Super-Typhoon Haiyan Lashes The Philippines
Issue: National
Summary: Much of the Philippines is simply devastated by Typhoon Haiyan, which unleashed Category 5 winds and massive storm surges on the country on Thursday, November 7th. Not did it only achieve the Category 5 rating, but on the Dvorak Scale it hit an 8.0, the highest possible value. This storm is utterly the "perfect storm." Infrared technology revealed the walls of the Typhoon's Eye to have multiple, concentric rings of thunderstorms and a deep convective Eye Wall. Very defined Eyes such as this indicate an extremely powerful storm. The only thing that may have been more stunning than the 190 mph sustained winds, however, would be the incredible waves that attained a height of 50 feet!! This Typhoon has become a storm almost unparalleled in modern history.
Opinion: I think that we as a country need to lend a helping hand to the people in need after a disaster like this. However, we need to also take into account our economic situation in this country. I think the best idea would be to set up foundations for individual donations to help the people impacted by the storm so that way the us Americans that can afford to help will do so on their own accord.
Definition:
Dvorak Scale- A widely-used scale to measure the intensity of tropical cyclones.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Is Global Heating Hiding Out In The Oceans?
Is Global Heating Hiding Out In The Oceans?
Issue: Global
Summary: Researchers have discovered ground-breaking evidence that regions in the Pacific Ocean are currently warming at a rate of 15x the normal warming rate over a period of 10,000 years. By using buoys to measure ocean temperature, and by using fossil analysis to understand what kind of climates organisms lived in climates over the last 10,000 years, we now understand how quickly our climate is now changing. This can greatly impact the organisms across the globe, forcing them to adapt to new environments, possibly quicker than they're ready to do. From 7,000 years ago until about 1600, there was a cooling period where the oceanic temperatures gradually dropped a total of 2 degrees Fahrenheit over that time. But now, in the past two hundred years (approximately) temperatures have risen a total .32 degrees Fahrenheit; a staggering increase compared to the normal rate of heating and cooling.
Opinion: I think the overall issue is all related to human-impacted-climate-change. A 15x rate of heating in comparison to the normal global scale is scary, and is obviously caused by humans and the techno/industrial revolutions. By progressing towards fixing our climatic impacts we can fix climate change issues worldwide.
Definition:
Hyalinea Balthica- A single-celled aquatic organism, in which fossils of it were found in the region where the Pacific Ocean flows into the Indian Ocean.
Issue: Global
Summary: Researchers have discovered ground-breaking evidence that regions in the Pacific Ocean are currently warming at a rate of 15x the normal warming rate over a period of 10,000 years. By using buoys to measure ocean temperature, and by using fossil analysis to understand what kind of climates organisms lived in climates over the last 10,000 years, we now understand how quickly our climate is now changing. This can greatly impact the organisms across the globe, forcing them to adapt to new environments, possibly quicker than they're ready to do. From 7,000 years ago until about 1600, there was a cooling period where the oceanic temperatures gradually dropped a total of 2 degrees Fahrenheit over that time. But now, in the past two hundred years (approximately) temperatures have risen a total .32 degrees Fahrenheit; a staggering increase compared to the normal rate of heating and cooling.
Opinion: I think the overall issue is all related to human-impacted-climate-change. A 15x rate of heating in comparison to the normal global scale is scary, and is obviously caused by humans and the techno/industrial revolutions. By progressing towards fixing our climatic impacts we can fix climate change issues worldwide.
Definition:
Hyalinea Balthica- A single-celled aquatic organism, in which fossils of it were found in the region where the Pacific Ocean flows into the Indian Ocean.
Researchers Advocate For Climate Change Research
Researchers Advocate For Climate Change Research
Issue: Global
Summary: Researchers are continuing to push for more and more action on the topic of climate change. Also, the action must not be taking on a local or even national level, it has to be taken globally. There are four challenges that must be overcome.
1. To understand what information we need to address the climate change issue.
2. To identify potential weaknesses in society, the economy, and the environment.
3. To improve forecasting and climatic models to address specific problems.
4. Provide technology, management, and policies as options for adapting to the environment.
Most researchers think that improving our methods in predictions is necessary to understand what issues are most prevalent and what issues we need to attack first.
Opinion: I think that climate change is a HUGE issue that needs to be fixed. However, we cannot simply sacrifice our economy's in order to fix the environment. What I think needs to be done is for new technology to be created that can help us with our environmental problems as we, globally, progress towards a greener economy. I really don't agree with what the researchers are saying when they say we need better prediction methods. We already know what's happening; now it's time to stop wasting money on funding "predictions" and start getting down to fixing the problems.
Definition:
No words I don't know!
Issue: Global
Summary: Researchers are continuing to push for more and more action on the topic of climate change. Also, the action must not be taking on a local or even national level, it has to be taken globally. There are four challenges that must be overcome.
1. To understand what information we need to address the climate change issue.
2. To identify potential weaknesses in society, the economy, and the environment.
3. To improve forecasting and climatic models to address specific problems.
4. Provide technology, management, and policies as options for adapting to the environment.
Most researchers think that improving our methods in predictions is necessary to understand what issues are most prevalent and what issues we need to attack first.
Opinion: I think that climate change is a HUGE issue that needs to be fixed. However, we cannot simply sacrifice our economy's in order to fix the environment. What I think needs to be done is for new technology to be created that can help us with our environmental problems as we, globally, progress towards a greener economy. I really don't agree with what the researchers are saying when they say we need better prediction methods. We already know what's happening; now it's time to stop wasting money on funding "predictions" and start getting down to fixing the problems.
Definition:
No words I don't know!
Rebirth of Pollution in Love Canal
Rebirth of Pollution in Love Canal
Issue: Local
Summary: In Niagra Falls, N.Y., a toxic waste incident of the 1970's has come back to haunt the residents of the area. Many residents are trying to "get out" of the area because of complaints of a variety of effects including rashes, cysts, illness, etc. People are suing the town and real estate agencies of the area for leading them to believe that the buried chemicals were contained and that the location was safe. One poor resident had two miscarriages due to the toxic effects of the chemicals. One scary part of the incident is that a woman who experienced the impact of the chemical leak 35 years ago returned to the area only to hear people suffering exactly how she did. She warned the town not to allow resettlement of the general area but wasn't listened to. Now innocent people are facing the consequences of the inaction of authority.
Opinion: I think that this is an issue that should have been resolved long ago. Obviously, back in the 1970's our technology and our understanding of sciences was much less than it is now, but we should have taken extra precautions. Now, this event is changing people's lives and it'll take many resources and a ton of money to fix a problem that shouldn't exist.
Definition:
Vinyl: Any resin formed by polymerization of compounds containing the vinyl group or plastics made from such resins.
Issue: Local
Summary: In Niagra Falls, N.Y., a toxic waste incident of the 1970's has come back to haunt the residents of the area. Many residents are trying to "get out" of the area because of complaints of a variety of effects including rashes, cysts, illness, etc. People are suing the town and real estate agencies of the area for leading them to believe that the buried chemicals were contained and that the location was safe. One poor resident had two miscarriages due to the toxic effects of the chemicals. One scary part of the incident is that a woman who experienced the impact of the chemical leak 35 years ago returned to the area only to hear people suffering exactly how she did. She warned the town not to allow resettlement of the general area but wasn't listened to. Now innocent people are facing the consequences of the inaction of authority.
Opinion: I think that this is an issue that should have been resolved long ago. Obviously, back in the 1970's our technology and our understanding of sciences was much less than it is now, but we should have taken extra precautions. Now, this event is changing people's lives and it'll take many resources and a ton of money to fix a problem that shouldn't exist.
Definition:
Vinyl: Any resin formed by polymerization of compounds containing the vinyl group or plastics made from such resins.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Terrestrial Ecosystems at Risk of Major Shifts as Temperatures Increase
Terrestrial Ecosystems at Risk of Major Shifts as Temperatures Increase
Issue: Global
Summary: Terrestrial Ecosystems by the year 2100 are at risk of having an increase in temperature of up to 5 degrees Celsius. Nearly no region in the world is free of this threat if we continue on the environmental path that we have been taking since the industrial revolution. This is a ground-breaking discovery. If something like this were to happen on just a 2 degrees Celsius increase, about 20% of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems would undergo a major transformation. Natural Disasters would become much more prevalent, the seas would rise to an extreme degree, the unthinkable would occur in biomes across the globe. Researchers were able to uncover these theories based on the biogeochemistry of ecosystems around the planet.
Opinion: I think that humans need to continue their efforts to stop harming the environment across the globe. If this research is true, and our planet will be in jeopardy by the year 2100, then we need to work faster than I expected. Unfortunately, we are living in a very unstable world, economically and environmentally. We need to achieve a balance in which we maintain our economic success so people can have enough to live on and also save the environment in the process.
Definition:
Biogeochemistry- The scientific discipline that involves the study of the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment and the biosphere.
Issue: Global
Summary: Terrestrial Ecosystems by the year 2100 are at risk of having an increase in temperature of up to 5 degrees Celsius. Nearly no region in the world is free of this threat if we continue on the environmental path that we have been taking since the industrial revolution. This is a ground-breaking discovery. If something like this were to happen on just a 2 degrees Celsius increase, about 20% of Earth's terrestrial ecosystems would undergo a major transformation. Natural Disasters would become much more prevalent, the seas would rise to an extreme degree, the unthinkable would occur in biomes across the globe. Researchers were able to uncover these theories based on the biogeochemistry of ecosystems around the planet.
Opinion: I think that humans need to continue their efforts to stop harming the environment across the globe. If this research is true, and our planet will be in jeopardy by the year 2100, then we need to work faster than I expected. Unfortunately, we are living in a very unstable world, economically and environmentally. We need to achieve a balance in which we maintain our economic success so people can have enough to live on and also save the environment in the process.
Definition:
Biogeochemistry- The scientific discipline that involves the study of the chemical, physical, geological, and biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment and the biosphere.
Complex Relationship Between Phosphorous Levels, Nitrogen Removal In Lakes
Complex Relationship Between Phosphorous Levels, Nitrogen Removal In Lakes
Chapter 3
Issue: Local
Summary: In the land of 10,000 lakes, Lake Superior has become a focus of Minnesota researches studying long term impacts of global pollution. It has become evident that Lake Superior possesses a very high quantity of nitrogen in its waters. Though the nitrogen cleanup measures have been nothing but effective, scientists fear that it may also be harming the natural microbial processes that remove the nitrogen as well. Since large lakes and freshwater ecosystems are an environmental sink for nitrogen and many processes in the lake revolve around nitrogen concentrations, by helping to remove it we may harm the natural methods that the lake uses to get rid of nitrogen. The scientists believe that the main problem is stemming from the nitrogen that is entering the lake by human pollution. The phosphorous content in the water is not the problem, it is the excess nitrogen that is impacting the circulation of nutrients and chemicals in the ecosystem.
Opinion: I agree with the scientist Jacques Finlay who suggested that our main focus should be to pay attention to how the pollution is harming the environment and to find a way to stop it. By artificially trying to remove the nitrogen, we may also be harming the ecosystem and unintentionally removing the already-low phosphorous content in the lake. By stopping the problem before it gets any worse and then letting the ecosystem fix itself we can ensure that everything will return to normal.
Definition:
Reactive Nitrogen- "A term used for a variety of nitrogen compounds that support growth directly or indirectly. Representative species include the gases nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), as well as the anion nitrate (NO3-). Most of these species are the result of agricultural activities, especially the (mis)use of fertilizers. Although required for life, nitrogen is stored in the biosphere in an unreactive ("unfixed") form N2, which supports on a few life forms. Reactive nitrogen is however "fixed" and is readily converted into protein, which supports life, leading to depletion of oxygen in fresh waters by eutrophication."
Chapter 3
Issue: Local
Summary: In the land of 10,000 lakes, Lake Superior has become a focus of Minnesota researches studying long term impacts of global pollution. It has become evident that Lake Superior possesses a very high quantity of nitrogen in its waters. Though the nitrogen cleanup measures have been nothing but effective, scientists fear that it may also be harming the natural microbial processes that remove the nitrogen as well. Since large lakes and freshwater ecosystems are an environmental sink for nitrogen and many processes in the lake revolve around nitrogen concentrations, by helping to remove it we may harm the natural methods that the lake uses to get rid of nitrogen. The scientists believe that the main problem is stemming from the nitrogen that is entering the lake by human pollution. The phosphorous content in the water is not the problem, it is the excess nitrogen that is impacting the circulation of nutrients and chemicals in the ecosystem.
Opinion: I agree with the scientist Jacques Finlay who suggested that our main focus should be to pay attention to how the pollution is harming the environment and to find a way to stop it. By artificially trying to remove the nitrogen, we may also be harming the ecosystem and unintentionally removing the already-low phosphorous content in the lake. By stopping the problem before it gets any worse and then letting the ecosystem fix itself we can ensure that everything will return to normal.
Definition:
Reactive Nitrogen- "A term used for a variety of nitrogen compounds that support growth directly or indirectly. Representative species include the gases nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), as well as the anion nitrate (NO3-). Most of these species are the result of agricultural activities, especially the (mis)use of fertilizers. Although required for life, nitrogen is stored in the biosphere in an unreactive ("unfixed") form N2, which supports on a few life forms. Reactive nitrogen is however "fixed" and is readily converted into protein, which supports life, leading to depletion of oxygen in fresh waters by eutrophication."
Friday, October 11, 2013
Scientists Confirm Existence of Largest Single Volcano On Earth
Scientists Confirm Existence of Largest Single Volcano On Earth
Issues: Global
Summarize: Scientists from the University of Houston uncovered what is believed to be the largest single volcano on the entire earth, which was named the Tamu Massif. It was discovered to be the biggest geological feature of Shatsky Rise, an underwater mountain range formed 130 to 145 million years ago. It was initially believed to be formed by a vast number of individual volcanoes, but we now know that it is actually a single volcano. It is located about 1,000 miles east of Japan and not only is about the size of New Mexico, but ranks itself among the largest volcanoes in the Solar System!!! The biggest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons on Mars, it only about 25 percent larger than Tamu Massif! One interesting aspect of the volcano itself is in its shape. It is very strange in its extremely gradual slope. "In fact, if you were standing on its flank, you would have trouble telling which way is downhill." Scientists say that this uniqueness could enable us to understand exactly how these massive volcanos form.
Opinion: I think that we should certainly continue our research on this volcano, as well as other massive volcanoes on Earth. It is always best to understand our Earth so we can protect it, or protect ourselves from it. If this volcano possesses such a vast amount of knowledge about super-volcanoes around the world that we can use, why not continue to study them.
Definition:
Ontong Java Plateau-An enormous oceanic plateau in the Pacific Ocean, it is equal in size to about 1% of the Earth's surface and is around the size of Alaska. It was formed 120-125 million years ago and once extruded 100 million km^3 of magma in one of the largest volcanic events to occur in the last 300 million years.
Issues: Global
Summarize: Scientists from the University of Houston uncovered what is believed to be the largest single volcano on the entire earth, which was named the Tamu Massif. It was discovered to be the biggest geological feature of Shatsky Rise, an underwater mountain range formed 130 to 145 million years ago. It was initially believed to be formed by a vast number of individual volcanoes, but we now know that it is actually a single volcano. It is located about 1,000 miles east of Japan and not only is about the size of New Mexico, but ranks itself among the largest volcanoes in the Solar System!!! The biggest volcano in the Solar System, Olympus Mons on Mars, it only about 25 percent larger than Tamu Massif! One interesting aspect of the volcano itself is in its shape. It is very strange in its extremely gradual slope. "In fact, if you were standing on its flank, you would have trouble telling which way is downhill." Scientists say that this uniqueness could enable us to understand exactly how these massive volcanos form.
Opinion: I think that we should certainly continue our research on this volcano, as well as other massive volcanoes on Earth. It is always best to understand our Earth so we can protect it, or protect ourselves from it. If this volcano possesses such a vast amount of knowledge about super-volcanoes around the world that we can use, why not continue to study them.
Definition:
Ontong Java Plateau-An enormous oceanic plateau in the Pacific Ocean, it is equal in size to about 1% of the Earth's surface and is around the size of Alaska. It was formed 120-125 million years ago and once extruded 100 million km^3 of magma in one of the largest volcanic events to occur in the last 300 million years.
How Do Earthquake Early Warning Systems Work?
How Do Earthquake Early Warning Systems Work?
Chapter 10: Human Health and Environmental Hazards
Issues: Global, but specifically in a local environmental zone.
Summarize: In today's world, despite all of our incredible technology, we have yet to come up with an advanced system to detect earthquakes in America. In more earthquake-prone countries such as Japan and Mexico, they have developed warning systems in which the citizens of highly populated, nearby cities can receive a short warning before they are hit. For example, when the March earthquake of 2011 occurred off the coast of Japan, the nearest city of Sendai received over 15 seconds of warning. In America, our major fault line of concern is the San Andreas Fault in California. If we could create a system equal to that of Japan's or even better, we could give a city such as Seattle a warning of up to 5 minutes! Since scientists say that they don't see any way to predict earthquakes in the forseeable future, this may be the only method we have to use. This system would not only be of great importance to people across the impacted regions, but more importantly to public transport vehicles such as trains. If a major earthquake occurs without warning and derails many trains in a region, thousands of people can die. This also goes for preparing cars on bridges, airplanes taking off, people in high-story buildings, etc. The only downside to this breakthrough technology is that it would double the cost of earthquake monitoring on the West Coast from 60 million to 120 million. This is definitely a con that needs to be taken account for.
Opinion: I think that our scientists need to find a more economically sound way to monitor earthquakes. Doubling the cost of our earthquake monitoring at the expense of taxpayer dollars is a serious issue. However, I think that we do need a way to warn ourselves if an earthquake is coming. Especially in the field of public transportation, this would save many lives. Perhaps an alternative warning system or spreading awareness about this event and what to do could be just as effective. Because if people don't know the specifics of what to do, an extra few seconds isn't going to save them from nature's wrath.
Definition:
Seismology: The geophysical science of earthquakes and the mechanical properties of the earth.
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