Quarter 1 Article 6

2) Volcanic Air Pollution Chokes Locals: Discovery News

Posted using ShareThis

3) Discovery News

Oct. 28, 2009

5) Miller Chapter 18, 19

6) Regional: Hawaii

7) On the island of Hawaii, volcanic air pollution from the active volcano Kilauea has caused many health problems for the many people living there. The volcano has been erupting since 1983, releasing sulfur dioxide into the air which is blown toward southern villages by trade winds. Some of this gas is turned into hazy sulfate particles and combined with other gasses makes a volcanic smog. Testing that has been done on the island proves that people exposed to the smog develop more lung problems than others. These complications include bronchitis, asthma, lung infections, and sore throats. The likelihood of many of these problems doubled and some were even 5 times worse.

8) I found it very interesting that the gasses released by erupting volcanoes did more than just block out the sun. The people of Southern Hawaii have much more to worry about now that this study has been done and these results have been found. The volcanic pollution does not just cause major damage as it had originally been thought but also causes many more subtle health problems.

9) Hazy Sulfate Particles (SO4): Sulfates occur as microscopic particles (aerosols) resulting from fossil fuel and biomass combustion. They increase the acidity of the atmosphere and form acid rain.

quarter 1 article 5

2) El Nino to Help Steer US Winter Weather

3) source: NOAA News 10-15-09

5) Miller Chapter 5

6)National

7) Scientist predict that throughout the months of December, January, and February, El Nino will strongly impact the weather patterns throughout the United States. This expectation was released in the 2009 Winter Outlook by the NOAA's Climate Protection Center. They predicted that there will be warmer-than-usual temperatures in the north central area and below average temperatures in the southeast and mid-Atlantic regions. As for precipitation, there will be above average precipitation in the southern border states and drier conditions in the pacific northwest. Mike Halpert, deputy director of the Climate Protection Center, said "Warmer ocean water in the equatorial Pacific shifts the patterns of tropical rainfall that in turn change the strength and position of the jet stream and storms over the Pacific Ocean and the U.S."

8) I think it is very interesting to see what the Climate Protection Center predicts our winter to be like. When I first learned about El Nino I did not think that it could have such a profound impact on the temperature and precipitation of the entire country. I am interested to see if their predictions are correct and if El Nino will really have such a strong influence on each region in the US.

9) El Nino: A warming of the ocean surface off the western coast of South America that occurs every 4 to 12 years when upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water does not occur. It causes die-offs of plankton and fish and affects Pacific jet stream winds, altering storm tracks and creating unusual weather patterns in various parts of the world.

NOAA:an agency in the Department of Commerce that maps the oceans and conserves their living resources; predicts changes to the earth's environment; provides weather reports and forecasts floods and hurricanes and other natural disasters related to weather

Quarter 1 Article 4

2) U.S. maps protected Alaska habitat for polar bear

3) Source: Reuters; October 22, 2009

5) Miller Chapters 8, 11, 20

6) Local- Anchorage, Alaska

7) The US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that 200,000 square miles of coastline and Arctic Ocean waters will be designated a critical habitat and be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The species that is endangered in this situation is the polar bear. This action to help these polar bears would be the largest area protected under the Endangered Species Act. One of the reasons why this proposal may prove to be controversial is that the land being protected covers part of the largest oil field that exists in the US. The governor of Alaska has made his opinion public and said that he does not want the Endangered Species Act to hinder resource development. The proposal will go under a 60 day public review before it is final.

8) I think that designating such a large area to polar bears is a great idea and it is well over due. The fact that the species is now being fully protected from the oil mines and things like that is reassuring. As for the governor of Alaska, it seems that he just wants money from producing resources in the state and doesn't really care about the endangerment of the polar bears which is not okay. Hopefully the proposal will be passed and the polar bears will be protected.

9)Endangered Species Act of 1973:was enacted to protect animal and plant species from extinction by preserving the ecosystems in which they survive and by providing programs for their conservation.

Quarter 1 Article 3

2)Green Roofs Shown to Offset Warming: Discovery News

Posted using ShareThis



3) Discovery News
October 6, 2009



5) Ch. 19, 20



6)Global


7) One of the most recent attacks proposed to fight the problem of global warming is filling rooftops with soil and plants. Naturally, you associate plants with taking in carbon dioxide which would be the main goal but the green roofs carry many other added benefits. These include absorbing and reflecting heat in the summer, acting as insulation in the winter, and soaking up rainwater to prevent flooding. These green roof tops would also reduce air pollution, noise pollution, and provide a habitat for some animals. All of these benefits last a long time except for removing carbon from the atmosphere. This does not last because the carbon emitted from the soil after matter is decayed balances out the carbon taken from the atmosphere by the plants in about 2 years. Although this seems to be a short amount of time, the results would make the project worthwhile.

8) I think that having green roof tops in the cities would be a really great idea because of all the major benefits it seems to hold. There is so much roof space in the cities across the world, it would be foolish not to put them to good use.

9) plant biomass: plant matter grown to produce electricity or heat