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Global Warming. You guys have probably heard a lot about it already but for the sake of this article, here's a short description about it. 

"Global warming is the increase in Earth’s average surface temperature due to rising levels of greenhouse gases. It is the rise in the average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century, and its projected continuation."

The effects of global warming is continuously being felt in different places of the world. It's not only the homeless polar bears we should think about. Here's how global waring affects us in a bigger picture:
  • Ice is melting worldwide, especially at the Earth’s poles. This includes mountain glaciers, ice sheets covering West Antarctica and Greenland, and Arctic sea ice.
  • Researcher Bill Fraser has tracked the decline of the Adélie penguins on Antarctica, where their numbers have fallen from 32,000 breeding pairs to 11,000 in 30 years.
  • Sea level rise became faster over the last century.
  • Some butterflies, foxes, and alpine plants have moved farther north or to higher, cooler areas.
  • Precipitation (rain and snowfall) has increased across the globe, on average.
  • Spruce bark beetles have boomed in Alaska thanks to 20 years of warm summers. The insects have chewed up 4 million acres of spruce trees.
  • Massive crop failures. According to recent research, there is a 90% chance that 3 billion people worldwide will have to choose between moving their families to milder climes and going hungry due to climate change within 100 years.
  • Widespread extinction of species. According to research published in Nature, by 2050, rising temperatures could lead to the extinction of more than a million species. And because we can’t exist without a diverse population of species on Earth, this is scary news for humans.
  • Disappearance of coral reefs. A report on coral reefs from WWF says that in a worst case scenario, coral populations will collapse by 2100 due to increased temperatures and ocean acidification. The ‘bleaching’ of corals from small but prolonged rises in sea temperature is a severe danger for ocean ecosystems, and many other species in the oceans rely on coral reefs for their survival.
  • More snow. Snow has two simple ingredients: cold and moisture. Warmer air collects moisture like a sponge until it hits a patch of cold air. When temperatures dip below freezing, a lot of moisture creates a lot of snow.

Some of us out there might be thinking "Yeah, yeah. Global warming, Smomal Wamming. What's it gonna do to me?" If your thinking this then you should get you facts straight. Global warming doesn't only affect nature, but also our everyday lives. How? Here's how:
  • Food
Food prices are rising as climate change makes it trickier to maintain the specific conditions crops need to thrive. As the climate warms, the air holds more moisture and rainstorms become more intense, damaging crops. Overall precipitation patterns are also changing, bringing droughts to some areas of the world and floods to others. A recent study published by Stanford University showed that global wheat production decreased by 5.5 percent as a result of an unstable climate, and world corn production was down by nearly 4 percent. So far, North American farmers haven't seen the same drop in productivity, but that is expected to change. (See References 2) The EPA reports that an additional increase of 3.6 degrees F in the global temperature could decrease production of American corn by 10 to 30 percent.

  • Fresh Water
Fresh water is becoming scarcer in some regions. Many mountainous states rely on snowmelt to replenish their water sources, and snowpack is declining as well as melting earlier in the season. Severe droughts, increased evaporation and changes in precipitation patterns are impacting water levels in streams, rivers and lakes. Nearly 18 percent of the world's fresh water is found in the Great Lakes, which supply drinking water to a large region. Scientists expect lake levels to drop as the climate continues to warm up. Lake Superior --- the largest of the five Great Lakes --- is 4.5 degrees F warmer than it was in 1980, and water levels in all of the Great Lakes have generally declined since 1986.

  • Coastline Damage
Rising ocean levels will cover some of the coastline used for recreation and human habitation. Sea ice is melting at an accelerated rate, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Arctic sea ice has shrunk by 30 percent since 1979. As it melts and ocean levels rise, coastlines and low-lying areas like New Orleans, Miami and New York are threatened. If the Earth's climate warms by 2 or 3 more degrees by 2100, global sea level will rise 3 feet, displacing almost 56 million people around the world. 

  • Fire
More wildfires are breaking out as droughts become increasingly common. Fires that go through drought-stricken land spread more quickly and burn longer, destroying forests and homes, public recreation spaces and grasslands. The University of Arizona reported that from 1987 to 2003, seven times more forested land burned in the western United states than during the preceding 17 years, and large fires were four times as frequent. (See Resources 1) The EPA predicts that if the earth warms another 3.6 degrees F, wildfires in that part of the country will burn four times more land than they currently do.

Source: Green Living
SO what now? What can we do to help prevent global warming form getting worse? Here are some things you can do as an individual:



1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. Buying products with minimal packaging (including the economy size when that makes sense for you) will help to reduce waste. And whenever you can, recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass and aluminum cans. If there isn't a recycling program at your workplace, school, or in your community, ask about starting one. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.


2. Use Less Heat and Air Conditioning
Adding insulation to your walls and attic, and installing weather stripping or caulking around doors and windows can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent, by reducing the amount of energy you need to heat and cool your home.


3. Change a Light Bulb
Wherever practical, replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Replacing just one 60-watt incandescent light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb. CFLs also last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat.


4. Drive Less and Drive Smart
Less driving means fewer emissions. Besides saving gasoline, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Explore your community mass transit system, and check out options for carpooling to work or school.


5. Buy Energy-Efficient ProductsWhen it's time to buy a new car, choose one that offers good gas mileage. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs.

6. Use Less Hot Water Set your water heater at 120 degrees to save energy, and wrap it in an insulating blanket if it is more than 5 years old. Buy low-flow showerheads to save hot water and about 350 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water to reduce your use of hot water and the energy required to produce it. That change alone can save at least 500 pounds of carbon dioxide annually in most households. Use the energy-saving settings on your dishwasher and let the dishes air-dry.

7. Use the "Off" SwitchSave electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and using only as much light as you need. And remember to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you're not using them.

8. Plant a tree. If you have the means to plant a tree, start digging. During photosynthesis, trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. They are an integral part of the natural atmospheric exchange cycle here on Earth, but there are too few of them to fully counter the increases in carbon dioxide caused by automobile traffic, manufacturing and other human activities.

9.  Encourage Others to Conserve
Share information about recycling and energy conservation with your friends, neighbors and co-workers, and take opportunities to encourage public officials to establish programs and policies that are good for the environment.

On an unrelated matter...

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It's gettin' hot guys!
Haha, sorry for the serious matter, guys. Our professor wanted us to post something earth related. Originally, I wanted my blog to be about space and all. Guess this is a combo-breaker. I hope I can come back to my routine post soon. 

Anyways, I hope you learned something today. 
Have a great week! 


 
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guys. I'm not really that mean, ya know.
Who doesn't enjoy a good science fiction? I myself prefer it over real life based movies or books. But in entertainment, script writers can't help but twist facts a little bit to fit the taste of the audience.

There are a lot of science fiction that have featured black holes. Some of which that I am familiar of are the shows Star Trek, Doctor Who and Star wars. Though of course, facts in this shows are stretched due to the fact that they are  set in the future where they have all sorts of cool gadgets and Treknology , or that there are Time Lords that travel space and time or simply took place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

But in reality, what are Black Holes?


 
Let me begin with a short video about The Big Bang Theory. This wasn't originally what I wanted to show you. I was searching for that certain short video by BBC that our professor showed to the class but I can't find it so this'll have to do. Two minutes lost won't hurt.
'The simlest picture with the big bang starts with nothing.'

 
Natural Science isn't only one subject. 'Natural Science' is basically a term that holds together different disciplines that explains the natural phenomenon happening around us using different scientific methods. It is distinguished from social sciences (such as sociology and psychology) which are more primarily concerned with explaining social environments and human activity.

Natural Science branches out to astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science and physics. Other disciplines that can be found under Natural Science are  astrophysics, biophysics, physical chemistry, geochemistry, biochemistry, astrochemistry.


    Jen Santos

    19 year old Advertising student in UST. Amateur blogger. Full time Artist.

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