Biodiversity article response

The human race have caused much damage to the environment and biodiversity. For example, three types of vulture populations were injured because of diclofenac, an anti-inflammatory drug which were soon found to cause renal problems in these vultures. Because of this, the dead bodies of cows that the vultures ate were eaten by the wild dogs, causing that population to increase dramatically, also making the chance of rabies being transferred greater. Therefore, the lives of the millions of people that were affected by rabies almost directly linked to the declining vulture population. This sequence is probably likelier to get the public's attention than the one of ethics. Our material need and our survival is higher than our sympathies for other species. We have drive off human tribes from the land to keep it "natural", not thinking that we may have been part of a natural cycle of things that was interrupted by our disappearance. "Hot spots" and "biodiversity" aren't popular choices for words because they often draw negative auras. In fact, 30% of the US population don't know what the word "biodiversity" means. That's 90,660,000 people in the United States. Many people can appreciate the value of nature as a collection of resources, perfectly captured in Paul Ehrlic's term "environmental practices". We need to throw out the stereotype that the conservation of nature and the preservation of the human race cannot mix because that is exactly what we need to do to survive and help nature survive with us.

Biodiversity

1. Preserving local biodiversity effects the world because it may be one of the few places that have an endangered or soon-to-be endangered species.
2. The destruction of a habitat can kill the the animals that live there or cause them to move to another habitat and occupy another species' niche, which in turn can devastate the latter animal, and the "Cycle of Death" continues forever.
3. Preserving biodiversity can benefit human economics and medicine. Many of the spices that are main exports were discovered on accident when plants use them as modes of self-defense. The future of medicines may also depend on the biodiversity of our world. Already, we use asprin, an analgesic that was derived from chemicals that originated from biotic defensive reactions.

Gases and Climate Change

1) Combustion
Hypothesis: When the rubbing alcohol is ignited, it will blow up.
Observation: the flame caused the rubbing alcohol to act as fuel for the bottle and shot it 5-8 ft. It had a delay of 0.5 seconds.

The combustion and gases such as methane can hurt the environment by collecting in the atmosphere and trap the heat there. This causes glaciers and icebergs to melt and make the water rise.



2) CO2
Hypothesis: the candles will be put out.
Observations: the gas put out the candles because CO2 deprived the flame of the oxygen

Carbon dioxide affects the atmosphere because the ratio between the plants that photosynthesize and CO2

*sodium bicarbonate: NaHCO3 is split into Na, H, O and CO2.



3) Hydrogen
Hypothesis: the hydrogen will fuel the flame, unlike the co2
Observations: the zinc popped and crackled as soon as it was introduced to the hydrochloric acid and when the flame was introduced, the

4) Air pressure

Hypothesis 1: The gas in the can will escape

Observation 2: Absolutely nothing happened

Hypothesis 2: The can will expand, because water will come in

Observations 2: The can collapsed on itself, BOOM! noise

Chernobyl Lingers On

Article Link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/743879.stm

Summary:
This article speaks of the radioactive components of the Chernobyl disaster and how they still affect our behavior today. Caesium, one such component, is being released after being absorbed by the soil, disproving previous belief. This means that the area is not cleaning itself of radioactivity fast enough. This is causing the ban on certain foods from that area in the United Kingdom to extend about 100 times longer. This ban includes Cumbrian sheep, fungi, fish, forest berries and other items.

Questions

What isotope of caesium is mentioned?

How long did scientists originally predict that Cumbrian sheep should stay out of the food chain?

How much longer should the ban stay in place?

Chernobyl Questions

1) Did Chernobyl affect the political world in any way?

2) Was it an important nuclear plant for the Soviets?

3) Why aren't animals in Pripyat affected as much as humans?

4) Was the explosion really that dangerous or were these people just being paranoid?

5) Is it still dangerous in Pripyat?

6) How far did the radiation spread?

7) If Chernobyl is as destructive as Bhopal, why do people still live in Bhopal and not

Love Canal Questions

1. Do you think the drainage system for the rainwater is safe?

2. Can't the rainwater combine with the chemicals and affect the creeks?

3. If the chemicals mixed with Black Creek, wouldn't it affect the source?

4. If it affected the source, wouldn't it spread the poison?

5. If Black Creek Village and other surrounding villages are considered safe, then why are they selling houses for such a low price?

8-30-10 Catalyst

After the blizzard of '77, the ice there melted and and that water then ran into the river, which soon overflowed and caused the clay seal to break by applying pressure from the bottom. Many of the chemicals discarded there caused cancer, liver diseases, central nervous system problems and birth defects. The chemicals affected the trees and the animals there because the chemicals had worked it way underground via water.

"Invisible" Oil Discoveres

New oil plume discovered 3,000 deep in the Gulf of Mexico. It is said to be at least 22 ft. long and can lengthen the recovery time for the spill.

*Note: Oil may have reached lower than expected, may affect bottom feeders as well.

Chemical Dispersants

What are the exact ingredients of chemical dispersants, such as Corexit?

Why don't we use the much less toxic Dispersit?

Dispersit is 20-70% more effective than Corexit.

How do chemical dispersants work?