Throughout the Environmental Science.

While I was taking the Environmental science class for Fall 2013, there were several environmental issues today such as Climate Change, Energy, Waste, Water, Food, Consumption, Ecosystems and Endangered Species, and so on. Among all the issues, in my opinion, Climate change is the most important issue today.

Our Earth, the entire world, is warming. 

Earth's average temperature has risen by 1.4°F over the past century, and is projected to rise another 2 to 11.5°F over the next hundred years. Small changes in the average temperature of the planet can translate to large and potentially dangerous shifts in climate and weather.

“Why is the climate change the most important?”

There are TWO Main reasons why.

1.      “Climate change affects everyone”

Climate changes could very well lead to the spread of diseases such as dungy fever and malaria into more northern regions. Tropical storms and hurricanes will not only increase but may also become more intense. If the changes manifest too quickly, it is feared that animal and plant species may not be able to adapt fast enough and could become extinct.

2.      “Our lives are connected to the climate.”

Human societies have adapted to the relatively stable climate we have enjoyed since the last ice age which ended several thousand years ago. A warming climate will bring changes that can affect our water supplies, agriculture, power and transportation systems, the natural environment, and even our own health and safety.

The Earth's climate is changing. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events—like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures—are already affecting society and ecosystems. Scientists are confident that many of the observed changes in the climate can be linked to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, caused largely by people burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, heat and cool buildings, and power vehicles. Carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for nearly a century, so Earth will continue to warm in the coming decades. The warmer it gets, the greater the risk for more severe changes to the climate and Earth's system. Although it's difficult to predict the exact impacts of climate change, what's clear is that the climate we are accustomed to be no longer a reliable guide for what to expect in the future. Global warming has been concerning scientists for decades. From the melting polar ice caps to catastrophic weather and threatened ecosystems, not only is climate change real, scientists agree that humans are influencing climate change with our production of greenhouse gases mainly stemming from carbon dioxide and methane.

What can we do about it as a society?

Greenhouse effect caused largely by people burning fossil fuels. There is one thing that really good for wasting fossil fuels. Many people drive their car without carpool, but sometimes a person has to go somewhere alone. Think about this.

Make a voluntarily policy “No driving for the day of week.”

What government can do is, if a person does for the policy, he will get some discount for car registration or car insurance. Basically one person chooses one day of the week when he does not drive at all the car. This policy will reduce a lot of gas emission from car.

Here is one example what is going on in china about the policy.

Beijing Traffic Management Bureau

http://www.bjjtgl.gov.cn/publish/portal1/tab167/info10142.htm

Announcement on Rotating No Driving Day Per Week by Tail Plate No. of Motor Vehicles

We hereby announce that,

it is decided that, in accordance with the provisions of the Circular of Beijing People’s Government on the Implementation of Traffic Control Measures on regularly rotating No Driving Day on a weekly basis by the tail plate No. of motor vehicles, from February 2 to March 1, 2009, the tail plate No. of the no-driving motor vehicles from Monday through Friday shall be 2 and 7, 3 and 8, 4 and 9, 5 and 0, 1 and 6, respectively (including the temporary plate numbers; provided the tail plate No. of any motor vehicle is an English alphabet, it shall be treated as 0).   

                                                                                                                            January 16, 2009

How does it sound?

I think if all American States do the same, it will be huge reduction of gas emission. As an international student, I always felt that all the pollution from car gas emission is because of America because there are so many cars, and they are not even driving on carpool lane which allows a car to come in when they have only TWO or more people in the car.

In my country South Korea, we have a similar kind of car pool line, but we call it Bus line. A car which can take more than 9 people and there must be more than 6 people in the maximum occupancy of 9 people only can take Bus line which is similar to Car Pool Lane.

The policy “No driving for the day of week,” will be a good way to reduce gas emission from cars.

What can I do for the climate change as an individual?

I always go to school by my car although there is a way to get there by bus. I like to go school by my car because it is more convenient. However, I can take bus like half days or all days of the week.

Also, I can do carpool wherever whenever I go. I can be more close to my friends if I take them together with my car instead of meeting at the place using our own car.

Although I would be the only one person doing this, it would be good for environment. I hope other people think the same as me, so the climate changes slower at least.

Carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for nearly a century, so Earth will continue to warm in the coming decades. The warmer it gets, the greater the risk for more severe changes to the climate and Earth's system. Although it's difficult to predict the exact impacts of climate change, what's clear is that the climate we are accustomed to be no longer a reliable guide for what to expect in the future. Global warming has been concerning scientists for decades. From the melting polar ice caps to catastrophic weather and threatened ecosystems, not only is climate change real, scientists agree that humans are influencing climate change with our production of greenhouse gases mainly stemming from carbon dioxide and methane.

THE MOST INTERESTING THING IN THE SEMESTER !! LANDFILL~~~

Through the entire semester, I have learned a lot about environmental science. The most interesting thing I have learned this semester was the field trip to Land Fill which was my first visiting to see the mountains of trashes.

I went to the BadLands Sanitary Landfill in Moreno Valley in California. I could not imagine how big the landfill is, and I also did not expect to see a HUGE landfill.

When I arrived there, I did not really realize that I was on landfill because it seemed just like mountain without any smell. A tour guide came, and all people went some places around landfill such as where trashes are gathering, where they make some energy, and where they separate trashes.

The landfill is permitted max tonnage of 4,000 tons per day, and they receive average of 2,200 tons/day. I did not know that trashes what I throw away a little per day becomes a part of 2,200 tons of huge trashes. It was amazing and I got shocked how much people throw away things.

There are also people who are monitoring the landfill, and they get inspection every single month that they are still good to keep landfill. There are several monitoring programs such as national Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System, Groundwater Monitoring, Gas Monitoring, and Gas Collection System. Based on how their system works, I could see that even throwing away trashes have very strict regulation.

However, the interesting thing in the landfill was the landfill itself can makes some energy from the Methane gas. They can produce 1.2 MW/hr. I really did not know that they can make energy from trashes.

I was sometimes standing on the mountain of trashes, and sometimes not. They were expanding the landfill since they need more space. The tour guide said that they are planning to expand more even they are expanding right now. How big it is going to be? It was already big to not be able to see the end from my own eyes. I had to walk some places to see other places, and it did not even seem like the end. The tour guide said that if they get more land, they could use the landfill more than 150years. It was amazing that how fast they fill the land with trashes. However, even if it doesn’t smell and we as a human being can use landfill almost forever for ourselves. We should not throw away everything. They also get something almost new working perfectly fine. It shouldn’t happen. One should try best to reduce, reuse, and recycle. 

Although the environmental science class itself was difficult for me as an international student, I have enjoyed class the most among other classes in this semester. The professor taught well for me to understand the lecture. I am still having hard time because of may vocabularies, but it is still fun to learn. I was not interested in Environment before; however, now I feel like I know more than other regular people, I am so into the environment. I try to explain everything that I learn from class to other my friends. It was nice for me to meet AWESOME classmates too. This is my last semester, and I will go back to my country with an associate Degree if i pass this class. haha. It was nice meeting all classmates, and hearing all good ideas and opinions from smart people. My best wishes to all people, and Thank you for reading my last blog for the class.

Thank you again. 

Young.