Thursday, May 25, 2017
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Monday, May 15, 2017
Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Friday, April 28, 2017
Is recycling always good for the environment?
FRQ
a) i) It is recyclable for other uses. ii) It might not be recycled properly and dumped in landfills, which the plastic can be a problem for the ecosystem. iii) Plastic items are not biodegradable, which harms the environment. iv) Using plastic cups means that they can also be rinsed and reused or recycled into other cups.
b) i) It might take less to produce the recyclable cups. ii) The glass cups would need to be washed, which would mean that resources are needed to clean them. iii) Recyclable cups would help the recycle plants use them instead of new resources.
c) Biodegradable plastic might persist in a landfill for a long time because there may be too much non biodegradable items in the way from the plastics and the soil.
d) i) You can reduce by buying items with less packaging. ii) You can reuse your bottles for different purposes. (There are online hacks about that) iii) You can collect the plastics in a separate bag and make sure that everyone knows to recycle and not dump the plastic cups.
a) i) It is recyclable for other uses. ii) It might not be recycled properly and dumped in landfills, which the plastic can be a problem for the ecosystem. iii) Plastic items are not biodegradable, which harms the environment. iv) Using plastic cups means that they can also be rinsed and reused or recycled into other cups.
b) i) It might take less to produce the recyclable cups. ii) The glass cups would need to be washed, which would mean that resources are needed to clean them. iii) Recyclable cups would help the recycle plants use them instead of new resources.
c) Biodegradable plastic might persist in a landfill for a long time because there may be too much non biodegradable items in the way from the plastics and the soil.
d) i) You can reduce by buying items with less packaging. ii) You can reuse your bottles for different purposes. (There are online hacks about that) iii) You can collect the plastics in a separate bag and make sure that everyone knows to recycle and not dump the plastic cups.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
In a box advantages and disadvantages
Shale:
Advantage:
- Large domestic reserves
- Existing oil infrastructure can be used
- Easy to transport as solid or oil
Disadvantage:
- Low net energy because of energy and water required to separate oil from work
- High disturbance of land similar to coal mining
- CO2, NO2, SO2, emitted when shale oil is burned
Tar sand:
Advantages:
- Very large potential reserves
- Current oil infrastructure can be utilized
- Tar sand can be easy to transport
Disadvantages:
- Very low energy to extract bitumen
- Large volumes of water are used in process of extracting bitumen
- High land disruption, which leads to habitat loss from surface mining of tar sand
-CO2, NO2, SO2 is emitted into the atmosphere
Oil:
Advantages:
- High net energy
- Although supply is declining, there is still ample supply for the immediate future
- Infrastructure is already in place
- Domestically available
- Little land disruption in mining process
Disadvantages:
- CO2, NO2, SO2 is emitted when burned
- US is dependent on oil imports
- Potential oil spills
- Net energy decreases as energy invested increases
Natural gases:
Advantages:
- Larger reserves remain
- Less air pollution
- High net energy compared to other fossil fuels
Disadvantages:
- Low net energy when converted to LNG
- Releases CO2 when burned
- Difficulty and costly to transport
- Pipeline infrastructure is underdeveloped
Advantage:
- Large domestic reserves
- Existing oil infrastructure can be used
- Easy to transport as solid or oil
Disadvantage:
- Low net energy because of energy and water required to separate oil from work
- High disturbance of land similar to coal mining
- CO2, NO2, SO2, emitted when shale oil is burned
Tar sand:
Advantages:
- Very large potential reserves
- Current oil infrastructure can be utilized
- Tar sand can be easy to transport
Disadvantages:
- Very low energy to extract bitumen
- Large volumes of water are used in process of extracting bitumen
- High land disruption, which leads to habitat loss from surface mining of tar sand
-CO2, NO2, SO2 is emitted into the atmosphere
Oil:
Advantages:
- High net energy
- Although supply is declining, there is still ample supply for the immediate future
- Infrastructure is already in place
- Domestically available
- Little land disruption in mining process
Disadvantages:
- CO2, NO2, SO2 is emitted when burned
- US is dependent on oil imports
- Potential oil spills
- Net energy decreases as energy invested increases
Natural gases:
Advantages:
- Larger reserves remain
- Less air pollution
- High net energy compared to other fossil fuels
Disadvantages:
- Low net energy when converted to LNG
- Releases CO2 when burned
- Difficulty and costly to transport
- Pipeline infrastructure is underdeveloped
Sunday, March 5, 2017
Shale Gas (fracking) assignment
Based on Yale Climate Connections, fracking has many pros and cons,but I agree with the cons side of fracking. As I read about fracking and how it damages the Earth, I realized that even though there are benefits to fracking, the consequences over power them. For example, water contamination is a concern because fracking contaminates water sources with methane and with unknown chemicals, which in some cases have caught on fire. I agree with the Yale Climate Connections that fracking is very dangerous, not just for us, but also for the Earth. Also stated in the Yale Climate Connections, it mentions how fracking releases greenhouse gases. I agree with this and also why renewable energy should be used instead. In the video, the narrator talks about how some of the fracking pipes can leak and have toxic exhaust. This is very dangerous for the people living near a fracking station and for our environment. Also I agree with the facts that water contamination is vital and can cause many animals and humans to die. The video showed a lot of caws dieing because they drank out of contaminated water. Although fracking reduces carbon dioxide emissions, there are other chemicals and greenhouse gases that are released into the atmosphere. People need to be aware that fracking is not the most sustainable way of getting natural gases. Also when people take shortcuts in this industry, it causes a lot of damage to the people in the nearby area and the animals living close by too. In the end, fracking is dangerous for people, animals, and our environment.
Saturday, March 4, 2017
Food Scavenger Hunt Total score
Product farthest away: 5
Chicken produced by Tyson: 10
Most unusual meat; Goat: 10
Bycatch/Dolphin safe: 5
Product with high fructose corn syrup: 2
Overly packaged food vs. similar food in less packaging: 5
Different Milks: 10
Coffee labels: 10
Babyfood labels: 10
Food survey; 28 people: 30
Total: 97 points
Chicken produced by Tyson: 10
Most unusual meat; Goat: 10
Bycatch/Dolphin safe: 5
Product with high fructose corn syrup: 2
Overly packaged food vs. similar food in less packaging: 5
Different Milks: 10
Coffee labels: 10
Babyfood labels: 10
Food survey; 28 people: 30
Total: 97 points
Food Scavenger Hunt #10
Baby Food
"Natural" is supposed to mean that it is not as processed as others. Organic means that it is everything-that-is-bad-for-a-person free.
One of my items is from Illinois, and the other is from New York.
It is baby-safe packaged. Each type of packing is eay to open for adults, but harder for children, which is good. One disadvantage is that it uses a lot of materials to pack these kinds of food.
"Natural" is supposed to mean that it is not as processed as others. Organic means that it is everything-that-is-bad-for-a-person free.
One of my items is from Illinois, and the other is from New York.
It is baby-safe packaged. Each type of packing is eay to open for adults, but harder for children, which is good. One disadvantage is that it uses a lot of materials to pack these kinds of food.
Food Scavenger Hunt #9
Coffee
Some environmental issues were deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Some societal problems are low wages and forced to do overtime without pay.
Some environmental issues were deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Some societal problems are low wages and forced to do overtime without pay.
Food Scavenger Hunt #8
Milk
Soy and almond milk are not produced using animals. Soybean cultivation threatens biodiversity, endangered species, and local people. Growing almond trees cause farmers to dig up a lot of aquifers, which could result in an increase of earthquakes. It takes a lot of electricty to make milk and cows that make milk release methane.
The healthiest depends on which nutrients a person needs, whether it be calcium or vitamin D.
Soy and almond milk are not produced using animals. Soybean cultivation threatens biodiversity, endangered species, and local people. Growing almond trees cause farmers to dig up a lot of aquifers, which could result in an increase of earthquakes. It takes a lot of electricty to make milk and cows that make milk release methane.
The healthiest depends on which nutrients a person needs, whether it be calcium or vitamin D.
Food Scavenger Hunt #7
Pros: Convenient, Durability, Advertises the company
Cons: Unhealthy, Expensive, Time consuming
Cons: Unhealthy, Expensive, Time consuming
Food Scavenger Hunt #6
The debate about high fructose corn syrup are the effects on human health.
Pro: It is cheaper than real sugar.
Con: People gain more weight, which can contribute to diabetes and heart disease
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Food Scavenger Hunt #5
Bycatch: the unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species.
Food Scavenger Hunt #4
This package of chiken is produced by Tyson. This product used 60 kg of water, 30 m2 of land, and 1 kg of energy.
Food Scavenger Hunt #3
This is a graph of all the responses for my survey about if meat is bad for the environment or not.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Food Scavenger Hunt #2
This product is from Taiwan, which is 6,698 miles away from California. This product is 10779.39 kilometers from California.
The amount of oil used to ship this item is unknown.
The amount of oil used to ship this item is unknown.
Food Scavenger Hunt #1
Most unusual meat:
Some positives of this meat is that it is not that common and that people don't demand that much of this kind of species. Also goat meat is good for the human body and health.
Some positives of this meat is that it is not that common and that people don't demand that much of this kind of species. Also goat meat is good for the human body and health.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Science Applied FRQ
Free-Response question
For many people, organic farming involves far more than the reduction of pesticide and fertilizer use. Organic farming is also a method of caring for the land in a manner that will benefit landscape ecology and sustain crop production for many years.
a) Succession is the ecological process by which plants replace each other on a landscape through competition and facilitation. How can the principle of succession be used to generate a sustainable organic farm?
Succession can be used to have a sustainable organic farm by replacing old plants and having more healthier plants.
b) Describe three methods of reducing soil erosion.
- organic matter content increases
- base saturation increases
- cation exchange capactit increases
c) What is integrated pest management, and how might it be applied to organic farming?
Integrated pest management: a strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests.
It can be applied by biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cutural practices, etc.
For many people, organic farming involves far more than the reduction of pesticide and fertilizer use. Organic farming is also a method of caring for the land in a manner that will benefit landscape ecology and sustain crop production for many years.
a) Succession is the ecological process by which plants replace each other on a landscape through competition and facilitation. How can the principle of succession be used to generate a sustainable organic farm?
Succession can be used to have a sustainable organic farm by replacing old plants and having more healthier plants.
b) Describe three methods of reducing soil erosion.
- organic matter content increases
- base saturation increases
- cation exchange capactit increases
c) What is integrated pest management, and how might it be applied to organic farming?
Integrated pest management: a strategy that focuses on long-term prevention of pests.
It can be applied by biological control, habitat manipulation, modification of cutural practices, etc.
The Prospect of Perennial Crops
Critical Thinking questions
1. Some disadvantages are disruption in the soil and have shorter growing seasons. Also the roots are shorter and cannot get as much nutrients as the perennial crops can.
2. Some difficulties in developing perennial crops are that these crops would take a long time to develop than the annual crops
1. Some disadvantages are disruption in the soil and have shorter growing seasons. Also the roots are shorter and cannot get as much nutrients as the perennial crops can.
2. Some difficulties in developing perennial crops are that these crops would take a long time to develop than the annual crops
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Soil Conservation Strategies
Soil conservation strategies
Analysis questions:
1. No-till means that soil can retain more oxygen, and are not compacted by heavy machinery
2. Increased dependence on herbicides
3. Intercropping and crop rotation are the methods that promote soil conservation.
Intercropping: Grow crops among plants of a different kind
Crop rotation: Action/ system of rotating crops
Agroforestry: agriculture incorporating the cultivation and conservation of trees
Contour plowing: Plowing along the contours of the land to minimize erosion
No-Till Agriculture: way of growing crops without disturbing the soil through tillage
Analysis questions:
1. No-till means that soil can retain more oxygen, and are not compacted by heavy machinery
2. Increased dependence on herbicides
3. Intercropping and crop rotation are the methods that promote soil conservation.
Intercropping: Grow crops among plants of a different kind
Crop rotation: Action/ system of rotating crops
Agroforestry: agriculture incorporating the cultivation and conservation of trees
Contour plowing: Plowing along the contours of the land to minimize erosion
No-Till Agriculture: way of growing crops without disturbing the soil through tillage
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Water usage reflection
Gray water Reflection:
1. How should we balance a desire to irrigate with clean water against the need to conserve limited water supplies?
We should expose people to the concept of gray water and recycling water instead of using clean water for irrigation.
2. Describe how you could formulate an argument to convince a town council to permit the use of gray water for watering lawns.
You could explain the process and then show how we do not need super clean water for watering lawns.
California water usage reflection
1. One challenge is that the more water that agriculture needs, the less clean cold water is available for the wild life to use. For example the Salmon need cold, clean water to lay their eggs, but with more water going to other places, the river water lessens.
2. California farmers might respond by saying that it would cut the cost of water and that the fact that water distribution would better the society because it would provide better resources for the people to live.
1. How should we balance a desire to irrigate with clean water against the need to conserve limited water supplies?
We should expose people to the concept of gray water and recycling water instead of using clean water for irrigation.
2. Describe how you could formulate an argument to convince a town council to permit the use of gray water for watering lawns.
You could explain the process and then show how we do not need super clean water for watering lawns.
California water usage reflection
1. One challenge is that the more water that agriculture needs, the less clean cold water is available for the wild life to use. For example the Salmon need cold, clean water to lay their eggs, but with more water going to other places, the river water lessens.
2. California farmers might respond by saying that it would cut the cost of water and that the fact that water distribution would better the society because it would provide better resources for the people to live.
Monday, January 23, 2017
The Wealth of Water
Questions:
1. The people of Cochabamba were protesting the privatization of their water system because they felt that water is a basic human right. Do you agree with this belief or do you think water is a commodity that can be bought and sold? Keep in mind that even if it is a human right, there are costs associated with obtaining, purifying, and distributing water. Who do you think should pay for these cost? Where should the money come from?
I agree that water should be a basic human right, but obtaining, purifying and distributing water costs money and people should pay a little bit for this right. I think that the government should make compromises with the people in setting the price for water. The money should come from the people and the government.
2. In light of the above statements, how should developing countries deal with the problems associated with a lack of clean, fresh water?
Developing countries should ask other countries for advice on how to have more clean and fresh water. Also regarding costs, these countries should divert most costs to bettering public health than private companies.
3. Bechtel is a multinational corporation and, like all corporations, the main goal is profit. Do you think Bechtel should profit from the management of a water system? If not, what should their incentive be? If so, what restrictions, if any, should be imposed?
No, Bechtel should not profit from the management of a water system. Their incentive should be that the more public health, the more people can work for their company and bring in more income.
4. Do you think Cochabamba’s conflict is foreshadowing the future with more wars being fought over water? Can you think of other examples where access to water is being contested?
Yes, I think this conflict could lead to wars over water. Drought and irrigation problems could be examples of water being contested.
1. The people of Cochabamba were protesting the privatization of their water system because they felt that water is a basic human right. Do you agree with this belief or do you think water is a commodity that can be bought and sold? Keep in mind that even if it is a human right, there are costs associated with obtaining, purifying, and distributing water. Who do you think should pay for these cost? Where should the money come from?
I agree that water should be a basic human right, but obtaining, purifying and distributing water costs money and people should pay a little bit for this right. I think that the government should make compromises with the people in setting the price for water. The money should come from the people and the government.
2. In light of the above statements, how should developing countries deal with the problems associated with a lack of clean, fresh water?
Developing countries should ask other countries for advice on how to have more clean and fresh water. Also regarding costs, these countries should divert most costs to bettering public health than private companies.
3. Bechtel is a multinational corporation and, like all corporations, the main goal is profit. Do you think Bechtel should profit from the management of a water system? If not, what should their incentive be? If so, what restrictions, if any, should be imposed?
No, Bechtel should not profit from the management of a water system. Their incentive should be that the more public health, the more people can work for their company and bring in more income.
4. Do you think Cochabamba’s conflict is foreshadowing the future with more wars being fought over water? Can you think of other examples where access to water is being contested?
Yes, I think this conflict could lead to wars over water. Drought and irrigation problems could be examples of water being contested.
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