PBS Now Sea Climate Changes

The president of Maldives is worried about climate change because he doesn't want the sea level to rise from the ice caps melting. Knowing what he does, he should be worried. Knowing the truth, as I do, I don't really think he has any reason to worry.
If the ocean were to warm up it would raise sea level and kill of a majority of sea life including the coral reefs.

Climate Change or Global Warming

     I agreed with the video. I didn't think it was boring. I found it somewhat intereseting. I didn't learn much from it just more about the scientists really. I believe that the climate is changing, but I don't think we, as humans, have an effect on it. I really enjoyed the little animations and 3D graphs. I usually enjoy documentaries, even when they are about subject I don't really care for.
     I don't believe in Global Warming. I never really did. It doesn't really surprise me that it's being so political. Several smaller groups needed something to use to their benefit to benefit themselves. Global Warming was a theory that never held water but a few small facts, when turned slightly, gave it a fighting chance. These groups took advantage. Now countries spend millions, and sometimes billions, of dollars on global warming related projects. It's ridiculous how a few LARGE facts get overlooked and now billions of dollars are going to solve problems that don't exsist.

Natural Disasters

     Natural disasters are always very devastating. Some are preventable and/or predictable. The documantary we watched talked about our great advances in being able to predict tsunamis and, moreover, earthquakes. I believe that the power to save us from these horrid, disasterous events would be a great miracle. What happened in Japan in March of 2011 is the perfect example of why we need to be able to predict and prepare for these disasters. With only minutes to prepare, Japan was in panic the afternoon of the earthquake. Aftershocks shook what was once standing tall the rest of the way to the ground. Around one hour later the tsunami came. Japan had a wall to help protect them from tsunamis, however, this tsunami was taller than the wall. What was supposed to save them only gave the wave more momentum. The next day a nuclear power plant had an explosion leaking radiation into the once great city. Now deaths and injury numbers could only increase. Now added to the devastation of losing buildings, businesses, and loved ones the effects of radiation would be to worry about. To me there aren't words to describe March 11-12 2011 in Japan. Tragic is a great understatement.
   

Natural Disasters project

     From this project I learned that natural disasters of many kinds happen everywhere. I'm not saying you're never safe or anything. I learned that a great progress has been made in preventing and predicting these horrendous events. For example, scientists of many varieties are researching ways to predict earthquakes and tsunamis quicker in order to save lives. Walls are being built to prevent damages done my landslides, mudslides, and tsunamis.
    

Chesapeake Bay Journal: Methane disgetser helps dairy farmer convert manure into moolah

         I found this article very interesting. I think that turning cow manure into something useful is very resorceful. I read through all the given information. Many pros and cons are discussed. I found that most of the cons weren't caused by the digesters or their products but more the only problems they didn't solve. For example, its doesn't stop the runoff caused water pollution, but later they say it can help decrease it. I think, if water pollution is going to be there either way just choose the side with more benefits, which from this article seems to be using the digesters. Another con was that digesters are only good for large farms, more than 400 cows. If that's so then only the larger farm should use them. Over all there seems to be way more pros than cons, especially with cons that hold no water.
Here's the link to the article:
 http://www.bayjournal.com/article.cfm?article=4297

Gulf Oil Leak

          A containment dome is a 4-story, 70-ton structure that catches the escaping oil and allows it to be pumped to the surface. BP was planning on installing a shutoff valve at the site of one of the leaks, but the seas were too rough. They laid floating booms in the coastal waters to protect the shoreline from the spreading oil slick, but heavy winds damaged those.
          A blowout preventer is a device that is meant to seal leaks. BP's blowout preventer was unable to seal the well due to an obstruction too thick for the BOP, blowout preventer, to crush or shear. Transocean would face a large overhang of investor worry.
          In my opinion, everyone should have just one their job to the best of their ability. It seems to me like this problem came from a long line of people not doing their job correctly. I also think they should test the cement plug more than once, leaving some room for error without great consequences.

Chemical Pollution in Water

     In our experiment, we tested for Chromate, Carbonate, Chloride, Iron(III), Sulfate, Lead, and Phosfate. We tested the ions first as a control group, to see how it looks when the tests positive. We also tested our school's water fountain and tap water from Fairchance. The water from the fountain came out negative each time, and so did the water from Fairchance. I was in some ways surprised that everything came back negative. I guess I was hoping for something interesting to happen. I didn't really expect the tested waters to be polluted.

Hinkley vs. Pacific Gas & Electric

     In the movie, Erin Brockovich, they discuss the difference between Chromium six and Chromium three. In the movie, Chromium six was in their water and the company, PG&E, told them facts about Chromium three. Chromium three is very good for you. Chromium six is a carcinogen. Chromium six can cause tumors, miscarriages, chronic nosebleeds, and many other harmful health complications. 

     I get my water from the Point Marion Boro. I found that there are amounts of haloacetic acids, trihalomethanes, and Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate that exceed the health guidlines. Epidemiological studies suggest that haloacetic acid exposure during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy may be linked to birth defects in newborns. Trialomethanes include:chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform. Connection between trialomethanes and liver cancer has been found. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate is a pollutant from rubber and industrial chemical factories it is also a leachate of PVC pipe. It is concidered a probable human carcinogen, or a cancer causing substance. I don't think my water tastes any different than bottled water. That is probably just me. The water at my house is often a strange color. Yesterday, for example, it was brownish tone. Last summer it was purple. It does concern me that the water often changes color. It made me curious as to what was in the water. Now, I know.