Tier 2

In my opinion, I think humans should continue to attempt to control rivers. If scientists make a better working item to control rivers, than they could save more money, people, and land. The article about the Nile river really contributed to my decision. The Egyptians had many great ways to control the Nile river, like the shaduf and their basins. If the Egyptians can use the Nile river to create fertile land out of non-advanced materials, modern humans can create better systems of irrigation and be able to control rivers. The shaduf  added water to a little area of land. Modern day humans could make a bigger shaduf, and that would lead to bigger fields fertile to grow food. This could lead to the end of  world famine. Also, as long as humans continue to control rivers, the trade route to Louisiana will continue. I also had to re-think my decision a few times, mostly because of the costly factor. It costs thousands of dollars to control the Mississippi River. I think that before we try a new form of river control, we need to test it in laboratories first, so we do not waste money on those things. Imagine spending hundreds, thousands, or millions of dollars on a new form of flood control and it not working. America is in a tough time. All we need is to lose more money and go into another depression. By testing the products maybe with a smaller prototype, It is a good way to save money, and make sure the product works as well as it needs to. 

Weathering in the Colosseum

What kind of weathering is affecting the Colosseum? 
The colosseum is being affected by Frost Wedging, a kind of weathering.


Is it chemical, or mechanical? 
It is mechanical weathering.

1/31/2012

1. The horizontal axis is showing years and is ranging of 1905 to 2000.

2. Present day is on the right.

3. The vertical axis is showing Co2 levels with units of 20 ppmv's. Also,  Global temperature in units of 0.5˚ Celsius.

4. The data is from http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2011/08/the-global-warming-hoax-in-charts.php

01/10/2012 ~Soil~

only 11% of Earth is soil.
~My reaction: If 11% of Earth is soil, than what is that like as the size of a country?


The US, which just avoided turning the Great Plains into a dust bowl in the 1930s, is still losing soil 18 times more rapidly than it is forming it.
My Reaction: That is a interesting fact. 

December 12th, 2011

 What are the causes of explosions in coal mines?
~methane ignitions 


 How were families in the United States compensated for the deaths of their family members, and how does that compare to the compensation of Chinese families? 
~U.S. family members were paid 1.5 million dollars per family members of the family lost. The company spent over tens of millions of dollars total.


~In China, the families are given 10,000 yuan ($1,577) for funeral and death expenses and a compensation package was given to the family members which included 660,000 yuan. ($103,709.76) 




Speculate about why miner safety conditions are so much worse in China.
~There is no monitoring system in China to make sure everything is safe and secure.
~The management is rebellious and doesn't follow the correct rules and codes.
~The license for that specific mine was taken away about a year before the explosion. 
~Gas explosions, floods, and fire happen often in Chinese mines.

November 28th, 2011

Who do you think was most directly responsible for the Deepwater Horizon disaster? Why? In addition, what would be "justice" for the responsible party?


I think the testers were responsible for the Deepwater Horizon disaster because they should have noticed any problems, that is their job. There is always going to be a supply and demand of a popular and helpful product; in this case, oil. If any other problem and a tester didn't notice a fault that could be potentially harmful to people and the environment, they should be fired at the least punishment. They definitely deserve jail time as the maximum punishment. It is not fair that they caused harm to the environment. They killed many animals, and 11 men's lives. That is just not fair.

10/26/2011

1.) What are the names of the two tectonic plates which are interacting to cause earthquakes in Turkey. 

 a) The Arabian Plate and the Eurasian Plates were the two plates that caused many earthquakes in Turkey over the past few days.

2.) What kind of plate boundary is it? 

a) It is a convergent plate boundary.

3.) What is the most powerful magnitude earthquake that has struck Turkey in the past 100 years?

a)The most powerful magnitude earthquake that has struck Turkey in the past 100 years was a Magnitude 7.8 earthquake in 1939.