Today we started a new Unit on Earth Systems. We were introduced into Section 1: Human Activity & Earth's Systems. We talked about the explosion of Human population, and the outcome of the Industrial Revolution. We discussed the countless instances where natural resources have been used to create new things, that seem to look nothing like the raw material. One of these instances is how oil is made into a wide variety of plastics. We also talked about our impact on the Earth.
Tuesday or September 29, 2015 C.E.:
We started a new lab today, to go with our new Unit. It is called the Sustainable Ecosystems lab. In this lab we will be growing Rye grass in bottles. I am working with Ben Testori, and we will be exposing our plants to Heavy Metals. Mrs. Giacomelli, our teacher, only has Iron powder, so I decided to buy some Cadmium from unitednuclear.com. After this, we learn more about our current Unit. We talked about what fossil fuels are and why they are harmful to the environment. Today was quite fun, especially because it is always interesting to be introduced to a new unit.
Wednesday or September 30, 2015 C.E.:
Now that I have ordered the Cadmium, the first problems start to dawn. I notice that the Cadmium that I ordered has not specific shipping date. I am expecting that it will come on Saturday, but there is no guarantee. I also learn that Cadmium is very harmful when inhaled. Normally this would not be a problem, but I am grinding it down into a powder. This will cause particles to get into the air. This means I need a respirator. I do a bunch of research on the hazards of Cadmium, until I know what kind to get. I need a N-100 rated filter for "toxic metals such as Cadmium or Lead" *ouch*. This filter is of such high quality that it can filter a minimum of 99.97% of airborne particles. I do some additional research to find the right model and its cost. I also need latex gloves. For additional safety I need to shower and wash my clothes after immediately after grinding down Cadmium, for increased safety. Today we also learned more about the unit. We discussed the pros and cons of nuclear energy, biomass, solar energy, wind energy, hydroelectricity and geothermal energy. I was shocked at how negatively my classmates were inclined towards hydroelectricity, compared to nuclear energy. Personally, I despise Nuclear Energy more than any other source of energy that we have available, except for coal and oil, and thus I would pick hydroelectric over nuclear any day. Yes, hydroelectric dams are harmful, but if they have a fall height of less than 15 meters, they cannot be too harmful, or at least not as harmful as the nuclear waste that stays radioactive for at least 25,000 years. I think the dams on the Danube river are acceptable, and are not too harmful. Many have systems in place to help fish migrate.
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| A Danube River dam with a fall height of 10.6 meters |
Thursday or October 1, 2015 C.E.:
Today we talked about the Earth's spheres, their composition, and how they are interlinked with each other. The geosphere is the inner portion of the Earth. It contains the core, mantle, and crust of the Earth. The cryosphere is the frozen water of Earth, and the Hydrosphere is all the water on Earth including frozen water. The biosphere consists of all the living matter on Earth. It spans from 11km beneath sea level, to 9km up into the atmosphere. We also talked about the atmosphere's composition. After this, Ben and I perfected our lab procedures and similar things to prepare for the planting of our seeds.
Friday or October 2, 2015 C.E.:
We were supposed to plant our seeds for the lab today, but the Cadmium has not arrived yet. I really hope that it comes soon. In class we finished all the preparations for the results table and all things digitally. We have finished our bottles, prepared our soil, and I even made labels. Now all we need is the Cadmium.
Summary: This week was fun. We were introduced to a new Unit which is always interesting. I have improved my efficiency while working, but I think I can still decrease the time in which I write my blog.
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