Energy and Place and Essential Questions Project
Joint Scientific Statement link
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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1besD4PHkSjGok4KbNXi4QvEZUxnzuFSqRR2l2aiudok/edit?usp=sharing
Opening Statements
Global climate change, a challenge that faces our generation fiercely. It could possibly be the piece in which destroys earth’s natural habitats entirely. Naturally, the Earth reflects most of the energy from the sun and radiates the rest back into space, this allows for the abundance of life on Earth. However, human activities in the past century have substantially increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the atmosphere to trap more heat and leading to changes in the Earth's climate such as the rising of global temperatures.
As active members on this earth it is our duty to protect the biosphere whatever the costs. According to NASA scientists, 2014 and 2013 are the warmest years since 1880. Earth continues to be hotter than it was several decades ago. Humans are currently dumping 6,526 million metric tons greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere. Contrary to popular belief, the earth is already being affected greatly through greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change in the past 30 years has contributed to a 20% decline in coral reefs, a 16% decline in the ice caps, and a 12% increase in the world's deserts due to the intense solar radiation hitting the earth on the tropical belt thus denying them precipitation and making them deserts.
In addition, the effects that are expected to accrue in the NEXT 30 years are proving to be even more drastic then those we are experiencing already. According to the International Panel of Environmental Protection, Earth will dive deeper into a water crises. Between 18 and 59 centimeters by the end of the century and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches of water onto the sea off balancing ecosystems everywhere and if the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2050, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.
However, there is a solution. Nuclear Energy! Greenhouse gas emissions from that of nuclear power production is significantly less by almost 100% compared to power produced from coal and natural gas, which is what we are currently using. This is because when producing fossil fuels, they must undergo a process of combustion which emits many greenhouse gases and many other greenhouse gases.
But never mind all of that, what really matters is that we are seeing that humans are drastic effect on the natural world already and we can change it with making the transition into nuclear power! This spring I was lucky enough to travel to Costa Rica to complete a 1month internship with marine field biologists focusing in leather back sea turtles. However, I was unlucky to see a dead sea turtle whom had died from some of the effects of climate change…the sadist piece is that one one in a thousand sea turtles make it to adult hood.
We can stop this. Nuclear energy offers a clean an effective energy source that won’t emit any greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere. And as I said before, our generation is facing mass amounts of responsibly. However, like the words of WHO Rachel Carolson“Ours is a grave and sobering responsibility but also a shining opportunity.” PAUSE our shining opportunity is to take nuclear power and use it for the Earth’s benefit.
Thank you
As active members on this earth it is our duty to protect the biosphere whatever the costs. According to NASA scientists, 2014 and 2013 are the warmest years since 1880. Earth continues to be hotter than it was several decades ago. Humans are currently dumping 6,526 million metric tons greenhouse gases into the earth’s atmosphere. Contrary to popular belief, the earth is already being affected greatly through greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change in the past 30 years has contributed to a 20% decline in coral reefs, a 16% decline in the ice caps, and a 12% increase in the world's deserts due to the intense solar radiation hitting the earth on the tropical belt thus denying them precipitation and making them deserts.
In addition, the effects that are expected to accrue in the NEXT 30 years are proving to be even more drastic then those we are experiencing already. According to the International Panel of Environmental Protection, Earth will dive deeper into a water crises. Between 18 and 59 centimeters by the end of the century and continued melting at the poles could add between 4 and 8 inches of water onto the sea off balancing ecosystems everywhere and if the Quelccaya ice cap in Peru continues to melt at its current rate, it will be gone by 2050, leaving thousands of people who rely on it for drinking water and electricity without a source of either.
However, there is a solution. Nuclear Energy! Greenhouse gas emissions from that of nuclear power production is significantly less by almost 100% compared to power produced from coal and natural gas, which is what we are currently using. This is because when producing fossil fuels, they must undergo a process of combustion which emits many greenhouse gases and many other greenhouse gases.
But never mind all of that, what really matters is that we are seeing that humans are drastic effect on the natural world already and we can change it with making the transition into nuclear power! This spring I was lucky enough to travel to Costa Rica to complete a 1month internship with marine field biologists focusing in leather back sea turtles. However, I was unlucky to see a dead sea turtle whom had died from some of the effects of climate change…the sadist piece is that one one in a thousand sea turtles make it to adult hood.
We can stop this. Nuclear energy offers a clean an effective energy source that won’t emit any greenhouse gasses into our atmosphere. And as I said before, our generation is facing mass amounts of responsibly. However, like the words of WHO Rachel Carolson“Ours is a grave and sobering responsibility but also a shining opportunity.” PAUSE our shining opportunity is to take nuclear power and use it for the Earth’s benefit.
Thank you
Closing Statements
Nuclear power plants produce fewer negative airborne byproducts than other energy sources such as coal. Nuclear power plants also emit less airborne radioactivity than coal burning power plants do. Additionally, nuclear power production does not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gasses---the gasses to blame for global climate change.
We are already seeing the effects of global climate change on our earth in animal and plant life. If we don’t start caring about how our TV and our home is powered. We will start to see the effects on humans and have to say goodbye to the natural world. Nuclear energy offers a new horizon of “green-goods” that won’t make so many of us have to give up what we love about the earth. Thank you.
We are already seeing the effects of global climate change on our earth in animal and plant life. If we don’t start caring about how our TV and our home is powered. We will start to see the effects on humans and have to say goodbye to the natural world. Nuclear energy offers a new horizon of “green-goods” that won’t make so many of us have to give up what we love about the earth. Thank you.
Watch the video of the debate below!
Project Reflection
-What motion did you debate and what side of the debate were you arguing? What was your initial position on the motion: for, against or undecided? Final position? Discuss how your position on the motion changed over the course of this project. What arguments, evidence and reflections on place either caused you to question your position, change your mind or solidified your opinion?
The motion that my teammates and I were debating was in favor of nuclear power. Initially, I was in favor of nuclear power because I felt strongly against the oil and gas industry because of the environmental threats they pose. However, I was only in favor of nuclear energy because I did not agree with the oil and gas industry, when in reality, I hardly knew anything about nuclear energy. The environmental pieces to this debate such as learning about greenhouse gasses and climate change really solidified my opinion and made me feel a sense of urgency to take care of our environment. This whole project really pushed me to pursue a carrier in environmental issues.
-What arguments and pieces of evidence do you find to be strongest for each side of the motion? How was the performance in the debate. What aspects went well? What aspects did not go as well as you would have liked? If you had a chance to do it again what would you do differently?
I believe that the debate went relatively well, however, there were a few arguments I wish I could have brought up before running out of time. While debating, the most powerful arguments brought up in favor of nuclear power were; low to no pollution and high energy density. However, if I were to do this project again I would talk about how nuclear power can 95% be renewable if we (the US) chose to do so. The strongest arguments against nuclear power in our debate were; radioactive waste and the probability of accidents. My team rebutted these points fairly strongly. We rebutted their point about radioactive waste by bringing up Yukka mountain and starting to reuse the 95% of uranium that can be salvaged after use. In addition, we rebutted their point of the likeliness of a nuclear disaster by explaining an analogy about how oil and gas, like car crashes, have frequent accidents that are not as bad as a nuclear accident would be. However, nuclear power plants, like air plain crashes, hardly ever have accidents but when they do it is much worse then an oil spill. All in all, I am very proud of my performance in the debate.
- What question(s) would you like to research further to have better understanding of energy issues? They can be related to the motion but do not need to be.
I would really love to dive deeper into learning about what I, as an individual, can do to positively impact the environment. For example, in my research I learned that I should be planting more trees to increase air quality. America’s forests are facing a perfect storm of threats. Infestations of diseases and invasive pests like the Emerald Ash Borer are killing tens of thousands of acres of trees nationally. Increased development is splitting once-vast forests into small fragments, and a history of suppressing natural fires has created unhealthy stands of forests. Additionally, climate change is altering the size and growth patterns of forests. Without these forests, 50 percent of the nation’s water supply will go unfiltered and 12 percent of U.S. carbon emissions won’t be absorbed. Iconic and important plant and animal species will lose their home, and more than $14.5 billion generated on Forest Service lands – money that goes back to local communities – will be lost. (Trim a Tree, Plant a tree) If I learned about taking a more active role in stopping global warming, such as planting trees, it could open doors into solving many other environmental issues.
- If you argued for the side of the motion you take, describe how it was to intellectually engage with someone who disagreed with you.
How does the personal environmental ethic and sense of place you developed in Humanities inform and affect the position you took on the motion?
This project crossed over into the "Energy and Place" project in chemistry beautifully. It allowed students to touch on the analytical side of having a home and the more spiritual connection of being at your home. The humanities portion helped students uncover where specifically we feel is our place and who is trying to take those places away, whereas the chemistry portion showed us how we can fight to protect our place. Chemistry helped students answer the first essential question; "How does energy production impact place?" Where humanities helped students answer; "How does your sense of place, your environmental ethic, and your understanding of our energy needs influence your perception of man’s use of Earth’s resources and your own lifestyle decisions?" However, the chemistry debate proved to have a seminar-like rigor that I felt really challenged me. I felt really passionate within the debate, specifically when I was talking about how the oil and gas industry was significantly having a negative effect on the environment. While debating one of my opponents was suggesting that climate change was an unimportant aspect to the argument. This really impacted me and I felt at a loss of words due to wanted to say too many to refute his point. This goes to show mt environmental ethic is strongly in the ideas of protection the environment at all costs because it is not only important to me and my happiness but also is important to the survival of humans.
-Perform a fact check on two statements made by yourself, your opponents or your teammates during the debate. Clearly indicate the statements you are checking and what you discovered.
In my opening statement I talked about how the melting Quelccaya ice cap in Peru. During my fact check I learned that the glacier ebbs and flows each year, as do all glaciers, but each year it also shrinks a little bit more than the previous year. A 2006 study concluded with the ice cap had lost 20% of its area since 1978 and that the rate of this decrease was increasing. Learning more about how the Quelccaya ice cap is melting leaving thousands of life forms, including us, at risk has beautifully solidified my drive to do what I can do to stop global warming and climate change.