ATWTTB Ch.5 Book Frame

In Chapter 5 of ATWTTB (And The Waters Turned to Blood), the book describes Dr. JoAnn Burkholder's discoveries and her demonstration and exhibition of her findings.

ATWTTB Ch.4 Book Frame

In Chapter 4 of ATWTTB (And The Waters Turned to Blood), the book describes Kevin Miller's attempt to uncover the large number of fish deaths' cause located in the state of North Carolina.

ATWTTB Ch.3 Book Frame

In Chapter 3 of ATWTTB (And The Waters Turned to Blood), the book talks about the methods that were used to find out the fish's cause of death.

ATWTTB Ch.2 Book Frame

In Chapter 2 of ATWTTB (And The Waters Turned to Blood), the book talks about the discovery of dinoflagellate that was found in containers of fish that were dead. Furthermore, the book made it become clear that the dinoflagellates were the ones that excreted the toxins much like those of the red tides that indeed killed the aquatic organisms.

ATWTTB Ch.1 Book Frame

In Chapter 1 of ATWTTB (And The Waters Turned to Blood), the book discusses about the researcher Dr. JoAnn Burkholder's life and experiences.

Why is soil erosion important?

In my opinion or point of view, soil erosion symbolizes something just as important as greenhouse gas emissions, global warming, or an epidemic disease that could potentially take the lives of people such as the bird flu due to the fact that the overall longitudinal effects that it can cause to our living environmental factors. Furthermore, when the erosion of the soil occues, the detrimental effects include increased eutrophication. In addition, land can no longer be used for crop growth, or for feeding different types of animals. Moreover, whenver land can lose its ability to fertilize. Additonally, there would be a lowered income for farmers. Not to mention, there would be fewer plants that are capable of growing which will in then lead to even more erosion happening. Furthermore, the environment suffer in an immense way due to the fact that more eco-friendly trees and plants will be torn and taken down. Above all, enormous amounts of degradation of the soil will cause starvation for many people. When this happens, many people will have no choice, but only move and live in another country or place of stay. Moreover, the deteriorated top part of the soil will create abundant amounts of sediments occuring in rivers, which will in then cause the flooding of river banks. Furthermore, often and frequent flooding will occur. On an end note, soil erosion will even cause damage of the areas that are used for the breeding of different kinds of fish.

ATWTTB (And The Waters Turned to Blood) Foreword

In the Foreword section of the book titled "And The Waters Turned to Blood", the Jorgensen family had and suffered leg tighting or leg contractions and after walking, Jorgensen family's hands and legs were like on fire or had an extremely burning sensation in their hands and legs. In addition, the Jorgensen family suffered and had insomnia or unable to fall asleep and had signs of several sclerosis or the unusual hardening of the tissues. On the contrary, it was not the multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, some people thought the disorder the Jorgensen were having or suffering through was a disorder that affected the central nervous system because they wanted to find a reason for the pain they were suffering. On the other hand, some people theorized or believed that the Jorgensen family definitely had previous exposure to a deadly or fatal toxic substance. Moreover, it could possibly be because the stream that the Jorgensen family traveled to that was located in North Carolina was filled or contaminated with some sort of fish that was dead. Not to mention, some doctors diagnosed their pain and suffering as an absence seizure. On an end note, the Jorgensen family is certain that there is definitely something deadly located somewhere on the waters in and of North Carolina.

Career Blog: City Planner

City planners are the the people or ones who design the cities' framework. In addition, city planners figure out the location of each road, building, and other frameworks that will create an efficient city for everyone in the city. Furthermore, the city planners consider many things when making their decisions such as how close each structure are to the resources for water, heavy streets, laws for zoning, and the quality of air. Not to mention, the city planners are essential for the development of efficient cities and communities, keeping up with the population increasing on a daily basis, keeping with the changes in climate on a daily basis, and the amount of waste produced by people on a daily basis. Above all, they can propose laws for zoning. Moreover, city planners also have a say or voice on issues regarding the community, means of transportation, and the environment around the city or neighborhood. The average annual salary of a city planner is approximately $66,000.

If one wants to be a city planner, he or she should have at least a bachelors degree (masters degree is definitely recommended) in areas regarding the design of urban areas, human geography, and regional or environmental planning. Furthermore, that person should also have sufficient knowledge regarding issues of the environment of the earth. Knowledge in the field of economics is also a plus. Moreover, it is best for that person have the a deep and strong foundation in one single area of study.

Sub Paragraph from CGSS

Art Bell who is the author of the "The Coming Global Superstorm" believes that a human culture,sophistication, or development might have appeared long before the early occurrences of published or documented history. Furthermore, Bell introduces and discusses about numerous archaic and age old structures such as the Sphinx, the capability of contemporary ancestors of humans to talk, maritime exploration, and weapons such as spears. Moreover, Bell stated that the Sphinx was composed of sandstone and endured a lot of deterioration and decay because of rainfall over time. In addition, these tools or supplies and environmental settings have not exist in age old Egypt, which implies the fact that the Sphinx was developed at a place other than Egypt in preceding or prior time frame. Not to mention, previous human beings had nerve frameworks like those frameworks of current or contemporary human beings in circumstances of expression, so it is definitely probable that they were indeed capable of making expressions or speech, which gives the message that a human civilization may have already developed. Above all, equipment such as boats that were developed before the documented history of human beings have been rather complicated. In the same way, our predecessors recognized which trees to use, and noticed that the wood at the tree's bottom weighted the most, making the spears capable of traveling farther. Nevertheless, Art Bell noted that in consideration of the proof or information, it is definitely extremely probable that a society indeed developed before our own society had developed. Due to harsh weather conditions, this civilization or society might have collapsed. The warrants for my evidence is that while taking the word history course during my sophomore year, I learned a lot about how the human civilization existed and about how it was created. 

Play it Green: The Big Switch

I used the site "http://www.planitgreenlive.com" in which I was able to generate a city through a simulation. Furthermore, my goal was to plan out the city with success in issues regarding environmental and money. Moreover, in order to meet my goal, I needed to double check that the city I generated had roads, factories, residential areas for people to live (houses), and efficient energy resources. Not to mention, I hope to make sure that my city did not interfere with the essential wildlife. None of my the energy producing resources in my city had interfered with wildlife. In addition, I planted many parks, trees, and bushes to make the city eco-friendly. I had wind farms and coal power plants, 3 factories, and numerous houses and parks. Fortunately, I was able to create an city that could was environmentally and economically successful due to the fact that the wildlife around my city was not harmed in any way.

The Coming Global Superstorm Lit Circle Ch. 3-4

Vocab Master (Ch. 3-4)

1. meteorologist (pg.33)- an expert in or student of meteorology; a weather forecaster.

2. climatologist (pg.33)- someone who studies long-term weather trends or climatology

3. typhoon (pg.29)- a tropical storm in the region of the Indian or western Pacific oceans.

4. fiefdoms (pg.37)- anything, as an organization or real estate, owned or controlled by one dominant person or group.

5. larynx (pg.42)- the hollow muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs and holding the vocal cords in humans and other mammals; the voice box.

6. paleontologist (pg.44)- a scientist who studies fossils

7. javelins (pg.44)- a light spear thrown in a competitive sport or as a weapon.

8. trajectories (pg.45)- the path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces.

9. Australopithecus (pg.45)- a fossil bipedal primate with both apelike and human characteristics, found in Pliocene and lower Pleistocene deposits ( circa 4 million to 1 million years old) in Africa.

10. hominids (pg.45)- a primate of a family ( Hominidae ) that includes humans and their fossil ancestors.

Mountain Legislation

After watching the documentary movie on coal mining which was called "The Last Mountain", I learned and gained more more knowledge about the negative aspects that happens when more coal mining projects are approved and started by major corporations like Massey. Furthermore, some regulations that I believe should be put into regulation or use are that there should be limitations to how many projects that a certain coal mining corporation could do in a certain amount of time or time period. For instance, Massey should be limited to at most 1 big coal mining project for a  6 to 8 month time period. Moreover, one more thing added to the legislation I proposed is that there should be at least a 50 mile distance between people's houses and the coal mining location so that the damages of the pollution to the people will less severe. More than ever, the pollution from coal mining are killing people and causing people to have cancers on a daily basis. Moreover, the health and environmental costs associated or related with mining, transporting and burning coal, as reported by a new Harvard Medical School study, are approximately $345 billion annually, which is equivalent to more than 17¢ per kilowatt hour. In addition, these costs are often viewed as “externalities” due to the fact that they are costs borne by the public which are not reflected in the price of coal-fired electricity. Above all, there are 600 coal-fired power plants across the United States, and over 600 ash ponds across the country, filled with 150 billion gallons of toxic sludge. Not to mention, each year emissions from coal-fired power plants causes more than 10 million asthma attacks, brain damage in up to 600,000 newborn children, and 43,000 premature deaths. Furthermore, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) said it is unsafe to eat many freshwater fish due to mercury contamination in forty-eight states.

Coal Mining Quickwrite

The three types of subsurface coal mining are conventional board and pillar mining, blasting gallery technology, and long wall mining.
Furthermore, the four steps of conventional mining include: drilling, blasting, lifting, and loading.
Drilling(first step)- The miners drill to make a hole in the rock where the explosives could be placed into the hole that is created after drilling into the hole.
Blasting(second step)- The miners later blast or explodes the explosives that is in the hole that was created after drilling because the main purpose of blasting is to loosen or soften the coal and the earth surface or land around it due to the fact that the coal could be later transported for processing purposes.
Lifting(third step)- The softened or loosened coal is later lifted onto tubs by the miners.
Loading(fourth step)- The tubs are later loaded onto the railroad tracks by the miners due to the fact that the railroad tracks will be used as a means to transport the coal on one place to another.

Land Career

Mining Engineer

Day in the life: Mining engineers create and design mines that are safe and efficient to remove minerals such as coals and metals from the mine for manufacturing and utilities. Moreover, mining engineers spend a lot time in meetings regarding a present or upcoming project. When they are not present at the meetings, the mining engineers will drive around the open pit, or go to the underground plants where they walk around to see if things are going as they should.  And if things are not going as they should, they ask the people who are supposed to be making things go efficiently if they are going efficiently and the mining engineers would also remind them of their important duties and task. Occasionally, mining engineers leave the mine and go to the office building in some distant city where the head office is located.  Furthermore, they meet with senior mining engineers, accountants, and lawyers to talk about the legal and financial operation aspects regarding the upcoming or present mining project.

Annual Salary Range: $58,970 to $103,619

Training: Mining Engineers need at least a Bachelors of Science (B.S.) degree from an accredited university before they can begin working for a company. Furthermore, many research positions require a master's degree or doctorate. Moreover Some courses that college students will need to take in college include geology, mining operation, mine design, metallurgy and environmental reclamation. In addition, Any mining engineer who works in the public sector must have a state license. However, requirements for a license vary by state. Above all, mining engineers needs to have good organizational skills and problem solving capabilities. Creativity and the ability to communicate effectively are also essential to success in this field.

Reference: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Mining_Engineer/Salary

                 http://www.prospects.ac.uk/mining_engineer_job_description.htm

The Coming Global Superstorm Lit Circle Prologue-Ch.2

Map Master (Prologue-Ch.2)

Cookie Mining

After doing the cookie mining activity, I learned that drilling a hole into a M&M cookie to find the hidden M&M was rather difficult for cookies that had the M&M hidden deep inside the cookie. Furthermore, taking out the M&M was rather easy for cookies that had the M&M on the top of the cookie and was clearly visible. Moreover, when I was doing this activity, I had to take out as many M&Ms as I could in a short amount of time. I learned that taking out the M&M neatly with the toothpick was a waste of time and to take out the M&M as quickly as possible, you would need to take out the M&M in a messy way to save time. This activity helped me learn how difficult a miner's job was to drill holes into the earth to dig for ores in the real world. I also learned that shaft mining often destroys the land and if you do it with speed, it destroys the land even more. Surface mining does not destroy the land as much as shaft mining.

This cookie did not leave a big mess after using toothpicks to dig for the M&Ms because the cookies were not hidden inside the cookie but rather on top of the cookie.

These cookies left a real big mess after using toothpicks to dig for the M&Ms because the cookies were indeed hidden deep inside the cookie and I had to drill deep inside the cookie with my toothpick to look for each M&M.

Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 11-12

Discussion Master (Ch.11-12)
(T/F) True or False. Hormone-disrupting chemicals are classical poisons or typical carcinogens.
(pg. 203) False. Hormone-disrupting chemicals are not classical poisons or typical carcinogens. They play by different rules.

Do hormone disrupting chemicals kill cells or attack DNA at levels typically found in the environment?
(pg. 203) When the hormone-disrupting chemicals are found at levels typically in the environment, they do not kills cells or do not attack or damage DNA.

Can hormone-disrupting chemicals damage fertility and development?
(pg. 209) Hormone-disrupting chemicals are capable of damaging or destroying fertility and development and can jeopardize the survival of an entire's species' population.

(T/F) True or False. Hormone-disrupting chemicals can cause mutations that persist across generations.
(pg. 211) False. Hormone-disrupting chemicals do not cause mutations that can persist or last across generations and do not attack genes.

Where are hormone-disrupting synthetic chemicals found in today's society?
(pg. 225) Hormone-disrupting synthetic chemicals are found in our food and water. They can be found in the air we breathe and in the consumer goods we buy on a daily basis.

What caused the acceleration of the evolution of bacteria and insects to become immune to our pesticides and antibiotics?
(pg. 229) The acceleration of the evolution of weeds, insects, and bacteria to become immune to our pesticide and antibiotics was caused by our overly excessive use of drugs and pesticides.

Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 8-10

Vocab/Word Master
1. alkylphenol (pg. 129)- (n.) a derivative of phenol having one or more alkyl groups attached to the carbon ring; a family of organic compounds obtained by the alkylation of phenols 
2. nonylphenol (pg. 129)- (n.) a family of closely related organic compounds called alkylphenol, used in manufacturing antioxidants, lubricating oil additives, laundry and dish detergents, emulsifiers, and solubilizers
3. vitellogenin (pg. 132)- (n.) an egg yolk precursor protein expressed in the females of nearly all oviparous species including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, most invertebrates, and monotremes
4. methoxychlor (pg. 137)- (n.) a synthetic organochlorine used as an insecticide
5. epididymis (pg.145)- (n.) a tightly coiled mass of thin tubes that carries sperm from the testes to the ductus deferens in the male reproductive system
6. lymphocyte (pg. 161)- (n.) complex cells that direct the body's immune system
7. endometriosis (pg. 172)- (n.) a female health disorder that occurs when cells from the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body
8. chlorofluorocarbons (pg. 173)- (n.)  an organic compound that contains only carbon, chlorine, and fluorine, produced as a volatile derivative of methane, ethane, and propane
9. hypospadias (pg. 176)- (n.) a birth defect in which the opening of the urethra is on the underside of the penis
10. transthyretin (pg. 187)- (n.) a serum and cerebrospinal fluid carrier of the thyroid hormone thyroxine (T4) and retinol-binding protein bound to retinol

Potato Mountain Graph Analysis

After my group finished gluing our potato mountains onto our shoebox, we covered the whole interior of the shoebox with plaster in order to make it look more practical and applicable to real life like a mountain range. Furthermore, the plaster enabled the potato mountain range to become more consistent in its slope and generated unevenness that more accurately symbolizes or represents a mountain range.
After finishing plastering the interior of our shoebox, we then sealed the shoebox with tape and swapped it with another group. We then got skewers and labeled the skewers with a black marker on intervals of 1 cm each. Moreover, we used the skewer to enable us to calculate the depth or deepness of the box. Likewise, this is very alike to measuring the altitude or elevation of the landforms or mountain ranges with a satellite.
When electromagnetic waves are released or discharges, it takes a period of time for the electromagnetic waves to come back to the satellite in which it gives an understandably accurate approximation of the satellite's distance to the surface. Furthermore, we made a data chart of the distances on a piece of line paper and later converted onto excel and generated a 3-dimensional portrayal of the potato mountains we got when we swapped with another group.
This screenshot represents another group's shoebox. It shows an approximate estimation of the potato mountain's shape or mountain range we received. The 3-D picture we generated is very similar to the topographical worksheets we did in which each different color in the 3-D representation represents a specific altitude of the mountain range.

Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 7

Map Master (Ch.7)

Potato Mountain Topography

While doing the potato mountain topography, I learned that increments or intervals are used to represent landforms in topographical maps. Furthermore, this activity helped me better understand topographical maps. A mountain's topographical map would include contour lines that resemble the mountain's shape at increments of 10, 50, or 100 feet depending on the altitude of the mountain. The half potato I cut out for this activity represents a mountain range.

We first took a large potato and cut it in half, which represents my mountain. I kept one half of a potato for myself and gave the other half of my mountain to my group. Moreover, I later cut the potato into 4 horizontal layers.

I later took each horizontal layer of my potato and traced it onto a blue colored piece of paper.

I later made another identical copy of the cut-out/traced layers of potato (in order to make a double layer of the shape in cardboard) and glued it onto a piece of cardboard.

Finally, I glued the layers of cardboard together.

I later glued my potato mountain along with my other group member's potato onto the shoebox and we later plastered the interior of the shoebox.

Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 5-6

Discussion Master (Ch.5-6)
How do plants protect or defend themselves from predators since they can't run away?

(pg. 76-77) Plants make oral contraceptives to defend themselves. Some plants smell bad, taste bad, or poison those those insects that eat them. When insects attack, numerous plants fight back with a chemical arsenal that can kill insects, make them stop feeding on them, or disrupt their growth.

(T/F) True or False. Estrogenic substances always pose a hazard to human health or to the development of babies.

(pg. 79) False. Plants containing estrogen mimics may be beneficial in some instances and dangerous or hazardous in other instances.

What effects does DDE (the form of DDT that lasts the longest in the body fat of humans and animals) have?

(pg. 85) It depletes or reduces the hormone levels by accelerating their breakdown and elimination.

What is DDT usually regarded as?

(pg.85) It is usually regarded as a classic estrogen mimic that elevates or increases hormone levels.

What hazards do humans share with polar bears?

(pg.106) Along with polar bears, we humans share the hazards of feeding at the top of the food web. The persistent synthetic chemicals that invaded the polar bear's world has also invaded ours.

If we were willing to put up a couple thousand dollars for check-ups or tests in our body fat, about how many chemical contaminants would we find in our body fat?

(pg.106) Regardless of where he or she lives, anyone who would be willing to put up the money for the tests would find at least 250 chemical contaminants in his or her body fat.

Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 3-4

Quote Master (Ch.3-4)
pg. 32, "How, for example, could a woman suffering from multiple personality disorder play with a cat for hours while she was one personality and suffer violent allergic reactions to cats when she took on another." I think this quote was significant because the answer to that question lies in the topic or subject of chemical messengers. Alterations in one part of this system and have unforeseeable effects somewhere else because the system is interconnected.

pg. 33, "If hormones are vital to maintain proper functioning in adults, they are perhaps even more important in the elaborate process of development before birth." I believe this quote is significant because this theory of Vom Saal paved the foundation for the realization how small differences or fluctuations in contaminants which imitate hormones could also change development.

pg. 41, "Before the twentieth century, it was widely assumed that the sex of the baby was determined by environmental factors such as temperature." This quote was significant because more factors that determined sex were later discovered. For instance, Edmund Beecher Wilson and Nettie Marie Stevens discovered in 1906 that the number of X chromosomes determined sex due to the fact that they found that man has an X and Y chromosome, and women had two X chromosomes.

pg. 48, "Leading researchers and gynecologists hailed the man-made estrogen, known as diethylstilbestrol or DES, as a wonder drug with a host of potential uses." I believe this quote is significant because DES did not help pregnancies, but instead caused severe harm such as having uncommon or rare cancers to people were in the womb of their mothers who were treated with DES. It was definitely not a wonder drug.

pg. 49, "When the story of the thalidomide babies broke, it caused an international sensation." I think this quote is significant because DES caused infants without any legs or arms to be born to the world and it caused bad nightmares that the parents of those infants would remember for a lifetime. This comes to show what can go bad or wrong when the development hormonal control becomes rattled or agitated.

Mercator Map Distortion

I used an orange to draw a map of the Earth. I later peeled the orange and put it flat on a table to observe the distortions. After peeling the orange, I notice that it is distorted on the north and south poles. The area near the poles seem bigger and the area near the equator seems smaller. Areas away from the equator seems much larger than they actually are.

Before Peeling                                                               After Peeling

   

Ecological Footprint Blog

My footprint was 2.2 planets, which is above the World Average (1.3 planets) and below the North American Average (3.8 planets).

I can improve my footprint results by buying local produce, eat seasonal vegetables, eat fresh food, support local farms, try vegetarian meals, don't cool empty rooms, switch off the AC, use your thermostats, close blinds when sunny, close doors, use weather strips, insulate hot water pipes, take a shorter shower, save water in the shower, get a pressure cooker, use lids when cooking, buy a thermos, use energy saving lights, use cooling fans, wash economically, dry naturally, check insulation strips, pull the plug, use recycled paper, cut my water, cut down on my bags, say no to junk mail, walk or bike, take train/bus to work, reduce my trips, drive economically, use travel alternatives, go on a bike rid, and stay closer to home during the holiday.

All About Me Blog

Hello! My name is Douglas. (Nickname: Doug)
Hobbies:  I enjoy drawing, painting, playing tennis, basketball, badminton, and swimming.
Career Goals: Engineer, Pharmaceutical Scientist, or Physician
College Goals: I would like to go to a 4 year university offers an undergraduate Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, or Biochemistry major.
Favorite subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, and Calculus
Personal Traits: Determined, hard working, out going, ambitious, and team spirited
Favorite colors: blue, black, green, teal
Favorite foods: All kinds of seafood and red meat (I enjoy eating hot-pot and Korean Barbecue), spicy food, ramen, dumplings, vegetables, dim sum
Favorite Seasons: Summer and Winter
Favorite Artist: Vincent Van Gogh
Music that I listen to: Pop, R&B, Hip-Hop, Rap, Classical Music, Kpop
Favorite types of candy: M&Ms, Hershey Chocolate Bars, Kit-Kat, Three Musketeers, and Skittles
Favorite types of fruits to eat: Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Grapes, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Tangerines
Favorite types of books: Science-Fiction, Non-fiction, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, and books related biology, chemistry, physics, and psychology

Lit Circle (Our Stolen Future) Ch 1-2

Word/Vocab Master (Ch.1-2)                                                                          
1. pg. 1, ornithology (n.) - the scientific study of birds
2. pg. 3, dieldrin (n.) - a light tan, crystalline, water-insoluble, poisonous solid, used as an pesticide
3. pg. 4, edema (n.)  -  a condition characterized by an excess of watery fluid collecting in the cavities or tissues of the body
4. pg. 4, grotesque (adj.) - odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character
5. pg. 6, dicofol (n.) - a pesticide containing a small percentage of DDT and used primarily to control mites on crops
6. pg. 8, cetacean (n.) - a marine animal of the order Cetacea; a whale, dolphin, or porpoise
7. pg. 18, toxicologist (n.) - a scientist who specializes in the study of symptoms, mechanisms, treatments, and detection of venoms and toxins
8. pg. 23, organochlorine (n.) - an organic compound that contains one or more chlorine atoms
9. pg. 26, cormorant (n.) - a large diving bird with a long neck, long hooked bill, short legs, and mainly dark plumage
10. pg. 27, zooplankton (n.) - the aggregate of animal or animal-like organisms in plankton; a plankton consisting of small animals and the immature stages of larger animals