Environmental Geoscience

Could Climate Change Reform Cost Us?

2010-05-21T01:22:00.003-05:00

Recently, there has been a lot of effort to get Congress to pass a climate change reform bill. However, due to the already-large amount of things on Congress's agenda, it seems unlikely that it will come to fruition this calendar year. But that doesn't stop people from contemplating the effects that it could have on our society if it is somehow miraculously passed soon. Experts are predicting that the GDP would fall, unemployment would rise, and energy may have a higher cost as it will be taxed more. However, in the long term, this reform would save everybody a lot of money because high efficiency buildings and appliances would be used. Because of that, the effect of greenhouse gases could be reduced and the U.S. would be in charge of that. Sometime in the near future, I can see something like this becoming effective, but in this economy, it does not make sense as people in America don't really need to be paying too much money on something else.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/05/what-would-climate-change-reform-i-cost-i-us/57019/

Glacier National Park Melting

2010-05-16T17:56:00.003-05:00

The Glacier National Park in Montana just celebrated its 100th anniversary last Tuesday. However, its birthdays are numbered as the glaciers are melting extremely rapidly. Scientists predict that there may be nothing left in ten years. When the park was established in 1911, it had around 150 glaciers. Now, though, it only has 25. Average temperatures in the park have risen 1.8 times faster than the average global temperature, so the change is visible to the naked eye. Receding glaciers leave behind huge moraines, and the increase in temperature is causing more wildfires and lower stream flows, which endangers many fish populations. The animals in the park do not seem to be suffering yet, but spring is arriving three weeks earlier than usual which could disrupt the animals' survival patterns as food grows at different times or becomes scarce. If the glaciers do disappear, it will make international headlines; it's hard for anyone to imagine Montana without its snow capped mountains or glaciers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100511/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_trip_glacier_at100

The New Smart-Grid

2010-05-13T20:45:00.002-05:00

On the Scientific American website, there was an article about the new smart grid, so I thought I would check it out. In this article it talked about how there has been a replacement for the traditional power grid. The traditional grid is known for brownouts and blackouts, but the new grid is leaving its designers with high hopes to reduce the number of problems greatly. The new grid will allow for a "two-way flow of both electricity and data". There is however, one large problem with the new grids. They pose a huge security risk because traditional grids have the problem of cyber-security, but the new grid adds a whole new level of complexity to ensuring the people using the grid safety. The problem with is that a computer hacker who is able to tamper with the smart meters would be able to not only effect a handful of homes, but have the potential to shut down power to 15,000 homes within 24 hours.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=securing-the-smart-grid

Neandertals Bred With Humans

2010-05-09T23:16:00.002-05:00

A recent study shows that neandertal's and humans likely interbred. It came as a surpise to researchers, as they had long been looking for evidence of this and had never found it. It is estimated that 1 to 4 percent of the DNA of people from Europe and Asia is neandertal DNA. This has long been studied, as it gives a better picture of how we evolved. Neandertal's lived in that area until they were killed off about 30,000 years ago. The scientists expected to find no related DNA, this result was suprising. Some did predict the result, however. One odd fact is that people living in islands like New Guinea were found to have as much neandertal DNA as people from Europe or Asia, when neandertal's never lived there. At least one leading scientist now believes that we cannot classify neandertal's as different from us. He believes that we are essentially the same race. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58936/title/Neandertal_genome_yields_evidence_of_interbreeding_with_humans

Louisiana Oil Spill Reaches Wildlife Refuge

2010-05-09T10:48:00.003-05:00

This article is about two parts of the oil spill. One is the oil spill reaching a Wildlife Refuge and the other is about efforts to contain the oil spill and clean up the oil.

The uninhabited Chandeleur Islands, off the coast of Louisiana, are part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, which is the second oldest Wildlife Refuge in America. Pelicans and other birds that are covered in oil have been found on these islands, and a federal Maritime agency said there was "oiling all over"the islands. There is also an oily substance that is washing up on New Harbor Island, which serves as a roosting place for thousands of frigate birds. Everyone is worried about the impact that this oil spill will have on the fishing economy since the area is a vital spawning ground for fish, shrimp and crabs. One fisherman is quoted saying, "It's all over the place... that's our whole fishing ground. That's our livelihood". The effects of this oil spill on the environment are, and will be, awful - especially if the oil continues to affect Wildlife Refuges like the Chandeleur Islands.

Ever since the explosion, 18 days ago, oil has been leaking non-stop into the Gulf of Mexico. People have been criticizing BP on its slow response time, and BP has argued back that they have sent out 100 boats to skim the oil off the water (including 20 of the worlds largest skimming vessels), thousands of feet of boom are trying to contain the oil and planes are flying over deploying dispersants. Apparently the smallest of the three leaks has been sealed and crews are burning off some of the oil in the parts where there is a heavy concentration. BP is attempting to contain the leaking oil by putting a giant iron funnel over the leak. It'll try to capture about 85% of the leaking oil and funnel it up to a barge. This has been used in shallower waters but they're hoping it'll work for this leak too. A few problems may occur while using this funnel - the device may damage the well and make the leak worse, ice may clog the drill pipe, and explosions may occur at the surface while trying to separate the mix of oil, gas and water.

Hopefully the funnel will work because the oil spill is bad enough without the continuous leaking of even more oil into the gulf. This article is pretty optimistic that the funnel will work but didn't say much about how helpful the methods of cleaning up the oil will be and how bad the threat against the Wildlife Refuges is. I hope they'll be able to clear up as much oil as possible and that the ecosystems won't be too badly damaged, but I guess we can't tell how bad it will be until the oil is cleared up.

Link to article from the BBC

New study shows that future temperatures could be lethal

2010-05-05T17:26:00.005-05:00

For the first time scientists have calculated the highest wet bulb temperature that humans can tolerate. We calculated wet bulb temperatures in a unit a couple months ago (it is equal to what is felt when wet skin is exposed to moving air and it includes the temperature and atmospheric huidity). Researchers discovered that if a human or animal is exposed to wet bulb temperatures above 95 degrees for at least six hours they will experience potentially lethal levels of heat stress. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that if the world continues warming at the same rate it is now, by 2100 average global temperatures will have risen by seven degrees Farenheit. The study has found that a warming of twelve degrees Farenheit would cause parts of the world to surpass the wet-bulb temperature limit, and that a warming of 21-degrees would place fifty percent of the globe in an unlivable environment. Researchers say that if nothing is done to slow global warming we may very well reach these temperatures, pretty scary!

The map of the world shows the wet-bulb temperatures that would occur around the world with a global-mean temperature increase of 21 degrees farenheit. The white coloring portrays areas that humans would experienced potentially lethal heat stress.

Mammoths are cool!

2010-05-03T16:32:00.002-05:00

I chose this story because I feel like recently the news has been overcome by volcanoes, floods, oil spills, and earthquakes. No one really ever hears about really cool mammoths with anti-freeze blood anymore.

Apparently wooly mammoths used more than their thick fur to stay warm in the ice age and it's cold arctic winters. Recently scientists have discovered that mammoths had a genetic adaptation in their blood allowing their haemoglobin to release oxygen into their bodies at extremely low temperatures. In this way their blood was similar to anti-freeze! This adaptation probably helped them keep their oxygen moving which kept helped them concentrate their heat internally and stop heat loss. They discovered this by extracting a DNA sample from the remains of a 43,000 year old wooly mammoth. The converted the DNA into RNA and then put it in e. coli bacteria which helped produce the mammoth protein of the 43,000 year old specimen. If they didn't have this adaptation they would have to eat a lot more, much more often so that they could get their energy from food. This would have posed a large problem in the winter when there wasn't a large food supply. This adaptation for mammoths was dealt to deal with the cold just as their elephant relatives adapted to the African heat by having large ears and no thick coat of fur.

-Katie Powell

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8657464.stm

"Colorado River water policy faces an age of limits"

2010-04-25T22:14:00.003-05:00

Scientists are expecting a significant reduction in flow for the Colorado River. The fundamental problem is with the Colorado River Basin. Six species are already threatened or endangered due to invasive quagga mussels. The Colorado has severe water quality issues leading to a shortage of surface water. Hence communities are starting to mine groundwater. Agriculture is expected to take an immense hit from this. I found this article dismal yet extremely informative.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_14921852

unit review

2010-04-23T09:02:00.002-05:00

5 major sources of oil spills:
-natural seeps
-extraction
-transportation/tankers
-pipelines
-runoff

4 short term effects of oil spills:
-reduction of light transmissions
-reduction in dissolved oxygen
-damage to marine birds
-toxic effects to marine environments

2 long term effects:
-block taste receptors causing fish to eat harmful things
- it can concentrate poisons

Methods of cleanup:
-booms or barriers--used to contain the oil spill
-skimmers-- skim oil off surface and into boats
-sorbents--used to soak up and contain spill
-chemical dispersants--used to degrade the oil
-flames-- used to burn oil

Dow Life Earth Run for Water

2010-04-23T08:59:00.003-05:00

On April 18th, the DOW Earth Run for Water is a charity run that had tens of thousands of participants around the world. The run is an event that celebrities and civilians alike could participate in. The purpose of the run was to raise awareness to the fact that we need to have cleaner water. Tonight on Bravo there is a special show to highlight the current water crisis through out the world. This year the run went very well, so they hope to do it next year too.

New species of killer whales

2010-04-23T08:56:00.002-05:00

A new study has found strong genetic evidence which points to the presence of several different species of killer whales in the world's oceans. The research has appeared in the journal Genome Research.Scientists have suspected for some time that there was more than one species of killer whales because of differences in behaviour, feeding preferences and subtle physical features. But until now DNA analysis has been inconclusive because of the inability to map the entire genetic picture, or genome, of the whales' mitochondria inherited from the mother. As a result of the study, two types of killer whales in the Antarctic that eat fish and seals, respectively, are suggested as separate species, along with mammal-eating "transient" killer whales in the North Pacific.

http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_several-new-species-of-killer-whales-likely-to-be-found-in-oceans_1374822

Evolution of Earth Day

2010-04-23T08:51:00.003-05:00

Earth Day began 40 years ago as a day to recognize the environment. 40 years ago, there was no talk of global warming or the green movement. Rather, the original purpose was to emphasize ecology and the power of cleaning up litter and pollution. Before earth day, Americans were rather uninformed about the environment other than a few radical environmentalists. Today, the green movement is sweeping the nation. Today, major environmental organizations like the EPA and WWF hold events to raise awareness. Also, major companies like UPS, P&G and Wells Fargo sponsor Earth Day events. Over the past 40 years, Earth Day has evolved from a hippie event to a major environmental awareness day.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hRQcGJRPZAitgVuKGUNrYVYm0hAgD9F8CFL00

More Oil Spills

2010-04-23T08:47:00.002-05:00

A few days ago a large oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. The major concern for everyone is making sure all the workers are safe. The majority of the workers were able to evacuate unharmed, and with only 11 people missing. It is believed that those 11 did not make it out in time but searches are still going on. Second to the human issue is the amount of crude oil released. At this time officials are unsure if the spill will be detrimental or if they can clean in up in time. Unfortunately it is still unknown as to caused the explosion, but officials speculate that it was because of worker negligence.

Feel free to head over to http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/22/oil.rig.explosion/index.html?hpt=T1 for a video of the explosion.

dEaD zOnEs

2010-04-23T08:43:00.002-05:00

There is a problem that commonly plagues bodies of water called "Dead Zones." These are zones that have no life in them and that is why they are called dead zones. Dead zones can occur due to a slew of reasons. One being eutrophication. This is when there is not enough dissolved oxygen in the water for fish to live. This depletion of oxygen occurs because there are too many nutrients in the water and this causes bacteria to grow out of control and then the bacteria that eats this eats up all the oxygen as well causing fish to die. This is why they are called dead zones is because all the fish die. There are other reasons for these zones of no life. Another being algal blooms. These can be poisonous blooms of an algae that usually occurs because there is a change in temperature or too many nutrients. This can poison the fish and cause them to die. It can also poison humans so it is important to not eat seafood that comes from a poisonous algal bloom.

EARTH DAY

2010-04-23T08:30:00.002-05:00

I read an article in the New York Times talking about how companies are marketing a lot of products off of Earth Day. For example, the company Bahama Umbrellas is marketing an umbrella that has as drain so that you can store the water and recycle it. When Earth Day made its first appearance in 1970 most people were pretty against it, but now a lot of companies are making it into a marketing idea. This goes to show how people are actually starting to accept global warming and the fact that we need to protect our earth.

Oil Spills

2010-04-23T08:06:00.002-05:00

So, since we were recently talking about oil spills and oil spills hit close to home, I thought I would do a unit review on them.

Oil pollution sources: oil tankers, run-off from boats in the marinas, waste & sewage, off-shore drilling accidents, natural sepage, road run-off from cars and pipe line leaks.

Short term effects: the reduction of light transmition results in the reduction of dissolved H2O because of photosynthesis, oil getting on the aquatic life can drown them or make them handicap, and the toxic effects can destruct a huge range of species including fish, shellfish, worms, crabs, microcrustaceans and other invertebrates.

Long term effects:the oil compounds interfere with the chemical messangers of the marine life, and that can block receptors including taste and smell. The oil can also mimic the receptors, which causes disasterous effects. Oil can also sereve as a concentrated medium in fertalizers which makes it way into the marine food chain and then eventually into humans.

Clean-up methods: there are many cleanup methods that include using booms or barriers to contain the spill, skimmers to remove the oil from the surface, absorbents to absorb the oil that has gotten deeper than the surface,.chemical dispertants that degrade the oil, and flames which burn the oil spill. Personally, I feel like bioremediation is the best method to remove oil, and this involves using naturally occuring microorganisms that have been genetically engineered so they can degrade the petroleum.

hope this helps!

Oil Spills

2010-04-23T07:37:00.003-05:00

Oil Spills are caused by
Ships with oil breaking
Runoff from boats
Waste that is put in the ocean
Off Shore drilling
Natural seepage
and road runoff

When the oil is spilled it goes in to oceans lakes and rivers

The effects of these spills cause reduction of light transmission, reduction of dissolved oxygen, the oil sticks to marine mammals and birds, and it destroys the marine environment.

There are 6 ways of cleaning up the oil: Mechanicals-booms, Skimmers, absorbents, chemicals dispersants and detergents, burning the oil and bioremediation.

Airplanes in Ash Clouds

2010-04-23T07:17:00.002-05:00

When an airplane passes through an ash cloud it is disastorous for the passengers, pilots, and crew members. The ash can coat the entire windsheild, making it impossible for the pilots to see, but if the ash is sucked into the engines, it can cause the engines to stall out. This will essentially cause the plane to free fall. This has happened twice before, and the pilots were able to restart some of the engines and do an emergency landing. Here is a video clip that explains what is happening in England, and what exactly happens when a plane engine encounters volcanic ash.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid69900095001?bctid=78324298001

Oil Rig Explosion

2010-04-22T22:15:00.003-05:00

Just today in class we briefly looked at the oil rig explosion in the gulf of mexico. More news in beginning to come in about that explosion and its effects on the environment. In an article in the New York Times they said that it is getting more and more complicating to contain the damage from the burning rig that left a one-by-five-mile sheen of what the authorities said was “crude oil mix.” They are saying that it has great potential to have to be a major spill. There were 115 survivors from the explosion and they are saying that there is a very small chance that the lost 11 workers are alive. The owners of the rig said they are not sure if the rig is still emitting gas or oil underwater because they said that the workers “were not able to stem the flow of hydrocarbons” before the rig sank. There is also potentially 700000 gallons of diesel fuel that was on the rig could be part of the leak. BP now released 30 skimming vessels to try to contain the spill. This whole situation has brought up old fears about the safety of offshore oil rigs and their relationship to the environment

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/us/23rig.html?src=mv

Water Testing

2010-04-22T21:49:00.002-05:00

For the test we don't have to know HOW we tested for the chemicals in water, we just need to know WHAT we tested for. So here is a list for all of those chemicals/tests.

Water temperature
Ammonia Nitrogen
pH
Chlorine
Chromium
Copper
Iron
Nitrate Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Silica (sand)
Sulfide

UPcycling

2010-04-22T21:37:00.005-05:00

Today I got an email from the TOMS corporation telling me ways to upcycle old TOMS. It turns out that upcycing is different than recycling. Upcycling is when you " converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value" (Wikipedia). I had never heard of upcycling before I got that email, but I think that it's an intersting idea. The wikipedia article has a quote where a man calls recycling "downcycling". He thinks that upcycling is the better alternative. Will upcycling become the new recycling? We'll just have to wait and see.

Heres a link about upcycling old TOMS , http://www.toms.com/earthday

Freshwater Distribution

2010-04-22T21:33:00.003-05:00

Since this unit dealt a lot with water and pollution, I decided to look up which countries have the most available freshwater. The stat is measured in cubic kilometers per year.

Brazil … 8,233 ckpy (14.9% of world total)
Russia … 4,498 (8.1%)
Canada … 3,300 (6%)
United States … 3,069 (5.6%)
Indonesia … 2,838 (5.1%)
China … 2,830 (5.1%)
Colombia … 2,132 (3.9%)
Peru … 1,913 (3.5%)
India … 1,908 (3.5%)
Democratic Republic of Congo … 1,283 (2.3%)

These countries alone account for 60 percent of the world's total amount of freshwater. Freshwater (water that can be consumed) is found mostly in glaciers. Fortunately, many countries with high population density like India and China have a lot of access to freshwater. Only one country in Africa is in the top 10, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it is tenth.

Read Resources http://internationaltrade.suite101.com/article.cfm/richest_water_countries#ixzz0lt2ds4Ku

EARTH DAY!

2010-04-22T21:26:00.003-05:00

In the spirit of Earth Day 2010, I dedicated my unit post to discussing some Earth Day facts. -This year, it was the 40th anniversary of the celebration for our Earth -Every year, Earth Day is held on April 22nd. -Earth Day was started in 1970 by a U.S. Senator named Gaylord Nelson. -This year, at the National Mall in Washington D.C., the EPA held free exhibits and events for the public. "EPA will have exhibits on an environmental forensics demonstration, cutting edge automotive technology, climate change, habitat loss exhibits, environmental videos, an interactive kids booth about environmental hazards, backyard composting demonstrations, a Chesapeake Bay water model, and live mascots teaching kids about recycling and protecting nature, and others.

EPA will also be showcasing the creative efforts of more than 40 college teams and their design solutions to sustainability challenges around the world. The participants of the exhibit will compete for a $75,000 prize. The expo highlights designs that address alternative energy technologies; collection, purification and distribution of water; agricultural practices to reduce pesticide run-off; new technologies for green buildings and other innovative approaches to improve society’s sustainability." (http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/41247)

-Many nations all around the world celebrate Earth Week, and other environmental awareness days.

-Visit the Earth Day Network website, http://www.earthday.org/ , and learn more about Earth Day. Also, enter in your "Act of Green", any way you have made a sacrifice to save water, electricity, etc, and help them reach 1 billion acts of green. So far they have 31,467,348

Unit Review

2010-04-22T21:21:00.002-05:00

Categories Of Water Pollution:

Sewage

- Wastewater from toilets and house drains. Examples are human waste, paints, etc.

Pathogens

- Typhoid and cholera carried into waterways. Human and animal waste are examples

Plant Nutrients

- Phosphates and nitrates. Sources are sewage, feedlots, etc. Causes eutrophication

Organic Compounds

- Oil, gas pesticides, detergents. Comes from industrial waste, surface runoff. Can kill wildlife, cause nervous system damage

Toxic Inorganic Compounds

- Lead, arsenic salt, acids. Comes from surface runoff, household cleaners. Harms drinking water, can cause cancer, etc.

Sediment

- Soil, silt. Comes from eroded land. Reduced photosynthesis, carries pesticides, etc.

water contaminants

2010-04-22T20:33:00.002-05:00

here's a list of common water contaminants, their sources, and effects

chlorine
sources: water additive
effects: eye/nose irritation, stomach discomfort, anemia

iron
sources: minerals found in drinking water supplies
effects: unpleasant taste/odor

copper
sources: corrosion from plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits
effects: gastrointestinal disease, liver/kidney damage

sulfide
sources: decay of plant materials
effects: nausea, illness, and death

silica
sources: naturally found in water
effects: harmless

ph
sources: leaching from pipes and fixtures, acid rain
effect: no health threats

phosphates
sources: human/animal waste, fertilizer, manure
effects: eutrophication, changes in aquatic life

nitrates
sources: fertilizers, sweewage erosion, leaching from septic tanks
effects: eutrophication, death

chromium
sources: discharge from steel and pulp mills, erosion
effects: allergic dermatitis

ammonia nitrogen
sources: runoff from fertilizer, leaching from septic tanks, sewage erosion
effects: harmful to infants

fecal coliform
sources: human and animal feed waste
effects: can indicate presence of other bacteria

DINOSHARK

2010-04-22T20:22:00.003-05:00

A little while ago, I remembered that I had recorded Dinoshark on my DVR after Ms. Meyer told us about it and decided to watch it. If you're looking for something hilarious passed off as a serious movie, then I highly recommend it. Even if you aren't, it's still highly entertaining. The general plot is that there is a string of disappearances of people at a resort in Mexico. The main character (played by Eric Balfour) is out on the ocean and notices a creature (dinoshark) that is killing people (with great special effects). He and his friends go on a mission to kill it so that the people can enjoy their vacation in peace. After a few entertaining scenes, one of which involving a chopper being eaten, they have a final confrontation with dinoshark. I won't give away the ending, but it's pretty amazing. see this movie and look out for the next installment in the series, which is going to be called Dinocroc vs. Supergator.

New Species Discovered In Borneo

2010-04-22T20:16:00.002-05:00

123 new species have been discovered in the great rainforest known as Borneo. The project to find them has been going since 2007, in an effort to help conserve the rainforest. The project was known as "Heart Of Borneo", and was sponsored by the WWF. Some of the more interesting species are totally unique. One was a bright orange snake which can turn shades of blue when threatened. Another is a flat looking frog that breathes through its skin because it has no lungs. Another is a slug with its tail almost 3 times the size of its head. Borneo is home to thousands of species found nowhere else.

Trouble Waters Video, test

2010-04-22T18:53:00.002-05:00

If you guys don't remember the Troubled Waters Video, it's the video with the goofy guy.

Hermaphroditic Frogs: Caused from Atrazine which produced Estrogen within male frogs.

Beluga Whales: Cancer found within them.

Plants and Mercury: Scientists genetically modifying plants to absorb mercury making fish less likely to eat mercury.

Crown of Thorns: Massive outbreak of sea-stars in tropic reefs, believed to be linked to pollution in water. They destroy reefs.

Global Warming Creating More Frequent and Violent?

2010-04-22T18:37:00.002-05:00

With Iceland's volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupting, melting the glacier around it, scientists are now wondering if the melting of ice caps due to global warming might create more frequent and more violent volcan eruptions. However, they don't believe that Eyjafjallajokull's eruption is due to global warming. Hugh Tuffen of Lancaster University believes that it's not long before global warming causes the icecaps on volcanoes all over the world to melt, relieving pressure from supercharged magma chambers to increase the frequency and violence of the volcano eruptions. He also thinks that it won't take long for this to happen, with activity possibly increasing significantly by 2100.

Scientists don't entirely know what will happen when the icecaps melt since that hasn't happened since before the last ice age. They've been studying long-term trends since the last ice age, which show that volcanic activity has been increasing. But they don't know what this means for us yet. The writer of the article thinks that we should just try to stop global warming before we find out what happens when the icecaps melt.

Original Article

Water Pollution Unit Review Post - Oil Spills

2010-04-22T17:37:00.003-05:00

Oil Spill: When oil gets into the water, usually due to human activity.

Ways the Oil Gets There:

- Natural Seepage

- Oil Tanker

- Seepage from offshore drilling

- Runoff from roads

- Seepage from boats

What does it affect:

- The oil creates a film over the water that sunlight cannot penetrate, so the producers cannot photosynthesize.

- It sticks to the feathers of sea birds stopping them from flying and stopping the feathers from insulating the birds.

- It gets in the fur of sea mammals (especially otters) and stops the fur from insulating them.

- Animals can digest the oil, which is bad for them.

- The oil will eventually sink to the bottom of the ocean, which will hurt the animals on the sea floor.

How can we clean it up:

- Bioremediation: The use of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, etc.) to break down and remove the oil.

- Booms: Contains the oil to stop it from spreading and lifts it off the water.

- Skimmers: Usually used with booms to skim up the oil.

- Sorbents: Absorb the oil

- Burning the Oil: Bad because it just sends the oil into the air to be brought right back with the next rain.

The Exxon Valdez:

On March 24, 1989, it spilled its cargo of oil in the Prince William Sound off of Alaska when it went off course and crashed into the Bligh Reef. The ship's crew had worked too hard due to job cuts in the company and the 3rd mate (who isn't allowed to navigate the ship) was put in charge while under the effects of alcohol. It took a while for the first clean up crews to arrive, and after Exxon went bankrupt it was up to the volunteers to clean up the oil. Thousands of animals died: around 250,000 sea birds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles and 22 orcas, alonf with the destruction of salmon and herring eggs. Some species still haven't recovered and the impacts of this spill can still be seen today.

OiL Spills! -

2010-04-22T17:28:00.003-05:00

Major Sources of Oil Spills:

- tanker spills or sinks

- runoff from boats

- oil in waste (sewage)

- offshore drilling/ runoff from roads or pipelines

- natural sepage from land or ocean floor

Short Term Effects:

- reduction of light transmission: by reducing the amount of sunlight that can penetrate through to plants in the sea, photosynthesis is reduced and plant growth is affected

- reduction in DO (dissolved oxygen)- hinders the rate of oxygen uptake by water

- damage to marine wildlife- because oil can collect in feathers or fur and can be ingested, many birds, mammals, and invertebrates can die (drown, can't fly, freeze, stave, etc.)

Long Term Effects:

- oil interferes with chemical messengers in organisms so have trouble finding food, mates, shelter, etc. because their stimuli can get "blocked" by the oil compounds.

- oil serves as a concentration medium for poisons like pesticides reach organisms in higher levels than usual, causing more damage

A Planet Without Methane

2010-04-22T17:23:00.002-05:00

Recently, NASA's Spitzer Telescope found that there is no methane on a distant planet. Methane, which is present on Earth, is created by microbes that live in cows and, surprisingly, rice fields. It can also be found in dead stars, or "brown dwarfs." This planet, called GJ436b, is about the size of Neptune which not only makes it the smallest planet (it is 33 light years away) to be analyzed from such a distance but also lacks the one element that the planets in the solar system have: methane. Scientists expected to find methane because, according the principle investigator of the search, the type of planet that it is made the production of the chemical likely. Though scientists are thoroughly puzzled, they are glad to know what is going on in the atmosphere of planets in far away constellations.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-137&cid=release_2010-137

Water Pollution Test Review

2010-04-22T16:30:00.002-05:00

Available Water:

-Sea Water: 97.5%

-Freshwater: 2.5%

Ice caps/glaciers: 79%

Groundwater: 20%

Surface water (lakes/streams): 1%

Main Uses of Water:

-domestic (drinking, cooking, toilets)

-industrial (cooling systems, cars)

-agricultural (irrigation-animals, crops)

Water Pollution:

Point Source Pollution: specific locations of pollution

-sewage or drain pipes

-leaky gas tanks

-industrial sites

Non-point Source Pollution: pollution from widespread (unknown) areas

-agricultural, residential, or industrial runoff

-atmospheric deposition

Categories of Water Pollution:

-Sewage- ex) wastewater from toilets, household drains

-Pathogens- ex) human and animal wastes (typhoid, cholera)

-Plant nutrients- ex) phosphates, nitrates

-Organic compounds- ex) oil, gasoline, plastics, detergents

-Toxic inorganic compounds- ex) lead, acids

-Sediment- ex) soil, silt

Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico

2010-04-22T16:18:00.002-05:00

A few nights ago, on Tuesday April 20th, an oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana. Two days later, the once burning oil rig has now sunk to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and has left a 5-square-mile trail of spreading oil. Not only is burning oil being released into the atmosphere and leaking into the gulf, but the explosion caused 11 workers to be blown into the gulf of mexico and there is currently a search out looking for them. Out of the 115 people on board at the time of the explosion, 11 are missing, 17 are injured, are the remaining 94 were taken ashore with no apparent injuries. They are determined to find the missing workers as soon as possible because they longer they go unfound, the more likely it is that they will be dead. The oil released into the gulf is estimated to be around 336,000 gallons. Along with that oil, it is estimated that 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel also leaked out.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/22/oil.rig.explosion/index.html?hpt=T1

The Botany of Desire

2010-04-21T20:26:00.004-05:00

The book that I read was The Botany of Desire. I personally found this book to be very very interesting, it forced me to think of plants in a different manner. Never before had it occurred to me that plants could be using people the same ways that plants use bees to spread and become more populated. In the book it focuses on four main plants the apple, the tulip, the potato, and the marijuana plant. Each plant represents a desire that humans have the apple represents sweetness, the tulip beauty, marijuana intoxication, and the potato is control. Pollan the author starts off talking about how the apple attracts are desire of sweetness. The book talks about how the apple originated in Kazakhstan and slowly made its way through Europe and then to America. Then it talks about Johnny Appleseed's journey across America spreading the apple tree. After that it talks about all of the uses the apple has had since and how popular it is. The reason the apple is so popular is because of how its natural sweetness is so rare and how it represents that it is healthy and good for humans. The next plant is the tulip. The tulip represents the desire of beauty. The tulip is specifically attractive to humans because of its contrast to its surrounding and its variation. The next plant is marijuana. This represents the human desire for change in consciousness. The plant itself is very adaptable to its situations so humans take advantage of it. They even risk their lives and freedom for it. People are so drawn to the high that they receive from marijuana that it has such a popular market people will risk everything to get their hands on it. The final plant talked about is the potato plant. This plant specifically is very representative of the humans desire to control everything. This is specifically an appropriate thing to control because it is a great sense of food for humans. If people can control food then they can pretty much control their own destiny.
I found this book to be very interesting and I personally really enjoyed how it opened my eyes to a new look at the relationship between humans and plants. I had to skim through certain parts of the book because i felt like some of it was unnecessary details but for the most part I was very interested by the details the story goes into about the plants. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding the relationship between humans and the plants we surround ourselves with.

Typhoid Fever

2010-04-21T19:53:00.003-05:00

Typhoid Fever is caused by ingesting liquids or foods that have been contaminated with Salmonella Typhi bacteria (a type a bacteria that only lives in humans). Water that has sewage contaminated with S. Typhi is a main cause of the disease in areas of the world where water doesn't undergo intensive treatment. Symptoms of the disease include a high fever (103-104 degrees), stomach pains, headache and loss of appetite. If someone infected does not receive antibiotics the fever may continue for weeks to months. 20 % of people who contract typhoid fever die from complications of the infection. When traveling in foreign countries, in order to reduce the risk of contracting the fever, avoid risky foods and drinks, and get vaccinnated against the disease. If you drink water when traveling, buy it bottled or boil it before consuming. also, avoid raw vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled (i.e. lettuce, carrots ect.)

A Super Fun Review of Water Pollution

2010-04-21T17:27:00.003-05:00

There are two types of water pollution:

Point Source: Pollution can be traced to a SPECIFIC location

Non-Point Source: Pollution can NOT be traced to a specific location

There are seven categories of water pollution:

1.) Sewage: human and food wastes, soaps, detergents

2.) Pathogens: disease carried in waterways such as typhoid and cholera

3.) Plant Nutrients: phosphates and nitrates from sewage, animal feedlots. Can cause eutrophication and baby blue syndrome

4.) Organic Compounds: oil, gas, plastics from industry, household cleansers, and runoff. Can cause neverous system damage, reproduction disorders

5.) Toxic Inorganic Compounds: lead, arsenic, acids from surface runoff. Can cause skin cancer, nervous system damage

6.) Sediment: soil, silt from land erosion. Can cloud water and reduce photosynthesis

7.) Radioactive materials

Biomagnification

2010-04-21T11:34:00.002-05:00

Biomagnification is the process by which a pollutant can become more and more concentrated at each step in the food chain. This normally means that the place where pollutants (such as mercury) are most concentrated are in the biggest fish. So in the picture to the left, the organism that would have the highest concentration of the toxin would be the catfish.

Hermaphrodite Frogs

2010-04-20T21:21:00.002-05:00

Since the movie we watched touched on some male frogs becoming hermaphrodites, I thought I would elaborate on the topic:

The popular fertilizer Atrazine has been found to affect the sexual development of male frogs. The most interesting fact about this is, these frogs are being exposed to amounts 30 times lower than the amount deemed safe by the EPA. Like Ms. Meyer said, humans don't have to worry about the fertilizer getting into their water, but it does raise questions such as how other chemicals will affect human bodies.

"If you take five grains of salt, divide this weight by five thousand, that is the

amount of atrazine that causes these abnormalities," added Hayes.

Besides the frightening amount of chemicals that have caused this change, frogs native to the mid-west of the U.S. have found to be undergoing some changes. Althought Hayes said that this information cannot be deemed accurate until it is peer reviewed, he believes that the data is correct.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/04/0416_020416_TVfrog.html

Murcury In Rice!!!!

2010-04-20T20:23:00.003-05:00

I Know this isn't a current events post but i read this article and i felt i needed to share it with the class.
a study was done to the rice in a specific area in china and it turns out that the Mercury in their fish is not what they have to worry about, its the rice. this area was down wind from a coal plant. the fact is that rice paddies carry the types of bacteria that can convert inorganic mercury to its more toxic, methylated form. The rice sucks up the Mercury! It averaged 9.3 micrograms of this especially toxic mercury per kilogram of rice in an area where people down an average of more than a half-kilogram of the grain each day. why does this concern you do you say? Any tainted rice may not stay put for very long in our increasingly global economy.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58350/title/Mercury_surprise_Rice_can_be_risky

Wewage Treatment

2010-04-20T19:45:00.002-05:00

At a sewage treatment center they sometimes use three steps to filter and clean the waste water.

Primary Treatment: Primary treatment is when all of the sewage is put in large tanks and allowed to settle. this separates each individual material. the sludge sinks to the bottom and is sent to a separate sludge treatment area and the grease and oil is scraped off the top. the treatable liquid id then sent to the next stage.

Secondary treatment: in the secondary treatment, aerobic and biological processes are used. there are two types of secondary treatment. fixed film treatment is when a fixed biomass is grown and the sewage passes over it. suspended growth is when the biomass i suspended within the sewage. these processes remove BOD or biochemical oxygen demand.

Tertiary Treatment: this is the last and most rare form of sewage treatment. it uses bacteria to denitrify nitrates in the water producing nitrogen gas which id then released into the atmosphere. the major purpose is to remove nitrogen and phosphates

Hopefully after all this you can drink some of it!

Cholera

2010-04-20T17:20:00.002-05:00

Because Cholera is spread through insanitation and water pollution, I thought it would be interesting to find more details about this disease.

What is it: Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that causes a large amount of watery diarrhea (pleasant, I know.)

Symptoms:

Abdominal cramps

Dry mucus membranes or mouth

Dry skin

Excessive thirst

Glassy or sunken eyes

Lack of tears

Lethargy

Low urine output

Nausea

Rapid dehydration

Rapid pulse (heart rate)

Sunken "soft spots" (fontanelles) in infants

Unusual sleepiness or tiredness

Vomiting

Watery diarrhea that starts sudden

Causes: Cholera is caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae. The bacteria releases a toxin that causes increased release of water in the intestines, which produces severe diarrhea.

Cholera occurs in places with poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine. Common locations for cholera include:

Africa

Asia

India

Mexico

South and Central America

The Mediterranean

People get the infection by ingesting contaminated food or water.

A type of vibrio bacteria also has been associated with shellfish, especially raw oysters.

Treatment: The objective of treatment is to replace fluid and electrolytes lost through diarrhea. Fluids may be given by mouth or through a vein. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed an oral rehydration solution that is cheaper and easier to use than the typical intravenous fluid. Their solution of sugar and electrolytes is now being used internationally.

Types of Water Pollution

2010-04-20T16:19:00.002-05:00

1.) Sewage: Wastewater from household drains.

2.) Pathogens and waterborn diseases: Bacteria. They come from human and animal waste and can cause disease.

3.) Plant Nutrients: Phosphates and nitrates. Sources of these include sewage, feedlosts, paper mills and fertilizers. Plant nutrients can cause etrophication and the blue baby syndrome.

4.) Organic Compounds: Oil, gasoline, detergents and plastics. Sources of these materials include industrial waste, household cleaners and surface runoff. These can cause nervous system damage and can harm fish/wildlife.

5.) Toxic Inorganic Compounds: Lead, arsenic salts and acids. Sources include surface runoff and household cleaners. These compounds can lead to water becoming unusable, skin cancer and brain/nervous damage.

6.) Sediment: Soil and silt. These materials come from the erosion of land. These can cloud water, reduce photosynthesis and can carry pesticides.

Detroit Residents Press EPA for Stronger Air Pollution Monitoring

2010-04-20T08:35:00.002-05:00

Residents of Detroit's industrial southwest neighborhoods have demanded higher air quality standards. A computer that measures air pollution has recently been revealing spikes around the industrial plants of southwest Detroit. Around these industrial plants are whole neighborhoods surrounded by oil recycling plants, asphalt makers, a steel plant, a stinky composting yard, a salt factory and an expanding oil refinery. A woman who lives in the area decided to take her own air samples with the help of the national environmental monitoring group, Global Community Monitor, and found lead-laden dust, which could come from a steel mill nearby. Additionally, a few months ago, similar sampling found a dangerous chemical in the air -- methyl ethyl ketone, a gas that can cause numbness, tremors and gait problems. Methyl ethyl ketone, is commonly found in manufacturing plant emissions as well as specific products such as industrial glue and the exhaust of cars and trucks, according to the Centers for Disease Control's toxic substances registry. Fewer than 50 air monitors are present in the state of Michigan and residents would like to see this improve in the near future. I thought this article was interesting because it is a specific example of how air pollution has been becoming such a problem.

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/04/19/detroit-residents-press-epa-for-stronger-air-pollution-monitoring/

Water and Water Pollution

2010-04-20T08:20:00.001-05:00

Available Water:
Sea water -97.5%
Freshwater- 2.5%
Surface Water-1%
Groundwater- 20%
Ice caps/Glaciers-79%

Three main uses of water:
1. Domestic (drinking, cooking, toilets)
2. Industrial (Electric power, producing paper)
3. Agricultural (irrigation, animals, crops)

Water pollution: Any chemical, biological or physical change in water quality that has a harfull affect on living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses
Two types:
-Point source
Can be traced to a specific location
Ex) sewage or drain pipes, leaky gas tanks, ditchs
-Nonpoint source
Pollution that enters streams and waterways from a widespread area and cannot be traced to one particular site
Ex) agricultural, residential and industrial runoff, atmospheric deposition

Eutrophication and Dead Zones Review

2010-04-19T21:34:00.006-05:00

Click on the picture to see the whole thing, it's helpful to understanding dead zones!

Eutrophication means "nutrient pollution", and a dead zone is an area where there is no to low oxygen in water.

Dead zones are caused by excess nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers, industrial runoff, and runoff from homes entering water sources. (Freshwater areas are affected more by the phosphates, while salt water areas are affected more by the nitrates). These excess nutrients cause an algal bloom. When all these algae die, they sink to the bottom. Decomposing bacteria consume the phytoplankton, and with all this excess food creates a growth in the population of the bacteria. They consume all the oxygen dissolved in the area, while the algae reduce the amount of light that reaches the depths of the ocean, and aquatic life begins to die. Anaerobic bacteria soon take over, and release hydrogen and sulfuric gas, making the water even more acidic and unsuitable for life.

More Related Terms:
Hypoxia- Waters that have dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations less than 2mg/L

Anoxia- No DO present in the water.

Oxygen depletion is further caused by stratification preventing oxygen refreshment.

Preparing for the Big One

2010-04-18T23:08:00.002-05:00

Lately a number of different natural disasters have made headlines in the news, such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. This brings into discussion once again the predicted "mega-earthquake" that would occur on the San Andreas fault-line located on the western coast of the United States. Many people are skeptical of this earthquake, but one town in Oregon is going to be prepared if or when it does occur. Cannon Beach, Oregon has begun discussions of building a tsunami and earthquake-proof tower for an estimated 4 million dollars. The tower is based off a similar tower in Japan, and will be able to be a safe-haven for up to 1,000 people. Although Cannon Beach is leading the way in Earthquake/Tsunami safety, awareness is increasing all along the west coast, with signs of what to do in case of disaster posted everywhere. Experts predict that there is a 37 percent chance that a major earthquake (8.0 magnitude) will hit the west coast within the next 50 years. A tsunami that occurred in 1964 knocked out the main bridge in Cannon Beach, and right now experts say the city is not well enough protected. The tower will hopefully change that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/15tsunami.html?ref=science

In Defense of Food

2010-04-18T19:27:00.003-05:00

In his non-fiction book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan argues that most of the stuff we put into our mouths is not actually food. At least it’s not the food our great, great grandmothers would have recognized as food. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible foodlike substances,” which are produced by food science, rather than nature. Many of them come packaged with health claims, such as “trans-fat free,” that make us think they are healthy, but in reality, are most likely distracting us from the fact that they are actually not healthy. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become. To solve this problem, Pollan offers some simple and catchy advice: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. By urging us to once again eat real food, he challenges the popular nutrient-by-nutrient approach, what he calls nutritionism -- and proposes an alternative way of eating that is informed by the traditions of real, unprocessed food. I really enjoyed this book because it is current and relatable. In society today, everyone is looking for the new fad diet that “really works.” Whether it’s Atkins or Jenny Craig, we’re being told that nutrients enrich food, instead of depleting it, which is what Pollan argues. Therefore, it was very interesting and informative to get an alternate perspective. Because, to be honest, Pollan’s simple advice makes much more sense than the crazy dietary rules of the fad-diet companies!

Pompeii Book Review

2010-04-18T18:29:00.003-05:00

Pompeii, by Robert Harris, is a fascinating account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius seen from the perspective of a few citizens from the surrounding towns. The main character is Marcus Attilius Primus, or just Attilius, who is an engineer that is named the new aquarius of Augusta after the previous one goes missing and just in time for the Aqua Augusta to break. Throughout the book, we realize that the Augusta broke down due to the up and coming eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which is unknown to most of the characters until the very end of the book. This book is interspersed with factual accounts of the eruption, but the main story of the book is the slow realisation of Attilius about the eruption and then his frantic tries to save as many people as possible. In this book, we find out much about ancient Roman society (which is eerily similar to our society in regards to its politicians), while experiencing the surprise and horror of the eruption. The most amazing part of this book is Harris' ability to incorporate real historical figures into the book, while still creating an extremely exciting and interesting story about the real life eruption of Mount Vesuvius. I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in ancient Roman society, volcanoes and possibly even detective novels because it was similar in that you had to pick up all the clues to figure out what was happening. I give this book 4/5 stars.

Another Eruption in Iceland?

2010-04-18T14:42:00.002-05:00

The article I read discussed the fact that the recent eruption of a vent on the volcano Eyjafjallajökul (pronounced AY-ya-fyat-la-yo-kult) could be the least of Iceland's worries. There's another bigger, more dangerous volcano called Katla to the east which scientists have been keeping an eye on. In the past Katla has erupted along with the other or on its own. Katla is said to be more dangerous because it is a lot larger, and because it lies beneath a glacier. If Katla were to erupt, there would be a lot of flooding as the ice is melted by the hot lava. Katla would also cause more ash clouds, which we know are a problem to all the air traffic in many countries. The article also described some of Iceland's past troubles with its volcanoes; Iceland is located above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a place prone to volcanic activity. In 1783 and 84 a volcano erupted and spewed out sulfur dioxide and ash, killing thousands of people, and they had a couple of eruptions in the 1960's and 70's. The end of the article did give some good news, as a result of all the ash in the atmosphere people in Europe might be able to see some pretty red sunsets.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58333/title/Ash_from_Icelandic_eruption_may_just_be_the_start

Giardia

2010-04-16T13:59:00.002-05:00

Giardia thrives within intestines of infected humans or animals. One becomes infected through ingesting or coming into contact with contaminated water, food or soil. The Giardia parasite spreads when a person accidently ingests it, this can originate from contaminated items and surfaces that have been tainted by the feces of an infected human or animal. The parasite can also transfer from consuming unsanitary food or water
The symptoms of Giardia include: diarrhea, excess gas, stomach or abdominal cramps, and upset stomach or nausea. This can result in weight loss or dehydration, which can be harmful if not treated immediately. Typical infection within an individual is around 2-6 weeks, but medicine can shorten this time. In rare cases giardia can become a chronic disease.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/giardiasis-topic-overview

Whale Hunting

2010-04-16T09:04:00.002-05:00

The article I read was about a convention held internationally to discuss regulating and ultimately ending the hunting of whales. Mostly Norway, Iceland and Japan are the countries that are hunting and trading these whales. Many people at the convention wanted to end whale hunting all together, but since that didn't seem like an option, many just opted to try and regulate it more seriously. They said they hoped to bring more respect back to international law and also they wanted to make it so people wouldn't illegally trade these whale anymore. Japan was the nation to most disagree with this idea because they get a lot of money from whale hunting each year. They did succeed in making the laws tighter and all the nations agreed to respect these laws.

Unit Review

2010-04-16T08:52:00.002-05:00

Mercury

Mercury is released into the environment through the burning of fossil fuels. Coal is responsible for 87 percent of mercury emissions through oxy-coal combustion. One way factories try to reduce their coal emission is through cleaning the coal.

When inhaled mercury can cause problems in the mouth, lungs and respiratory system. It is said that it's likely to cause cancer in humans. For females the mercury can be harmful for their babies through the breast milk. This would lead to neurological problems.

Boimagnification in the increase in concentration of a substance up the food chain. In result eating larger fish is a greater health risk than eating smaller non predatory fish. The toxic chemicals bioaccumulatre and work their way through a food web.

Water Quality Index:

Chlorine- water additive _>eye/nose irritation, stomach discomfort
Iron- natural sources, corrosion of pipes -> discolored, gross taste
Copper- corrosion of household plumbing systems -> liver or kidney damage
Sulfied- sewage -> salty taste
Silica- sand
pH- corrosion and deposits -> bitter metallic taste
Phosphate- fertilizers, soap/detergents -> interfer with digestion
Nitrate- sewage, fertilizers ->blue baby syndrom, infant death, shortness of breath
Chromium- discharges through steel mills -> allergic dermatis
Ammonia nitrogen- agriculture run-offs, fertilizers -> suffocatoin of babies, blueish skin
Fecal coliform -> bacteria, indicator of other pollutants -> stomach discomfort

The Botany of Desire

2010-04-13T23:11:00.002-05:00

Who would believe that a flower holds the meaning of life? Or that human history would be so correlated with that of plants? Clearly Michael Pollan did and decided to write The Botany of Desire. The book is divided into 4 parts, each part comparing a human desire to a plant. First, Pollan ties the desire for sweetness to the apple. By chronicling Johnny Appleseed and the spread of the apple around the world, Pollan says humans have long been obsessed with apples. Next, he ties the desire of beauty to the tulip. He chronicles the history of the tulip and how it has always been a sign of power and wealth as well as beauty. Third, he uses the desire of intoxication and ties it to the cannabis plant (marijuana). Pollan looks at the history of marijuana and how the plant has adapted. He notes that only recently the crop began to be altered to grow indoor and outside and to be more potent. Lastly, he looks at the desire for control and ties it to the potato. He says humans desire to alter the potato represents a larger idea that people are in a desperate need to control everything. All of this plays into a larger picture that Pollan is trying to paint; humans and plants are more closely tied than people might believe.

What first felt like a quick read turned into a dense, overly detailed book about an obscure topic. Although there were parts I enjoyed, and I did learn a lot, it was hard not to fall asleep while he described how King Louis XIV felt about tulips. All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in psychology and human development or in botany. Other than that, stay away.

In Defense of Food

2010-04-13T21:00:00.002-05:00

Do you ever wonder what all of those ingredients on the back of food packages are, and what they really do? Michael Pollan sure has, and the answer definitely did not please him, as he voiced in his book, In Defense of Food. Pollan argues that modern "food" is actually not real food, just a combination of additives and nutrients that look like food. Science tells us that these additives are good for us, but Pollan does bring up a good point: if we are consuming more nutritious food then ever, why are we not healthier then ever? He says that nutritionism is to blame, which is giving food only the value of the nutrients it contains. Food cannot be looked at this way, and clean, untainted food, like the food our ancestors ate, needs to be returned to modern society. I personally do not agree with Pollan and his theory, because in my opinion, if the nutrients are proven to be healthy, then it does not matter what form they take (what type of food) they will always be healthy. This book, is really just giving another diet, only clean, REAL food, just backed up with science. Dieters and scientists, this is a must read.

Pompeii Book Review

2010-04-13T19:00:00.003-05:00

I originally chose this book because I was always interested in roman culture and I also was interested in volcanoes but I knew virtually nothing about the eruption of Vesuvius. The story of the eruption is not the whole book; it’s framed by the story of a young Aquarius. He is the engineer that is responsible for the aqueduct. The main chunk of the book is the water from the aqueduct stops flowing and the towns are left without water. His mission is to fix it. Along the way he has to deal with corrupt government officials, angry Romans and a little bit of forbidden love had to make its way into it at some point. All the while Vesuvius is trying to do everything in its power to warm everyone what is coming. I do recommend this book in the end. I would change some things, but overall I enjoyed it. If you choose to read this, read it because you’re interested in roman culture, and also make sure you have some time because it’s not a short read.

Free Trade

2010-04-12T08:57:00.002-05:00

In our modern economy, money trumps environmental responsibility. In order to change this, the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) takes place every few years. The purpose is to take endangered species and place them on lists that prevent the trade of these animals. This year, the meeting in Doha failed to make substantial changes to animal trade. Because there were so many purposed animals, countries sent their top negotiators to make sure their economies were not effected. Japan turned out 30 strong to battle the conservationists. For example, 80% of blue fin tuna is consumed in Japan. Because of this, Japan made sure that blue fin tuna, although endangered, was kept off the no trade list. The European Union was also responsible for blocking legislation. Sharks were also kept off the most protected list. CITES kept a ban on elephant trading in Africa, but other than that, it was not a productive convention. Hopefully by their next meeting in 2013, they will be able to put their economic greed aside and take a stand on animal trade.

http://www.economist.com/science-technology/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15767253

Pompeii

2010-04-11T22:20:00.003-05:00

Pompeii is a book about the massive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Italy. It ties in to what we learned first semester with volcanoes, and is extremely interesting. Robert Harris uses fictional characters to depict what life was like before the explosion, leading up to the day of the eruption. I would suggest this book to anyone who likes to read books with excitement and having to do with history.

2,000,000 year old ancestor

2010-04-11T19:28:00.003-05:00

Recent discoveries in South Africa of a human skeleton lead researchers to believe that species unknown until this discovery could have existed during the transition of the ape-like Australopithecus species to "the early members of the genus Homo". In Johannesburg, South Africa two skeletons, a juvenile male and and adult female, were discovered dating from almost 2,000,000 years ago. As the skeletons were completed they concluded that these skeletons are far too advanced for the average Australopithecus, but are also not as physically mature as any species in the Homo genus. This new species of hominid is named Australopithecus sebida and they are currently searching the grounds of Johannesburg for more insight into this interesting new species.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.tanea.gr/dGenesis/assets/Content5/Photo/1123997_b.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp%3Fpid%3D41%26nid%3D1123997&usg=__2YCvTrw2RRwbZGFPUjTNjOHMFkQ=&h=238&w=358&sz=9&hl=en&start=1&sig2=pVD-jUoFIRzah1yJN8l5Nw&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=_ZDeV4ESy5loXM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=121&prev=/images%3Fq%3Daustralopithecus%2Bsebida%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=lGvCS76NOor9ngejvsH2CA

Botany of Desire

2010-04-11T18:19:00.003-05:00

I read The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan. What caught my eye about this book was simply in the title, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of The World. This book contains viewpoints from both humans and plants, and even insight into animals' minds as well. Pollan's book contains detailed descriptions of the history of four different plants' lives on this Earth: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. Pollan shares his own experiences and observations of these plants and their affects on the world. He describes their "life story", how they have been changed or mutated from their natural state, what their significance is to humans and animals, and how that significance has changed over time.

Pollan starts by describing the life of an apple. He tells the story of John Chapman, commonly known as Johnny Appleseed, and how he spread the growth of apple trees to the midwest. Pollan describes how an apple possesses a natural sweetness that humans and animals crave at birth. He then explains how the tulip represents beauty. The tulip can achieve many levels of beauty that humans have desired for centuries. Next is Marijuana. Marijuana is a form of intoxication that humans crave. All humans, whether consciously or subconsciously, feel the need to be intoxicated and experience a different state of mind and marijuana fulfills that craving. Lastly, Pollan describes how the mutations and modifications humans have made on potatoes reflect our constant need to be in control. Over time, we have found a way to control every genetic aspect of the growth of potatoes so that we can grow them exactly how we want them.

I enjoyed reading this book for the most part, but there were a few aspects that I could have done without. The extreme detail seemed almost unnecessary to get his ideas across. Also, some parts were difficult to get into and I had a hard time grasping some of the ideas. If you are up for a detailed read about the lives of plants, then I strongly suggest this book because despite my complaints, it is very well written.

Household Detergents, Shampoos May Form Harmful Substance in Waste Water...so watch out!

2010-04-09T15:39:00.002-05:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100407110819.htm
======================

So check this out:

There's this chemical in household detergents and shampoo called NDMA. It's been in these sorts of products for years upon years. But scientists have done their job. Turns out this chemical bully "may be a source of precursor materials for formation of a suspected cancer-causing contaminant in water supplies that receive water from sewage treatment plants"(Science 1).

Um...sewage treatment plants? That is water we at one point have come into contact with. That's kind of scary, if you ask me.

NDMA is a type of nitrosamine, which by definiton now is a semi-volatile organic chemical that is highly toxic and is a suspected human carcinogen"(Wikipedia 1). Carcinogen by definition is any substance that produces cancer. The reason I gave both definitions is because when I got the definition for NDMA, it said the word "carcinogen" and I didn't know what that meant so I looked that up too just to make sure I didn't look too stupid when I posted this post.

Scientists knew how NDMA reacted with processed meats and tobacco smoke because nitrosamines are commonly found in these products. However, one important aspect scientists didn't know, and that's how these chemicals reacted with water. Official scientific reports showed that "when mixed with chloramine, some household cleaning products -- including shampoo, dishwashing detergent and laundry detergent -- formed NDMA" (Science 1). This is bad news bears for those of us who like using shampoo and detergent. I love the stuff, so looks like over the weekend I'm going to have to find a safer detergent to wash my clothes in and a safer shampoo to clean my gorgeous locks with. I don't want to ruin the environment and make cancer more common in this water, whether it's used for drinking of not.

Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean

2010-04-08T20:12:00.001-05:00

Though this was not on the list we were given at the beginning of the year, Young Men and Fire was a book that I was assigned to read in English. Many aspects of the information within the book related to our class’s unit on natural disasters. The book is about a catastrophic fire in Mann Gulch, a forest preserve in Montana, in 1949. Thirteen “Smokejumpers,” young fire fighters who were trained by the US Forest Service to jump out of planes into forest fires, were tragically killed in the fire in a matter of minutes, leaving only three of the original crew left alive. This fire not only left grief and anger in its wake, but also mystery and scientific debate on the fire’s origins and events that took place during those few minutes. Maclean, who became entranced with the story of the fire when he was a young man, writes of his quest in finding out what really happened in Mann Gulch. I have never taken an interest in forest fires before and hadn’t even known about this one. Yet, I found Maclean’s style of writing to be captivating and the story interesting; it read like a mystery and a scholarly book in one. Even if someone doesn’t know anything about forest fires, the book is still understandable. Though some explanations were worth skimming over (like Maclean’s lengthy explanation on fire whirls, how the Smokejumpers began, and the invention of the parachute), Maclean ties together his scientific findings with the story of the fire and his own personal narrative of his years of research on the fire.

Water in Unexpected Places

2010-04-08T19:54:00.001-05:00

Water in Unexpected Places

The article I read was really interesting. It also corresponds perfectly with our unit on water. A recent study was done on how much water we use, even in places we wouldn’t expect. For example a tablespoon of sugar takes more than a gallon of water to produce, a five pound bag more than 88. In 2002 water use in the United States was around 140 quadrillion gallons, that’s more than 90 percent of what the Mississippi river drops into the gulf of Mexico. Surprisingly residential uses of water like flushing toilets, showering, and washing clothes account for only about 6 percent of the total united states water use. By far most of it is agricultural, it takes 1400 gallons of water to produce a dollar of grain. Other interesting facts: it takes 634 gallons of water to produce the beef in one hamburger. Producing the cotton for one pair of jeans takes 2900 gallons. I found this suprising. I never really thought of the water I takes to produce things, it just shows how much water is needed and used.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58015/title/Water%2C_water_everywhere

Landslides in Rio

2010-04-08T19:44:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday in Niteroi, a suburb outside of Rio, a series of drenching rains set off a series of flash floods and mudslides. Because Niteroi is built on top of an old garbage dump, a landslide on the outskirts of Rio caused it to collapse. About 60 homes were destroyed or buried in the landslide. And because there has been a series of the floods and mudslides all of Rio’s airports and transportation systems have been stopped. It is possible that there are as many as 200 people buried. This is a situation different than Haiti because in Haiti, people were trapped under buildings and could be caught in air pockets. Here they would be trapped under mud. At least 98 people have died from the floods since Sunday.
Barrionuevo, Alexei. “Landslide in Brazil Burries Scores of Houses.” New York Times 8 Apr. 2010: n. pag. Web. 8 Apr. 2010. .

The Empty Ocean

2010-04-06T21:04:00.002-05:00

I thought the book The Empty Ocean was very interesting, and the topic it discusses is very relevant to current day issues. The book explores many different marine organisms, such as whales, sea turtles, corals, in 4 different main sections (Emptying the Ocean, Killing Marine Mammals, Ecology in Trouble, and Is This The End?), with 14 chapters. It explores the different effects humans have had on marine life, with information dating back to the 1400's and on. The book went along nicely with our oceanography unit, talking about sustainable fishing and the harmful affects of the way humans fish. I learned a lot of useful information reading this book. It really opened my eyes to what is happening to life in our oceans because of humans destroying habitats, overfishing, and introducing new invaders into environments. My only complaint about the book would be that it was really long and wordy, definitely information overload at times. My advice would be to look at the chapters that contain information about marine life that interests you. Overall, I would recommend reading this book.

"Great Barrier Reef oil disaster fear from stricken ship"

2010-04-06T06:46:00.004-05:00

I was so intrigued and saddened to hear about the oil spill in the Great Barrier Reef that I felt obligated to research the issue with more depth for my current events. As mentioned yesterday in class, a Chinese ship called the Shen Neng 1 went into a protected area in the north-east coast of Australia, significantly straying from normal shipping channels. The environmental ramifications of such are devastating. There are fears of a major oil spill in the Great Barrier Reef, as the ship is in danger of breaking apart. The Shen Neng 1, which carries 950 tons of oil, has already started leaking and now the coal-carrying ship is beginning to break apart, which would cause even more oil to seep into the vulnerable reef. There are currently massive efforts to prevent such a catastrophe. The first attempt involved trying to refloat the vessel, but its fuel tank has reportedly already been punctured. Now, chemical dispersants are being used to prevent a spill. Nonetheless, if the ship does break apart it would devastate the ecosystem of the largest reef of the world, most significantly by damaging the coral. The Australian government is investigating why the ship strayed nine miles off the shipping channel, but nonetheless environmentalists complain that the marine park has become a "coal highway" and that this is a sign of things to come.

I found this article to be tragic. After just studying the Great Barrier Reef, I know how important the corals are to all organisms. Not to mention, the reef is simply a beautiful and sacred place. It is good to hear that there have been massive efforts by the government to prevent the spilling, but the fact that the ship even got into this situation is incredibly frustrating. I am interested to hear what the crew was thinking when they committed this crime against nature. This incident reminds me of the shark finning boats, which are run by people who care more about money and efficiency than nature.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8602400.stm

A Sand County Almanac Book Review

2010-04-04T16:24:00.003-05:00

For anyone interested in “going green” and environmental conservation, “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold is a must read. This revolutionary text published in 1949 in large started the conservation movement. In an era where society viewed land as having nothing more than economic value, Leopold created appreciation for nature and all of its inhabitants. However, if you are looking for an easy read this book might not be for you, because at points the reader must read extremely closely to follow what Leopold was arguing. Although this book may force you to think a little more than other texts it is always interesting. Leopold combined groundbreaking philosophy with many close observations of American nature, appealing to his readers to conserve, appreciate and love the land on which they lived. Leopold gave countless specific examples of how humans were damaging the world around them through processes like irresponsible farming and harmful tourism in wilderness areas. Society’s immense interest in preserving what’s left of our wilderness areas can be partly traced back to the work of Leopold in writing “A Sand County Almanac.” By reading this book you will gain immense insight into the beginnings of environmentalism, and perhaps Leopold’s ideas will persuade you to join in the efforts to protect our world’s natural areas!

Hammerheads Not Protected

2010-03-25T10:35:00.002-05:00

Ms. Meyer mentioned this in class so I decided to do some further research. At a global conservation conference protection for an wide randge of shark species was denied. Obama administation and enviornmental groups were behind the force pushing for they protection laws. The species are in high demand for their fins, skins, meat and liver oil. Due to the high demand though, in some regions these species have declined by as much as 99 percent. A delegate from Japan suggests though that without the trade of sharks small island states would suffer economically if they were forced to regulate the shark trade. "For developing coastal states, trade would be hampered and enforcement would be a nightmare." This means delegates have rejected every proposal introduced to protect marine species this year.

Shrimp 600 Feet Below Ice

2010-03-25T10:16:00.002-05:00

A few days ago NASA was drilling in Antarctica to explore the underside of the ice. Unintentionally they managed to capture a small shrimp like creature on tape. They actually managed to make two important discoveries. 1. They were the first to capture an image of what the ice looked like in the water under the actual ice. And 2. they discovered that even at such extreme temperatures, life still lived. People have known for a while that the freezing water of Antarctica is teeming with life, but they didn't know that even under the ice there was life. Even more surprising is that the shrimp was bright orange. That's pretty unusual considering the depth and temperature. It was shocking to find single celled organisms in the ice, but to find a massively complex organism is quite amazing.

Feel free to head to http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/antarctic-shrimp.html to watch the video.

The World Without Us Book Review

2010-03-23T21:18:00.004-05:00

I read this book because I thought it might be kind of like "The Day After Tomorrow" or "2012", but it was very different than I had expected. But, even though it was less about action than I was hoping it was still very interesting. The book appears to be a very long book, but for me it seemed to be a relatively quick read and I am by no means a fast reader. Now that I've given my opinion, I'll actually tell you a little bit about the book. The author of this book, Alan Weisman explains his theory of how Earth is an incredibly resilient planet. He explains how within weeks of the disappearance of humans, major cities would start to crumble. That being said, Weisman's ideas are very radical but that is why the book was so interesting. I highly suggest anybody to read this book even if you aren't an avid reader. You will be hooked pretty quickly.

I would give this book a 4 out of 5.

Great Barrier Reef

2010-03-22T08:28:00.002-05:00

The Great Barrier Reef, of the coast of Australia, is the world’s largest reef system and can be seen from outer space. Over 2,800 smaller coral reefs all make up the Great Barrier Reef. When visiting the Great Barrier Reef there are many activities that one can be a part of including: day tours, overnight and extended tours, snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing charters, glass-bottomed boat viewing, semi-submersibles and educational trips, cruise ships, beach hire and water sports, passenger ferries, whale watching and swimming with dolphins. More than thirty species of dolphins, whales and porpoises have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, along with six species of turtles and many other marine animals.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/00/earthpulse/reef/reef1_flash.html

In Defense of Food

2010-03-22T08:12:00.002-05:00

I actually really liked this book. Even though it wasn't a story with a plot line, I still found it really interesting because it applied to modern day life. The motto throughout the book was "eat food. not too much. mostly plants." This motto really captures what the book was about. Micheal Pollan talks about how over the past thirty or forty years, actual food has been disappearing. Actual food has been replaced by substitutes of over processed food and even food that is said to be "healthy", but in retrospect is really not. Pollan also touches on the issue that people are worrying too much about what they put into their mouths. He talks about how food should be enjoyable and natural and people shouldn't be obsessing about what they put into their mouths. He talks about the issue of "nutritionism". This is where people see food that is enhanced with nutrients and they assume that it is healthier. This is not true though. It could actually be less healthy. Overall, I thought that this book was very well written and that it was very interesting even though I'm not super into food.

Tree Rings Speak to California's Past

2010-03-21T20:46:00.001-05:00

I found an article that reveals that scientists can determine the occurrence of past events such as drought or wildfire by studying the rings of tree trunks. This has led to the compilation of a California climate record that spans thousands of years, thanks to the giant sequoia trees of western Sierra Nevada, which can live up to 3,000 years. A 3,000-year record from 52 of the world's oldest trees reveals that California's western Sierra Nevada was droughty and often fiery from 800 to 1300, according to a new study led by University of Arizona researchers. Knowing how giant sequoia trees responded to a 500-year warm spell in the past is important because scientists predict that climate change will probably subject the trees to such a warm, dry environment again, said Swetnam, a UA professor of dendrochronology and director of UA's Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. I think that this article is very interesting and informative because using the information from the rings of tree trunks, scientists are now able to project the likelihood of forest fires in the future. This knowledge can help to protect our national forests and will also be helpful in evacuating people from forest fire prone areas when necessary.

http://uanews.org/node/30720

Pompeii

2010-03-21T14:57:00.002-05:00

In Pompeii, A novel by Robert Harris, the reader will be taken on a journey through the Roman Empire. Using fictional characters, Harris helps one experience the unexpected and incredibly destructive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. Both the eruption and chaos surrounding it are described in extreme detail. The thrilling ending of Pompeii leaves the reader wanting more. Romance, adventure and betrayal all help make this novel a bestseller. I was originally interested in reading Pompeii after hearing good reviews from other classmates. Also, I liked the idea of learning about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius through the eyes of fictional characters. I would recommend this book to any one either interested in volcanoes or thrilling novels.

Beluga Sturgeon in Caspian Sea Reclassified as 'Critically Endangered'

2010-03-19T12:50:00.004-05:00

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100318113241.htm
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If Madonna knew of this newly endangered species, she's change her famous song to "Like A Sturgeon."

All jokes aside, this is a very serious matter. The Beluga Sturgeon, found in the Caspian Sea, is now officially classified as a "critically endangered" species. Kazakhstani officials now have a clear argument that his has happened due to the immense "fishing and international trade" in the area (Science 1). Because of this, they are implimenting a "stock-rebuilding plan should be initiated immediately" (Science 1).

These sturgeons are mainly hunted for one reason: their black caviar, widely considered to be the fanciest, shmanciest caviar in the entire world.

Since 2004 when the Beluga Sturgeon was placed on the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA), the United States has placed a ban on imports of the caviar to our country.

Doctors and scientists have suggested methods to bring the Beluga Sturgeon population back up. They think that most of the stragegies should focus more primarily on reducing overfishing rather than heavy hatchery supplementation. Besides, they mention that harvest rates for this fish are "four to five times higher than those that would sustain population abundance" (Science 1).

Save the sturgeon! If you like caviar and are planning on splurging, maybe go for different type, or just stick with the cheese and toast points that will be served also. I'm sure those are equally yummy.

Book Review: The Omnivore's Dilemma

2010-03-19T12:37:00.004-05:00

Review by Andrew Heisler
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You should read this book.

At first, I found it pretty intimidating, considering it was 400 pages and had tiny-ish print, but I found that I flew it relatively quickly. Author Michael Pollan has a very distinct writing style that is not only informative, but fun also. I found that I could relate to him very easily, and that made the book almost personal, (in a good way).

In "The Omnivore's Dilemma," Pollan outlines very specically three sections of how the American diet works, how it has evolved, and how it can be applied to real life. The first section focuses most on corn, not just the sweet stuff we eat off the cob on a warm summer night, but the industrial corn, corn that doesn't have much a purpose except to be used as an industrial sweetner in your brand name yogurt or soda.

Basically, farmers, who are having a tough time making straight-cash homie, are growing monoculture crops (just one type, not a variety) to make money because corn and soybeans, the main ones, are in highest demand. This is because they are featured in a majority of the foods we eat today.

In one case, Pollan talks about his family's trip to McDonald's. He got a Big Mac, his wife a salad, and his kid some McNugget's. Not much corn is present, you might assume. But after reading this book, you'll realize his meal was nearly 80% corn. The french fries fried in corn oil, his burger made of cows fed a corn-based diet, his wife's salad dressing containing high-fructose corn syrup. It's eerie reading this book. You are a living, breathing, walking stalk of corn.

The second part addresses the organic movement: how it started, how it gained popularity, and the newfangled credibility of it. He talks about "what is organic?" Is everything from Whole Foods organic? Well, that's ultimately your decision, but Pollan lays it on thick, explaining that quite possibly, organic is become as common a term as "low-fat," and holding as much credibility as "all-natural."

Lastly, Pollan explains on how a omnivore like a human reacts with finding naturally organic goods in real life. This means going hunting for your own meat and foraging for your own mushrooms. Briefly, Pollan goes on a rant about the morality of killing and slaughtering animals, and he gets pretty graphic, (he worked on a legit organic farm in Virginia for a week. While there, he was asked to do the day's work of slaughtering chickens.)

Reading this book has taught me a lot about my diet and made me more aware of what I'm putting into my body. Under my current roof, I have little say in what I eat, because if I told my mom I wasn't eating what she made, she'd probably tell me I'm SOL. But going to college next year is a golden opportunity for me to take charge in what I eat and how much of it I eat. Many kids gain weight while off at school. Hopefully I won't fall under this umbrella.

Thanks Mr. Pollan.

You are pretty cool.

The Omnivore's Dilemma Book Review

2010-03-18T23:53:00.002-05:00

I found this book to be extremely interesting, especially because I read In Defense of Food previously. Although this book came before, it still makes some very interesting points and teaches the reader a lot about healthy eating. The book is divided up into 3 sections: getting food industrially, getting food from a pasture, and getting food by yourself (gardening).
In the first section, Pollan delves into the field of corn and how it is prevalent in many things we consume. It’s in more than you think. It can be eaten as corn, put into chemicals, or fed to animals which we later consume. The way corn has dominated America is very interesting. At the end of the section, Pollan describes a McDonald’s meal and explains why everything in the meal contains corn. The percentages are much higher than one would expect, meaning that corn really does have a lot to do with the American diet, which I find extremely interesting. It makes one wonder if the supply can meet the demand.
The next section deals with organic food and the surge of popularity it has experienced as many people have decided to start eating healthier. Whereas the first section focused mainly on corn, this one focused on grass in the sense of produce (grass-fed beef, etc.) Despite the loose definition of the term “organic,” it can be seen that all organic food is healthier than corn-based food. The problem is that transportation is a huge cost of the organic food as it is not grown everywhere. He visits a small rotation farm where waste is minimized as much as possible. Though this is obviously better for the environment, it is harder to accomplish. The meal at the end of this section is described as much better than McDonalds, and considering that none of it was processed, is probably much healthier as well.
The final section, and probably the hardest part of the book to follow in real life, is a hunter-gatherer type diet in which one only prepares food that they can hunt, gather or grow for himself. Local people help him in his quest to make a meal. While this is not only the healthiest diet one can follow, it is very impractical and takes up a lot of time. However, it is good as a way of remembering how food consumption was before industrialization. The meal described at the end of the chapter sounds delicious, but again, would be hard to replicate 21 times a week if one chose to follow that lifestyle.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book; Pollan has a unique writing style that is extremely interesting. Since reading two of his books, I have started considering more environmentally-friendly ways to eat as well as ways that would benefit my health. I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in the subject of food or just looking for a good read in general.

Second Semester Book Review Katie Powell

2010-03-17T16:50:00.002-05:00

The Botany of desire by Michael Pollan is a book about the relationship between plants and humans through the views of four very unique plants: the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato. Each plant represents a certain desire. The apple represents sweetness, the tulip: beauty, marijuana: intoxication, and the potato: control. The book focuses on how the plants have played upon and manipulated these human desires as an evolutionary strategy to further their species. The apple focused a lot of the discoveries that Johnny Appleseed made and how he spread apples all over the U.S. and how the apples started out bitter and were good for cider. After prohibition though people started selecting apples for their sweetness, and the apples became sweeter, redder, and crisper; a winning move for them. The tulip focuses on the beauty that they hold, and just the beauty. He focuses mainly on Holland and many royal gardens that highly regarded tulips and how the tulips adapted their beauty to keep being planted. The chapter about marijuana focuses on the fact that it makes itself desirable for it’s mind-altering qualities. The potato chapter talks about how the potato has made itself likable by humans by being able to be genetically altered and controlled. The entire book boils down to one simple point: plants use us to distribute themselves and keep their species alive, not the other way around.

Overall the book was very good and I liked it. His writing style is very conversational so it goes along pretty quickly. It’s also a pretty a short book. At times he gets repetitive or focuses on one thing for too long but overall it’s good. He successfully accomplished writing a book about plants without making it overly scientific and hard to read. It really showed the human-plant relationship from a different perspective. If I thought it before the book I really would of said that I put bamboo in my room because I like bamboo. The bamboo should be grateful to me because I’m in control. Michael Pollan looks at from the perspective that that type of bamboo has adapted to human wants and needs and used us in order to succeed. I would suggest this book because it gives you a new perspective on the apple in your lunch bag or the vines covering your house or the flowers in your garden.

3/15-3/19

2010-03-15T20:40:00.000-05:00

In lue of St. Paddy's Day....so every year Chicago dies the river a certain color for St. Patrick's Day. What color dye do they use?

Father of Geology

2010-03-15T18:41:00.003-05:00

I found an article on the discovery of Geology. Most scientists have assumed that the study of Geology (Earth , its history, and all living things on it) began at the most, 300 years ago. Now with a deeper look into how far back geologic studies go, a few scientists believe that a well known Polish astronomer

named Copernicus "set the stage" for geologic discoveries. One of his main epiphanies that he had about 500 years ago was about Earth's place in the

Universe. Instead of the popular belief that Earth was the center of the Universe, Copernicus realized that not only is that false, but Earth is a planet among many other in our Universe. This was just the beginning of many geologic discoveries to come in the future, and Copernicus, "The Father of Geology" is to thank for this.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/geology-copernicus-earth-science.html

Seismic Science: Is number of earthquakes on the rise?

2010-03-14T21:14:00.006-05:00

I chose this article because it endeavors to answer the question that has captivated our class-why have there been so many earthquakes lately? The man with the answers is Michael Blanpied, who serves as associate coordinator for the USGS Hazards Program. He said that by looking at historical data, the number of earthquakes is not actually increasing. For example, an earthquake in the 7 to 7.9-magnitude range occurs on average 17 times a year throughout documented history, and fittingly in 2009 there was 16. He said the reason recent earthquakes seem more treacherous is because the quality of reporting is much higher, seismic technology allows earthquake data to be unfolded in real time causing instant worldwide horror, and the number of people living in earthquake prone areas is much greater. It is still unknown whether earthquakes trigger earthquakes across long distances, and that is an area of active research. As we know, earthquakes cause multiple aftershocks in their region. Some researchers are exploring the idea that melting ice and sea-level rise is changing the weight bearing down on faults, such that they might be more prone to making earthquakes. I thought this was interesting and I would be curious the see what scientists find. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article. However, some of the questions that they asked the geologist were so rudimentary that our class could answer it. A question I found unintelligent was “Would it be possible to trigger an earthquake deliberately, for strategic or political or criminal purposes?” The geologist did answer the question professionally though, props to him.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/03/08/DI2010030802570.html

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php

Chile quake moves city 10 feet west!!!

2010-03-09T15:34:00.003-06:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35780643/ns/technology_and_science-science/
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Hey, remember that earthquake that happened last week? Y'know, the one that reached 8.8 on the Richter's Scale? Well, we obviously know about its amazing power and damage. But it had some other odd effects. We found it it shortened the length of the day by a few millionths of a second, but it did something else to the city of Concepción. If you go there today, you will unfortunately be 10 feet east of where it used to be. That's right. The earthquake moved an entire city.

This massive quake shifted parts of the entire continent, including the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires, about 1 inch. And think about that; it's across the entire continent. Powerful stuff.

Ben Brooks of the University of Hawaii states that "'The Maule earthquake will arguably become one of the, if not the most important great earthquake yet studied. We now have modern, precise instruments to evaluate this event, and because the site abuts a continent, we will be able to obtain dense spatial sampling of the changes it caused'" (Brooks 1).

I've heard of earthquakes collapsing buildings and public infrastructure, but never have I heard of one shifting a city. That is insane. That's as if I came home and my room was now where my sister's is. None of you have actually been to my house, but from my point of view, that's pretty weird. Ten feet is a lot, especially if it's all at once. The continents move large distances naturally, but that takes millions of years.

Earthquake in Turkey

2010-03-08T14:47:00.002-06:00

On this past Sunday march 8th yet another earthquake occurred, but this time Turkey was the victim. The earthquake was magnitude 5.9 and about 51 people were killed. Although this particular earthquake closely followed both the earthquake in Haiti and Peru, seismologists believe they are too distant geographically to be related. Okcular seemed to be the town most affected by the earthquake. Villages which consisted of mud-brick and stone houses did not stand a chance. The collapsed buildings were the cause of the majority of the deaths and the Prime Minister of Turkey promised the area will be re-built with quake-proof homes. After the original earthquake, aftershocks up to a magnitude of 5.5 have continued to strike. Earthquakes in Turkey are fairly common, as the country is bordered by two major fault lines, the North Anatolian Fault and the East Anatolian Fault. These two faults are part of a "complex geological environment" formed by the constant westward motion of the Anatolian plate. The reason I found this event interesting was because of what seems to be the recent increase in natural disasters.

150 Meter tall waves?

2010-03-08T01:37:00.007-06:00

This article looked really interesting because we have been studying waves but we didn't learn anything about internal waves. A study from the University of Rhode Island has discovered giant underwater waves that occur between layers of cold and warm water. These huge waves have been recorded at up to 150 meters in the South China Sea. The large underwater waves have a large effect on the surface waves. The scientists think that as these waves move towards the southern coast of China they create larger surface waves that increase as they move up the continental shelf. The underwater waves only affect waves created by diurnal tides.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100224165231.htm

Waves and Tides

2010-03-08T00:16:00.005-06:00

This is just a little but about waves that can help all those people out there who haven't taken the test (i think just me) study.

Parts of a wave

Crest - The top of a wave
Trough - The lowest part of a wave
Wave length - The distance between two troughs or two crests
Wave height - The distance between the crest and the trough
Period - the time elapsed between two waves (for 6-16 seconds)

Tides - the rise and fall of the ocean caused by the gravity of the sun and moon

Ebb current - where the tide goes out and the water moves out
Flood current - where the tide comes in and the water floods in
Spring tides - very high and very low tides
Neap tides - high and low tides less extreme
Semidiurnal - two equal high and two equal low tides a day (east coast)
Mixed semidiurnal - high and low tides are different but there are two a day (west coast)
Diurnal - one high and one low tide per day (gulf of mexico)

That's pretty much all I know about waves and tides so hopefully this helps me on the test.

Sea Water

2010-03-07T20:33:00.003-06:00

Sea water is mostly composed of sodium chloride.

Salinity-- amount of dissolved salt

It's expressed in unites PPT (parts per thousand)

Average salinity is 35 ppt

Salinity varies due to evaporation and precipitation

Halocline is the rapid change in salinity.

Anadromous Fish- spend all or most of their adult lives in salt water and return to fresh water to spawn

Catadromous fish- live in fresh water and spawn in salt water

Temperature

-varies with lattitude and decreases with depth

-things dissolve better in cold water

Thermocline is the rapid change in temperature

Density is the amount of maeria or mass per unit of volume

Temperature and salinity determine the density.

Cold water is more dense

Warm water is less dense

An increase in salinity= increase in density

A decrease in salinity= decrease in density

Pycnocline is the rapid change in density

Pressure

on land= 1 atm

-water is heavier

-every 33ft, pressure increases 1atm

organisms must adapt for as pressure increases, gases are compressed

High pressure on scuba divers can lead to "the bends".

Current Events: K-T Boundary Extinction

2010-03-07T15:23:00.010-06:00

"It's official: The extinction of the dinosaurs and a host of other species 65.5 million years ago was caused by a massive asteroid that crashed into the Gulf of Mexico..."

On March 4th, 2010, a group of internationally renowned scientists, who call themselves "the dream team", released to the public that the K-T boundary (Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary) mass extinction that occurred 65.5 million years ago completely resulted from a 7.5-mile-wide asteroid hitting the Earth. This asteroid, traveling at a speed 10 times that of a rifle bullet, released a billion times more energy than the Hiroshima atom bomb when it hit Earth. This collision caused wildfires, tsunamis, and earthquakes stronger than we've ever experienced, reaching up to an 11 or larger on the richter scale. Up until now, scientists have had many theories as to what caused this mass extinction, but they have now concluded that this asteroid was the direct cause of the extinction of half of the Earth's species 65.5 million years ago. The KT boundary extinction, also known as the greatest extinction in history, wiped out dinosaurs, early bird forms, large marine reptiles, and some smaller sea creatures. Following this extinction, mammals began to emerge and eventually dominated the planet.

Ever since the idea that the asteroid might be the cause of this extinction was proposed 30 years ago, "the dream team" members have been researching this extinction to prove it. How, after 30 years of speculation, did they finally settle on this theory? High concentrations of the element iridium in sediments from the K-T boundary are what finalized their belief in the asteroid being the cause of this extinction. Iridium is rarely found on Earth but abundant in space, and the age of these iridium filled sediment layers is the exact same age as the 1.5 mile deep crater in Mexico where the asteroid hit. Other theories based on multiple asteroid collisions or volcanic eruptions were eliminated. Scientists believe that if the mass extinction was caused be large volcanic eruptions, there would have been more activity in the biological world. The immediate cause of volcanism would have been global warming and prosperous biological diversity, but the exact opposite happened. The conclusion that a strong asteroid collision caused the largest extinction in history is finalized, and "the dream team" members think it is important for our world to know what could happen if another asteroid were to hit Earth again.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/04/science/la-sci-dinosaurs5-2010mar05

Rogue Waves

2010-03-05T08:59:00.003-06:00

Three 26 foot waves crashed in to a cruise ship on Wednesday off the Mediterranean coast of Spain and many people are classifying these waves as rogue waves. Two passengers were killed, and a third seriously injured in the incident, which shattered plate-glass windows at the bow of the vessel.Rogues come about in different ways but are almost always generated by storm-related winds. "The waves in the area measured about five meters on average," according to data collected by a Spanish weather buoy just before the accident, Jean-Michel Lefevre said."Under those conditions we would expect eight-metre waves every 15 minutes." Some scientists think that 1 in every 3000
waves is a rogue wave.

Unit Review

2010-03-05T08:49:00.002-06:00

-71% of the Earth is covered in water

Major Ocean Basins:
-Pacific: deepest and largest
-Atlantic: Narrow, receives lots of water and sediments from rivers
-Indian: Smallest
-Southern: Connects the Pacific, Atlantic, & Indian
-Arctic: At the top of the globe

Sea Floor Features:
-Continental Margin: where continent meets ocean, underwater portion of continental crust, consists of shelf, slope & rise
-Continental Shelf: gently sloping region of the continental margin that extends seaward from shoreline to continental shelf break
-Continental Slope: Steeply sloping region of the continental margin that extends from the continental shelf downward to the ocean basin
-Continental Rise: gently sloping, smooth surfaced, thick accumulation of sediment at the base of the continental slope
-Abyssal Plain: ocean floor and the beginning of the oceanic plate
-Trenches: long, deep, narrow portions of the abyssal plain; deepest part of the ocean
-Oceanic Ridges: places where the ocean floor is spreading and magma is coming up from the crust creating mountains
-Seamounts: under sea level mountain that keeps it's volcanic shape
-Guyot: under sea level mountain that is flattened at the top, a.k.a. tablemount or plateau
-Submarine canyon: a steep-walled, v-shaped canyon that is cut into rocks and sediments of the continental slope
-Volcanic Island: Volcanic mountains that are above sea level that have become islands

Passive Continental Margin: not at a plate boundary, no tectonic activity, wide shelf, gentle slope, continental rise
ex: East/Atlantic Coast

Active Continental Margin: tectonic plate activity going on, has earthquakes and mountain building, little or no shelf, steep slope, trenches, no rise
ex: West/ Pacific Coast

Salinity
-is the total amount of dissolved salt in sea water
-expressed in PPT (parts per thousand) or PSU (practical salinity units)
-Salinity varies due to evaporation and precipitation
-Rapid change in salinity is called the halocline

Temperature
-decreases with depth
-gases dissolve berter in cold water, so there is more oxygen in deep, cold water
-rapid change in temperature is called the thermocline

Density
-is the amount of material or mass per unit of volume
-determined by temperature and salinity
-cold water: more dense
-warm water: less dense
-increase in salinity: increase in density
-decrease in salinity: decrease in density
-rapid change in density is called the pycnocline

Pressure
-water is heavier than air so marine organisms are under great deals of pressure
-pressure increases 1 atm every 33ft (10m) underwater.
-decompression sickness is caused by not decompressing enough, going down too quickly, going down too deep, coming up too deep, or flying (or going to high altitudes) within 24hrs of diving
-nitrogen narcosis is caused by air bubbles getting into your blood stream from your tissues while diving

Stratification
-water is stratified due to different densities
-layers do not mix so substances, like pollutants will be contained in one area
-Surface layer: 100-200m, lots of sunlight, lots of life
-Intermediate layer: 200-1000m, transition zone, home to thermocline, pycnocline, and halocline, contains the twilight zone, little light
-Deep Layer: 1,000meters to bottom of trenches, coldest layer
-overturn: changes in density causes water to mix

Tides
-tides are the periodic rising and falling of ocean waters caused by gravitational forces of the moon and the sun
-tidal range: difference between high and low tides
-6hrs between a high and low tide, 12 hours between a high & high, or low & low
-full cycle=24hrs, 50min
-Spring tide: full moon and new moons, causes extreme water height variation
-Neap Tides: quarter phases of the moons, cause the wave heights between high and low to be extremely close together
-Semidiurnal: two equal high and low tides
-Mixed Semidiurnal: two highs and two lows of unequal heights
-Diurnal: one high tide and one low tide every day

Tsunamis
-are caused by earthquakes, landslides and meteors
-also known as seismic sea waves

Waves
-caused by wind
-wave height: vertical distance between the trough and crest
-wavelength: distance between crest and trough
-crest: highest part of the wave
-trough: lowest part of the wave
-period: time a wave takes to go by any given point
-fetch: the span of open water over which wind blows

Currents
-Surface currents: caused by wind
-currents flowing away from the equator are warm, flowing towards the equator are cold
-Gyres: circular currents

Tides

2010-03-05T08:48:00.003-06:00

Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the rotation of the Earth and the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun. The tides occur with a period of approximately 12 and a half hours and are influenced by the shape of the near-shore bottom.

Semidiurnal Tides: Two equal high and low tides. EX East Coast

Mixed Semidiurnal: Two different high tides and two different low tides. EX West Coast

Diurnal: One high tide and one low tide. EX. Gulf of mexico

Spring tide: When the sun and moon are in a straight tide so the difference between the high and low tide is greater

Neap Tide: When the sun and moon are at right angles so the difference between high and low tide is smaller

There is about 6 hrs between a high and low tide and about 12 hours between a high and high tide

The Vampire Squid

2010-03-05T08:29:00.002-06:00

The vampire squid is a deep sea creature that is very odd looking and interesting. It kind of looks like an elephant because it has two fins that look like ears on the side of it and it is usually orange in color. The squid has photophores all over its body that make it possible for the squid to light up when it wants to. This creature lives up to 3000 feet under the ocean. It is not a usual squid though because it does not have an ink producing sack but instead has tons of tiny spikes all over its fins for a defense mechanism. The squid uses its arms to catch prey. If the squid ever feels frightened it can bring its arms over its head and make a web to cover its body. This creature is also very fast.

Chemical and Physical Features of Seawater

2010-03-05T08:12:00.004-06:00

Inside seawater there are many features.

Salinity: amount of dissolved salt in seawater. This is expressed in PPT (parts per thousand) or PSU (practical salinity units). The average salinity in the ocean 33 PSU. A rapid change in salinity is called a halocline.

Temperature: As one goes down latitude in the ocean the temperature decreases. Gasses dissolve better in cold water. A rapid change in temperature is called a thermocline.

Density: amount of material or mass per unit volume. Temperature and salinity determines the density of seawater. An increase in salinity causes the density to go up and vice versa. A rapid change in density is called a pycnocline.

Stratification

2010-03-05T07:33:00.003-06:00

Sea water is in layers because of the different densities.
Surface Layer: down to about 200 m, most of the life is here
Intermediate Layer: 200-1000 m, changes in density, salt and temperature as the surface layer
Deep Layer: lower than 1000 m

Stratification is the layers of water according to its density there are two layers: there is warmer water overturning cold water, the water doesn't mix so pollutants usually stay in the same area.
Overturn is when changes in density causes water to mix (when polar water is cooled it sinks and the lower water comes up)

Effects of the Deep

2010-03-04T22:07:00.002-06:00

As one goes deeper and deeper in an ocean or sea, a number of changes occur in a number of different of properties.

Temperature: The deeper down, the lower the temperature, as less and less sunlight is able to penetrate until the point where no sunlight at all is present. Creatures that tend to live in the deep adapt to this by developing a layer of blubber to help keep their inner temperature regulated. Also, other organisms that live in the deep are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is the same as their surroundings.

Pressure: Every 33 feet, pressure increases by one unit. In the very deep, pressure is ridiculously high, something that the human body would not be able to take. Creatures in the deep sea and ocean have a couple of adaptations to the extreme pressure. They first do not have a number of organs that would be crushed by the pressure, able to get by on fewer organs. They also have very soft and loose bodies.

Bioluminescence: In the darkness of the deep, some organisms have the ability to produce their own light, or bioluminescence. This is used mostly as a protective adaptations, used to stun predators startled by the light.

Density: The density increases as depth increases, because higher density is always on top. Think the food coloring lab we did.

Salinity: Remains stable as depth increases

El Niño

2010-03-04T21:46:00.004-06:00

Around California, scientists are seeing that the sea surface temperatures are a lot higher than normal. (.9-1.8 degrees Farenheit higher in many areas). These high sea surface temperatures are part of the affect of El Niño, a "cyclical phenomenon characterized by warming eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean waters." What's happening is that there is a much stronger northward movement of warm water, travelling up California's coast. Along with the increase in ocean water temperature comes the decrease in ocean production, including less plankton and low numbers of pelagic fish. Scientists predict that this will mean sea birds will fail to reproduce, and that the squid market will have difficulty getting many catches. Scientists are worried that the conditions caused by El Niño will continue on in the spring, creating many more consequences for marine life.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100303162856.htm

Picture: http://www.deepseawaters.com/image/seabirds2.jpg

All About Waves

2010-03-04T20:14:00.003-06:00

So here is a little review about waves...

Wave Height: vertical distance between any crest and succeeding trough

Wave Length: horizontal distance between two successive crests or troughs

Crest: highest point of the wave

Trough: lowest point of the wave

Period: the time it takes two successive crests to pass a fixed point (about 6-16 seconds)

Fetch: the span of open water in which the wind blows

The size of a wave depends on:

Fetch
Speed of wind
Length of time wind blows for

hope this helps...

Tsunami in Hawaii

2010-03-04T20:03:00.002-06:00

So, as most of us have heard, there was an earthquake in Chile earlier this week. It wasn't just an earthquake though, it was an 8.8, which is HUGE!! As we learned about the sensors in the pacific that are monitored in Hawaii, after this earthquake, the employees at the Tsunami center were quick to send out a tsunami warning for the islands of Hawaii. It was speculated that there would be a huge effect from the earthquake, but as it turned out, the warning was called off at 2 p.m. The Hawaiian islands got away with 9 foot waves, and as Gerard Fryer said, "I think we dodged a bullet". That is true, but historically when natural disasters strike, the communities and people are unprepared, but what made this time different? What made Hawaii over prepared? Kaaumoana Tozer was in Hawaii during the warning, and he also happened to be in Phuket, a village in thailand when the 2004 tsunami hit. His biggest concern was living through yet another disaster, and he said that while in Phuket, he saw multiple cars stacked on top of eachother, on top of a two story building. There is no exact answer of why Hawaii was over prepared, but many people are eternally grateful for the advances in technology that allowed them to be warned ahead of time.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/27/national/main6249805.shtml

Tides Review

2010-03-04T20:02:00.002-06:00

Tides are the rise and fall of the ocean caused by the gravity of the sun and moon.

Why do they happen? Forces of sun/moom pull on water and create bulges. Water pulled toward the moon is high tide, the opposite is a low tide.

Tidal Range: Difference between high/low tide. Usually 6 hours before high/low tides, 12 hours before high/high low/low.

Flood current: Tide rises, water moves in

Ebb Current: Tide recedes, water moves away

Spring Tides: When sun/moon/earth are aligned. Very high/low tides.

Neap Tides: Sun/moon/earth at right angles. Tides not as high/low

Semidiurnal: 2 equal high/low tides per day, most common type, east coast

Mixed Semi diurnal: high tides differ in height, 2 per day, west coast

Diurnal: 1 high, 1 low tide per day, rare. Gulf of Mexico

A review on Oceanography

2010-03-04T19:59:00.002-06:00

Let's review exciting oceanography!!

Oceanography is the physical, chemical and geological study of oceans (unlike marine biology which focuses on the study of marine organisms).

71% of Earth is covered in water...!

The Pacific Ocean is the deepest and largest ocean and the Indian Ocean is the smallest.

TERMS TO KNOW:

Continental shelf-gently sloping region of continental margin that extends seaward from shoreline to continental shelf break

Submarine Canyon-steep walled, v-shaped canyon that is cut into rocks of continental slope

Abyssal plain-the ocean floor

Seamounts-sharply shaped VS Guyots-rounded

Passive Continental Margin-East coast, gentle slope, not at a plate boundary VS Active Continental Margin-West coast, steep slope, tectonic activity.

YAYY now you're ready to ace the oceanography portion of the test!!

The Lack of an Early Tsunami Warning System in the Indian Ocean

2010-03-04T19:56:00.003-06:00

After finishing our tsunami video today and discovering that there is no Tsunami warning system in the Indian Ocean, I have been wondering, “wait, why isn’t there one?!” According to Douglas A. Wiens, Ph.D., Washington University professor of earth and planetary sciences, one of the major reasons that there is no system in the Indian Ocean is the fact that the region, before the 2004 Indonesia tsunami, hadn't experienced a disastrous tsunami for more than 100 years. The Pacific Ocean, on the other hand, has experienced many tsunamis, and as a result, does have an early warning system. While the Indian Ocean has not been a terribly active region in the past, and early warning data is sometimes unreliable (it has caused many false alarm), Wien stresses that it is vital the regions surrounding the Indian Ocean implement a early warning system because this implementation has the potential to save countless lives.