Dow Solar Shingles Finally Hitting U.S. Markets

http://www.ecogeek.org/solar-power/3624

Picture:

Solar Panels are a great way to save money and save the environment. A huge problem to having this idea of solar panels sent to the public is that they are expensive and in some cases ugly or do not fit in to the traditional home. This idea of shingles might ease the situation...

Summary:

In a nutshell, a company named Dow Solar, created solar panel shingles. The idea of solar panels has become a new revolutionary idea, that will help us through this energy crisis. Recently, this idea of solar panel shingles has become accessible to the masses. These solar panel shingles look remarkable similar to traditional roofing shingles. This should make the idea more attractive to home owners. They can even completely replace your own roofing shingles while creating clean electricity for the entire home. The shingles use ultra thin-film solar cells that are more durable then conventional silicon cells. This project has been used mainly in Colorado but by the end of the year, it will most likely spread to all over the U.S. The shingles are 10% efficient, but if you cover your entire roof, you can save a lot of money. The shingles are even known to make the houses cooler from incoming sunlight making you save even more money. They are in partnership wish major housing company D.R. Horton.

Opinion/Reflection:

I really like this idea. We all know that one day fossil fuels can not, and will not be usable anymore. Not only that but over hundreds of years we have devastated the natural world. The problem with environmentally green energy solutions that they are not practical to the public. Hopefully, this idea will make it more attractive for home owners to use solar panels. I think they look great on your house and make your electric bill look great too.

Questions:

1. Is this idea too expensive for the average home owner?

2. Why do we have to use environmental friendly energy sources?

3. Do you think this a good idea or a bad idea? Energy and money wise.

Extreme Heat Bleaches Coral, and Threat is Seen

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/science/earth/21coral.html

In this image is part of a coral reef. If you look closely you can see how it isn't colorful, but instead it is white in color. Normally the coral is supposed to be bright in color , but it turned white because of coral reef bleaching. Coral reef bleaching can occur because of several different reasons. Did you know that when the coral sheds its color and turns white, it means that it is going into a so called "survival mode" trying its best to stay alive? Read the article from the link above to find out why this bleaching has been going on!

Summary: This article is from 2010. In 2010, the second known coral reef bleaching occcured (the first in 1998). Many scientists believe that the cause of this coral reef bleaching is due the dramatic changes in climate, in this case extreme heat! Coral reef bleaching occurs when extreme heat and alot of sunlight cause the algae's metabolism to go rapid fire and when they go crazy, they produce toxins. These toxins are what is making the coral turn an ugly white color when they should be colorful! You may think that the coral is dead, but it isn't. Infact, the coral is just barely alive. The only way for the coral to survive is if the temperature drop lower and the algae can reproduce and help the coral out. When corals are in these condition they are very susceptible to disease. If the temperature stays hot, the corals can eventually die. Over the course of the summer mre corals will die if the temperatures keep rising!

Opinion/Reflection: I believe that coral bleaching is a very big issue! I can't believe that one of the most beautiful things in the world is turning into a big pile of nothing. All it is becoming is a bunch of coral that turned white and is super close to dying. If the temperature keeps getting worse, like it was this summer, the population of coral can greatly drop! This is not a good thing at all. I believe that one cause of this temperature rising is the increased use of burning fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels has a big impact on our enviroment as you can see. If we stop burning too many we can save the coral!

Questions:
1:Why is coral reef bleaching such a big deal??????

2: What will happen to the ecosystem if the coral eventually dies out????

3: What can people do to help this very big issue?????

Orangutan Culture Develops Like Human Culture

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/10/orangutan-human-cultures/

By: Wired UK October 24, 2011
The question was for the team of anthropologists was: Do orangutans have the ability to learn socially and pass these lessons down through generations? They found the answer to be yes. There is evidence that culture in humans and great apes have the same evolutionary roots. As humans we are able to learn and adapt quickly and change our behaviors and pass this down from generation to generation through social learning. This is what usually separates us from different species, but not apes.
About a decade ago, different biologists have observed that the great apes have made variations in behavior and think that the apes are passing down environmental innovations from generation to generation. Today, researchers at the University of Zurich have been studying if the variations in behavioral patterns in nine different orangutan populations, living in different areas can be explained by this cultural transmission. It can. After collecting 100,000 hours of data they concluded that environmental influences and genetic factors did play a big role in defining differences in social structure and behavioral ecology between the populations. Michael Krützen, the first author of the study, said: “The cultural interpretation of the behavioral diversity also holds for orangutans — and in exactly the same way as we would expect for human culture.
I think that this is amazing in the world of science. I have always thought about how monkeys and apes were so much like humans and I thought it was so cool. What I also think is amazing is that the researchers at the University of Zurich put 100,000 hours into this. This shows that orangutans do have the ability to learn socially and pass those lessons down through each generation. Apparently, apes are even smarter than we knew! I remember, when I was little, my mom and dad took my little brother and me on a animal safari and I saw apes acting like human and I didn’t know why they were. I was very little then, so I didn’t understand, but now I look back and I remember that they are so much like humans.
Questions:
1.) Do you find this discovery amazing and fascinating in the world of science?
2.) Do you believe that with this ability apes will become orangutans and apes will become more and more like humans from generation to generation?
3.) Do you think that humans will keep evolving with the apes, but always be ahead of them?