Writing Assignment #8

In this article, it describes how exact measurements of ice melting in Patagonia were measured and what it means for global warming. Patagonia is in the southernmost section of South America. Scientists were able to gain measurements that told them the recent rates of ice melting. These results indicated that ice melting has drastically increased in recent decades and that this has resulted in a sea-level rise at an increasing rate. Scientists attribute this to rising global temperatures within the last few decades. Scientists also say that this a warming trend that can be expected to happen elsewhere and to increase in the years ahead. Scientists say that if this trend of warming continues, that by 2100, the sea-level would have risen 3 feet. They also do not cross out the possibility of the sea-level rising up to 6 feet by then. This would affect hundreds of millions of people who inhabit the coastlines and who would be inundated by the rising sea.


Gillis, Justin. "In the Mountains of Patagonia, a Harbinger of a Rising Ocean." The New York Times.
3 April 2011. <http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/in-the-mountains-of-patagonia-a-harbinger-of-a-rising-ocean/?ref=globalwarming>

Writing Assignment #7

This article describes how a well respected astrobiologist, Richard Hoover, believes he found signs of extraterrestrial life within the remnants of a meteorite. He claimed that these signs appeared to be fossils of life form that were bacteria. If his claims were correct it would bring to the front the possibility of other terrestrial life elsewhere and also on the origins of terrestrial life. However, there is much debate and skepticism associated with this finding. Many claim that these findings are not accurate and do not prove that bacteria was found or even if there is such life form that can be found elsewhere. These skeptics also claim that much more evidence needs to be presented.


Revkin, Andrew C. "NASA Scientist Sees Signs of Life in Meteorites." The New York Times. 6 March 2011. Web. <http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/nasa-scientist-sees-signs-of-life-in-meteorites/?ref=earthplanet>

Writing Assignment #7

    In David E. Singer and William J. Broad's article, "Radiation Spread Seen; Frantic Repairs Go On," they discuss the current crisis in Japan. This article was about the efforts to cool the nuclear fuel in the reactors and in the spent-fuel pool in Japan's nuclear power plant. There are reports of harmful radiation in the immediate vicinity of the nuclear power plant. The Japanese are trying to get the situation under control, but efforts are failing. If the fuel rods are uncovered and exposed to air, they heat up and burst into flames. This would allow for the spewing of radioactive ingredients. There have been several explosions since the earthquake and tsunami that caused the nuclear power plant to experience this difficulty.



Singer, David E. and William J. Broad. "Radiation Spread Seen; Frantic Repairs Go On."
            The New York Times. 17 Mar. 2011. Web.
            <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/world/asia/18intel.html?ref=earth>

Writing Assignment #4

    In John M. Broder and John Collins Rudolf's article entitled, "EPA Proposes New Emission Standards for Power Plants," a discussion of possible new standards is discussed. This article was about the Environmental Protection Agency proposing the first national standard for emissions of mercury and other coal-burning plants. This could lead to the closing of older plants. These regulations were designed to protect public health. The Environmental Protection Agency is trying to get the plants to install and maintain smoke stack scrubbers and other control technology. This will reduce the emissions of mercury, lead, arsenic, chromium, and other air pollutants. These toxic emissions are growing and causing defects and diseases in the population.


Broder, John M. and John Collins Rudolf. "EPA Proposes New Emission Standards for Power Plants."
           The New York Times. 16 Mar. 2011. Web.
           <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/science/earth/17epa.html?ref=science>

Writing Assignment #3

     An article by the Associated Press describes how a NASA spacecraft is now circling Mercury. This article was about one of NASA's spacecraft called the Messenger. The spacecraft has gotten so close to the planet Mercury, that it is 120 miles above the planet's surface. This is a difficult planet to get to. Its temperatures get up to 800 degrees. In the 1970s, NASA sent the spacecraft called, Mariner, to Mercury. They were only able to obtain pictures of the planet. Next month it is expected that the spacecraft, Messenger, will begin taking pictures and investigating the magnetic fluid and unused density of the planet. This is the closest we have come to Mercury.


Associated Press. "NASA Spacecraft Now Circling Mercury." The New York Times. 17 Mar. 2011. Web.
  <http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/03/17/science/AP-US-SCI-Mercury.html?_r=l&re>

Writing Assignment #2

     In Kenneth Chang's article "NASA Grabs a Second Look at a Comet," he describes how the Stardust spacecraft passed by the comet Tempeli. This was the first time that a comet had been seen close up twice. Scientists wanted to see how parts of Tempeli's surface had changed, by deep impact, since 2005. Scientists had to precisely track the comet's rotation and navigate the spacecraft to ensure that the desired parts of Tempeli would be facing Stardust as it passed. The Stardust spacecraft passed by the comet at 24,000 mph and it also passed 110 miles from the comet Tempeli.


Chang, Kenneth. "NASA Grabs a Second Look at a Comet." New York Times. 15 Feb. 2011. Web.
      <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/16/science/space/16comet.html?r=1&ref=space>

Writing Assignment #6

In John Collins Rudolf's article entitled, "Does the Southwest Face a Mega-Drought?" the author explains that a new study suggests the United States' Southwest region could go into a period of extreme prolonged drought that has not been seen in distant history. The reason that this would happen is because of rising global temperatures caused by emissions. In this study, it was found that in northern New Mexico, there was evidence that "mega-droughts" occurred and lasted as long as a thousand years. Researchers also studied interglacial periods. They found that of past trends were followed that the Southwest would eventually enter a cooler, wetter phase. But with the added warmth of global climate caused by carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, the Southwest could enter into an era of severe drought that could last a thousand years or more. This study seems to increase the possibility of this happening and at a point in the near future.


Collins Rudolf, John. "Does the Southwest Face a Mega-Drought?" New York Times. 25 Feb. 2011. Web.

Writing Assignment #1

In the article called, "Mass Animal Deaths: An Environmental Whodunit," there was much speculation about an array of extraordinary events that took place. Five thousand birds fell dead from the sky in Arkansas on New Years Eve, while about 500 also fell dead from the sky in Louisiana. There were also several other reports of dead birds in mass amounts all over the world in the same time frame. Science claims there is a scientific explanation behind this. A scientific explanation stated in this article were that the birds became disorientated and flew into objects. How did they become disorientated? The article states that there were a lot fireworks being shot off during the time and these fireworks are what provoked the birds to become disoriented and thus run into power lines. However, it is more than mere coincidence. A further investigation into not just the bird deaths in the United States, but also around the world during this time should be developed. An environmental or chemical correlation would probably be found.

Gorman, James. "Mass Animal Deaths: An Environmental Whodunit." The New York Times. 9 Jan 2011.
Accessed 15 Jan 2011.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/weekinreview/09gorman.html?ref=environment#>