear’s main source of food will decrease.
These changes in the climate not only affect the polar bear’s home and source of food, but also the way their bodies protect themselves. Polar bears are made to store a lot of fat inside their bodies in order to stay warm in polar areas. But due to the increase in temperature, polar bears will no longer need to store as much fat to keep warm. So when the female bears get pregnant, they don’t have that extra fat to keep their babies warm. Their bodies don’t know ahead of time that they are going to need that extra cushion to keep their cubs safe and warm. This can cause health problems for both the mother bear and the cub.
A lot of research has gone into discovering all of this information. And a lot of research is being done to stop this change in climate that is harming the lives of the polar bears. But the movement and melting of the ice will cause differences in the way in the land. These differences make it difficult for researchers to study the Polar Regions and the bears that live there because the land now differs from their maps. These difficulties have not stopped them though. They are constantly studying in order the help save the life of these bears so that they can live for years to come. Don’t worry! With the help of scientists, researchers, and the rest of the world you will still be watching these fuzzy bears on your television.
Polar Bears in a Warming Climate, by Andrew Derocher, Nicholas Lunn, and Ian Stirling
http://icb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/44/2/163?eaf
Anna Perez
Climate is like the average weather that occurs in a particular place. It is the temperature, the amount of rain, wind, and more. You might not know it, but slight changes in the climate can change the life of these fuzzy bears greatly!
But why is the climate changing? When we do such things as drive our cars, poisonous gases are released into the atmosphere. These harmful gases are called Greenhouse gases. They trap the heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere. When this happens it increases the temperature on earth. The climate then warms.
When the atmosphere and climate begin to warm, the ice that the polar bears live on begins to melt. This gives polar bears less room to live. Also when the ice melts it begins to crack and break apart. Then the ice then moves and spreads apart. The polar bears sometimes become stranded out on sea on one of these blocks of ice that breaks off. In addition, this will require polar bears to use greater amounts of energy and effort to move to live somewhere else or hunt for food. With the ice disappearing, it is doubtful that polar bears will survive.
The change in their habitat due to the climate change also affects the lives of the polar bear’s main prey, the seal. Seals also get stranded off in the ocean due to the melting of the ice. If the seals start to die off, the polar bear’s main source of food will decrease.
These changes in the climate not only affect the polar bear’s home and source of food, but also the way their bodies protect themselves. Polar bears are made to store a lot of fat inside their bodies in order to stay warm in polar areas. But due to the increase in temperature, polar bears will no longer need to store as much fat to keep warm. So when the female bears get pregnant, they don’t have that extra fat to keep their babies warm. Their bodies don’t know ahead of time that they are going to need that extra cushion to keep their cubs safe and warm. This can cause health problems for both the mother bear and the cub.
A lot of research has gone into discovering all of this information. And a lot of research is being done to stop this change in climate that is harming the lives of the polar bears. But the movement and melting of the ice will cause differences in the way in the land. These differences make it difficult for researchers to study the Polar Regions and the bears that live there because the land now differs from their maps. These difficulties have not stopped them though. They are constantly studying in order the help save the life of these bears so that they can live for years to come. Don’t worry! With the help of scientists, researchers, and the rest of the world you will still be watching these fuzzy bears on your television.
Polar Bears in a Warming Climate, by Andrew Derocher, Nicholas Lunn, and Ian Stirling
http://icb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/44/2/163?eaf
Anna Perez
Hey kids! If you didn’t know by now, Earth’s climate has been changing steadily, especially over the last few hundred years. This is though to be caused mostly by humans from polluting the air and water. There are many negative effects associated with all of this pollution.
The change in climate that causes these negative effects is called Global Warming. Global Warming can lead to many bad things. For example, rainfall patterns may change as well as a rise in sea level from glaciers melting.
Another thing that is negatively affected by Global Warming is the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is a coral reef in Australia, and it is one of the most beautiful and breathtaking parts of our planet. The things that humans are doing to the planet are making the Great Barrier Reef collapse.
This process is called Coral Calcification. The changing climate and poor water quality is threatening the Great Barrier Reef.
The way that the scientists found that the Coral Reefs were dying is by measuring the growth of 328 different corals from 68 different reefs from the years 1990-2005 and comparing them to the growth of reefs from earlier years. You see, the Great Barrier Reef is actually a chain made up of smaller reefs to form the bigger reef. They measured the yearly growth rate of the reefs and found they were actually declining in growth in a way that has never been seen before. The large difference in growth patterns from 1990-2005 and the earlier years shows that the decline in growth is specific to that time period.
They found out that these coral reefs respond badly to extreme changes in temperature.
The sad part about this is how many different underwater critters this one small change in the environment influences. These underwater animals use the reef for food, shelter, and protection. With the dying of the reef, these animals have to find other places to live—places that these animals are not used to. That’s like you suddenly being kicked out of your house and having to live on the streets! Not good, huh?
The way the environment is worsening is something we can actually change. We have to make better choices in how we use energy so that Global Warming does not continue to kill these reefs. The reef is so important to so many different animals. It would be terrible for the weakening of these reefs to lead to these animal’s deaths. We have the freedom to change our behavior and improve our environment. If we can do this, we would be able to save the reef and the lives of the animals.
Declining Coral Calcification on the Great Barrier Reef, by Glenn De’ath, Janice Lough, and Katharina Fabricius. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/sci;323/5910/116?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=great+barrier+reef&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT January 2nd, 2009
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Is Energy from Inside the Earth Safe?
Hey kids this post is to inform you on a disagreement on the way we use energy. Two very intelligent authors argued on whether obtaining energy from the earth’s heat is good or bad for the environment. One believes that this resource causes earthquakes while the other believes that it is perfectly safe for the environment and causes no harm.
This heat inside the earth is called geothermal energy. Inside the earth there is a very hot core. Imagine you were to dig into the earth in your backyard. As you do this the ground you are digging will get hotter and hotter until you reach the center of the earth. This center section is the hottest part inside earth, the iron core. Specialists dig deep into the ground and make wells in order to take up the heat as steam or hot water. This heat used to produce energy which is then used as electricity or to heat your home.
The first article I read about this issue was found in a very well known science magazine called Nature. The author, Domenico Giardini, believes that geothermal energy is bad for the environment. When digging up the heat out from the earth the specialists have to pump into the rock that is in the earth. When this happens the rock breaks apart creating cracks called micro-earthquakes. When this happens over and over again it can cause larger earthquakes on the top of the earth’s surface.
However, Ladislaus Rybach writes about how beneficial geothermal energy is for the environment. He argues that geothermal energy is safe for the environment because it is renewable. This means that the energy can be used over and over again without running out. Although Rybach strongly believes that that benefits geothermal energy outweigh these risks. Although, he does state that it does affect the environment negatively. These effects are so little and occur so rarely that these bad parts of geothermal energy can be ignored.
Both articles are very convincing. After reading this post do you believe that geothermal energy is too risky to use? Or can the risks be overlooked? Domenico Giardini’s article is very scientific and uses a lot detailed reasons on how this energy causes earthquakes. Ladislaus Rybach convinces readers that geothermal energy has not caused enough damage to stop using. Who do you believe?
Fun Links:
Geothermal Quake Risks Must Be Faced, by Domenico Giardini. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7275/full/462848a.html. December 17, 2009
Geothermal energy: sustainability and the environment, Ladislaus Ryback. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCN-49CMDYC-3&_user=130907&_coverDate=12/31/2003&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1183465754&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000004198&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130907&md5=38a156826c9f92e5e6e554a46e39403f. April 2, 2003
Anna Perez
This heat inside the earth is called geothermal energy. Inside the earth there is a very hot core. Imagine you were to dig into the earth in your backyard. As you do this the ground you are digging will get hotter and hotter until you reach the center of the earth. This center section is the hottest part inside earth, the iron core. Specialists dig deep into the ground and make wells in order to take up the heat as steam or hot water. This heat used to produce energy which is then used as electricity or to heat your home.
The first article I read about this issue was found in a very well known science magazine called Nature. The author, Domenico Giardini, believes that geothermal energy is bad for the environment. When digging up the heat out from the earth the specialists have to pump into the rock that is in the earth. When this happens the rock breaks apart creating cracks called micro-earthquakes. When this happens over and over again it can cause larger earthquakes on the top of the earth’s surface.
However, Ladislaus Rybach writes about how beneficial geothermal energy is for the environment. He argues that geothermal energy is safe for the environment because it is renewable. This means that the energy can be used over and over again without running out. Although Rybach strongly believes that that benefits geothermal energy outweigh these risks. Although, he does state that it does affect the environment negatively. These effects are so little and occur so rarely that these bad parts of geothermal energy can be ignored.
Both articles are very convincing. After reading this post do you believe that geothermal energy is too risky to use? Or can the risks be overlooked? Domenico Giardini’s article is very scientific and uses a lot detailed reasons on how this energy causes earthquakes. Ladislaus Rybach convinces readers that geothermal energy has not caused enough damage to stop using. Who do you believe?
Fun Links:
Geothermal Quake Risks Must Be Faced, by Domenico Giardini. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7275/full/462848a.html. December 17, 2009
Geothermal energy: sustainability and the environment, Ladislaus Ryback. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VCN-49CMDYC-3&_user=130907&_coverDate=12/31/2003&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1183465754&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000004198&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=130907&md5=38a156826c9f92e5e6e554a46e39403f. April 2, 2003
Anna Perez
Do We Always Make Our Own Choices??? by Devin Cooney
Hey kids!!! Don’t you think that everything you do is because you want to do it? Maybe this is not always true.
One person who does not agree with this idea is Daniel Wegner. In his book, The Illusion of Conscious Will, he argues not everything we do is because we want to do them. We cannot always control our actions. He uses some pretty cool examples.
One of which is the “Alien Hand Syndrome.” Alien Hand Syndrome is when a person loses an arm or a leg and it still feels like it is there. Isn’t that weird? One patient said that her “Alien Hand” would attempt to grab her clothes in the morning!!! She cannot be in control of this movement because her hand is not there. So do you still feel like everything you do is because you want to?
Another example he gives is hypnosis. He says that during this activity, the hypnotist is influencing the behavior by simply suggesting actions. One patient says that he felt that he was not controlling what he was doing.
However, Martin Heisenberg disagrees with this idea. In his opinion article, “Is Free Will an Illusion,” he looks at how animals act and react to certain situations to show that they make decisions on their own. The main point he makes is that freedom exists if the actions that we do are self-generated. Self-generated means that we decide what we do. He says, “their [animal’s] brains continuously pre-activate, discard and reconfigure their options, and evaluate their possible short-term and long-term consequences.” This means that they weigh good things versus bad things and choose whether to do something. He believes that these facts prove that free will is real.
The idea that these two people are arguing about is called free will. Free will is the ability to be able to choose your thoughts, actions, and ideas. Scientists and philosophers are always arguing this issue.
I would really like to believe that free will is real. I like to think I am the one who controls what I think, do, and say. Wegner does make some very good points about free will not existing though. His examples are clear and simple. Heisenberg’s point is a lot less clear. Wegner has made me rethink about this issue because of his examples.
So does free will exist kids? What do you think?
Fun Links:
The Illusion of Conscious Will by Daniel Wegner. http://books.google.com/books?id=eQnlRg56piQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false. January 31, 2010
Is Free Will an Illusion by Martin Heisenberg. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7244/full/459164a.html. January 31, 2010
One person who does not agree with this idea is Daniel Wegner. In his book, The Illusion of Conscious Will, he argues not everything we do is because we want to do them. We cannot always control our actions. He uses some pretty cool examples.
One of which is the “Alien Hand Syndrome.” Alien Hand Syndrome is when a person loses an arm or a leg and it still feels like it is there. Isn’t that weird? One patient said that her “Alien Hand” would attempt to grab her clothes in the morning!!! She cannot be in control of this movement because her hand is not there. So do you still feel like everything you do is because you want to?
Another example he gives is hypnosis. He says that during this activity, the hypnotist is influencing the behavior by simply suggesting actions. One patient says that he felt that he was not controlling what he was doing.
However, Martin Heisenberg disagrees with this idea. In his opinion article, “Is Free Will an Illusion,” he looks at how animals act and react to certain situations to show that they make decisions on their own. The main point he makes is that freedom exists if the actions that we do are self-generated. Self-generated means that we decide what we do. He says, “their [animal’s] brains continuously pre-activate, discard and reconfigure their options, and evaluate their possible short-term and long-term consequences.” This means that they weigh good things versus bad things and choose whether to do something. He believes that these facts prove that free will is real.
The idea that these two people are arguing about is called free will. Free will is the ability to be able to choose your thoughts, actions, and ideas. Scientists and philosophers are always arguing this issue.
I would really like to believe that free will is real. I like to think I am the one who controls what I think, do, and say. Wegner does make some very good points about free will not existing though. His examples are clear and simple. Heisenberg’s point is a lot less clear. Wegner has made me rethink about this issue because of his examples.
So does free will exist kids? What do you think?
Fun Links:
The Illusion of Conscious Will by Daniel Wegner. http://books.google.com/books?id=eQnlRg56piQC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false. January 31, 2010
Is Free Will an Illusion by Martin Heisenberg. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v459/n7244/full/459164a.html. January 31, 2010
Is Climate Change Serious or Dangerous?
In the article, the author mainly talks about the danger of global warming. What is the most controversial issue thesedays? I think the global warming is one of the most important issues for us. The environment was already destroyed by human beings and this caused climate change. The main cause of the global warming is the emission of green house gas. If the global warming keeps continuing, a large amount of creature will be exterminated because natural habitat is very important for many creatures. Some people would wonder why biodiversity or eco system is important. The reason is there are lots of advantages that we would get through preserving eco system. For example, mangrove could keep us from storm impact, and also it could support fisheries and harbor diverse species. Besides, it could be alternative source of income and food.
Then what do we have to do? The author claims that intergovernmental plan is very important. For example, if developing countries reduce emission of green gas or stop deforestration, other countries should give them financial benefit. In other words, many people already realize the importance of eco system which would give us many benefits. In brief, the author says that we must work with the nature rather than abusing it or working against it.
The author of another article that I read has a totally different ideas about the climate change. They claim that most people in the world generally think human beings attribute to the climate change, global warming. Therefore, people argue that we should control the emission of CO2, which cause the global warming. However, there are some people who think the global warming is nothing to do with human beings’ emission of CO2. They think the global warming is not fatal that others think. They say that the climate change is the result of solar change and ocean cycle. According to the article, those who think the human beings did not cause the climate change meet at New York. Although some people blame those who are against plans to control the emission of CO2, most of people in New York meeting are against plans to control greenhouse gases. Also, they say that the climate change is not very dangerous and it is not the result of the emission of CO2.
The climate change is currently most controversial issue. I think both sides of opinions are very strong and also, it is not easily find the way to solve the climate change. However, we do not have to be stressful or obsessed.
A Force to Fight Global Warming by Will R. Turner1, Michael Oppenheimer2 & David S. Wilcove http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7271/full/462278a.html
Skeptics Gather to Discuss Why Global Warming Isn't Such a Big Worry by ANDREW C. REVKIN http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/auth/checkbrowser.do?rand=0.7715720891017142&cookieState=0&ipcounter=1&bhcp=1
Then what do we have to do? The author claims that intergovernmental plan is very important. For example, if developing countries reduce emission of green gas or stop deforestration, other countries should give them financial benefit. In other words, many people already realize the importance of eco system which would give us many benefits. In brief, the author says that we must work with the nature rather than abusing it or working against it.
The author of another article that I read has a totally different ideas about the climate change. They claim that most people in the world generally think human beings attribute to the climate change, global warming. Therefore, people argue that we should control the emission of CO2, which cause the global warming. However, there are some people who think the global warming is nothing to do with human beings’ emission of CO2. They think the global warming is not fatal that others think. They say that the climate change is the result of solar change and ocean cycle. According to the article, those who think the human beings did not cause the climate change meet at New York. Although some people blame those who are against plans to control the emission of CO2, most of people in New York meeting are against plans to control greenhouse gases. Also, they say that the climate change is not very dangerous and it is not the result of the emission of CO2.
The climate change is currently most controversial issue. I think both sides of opinions are very strong and also, it is not easily find the way to solve the climate change. However, we do not have to be stressful or obsessed.
A Force to Fight Global Warming by Will R. Turner1, Michael Oppenheimer2 & David S. Wilcove http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v462/n7271/full/462278a.html
Skeptics Gather to Discuss Why Global Warming Isn't Such a Big Worry by ANDREW C. REVKIN http://www.lexisnexis.com/us/lnacademic/auth/checkbrowser.do?rand=0.7715720891017142&cookieState=0&ipcounter=1&bhcp=1
Global Warming Explained!
Hey guys and girls! A very serious issue I would like to inform you about today is something scientists call “global warming.” Global warming is an overall warming of our planet due to the burning of fossil fuels, or things like coal, oil, and gas, for power and electricity. These release a chemical called C02 into the air, which is thought to be responsible for global warming. Ocean levels are rising because of melting ice at the north and south poles, and even some animal species are becoming extinct and moving to new homes. Global warming is a very touchy subject in the world of science because many scientists have different views about it.
The first article I read about global warming was found in the well-known magazine Nature. The author writes about how it is a serious threat and how the United States is passing several bills and laws to slow down global warming. For example, president Obama aims to reduce the amount of C02 being released by 80% in forty years. While this will require big changes in how the United States operates as a country, it is something that has to be done in order to save our planet.
The second article I read,“Ten Myths of Global Warming” by Peter Clover, had a totally different viewpoint. The author stated that global warming is a total hoax, or lie, and that everyone needs to calm down. It lays out several myths and truths about global warming, and says that Earth will never stay the same. Temperature and weather always vary on Earth even if humans never began polluting it. This article seemed like it attacked the idea of global warming and those who believe in it.
The two articles both seemed convincing. The authors both knew a lot about the topic, even though two totally different arguments were presented. Global warming is such a complicated issue though, and I am certainly no climatologist! It’s hard to say which article is more right than the other, but I guess the best way to find out is to just wait and see how our planet continues to change in the future…
Fun Links:
The first article I read about global warming was found in the well-known magazine Nature. The author writes about how it is a serious threat and how the United States is passing several bills and laws to slow down global warming. For example, president Obama aims to reduce the amount of C02 being released by 80% in forty years. While this will require big changes in how the United States operates as a country, it is something that has to be done in order to save our planet.
The second article I read,“Ten Myths of Global Warming” by Peter Clover, had a totally different viewpoint. The author stated that global warming is a total hoax, or lie, and that everyone needs to calm down. It lays out several myths and truths about global warming, and says that Earth will never stay the same. Temperature and weather always vary on Earth even if humans never began polluting it. This article seemed like it attacked the idea of global warming and those who believe in it.
The two articles both seemed convincing. The authors both knew a lot about the topic, even though two totally different arguments were presented. Global warming is such a complicated issue though, and I am certainly no climatologist! It’s hard to say which article is more right than the other, but I guess the best way to find out is to just wait and see how our planet continues to change in the future…
Fun Links:
More Than Hot Air, by anonymous. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v458/n7241/full/458945b.html 23 April 2009
Ten Myths of Global Warming, by Peter Clover. http://www.globalwarminghysteria.com/ten-myths-of-global-warming/ 2007
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