Thank you to all those who commented last week. Just a reminder that if your comment did not show up, you should probably check your Google account settings to make sure your name shows up. As of Sunday night, there are 3 comments with unknown authors waiting to be published.
On to the links this week:
- In celebration of National Ice Cream Day on July 17, here is a short article and video about the chemistry of ice cream.
- This supercharged tree might help fight climate change.
- Climate change will accelerate viral spillovers. Carl Zimmer is one of my favorite science writers, expect to see more of his writing over the summer.
35 comments:
In the article “This supercharged tree might help fight climate change.”, the company Living Carbon genetically modified hybrid poplar trees to grow faster so they will absorb more carbon dioxide and lessen the effects of climate change. Although this new tree is still in the testing stages, I feel that it could be essential in battling climate change. Multiple conservationists are not on the same page as me. However, if we keep doubting new possible solutions, then climate change will just escalate at an even faster rate. In addition, I think that these new trees should be implemented in places that contribute lots of pollution to the atmosphere like cities. Greenery is uncommon in cities which shows that not enough carbon dioxide is being absorbed by plants. By planting supercharged poplars in urban areas, we can reduce the drastic consequences of climate change. In conclsuion, this could be a huge step towards reducing climate change.
In the article "Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds," research has been done to determine that the warming of our planet will lead to new and multiple viruses being transmitted through animals and even reaching humans. The study mentions that these spillovers that are caused because of the increasing climate may occur even before 2070. I already believed 2070 is not far from us, but saying that it will occur sooner means we should take action to improve global warming, and we should do it quickly. The article mentions that scientists determined that covid arose through the same sequence that spillovers occur, which further should motivate the urgency to change our habits. Covid caused us to loose around two years of our lives, and this would just be the beginning if we do not change our living conditions. A few methods that could help our climate and avoid these spillovers include limiting pollution, disposing of litter correctly, preserving wildlife, and decreasing the use of fossil fuels.
The article “This supercharged tree might help fight climate change” was very interesting. Not only did it start with a great punch line but it also dove deep into an issue that is very relevant in today’s day and age. But as a reader, you can’t help but have skepticism about this idea. While it would be great to have supercharged trees which can speed up photosynthesis which therefore can speed up the intake of carbon dioxide, altering a plant’s biology which has taken a millennia to create doesn’t sound settling either. This may have adverse effects on the offspring of these supercharged trees, and the animals that interact with the trees. Additionally, Living Carbon themselves mentioned a huge disadvantage with this process, as the trees will eventually decompose and release all the carbon once again. While coming up with solutions and new technological innovation is part of the equation to fight climate change, the other part has to come from humans and the altering of our actions. “’About 75% of land worldwide has been degraded due to human activity”’ according to Hall who is a cofounder of Living Carbon. In addition to ideas like supercharged trees, humans must also find ways to reduce their carbon footprints in the first place. However this innovation definitely does spark excitement as to its positive benefits and ideas that it might inspire.
Zara Qureshi
After reading the article, “Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds,” written by Carl Zimmer, I was amazed at the computational technique and machine learning that researchers created. Designed to help predict whether certain viruses could be shared between species as climate change proceeds, these techniques have great potential. The article describes how researchers discovered that when two species live closer to each other, there is a greater chance that a virus will spread. It is quite frightening to learn how easily viruses can be transmitted from one mammal species to another, especially from wild mammals to humans. There are thousands of animals, which humans come in contact with. This makes me wonder how many animals carry diseases, which can spread to humans, and how many of these viruses can spread as rapidly as the coronavirus. The COVID-19 pandemic is a perfect example of this mammal to mammal virus transmission. The coronavirus had originated in horseshoe bats, and was possibly transmitted to racoon dogs which were sold to humans. Humans then contracted the virus, which eventually spread to people all over the world. In addition, as researchers predicted where animals would migrate in 2070 as a result of climate change, they found yet another reason for human epidemics in the future. All the possible locations of animal retreat have been turned into cities by humans. While global warming also needs to be controlled, we need to establish locations where animals can migrate to, such as wildlife conservations, as their habitats become too warm. As the Earth continues to warm, we need a solution which will not only stop climate change, but also resolve the damage it has already caused. The method is described in the article, “This supercharged tree might help fight climate change” written by Matt McFarland. The startup, Living Carbon, created a genetically modified tree which grows faster than the average tree. As a result, the hybrid poplar trees absorb more carbon dioxide, limiting the damage of climate change. When it comes to resolving the issue of climate change, I hadn’t really thought about natural methods. I usually think about huge factories or electric cars. It is surprising that with the help of new biotechnology, trees can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, serving as a method to slow down global warming.
After reading the article, "This supercharged tree might help fight climate change" by Matt McFarland, its has become apparent to me that the issue of climate change is not only about stopping its change, but reversing it. Its fascinating to me how scientists are able to increase the rate of a tree's growth to ultimately pull carbon dioxide from the air and convert it into oxygen at a much faster rate. The modified hybrid polar trees which are capable of absorbing more oxygen creates the question of competition among plants within an ecosystem for the most Co2 needed for photosynthesis. Gene modification of trees tampers with the efforts of mother nature to create an ecosystem based on natural selection. If artificial selection plays a role in reversing human created environmental problems, it becomes a concern weather the use of these has a drawback. I also am looking forward to see how scientists developed land that had been damaged 75% by humans to proper habitat3es for these trees to contribute serious climate changes. The article even addresses such concerns as if the tree were to become an invasive species, other forms of plant life may not be able to continuously exist. Therefore, the testing and use of this modified plant species much be carefully observed and safely controlled.
The article that stuck out to me, “ Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spill Overs, Study Finds” written by Car Zimmer made me think about current events that are happening in the world today as well as how film tends to portray outbreaks. Currently in Europe, more specifically the United Kingdom they are experiencing a record breaking heat wave with temperatures around 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes me wonder how similar to animals who experience a change in environment, the people who live there will end up adapting. Since the U.K. most of the time experiences cooler weather with a lot of rain their housing tends to not have built in A.C. This is meant to trap in heat because of the location of the UK being in the northern hemisphere. It shows how with this recent change in climate, people in Europe may reconsider this aspect in their architecture, so that they can adapt for the in coming increases in temperature as a result of climate change. Another thing to consider in terms of the article is the fact that with this rise in temperature carriers for diseases such as mosquitos are more likely to migrate to the U.K. Since the environment has suddenly increased into a more warmer climate it provides these carriers a more wider ranger to produce and possibly spread diseases to the population. In the film industry movies like “Contagion” have proven to illustrate how just from a small mosquito bite on an animal, a disease can spread like wildfire. All that needs to occur is the carrier to have the perfect environment and conditions to spread the disease through the multiple levels of the food chain. With these things in mind it makes me realize how diseases adapt, as seen with the various COVID strains, and we as a society have to be prepared for more resistant diseases that’ll be able to spread and adapt a lot quicker than they ever could before.
The article “The superpowered tree might help fight climate change” was very interesting because it points out a current issue that many people are aware of. Through this article I was able to realize the severity of how far greenhouse gasses have affected our environment. Not only that, but how far we are from fixing this problem. It has shown me that things like earth day, which promote saving the environment, don’t even make that big of an impact. The development from Living Carbon proves that if we continue raising gene-edited trees that can grow faster, we can improve our environment on drastic scales, at least compared to the rate we are moving at now. The only problem with this hybrid tree is that there is not enough information on it. The research done so far is all positive, but if it is brought to real society, we may not know the effects in 5, 10, or 50 years. This species may become invasive, which would become a problem for farmers and the public in general. For the most part, I think with more tests and conclusive evidence, this finding could lead the environment in a very positive direction.
I was amazed by the advanced use of technology in the article, Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers. It is fascinating to me how Dr. Carlson and his team created computer models and machines to research about the relationship between climate change and the spilling over of diseases. The findings from these models and machines directly shows us that when climates become too hot for certain species they move and can end up passing the diseases they carry onto different species. Additionally, this allows for us to make predictions but also establishes a cause for the pandemics we have experienced. For example, the article states that when new species get the viruses and disease spread to them, they can evolve and potentially harm and infect people. It is claimed to be seen in the SARS pandemic which started in bats, spread to raccoon dogs which were sold in China, and eventually these dogs affected the people there. I think that the information and data presented to us from these findings should be eye-opening and motivate people to start to make a change. The COVID-19 pandemic we just experienced was a hard time for a lot of people due to the isolation and panic of us potentially not being able to return to a sense of normalcy. In order for a huge pandemic like this to not occur again, we have to take action and try to control global warming because the effects of it are proving to be drastic. However, this article also mentions how in the year 2070, animals won’t be able to migrate to wildlife places because by that point us humans will have turned these places into cities. I believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that all animals will always have wildlife to migrate to because they play a major role in society. After reading this article, I have developed the opinion that it is important for us to be aware of the situations our future generations are presented with if we don’t decide to start taking care of the planet. Overall, I think that the research obtained by the models can help us take a positive turn.
The article “This Superpowered Tree Might Help Fight Climate Change'' describes trees that are genetically modified to go through photosynthesis faster, thus absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which can reduce the effects of climate change. I think this is an effective solution for climate change, and the article even mentions how they can help with deforestation. When I think about solutions for climate change, I think about how we can change human activities to limit the amount of greenhouse gasses we release into the atmosphere, but I never considered a method like the one described in the article. The article does state a downside; once trees die, they release their carbon dioxide. Additionally, I am also curious about how these trees might interact with other organisms in their ecosystem. As mentioned in the article, these trees could possibly become invasive and create more harm than good. Regardless, I think that these super-charged trees should still be planted, especially in areas that release high levels of carbon into the atmosphere. Climate change is an issue that causes a multitude of problems, so hopefully, by accepting such ideas, we can limit its effects. The article, “Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds'' explains one of the effects of climate change. Due to climate change, species might start to move to different areas of the world, causing them to interact with different species and thus expose themselves to new viruses. I was surprised to learn about this because when I think about the effects of climate change, I think about storms and increased temperatures. I never knew that there was a correlation between the transmission of viruses and climate change. Overall, both of these articles made me understand that we need to try our best to stop greenhouse gas emissions and work towards ending climate change.
The article, “This Supercharged Tree Might Help Fight Climate Change” is a really interesting approach to solving climate change. It’s so intriguing to know that scientists can genetically modify a tree for it to grow fast so that it can efficiently absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Climate change is a huge issue in today’s society and while there are some efforts in trying to solve this problem, it is progressively getting worse. If scientists can use this method for a numerous amount of trees, then we may actually start to see results. However, Living Carbon mentioned the disadvantages of this method which is that once the tree reaches their maximum lifespan they will eventually decompose and release the carbon back into the atmosphere again. Although this is a significant disadvantage, I think that this method is effective enough for the short run. Until then we as citizens should be responsible for limiting our carbon footprint and find ways to help reduce the impact climate change has on our planet. It can definitely be an aid in helping to fight climate change and to make our environment better but as per any method there are also some risks. The article addresses that the fast rate of tree growth could ultimately lead to it being an invasive species which may interfere with other species not being able to evolve. Personally, I think this is a great way to start fighting against climate change, however, I don’t think this should be the permanent and only solution to solve this issue.
My fondness for ice cream drew my eyes to this interesting article as I never really thought about the various factors that affect the chemistry behind ice cream. After reading the article, “The Science inside Your Ice Cream” by Spektrum, I was shocked to learn that ice cream was so much more complicated than anyone could imagine. Additionally, I never knew that ice cream had two ways to get the sweetness that everyone loves. The PAC and POD scale really opened my eyes to how many different variations and types of ice creams could be produced. Being able to control the amount of sweetness in an ice cream allows for more consumers to be interested because low-sugar ice creams are possible to be made. Another thing that really surprised me was how emulsifiers and stabilizers could be added to the ice cream for consistency purposes. I realized that the consistency of ice cream completely changes the level of enjoyment and satisfaction someone receives from eating ice cream. No one would want hard, grainy ice cream, and being able to make it the perfect consistency results in textbook-like ice cream. Ultimately, all of these astonishing factors of ice cream allow for tons of control in how someone could make ice cream. Over time, I believe that ice cream will be a universal dessert for everyone no matter what situation they’re facing such as needing little to no sugar ice cream or even savory chicken-flavored ice cream (sounds so bad).
After reading the article, “Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers”, I found the findings to be both understandable yet alarming. As the planet is getting warmer, it will only be a matter of time before species begin to shift their migration patterns and come across entirely new species. These encounters may prove to be detrimental as they increase the spread of viruses onto new hosts. To further our understanding of these viral spillovers, I think it would be interesting to investigate the role of other factors during these encounters and their effect on infection. For instance, would a warmer region accelerate viral spillovers between different species as opposed to a colder region? I believe these more specific questions pertaining to specific variables could be answered using machine learning. I also think machine learning has much potential in helping researchers better understand the effects of climate change on the global environment. It’s fascinating to know that scientists today can ask a broad range of questions and have them answered simply by observing the model, showing how far we have come in regard to scientific technology.
I found the article “Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds,” written by Carl Zimmer, interesting and frightening at the same time because of how we are at risk for another pandemic to occur over the next 50 years. Viruses spreading among numerous species due to climate change is going to be a major issue. Not only that, but increasing temperatures could lead to changes that could lower many species’ survival rates. In many National Parks, these changes are already seen. Many species will try to move to a more comfortable habitat where it is not too hot, but when there is an interaction between different species, viruses will be shared and will move from one species to another. Similarly, Coronavirus was spread from bats to wild mammals sold in Wuhan and then ended up infecting humans. As the number of people with immunity grew, the virus mutated and people began being infected with new variants of Covid-19. Additionally, climate change will reduce biodiversity and will affect Earth’s element cycles. Climate change has many adverse effects, resulting in extinctions and declines, endangering plant and animal species. According to The International Union for Conservation of Nature, 882 plant and animal species are already extinct due to rising temperatures. Serious actions need to be taken to prevent climate change from affecting animals and plants, such as taking care of wildlife habitats and staying from pesticides and herbicides. Climate change is an issue that needs to be addressed and we, as humans, need to do our best to limit climate change. Powering our homes with renewable energy, reducing water waste, reducing fossil fuel usage, recycling more, turning off lights when not needed, and many more actions could help make a difference.
Reading “This supercharged tree might help fight climate change” by Matt McFarland has greatly interested me in learning more about ways to battle climate change. Prior to reading this article I really thought the only ways to battle climate change were to drive electric cars and get solar panels but “Living Carbon” has taken a whole new method in halting climate change. What I thought was really interesting about their method is that it seems so simple when looking at it from an outside perspective. While reading I was thinking all they have to do is speed up the growth of a tree, but this simple idea is actually very complex as there are many unknowns to what can happen. Gene editing in humans is harmful at times because there is a chance of reducing diversity among humans. Like humans this method may bring about dangers in trees and eventually the earth. Like the article had mentioned, if these trees die off too early then all the carbon dioxide absorbed would be let out, and could suddenly increase the amount of carbon dioxide on Earth. Overall, I believe this method should be tried out because as of now climate change is not slowing down, and if something doesn’t happen quickly to solve it, humans will be in great danger. I like that they are starting slowly and gradually increasing the amount of trees planted because it will give them time to do studies and prove that the hybrid trees are in fact working and are not causing harm. Although the fear of the unknown is difficult, it is important to take risks and do everything possible because nothing will ever get fixed if we don’t. I am really glad to have read this article because it gives me hope that humans can fix the damage that we had created for some many years.
After reading the article, "This supercharged tree might help fight climate change", I became fascinated by the idea of genetically modifying trees to solve problems. However, it seems to me that climate change isn't one of those problems. It seems as though the trees will only absorb carbon dioxide temporarily, releasing it as it dies. Additionally, an unimaginable amount of trees would need to be planted to make a big difference on the atmosphere. The abundance of only a couple different types of trees can cause a lack of biodiversity in the areas that they're planted. It seems that this idea will do more harm than good. However, I do think that gene-edited trees could significantly help deforestation quickly. While they need to be able to maintain the biodiversity in the areas they will plant the trees, I think this is a much more realistic problem that synthetic biology can solve. While planting genetically modified trees wouldn't help the greenhouse gases problem, it could help to quickly replace all the trees that were lost in the past 200 years.
The article "Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds" states that as climate change takes its toll, the changing conditions may allow carriers of viruses to migrate, cause the viruses to spread. It may also cause treatments to be harder to produce, because of organic ingredients being harder to find because of changing conditions. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that society isn't completely ready for a highly infectious pathogen, and as much as it may change in 50 years, a pandemic will heavily disrupt the world.
While reading the article, “This Supercharged Tree Might Help Fight Climate Change,” I was able to compare the pros and cons of genetically modifying trees to reverse global warming. Global warming is an *issue* that needs to be stopped and reversed as soon as possible. Altering the genetic code of trees to speed up photosynthesis seems like a foolproof plan, as it will intake more carbon and produce oxygen at an accelerated rate. It would also restore land that was damaged through deforestation. Although, this solution to reversing global warming is flawed. Once the trees die and they begin to decompose, their carbon is released back into the atmosphere. On the other hand, if the seeds are continuously planted and the decomposing seedlings are harvested for durable wood products, the negative effects of these trees would be minimized. Another con is that the trees could become invasive, as they are genetically modified.
Since ice cream has been my favorite food since I was a child, I enjoyed reading the article "The Science Inside Your Ice Cream" and learning about the chemistry behind it. I find it fascinating that air is required to achieve the proper consistency of ice cream. I remember reading about different ice cream brands and how some cheaper brands use more air compared to more expensive brands. Ice forming in ice cream is unpleasant, so I thought it was interesting how sugar helps to reduce that ice. Since there is ice cream that replaces sugar with polyols, I wonder if the freezing point of water remains the same as it would with sugar. I was not aware that several ingredients affect an ice cream’s consistency as the smooth, creamy consistency is part of the experience when tasting ice cream. When I was younger I used to make ice cream with very few ingredients, but I always wondered why I could never achieve the same taste as store bought ice cream. Given the numerous factors that go into making ice cream, I can understand why different brands have such a wide range of flavors and consistency.
In the article “ The Science inside your Ice Cream” what I found fascinating is that the simplest dessert that everyone enjoys would have so much science behind it especially chemistry. I always thought it would be easy to make ice cream because to me it’s like any other dessert and it would be mass produced in a factory. I never assumed that you have to be extra careful while making this amazing dessert. The amount of air, PAC, and temperature could affect the taste and texture.
In the article, “This supercharged tree might help fight climate change”, the author, Matt McFarland, discusses a new genetically modified hybrid poplar tree invented by Living Carbon that can grow faster and help reduce the damage of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide. Personally, I like the idea of having a tree like this because it would not really change how we live our daily lives compared to other ways such as switching to a plant-based diet or reducing our use of vehicles (like cars) thus making more get on board with this idea. It can be difficult for people to get on board with doing things like taking public transportation more or switching to LED lightbulbs. Still, a simple idea like this would not change the landscape around us and can also capture the carbon dioxide that we previously emitted. Moreover, the ability of trees like these to absorb carbon dioxide can reduce the other adverse effects carbon dioxide has on the environment like ocean acidification which weakens keystone species like coral reefs, putting many other aquatic species at risk. Furthermore, I also like how having more trees can help the ecosystem around us and can help restore habitats for many animals and protect them. As the author stated, as we clear and develop land, many animals don’t have a place to stay, so by creating fields of fast-growing trees like these we would be able to restore animal habitats quicker. Also, it is important that we fix these habitats, so that we can maintain biodiversity which is important because if certain keystone species become extinct due to their loss of habitat, the entire ecosystem could collapse. Additionally, the author discussed that growing these kinds of trees can help prevent soil erosion which I also find important because soil erosion can cause the sediments to flow into local waterways which can not only make it harder for species like fish to see but can kill certain aquatic species.
As an ice cream lover, I was interested in the scientific specifics of it. Reading the article “The Science inside Your Ice Cream” by Spektrum allowed me to fully comprehend the chemistry within ice cream and the process of making it. I could also compare the new information from this article with my previous knowledge of ice cream. A simple ice cream base (if you have an ice cream machine) uses sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, milk, and xanthan gum. Like the article said, the gum is an emulsifier which helps maintain the proper texture. You could substitute it for eggs if you’d like a custard base. The chemistry behind desserts and other common things is truly fascinating.
In the article “This supercharged tree might help fight climate change.”, the company Living Carbon suggests bioengineering trees to help lessen the impact of climate change. Reading this article made me realize how much humans have failed in keeping the place we live on safe. This article is an example of a last ditch effort to save the Earth. If we had been more environmentally cautious and if we had thought of global warming as a big of an issue as it is, then we would not have to bioengineer trees to produce more carbon. It saddens me that people do not take climate change seriously until it was too late.
The article, “This supercharged tree might help fight climate change” demonstrates how biology can be applied to other sciences such as environmental science. In science and engineering, collaboration is extremely important as people with different specializations can work together to solve a problem. In the study about the genetically modified hybrid poplar trees, environmental scientists identified a problem and provided Living Carbon with data about the severity of climate change. Then scientists from that company used their knowledge about genetics, gene editing, and botany to create a solution to the problem. This article showcased a real application of the engineering and design process. The company mentioned in the article, Living Carbon, stuck out to me because they demonstrated huge growth in the 3 years since they were founded. It has raised $15 million and plans to generate revenue from selling the saplings and carbon credits. This story proves that collaboration and new ideas bring success.
Viewing the options for articles I was immediately intrigued by the video title, "The Science Inside Your Ice Cream". As a die-hard ice cream fan and a science student, I was curious about what chemistry really goes into the production of ice cream to make it the perfect and smooth constancy while maintaining its delicious taste. After listening to the video I was surprised as to the amount of science goes into a simple treat. The different components of the ice cream must be within the right levels in order for it to be creamy when taken out of the freezer and maintain its taste. The air molecules within the ice cream must be between 30 to 50 percent of its final volume. If this is not achieved then the ice cream is either too hard or melted. I learned that the liquid sugar in the mixture lowers the freezing point and this helps to keep the ice cream creamy after it has been removed from the freezer. Ice cream must also be within certain PAC (freeze restistane) levels depending on the serving temperature. Other components are used, such as emulsifiers and stabilizers, to bind fat molecules with water to improve constancy and the latter from gum to thicken the ice cream. This video was very interesting and makes me appreciate the chemical consistency that goes into the ice cream I love.
The article, "The Science inside Your Ice Cream" briefly explains the chemistry and components behind ice cream. I chose this article because I've always loved ice cream and learning the science behind it would be interesting. In the beginning we get to know that ice cream is called a complex colloidal system due to its heterogeneous mixture of a liquid and their dispersed solids. Later on in the video we got to know a lot more about the components such as the fat droplets, protein from milk, and how the air content plays a role into how ice cream is made. There are lots of things added into ice cream which I didn't know of. Another important component in ice cream is the emulsifiers and stabilizers. These components binds solids or fats with water which can regulate the consistency of the ice cream. Ice cream has been one of the best deserts and learning how it's produced is even more compelling.
It is not the first time creators and scientists have tried to use trees as a ‘cure’ for global warming. The idea that science and innovation could possibly reverse the disastrous effects of mankind is remarkable to those of concern. In all of the research and projects that I had been privy to, Maddie Hall and Patrick Mellor seem to be excelling at the idea. In addition there creation includes other problems such as the rate of decomposition and soil erosion. Yet like all new ideas there are bound to be faults. In the article they mention hybrid poplar trees which they mostly focus on and loblolly pines. I did my own research on the trees because of where the company was based [San Francisco], immediately I expected a lot of pine like trees. In my research I found that pines like many other vegetation need sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. However they also need well- drained soil which should include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Additionally, experts say that although most pines are drought tolerant, during dry winters and extreme drought they must be watered. So, if Living Carbon continued with both poplar and loblolly pines would the genetic modifications also adhere to the dry climate of the southwestern atmosphere? Similarly, to my previous question, Hall admitted that they chose poplar trees because they were already genetically sequenced. How long would it take for other trees to be sequenced, if they want to mass produce in other areas?
In the article, "This supercharged tree might help fight climate change" by Matt McFarland, very good points were made regarding whether using genetically modified trees could solve climate change, or make it exponentially worse. While I agree that gene modification is a great and innovative way to combat climate change, I also agree with the point Kent H. Redford made: genetically modified trees can possibly be a terrible idea. I believe that much more research should be done so that eventually when the trees die, we can prevent a lot more carbon from being released yet again, as well as making sure trees do not become invasive to the native species. While I do believe these trees can greatly reduce carbon and therefore help us in our battle against climate change, I also believe that these trees will never be a cure-all for it. Climate change will never get better if humans keep producing carbon at exponential rates. With enough research to make genetically modified trees, and persuading people to make more eco-friendly decisions however, our world can definitely solve our issue of climate change.
People don't take climate change seriously enough, even though it's such a significant problem. This may seem a little unimportant, but it makes me think of my now-retired fifth-grade teacher, who used to terrify us into thinking that half the globe would be gone by the time our kids were grown up in order to make us more environmentally conscious. But in reality, at the current pace, it very well could be. Carl Zimmer's article "Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds" truly embraced the notion of new viruses spreading as the world experiences heatwaves. It truly made me consider the icecaps and how old viruses that are slowly resurfacing as a result of the heat. This makes me consider the COVID 19 from not too long ago. No one really knows where it came from, so how do we know it isn't something from our past? Imagine a virus that rendered the entire planet dysfunctional for nearly two years. What if a virus from our distant past existed today and was ten times more dangerous than Covid? There most likely is which is why stoping climate change benefits the environment, protects us from heat waves, prevents the development of new and old viruses, and is important for a number of other factors as well.
This article gave a great insight into how these “supercharged” trees could help fight against climate change. I thought it was really interesting how this idea came about based on general knowledge and facts about global warming. The Carbon Living company knew trees could take in carbon dioxide and fight climate change better than the coal-powered plants and electric cars mentioned earlier in the article. They needed to create a faster-growing tree, which certainly was an interesting approach to solving climate change. However, there are disadvantages; after the tree reaches maximum growth, it releases its carbon dioxide back into the environment. Another disadvantage is that the trees can have the ability to turn into invasive species. Even Though these disadvantages are notable, they can be minimized by continuing the cycle (replanting the seeds) but most importantly the change needs to come from humans since we are the main contributors to climate change.
The research in "Climate change will accelerate viral spillovers" has already started to be reinforced by the new diseases spreading around like monkey pox and COVID 19. which were through the transmission of a different animal species to humans and because of the increase in the worlds temperature virus have a increased likely hood to multiply and evolve, so shortly in the future there will be many more viruses, from mammals that we aren't prepared for. They will start rising from out of nowhere because of animal migration due to climate change. Animal groups that wouldn't usually be near each other are and transmute diseases it reminds me of when I was younger in England we don't have mosquitos but of recently they have migrated to my country so many disease my country may not see as common are going to start to be. But to most climate change is about the icecaps melting and animals losing there homes which in theory explains why they are moving to more habitable places.
Towards the end of the article, "This supercharged tree might help fight climate change," Kent H. Redford talked about how synthetic biology would have the potential to become a concern. It made me think about how these new "supercharged" trees could become a risk faction when considering invasive species. The researchers in charge of modifying these trees tried to help solve the climate crisis. What if the use of these trees introduced a whole other problem altogether instead? However, this type of questioning is bound to come up within new, biological research due to the vast unknown side effects. This being said, I am excited to see how the development of these trees will reverse the process of climate change in the future.
It was saddening to learn that apart from human society irreparably killing thousands of species, it was possible that even more could be negatively affected due to global warming. The rising temperatures can be seen in the unexpected heat waves Europe has experienced or the spike in forest fires seen in California, one occurring less than a week ago. To reiterate what the article, “Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers'' had explained, climate change is resulting in warmer ecosystems- allowing animals that were originally enclosed to one area to freely migrate to other areas that share the same temperature and have encounters with animals that were not intended to mingle. This may result in drastic changes to the food web and an uptick in viruses. Though the matter of climate change may act as a non threatening tidal wave for some species, other animal population numbers have drastically dropped because their physical features necessitate the cold temperatures. Polar bears are animals whose diet depends on the seals that swim in the arctic sea. Their habitat is predominantly the arctic ice which allows them to hunt, thrive, and safely raise their young. As climate change has resulted in the melting of the arctic ice and glaciers, polar bears, a keystone species are being forced to migrate to safer environments. To conclude, the effects of climate change are sure to have many more victims like the endangered polar bear if we do not take measures to reduce our impact on the planet.
While reading “The Science Inside Your Ice Cream” and watching the video, I learned a lot of new facts about the chemistry that goes in to making one of my favorite cold desserts. I never realized the efforts that goes into making ice cream the perfect consistency, air bubbles, fat droplets, and the sugar sucrose that determines the PAC value. For the ice cream to be perfect, the air molecules must be between 30 to 50 percent of its final volume or else it’ll come out to be too melted or too hard and not the right serving consistency. That’s only one of the few difficult things that goes to into making ice cream the perfect texture. The emulsifiers and stabilizers play such a huge role in binding the solids and fats with water which also control the consistency of the ice cream. I was shocked to learn about how the PAC value determines the softness of the ice cream. It’s insane how if one little thing is miscalculated the whole ice cream loses its consistency or flavor. I never expected this much science to go into the process of making the perfect ice cream.
The article "Climate Change Will Accelerate Viral Spillovers, Study Finds" emphasizes the dangers of climate change through the impact it will have on animals. Climate change can spread disease, but it will also cause habitat loss, the spread of invasive species, and imbalances between prey and predator populations. Maintaining the balance in ecosystems is incredibly important, so humans should do all they can to reverse the damage they have done. These spillovers will also affect human life, if that isn't enough motivation. The article mentioned that a virus could be transmitted to humans in cities via raccoons. Historically, urban areas are known to be crowded and more unclean than suburban or countryside areas. The acceleration of spillovers would cause more people to try and move out of cities (if they can afford to), as it would be more dangerous living there, and this could affect societal structure and economy. Even though spillovers and animal migration are quite obviously bad for the environment, I wonder if there could be any unexpected benefits.
The article, "This supercharged tree might help fight climate change" by Matt McFarland, discusses how a hybrid tree might help reverse climate change. I found it very shocking that they said it won't just stop, but also reverse climate change because the process speeds up photosynthesis causing the tree to absorb more carbon. But these trees eventually will die, and when they do, they will release all the carbon they collected in the air. Since these trees absorb more carbon than an average tree, they also release more carbon than an average tree. In the end, these supercharged trees are doing more harm than good, so I don’t think these trees will actually reverse global warming.
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