Definitions
Climate Change- It is the increase of the Earth’s temperature. Scientists say it is caused by large amounts of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide emitted from human activity.
Ecosystem- An ecosystem is an interaction between the organisms living in a specific environment.
Summary
Charles F. Baes, Jr., a chemist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory said that the earth was going through a great “uncontrolled experiment”. He was addressing the problem of global warming and rising temperatures caused by large amounts of greenhouse gases emitted. So far, scientists are uncertain about how the climate change will affect plant and forest ecosystems. Instead of waiting and observing the effects of global warming, researchers are now conducting experiments by changing temperatures and other factors of real-life ecosystems. They artificially alter precipitation, carbon dioxide, and temperature in grasslands and forests, and monitor the changes in the eco-system. Some results are quite surprising. For example, higher carbon dioxide levels enhance yields in some crops such as wheat and rice, but also cause more pests. Also, it was found that higher carbon dioxide levels may impact public health, with plants releasing more allergy triggering pollens.
Discussion
I chose this article because global warming is a rising issue in the world today. As the world is rapidly industrializing and making advances in technology, nations are emitting more and more greenhouse gases. United States alone let out almost six billion metric tons of carbon dioxide last year. Unwanted consequences include more powerful storms, melting glaciers, and increasing sea levels. The article also shows the negative effects of higher carbon dioxide levels and temperatures on ecosystems. Since eco-systems are interactions between the numerous organisms living in a specific environment, one subtle change may throw off the system, leading to dangerous consequences. I think the world must immediately do something to slow down global warming. If nothing is done, we will be leaving much more significant problems to future generations.
Questions
1. I would like to see some data tables or graphs. How much percent will the plant yields increase with a certain increase in carbon dioxide levels?
2. How will changes affect the ecosystem? Will the changes be major and damaging?
Resources
Wullschleger, Stan D., and Maya Strahl. "Climate Change: A Controlled
Experiment." EBSCO Host. EBSCO, Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2010.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/
detail?vid=1&hid=107&sid=aa8b098e-dcb2-4c91-8fb4-02400e2d4827%40sessionmgr114&bda
ta=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=sch&AN=47893648>.
Experiment." EBSCO Host. EBSCO, Mar. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2010.
<http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/
detail?vid=1&hid=107&sid=aa8b098e-dcb2-4c91-8fb4-02400e2d4827%40sessionmgr114&bda
ta=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=sch&AN=47893648>.
Picture: http://picses.eu/keyword/greenhouse%20effect/
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ReplyDeleteI definitely agree on your sentence where you said that one tiny alteration can greatly affect an ecosystem. If we do not act now, dire consequences could ensue. I thought that the results the research showed was really interesting. Also, the fact that global warming could in fact help a few crops was really surprising. It is a smart idea that scientists chose to simulate this so we know what the future is going to be like. Even though there are a few positive effects of global warming such as the increased growth of certain crops, the cons are still highly serious. I hope we can find solutions and prevent/deter some of the effects of global warming.
ReplyDeleteGood Job, Andrew. Your attention to detail is very good, such as when you stated specific facts to use in your post. I also like the way you mentioned the relation between global warming and how it affects people directly. However, the way you mentioned the "negative effects" in your second paragraph makes it seem like it is missing a "positive effects" section. Try to conclude by weighing the pros and cons. Overall, I agree with you.
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