Thursday, September 26, 2019

How Long Do We Have Left?

The Yellowstone Super volcano
JP Lipari
   
Deep in the heart of the most famous national park in our country lies what many believe to be the most dangerous entity in our nation. Beneath the surface of the spectacular Yellowstone national park lies the Yellowstone super volcano, which is believed to have produced three of the biggest eruptions in human history. The volcano is caused by plumes of magma rising due to convection currents in the mantle. Once the magma reaches the rocky crust it melts the rocks there, and then more magma is produced. Over time this creates hotspots of volcanic activity. This process eventually yielded two magma chambers of partially molten, part solid rock close to ground level in Yellowstone. These chambers emitted so much heat onto the crust above it, the crust actually expanded causing faults to from on the newly expanded ground. At last the magma chambers pushed their contents up through the cracks, and huge amounts of pressure, volcanic gasses, and magma combined to create potentially the largest volcanic eruptions in history. Ash from the explosion stretched as far away as Missouri, or 5,790 square miles. Estimates have concluded that this was roughly 6,000 times more volcanic material than Mt. St. Helen’s.

On the off chance that the Yellowstone supervolcano were to explode to its full potential, the greater Midwest region of the United States would be left in dier conditions. However, due to the immense size of the volcano there would be ample warning to anyone in the vicinity that doomsday was near. At least a couple weeks of intense seismic rumbling would have to occur in order to crack the rocks enough for an eruption to happen. That said, the main source of danger would actually be the ash produced by the explosion, not the lava itself. The ash generated by the explosion would affect the entire continental United States to varying degrees. The states surrounding the national park: Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, and Utah would see parts if not all of their territory devastated by the splintered rock and glass that makes up the volcanic ash. That volcanic ash is lethal to humans, animals, plants, and potentially could even destroy structures. In addition to the immediate impact it would have on the people near the volcano, the whole country would see air quality drastically drop. This means agriculture and quality of life would plummet for the entire country.

Although it is interesting to speculate what the implications of the super volcano might be, it is quite unlikely that anyone alive today or the near future would experience it. The U.S. Geological Survey has done the math on the theoretical probability of the volcano exploding in any given year is about a .00014 chance, which happens to be less than the odds of being killed by a lethal asteroid. There is also a chance that the volcano might never end up exploding due to the movements of the North American tectonic plate. The magma needs to gain more heat from underneath then it losses to the crust above to remain active, and with the North American sliding southwest the hot spot is moving northeast. This is yet another piece of evidence scientists have gathered to put themselves at ease when it comes to the matter. What is much more likely to occur some time soon are small events resulting in lava flows. This lacks the nation-wide devastation that an eruption entails, and instead would only spell local issues.

However, this is not the only natural disaster that has been under the microscope in recent years however. As geologists and seismologists have improved and developed new technology, concern around the world has grown around looming natural disasters. Almost the entire United States is under warning of a huge natural disaster to occur at some point. From earthquake induced tsunamis ravaging both coasts, to climate change powered hurricanes tearing apart Florida, the world could be in for a world of hurt in the coming years. Although it would be near impossible to prepare for most or all of these possibilities, we have to make use of our foresight into their possibility. Organizations like the Red Cross would be stretched too thin if asked to save areas as big as the whole Midwest United States, so some other entity would have to step and help.
Questions:
Which group / organization should be responsible for preparing for these natural disasters?

   Does the world have the capability to bounce back from a devastating event such as the Yellowstone supervolcano exploding?

 How could we potentially tie our class goal into helping with these looming disasters?
Sources:


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Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Climate Change is Killing the Corals

Climate Change is Killing the Corals

Mincheol Kim

The ocean and its plastic pollution has gained more media coverage recently. As a result, more people have started to try to reduce their plastic usage, like by using reusable bags instead of plastic ones or using a metal straw to “save the turtles”. However, plastic isn’t the only threat to the ocean and turtles and birds aren’t the only marine life that are dying due to human activity. Coral reefs have been silently dying off for decades and scientists have recently figured out that climate change is a main factor of their death.
Climate change can directly cause corals to die or “bleach” (called because a coral turns white and loses its vibrant colors when it dies). Researchers have found that an algae essential to corals called zooxanthellae starts to die at temperatures above 86.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Global warming can also indirectly cause mass bleaching of coral reefs. Fertilizer runoff from farms brings in excess nitrogen and phosphorus into the ocean. This then throws off the natural ratio of phosphorus and nitrogen currently in the ocean, which causes certain membranes in the corals to break down. This ultimately causes the corals’ ability to survive in high light and temperatures to diminish, thus dying in the warmer waters caused by climate change.
Currently, coral reefs are dying at an extreme rate and show no sign of slowing down. The Great Barrier Reef has gone through four mass bleaching events since 1998 due to higher average sea temperatures and is expected to undergo another one in the coming years. According to Terry Hughes, a professor for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook, while there many be a couple minor ways to reduce coral deaths, the only solution is “to tackle the root cause of global warming by reducing net greenhouse gas emissions to zero as quickly as possible.”
While saving the turtles are important, they aren’t the only marine life that are facing mass death rates. Coral reefs play a vital role for both humans and animals. They house a diverse group of marine life, assist in carbon and nitrogen fixation, and help with nutrient recycling. For humans, they are able to generate money through fishing and tourism as well as providing food and medicine. Finally, coral reefs are a natural barrier that protects the coastline from wave damage and tropical storms, such as hurricanes, which is why we need to pay attention to the damage we have done to coral reefs and search for ways to fix it.


Questions:
Are there any solutions to rebuilding the coral reef habitat?
How can you raise awareness towards this issue?
What are some small steps everyone can take that will reduce mass bleaching?

Sources:



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Thursday, September 19, 2019

Climate Change Shakes Things Up!


Climate Change Shakes Things Up!

 By: Shaan Jani

I believe it's safe to say that people are growing more and more familiar to the concept of climate change. We've all heard that one guy say, "your old six cylinder car is emitting way too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere." And of course we've all made the argument that we, as humans, are obligated to the future purchase of a Tesla to "save the environment." Aside from the concerns of droughts, the melting of ice caps, the loss of habitats, and flooding, climate change has, quite literally, decided to shake things up. The idea that climate change has a connection to earthquakes is attempting to make the change from science fiction to reality. 


Image result for earthquake images


Earthquakes, being a topic of much concern and many questions, is being debated over its effect being rooted to climate change. To understand how these earthquakes could have a connection to climate change, we should explore earthquakes themselves. The Earth isn't lazy, it's just kind of slow. 
The heat of the mantle and the pull of subduction zones account for the movement of tectonic plates at the speed of two to three centimeters per year. As a result, tectonic plates react with one another, sometimes rubbing against each other, creating fault lines such as that running down California known as the North American San Andean fault.  

Image result for san andreas fault

So how can our involvement in the Earth's atmosphere have any affect on this enormous process? Some researchers suggest the answer lies in the melting of our enormous ice caps. In a study assessing the changes in the fault line running between Denmark and the Pleistocene Epoch, researchers model how changes in glaciers ultimately cause faulting, therefore, earthquakes 12.5 million to 12 thousand years ago. The research by Dr. Brandes and his colleagues even suggest that the stress caused by the melting of ice-sheets in the last Ice Age around autumn of 1612, may have been the root cause of the Osning Thrust's fault reactivation and earthquakes. Other researchers make the claim the reduced atmospheric pressures, due to climate change, allows for the increased rate of typhoons which have enough force to induce an earthquake!  

Image result for glaciers melting

Although there is research in support of the connection between climate change and earthquakes, the matter is still refuted and deemed controversial. Small amounts of research regarding odd hurricane patterns is traced backed to the effects of events such as El Nino and Multidecadal Oscillation. There is simply not enough research to make any long lasting claims that our effect on the environment has a direct relationship to an even larger scale mode of mayhem. However, the normal, boring, everyday effects of climate change are topics of much importance. Regardless of its implication in being a reason to buy a Tesla, it is important that we all take the time to consider what exactly we are putting our home through. 


Image result for tesla next to cars with gas


Questions:


Were you aware of the debate regarding climate change's connection with earthquakes?

What are some other effects of climate change you would think people are unfamiliar with?

Climate change seems to be an immense issue, what are some small things we can do to help make a change for the better?


Links to Sources!









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Tuesday, September 17, 2019

How Does Transportation Affect our Environment?


How Does Transportation Affect our Environment?
By: Achal Hanmandlu 


Transportation has been a controversial topic when discussing the environment; it has benefited us by creating an easier and faster way to get from place to place, but it is simultaneously hurting our environmental systems. The increasing use of vehicles and engines has expanded the role of transportation as a source of emission of pollutants. Most people don't consider the consequences of transportation, but it is now a necessity in our daily lives, and a change will drastically impact our lifestyles.


Previously, transportation created few negative environmental impacts because the models used had substantially low mobility levels. However, recent technological advances increased the use of transportation causing a massive rise in greenhouse emissions. The EPA has identified six common air pollutants: ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and lead. Automobiles play a large role in the emissions of many of these types of dangerous pollutants, emitting four of the six common pollutants into the environment. These vehicle emissions lead to consequences such as climate change as well as drastically degraded air quality that is leading to an increase in lifelong health issues such as asthma, cancer, and heart attacks.

Even though automobiles contribute 56% of emissions in the air, they are not the only main source; cruise ships are a big competitor as well. Moving a giant cruise ship burns a lot of fuel, which is why, per passenger, cruise ships emit 3 to 4 times more CO2 than jets. It is reported that the Carnival cruise line emits more sulfur dioxide than all of Europe's cars. That's only one type of gas from one cruise line from one continent. Next time you go on a cruise, think about all the effects it has on the environment.



New alternatives are being created to reduce the number of emissions released from vehicles. For example, electric cars rely solely on electric battery power to run the vehicle, which causes them to have no need for gasoline and very low emissions. Each vehicle has its limitations, though both show a movement towards declining greenhouse emissions and taking responsibility for protecting our environment. Transportation accounts for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States alone, and using public transportation can reduce these emissions. Which then decreases the need for manufacturing new cars and extracting more fossil fuels, meaning further energy savings and fewer negative environmental impacts.





Questions: 
1. What can you do to decrease the number of pollutants?
2. How can we encourage people to use public transportation instead of solely relying on their vehicles?
3. What are the next steps in improving our environment?
Sources:




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Thursday, September 12, 2019

Will Nuclear Energy Help Slow Climate Change?

Will Nuclear Energy Help Slow Climate Change?

by Srivani Ganapavarapu


Imagine looking outside and seeing an 6-legged deer in your window. Well, that deer and many other mutated animals surround the land around the Chernobyl power plant. The Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion and its consequences are known around the world, even a critically acclaimed TV series has been made about it.  Explosions at places such as Chernobyl and Fukushima has caused a huge debate about the benefits of nuclear energy. Though nuclear energy is better for the environment than fossil fuel combustion, it has complicated safety and security requirements to prevent an explosion. Anything can cause an explosion, such as poor maintenance in Chernobyl or a tsunami in Fukushima, and they have detrimental effects to the environment.

Nuclear explosions release a large and deadly amount of radiation into the atmosphere. Radioactivity devices measure radiation in units called roentgen. The amount of roentgen that can kill you is about 1000, and about 15,000 was measured at Chernobyl! In addition to devastating health effects on humans, high levels of radiation can affect the environment. Radiation can result in the weakening of plant seeds and frequent mutations. This can kill off a lot of the vegetation, leaving excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. In Russia, massive amounts of pine trees got destroyed, raising CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Nuclear energy also produces radioactive waste, and these materials can be thrown into the environment, causing large dangers.




Despite the horrible effects from an explosion, nuclear energy itself it actually beneficial to the environment. It does not create greenhouse gas emissions; in fact, the climatic impact of nuclear energy is similar to wind or solar energy! In the US, nuclear reactors have a large restricted area surrounding the plant and it is guarded by armed security. The nuclear reactors also have vessels designed to resist earthquake and flooding dangers. So, with extreme caution and proper policies, humans can take advantage of nuclear energy to save the environment. 

As you can see, nuclear energy has its positives and negatives, and that is why it has been heavily debated. On one hand, nuclear energy may be greatly needed to reduce emissions and slow global warming. On the other hand, nuclear power plants pose a great danger if they are left uncontrolled or poorly managed. Though the risk is low here in the US, it can still happen. Nuclear reactor accidents may be 200 times more likely than previously understood, because the age pf the plant is a factor as well. If you live at around 50 miles from a power plant, you are at risk and must evacuate if it explodes. The wind can carry the radiation particles more than 50 miles from affected zone as well. So, nuclear energy has its share of benefits and consequences to the environment and our health.

Questions:
1. Do you think the benefits of nuclear energy outweigh the costs if an explosion occurs?
2. Is nuclear energy the way to go when considering saving our planet from global warming, or should we focus on other alternative energies?
3. How do you feel about our town being nearly 50 miles within a nuclear power plant?





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Monday, September 9, 2019

The Most Invasive Species in the World is a… Rat?


The Most Invasive Species in the World is a… Rat?
By: Sarvani Ganapavarapu 3rd Period

The black rat (Rattus rattus) is the most widespread invasive species on the globe. The black rat is a slender rat with either a complete black coloring, or a cream white belly. Also known as the ship rat, house rat, or roof rat, its habitat can be widespread, and it's usually found in any area that supports its diet, which is a lot of places. They are omnivorous and tend to eat a large range of foods like leaves, fruits, and seeds. These rats are also able to hold infectious bacteria and disease and transmit them to humans, which can be devastating. The black rat possibly originated in India or Indonesia, but spread through Europe and eventually and the rest of the world in the onset of the Roman conquest and human travel overseas.

Black Rat (Rattus rattus)


How did the rat spread from one area to the entire globe? Well, it’s partly because of us. These rats flourished on large ships, meaning wherever the ships went, the rats went too. They started to spread to the Americas in the 1500s, but with the growing use of ships, rats spread all over the world. They quickly adapted to the environments and bred fast. This lead to an abundance of rats and therefore adverse effects on the environment. The invasion of these rats has been linked to the extinction of wild species such as reptiles, small mammals, plants, and more. They eat a wide variety of food, including the diets of other animals, which hurts these species. More specifically, they are known for negatively impacting bird species on islands since they prey on eggs and young of these birds, and they tend to live in the forest regions of these islands. This even harms the environment. Black rats reduce the pH of the soil, which in turn reduces nutrients in the soil and hurts plants.


Interesting Fact: The black rat was one of the rats to spread the bubonic plague to Europe in the 14th century, which killed ⅓ of Europe’s population. Thanks rats!


The rats are also harmful to humans. They impact agriculture by feeding on crops and farm trees, and destroy them in the process. Their defecation contaminates our crops and water supply, which is not great to think about. They also carry diseases that quickly spread to the human population (Ike the bubonic plague). They are not helpful for us! In fact, “there are no known benefits of R. Rattus for humans” (Corbet and Southern) according to researchers. Personally, I find invasive species such as the rats a relevant topic that should be discussed more. Invasive species are another human cause to environmental degradation and destruction of biodiversity. It’s important to study them when seeing how humans can improve the environment they degraded. While the rats were brought on by very early ancestors, we should use this as a warning and prevent another globally invasive species by watching our actions.

While processes to control the rat populations are being studied, it is difficult to reduce rats when they have already arrived at an area. Also, rat traps are generally ineffective since they can avoid these easily. But, a few effective methods that help reduce invasive rats include poison baits and rat poison products. But, these should be used properly as these poisons can easily reach our water supply. A promising method of management is controlling the birth of the rats, which could help control the global populations of rats, but this is in preliminary states of study and is growing. As small as they are, they cause catastrophic damage to certain environments. So, a small animal like a rat can become the biggest invasive species on the globe, and it’s mainly because of us. We need to consider what invasive species we are bringing and the damage they do in order to help save our environment.
A Rat trap, though virtually ineffective

Questions
  1. How important are invasive species when considering human impacts on the environment
  2. Can you think of other human introduced invasive species that are harmful to the environment?
  3. What do you think about the massive effect invasive species could have on the environment? What should we do to avoid this?


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Friday, September 6, 2019

Ocean Acidification

Brian Faraira
Ocean Acidification

Water is essential to life everywhere, but what would happen if water were turned into poison. Oceans around the world are becoming more and more acidic due to the mistakes of humanity. Due to the rise of fossil fuels and new technology, carbon emissions worldwide have been increasing which is leading to acidification in oceans. We need to put a halt to carbon emissions if we hope to help the poor marine life in the ocean. One the ocean becomes to acidic then many changes will happen to marine life and some species of marine life may go extinct.

Oceanic acidification happens when the carbon that humans put into the air is absorbed into the ocean. Once the carbon is absorbed, it is turned into carbonic acid. Once a large amount of acid is mixed into the ocean, the the ph level of the water drops making it harder for marine life to survive. Imagine living and breathing poison everyday until you died. That’s what it’s like for the aquatic life in the ocean due the ph levels. Though not all species are affected by acidification, marine life with shells will most likely die off from acidification. Once one species dies off the entire food web suffers.
Acidification is not a small scale issue that affects one area, it affects oceans around the world. It can lead to difficulty in the growth of coral and it can affect the development of fish eggs. Marine life that doesn’t mind the low ph levels will still be affected by the changes to the environment. Studies have shown that marine life affected by acidification shows riskier behaviors and is 5 to 9 times more likely to be killed in the ocean. THis could change the entire food web becuase a slight disturbance in one species can spiral into a grand disaster worldwide for all species if it isn’t taken care of fast enough.



In order to save oceanic life in the future we need to reduce the amount of carbon emitted. We need to find alternative fuels other than fossil fuels. Fossil fuels can be one of the largest contributors to global carbon emissions. We could limit ourselves to green energy like solar powered energy and we should use less platic in our daily lives. Conserving water can also reduce greenhouse gasses beacuse it takes a lot of energy to pump and heat water everyday. All of these are major factors that contribute to our carbon footprints, and they’re all easy to overcome.


Questions: 
What else can you do in order to help stop large amounts of carbon from being absorbed into the ocean?
What can the goverment do in order to lower carbon admissions?
Do you think that humans can work together to help lower carbon emissions?

Sources



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Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Is the Endangered Species Act Now Endangered? by Kelsey Doty - 3rd Period

Is the Endangered Species Act Now Endangered?  
by Kelsey Doty - 3rd Period

It was announced on August 12, 2019 that the Trump administration is making changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and these changes are set to go into effect this month. Some of the big changes to the ESA that are being made are:
·         The threatened species will now not automatically receive the same protections as endangered species (a threatened species is one category below endangered). Each new threatened species added to the list will be looked at on a "species-specific" basis as to the best way conserve the species.
·         Economic factors now can be used to determine if a species is placed on the endangered or threatened list.
·         The critical habitat for endangered or threatened species are to be evaluated first where the species is currently present before unoccupied areas are looked at.
·         Limits to how threats to species are determined by allowing government officials to set the time frame for what is a threat in the "foreseeable future."
Currently there are 1663 animal and plant species on the endangered/threatened lists in the US. These changes would not affect any of the current listings. They would affect how new species are added to the lists.



Bald Eagle - now flourishing in the US because of conservation efforts

The green sea turtle is one of the species that is on the Threatened list. I have traveled to Florida many times to visit relatives and on several occasions I can remember seeing turtle nest sanctuaries. On many beaches in Florida conservationists put barriers around green sea turtle nests so that the nests are not disturbed. I also visited the Cayman Turtle Centre on Grand Cayman island. Having seen and held these animals has made me appreciate and understand the need to protect them. It has led to my interest in studying biodiversity and conservation. When I heard about the changes being made to the ESA I wondered how it would affect the green sea turtle.


Threatened Species: Green Sea Turtle

Defenders of the changes to the ESA say the changes will still allow protection for the threatened and endangered species but will allow more freedom in its implementation. In addition, they argue that the changes also help increase transparency of the ESA regulations. U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt stated that, “The best way to uphold the Endangered Species Act is to do everything we can to ensure it remains effective in achieving its ultimate goal—recovery of our rarest species. The Act’s effectiveness rests on clear, consistent and efficient implementation.” 

Many conservationists believe that the changes to the ESA will be detrimental. Leah Gerber, professor of conservation science and founding director of the Center for Biodiversity Outcomes at Arizona State University told Time Magazine that “The new rules completely undermine the strength of the ESA. The point of the act is to prevent extinction, this is going to do the opposite. It’s going to undermine efforts to recover species.” Many scientists are upset because the changes seem to favor business and industry as well as undermine the impact of climate change (as seen in the changes around limits to defining "the foreseeable future").


Endangered Species: Desert Yellowhead - only known population is found in Wyoming

Questions:
1. Do you believe the changes to the ESA are necessary?
2. Should economic factors be considered in saving an endangered species?
3. Are these new changes to the ESA going to be helpful or hurtful to endangered and/or threatened species?

Sources:
https://time.com/5651168/trump-endangered-species-act/
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02439-1
https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/endangered-species-act
https://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ref=trump-administration-improves-the-implementing-regulations-of-the-&_ID=36443
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/trump-administration-has-overhauled-endangered-species-act-180972890/
https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/reports/box-score-report


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