Grant's Interesting Articles
"A Blueprint for a Carbon-Free America
National Geographic
November 2015, Volume 228, Number 5 (pgs. 64-73)
Mark Jacobson has a bold vision for an America powered by renewable energy, which means no nuclear, coal, or natural gasses creating power. His goal is that by the year 2050 every car, plain, and train in the US will be powered by batteries, and all of the electricity will come from renewables. Every state could do this; people in the great planes could harness the wind through wind farms, solar will power the south west, and New England could use its offshore winds. Even though fossil fuels are being used, over time, renewable energy is a lot cheaper, better for our health and the environment. Even though renewable farms would take up land, the reality is that drilling and storing fossil fuels takes up land too and in the process destroys the land. This is a big environmental goal, but the USA could do it just like the country did with the invention and mass production of cars, the building of planes during WWII and sending a man to the moon
National Geographic
November 2015, Volume 228, Number 5 (pgs. 64-73)
Mark Jacobson has a bold vision for an America powered by renewable energy, which means no nuclear, coal, or natural gasses creating power. His goal is that by the year 2050 every car, plain, and train in the US will be powered by batteries, and all of the electricity will come from renewables. Every state could do this; people in the great planes could harness the wind through wind farms, solar will power the south west, and New England could use its offshore winds. Even though fossil fuels are being used, over time, renewable energy is a lot cheaper, better for our health and the environment. Even though renewable farms would take up land, the reality is that drilling and storing fossil fuels takes up land too and in the process destroys the land. This is a big environmental goal, but the USA could do it just like the country did with the invention and mass production of cars, the building of planes during WWII and sending a man to the moon
“The Hunt for Planets Better than Earth”
Scientific American
January 2015, Volume 312, Number 1 (pgs. 32-39)
The scientist René Heller describes how in 1.75 billion years the Earth is going to become too close to the sun, making it uninhabitable, so what will humans do? There are a few possible options, one of which is to go to a satellite moon of planets similar to Jupiter. We could go there because the moons could inhabit us and would have multiple heat sources. One of the ways a satellite moon of a giant planet could be heated is by sunlight being reflected from the planet and something called tidal heating. Tidal heating happens when the gravity from a giant planet causes the crust to move (like tides) creating friction which warms the planet. The second plausible option is a ‘super habitable’ world, which would be two times larger than earth, and would orbit around a smaller sun. Even though the sun is smaller, it would last billions of years longer because it uses less energy and the planet would be in the so-called “Goldilocks Zone”: a perfect area in which life could exist. Also, the planet, since it is two times bigger, would have more gravity, creating a flatter surface, with not as many mountains. Thus, according to Mr. Heller there are many options and reasons to look out into space for places habitable like Earth.
“A Weakness in Bacteria’s Fortress”
Scientific American
January 2015, Volume 312, Number 1 (pgs. 41-45)
This article by Carl Zimmer talks about how scientists are trying to find an antibiotic that does not become obsolete as bacteria evolve and become drug resistant. Because of this capability scientists are trying new ways to kill bacteria, and one option is to starve the bacteria. But how did that idea come into play? New research shows that bacteria are social, ‘communicate’, and gather their food together, and scientists are targeting these characteristics to starve them. The way the scientists do that is by placing a metal called gallium, which has a lot of chemical properties similar to iron, near the bacteria so when the siderophore (a bacteria’s food gatherers) go out to collect iron they will collect gallium instead which the bacteria can’t eat, so they starve. Even if a bacteria develops a mutated siderophore that does not collect gallium they will still starve because the bacteria absorb other bacteria’s siderophores that have gathered gallium. This is a really interesting way scientists are trying to combat drug resistance bacteria.
“Rainforest Threats Resume”
Scientific American
June 2015, Volume 312, Number 6 (pg. 24)
Richard Schiffman argues that deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest is becoming major problem again. One threat to the Amazon rainforest is Brazil’s cattle ranching industry which causes more and more of the rainforest to be cut down to provide for cattle pastures. Another major problem is that the current president is making plans to build three hydroelectric “megadams” that will destroy not only the rainforest but also native’s land. The fear is that the rainforest might never recover from this destruction and the highways that will go right through the heart of the Amazon. Clearly, the Amazon Rainforest needs help and we can save it. Here are a few ways: log onto Green Peace’s website and sign the petition to stop deforestation in Brazil and spread the news. The rainforest needs you. The climate needs you. We need you to get involved.
Scientific American
January 2015, Volume 312, Number 1 (pgs. 32-39)
The scientist René Heller describes how in 1.75 billion years the Earth is going to become too close to the sun, making it uninhabitable, so what will humans do? There are a few possible options, one of which is to go to a satellite moon of planets similar to Jupiter. We could go there because the moons could inhabit us and would have multiple heat sources. One of the ways a satellite moon of a giant planet could be heated is by sunlight being reflected from the planet and something called tidal heating. Tidal heating happens when the gravity from a giant planet causes the crust to move (like tides) creating friction which warms the planet. The second plausible option is a ‘super habitable’ world, which would be two times larger than earth, and would orbit around a smaller sun. Even though the sun is smaller, it would last billions of years longer because it uses less energy and the planet would be in the so-called “Goldilocks Zone”: a perfect area in which life could exist. Also, the planet, since it is two times bigger, would have more gravity, creating a flatter surface, with not as many mountains. Thus, according to Mr. Heller there are many options and reasons to look out into space for places habitable like Earth.
“A Weakness in Bacteria’s Fortress”
Scientific American
January 2015, Volume 312, Number 1 (pgs. 41-45)
This article by Carl Zimmer talks about how scientists are trying to find an antibiotic that does not become obsolete as bacteria evolve and become drug resistant. Because of this capability scientists are trying new ways to kill bacteria, and one option is to starve the bacteria. But how did that idea come into play? New research shows that bacteria are social, ‘communicate’, and gather their food together, and scientists are targeting these characteristics to starve them. The way the scientists do that is by placing a metal called gallium, which has a lot of chemical properties similar to iron, near the bacteria so when the siderophore (a bacteria’s food gatherers) go out to collect iron they will collect gallium instead which the bacteria can’t eat, so they starve. Even if a bacteria develops a mutated siderophore that does not collect gallium they will still starve because the bacteria absorb other bacteria’s siderophores that have gathered gallium. This is a really interesting way scientists are trying to combat drug resistance bacteria.
“Rainforest Threats Resume”
Scientific American
June 2015, Volume 312, Number 6 (pg. 24)
Richard Schiffman argues that deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest is becoming major problem again. One threat to the Amazon rainforest is Brazil’s cattle ranching industry which causes more and more of the rainforest to be cut down to provide for cattle pastures. Another major problem is that the current president is making plans to build three hydroelectric “megadams” that will destroy not only the rainforest but also native’s land. The fear is that the rainforest might never recover from this destruction and the highways that will go right through the heart of the Amazon. Clearly, the Amazon Rainforest needs help and we can save it. Here are a few ways: log onto Green Peace’s website and sign the petition to stop deforestation in Brazil and spread the news. The rainforest needs you. The climate needs you. We need you to get involved.