Hi everyone and welcome back to my website!
Recently in my environmental science class we have been learning about invasive species and how they negatively impact other species and organisms. A few of the invasive species that we reviewed in class were cane toads, Burmese pythons, tiger fish, and more. Along with learning invasive animals we learned about invasive plants like kudzu vines. I found it really interesting to hear about where these invasive species originated from and how they were brought to the area that have now invaded. For every species, whether it be an animal or a fish, there are different management strategies. For the three animals that our class studied, cane toads, Burmese pythons, and tiger fish, the most effective way was to kill them one by one. It's unfortunate that this is the most effective way to get rid of the species, but it's really important that more of the species aren't born. I've really enjoyed learning about invasive species and I'm continuing to look into others. I hope that more ways are created to diminish the amount of invasive species rather than just killing them. Until next time! Thank you all for reading!
0 Comments
Hello everyone and welcome back to my website! I haven't written for a while so I'm excited to get this post up for you all to see. A few weeks ago we started a new unit in Environmental Science and Action: energy sources, more specifically non-renewable and renewable energy. For this post I am going to be comparing the main types of non-renewable energy like nuclear, coal, crude oil and natural gas. I will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of energy, the direct and indirect impacts on the environment, how these forms of energy produce energy, and how they are similar and different.
To start this post I'm going to explain what non-renewable energy is, because before starting the unit in class I had zero outside knowledge on it. Non-renewable energy comes from sources that will run out or will not be replenished at any point in our lifetimes. There are four main types of energy that are all classified as fossil fuels: nuclear, coal, crude oil, and natural gas. All three of these have there disadvantages and advantages that impact the economy and environment. Nuclear energy is the first type of energy that I am going to talk about. While it is considered a type of non-renewable energy source, the mater that is used in nuclear power plants is not. The energy is made through a process called nuclear fission, which is where the nucleus of and atom splits. One negative aspect about nuclear energy is that uranium, which is the element that powers the plants, has to be dug up from the Earth which causes a disruption. On the positive side nuclear energy is a very efficient way to get power through cities and it doesn't pollute the air of emit greenhouse gasses. Coal is the second type of non-renewable energy I am going to be talking about. There are a few ways that coal can be mined: underground and surface mining. Underground mining is really bad for the environment because explosives are used to blow up rocks in order to reach the coal. Mining has provided people with many jobs over the years, but the impact it has on the earth doesn't make up for it. Coal mining is also a dangerous job. Miners are exposed to toxic dust which can give them a common disease called black lung. Here's a fun fact about coal: more than half of the United States electricity comes from coal! Crude oil, the third type of non-renewable energy is a liquid fossil fuel and also called Petroleum. One of the major disadvantage's of using crude oil is that the oil lays deep under the Earth's surface. In order to get to it people have to drill holes under land and some under the ocean floor. The positive to using crude oil is that we are able to use cars. Most cars require gasoline which is created from crude oil. The last type of non-renewable energy source is natural gas which is found underground in reservoirs and is made mostly of methane. In order to get the gas people have to drill underground which is disruptive to the environment and habitats. On the positive side, compared to fossil fuels it is much cleaner. Below I have attached links to my clean coal technology infographic and a padlet on fracking. Enjoy! padlet.com/edonaville18/f4pn2inogaf8 create.piktochart.com/output/28047103-new-piktochart Welcome back! I recently created a video about water conservation: crops versus animals for the 2017 Breakthrough Junior Challenge. In the video you will learn about how much water plants and animals consume and which one consumes more water. I spent many hours working on this video and I'm extremely proud of my final product. I have included the video below, check it out! Until next time. LD Hi again,
I recently created a population campaign on ThingLink about child policies in Indonesia. On my ThingLink page you will see small icons above each children in the picture. Click on the icons and read all of propaganda, environmental issues, political issues, and how the one child policy in China impacted the Indonesian population. Below I have included the link: https://www.thinglink.com/scene/964575505086939139 Enjoy! -Lizzi A Day to Remember.
On Monday, August 21, 2017 North America experienced a total solar eclipse for the first time in years. For those of you who are wondering what happens when there is a solar eclipse, the moon aligns perfectly in front of the sun. The moon moves glides across the sun on a path called the path of totality and once the sun is completely covered leaving a bright ring surrounding then it has reached a total solar eclipse. At this point the sky becomes dark and stars will come out for a few short minutes while the moon continues to move across in the other direction. During the time of the solar eclipse I was lucky enough to experience it first hand with my Environmental Science and Action classmates outside on our school softball field. While watching the sun and moon with out special solar eclipse glasses we collected data about our surroundings. Two things that stood out most to me were the change in clouds and animals present. Before the eclipse started pictures were taken by Victoria Nicolson of the clouds. We both noticed that the clouds were dark grey and covering the sky. The closer we got to the eclipse the less clouds there were and once it was over the clouds began to reappear. Before the solar eclipse I paid attention to the wildlife. I noticed how multiple crows were sitting on the trees making noises, but once the it started they went into hiding and remain quite. (Look below for pictures!) Overall I'm very grateful to have been able to experience the solar eclipse. I wasn't sure what to expect but the outcome was fantastic and I learned a lot about the sun, moon, and the environment. I hope to see another solar eclipse during my lifetime. Below I've attached three photos of cloud change during the solar eclipse. Take a look! Thanks for reading :) -Lizzi |