2nd Post for the 3rd 9 Weeks Due Febuary 26th

[Mr. Dove]

Please respond to this topic post to complete your second post for the thrid nine weeks. PLEASE RESPOND TO ONLY THIS POST. If you wish to appropriately comment on your classmates post then respond to their thread in this discussion. 

[Lauren Cosner]

A. Pollution

 

B. Fracking is increasing in the northeastern part of the United States. It's done by using a hydraulic fraturing procces that pumps a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals deep into the sedimentary rock. This extracts naturally occuring gas. The waste water is kept in impounded ponds and containers until it can be placed in the waste water treatment plants. After it is purified it is released into steams or taken to Ohio to be pumped deep into another fracking operation. Gas companies are using lots of purified water to frack wells. While fracking create possible hazard of letting the contaminated water leak into the clean water.

 

C. I picked this article because it relates to what we are learning about in class. Also this article interested me because most people including myself wouldn't know if some of the water that is considered clean actually isn't. If I were in this situation I would do my best to ensure the containimated water was kept in a safe place that would not leak. I enjoyed this article because I learned things that I didn't previously know.

 

D. "ENN: Environmental News Network -- Know Your Environment." Wildlife and Habitat Conservation News: Fracking Residual Waters. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

[Shannon Simko]

The Impact of Climate Change on Natural Disasters

 

1. Climate System

 

2. This page of articles consists of many involving this years climate. The one that caught my eye and I found most interesting was The Impact of Climate Change on Natural Disasters. Natural disasters have been sky rocking, which may not be the direct impact of our climate change but it may be in the future. Climate models are providing future predictions that follow the trends that are occurring. The increase of our greenhouse gases are boosting most land surfaces temperatures, which we commonly call global warming. With this, increase risk of droughts and  high intensity storms are just a few possible things that could come from our global warming. Which is what it seems to be doing. Not only are storms an issue, with warming temperatures, it causes glaciers to melt. Resulting in rising see levels and it could make coastal flooding an issue. Intergovernmental Panels are stating that sea levels have risen two feet.

 

3. I chose this article from the many on the page because its the one that is most true and happening everyday. It made me think about how Virginia, where we live, is getting such extreme weather. Though it may not be the movie The Day After Tomorrow but our weather has changed. And the movie predicted with global warming comes crazy weather. To note we had a snow storm then 70 degree weather all in one week! That's insane. Global warming is a scary thing, this natural disasters storms can cause deaths, so not only are we killing our environment with the greenhouse gasses to cause this, we are killing ourselves.

 

 

4. Riebeek, H.. N.p.. Web. 24 Feb 2014.

<http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Features/RisingCost/>.

 

[Caroline Firer]

Caroline Firer

 

A. Emerging Technologies and Environment, pollution, and human health

 

B.The company of Shell gas stations has stuck a deal with secretary of energy in the UK. Their calling the"Peterhead Project." Its the first of its kind in the world and signing the deal trigger the first stage of the project to retrofit the Peterhead gas fired power plant with carbon capture and storage technology.This new project will creat around 2,00 construction and technical operation jobs for those who will be working on and off the site itself. This Peterhead plant will be the first gas plant in the world to capture carbon dioxide and guide it under the sea where it can be stored safely. Basically the plant can produce clean energy. Peterhead will capture and store around 90% of carbon dioxide emissions from one power station three turbine's, providing low carbon electricity for homes and business across the united kingdom.

 

C. I was very pleased when I was reading this artical because this new plant is ground breaking and shows that producing clean energy from a gas plant is possible. Shell and the prime minister of the UK are setting examples for all the other gas powered plants by showing going green can be just as effective. I also think everyone would benefit from reading this article because the amount of carbon in the air is a real concern and should be taken more seriusly. People in the USA should mimic what theyre doing over in the UK so we can take steps towards reducing the carbon in the air by producing clean energy.

 

D. ClickGreen, staff. "UK unviels worlds first carbon capture project at gas-fired power station ." enn.com. enn.com, 24 feb 2014. Web. 24 Feb 2014. <http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/47082>.

[Hunter Critzer]

A. Climate Systems

B. This article discussed global warming, and how if it is not kept in check, it could result in humans not being able to live on Earth. One cause stated by the article that could speed up this process and make Earth unlivable for our society more quickly is inreversable feedback loops that could amplify human impact of the atmosphere. An example of one of these harmful feedback loops can be found in the ocean. Although the ocean absorbs much of our carbon dioxide that is released and reduces the greenhouse effect, as air temperature rises, the water temperature rises also. This causes the ocean to not be able to absorb as much of the carbon.

C. I have a very strong reaction to the article because it shows just how accumulative our actions can be. By each person doing a little, it adds up very quickly and causes great stress on the Earth. This is why it is so difficult to find a solution to the carbon problem. By using fossil fuels, we release carbon into the air, as a solution we could burn firewood, but then we are taking away what helps absorb someof the carbon from the air.If i was in a position of power during this situation, I would create a network of solar energy so even if one place or country is running low, another, sunnier place can aid them.

D.Pfeiffer, Dale Allen. "Global Warming Could Make the Earth Unlivable for Humans." Global Warming. Ed. Debra A. Miller. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Current Controversies. Rpt. from "Global Climate Change & Peak Oil (Part III)." fromthewilderness.com. 2004. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 25 Feb. 2014

[Sarah Hale]

A. Pollution

B. This article talks about how Organic agriculture may actually pollute groundwater. Due to the growing popularity of "organic food products" which contain no chemicals or additives, demand is rapidly increasing. Unfortunately, researchers have found that intensive organic agriculture is causing significant pollution due to the leakage of nitrates into the groundwater. They've found that this is due to the release of nitrates from compost during the early stages of plant growth. The reason that this occurs during the beginning stages of plant growth is due to the young plants lack of strength to absorb the nutrients the compost is providing, therefore dripping into groundwater is unavoidable. 

C. At first, I chose this article because of its striking relevance to the topics we've been covering in class. However, as I read it I became more and more interested in the problem itself. If organic farming isn't safe for the environment, then what is? It seems as though organic food is going to be better for you no matter what anyway, we may never reach a healthy way to farm, which is concerning. I wonder if theres a way to literally "build" a farm, or to protect the groundwater from whatever the farmer is using to grow his plants.

D."Organic Agriculture Can Pollute Groundwater, Research Shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.

[Alanna Breeden]

A. Climate System

B. This article is about the largest ice cap in the tropics melting, and how it has been proven that the melting is due to increased temperatures and not other factors. A paper was released by Geology that was about Justin Stroup and Meredith Kelly’s use of elaborate techniques dating the waxing and waning of the glacier Qori Kalis over the past 500 years. They then compared the movement of Qori Kalis to records of ice accumulation on top of Quelccaya, the largest glacier in the tropics. The paper suggest that the glacier grew during low ice accumulation, and retreated during high ice accumulation. Dr. Kelly and Mr. Stroup concluded that the glacier was sensitive to temperature and other factors are second. If this claim holds up, it will be sobering because Qori Kalis is retreating at a rapid pace. Glaciers in the tropics are strange, but only happen one very high and cold mountain tops. These glaciers get sunlight almost all year round and ice can sometimes go straight to evaporation and not pass through the liquid phase. A second group believes that the main cause of the retreating glacier is due in part to precipitation amounts. There are critics about how broad the topic of temperature controlling the glacier is. They believe that the evidence of ice drilling requires a considerable amount of interpretation.

C. My reaction to this post was just one of curiosity, I wanted to learn more about the melting ice caps and if it is due to temperatures or other factors. I chose this article because it seemed interesting that there could be glaciers in the tropics and that melting would be such a controversial issue, I figured they were always melting and it was because they were in the tropics. This article didn’t really affect me all that much, it just made me think about how strange the Earth is.

D. Gillis, Justin. “Study Link Melting Peruvian Ice Cap to Higher Temperatures.” NY Times 25 2 2014

[Abby Lipscomb]

Abby Lipscomb

Orange Alert: Dangerous Smog Chokes Beijing. By: Ed Flanagen

A. Environment, Pollution, and Human Health

B. My news article is based on Beijing, China. Early this morning Beijing issued a code Orange. This means that Beijing’s air pullution had reached its second to highest level of smog. They proceeded with stopping production at factories and cancelling all outside activities at schools. The hospitals had been receiving many respiratory problems due to the high pollution in the air. Many locals started wearing face masks, but at the end of the article Ed mentioned that surprisingly the Chinese president does not wear one.   

C. I am surprised by this article due to I had no idea that pollution was really that bad. I have seen many times Chinese wearing masks on tv, but I always just assumed because of something medical happening. I didn’t think about it being because of the toxins int he air. I’ve always heard about pollution and how harmful it can be, but I’ve never seen it in action or drastically effecting us so I never cared. It’s alarming to see how everything is unfolding and building up and I think this is just the start.

D.  Flanagen, Ed. "Orange Alert: Dangerous Smog Chokes Beijing."NBC News. N.p., 24 Feb 2014. Web. 25 Feb 2014.

[Ryan Jacobson]

A. Environment & Pollution

B. It has been nearly four year since the tremendous oil spill off the Gulf Coast. Marine chemists have begun to collect oil samples to determine how they have changed over time. One of the main catalysts in this research has been the climate. The scientists said that weathering has a tremendous impact on how the oil has affected the ocean. Teamed uped with students from Florida State University, the scientists have collected over 1,000 samples of oil from different parts of the ocean which relates to the various types of weathering. Another factor that contributes to the oil having a large impact on the ocean, is the type of compound that was spilled. Petroleum Hydrocarbon is the main "ingredient" that determines the effect on the ocean. 

C. Although this article wasn't very in-depth about the specifics of the oil besides the weathering process, its important to get our ocean cleaned up. Everyone know that the ocean makes up 70% of the world's surface but little peop[le know how much pollution goes into it. God knows how many fish and other aquatic species have died or are still suffering form this disaster that happened nearly four years ago! What about there habitats as well? Most people only think "oh those poor fish who died" but a lot of habitats were likely contaminated during the span of the spill.. These species most likely had to migrate somewhere else, and who even knows if they survived. If there niche is general, they might have a hard time adapting to other conditions.  

D. "Passing the Baton in Oil Spill Research on the Gulf Coast." ENN.com. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Media Relations Office, 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.

[Hannah Bingler]

A. Biodiversity

B. Climate change has been linked to biodiversity over the past couple years. Although the climate of the Earth has changed frequently through out the history, studies have shown that rapid climate change is increasing the loss of biodiversity. Loss of biodiversity can lead to human extinction if it is vast enough. It risks human extinction because we will loose a lot of the animals that we rely on for everyday things. Though some species can benefit from climate change, but they're the species that we don't want, like bugs. 

C. I feel like we should start to really crack down on pollution and stop harming the environment so much. This article made me realize that loss of biodiversity will eventually come back to effect us, and could result in our extinction. I think that everyone should read this article so that we are all aware of how biodiversity can effect all of us.

D. Climate Change Affects Biodiversity. (n.d.). - Global Issues. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from http://www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity

[Wade Goodrich]

A. Climate 

B. At the Sochi Winter Olympics many athletes have complained about poor snow conditions due to warm weather. Experts argue that this warm weather is due to climate change. The past several venues for the winter Olympics have been warmer that is considered ideal for sports like skiing and snowboarding. If the current trends in climate change continue, cities that hosted the Winter Olympics in the past would no longer be cold enough to host the games. 

C. I chose this article because I watched many athletes struggle with the melting and slushy snow at the Sochi Olympics. While Sochi isn't a terribly cold place to begin with, I still wondered whether climate change played a role in the melting snow. I found this article very interesting and relevant to myself and my peers, as I know many people who ski and snowboard. It will be interesting to see how the International Olympic Committee handles climate change. There are only a limited number of cities left that are cold enough to host the winter sporting events.

D. Jervey, Ben. "Climate Change Threatens the Future of the Winter Olympics."National Geographic. National Geographic Society, 21 Feb. 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.

[Kaona Ayres]

A) Environment, pollution, and human health

B) In attempts to reduce cultural pollution many farmers have switched from using chemical additives and liquid fertilizer to intensive organic matter such as composted manure. The expected effect was of course to reduce industrial and groundwater pollution. However, the effect was drastically the opposite as the more organic means caused more groundwater pollution than the liquid fertilizer as it allowed excessive leaching of nitrates into the soil.

C) This article gives me a sense of hopelessness because when it comes to agriculture, its easy to think that organic is always better. Seeing how this is not the case in this situation, I can only think "where do we turn to now?" If liquid fertilizers are bad, and intense organic matter is worse, then there is no winning. I hope that sometime in the near future we will be able to find an answer to this agricultural/ground water pollution dilemma. 

D) American Associates, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. "Organic agriculture can pollute groundwater, research shows." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 February 2014. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140218114311.htm>.

[Sebastian Glickman]

A. Environment, Pollution & Human Health

B. This article is about the plastisphere and the microbes that live in it. In the article they are talking about new microbes that have been found that are living on the plastics found in the oceans and wondering how they affect the ecosystem. The researches who were studying these microbes are trying to find out how the microbes got there in the first place and also what impact they are making on the environment, if they are making any impact at all. An oceanographer said it's important to find out what the impact of the plastisphere is on the environment because then they could change the way plastics that could end up in the ocean are made. They wouldn't necessarily make plastics so they could be thrown into the ocean instead of a trashcan but they would make them a bit more Eco-friendly so the dangers of having plastic end up in the ocean wouldn't be as big.

C. I think it's interesting that they don't know the impact of these microbes yet because what if they are actually useful. The article talked briefly about the microbes speeding up the process of breaking down the plastic so, in my opinion, that's useful. There could be other effects of these microbes that aren't so useful and more harmful than anything else but it would be surprising and extremely exciting that these microbes could help clean up the ocean naturally.

D. Ghose, By Tia. "Secret World of Ocean Garbage Patch Microbes Revealed." LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 25 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.