3.2 Millimeters: A Troubling Rise in Sea Level

ScrAPES#13: 3.2 Millimeters: A Troubling Rise in Sea Level

by Nicholas Bakalar

November 30, 2015

The latest report from the intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change stated that sea levels accelerated an average of 1.7 millimeters a year during the 20th century. The rise are unpredictable in some places because some of them had higher sea level increase than others. Scientists use tidal gauges and satellite altimeter data to take the amount of these changes. Ever since 1993 the average rate of increase has approximately doubled to 3.2 millimeters a year. Global warming and melting of ice and snow took part of this increase.

This is interesting to me because I have always wondered if scientists can measure the amount of ocean water earth has as a whole. I guess measuring the amount of increase sea level is very close enough. Also this takes interest to me because every time I hear global warming, climate change, or even this, it makes me wonder about the end of the world. I do believe in the end of the world (religiously). What would earth be like from 100 years from now? Will it still be alive and technology increased and so did the rich? Or will it have died out because of the apocalypse? Knowing the fact that sea levels increase rapidly makes me cringe because it is like dying from drowning.

This relates to the environment because if the sea level keeps rapidly increasing over time, soon homes will be flooded because it will surround the grounds of the earth. We cannot just throw away water because water is liquid and I cannot be "held". Soon in the future people animals will have no home or food because it will be extremely difficult to grow crops, if we do not change our ways. This is human's fault as well as mother nature because we cause global warming by greenhouse gases and the unhealthy living we took upon on.

What Climate Change Looks Like: Dissolving Shells

ScrAPES#12: What Climate Change Looks Like: Dissolving Shells

by Michael Boston

November 30, 2015

What do you see when you hear the word climate change? I bet you see erosion, increase of heat temperature, ice separating increasingly, etc. Am I right? Well researches and scientists discovered that the pteropods' shells are dissolving due to climate change or global warming. These tiny pteropods are eaten by salmons, whales, and others. Their shells contain calcium carbonate, which are sensitive to changes in the ocean's pH levels. Human activities which concerns carbon dioxide effects the ocean's pH levels which also effects the pteropods.

This is interesting to me because I have never heard of a pteropods in my life. I am also surprised that if climate change will effect the tiny living things in the ocean it will take a big part in our lives as well, because I believe that if something happens to one thing it effects everything else as a whole. Personally I am not a fan of climate change or global warming because when I was seven years old, ten years ago, I recalled that summer was perfect, winter was perfect. Everything was steady and time was slow. Now the seasons are not steady at all because winter arrives late and ends up to be severe blizzards. While summer are very hot like the tropics. 

This relates to the environment because I noticed that when people hear climate change they mostly think of it as a threat to human kind. Instead why do we not also consider it as a threat to animals and plants? They too are living. When climate change occurs because of global warming it effects plants and animals and the food web. If the pteropods' shells dissolve because of high pH level in the ocean then most likely the animals that consider it its meals will die as well. It will effect the ecosystem and the food chain and food web.

Resources:

• What Climate Change Looks Like: Dissolving Shells

India Is Caught in a Climate Change Quandary

ScrAPES#11: India Is Caught in a Climate Change Quandary

by Eduardo Porter

November 10, 2015

 India has 30% of the world's poorest. Majority of them, approximately 304 million people do not have electricity. While 92 million people do not have fresh drinking water. India will encounter a severe monsoon between August and September, with about 70% of India's rainfall. While also having to pay more for the consequences of the emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases from richer and developed countries. The United Nations believed that India's population would increasingly maximize to 1.5 billion by 2030, much more than China.   Majority of countries in the world are deciding to decrease greenhouse gases but there are also some who oppose.

This is interesting to me is one of the most populated country in the world with over 1.25 billion people, also being such a little country (compared to China). I am not also surprised that majority of Indians do not have electricity nor fresh drinking water because it is a third world country. What interests me is that India's population will assumingly increase so much that it will be much more than China's population. 



This relates to the environment because first the living style of the approximately 80-90% of the Indian's in India are very poor; do not have electricity, fresh water, money, or even a job. With very poor lifestyle people would most likely die from starvation or give up, which means the Crude Death Rate (CDR) will increase and it will be unbalance. Secondly, India's population is a problem because it also effects the overall human population. We cannot afford to have tons and tons of people living in earth when earth can only hold a certain capacity. As our population increase the more we are basically killing our planet. People think it's a joke but it really is not. 


Resource:

• India Is Caught in a Climate Change Quandary

Scientist Injects Himself with 3.5 Million Year old Bacteria

ScrAPES#10: Scientist Injects Himself with 3.5 Million Year Old Bacteria

by Mark Prigg

September 30, 2015

Anatoli Brouchkov is a Russian scientist at Moscow State University. Recently he found a bacteria in Mammoth Mountain in Sahka Republic or Yakutia in Serbia. The bacteria is named Bacillus F, and has been alive for millions of years being embedded on permafrost. Scientist tested it on experimental animals, but Dr. Brouchkov wanted to test it upon himself as well. His feedback to the bacteria was that he felt stronger and healthier. Elderly mices became more active and began to produce offspring. Scientists say that the bacteria may improve human health. 

This outstanding article or news is interesting to me because I think it is pretty awesome that there has been a bacteria out there for millions of years, untouched, and still living. I wonder what the bacteria feels being alive for years and years and years. What surprised me actually was that the bacteria survived in a sovereign climate. Serbia's world record coldest temperature was -31.9 degrees in 1985, and it could go up to 112.8 degrees boiling hot. The bacteria most likely has a very good adaptability to be able to survive these temperatures.

This relates to the environment because if this bacteria was literally true fact then it could save the human kind. We could cure cancer, diseases, sickness, etc. Also the bacteria could cure genetic mutations or diseases like progeria or the "tree man", with a rare condition of Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis. We may also be able to cure mental illness (if we actually can). This would most likely also save us from tragic disasters and prevent us from death. Humans will be healthier and the healthier we are, the better we feel, and the less likely we go to the doctors. But this would also effect our Crude Death Rate (CDR) because with people healthy and very less likely to die, the Crude Death Rate would decrease. Our population of seven billion will soon blossom even more.

Resources:

• 3.5 MILLION year old bacteria
• Scientist Injects Himself with 3.5 Million Year old Bacteria