The Kyoto protocol signed in 1997 required 37 counties to cut there carbon emissions. A loophole in this agreement did not count carbon from bio energy. Countries seeking to boost their bioenergy production deforested their land to plant crops for biofuel. Several scientists point out that this does not help reduce the carbon in the atmosphere. By deforesting, you cut down forests that intake carbon and replace biofuel that intake and outtake carbon. The scientists hope to prove their point and cause world leaders to amend the Kyoto protocol when a climate treaty is signed in Copenhagen summit in December.
My opinion on this article is that it was informative and interesting. I found a lot of new information, and it makes me think again about the "benefits" of biofuel. This article captivated my attention because I had always thought of biofuel to be the answer to the environmental issues, but now, I have the knowledge of the consequences of burning biofuel. Overall, I learned many new things and I enjoyed reading about this topic.

Arctic Disappearing

The Arctic seems to be literally disappearing, as it has been confirmed that the Arctic ice cover for the month of September has reached its minimum for the year, the third lowest recorded since 1979. Year after year, the amount of ice that returns to the Arctic becomes less and less, and the ice that does return in very thin and exposed. Scientists are afraid that the Arctic may change forever. During the summer months, ships can now pass through areas that were impossible to pass through a few years ago. The ice cover was significantly low for this year of 2009 because of the pollution and greenhouse gases dumped into the atmosphere by humans. NSIDC Research Scientist Walt Meier quotes “Atmospheric circulation patterns helped the Arctic sea ice spread out in August to prevent another record-setting minimum.” This year the ice cover did rank as the third lowest recorded since satellites began measuring ice extents in 1979. The minimum ice cover for 2009 is 620,000 square miles, which is nearly the size of the area of Alaska. The ice cover for the Arctic still continues to decrease and with this trend, the Artic may someday have ice free summers.

It is my opinion that this article was descriptive and informative. This article gave me a large amount of information on one of the worst environmental issues today. It really showed me that if we do not act soon to stop global warming, it is very possible that the polar ice caps could disappear forever.
http://www.livescience.com/environment/090917-artic-ice.html

Plasticity Lab Conclusion

Currently in science class, we are learning about the Earth’s interior. Recently, my class performed a lab on the mantle. We mixed cornstarch and water together, which resulted in a substance that is gooey and very fun to play with. This mixture is both a solid and liquid. When heat and pressure are applied, you can roll it into a ball, like a solid. However, if you let it sit in your hand it will slip and slide, like a liquid. When handled, the mixture turns into a solid. When not handled, it’s a liquid. This is an accurate example of the Earth’s mantle because like the mixture, the mantle is solid when heat and pressure are omnipresent. However, the mantle turns to liquid form when heat and pressure are not omnipresent. This was a very interactive and fun lab, and I had a great time completing this hands-on experiment. Omega science is exciting and interesting, and I really enjoy participating in my science class.

October Sky Blog

I recently watched the movie October Sky during class. This movie was about an underappreciated boy named Homer Hickem who must overcome challenges and obstacles to do what he wants to do, build rockets. In one part of the movie, Homer and his friends have to prove their innocence because they are falsely accused of starting a forest fire, due to one of their rockets. Homer and his friends shoot one of their rockets, and nearby on the same day, a forest fire is started. The police find an object that looks like a rocket near the site of the fire, and they blame Homer. However, Homer uses mathematical equations to prove to Mr. Turner (the principal of Homer’s school) and the police that his rocket could not have started the fire. Homer calculated the final location of the rocket and it was no where near where the object the found. Later, it is confirmed that it was a military flare that started the fire, set off at a nearby airport. A character education trait that was not shown in the movie towards Homer was respect. Homer was not shown respect by his brother and father, because they did not appreciate his academic pursuits. Homer was not shown respect by his brother Jim because Homer wanted to build rockets, and Jim thought football was all that mattered. He felt that Homer’s dream was a joke. Homer also was not respected by his father because his father did not “approve” of Homer’s dreams. Since Homer did not excel at football, his father thought that Homer should spend his life working in the coal mine. His father proudly went to all of Jim’s football games, but never to one of Homer’s rocket launches. I found this movie to be interesting and enjoyable, especially since it is based on a true story. It also delivers a very important message - Always follow your dreams, and listen to your heart since no one can choose your life for you.

Genetic Disorder Response Blog

After I completed my project on Down Syndrome, I took the time to look at other people’s blogs and I found a very interesting blog posted by silver star. Silver star’s blog was on the genetic disorder known as Patau’s Syndrome, and it was very descriptive and informative. I learned many facts regarding this genetic disorder; for example, I learned that this disorder is caused by three copies of chromosome 13. Also, I found out that one in every sixteen thousand fetuses is diagnosed with Patau’s Syndrome. People who are born with this disorder can have certain abnormalities including extra fingers or toes, heart defects, and incomplete eyesight, to name a few. Another bit of information I have learned while reading this blog was that people with Patau’s Syndrome die at a very young age. In fact, the oldest age that someone has lived when diagnosed with this disease is the age of 33. This is a very sad and upsetting disease, because I learned lastly a very sad fact. 82% of the infants who are diagnosed with Patau's Syndrome and survive birth die within the first month of their lives. This article was very informative and well organized, but it made me feel very sad. I was sad while I read this article because this made me aware of the worst disease I have ever known. I have never thought it would be possible that a disorder could be this severe. This article made me aware of this disorder, and I will now know that this disorder is out there. These types of disorders exist out there in the world, and we all should be more aware of all of them, and treat the people who have them with special care and respect.

Genetic Disorders Blog

As the amazing Omega year ends, I continue to enjoy the interesting topics I am studying in my science class. Currently, I am learning genetic disorders. For my genetic disorders project, my assigned genetic disorder was Down Syndrome. While researching Down Syndrome, I learned many different details about this disorder. One detail that I learned is that humans with Down Syndrome have one extra chromosome. This means they have 47 chromosomes, instead of 46, which is the normal amount of chromosomes. Another thing I learned about Down Syndrome is that as a woman gets older her chance of having a baby with Down Syndrome increases. Finally, the last detail that I will tell you about Down Syndrome is that 1 in every 800 children born in the United States is afflicted with Down Syndrome. Also, 1 in every 1,000 newborn children in the world is born with Down Syndrome. Apart from class, I have used the internet to learn about Down Syndrome information not required in the packet. One thing that I learned about Down Syndrome on the internet is that Down Syndrome is a condition that cannot be cured. People with Down Syndrome usually have lower IQs, slow motor development and delayed language development. However, they can lead normal and happy lives. The other thing that I have learned about Down Syndrome on the internet is that doctors can take a blood test on a baby to tell whether or not the baby has Down Syndrome. I learned this information at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/down_syndrome.cfm. I found this topic to be interesting. I learned so much of this genetic disorder, and I am more aware of it now. I will be sensitive towards the capabilities of people with Down Syndrome.

DNA Extraction Conclusion Paragraph

My science class recently completed a lab on extracting DNA. I extracted DNA from a plant cell. I added ingredients to the cells, such as detergent and alcohol. In order to get the ingredients to mix in well, I had to swirl the cell’s container gently. As I performed these steps, right before my eyes, I saw the DNA rise from the cell. The detergent gets rid of the fats/lipids, and the alcohol separates the DNA from the cell. My observations of this project are that when the DNA is separated, it looks gray and it looks like clouds. Also, I noticed that the cells were the color red, and they had a foul odor. I thought this lab activity was fun and informational.