Class Response: Oil!

In class today, we discussed the natural resource of oil- where it is found, the conditions needed to create it, and the importance of it in our modern day society.
Basically, oil is a natural resource that takes thousands of years to form. Oil (petroleum) is made when sediments pile up against each other and bury themselves under the ground. As the pressure and heat increases, the substances, after many years, turn into oil.
Since oil is so hard to make, and even harder to get to, oil companies spend billions of dollars trying to locate and separate it from the ground. Geologists hired by these companies use state of the art technology to find appropriate locations where oil can be found. Oil can only be found if there is a source, a reservoir, and a lid.
More than most of the time, all of the oil cannot be retrieved from underground, so geologists must have an accurate sense of the environment and the budget they are working with. If anything, the petroleum business can get quite expensive! (Would that explain some of the rising gas prices? =])
Since the demand for oil is high, thousands and thousands of barrels of oil are being taken from the earth every day. Since oil takes so long to form, we might be facing a shortage in this natural resource. Bust as technology advances (hybrid cars, energy saving appliances), we can maybe start limiting our use of this resource.


For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum
Picture: wikipedia

Extra Credit: Weather&Poetry

Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
but when the leaves hang trembling
the wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
but when the trees bow down their heads
the wind is passing by.

"Who Has Seen the Wind?" Christina Rossetti

"Who Has Seen the Wind?", by Christiana Rossetti is a poem that uses the weather to paint a picture. In this poem, the weather is being used to almost signify a person. The wind, the main type of weather in the poem, has been given human characteristics. ("The wind is passing through...") This is a literary device called personification. Not only has the wind been personified, but also the surrounding environment ("trees bow down their heads"). If the use of weather were to be absent from this poem, there would be no basic story or rhythm. In this case, the wind is the main factor. The thought provoking lines and inter meanings would all be lost if the weather did not play a part. This poem did not increase my scientific knowledge of weather, but rather, it has increased my artistic impression of weather and the wind.

For information on the poet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti
For more weather related poetry: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/primary/students/poems.html

Class Response: "An Arctic Tale"

The documentary, "An Arctic Tale", narrated by Queen Latifah, tells the story of two arctic animals, Nanu the polar bear and Seela the seal. This movie documents the lifestyle of these two native arctic animals and how they must adapt to the ever-changing climate of their home and the world.
The movie starts with newborn polar bear cubs,Nanu and her brother, who both emerge from their home (a cave) with their mother. They soon go on to learn how to hunt and survive in their pristine yet dangerous new home.
We move on to meet Seela, a newborn walrus calf. Seela is protected by her mother and her "Auntie", who is most probably another female walrus in the herd. Since walruses do not give birth very often, Seela is the crown jewel of the whole herd.
As time passes, Seela and Nanu learn the hardships of living in such a unforgiving environment. At one years old, Nanu sees her brother die to starvation and Seela almost dies from an attack from a male polar bear. But, Nanu and Seela continue to grow and learn just as they have to.
Soon, Nanu and Seela realize that the climate is changing. This was most obviously stated when sudden food shortages appeared. Driven by the forces of starvation and disparity, Nanu and her mother are forced to separate a year earlier than natural.
Now, Nanu has to find a way to survive with out the needed guidance of her mother, and Seela must learn how to cope with the ever lasting adventures to find food, and a non-melting home.
As time passes, Seela and Nanu's paths cross on a desolate "last-resort" island called Rock Island. This is the only place where Seela and her family can find shelter and the only place Nanu may find food. Unfortunately, Rock Island is occupied by a grown male polar bear- a natural enemy to both Seela and Nanu. When the male polar bear is finally disturbed by the walrus heard, Seela's loving "Auntie" must sacrifice herself to save her heard. Nanu must forget everything she has learned to befriend the male bear, for he is the last chance for food.
"Arctic Tale" ends closes with the "cycle completed". Nanu soon mates with the male polar bear on the island and gives birth to two cubs and Seela, mates with a male walrus, giving birth to a female calf.
This movie cleverly portrays life in the Arctic as well as preserving the message of the dangers of climate change. This heart-felt story is so thought provoking that the next time you go to turn on your air conditioner, you think of Seela and Nanu. (You then turn to open your window =]). This movie helps the population truly understand what this "climate crisis" is, and how we can stop it.

For more information on the climate crisis visit: AlGore.com WeCanSolveIt.org ClimateCrisis.net

For more information about the movie: arctictalemovie.com