Starting the New Year off right

Please read this article and post comment by 3 January 2010.

The Great Debate in Midasville

This is your next assignment. I will give you hard copy of this material , but please refer back to this page for mining information as well as the post which is titled Mining Readings.

Group Assignments

Mining Company:Emory, Clinton, Adair, Ross
City Council: Matt , Chrissy , Knox
Citizens for Economic Growth: Nathan,Lydia,Hollis, Angelica
Friends of Nature and History: Kenzie, Shelby, Maria, Colleen
Chamber of Commerce: Emilee,Nathan,Lydia,Hollis
Citizens for Quality of Life: Jonte ,Brittney , Ashlee, Kathryn
Tourist Board: Caitlin , Gabby, Hannah, Haley, Luke

helpful links

Pioneer Mining

origins of gold

mining and recovery

cyanide heap leaching pictures

cyanide heap leaching impacts

ban on cyanide mining

leach mining document

News articles and legislation

Cyanide-leach ban may be put on ballot again

ban on Montana cyanide mining

1872 Mining Reform Law

Gold Mining with Cyanide - a very important document for some of your positions!

the other side?

Mines of Interest:

Zortman and Landusky

Kendall Mine

EPA

Ridgeway Mine

Ridgeway Mine
SC mining - NY Times


Brewer Mine



The Great Debate in Midasville



You live in the quaint mountain town of Midasville, founded during the local gold-mining boom of 1886. The gold ran out and the mines closed in 1911; the town was practically abandoned. Those who did stay on worked in the small but steady timber industry. For 60 years, the town didn't change much. In 1971, a family was visiting the old mining site when their four-year-old fell into a shaft and was trapped for two days before being rescued, safe and sound. The incident focused attention on the hazard posed by the old mine.



Most of the old mine workings were owned by Pioneer Mining Company, but fell within the town limits. The Midasville city council prepared a proposal to Pioneer Mining Company to lease and eventually purchase the old workings for a nominal cost. They wanted to take advantage of interest in old mines and their history, and turn the mine into a safe and rehabilitated tourist attraction. Pioneer agreed to the proposal since they would no longer be liable for the safety of visitors, and the gold was gone anyway. The restoration project began. Over the next 10 years, Midasville prospered. Today the area offers a small railroad that takes people into the mine, a rebuilt stamp mill and smelter, a gift shop, and a restaurant that serves hearty mining camp-style food. Tourists can pan for gold, or ride mules like the forty-niners did. The project has been a great success.



The town receives profits from the operation and has purchased the old mine in full. Merchants have improved the old Victorian buildings for their shops, which cater to the tourist crowd. Midasville's year-round population is still relatively low, and most townspeople are employed at the Midasville Mine or in one of the shops. Nobody makes a lot of money, but everyone has an adequate income. Last week, the city council was approached by MicroGold Inc., an out-of-state company that wants to extract microscopic bits of gold from old waste-rock around the mine. MicroGold would use a modern method called cyanide heap leaching. This new method makes it economical to recover gold left in the hills of Midasville when technology was not yet so advanced. Yet if MicroGold re-opened the Midasville mines, a mining economy would replace the tourist business. The town would receive some of the mining profits, and a number of people would get high-paying jobs.



The townspeople have many different viewpoints on the issue. They and the mining company representatives will attend a city council meeting tomorrow to present their positions on how the town should answer MicroGold's offer.



1. Tourist Board : The tourist board is a public agency that promotes the town as a tourist attraction. They advertise the Midasville mine in national magazines and prepare brochures and other materials designed to draw visitors. They want Midasville to remain a tourist attraction. Board members' input to the city council will include the following:
a. Tourism provides 70 percent of the town's 450 jobs in such businesses as motels, restaurants, guide services, gas stations, souvenir shops and facility maintenance.
b. Tourism contributes a lot to the town's tax base, so that residents can enjoy low property taxes and have such benefits as a library and an ambulance service.
c. The historical aspects of the town and the mine should be preserved as a chapter of our history. A price cannot be put on their worth.



2. Citizens For Quality Of Life :The Citizens for Quality of Life is a new group formed with the goal of fighting MicroGold's proposal. The 30-member group is made up retirees, families supported by the tourist and timber industry, and artisans. Points the group will make the city council include the following:
a. Quality of life is very good in Midasville-Little pollution, uncrowded schools, and low crime. All of this could change by shifting to mining and brining in outsiders to be miners.
b. Midasville will be a boom town again, with a lot of short term gain for a few people. Most people won't profit from the mine, and when the gold is gone in a few years, the town will be left with nothing.
c. The cost of living will go up, and retired people on fixed incomes will suffer.



3. Chamber Of Commerce:The Chamber of Commerce is made up of local merchants who promote the community's business interests. They are divided over MicroGold's proposal, yet if they can agree among themselves, the Chamber of Commerce could have a strong influence on the city council. The issue dividing the group is the fact that some business will prosper with a shift to a mining economy, while others will suffer.
a. Those businesses that would benefit from accepting MicroGold's offer include those that service a larger resident population, such as car dealers, department and hardware stores, real estate agencies, and medical businesses.
b. Those who would suffer include those that primarily service tourists, including car rental agencies, motels and guest houses, restaurants, souvenir shops, and guide services.



4. Friends Of Nature And History: The Friends of Nature and History Club works to preserve the natural environment and historic sites. The 75 members strongly oppose MicroGold's proposal. Their reasons include the following:
a. Most people in the town would want to see their historic heritage and way of life preserved, even if it means working for less money.
b. You cannot put a dollar value on historic and natural resources; both are very important to the health and well-being of the townspeople.
c. Mining will cause pollution, and an accident could cause terrible damage to the environment.



5. Citizens For Economic Growth : Citizens for Economic Growth is a new group that formed to help promote MicroGold's proposal. Most of the 28 members are professionals with young families. They want the opportunity to make a better income without having to leave Midasville, and they see mining as an opportunity for them to move up the economic ladder. The points they will move away from to the city include the following:
a. Midasville needs to improve economic opportunity for professionals, such as lawyers, doctors, and accountants or they will move away from the area.
b. The town is living in the past. We need to join the modern world by having an industrial-based economy.
c. While it is true that tourism provides jobs, most of the jobs pay low salaries.



6. City Council : The city council is an elected board that must represent the townspeople and make decisions concerning the welfare of Midasville.
a) It must weigh the consequences of its decisions for both today and the future.
b) It also needs to consider the overall quality of the life for the townspeople.



7. Mining Company :MicroGold, Inc., is a company with an okay record on environmental matters. It has had two serious accidents with its cyanide heap-leach process in another state, but it cleaned up immediately without damaging the environment. It is known to be civic-minded. Points it will make to the city council include the following:
a) MicroGold will employ 200 people at higher wages than most of the town currently makes, and a few people will be hired at a much higher salary.
b) The town will receive more money from royalties from the mine than they do from tourists.
c) MicroGold will build a new swimming pool and gymnasium for the town.
d) Supporting mining is the patriotic thing to do, since it builds our county’s wealth.





The Great Debate in Midasville : Assignment Guidelines and steps to follow:



Ø Read the background passage and then form small groups
Ø Each group will be assigned a position based on interest.
Ø Each group will prepare to defend its position and choose a spokesperson.
Ø The city council group will sit in front of the class, as in a public meeting.
Ø Each group will have five minutes in which to state its position to the council, who can then question the spokesperson – however, each person needs to plan on making some sort of comment on their position during the presentation.
Ø Once every group has presented its opinion, the floor will be opened for general questioning as lead by the city council leader.
Ø The council must then vote on whether or not to approve the mining corporation's proposal. ( you will be convincing a council this time, who's grade depends on an accurate vote)

Volcano impacts environment?

Comment on the following article:
Due Date: 11pm 15 December 2009

volcano

Mining readings

Stayed Tuned - Mining articles and information to follow...................


Definition:
Easier - Mining is the work or business of taking minerals from the earth. A hole or tunnel is dug in the ground to take out metals, coal, salt, or other minerals.

Harder - Most substances obtained from the earth are gotten by mining. Mining provides iron for steel making, salt for food, coal for fuel, and gold, silver, and diamonds for jewelry. Mined materials also include stone for building, phosphate for fertilizer, and gravel for highways.

There are many methods of mining, dependent on where and how a coal or mineral deposit is found. Some substances are mined relatively cheap because they can be found at or near the earth's surface. Some minerals are found as a compact mass, while others are widely scattered. Other mined materials are found far beneath the surface and removed by tunneling deep underground. Some mined substances are located beneath oceans, lakes, and rivers. Other minerals are concentrated in large bodies of water and are obtained by pumping.


Types of Mining:

• Placer Placer - involves any type of mining where raw minerals are depostied in sand or gravel or on the surface and are picked up without having to drive, use dynamite or any other signifigant means. The word placer means "sand bank" in Spanish. Specific types of placer mining are panning, dredging, sluicing, using a Rocker, or just picking up what lies on the ground.

Surface mining is the method of getting material in the surface of the earth. There are three types of surface mining, open-pit mining, strip mining, and quarrying.

Wanted posters

Please note the posting response date is different than the wanted poster DUE date.

• Posting Due date - 11 pm 9 December

• Wanted poster due date - 14 December

This is a presentation for class, so please make sure you understand and know what is on your wanted poster. If you have an alternate to use in place of my choices listed , please indicate that on this blog. No missing criteria will be exempted unless cleared through me by the Friday before the due date (11 December ).

Comment on this quote

POSTING DEADLINE 9 WEDNESDAY 11 pm

"We've arranged a global civilization in which the most crucial elements...profoundly depend on science and technology. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for disaster."

Carl Sagan (1934-1996)

Articles for Ebola assignment

POSTING DUE DATE: 11pm 6 December 2009
ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE: 7 December 2009

Use the following links to articles and fact sheets on Ebola. Read them and then answer the questions on the disease assignment sheet .


http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5005a1.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/ebola.htm

articles about Lassa, Marburg and other hemorrhagic diseases.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/virlfvr/virlfvr.htm

When you are finished with the sheet and questions, use the links and the answers to your questions for reference and answer the following:

1. If an outbreak of something like Ebola or Marburg or Lassa fever were to occur in the United States, what is the potential ( in your opinion) of complete devastation of certain populations in the United States?
2. What populations do you feel would be at the greatest risk?
3. What preventative measures, if any , can be taken to help prevent such an occurence?
4. Is it moral to allow the effects of any hemorrhagic disease to take their natural course in a third world country or should the industrialized world step in and " fix" the problem?

Study Guide Posted!

DUE DATES: LORAX V ONCE-LER TRIAL STARTS 1 DECEMBER 2009

QUIZ ON ALTERNATIVE FUELS: TUESDAY 24 NOVEMBER - STUDY STUDY STUDY!!!!!!

STUDY GUIDE:

Alternative Fuels Study Guide


What are the three important reasons that alternative fuels are being so strongly considered?
What US Act of 1992 (was amended in 1999) identified the 8 choices?
Which of the choices involve either plant matter or animal matter in some form?
What is a drawback for Ethanol? For Bio- diesel?
What is a “pro” for Natural gas?
Why are auto factories/ companies discontinuing the use/manufacture of methane fueled vehicles?
If we are trying to phase out the usage of fossil fuels in any capacity, which of the alternative fuels would we also eliminate due to the connection with fossil fuels?
What is the major component in a P-series fuel?
Be able to define each alternative fuel.
Which fuel is most realistically the one that we should focus our time and significant funds in developing?


Create a chart: listing the following : Name of fuel,Source , Pros, Cons , and Availability

Federal Laws

This is a great federal law site with a ton of information that is useful.

Partial Vocabulary list

APES vocabulary list - not complete but a good starting point

Easter Island *Tragedy of the commons * Garret Hardin *American bison story *How old is the earth *How long have humans been around * Hunter *Gatherer*Agricultural*Industrial Revolution *Information Rev olution * John Muir * Aldo Leopald * Land Ethic *Rachel Carson & Silent Spring * Exxon Valdez (1989) * Sagebrush Rebellion (1978) * Antiquities Act (1906)
National Park service act (1916) * Soil conservation act (1935) *Atomic energy act (1954) Wilderness act (1964) *NEPA (1969) * Endangered Species act (1973) *Clean Water act (1972) Montreal Protocol (1987) *Clean Air Act (1990) * Kyoto meeting (1997) * Cuyahoga River Fire (1969) * Santa Barbara oil blowout (1969) *Love Canal (1978) * Three Mile Island (1979)
Bhopal disaster (1984) * Eco-efficiency vs. Eco-effective (next industrial revolution) *
biological and technical nutrients * cradle to grave vs. cradle to cradle concepts * Three Es (Equity, Economy, Ecology) * Biomimicry

Human Population *population size * population density * population dispersion * age structure * zero population growth * biotic potential *intrinsic rate of increase * environmental resistance * carrying capacity * exponential growth * logistic growth * r-strategist *k-strategist * survivorship curve * population change * zero population growth (ZPG) * birth rate * crude birth rate * replacement-level fertility * total fertility rate (TFR) * life expectancy * infant mortality rate migration carrying capacity *ecological footprint

Ecology *eukaryotic* prokaryotic * protist * fungus * plant *perennial * adaptation * ecological niche * fundamental niche * realized niche * habitat * extinction * keystone species * annual *species interactions * ecological succession *generalist * specialist * native species *nonnative species (exotic, alien) * indicator species * interspecific competition *predation * symbiosis * parasitism *commensalism * resource partitioning * predator-prey relationship * pursuit * ambush *camouflage *mimicry (Mullerian & Batesian) * chemical warfare * warning coloration *behavorial strategies * host * species richness *species abundance * primary succession *secondary succession *pioneer species * early succession plants * midsuccession plants * late succession plants * facilitation * tolerance * Intermediate disturbance hypothesis * ecology
disturbance * stability species *theory of island biogeography *organism * population * genetic diversity * community * ecosystem * asexual reproduction * sexual reproduction * ecotone *abiotic *biotic * range of tolerance ( law of tolerance) * limiting factor * principle producer *autotroph * photosynthesis * consumer * heterotroph * herbivore * primary consumer *secondary consumer *tertiary consumer * omnivore * scavenger * detritivore * detritus *decomposer *food web * biomass * ecological efficiency (10% rule ) *pyramid of energy flow gross primary productivity net primary productivity
* biodiversity * species diversity * trophic level *food chain * fermentation *productivity*
abundance * diversity* complexity *resilience * closed ecosystem * open ecosystem *
uniform distribution * random distribution *clumping distribution *stable population growth *irruptive population growth *cyclic population growth *irregular population growth *Top down control hypothesis * Bottom up control hypothesis * Intrinsic rate of increase (r) * Exponential growth

atmosphere * troposphere * stratosphere *hydrosphere *lithosphere *biosphere *global warming * ozone depletion * lichen *air pollution * primary pollutant * secondary pollutant *photochemical smog * industrial smog * temperature inversion *acid rain * clean air act *CFC
clear skies * greenhouse effect *Kyoto Protocol *weather * climate *Coriolis effect *El Nino* La Nina *greenhouse gas * wind *carbon cycle *nitrogen cycle *phosphorus cycle * sulfur cycle *water cycle * biogeochemical cycles *sink vs source *Henry Ford Case Study *Dioxin *conduction * convection *warm front * cold front * biomagnification *7 pollutants identified by CAA * Cap and Trade *Emissions Trading System * Community Right to Know Act

Biofuels: Pros and Cons

So, biofuels are the wave of the future, right? They are the answer to all of our energy issues, right? It is time for you to make a stand on alternative fuels - folks we are going to need something and in your life time .I have listed some information on alternative fuels. Please read the material associated with each link and comment about the pros and cons of each. Describe each of the fuels potential imapct on the atmosphere and or earth surface. At the end of your post, make a final statement regarding which fuel alternative you believe is most viable, cost efficient, easy to make and or use etc.
Start with the first article which introduces you to the top 8 alternative fuels:
1. Ethanol
2. Natural gas
3. Electricity
4. Hydrogen
5. Propane
6.Biodiesel
7. Methanol
8. P-series fuels

*** I would suggest maybe making a personal chart for these fuels for quick reference at a later date ) ****
Reviewing the carbon cycle link on the contradiction blog will help you as well.

Postings are due by 11pm 30 October ( Friday ) That is the better part of two weeks , folks! Really, Really pay attention to this material.

http://environment.about.com/od/fossilfuels/tp/top_alt_fuels.htm

http://biofuelguide.net/the-pros-and-cons-of-biofuels/

http://www.biofuelswatch.com/biofuels-pros-and-cons/

http://environment.about.com/od/ethanolfaq/f/ethanol_benefit.htm -ethanol ( follow the links at the bottom of the page for additional material

http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center-article_46/

http://earth2tech.com/2008/07/09/10-things-you-should-know-about-natural-gas-vehicles/

http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/2126.aspx

http://blog.homestars.com/archives/2009/08/11/the-pros-and-cons-of-green-electricity/

http://ezinearticles.com/?Water4Gas---Pros-and-Cons-of-Hydrogen-Fuel&id=1117787

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/archive/index.php?t-86577.html

http://e85.whipnet.net/yellow/methanol.html

http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/pseries/a/Pseries101.htm

Green Roof

POST ALL INTIAL COMMENTS BY FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2009
Please keep this blog active as we develope roof plans

I spoke with Mr. Worley about creating a green roof on the roof over the cafeteria outside my window. He was hesitant to say the least and I suspect it is because we don't have a presentation of what and how and why we want to do this......Are we serious about creating a green roof over the year?

Here are some starter articles to get you going.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090920/ELANSING01/909200497/1001/NEWS

http://science.howstuffworks.com/green-rooftop.htm

http://charityguide.org/volunteer/fewhours/green-roof.htm

*****NEW ******** PLEASE NOTE

To help you when you are gathering information on climate change/global warming , I have included the link to a very good reference source from Discovery Channel. It is definitely something you need to look at.......

You do not have to post , but please look at the link.....somevery good information.

Location of link is on the right hand side of the blog above the population clock.

Green Buildings.....follow up to to 11th hour concept

Read and post by 11pm 14 October.....

Interesting article that is a great follow -up to the idea of planting and using roof areas.......

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/10/06/green-roofs-carbon.html

article describing the green roof concept -

http://science.howstuffworks.com/green-rooftop.htm/printable

Makah Whaling Debate

DUE DATE: Have read and decided by no later than 14 October (Wednesday) ....... I will place you in a group if you do not indicate a preference!!! Please also note that there are 25 of you and 6 groups. That means 4 per group with a group of 5. First come, first served on groupings....

So far:

1.( 4 ) Makah: Jonte , Ross , Shelby, Lydia ( membership closed)

2. ( 4 ) Greenpeace: Kenzie , Kathryn, Haley, Ashlee ( Greenpeace is now closed for membership)

3. ( 4 ) International Covenant : Colleen , Maria , Angelica , Hollis ( closed for membership)

4. ( 5 ) North High Alliance: Knox , Emory , Nathan , Emilee, Clinton ( closed for membership)

5. (4 ) Crest: Luke , Caitlin, Hannah, Gabby ( Crest is now closed for membership)

6. ( 4 ) Sea Shepherd : Chrissy, Matt, Adair , Brittney ( Sea Shepherds is now closed for membership )

The assignment: debate the Makah rights to whaling. The positions:

1. Makah Tribal Viewpoint – We have a cultural right to these whales.


2. Greenpeace viewpoint - Makah do not have a cultural right to these whales. We don’t believe that anyone has a cultural right to anything what so ever, and certainly not to a living organism that has inherent rights.


3. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights – As members,we believe that the Makah should be allowed to whale. However, instead of using the “culture” argument, we think the Makah should focus on a different argument. That argument is simply this: They have a guarantee from the US government that states they are allowed to whale.

4. High North Alliance - We believe whaling and seal hunting is ok and necessary. But we need to protect the areas.

5. Crest - your position on whaling is neutral. ( but there is a catch for you ! )

6. Sea Shepherd and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society - non - profit, non- government agency involved with the investigation and documentation of violations of international laws, regulations and treaties protecting marine species.


Instructions:
1. Please look at these positions carefully and determine which most closely fits your viewpoint. That will be your group for the debate.
2. This debate will be not be soley graded as a group, your individual participation will be of supreme importance.
3. Your contribution to the debate will need to include statistics, document references , newspaper references , videos ( created or real ), props as are deemed fit for your particular group : things like signs , banners , clothing , etc.
4. The main stipulation is that you need to clear the prop ideas with me first.
5. From the point the prairie project presentations are completed and you receive your group description card, you will have 1 week for preparation.
6.at the one week plus a day mark, the debate will begin and let the best man/woman/team win!

Sources

http://www.whales.org.au/alert/makah/index.html - pertinent legal documents

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR2MEI1CcsA - Makah whaling video

http://www.makah.com/whaling.htm - Makah site on whaling

http://www.alamut.com/subj/the_other/misc/makahWhaling.html - historical information

http://www.cnie.org/NAE/cases/makah/index.html

http://content.lib.washington.edu/cmpweb/exhibits/makah/whaling-in-makah.html - whaling treaty being read in Makah native language

http://www.highnorth.no/Default.asp - High North Alliance home page

http://www.iwcoffice.org/conservation/estimate.htm - International Whaling Commission: includes population numbers and whale catch limits for aborignal peoples and scientific studies.

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/- Greenpeace

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/- Greenpeace

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/oceans/whaling

http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/editorial-061220-1.html- Sea Shepherd's view of Greenpeace

http://www.seashepherd.org/ - Sea Shepherd

http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cescr.htm - International Covenant

http://www.cirp.org/library/ethics/UN-covenant/ - the document

http://www.highnorth.no/news/nedit.asp?which=172 - world council of whalers

http://www.icrwhale.org/eng-index.htm - Institute for Cetacean Research site . Lots of interesting pictures of whaling and up to date information about Japanese whaling etc.


Newspaper Articles: interesting! just a few to give you something to start working with and on...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2003926767&zsection_id=2003925728&slug=whale05m&date=20071005

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi-bin/PrintStory.pl?document_id=2003946019&zsection_id=2003925728&slug=webwhale13m&date=20071012

http://www.komonews.com/internal?st=print&id=4079361&path=/news/archive

http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/v-printerfriendly/story/153177.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/17/world/main4610908.shtml?source=related_story

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,322472,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,312205,00.html

http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,317471,00.html

http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=6425439

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/print/fd20090830pb.html

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2009/02/the-war-over-wh.html

http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2009/WWFPresitem12741.html

http://www.reuters.com/articlePrint?articleId=USTRE5111EV20090202

Overview of laws protecting whales and marine mammals: will be distributed in class.
Please make a note to yourselves that the Endangered Species Act of 1972 was completely redesigned and rewritten in 1973 to include CITES.

Contradiction or not?

This seems to be a conundrum.......please read the articles by 15 October and post your comments, viewpoints and explanations for how scientists can say two different things relating to the carbon issue. Finally, which do you perceive as correct?

Due date: post initial comment by 11 pm 15 October


Acidic Clouds Nourish World's Oceans

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091005102645.htm

Global Warming From Carbon Dioxide Will Increase Five-fold Over The Next Millennium, Scientists Predict

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128104533.htm

and just in case you don't remember the carbon budget

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070509161113.htm

11th hour

Read and ponder the first set of questions by 9 October ( Friday ) . Also DO NOT FORGET to post your final copy of Rip van Winkle in an email.

You may comment at will.....but at least comment that you read the assignment.

After prairie presentations are completed, we are going to take a wee break and look at experts and how " expert" information is presented by these " experts" . Please read the following synopsis of the 11th Hour ( as presented by Leonardo DiCaprio ) and ponder the questions that follow.

The 11th Hour: A Synopsis of the Film

The expression “the eleventh hour” means the last moment when change can happen to avert possible disaster. In the film The 11th Hour a variety of world experts explore how humanity has arrived at the current convergence of environmental crises while exploring steps that people can take to avert global disaster. In summary, the earth is nearing meltdown, beyond climate change. The process began with the Industrial Revolution, when people started mistakenly looking on nature as external to themselves and exploitable without limits. Forests have undergone major destruction. The ocean is becoming stagnant. Almost everywhere, the soil itself is largely damaged. In addition, 50,000 species a year are becoming extinct; no ecosystem can be identified as improving. Humans suffer from increasing numbers of diseases caused by pollution. At fault is the overproduction of non-sustainable manufactures, immense waste and destruction, and an unsupportable population. The primary cause for much of the crisis is the fuels we use, petroleum being the primary one.Through nature itself, the technology exists to solve some of these crises, and part of the solution is for people to live more consciously in harmony with nature as opposed to dominating it. According to the film, in a few years we will have reached the point of no return. We are not only at the eleventh hour, but at the last few seconds of that hour. Within this century, if nothing effective is achieved, planetary damage will be dramatic and total in every area. Although impossible to predict, extreme disaster could be quick once the balance is decisively tipped in the wrong direction, and it will happen everywhere.The 11th Hour features leading experts from around the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA James Woolsey, and sustainable design experts William McDonough and Bruce Mau, along with over 50 other scientists and world leaders who discuss the most important environmental issues facing the earth while presenting strategies to avert the crisis.

Glossary: ( Just in case )

• Global Warming: Climate change is the long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind, and all other aspects of the earth's climate. Global warming is defined by the United Nations Convention on Climate Change as “change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods.”


• Greenhouse Gases : Greenhouse gases are chemical compounds in the atmosphere that trap heat there. They retain a proportion of the sun’s heat through a mechanism known as the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide (CO2), are naturally present in the atmosphere in small quantities (less than 1%). Greenhouse gases are those gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface, the atmosphere and clouds. It is very likely that greenhouse gases released by human activities are responsible for most of the global warming observed in the past 50 years. The warming is projected to continue and to increase over the course of the 21st century and beyond.


• Biodiversity : The variety of life on earth—or its biological diversity—is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, and the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rain forests, and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse earth. Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, has an important role to play, and it is this combination that enables the ecosystem to possess the ability to prevent and recover from a variety of natural disasters. This is useful for humanity as a larger number of species of plants means more variety of crops and a larger number of species of animals ensures that the ecosystem is naturally sustained.


• Carbon Footprint : A carbon footprint is made up of the sum of two parts: the direct, primary footprint and the indirect, secondary footprint. The primary footprint is a measure of the direct emissions of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. This includes domestic energy consumption and transportation from, for example, cars and planes. The secondary footprint is a measure of the indirect CO2 emissions from the whole life cycle of products we use, those associated with their manufacture and eventual breakdown.


• "Green" Building: Green” building is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources—energy, water, and materials—while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better site planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal—the complete building life cycle. Other similarly used terms include sustainable design and green architecture.

• While watching the 11th hour, you need to write " gut" reactions to what is being shown and/or being said.
  

Questions:

• What do you see as today’s most urgent environmental crisis?


• Where have you gotten information about environmental issues?


• Do you think the mainstream media present environmental issues clearly and accurately?


• What actions have you taken to conserve and preserve the earth’s resources?


• In assessing your skills as an advocate for something you care about, what do you see as your strengths?

• After you watch the video: think about and be ready to answer these:

• Describe some of the emotions you felt during the film.


• Which aspects of the video had the greatest impact on you and why?


• What information contained in the video was new to you?


• What topics presented in the film would you like to explore further? Do you know what you need to know in order to continue learning about environmental issues? If the answer to that question is no, how can you find out what you need to know?


• Discuss the ways that eating locally produced food is an environmental issue. What can individuals do to support the local production and consumption of foods?


• Who should see this film and for what purposes?


• Who might be unreceptive to the ideas in the film and why?


• Share one issue or item that you wrote on your index card while you were watching The 11th Hour.


• As a result of your having seen this film, what, if any, specific actions do you think you will take?

After we discuss the merits or demerits ( as the case may be) of this film, you will watch Earth: Population Zero. Musings and writing assignment to follow.

Green Goo........What do you think?

Read and post comments by the evening ( 11 pm of Tuesday 29 September ). Be ready to comment in class on Wednesday 30 September.

Use the link to see pictures of this foul smelling goo....it is quite interesting.

http://news.aol.com/article/smelly-glue-green-algae-kills-dogs/689236?icid=main%7Cmain%7Cdl1%7Clink1%7Chttp%253A%252F%252Fnews.aol.com%252Farticle%252Fsmelly-glue-green-algae-kills-dogs%252F689236

Smelly Algae Kills Dogs, Sickens People
WAUSAU, Wis. (Sept. 27) — Waterways across the upper Midwest are increasingly plagued with ugly, smelly and potentially deadly blue-green algae, bloomed by drought and fertilizer runoffs from farm fields, that’s killed dozens of dogs and sickened many people. Aquatic biologists say it’s a problem that falls somewhere between a human health concern and a nuisance, but will eventually lead to more human poisoning. State officials are telling people who live on algae covered lakes to close their windows, stop taking walks along the picturesque shorelines
and keep their dogs from drinking the rank water. Peggy McAloon, 62, lives on Wisconsin’s
Tainter Lake and calls the algae blooms the “cockroach on the water.” “It is like living in the sewer for three weeks. You gag. You cannot go outside,” she said. “We have pictures of squirrels that are dead underneath the scum and fish that are dead. ... It has gotten out of control because
of the nutrient loads we as humans are adding to the waters.”
Blue-green algae are common in waters but not every lake develops serious problems
until plentiful “man-induced” nutrients like phosphorous arrive, said Jim Vennie, a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources expert. The toxins released by the algae can be deadly. Symptoms include rash, hives, runny nose, irritated eyes and throat irritation. No people have died in the U.S. from the algae’s toxins, according to Wayne Carmichael, a retired aquatic biologist and toxicology professor in Oregon.
Many, however, have gotten sick: “Sooner or later, we are going to have more acute
human poisoning,” Carmichael said. The scum has killed dozens of dogs over the years — including at least four in Oregon, three in Wisconsin and one in Minnesota this summer. Wisconsin wildlife experts are warning duck hunters with dogs to be extra cautious this fall. “If the water is pea-soup green, be sure to have clean water along to wash the dog off,” Vennie said.
“Don’t let it drink the water.” Fewer than 100 lakes in Wisconsin typically have some problems with algae bloom each summer and the ones in western Wisconsin causing so much discomfort this year are being fueled by a perfect storm, Vennie said. The last month has seen little
rain, warm, sunshiny days and little wind. The blooms just sit there, growing, then decaying and smelling.
“Some people say they have gotten nauseous and vomited from smelling it,” said Ken Schreiber, a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources water quality specialist. Officials have banned recreational activities at some lakes in Washington state because of blooms. And in Oregon, the bluegreen algae is the number one water quality issue, Carmichael said. Yet other countries have worse problems, Carmichael said, because many have waters with even more nutrients than exist in U.S. lakes. In France, a horse died on a beach in July after falling into some decaying algae sludge. Last year, the Chinese government brought in the army to remove the slimy growths so the Olympic sailing competition could be held. Stephanie Marquis, a spokesman for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, said her agency had received 41 complaints related to health concerns with blue-green algae so far this season. Rashes, sore
throats and eye irritation among the problems, she said.
In Minnesota, Matt Lindon is a pollution control specialist for the state and he called 2009 a typical year for complaints about algae scums. But for some reason this summer, Bagley Lake in northwest Minnesota, an “historically clean lake,” generated respiratory and odor problems, he said. “It may be related to the water level or some new runoff source,” he said. Loren Hake, 71, has lived about two blocks from a Lake Menomin in western Wisconsin since 1963. He feels like a prisoner in his own home, isolated by a stench “something like a pig pen” that forces he and his wife to run the air conditioner although it’s not that hot because they can’t leave the windows open, he said. For the first time, the couple hasn’t set on an outside deck because of the smell
from the algae-covered bay. “I don’t know what they can do about it,” Hake said. There’s little anybody can do besides wait for cooler temperatures, Vennie said. John Plaza, president of the Chetek Lakes Protection Association, which represents six lakes in northwest Wisconsin, said
farm runoff, lawn fertilizers, septic systems and even ashes from leaves being burned on the shorelines are among factors contributing to the algae problems. “I have been a user of these lakes since 1962,” he said. “I have never experienced anything like this before. It’s nasty. People
are saying we can’t live with this any more."

Rip Van Winkle effect

The following assignment is due 25 September @ 11 pm. ( Rough draft)

Final Draft due 30 October @ 11pm
Please respond on the blog:
#1. you have read the assignment
# 2. you have sent the assignment to either my gmail account lhs.apes@gmail.com or my school account kbosiak@lincoln.k12.nc.us

Really use your imginations , but be careful to stay within the realm of possibility.

What if You Were Asleep for 100 Years? : A Rip Van Winkle Proposal for the Restoration of Nature.

You have been asleep for 100 years. The date is now 2109. What will you see when you awake? How will things have changed? What will have changed? Will humans still be the dominating animal on the planet? What will the climate be like? What will your home be like? Use your extreme imaginations, but keep it within the realm of plausibility. Your job is to write a thoughtful, reflective essay. You will accomplish this by first considering several potential “futures “that could exist 100 years from now. After you have brainstormed your different outcomes; pick one. This will be the platform for you to elaborate and discuss what you see and discover as you step out into a new 22nd Century world. Your rough draft will be due to me via email .Identify yourself because I delete all unknown correspondents. Do not attempt to cloud the issues or bluff your way through this assignment. I will comment to you on your rough draft and you will then complete the final essay. Have fun thinking about what might happen………….

New thread just because you asked!

This thread may be used to ask questions or start discussions not already being addressed. Please keep it to related material ( Earth or Environmental Science) or it will be deleted........have fun! This one is not for a grade, but to help you out!

Smallville Prairie groups...just in case you forget

Here are the groupings for the next project. I would like to see what each of you has for skills and by staying with the same people with whom you are comfortable, that doesn't always emerge. As best I could, I left you with at least one from your group , but added a new partner....Maybe someone from last year's APES can offer you guidance when you fell like you might stumble...........just a thought?

Commonwealth Franklin: Angelica, Maria & Caitlin
10 Banners over Smallville : Jonte, Emory & Ross
Prairie Rover Autos: Knox , Nathan & Clinton
WRIGHT built homes : Gabby , Luke & Shelby
Prairiefield Mall : Adair , Emilee & Brittney
Scent of the Prairie landfill: Matt, Hannah & Haley
Pride of the Prairie Internet warehouse: Colleen , Ashlee, Hollis & Lydia
PAC : Chrissy, Kenzie & Kathryn

Law :Upcoming bottle ban aims to increase recycling. Throwing soda bottles in trash will soon be illegal

please look at this new legislation and comment accordingly.

Read and post by Thursday 17 September 2009.

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/upcoming-bottle-ban-aims-to-increase-recycling-1.1873957

Geoengineering's effect on Climate change

Blog due:
Wednesday 16 September

Readings due:
Tuesday 15 September

Hot on the heels of the discussion today about potential ways to cool the Earth's runaway heating problem are these articles.

As you can clearly see, this is not a new idea, nor new proposal. What are your opinions about geoengineering? Is it a viable option? Obama would like to see it in action ASAP. Does anything about the concept scare you? Will it work? Should nature just take its course?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090127190338.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080527155519.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901104846.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090721135559.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080217094602.htm

Gorilla pictures

The gorilla pictures are coming along nicely. You have great taste and they are remarkable reminiscent of each of your personalities. You do not have a deadline on the pictures, however - remember that longer you wait, the likelyhood of that perfect gorilla being gone will increase.

Interesting articles about the most influential animal on Earth

Below are three links that discuss the possible pathways that early North Americans took when colonizing the continent. Two are non traditional and the third is the traditional viewpoint.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/11/17/carolina.dig/index.html

( map of Topper location) http://www.cnn.com/interactive/maps/us/topper.site/frameset.exclude.html

Topper site
http://www.allendale-expedition.net/

Traditional viewpoint of expansion
http://www.comp-archaeology.org/USPaleo-Indian.htm

The last link seems to be a bit defensive when discussing the previous discoveries. What are you feelings/viewpoints/ideas about this topic. It is important to understand that the generally perceived idea is that human beings migrated to and and settled in North America where they began the systematic extinction of a variety of Ice Age animals.

*** Anjelica - ask your question about Ice Ages again here, please. ****

New Gadgets!!

Check out the new gadgets!! Pretty neat!

Posting information

Remember that after this start-up post, you will only have three days to post your initial comment to subsequent posts. That does not mean only three days to continue a conversation ...that conversation could go on for days! It means that first comment that you will be graded on. Remember also that a comment is not a " one -liner" . Comments are your reflections/questions/ideas about a topic. That kind of communication cannot be accomplished in a single statement ( at least usually! ) Each of you has fantastic ideas and I look forward to hearing them and seeing the interaction between you all and the former APES. This should be a blast!!!

Welcome to the next step before the next step.....

This is the fall semester of your APES experience. Each of you will need to create a gmail account and use the password and username that I gave you in class. We will do a lot of communicating through this forum and you need to be logged in and on. Please use these blogs to ask questions to me or your classmates; to work out answers to problems ( do not give each other the answers, but rather help work them out) ; to catch up on what you might have missed or to post interesting things for me and the class.

I am looking forward to a great year with all of you! The challenge has been set. The APES of 2008-2009 think that you can never be quite the APES that they were. Are you up to the challenge?

Nat Geo contest

Take a look at this....you are entered in the National Geographic Environmental Contest.....you have 2.5 stars already and a comment....please read it!! Your work goes on and on!!! Kudos to you APES of 2009!!

http://greeneffect.nationalgeographic.com/ideas/

Easter Island Readings

There are some very interesting controversies about Easter Island and how/why the island fell into ecological disarray.

The following links are most enlightening:

http://www.netaxs.com/~trance/rapanui.html ( if your system allows, listen to the music of the Rapa Nui people. The system at school won't let us.

Jared Diamond's article is quoted often : http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/24/042.html

http://www.primitivism.com/easter-island.htm

A new perspective: http://www.livescience.com/history/060309_easter_island.html

Those blasted rats! Seems they are at work again!!

Food for thought: http://www.netaxs.com/~trance/cannibal.html

wasterwater treatment animation

This is something you should become familiar with......

http://www.wef.org/AboutWater/ForThePublic/WastewaterTreatment/

click the link...then the link that says go with the flow ( english) and follow the directions. It is pretty clear and a much better way to see it than in your book.

Q& A about swine flu

This is a very good link that may answer some of your questions. There is also a link for a map of the outbreak sites ( not too update based on SC information) with info about history etc.


http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2009/04/swine_flu_q_and.html
http://www.boston.com/interactive/graphics/generic_page_20090428005501/

some extra online study sites

Here are some sites with animations and some explanations that may or may not mirror mine. Sometimes a different viewpoint makes things clearer.

We will have afternoon reviews and maybe a Saturday afternoon coffee session review the Saturday before your exam.

http://www.ucopenaccess.org/course/view.php?id=58

http://go.ucsusa.org/game/

Newest List of 10 most endangered rivers

Well, imagine SC being included in this list......if I am not mistaken, the Saluda River starts in Greenville SC right on the border of NC....hmmm. Wonder if the Tarheels are having any effect on the Saluda?

By the way, the Saluda River is a major Tributary of the Congaree River that flows through the Congaree National Park..........

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/04/07/rivers.endangered.list/#cnnSTCText

6) Saluda River
Location: South Carolina
Excess levels of sewage waste threaten the drinking water of more than 500,000 South Carolina residents, conservationists say. Sewage in the river increases phosphorous and algae levels, depletes oxygen, and kills fish and other aquatic life. American Rivers is asking the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to improve sewage-treatment standards and ensure the river reduces its phosphorous levels by 25 to 50 percent.

Geoengineering to fix the Earth? Don't know about you all, but after reading this article I am a bit concerned...

Where are our Brains? Oh wait! I see them.....

Here is the link to an interesting solution being proposed by President Obama's staff Chief Scientific Advisor.

http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/39644/print

This should spark some interesting discussion amongst you all and I can't wait to read it.....tell me what you think.....

Red Sox and others led the way to " green" stadiums

.............Even the nation's oldest MLB stadium still in use—Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, the Yanks's biggest rivals—is getting in on the greening (puns about its legendary "Green Monster" wall in left field aside). Some 28 newly installed solar panels on the fifth floor's slanted roof offset 37 percent of the natural gas burned to heat the stadium's water supply, says Katie Haas, a team spokesperson. The park also sports 11 BigBelly solar-powered trash compacters on the premises.

Some of the statistics are pretty impressive when you look at the energy reduction, carbon footprint decrease etc.

Read complete article @ http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=green-baseball-diamonds-energy-efficiency

EPA adds to Superfund priority sites

Check this out folks! Article on superfunds that is at the very least interesting...at the most a bit disturbing.
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/39630/print

Barite Hill/Nevada Goldfields (McCormick, S.C.) (3 hours away)

Proposed to be added:

Ore Knob Mine (Ashe County, N.C.) ( 2 hours away)
GMH Electronics (Roxboro, N.C.) ( 3 hours away)

tomato activity......starting Monday 20 April 2009

Plants and light (or Energy input into ecosystems )

Green plants are the primary source for all of the biotic energy requirements of an ecosystem.
Photosynthesis vs respiration.In green plants both photosynthesis and respiration occur. In relatively bright light photosynthesis is the dominant process (meaning that the plant produces more food than it uses during respiration). At night, or in the absence of light, photosynthesis essentially ceases, and respiration is the dominant process; the plant consumes food (for growth and other metabolic processes). Photosynthesis absorbs energy (from sunlight) whereas aerobic respiration yields energy (as a result of the oxidation of glucose, the carbohydrate molecule shown here). These are essentially "competing" processes, one producing glucose (photosynthesis) and the other consuming glucose (respiration).

Factors Affecting the Rate of Photosynthesis

1. Compensation point for light

One simple way to get an estimate of the level of phototsynthetic activity in a green plant is to place the plant in a sealed container and measure the rate at which oxygen is produced.
When such an experiment is actually performed it is found that increasing the brightness (intensity) of the light increases the rate of photosynthesis, but only up to a certain point, beyond which increasing the brightenss of the light has little or no effect on the rate of photosynthesis.
Conversely, reducing the brightness of the light causes a decrease in photosynthetic activity.
The light intensity at which the net amount of oxygen produced is exactly zero, is called the compensation point for light. At this point the consumption of oxygen by the plant due to cellular respiration is equal to the rate at which oxygen is produced by photosynthesis.
The compensation point for light intensity varies according to the type of plant, but it is typically 40 to 60 W/m2 for sunlight. The compensation point for light can be reduced (somewhat) by increasing the amount of carbon dioxide available to the plant, allowing the plant to grow under conditions of lower illumination.

2. Compensation point for carbon dioxide

Under conditions of constant and uniform illumination the rate of photosynthesis can be increased by simply increasing the amount of carbon dioxide (i.e. increasing the atmospheric partial pressure) available to plants. As before, one can measure the rate of photosysthesis as a function of carbon dioxide pressure by placing a green plant in a sealed container and measuring the rate at which oxygen is produced. As the partial pressure of carbon dioxide increases there is an almost linear increase in the rate of oxygen production, which implies an identical increase in the rate of phtotosythesis. This increase eventually levels off, and further increases in the concentration of carbon dioxide have no further effect.
Conversely, reducing the carbon dioxide concentration reduces the rate of photosynthetic activity. The level at which the oxygen production rate drops to zero is called the compensation point for carbon dioxide.

3. A Day in the Life of a Plant
Compensation Point for Light (of photosynthetic plants) is the intensity of light at which the rate of carbon dioxide uptake (photosynthesis) is exactly balanced by the rate of carbon dioxide production (respiration) or equivalently, the light intensity at which the rate of oxygen production is exactly balanced by the rate of oxygen consumption.
Since it is primarily food production we are interested in, we will consider the third equivalency, the rate at which the food produced (carbohydrates) is exactly balanced by the rate at which the food is consumed.
In the figure above, to the left the red line shows the rate of carbohydrate production due to plant photosynthesis. The green line shows the rate of carbohydrate consumption due to respiration.
The shape of the photosynthesis curve is due to increased sunlight during the day and the shape of the respiration curve is due to increased temperature during the day.
Since photosynthesis produces carbohydrates, the rate at which the amount the carbohydrates change is positive for photosynthesis, that is, the amount increases.
On the other hand, respiration consumes carbohydrates, hence the rate at which carbohydrates change is negative for respiration, that is, the amount decreases.
This is shown in the graph to the right.
The area in yellow represents the total amount of carbohydrate produced in a 24h period (due to photosynthesis). The area in green represents the total amount of carbohydrate consumed due to respiration.
For a green plant to survive, grow, and produce mature fruit, area (a) (yellow), must exceed area (b) (green).
The area (a), that is the total amount of carbohydrate production due to photosynthesis, can be increased in two ways:

1. Increase the intensity (brightness) of the light.
The danger is that if the light is too intense the heat it produces can damage the delicate plant cells, as well as increasing the transpiration rate, causing the leaves to wilt.
Of course, there is a limit beyond which increasing the light intensity has no significant effect on the rate of photosynthesis. This occurs for most plants at a light intensity of about 40% full daytime sunlight.

2. Increasing the duration of the light which illuminates the plant leaves.
In the case of natural sunlight it is generally not possible to increase the time during which the plants receive light beyond the length of natural daylight hours.
To increase the length of time during which photosynthesis occurs requires the use of artificial lights.
If there is enough electrical energy available both the duration and intensity of the light can be controlled to provide optimum growing conditions for green plants.
The problem is that using artificial light to grow plants is an extremely inefficient use of energy.

Things that we know about the relationship between plants and light :
All green plants need some light.
Too little light is bad for green plants (below the compensation point).
Too much light is bad for all plants.
Increasing the carbon dioxide concentration increases the rate of photosynthesis (over a small range of carbon dioxide enhancement).
Things we would like to know about tomato plants
What is the absolute minimum light intensity needed for tomato plants to survive?
To what extent can the duration of light exposure compensate for low light intensity?
How does low light exposure affect a tomato plant's ability to produce fruit?
Although the maximum intensity (brightness) of sunlight on Mars is much less than on the Earth, the seasons are twice as long as on Earth. It is assumed that in the beginning all Mars habitation will occur near the Martian equator where seasonal changes are less noticeable.

Student activity: How much light?

1. You will investigate the relationship between plant growth and the duration of available light. Begin by setting up a gro-light system on an ordinary household light timer. ( I will be your timer)
2. You will use your Tomatosphere seedlings for this experiment makesure they all belong to the same group - M or N).
3. Your shelf to use will be the middle shelf where the seed trays were intially placed. The gro-lights will be aimed at the shelf. In this investigation all lights will be at exactly the same height above the plants, to ensure that, as much as possible, the light intensity is the same for all plants.
The variable in this experiment is the light duration, not the light intensity.
All other growing conditions must not be varied. Water, fertilize, and warm all plants identically.
Once your test site has been established, set the light timers to provide six (6), twelve (12) and eighteen (18) hours respectively.
Create a daily journal in which to record your observations.
Measure and record the following:

1. Daily -
Temperature
General appearance (healthy, spindly, limp, and so on)
Condition of the soil (dry, wet , moist)

2. Weekly -
Height of the plant
Number of branches
As required
Watering
Fertilizing
Appearance of first flowers
Number of flowers
First appearance of fruit
First mature fruit

Can't wait till the little plants start really growing!!

What is an Ice Age?

Please read the following articles:

1. Milutin Milankovitch: Seeking the Cause of the Ice Ages

http://www.amnh.org/education/resources/rfl/web/essaybooks/earth/p_milankovitch.html

2. Milankovitch cycles:
http://geography.about.com/od/learnabouttheearth/a/milankovitch.htm
http://www.emporia.edu/earthsci/student/howard2/theory.htm

3. Little Ice Age:
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/climate/little_ice_age.html
http://www2.sunysuffolk.edu/mandias/lia/little_ice_age.html

Tomatosphere

The tomato planting went well.......hope you remember to water them.
Tomatosphere link: http://tomatosphere.org/

look here often for information about things we will be doing with tomato plants!

NEW Projects

Natalie says:

I believe we should all bring in stuff for the breakfast..instead of the foods class..but we need to keep in mind staying local..i'm not against the foods class idea..but I believe we could do it ourselves!

I think she has a great idea!!!!!!!

Earth Hour Sucesses.....

Horray for the GREAT APES!!! the greatest of great apes in the world...... You were magnificent!! thanks to everyone who worked hard and couldn't be there last night; thanks to Matt for getting us the fellowship hall at his church ( that was so awesome!); thanks to Chris and Justin for their continued dedication; thanks to everyone who brought family and friends with them; thanks for all the food; thanks Joe Morton !!! what a great surprise; thanks to the roof crew for making the stars shine even brighter than they finally did; thanks to Mrs. Nantz for her never ending support;thanks for the opportunity to spend " quality" time with a bunch of APES; thanks to anyone and everyone who I may have forgotten in my zealousness ; Billy - you never fail to amaze me; Wolfie and Logan puddles will never be the same and spiral staircases will also be an area that in the long run may cause me to jump ; Sara, Brittney, Caitlin, Mollie ( ha! spelled right) - your enthusiasm was contaigious; Alisha - way awesome you made it! ;Lawson and Brett- way to work out a work situation ; Ben - great Earth Hour soldier! Jimmy and Tripper - there are no words - your help was invaluable; Megan - a better reporter we couldn't have had - make sure we get the photos.

The Gaston Gazette has posted a slide show of last night..if you would like to view it the link is as follows....
http://gastongazette.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=720651&CategoryID=15927

Enjoy your sucesses!!!

If I missed ANYONE that was there...please let me know.....it is still such a blur...................

Fair warning for your chapter to write questions on/for...

I will post, probably Saturday morning , a list of the chapter numbers and titles that are assigned to each chapter. It is your responsibility to create a series of questions that will address the major concepts of each of the chapters . Create questions that will help you and your classmates hear the concept and challenge themselves when playing review games.
I will send the Earth Science powerpoints to the following APES that have requested them:
Matt Rachel Logan
Natalie Olivia
Billy Ashton
Ariel Ben
Lawson Wolfie

As of 2:30 on Friday 27 March 2009, these are the only people that said they needed them. If I missed you , let me know or if you change your mind, let me know..............

request from Sarah

Hey Mrs. B,
It's Sarah. I just wanted to tell you that I highly doubt ill be at school tomorrow. My grandma, mom, and sister are all puking sick and I have a fever. So, that sucks.
BUT i really think that someone needs to explain earth hour in detail over the announcements because today in US history Mr. Cowie had asked me about my shirt that i wore yesterday and when earth hour was and the time. EVERYONE in the class thought that earth hour was from 8-9 AM instead of at night, so i really think that needs to be cleared up.

Thanks,
Sarah s.

Ashton, Natalie and everyone.......let's see if we can fix this problem..................

Earth Science powerpoints

If you would like the powerpoints that I use for my earth science classes, let me know and I will be happy to get them to you................

Ha! Ha! to my professor...............

You guys caught my grad prof..........and he is adjusting all quiz grades.........you are so cool!!!!!

here is a very good diagram to show you that the epicenter is on the surface and the focus of an earthquake is underground..............