Science Methods II - Lauren Hird

    In Monday's lab, we begun by discussing the idea that while a majority of US middle and high schools are learning about climate science, many are being taught incorrect ideas, such as how global warming is a natural process that has always happened and is not humans' faults. We moved on to the idea of how the snowball earth existed twice in the past and how it has ended due to volcanic eruptions releasing carbon dioxide. The ice begins melting and lowers albedo, allowing for more radiation to be absorbed and melt even more in this positive feedback loop. We then discussed the five major things we can do to reverse climate change:           1. Recycle correctly           2. Compost in your backyard           3. "Weatherize" your home/apartment - make it energy efficient           4. Use bikes and busses          5. Find your carbon footprint      We were then given strategies on how to do so in the form of a checklist that discusses the categories of energy, materi

      Monday's lab focused on the issues of climate change. The big questions were: 1. What is the albedo effect and how does it affect climate? 2. How does the greenhouse effect interact with the albedo effect? 3. Is the albedo effect a positive or negative feedback look? We discussed how bad climate change is, how scientists know what they know, who is influencing these decisions, fossil fuel emissions, environmental rules, insurance, and our impact. We then moved into the topic of the greenhouse effect and infrared radiation. We learned that certain gases in our atmosphere act like a blanket around Earth and protect us from the sun's radiation, but greenhouse gases absorb radiation and re-emit it into the atmosphere, burning a hole in the atmosphere. We the discussed the idea of the albedo effect and an albedo of 1 means radiation is completely reflected, while an albedo of 0 means radiation is completely absorbed. This positive cycle happens due to all surfaces having an al