It's Up to YOU to Save Our Planet!

Al Gor

Today we had a presentation on climate change from Dr. Edelstein. He introduced us to certain science concepts, like climate change. we discussed sustainability--how do we live our lives to allow people in future generations to live healthy lives like us? It's not fair for us to destroy everything. If this really only started since the Industrial Revolution, how much longer does the earth really have?
we talked about Al Gor, who was interested in the issue of climate change. His teacher did research project studying global temperature and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. when it came to introducing the climate issue with the congressmen and senator. The CEO Exxon Mobil, the largest corporation in gas and oil, did everything he could to deny climate change. He didn't want to discuss this issue because they were given money to basically pollute environment. People did not want their money and business to be effected if we limit our use of fossil fuels. Earn Al Gor did not win the presidential election, he went back to teaching about the environment and was in the film Inconvenient Truth, which gave people facts about climate change on our planet.

First Photo Taken of the Earth

Imagine growing up never seeing yourself. In 1960's, the first picture of the earth was taken, so we can see where we live and where we are from. You can see that there is more water than land, that it's a sphere and not flat. Also, you can see there is land, continents, and clouds. The point Dr. Edelman was trying to make was that the earth is not endless. The people that are using the resources need to understand this. Not all resources are renewable, such as water. Water  is not renewable and we are wasting it and not realizing that once it is gone its not coming back.
the picture shows that we do not live in infinite place.the earth has been transformed by human activity tremendously. Creating new matter is not possible, only transforming it from one for to another. Everything that will ever be on the earth is already here. Scary to think, right?

Think of an open system. Things enter it, and things leave it. Just like humans, like when you eat an English muffin. It's not the same English muffin inside of you, but its being used for energy and then the rest that wasn't used leaves your system. It has not left the planet, Earth is both an open and closed system. When it comes to matter, its a closed system, and when it comes to energy, it is an open system. Sunlight comes into the earth, and the earth uses it as energy. Humans run this world as if it was an closed system, although we are not supposed to. If we used the open system, we could use renewable energy. This is better for the earth, instead of coal and oil. The sun doesn't produce pollutants , but oil and coal does. The sun also doesn't run out. Like oil and coal, it goes away when you keep keep using it. This doesn't happen with the sun. Humans take things from earth that give a negative effect. Order on this planet can only be created if we create it.

Unfortunately, our president Donald Trump  doesn't believe in climate change, and this is a huge problem. But, what we need to understand is that the troposphere, the atmosphere that we live in, is being polluted and this is we are breathing in. we hurt our lungs through industry and vehicles that WE are using. to get more technical, in the stratosphere (ozone), molecules work their way up destroying this layer of the atmosphere. This allows ultra violet radiation to come into the earth. This will potentially
lead to skin cancer for many people, and light sensitivity in places like Australia that is closest the South Pole. us humans release about 110 million tons of manmade pollution into the environment EVERY DAY! Instead of the radiation going back into space, it is being absorbed into earth due to the thin layer. Carbon Dioxide concentration increases and is being trapped inside instead of bouncing back. think of it as a thick blanket, trapping in all the heat.

The Earth's Atmosphere

When it comes to the snow at the poles, the snow is reflecting the sun and the heat is getting trapped. All of the ice is melting! Where are our poor polar bears going to live if there is no ice?

Lets save the Polar Bears!

When theres no ice, more of the ocean absorbs heat.
sometimes it may be impossible to stop or reverse this.
we have less light being reflected or absorbed.


Did you know?
Cows increase release methane into the environment dramatically which is very harmful to the atmosphere. they do so through burps and farts!

Since the 1960's, it is getting a lot warmer, and it gives us reason to believe that it is just going to keep increasing. When it comes to oceans, they are overheating. It has no albido (reflection), so it is being absorbed. But our oceans are heating up dramatically which is destroying coral reefs. They are important for fish and life in the ocean, but soon oceans will be like deserts, and have no plant life. I don't know about you, but I've seen coral reefs and they are absolutely breathtaking. Oceans also effect storms when they increase in temperature. They become much stronger and dangerous, which then effects life on land.

Beautiful coral reefs that are slowly being destroyed in our oceans.

Forest fire in Western U.S.

Another problem that climate change causes is the air is heating up, so it causes the ground to evaporate, which dries up the land. this leas to droughts and forrest fires if everything is so dry. When forests are dry, people can accidentally cause them and they spread very fast.







Extreme catastrophes like this have doubled since the 1980's. other disasters, such as flooding, have been caused by the melting of glaciers. This causes a rise in sea level may cause city to flood, like Miami and New York. When disaster hits, will we have enough food and water? Will disease spread? Will a war breakout?

Flooding in Miami

I learned a lot from this lecture and I am looking forward to educate children about caring for our planet. All of this can be prevented by changing simple habits in our daily activities! :)