Cole McDowell

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/13/green-heating-not-so-impossible-after-all/?partner=rss&emc=rss
By: Elisabeth Rosenthal

Summary: The article I have read this week is about using biomass for heating. In Kristianstad Sweden (an area known for its farming in Sweden) the government has converted the city from oil and coal heating the biomass and food waste. Kristianstad and its people have changed the way they live and now pay less for heating and is one of the most environmentally friendly cities in Sweden. The town has cut their per-capita carbon dioxide emissions to 4.1 tons per person because of their new way of heating their homes. In other towns of Sweden they have also adapted to using wind, tidal, and hydroelectric power as their sources of energy. If wholes towns in Sweden can heat their homes with an alternative energy, why can't we?

Opinion: I think this article tells a great story of how a town used their waste from farming, and converted it to energy for heating their homes. This is a great and clever idea that can be used wherever there is farming. If farms and houses in the United States used biomass and waste for heating they could cut their bill down and use a lot less oil and natural gas. I future years, I hope that people will take alternative ways to make energy and make them even better as years progress.

Questions:
1. What source of renewable power can we use?

2. Do you think more towns will use this source of energy?

3. Can you think of a weird alternative energy?

US Energy Secretary Warns of 'Sputnik Moment' in Green Technology Race

US Energy Secretary Warns of 'Sputnik Moment' in Green Technology Race

November 29, 2010

By: Suzanne Goldenberg

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/nov/29/us-green-technology-energy-investment

Summary: The United States is at risk of falling far behind advances by China and other countries in the global cleanenergy race. US energy secretary Steven Chu said that the US urgently needed to invest in research and innovation, much like it responded the the Soviet Union's launch of the first space satellite in 1957. Chu is a Nobel prize winner in physics and he said that over the last 15 years the United States has been losing ground to China and India in research and hi-tech manufacturing. For the first time ever last year, the majority of US patents were awarded to inventors based outside America. Meanwhile, China has emerged as the world's largest producer of wind and solar power and was breaking ground on 30 new nuclear reactors. He said that America still has the opportunity to lead the world, we just essentially need a new industrial revolution.

Opinion: This is actually a very frightful story. America is tumbling down in the world rankings for the most part. If we really are on a downslide during one of the greatest economic crisis's of our nation, then we are in trouble. We need to right the ship and get back to our former status of being the greatest nation in the world. We have seemed to of lost that rank to either China or India. Hopefully our nation will be able to get back to where we belong.

Questions:

1. Will America recover from this?

2. Do you believe China will be referred to as the most powerful nation in the world soon?

3. Who is more powerful in research, America or China?

High tech to low, world's green methods are many

Diana Magnay, Frederick Pleitgen, Emily Chang and Jennifer Eccleston





Freiburg, Germany, is in the midst of an environmental revolution. The city is known to have converted its sources of energy from fossil fuels to solar panels. Citizens of Freiburg are running on solar energy these days. The stadiums are also run by solar energy and energy from woodchips. It is said that these people are producing more energy than using it, and use the extra to create utilities and such. However, this new method of energy consumption has led to a world-wide shortage on silicon, the material used for solar panels. However, people have rediscovered a new way to insulate houses. By filling the walls with clay covered hay-bundles, people have found it easier to keep the heat in. On top of that, Beijing, China, is also undergoing the process of an environmental revolution. The Chinese government is planning to change Beijing into an eco-city, the first of its kind. And it does not stop there. Different cities all over the world are also thinking about changing their source of energy from non-renewable to renewable, in order to make the world a cleaner place.





I think that it is a very postive step forward that cities all over the world are changing their source of energy. Freiburg for one seems to be the leader in this transtion as of now. I've always known of solar panels but never knew they could be so productive. If everyone made more energy than they used, then energy shortages would no longer be a problem. But as the article stated, silicon is now on shortage world-wide. However, the article also said there are different ways to conserve heat. Clay covered hay-bundles are new to me and I find them an interesting and efficient way to conserve heat and energy. I also think Beijing's environmental change will bring new positive differences, considering that China is one of the biggest pollution emitters with all the factories. As for the other cities, I think that if more and more cities join in on the revolution, it will bring a whole new generation of technology and energy shortages will be a thing of the past.



Questions:
1.) How long do you think it will take for the whole world to convert over to renewable energy sources (not just solar but hydroelectric, geothermal, etc.)?
2.) What are some problems to a new source of energy?
3.) What are your thoughts on the idea of clay covered hay-bundles?

High tech to low, world

High tech to low, world

Algae: The World's New Alternative Energy Source?

Algae: The World's New Alternative Energy Source?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/11/algae-the-worlds-new-alte_n_642184.html

Published 7-11-10

Summary:

A group of students and profesors from the College of William and Mary are investigating a new technique to harvest energy. They have discovered a way to use a floating dock to trap algae and certain nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous. The invention will be able to produce six to eight gallons of dry algae every 2 weeks. Although this is obviously not enough to fix American's energy issues, the group is working to find the way it can make biodiesel in the most cost effective way. Also, this experiment could reduce up to 20% of a lake's toxic material. Many other colleges are also investigating the possiblity of algae becoming a new enery source.

Opinion:

I thought that using algae to produce energy was extremely intriguing. I never knew there were many positive aspects of algae, but this could prove to be very beneficial. If one team of students and professors came up with this technique, and there are other colleges investigating even more methods to find renewable energy, we will be less dependent on oil in no time. I believe that this could become very sucessful if it was used on a larger scale. For now, it cannot help much because it is on such a small level, but if it was put into effect on a larger scale, algae could make a huge difference. Reading this article reminded me of how we learned about the algal blooms that choke out life in many bodies of water. The blooms reproduce very quickly and take over the area in a very short period of time. If the algal blooms are able to have such a negative impact, we should use these fast-growing blooms to make something positive out of it.

Questions:

1. Do you think this method will ever be used on a larger scale?

2. Do you see any downfalls to using algae for energy?

3. Why do you think this method not being put into action all over the world currently?

Melissa McNeil

Three Totally Cool, Out-of-the-Box Alternative-Energy Sources
April 9, 2009
By: Luke McKinney
Publication: The Daily Galaxy

Summary:
This article explains three different kinds of interesting alternative energy sources. The first source has to do with wind power. Wind farms around the world have ran into many problems. They are expensive, take up a lot of room, and have people whining over the plants taking over the coal-burning plant. A group of engineers thought of a solution for this. They thought that they should just make the wind plants a thousand times better. An idea for making them better is using permanent magnets to float the turbines which would make them easier to turn. Chinese developers claimed to have achieved this. Another way to make the wind farms better would be a safe and friendly nuclear reactor in every backyard. A hydrogen atmosphere surrounds a uranium hydride core, the whole thing is encased in concrete and then buried somewhere to power 25,000 homes for up to five years. Although its a cool idea, the probability of this scheme being approved is slim to none. The last idea is 'taming tornadoes.' A retired engineer, named Louis Michaud, has filed a patent for a device that would generate tornadoes and then harness them for power generation. Basically it is an Xtreme version of wind power. This device would set up the conditions that create a tornado and harvest the energy that it has naturally grown. This man suggests that we could make it even more environmental friendly by using hot water generated by a nearby nuclear plant to provide the conditions.

Opinion/Reflection:
This article was very interesting to me. I couldn't believe the three unique things people around the world have thought of as alternative energy sources. The last idea, 'taming tornadoes,' stuck with me the most though. I couldn't believe that you could actually create a tornado AND use the energy! Out of those three ideas I think the tornado idea would work best. It is very environmentally friendly and could potentially change the way we power our homes, buildings, etc. Researching alternative energy sources reminded me of the time I did a project in middle school on wind power. When I did that project I thought wind power was really cool but now I know that there are a lot more choices of obtaining our energy.

Questions:
1) Of the three new ideas, which one do you think would be most successful? Why?
2) Do you think 'taming tornadoes' could actually work in our cities today?
3) What is another alternative energy source?

Air pollution, asthma linked to suicide

This article discusses how suicides don't just result from psychological stresses, but can also be linked to a physical stress. In this scenario, the stress is respritory problems, such as lung cancer, bronchitis and so forth, caused by air pollution. Researchers first found evidence of this in South Korea, 2004. It was then that scientists first related the poor air quality to the suicide rates of the citizens. Following that, in that same year, 4300 suicides were reported and under half of the victims were found to have some form of chronic illness, such as lung cancer and diabetes. Furthermore, the scientists also found when air pollution came into play, the suicide risk went up 9 percent within two days. And when heart diseases were added, it went up 19. However, some professors believe that these are coincidences and the two have nothing in common.

Opinion:

I find this new discovery shocking and depressing. Global warming has already taken its toll on to the world but now, even humans are being negatively affected by it. Suicides are no matter to joke about and are very serious. Enough people die everyday from natural and unnatural causes and this just adds to the list. 9 percent may not seem like much but when you put it up against several billion, the numbers total up to an enormous amount, and 19 percent is almost one out of five. I disagree with the professor. With all these statistics to prove it first hand, there definitely has to be some sort of connection between the suicide rates and air pollution. But even if there is no connection, the suicides are a sad thing to look upon.

Questions:

1.) What do you think is the difference between a psychological stress and a physical one?

2.) Is there any way to help out the victims of this horrible trend?

3.) Do you believe that there is a connection between air pollution and the suicides?

Article link: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/07/15/pollution.asthma.suicide/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

In Canada, Grizzlies Invade Polar-Bear Turf

By: Cole McDowell

Summary: This article was about how grizzly bears are moving into Polar Bears territory. In Wapusk National Park Grizzly Bears are starting to appear. Seeing Grizzlies that far up north is very rare and locals say that they have not seen Grizzly Bears anywhere near Wapusk for over 100 years. Experts say there is no way to know for sure if the Grizzlies will stay or not. If they do stay then boundary's will be drawn. Although polar bears are almost three times larger than a grizzly they cannot take down large prey like adult moose and caribou. Lucky for Grizzlies they can take down a moose or caribou. The reason experts are so interested is they do not know how they will react to each other. Most people hope for the two species to get along but experts say that three things can happen. The Polar Bear moves, the Grizzly leaves or they get along but keep their distance. The choice is in the hands of nature.


Opinion: I hope that the two species can get along. I feel that it would be a interesting thing to happen up in Canada. Most people think all bears are vicious but Robert Rockwell who work around bears even says "In 41 years in the field, where I sometimes see 200 bears in a day, I've seen exactly one aggressive encounter". If that is the case i believe that their will be almost little to no problems with The Grizzlies and the Polar Bears in Wapusk National Park. If either side is driven away from their home it would be very sad.

Questions:
1.What do you think will happen to either bear in this situation?
2.Exactly how big can a Grizzly and a polar bear get?
3. Do you think that the bears will keep their distance from each other or will they fight?


http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1968441,00.html?xid=rss-topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29

Disease Threatens New Zealand Kiwi Industry

"Disease Threatens New Zealand Kiwi Industry"

By: Johnathan Hutchison

Published: November 14, 2010

The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/business/global/15iht-kiwi.html?ref=agriculture

Summary: This article explains the crisis mode problem in New Zealand. A destructive canker, known as PSA, is critically threatening to destroy the kiwi farming industry in New Zealand. The industry, worth $1.2 billion, is a local economy monument in a lot of New Zealand towns. The bacterial disease was first discovered in Japan 25 years ago and has four known strains with varying levels of virulence. Kiwi industry growers are still awaiting test results for which strain is being dealt with. The public has been urged to avoid kiwi orchards as the disease can be spread through humans and other agents. The PSA disease affects the vine of the fruit, not the fruit itself. Affects may vary due to the strain of the disease and the local climate. A recent happening of the PSA disease in Italy has an estimated cost of $2.7 million. If a cost like that were to hit New Zealand, the crown jewel of the New Zealand economy could take a serious hit. Many local people of New Zealand who rely on the kiwi orchard industry for their livelihoods are seriously concerned. Experts do believe however that some way, some how the industry could survive.

Opinion: This tragedy is very bad for not only the industry, but also for the people of New Zealand. Their economy could make a turn for the worse and possibly never be able to regain its footing. This canker disease is hurting a lot of people and depending on the strain of the disease, it could end up harming them physically and emotionally. If kiwi is the prime crop in New Zealand, then a lot of people eat it and this food shortage could add fire to an exposed flame. To my knowledge, New Zealand is a small nation and this incident could tip them over the edge. Developed nations should help out New Zealand a little bit if need be.

Questions:

1. Should nations help New Zealand? If so, how can they help them?

2. Will New Zealand overcome this with little to no damage?

3. How could importing and exporting nations of New Zealand be affected by this?

Melissa McNeil

"New Way to Help Chickens Cross to Other Side"
By: William Neuman
Published: October 21, 2010
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/business/22chicken.html?ref=factory_farming


Summary:
This article explains a new way of killing chickens in factory farming. Chickens today are free of many things. They come cage-free, antibiotic-free, organic, and air-chilled. Two premium chicken producers are on their way to making the chickens stress-free. This new system uses carbon dioxide gas that slowly renders the chickens unconscious before they're hung by their feet to get their throats slit. This system would potentially help the chickens because they won't feel the stress of someone grabbing their legs and hanging them upside down while they are alive. This system is also more humane. Marketing this subject however, is a difficult thing to do. Many people don't even like to think about how the animal was killed so it's hard to get people on their side in support of this new system. They are trying to communicate this way of killing animals by calling it 'humanely slaughtered' or 'humanely handled.' Many important people in the agricultural business are on board with this idea, except that the gas technology is expensive. It would cost about $3 million just go convert their operations to the system. Marc Cooper, a senior scientific manager in the farm animals department of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, in London said, "It's hard to sell humane killing as a concept."

Opinion:
As I read this article I was pretty happy that people all over are trying out a more humane way of killing. Killing chickens sounds horrible but if you think about it, our population isn't going to stop eating them any time soon. I think making a more humane way of killing chickens is a great idea. I agree with Marc Cooper in the fact that humane killing is a hard concept to sell. However, I think that with a lot of good marketing this idea will spread and start to become popular with chicken slaughtering. Personally I have always felt bad for the animals that get slaughtered for our use. This system seems like a great idea and I really hope the expense goes down some so many companies can use it.

Questions:
1) Do you think this system is a good idea?
2) What is a way to lower the expenses of the gas technology?
3) Are there any other ways that you can think of to make chicken slaughter more humane?

Arid Australia Sips Seawater, at a Cost

Kiersten Neubeck

Title: Arid Australia Sips Seawater, at a Cost - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/7/11/world/asia/11waterhtml?partner=rss&emc=rss
By: Norimitsu Onishi
Published July 10, 2010














Summary:
Australia is the driest continent with a living population of people. For centuries they have searched for a way to obtain freshwater efficiently. Finally after many years, desalination has been put into place. In 3 years when all of the plants in major cities will be completed, thirty percent of Australia's water will be coming from desalination plants. Over thirteen billion dollars are being spent in the efforts to complete the new plants. This is a much needed step because the climate change is making water shortages an even bigger issue. Many enviromentalists, however, are against the idea because desalination plants contribute to global warming. Despite this, Australia is going forward with the idea.





Opinion:
It is interesting that Australia is surrounded by water and yet cannot obtain a sufficient amount of water. Thankfully now they can obtain usuable water by using desalination plants to make the salt water around them drinkable. I believe that this is a great idea, but it is extremely expensive and is detrimental to the enviroment. This is why I believe that Australia should attempt to find other ways to obtain water. In spite of the negative effects desalination plants have, Australia can create many jobs by creating these institutions, thus boosting the economy. This article reminds me of Africa. Africa is also struggling with water availability, but in contrast they have a much weaker economy. Fortunately, Australia has the economical means to provide water to their people.





Questions:
1. How else do you think Australia can obtain freshwater?
2. Do the pros of desalination plants overweigh the cons?
3. How are the people of Australia affected by the lack of freshwater?

Four Men Trapped After Ecuador Mine Collapses

Four Men Trapped After Ecuador Mine Collapses

By: Associated Press

Published October 15, 2010

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2010/1015/Four-men-trapped-after-Ecuador-mine-collapses

Summary: A tunnel collapsed in a gold mine in Portovelo, Ecuador. The collapsed has trapped 4 miners 490 feet underground. Rescue efforts are beginning to save these miners. A minor who survived the collapse told authorities that four of his fellow miners were still trapped down in the mine. The collapse of the mine happened at approximately 3:30 in the morning. It then blocked a tunnel and trapped workers at the 5th level of the mine. The condition of these men is unknown. It is said that 50 workers are digging out the main tunnel and other workers were preparing to dig a hole from the side to reach the gallery where the miners are believed to be trapped. This collapse comes only two days after the Chile miners were rescued from nearly half-mile down in a collapsed mine in Chile. They were trapped for 69 days. There is also a rescue mission going on for miners trapped in Colombia.

Opinion: This is really a sad story for these people. To watch the miners in Chile get rescued and then to have another collapsing just days after these people were rescued is really heartbreaking and ironic. But seriously, this is now the third incident of collapsing mines over the past two months in South America. Either the Earth's structure in South America is horrendous or the mining companies in South America don't have too many precautions. People are dying all over this continent because of these mining incidents. The mining companies really need to buckle down and get better safety for these people. My hopes and prayers go out to the families of these victims.

Questions:

1. Do you think the governments are doing a good job of helping these miners? Why or why not?

2. Do you think there will be more mine collapses in South America in the near future? Why or why not?

3. Do the mining companies in South America need to do a better job of protecting their miners? Why or why not?

The BP-Spill Baby-Turtle Brigade

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/103/magazine/03turtles-t.html?pagewanted=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
By: Jon Mooallem

Summary:The article I read was about how the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico effected a whole generation of sea turtles. Every year, hoards of female sea turtles come to the beaches of Florida and Alabama to lay their eggs in the sand. This year all the baby sea turtles would not even make it a month in the oil so people are now transporting thousands of turtle eggs from the oily beaches of the gulf, to the oil free beaches of eastern Florida. The problem with doing this is now all those turtles that hatch on the other side of Florida will not come back to where they were originally born. People are now scared that in a few years there will be no more sea turtles that lay their eggs in Alabama and Florida.

Opinion: I believe that this will not be a problem in future years. Sea turtles can live to be up to 100 years old. The turtles that Lay their eggs on the beaches on the west side of Florida will be there next year and the year after that. Although sea turtles are very vulnerable to things like oils spills they will be hardly effected by this one. I hope that in later years the sea turtles in Alabama will be at full strength again.


Questions:

1. How do you think moving the turtles will effect the ecosystems on both sides?
2. Do you think the oil will stop turtles from coming back to their hatching beaches?
3. How do you think the moved turtles will do in their new environment?
   

Staying up all night to save sea turtles

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/amercias/08/26/cnnheros.aranda.turtles/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+2%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Summary: Oscar Aranda, a bioloy major, wanted to do something related with sea animals. He found his dream when he'd discovered a bucket full with chopped up turtle body parts, with the heart still beating strong. With that image running vividly through his mind, Aranda got together a group of volunteers to supervise the turtles when they lay eggs and nurture the eggs until the day they hatched. Their plan was that once the turtles had lain the eggs, they would dig up the eggs and move them to a nearby location where they could be watched, safe from poachers. A nearby hotel offered a private room for incubation, in exchange for an offer of turtle conservation lessons and participation in a sunset turtle release ceremony availiable to the hotel guests. Aranda and his group have successfully helped over half a million turtle eggs hatch and return to the wild. However, even with these precautions, turtle poaching is still practiced all over the world. Aranda and his group strive to make a better tomorrow for turtles and every species which depend on their existence.

Response: In midst of all the animal endangerment and habitats being destroyed, it's good to hear of the few that work to make a brighter future for the animals. When I heard of people staying up all night to watch over a couple turtles laying their eggs, I knew that wasn't an easy job from experience. I've pulled all nighters in order to study, have fun or simply because I couldn't sleep. It might be bad for the couple hours you're awake when you're supposed to be asleep but it really hits you the next day. It'd be fine for teenagers that don't have anything important to do but these guys are full grown adults with a family to raise and job to attend to. Furthermore, tending to the turtles is strictly volutary so they can't use that as an excuse to avoid work. What saddens me the most is that all their hard work is gone to waste with poachers still looking to earn money by killing turtles. I know that everyone has to earn a living one way or another but can't these guys find something more productive to do?

Question 1: If you were in Aranda's shoes, would you rather keep guard over the turtles or get on with life and tend more time to your family and for what reason?

Question 2: Do you believe that Aranda's effort to save the turtles is in vain or a successful step in making a better environment for the turtles? Why so?

Question 3: If you could, what other precaution would you take in order to stop poachers from hunting sea turtles and their eggs?

Blog 2; Melissa McNel :)

Toiling to Save a Threatened Frog
By: Erica Rex
Published: October 4, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/science/05frog.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss


Summary:
This article explains that over the last decade chytridiomycosis, or chytrid, (a deadly fungal disease) has killed at least 200 of the world's 6,700 amphibian species to extinction. Vance Vredenburg is conducting an experiment that he hopes will preserve the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog, Rana sierrae. Even before chytrid arrived, the yellow-legged frog population was decreasing because of "California Department of Fish and Game’s practice of seeding high-elevation lakes with hatchery-raised fingerling trout for the sport fishing industry." Chytrid just happened to make this reduction go by faster. In July Vredenburg and his students captured and tagged 100 frogs at the Dusy Basin. The experimental group contained 80 frogs, 20 of them were designated controls. They placed the frogs in containers for an hourlong bath in cultured J. liv. They then released the frogs into the ponds and streams where they were previously captured. What he found out later was that the frogs with the J. liv on them were surviving or had the lowest levels of infection. Hopefully the frogs survive the winter so that the future of amphibians will be safe.

Reflection:
Reading this article really opened my eyes to the amphibian species. I cannot believe this this one disease could completely wipe out an entire species. I predict that when Vredenburg checks on the frogs again after winter that the J. liv will work correctly and the species will be saved. Without this experiment working who knows what will happen in even a year from now. All we can do now is wait to see how the experiment turns out.

Questions:
1. How do you think the experiment will turn out?
2. Can you think of another way to save this frog?
3. What food chains do you think the extinction of the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog will effect?

The Mystery of the Vanishing California Sea Otters

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2020608,00.html?xid=rss-topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

The Mystery of the Vanishing California Sea Otters
By Matt Kettmann - Time Magazine: September 25, 2010

Summary:

The California sea otter is slowly disappearing, for reasons unknown. In the early 19th century, the species was severely endangered because of fur trade. In spite of this, the sea otter made a comeback in 1939. Now the species is endangered once again, but scientists cannot determine one specific reason why. There are many different reasons including food shortages, low genetic diversity, increased shark attacks and human causes such as fishermen accidentally catching them and dirty runoff. Scientists are worried that since California sea otters are the most researched marine mammals in the world and they can't figure out how to help them, most endangered animals are doomed.

Opinion:
This issue is very interesting to me because it seems to describe many if not all endangered species. Scientists can't seem to find the direct source of the problem and even if they can, they cannot determine how to help the species. California sea otters seem to have a lot to battle against. There are many factors in their endangerment. Regulations on fishermen should be put into place so that sea otters are not captured and killed by accident any longer. Also, efforts should be made to spread out the otter population because at this point, it is very easy to eliminate all the otters with one disaster. This issue reminds me of the oil spill because they are very informed about the issue, but they cannot fix the problem. Both the otter endangerment and oil spill issues are currently being battled. I believe this is a very important issue and it needs to be taken care of swiftly, just like all other endangered animal issues need to be a priority.

Questions:
1. Why do you think it is so hard for scientists to take care of the issue if they are so informed on California sea otters?
2. Do you think the sea otters will survive if they continue down the same path?
3. What can be done to save the California sea otters?

Oil Threatens Deep Sea Reefs http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/02/us/02coral.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Summary: Back in September of last year, a flourishing deep sea coral reef was found in the Gulf of Mexico. Now that coral reef and many more are being threatened by BP's oil spill. It is one of three discovered reefs that are in danger. Scientists believe that the plumes of dissolved oil will destroy the ecosystems in the hidden deep sea reefs. These plumes extend over 22 miles in all directions that may cause many more ecosystems in the ocean to be destroyed. Also this plume has more than 210,000 gallons of oil droplets, natural gas and dispersant chemical corexit(Whatever that is.) Scientists say that they have only uncovered 1% of all the deep sea reefs in the gulf. This is a serious problem. In the worst case scenario, the plumes will cover the coral and basically suffocate it. If the oil spill is not cleaned up in the near future, we may never see those other 99% of the coral reefs and their ecosystems.


Opinion: I believe that BP needs to find a way to clean up all the oil in the Gulf. There are so many things that are affecting people and animals alike. In this case, the oil spill has the potenetial to wipe out all ecosystems within a 22 mile radius of the leak. The way I look at it is this; what if a bomb hit Horsham and killed everyone and everything within a 22 mile radius? That would be catastrophic. I know that both BP and the government are not trying hard enough to get the mess cleaned up and restoring life in the Gulf of Mexico as it was. I hope in the near future that we can forget about this whole mess, learn from it, and move on.


Questions
1. If you could, how would you help clean up oil in the gulf?

2.What do you think will happen to the deep sea reefs?

3. What caused the oil spill to happen?

Mining’s Final Frontier
By: Sharon Begley
Newsweek, Inc
September 20, 2010
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/20/is-deep-sea-mining-bad-for-the-environment.html

Summary:
Chinese companies and government-supported funds have recently shown that they are very serious about acquiring the resources needed to help their country's industrial growth. According to this article, China wants to be the first to exploit a source of minerals that has "tempted and frustrated dreamers for almost 150 years: the floor of the deep sea." Recently the Chinese government submitted plans to explore the sea floor where hydrothermal vents have created deposits of gold, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, and tellurium. This exploration could definitely damage our environment. Mining on the seafloor could potentially kill a lot of organisms that thrive on these minerals. There are so many new species founded at the vents. It would be a major loss to society if we destroyed these organisms without even discovering it. Although the vents can withstand disasters we need to be careful at what we are doing there. By mining only inactive vents where the geysers stopped and the ecosystem has died, we can spare the vent creatures. China has not revealed whether or not they will take any vent-protecting steps yet. As of right now China is not in the mining stage, they are in a researching period.

Opinion:
After reading this article I knew right away what I disagreed with. The Chinese are being very selfish with the exploration of the ocean floor. We cannot survive much more damage to our environment. Yes, there are many valuable items in those vents but think about all of the disastrous things that could happen. Some of the enzymes at the vents could prove effective against cancer or other diseases! I think that China should mine only inactive vents. This way we would be sure that we aren't killing these vent creatures that are very important to our society.

Questions:
1) Do you think the Chinese should explore the ocean floor? Why or why not?
2) Do you think the United States would explore the sea floor despite the environmental damages that could take place?
3) Would mining inactive vents be productive enough to help China's industrial growth?

Summary: In New Delhi, India; at least 63 people have been killed from flooding and landslides since Saturday. The authorities were able to evacuate around 5,000 people to safety. The flooding is from heavy rains and has blocked state highways and cut off communication links. The army and emergency crews have been called in for rescue by the state governments. Most of the 63 recorded deaths have been caused by collapsed houses, landslides and drowning cases. There is fear among officials that this death toll may rise though. The next 24 hours call for heavy rain so the flooding appears to not be stopping.

Opinion: I feel really bad for the people in India. I personally would hate to lose my life by drowning in a flood. I am also happy though that authorities were able to evacuate about 5,000 people to safety before some of them too lost their life. This article also states that flooding from seasonal monsoon rains kills hundreds of people every year in India. This makes me feel even worse for India as this is almost a regular occurrence for them. It is also stated that more than 800 rain-related deaths have been reported from across the country since June this year. This even further proves my point that monsoons and floods are almost a regular occurrence for India.

Questions:

1. Do you think there is a way for India to prepare for these floods and save a lot of lives? Why or why not?

2. Do you think that the Indian government handles these situations well? Why or why not?

3. If these were to happen in the United States, do you think that our government would handle it better or worse? Why or why not?

New NASA Probe to Dive-bomb the Sun http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/09/100909-science-space-sun-new-nasa-solar-probe-plus-dive-bomb/

Summary: With 180 million dollars on the budget, NASA's latest project is to learn what our Sun is really about. The project is expected to be in full tilt by 2018. By then, the 'Solar Probe Plus' is to be within four million miles of the Sun. To make this operation successful, NASA came up with a carbon composite heat armor. This new technology is said to withhold temperatures of up to 2,550 degrees farenheit. But even with this invention, the heat would still be five times greater than what we experience here on Earth. The satellite would have to rely on the shade of the armor to survive the extremity. The expedition would be a 'trip to hell and back,' but still, it would definitly be worth it. Professors and Scientists are more than excited to find what results this adventure will bring back.

Opinion: I definitly find this article an attention grabber. Living with the a star in our solar system and not knowing anything about it other than its existance is ignorant, whether we'd like to admit it or not. However, I also have my doubts on this mission. With temperatures up to 1.8 million degrees, it is hard to believe that this mission would hold out on the slightest bit of success. I'm pretty sure that we've all opened up an oven and felt the rush of hot air hit us in the face. Now imagine that magnified exponentially and we can't even grasp how much of a difficult task it would be to face that for a fraction of a second, let alone several years. And let's face it. The most successful space mission us as human beings have accomplished is a simple trip to the moon and back. Also, there's the 180 million dollar budget. The US is going through an economical recession where some familys can't afford to put food on the table. Then we have other projects going on such as the health reform bill and on top of that, we're in debt by billions of dollars to other countries. It's hard to think of where we'll find that extra 180 million dollars. With all those problems in mind, I don't find it easy to say that this mission might be the most successful one. I'm not trying to sound like an expert at this matter but anyone who can think logically can see that this experiment has its flaws. There's room for success but not much.

Questions:
What are some achievements and advancements that this mission might bring for the US or even the whole world?

Do you think that this mission will be successful at all? Why so?

Will this mission do the US better or worse considering the situation that we are in right now? Why?

Invasive Species: Asian Carp Get Their Day in Court

Invasive Species: Asian Carp Get Their Day in Court by Bryan Walsh
Time Magazine - August 24th, 2010
http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2010/08/24/invasive-species-asian-carp-get-their-day-in-court/?xid=rss-topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Ftopstories+%28TIME%3A+Top+Stories%29


Summary:
Asian Carp, one of the top ten most invasive species, are threatening to destroy the Great Lakes. These fish originate in Asia and can grow to be up to 3 feet and 100 pounds. If the Asian Carp were to establish their home in the Great Lakes and breed, they would eat and destroy the bottom of the food chain, plankton, thus destroying the entire existing ecosystem. The native fish would be potentially starved, which would greatly endanger tourism in the Great Lakes area. Now, the five Great Lake states--Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Minnesota--are suing their case in court. Their goal is to force Chicago to shut down two locks, preventing the Asian Carp from using the canals to reach the Great Lakes. This plan has met great resistance and the economic impact of this idea would be steep. Both sides are fighting hard for their cause and there is much at stake. For now, we will have to keep watching for updates on the trial.

Opinion:
While reading this article, I was surprised to find that one species of fish could effect the Great Lakes so greatly. After reading it over a few times, I decided that I was on the Great Lake state's side. The invasion of these fish could greatly impact them. The economic impact would be very steep and tourism would go down because of the decrease in native fish. Although Chicago is also economically hurt if they lose the trial, it is only one state. There are five states that would be greatly effected if the Asian Carp were to establish their home in the Great Lakes.

Questions:
1. How long will it take until the Asian Carp reach the Great Lakes and actually start to change the ecosystem?
2. Do you think there are any other ways to prevent the Asian Carp from entering the Great Lakes?
3. How did the Asian Carp arrive in the U.S.?
4. How does Chicago plan to try to win the trial?