Douglas+Moss

Douglas Moss

Out of school i like to play basketball, hangout with friends, and watch basketball.

**__Day#1 Part2:__**
1.
 * Science topics that I see a lot about are fuel and energy efficient sports cars. I read about these in racing magazines and I see advertisements on the internet.
 * This topic is popular because people enjoy sports cars and energy efficient cars as well. Sports cars that are fuel efficient are something many people would want.
 * The goal of this communication is to promote cars that are environmentally friendly. These products are trending and people want fuel and energy saving products.



**__Day#2__**

 * __What are our options for energy resources?__**

1. Renewable resources are fuels and forms of energy that don't take along time or a lot out of the earth to create. Non-renewable resources are fuels and forms of energy that are not easily replenished by the earth. For example, wind is a renewable resource because the earth is constantly producing wind, where as oil/petroleum are non-renewable because it takes along time for the earth to break down materials into oil.

2. The three types of fossil fuels are coal, natural gas,and oil. Coal is formed by vegetation that is buried for millions of years under layers of rock and breaks down to form coal ore which then is mined. Natural gas is formed by vegetation as well as animals and sea life that decomposed under sand and rock over millions of years. Oil is formed the same way in which natural gas is formed, only different organisms piled up and decomposed together under mass amounts of pressure from layers of rock and sand.

3. Energy resources store energy because when an organism dies, it can store energy from the sun created by __chemical bonds__. It retains this energy when it decomposes, fossilizes, and biodegrades into a fossil fuel. This __energy__ is utilized in non renewable resources when the fuel is burned in a __generator__ to heat up water and create __steam__ which spins a blades around a rotor inside a __turbine__ to produce electricity. This method of burning the fuel is referred to as __combustion__. Furthermore, the generation of electric power creates __byproducts__ like carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases, which are released through __emissions__ of electric power plants.

4. Two renewable resources are hydrothermal energy, and wind energy. A benefit to both of them is that wind and water are produced in mass amounts all over the earth, and one negative is that wind turbines are very expensive to maintain if damaged and are not always viewed as aesthetically pleasing.

5. What is the connection between the terms: Crude Oil, gasoline, Petroleum and plastic? Crude oil is essentially unrefined petroleum oil, which is the oil used to create many products, including plastic. Gasoline is petroleum oil that is further refined to be used as fuel for combustion engines in vehicles and other machines.

**__Day #3__**

 * __Why should we care about global warming?__**

1. Greenhouse gases: Carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases are what trap heat in the atmosphere, warming the earth.

Air pollution: Certain natural processes create gases, such as combustion or respiration. These gases, predominantly carbon dioxide, are also emitted through man made processes, such as generating electric power. These gases increase the thickness of the atmosphere but harm the ozone layer. This causes the suns rays to enter the atmosphere and not be able to escape after bouncing off the earth.

Global warming: The combustion of fossil fuels, such as gas, coal and oil produce gases in excessive amounts which build up in the atmosphere and block the suns rays when they bounce off the earth. Therefore instead of exiting the atmosphere the rays bounce back to the earth and cause weather phenomena. If in great enough of a concentration, continued pollution could severely alter the Earths climate.

Climate: Climate is the statistics of earths weather, such as temperature, humidity, precipitation or meteorological activity.

Climate change:

Climate change is a term used in relation with the effects of global warming. A warming climate caused by the greenhouse gas effect could cause extreme fluctuations in weather and severely affect all habitats.

3.
 * Human activity that adds to the greenhouse effect would be emissions from generating electric power, the burning of fossil fuels and non renewable resources, as well as car emissions containing carbon dioxide and methane
 * Fossil fuels have a deep connection with global warming, emissions created through the combustion of natural resources like coal and oil add to the greenhouse effect. One instance of their connection is the use of gasoline in cars, which is refined from petroleum oil. The use of gasoline in cars produces emissions from the exhaust, these emissions release carbon dioxide and methane into the air. The gases build up in the atmosphere and prevent the suns rays from exiting the atmosphere. This warms the earth and creates a climate change, brought on by global warming.
 * One factor contributing to global warming is the use of aerosol cans, which give off small amounts of carbon dioxide, excessive use and other factors contribute together.
 * One concern with global warming in the future could be extreme fluctuations in temperatures, and virtually eliminate transitions between seasons. Furthermore, weather phenomena will be affected, as well as rising sea levels and changes in life and weather cycles.

4.
 * First, we should care about global warming because the climate change and more extreme weather would be difficult for humans to adapt to. It could quite possibly lead to the earth being inhabitable if global warming continues on an upscale rate. Furthermore, rising sea levels could cause mass flooding and ruin many cities and disrupt communication between people. In addition, heavy droughts and scorching summers could result in more wildfires, destroying many of the worlds deciduous forests. Lastly, changing rain and snow patterns along with stronger storms would cause flooding and would virtually bury neighborhoods with snow. It would be difficult not only humans but other animals in all of the worlds habitats to evolve.
 * To begin, extreme increases in temperature caused by global warming are possible because of the increasing thickness of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These increases in temperature melt polar ice caps, ice shelves. and these add to the sea level greatly at the current rate they're melting. Increasing temperatures will leave some areas in extreme drought, leading to shrinking water supplies and vegetation. To add, higher temperature will leave ocean waters warm, thus giving storms and hurricanes their strength. Storms will become stronger and more frequent, creating a lot of pressure and death within Earths ecosystems.
 * A way we could reduce the effects of global warming would be to switch to energy efficient cars, such as vehicles powered by hydrogen cells. It reduces the carbon dioxide and methane emissions greatly because hydrogen is a renewable and clean energy source. To continue, switching to solar energy harnessed through solar panels on rooftops or solar plants would be very energy sufficient. Solar power is a renewable resource because of how powerful the suns energy is and how it can be used very effectively. Solar power has virtually no effect on global warming, and it is a clean source of energy, as well as safe for the environment.

6. We should care about global warming because it affects the entire planet, there are severe consequences of climate change and the greenhouse effect we are so largely contributing to. Things like rising sea levels, droughts and heat waves along with stronger storms will lead to an environment that is harsh and quite possibly uninhabitable in the future. We have an influence in the planet to the extent where our well being as a species is reliant on the earths well being also. The world will change around us whether we can adapt or not is consequence of our actions contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming.

**__Day #4__**

 * __How is the balance of the carbon cycle affected?__**

1. Carbon fits into the picture of the greenhouse effects and global warming because carbon is everywhere, its always floating around continuously and it is stored in basically everything plants, animals, animals feces and it moves from animal to animal and a long time ago when these animals died they compacted on top of each other underground underneath layers and layers of rock and sand, over the years its produced oil, gas, and coal and then humans around we started using these resources in good and bad ways, we suck the carbon out of the ground which is old carbon mixing with the good carbon and its so much carbon and it's filling up the atmosphere faster than plants and oceans can absorb so with that being there is more heat being kept in which is having a massive impact on the environment, that is carbons role in greenhouse effects and global warming.

2. Carbon cycle- The biological cycle by which atmospheric carbon dioxide is converted to carbohydrates by plants and other photosynthesizers, consumed and metabolized by organisms, and returned to the atmosphere through respiration, decomposition, and the combustion of fossil fuels.

Carbon source- is any activity that emits Carbon Dioxide. Sources can be stationary emitters such as power plants or refineries, or they can be emitted from activities such as driving automobiles. Carbon sink- is a natural or artificial reservoir that accumulates and stores some carbon-containing chemical compound for an indefinite period. So basically our everyday actions make up this cycle the Carbon Dioxide emitted from Power plants, cars, and more is emitted which is the carbon source goes up into the air and the carbon sink takes it all in for any period of time.

Greenhouse Gases- Any of the atmospheric gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation produced by solar warming of the Earth's surface. They include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (NO2), and water vapor. Although greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, the elevated levels especially of carbon dioxide and methane that have been observed in recent decades are directly related, at least in part, to human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels and the deforestation of tropical forests.

Greenhouse Effect- The trapping of the sun's warmth in a planet's lower atmosphere due to the greater transparency of the atmosphere to visible radiation from the sun than to infrared radiation emitted from the planet's surface

Analogy- Lets say I have a Hummer (source), and the only reason I have this hummer is because of its safety, but the gas price on this hummer is horrendous and I'm spending more money on gas than I'm bringing in. This is not good at all, so I decide to get a Smart car (sink), it may not be as safe and reliable but the gas mileage is 10 times better and also the smart car is better for the environment so instead of safety I decide to get something that is going to be positive in more than one way.

3. Humans have a negative impact on the carbon cycle when fossil fuels are burned, the carbon stored in the fuel is released as a byproduct. Since this is not a natural combustion process, the carbon builds up in the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect. The burning of fossil fuels accounts for over 40% of all carbon dioxide emissions in the United States.

Furthermore, deforestation has a negative effect on the carbon cycle because trees and other forest vegetation are huge producers of oxygen and they take carbon dioxide from the air. Loss of forests and plant life causes carbon dioxide concentrations to build up in the atmosphere, and deforestation has not been slowed but sped up in recent years despite it's extremely negative impact on the atmosphere and environment.

4. Respiration is one thing humans do that has a positive effect on the carbon cycle. We exhale carbon dioxide, which plants use to create and release oxygen, which we then inhale. All animals respire, and it's one of the largest contributors and regulators in the carbon cycle. Another positive thing humans are doing for the carbon cycle is the effort to switch to cleaner forms of energy. Instead of burning fossil fuels and non renewable resources, things like solar energy or hydroelectric power would largely reduce carbon emissions. Some power plants are trying to develop carbon capture and storage systems so that carbon is filtered out of their emissions. Although these projects are slow coming, they will have great impacts and help reduce the amount of carbon we contribute to the greenhouse effect.

**__Day #5__**
1. A carbon footprint is how much carbon an individual contributes to the carbon cycle on a daily basis. Either through respiration or things like driving, people produce carbon through all different processes of life.

2. I made the prediction that the size of my carbon footprint would be considerable because we live in a well developed country, and technology is getting more advanced each day. My household uses an amount of energy relative to the number of people living in it. With 7 people in the house we all use a good amount of electricity in our daily activities.

3. According to the Ecological Footprint quiz, if everyone lived like me we'd need 6.5 planet Earths to have enough resources as well as 28.8 of the Earths global productive acres to support my lifestyle. My pie chart looked like this: (Services 31%) (Goods 14%) (Mobility 23%) (Shelter 11%) (Food 21%)

4. One negative habit I have towards my carbon footprint total is my car, it has low gas mileage and I do a lot of driving. This causes me to have to buy more gasoline, using more natural resources as well as producing carbon dioxide through emissions. Another negative habit I have is that I don't recycle all of the plastic products I use, I'll recycle plastic bottles sometimes but my family doesn't recycle all products that aren't biodegradable. This causes theses products to take up space in landfills and therefore not allow carbon dioxide to be absorbed into the ground when things biodegrade.

A positive habit I have that reduces my carbon footprint is composting. My family often composts biodegradable items and food left overs, etc. I contribute to this compost, and one thing that does is return carbon dioxide to the soil so things like earthworms can redistribute it to the environment. Another habit I have is conserving energy, I shut off lights in rooms when I'm not there and I don't leave electronics like phone chargers plugged in. This conserves electricity, so it causes for less carbon dioxide to be produced and released because less electricity is required.

__How can you make a difference?__

 * An individual can always make a difference if they put their mind to it. ​One person can always influence others to get involved and take action to reduce the effect they have on the carbon cycle.
 * One person does make a difference, take the ecological footprint quiz for example. The impact one has on the carbon cycle is great, and it shows in that if everyone shared my lifestyle, 6.5 planet Earths would be required to sustain our population. I would recommend that this person took the Ecological Footprint quiz and see for themselves how they impact the environment