Apr 15 2011
On Monday, we learned primarily about smog, or “smoky fog”, which is the dark, sooty pollution one can typically see over heavily populated industrial areas such as Pittsburgh or Mexico City. There are two main types of smog: “grey” smog and “brown” smog, which are obviously named as such due to their color. Grey smog, [...]
Mar 23 2011
We didn’t have time to discuss some “new” sources of fossil fuels, namely oil (tar) sands and oil shale. Your book briefly mentions these resources. Our neighbor to the north happens to rich in oil sands, which contains oil in a semi-solid state known as bitumen. This substance must be heated before the liquid crude [...]
Mar 22 2011
We can only take so many field trips, but this is one I would love to do if we had the time. We discussed coal-fired power plants in class, but this short interactive tour (with real pics and computer animations) will give you a better feel than the diagrams in your text. Image source: Scientific [...]
Mar 21 2011
For those who missed the first day of our energy unit, here is the kick off: Mining Practices & Impacts View more presentations from Derrick Willard. I tried to give you a sense of just how destructive surface mining can be to habitats and biodiversity. I’ve also found a great slideshow by a photographer named [...]
Nov 02 2010
So…I forgot to make sure there was a scribe for this lesson, so I got this one. Maybe a model of what those that handle other cycles can do? Since we are all “carbon-based life forms,” this cycle is crucial to life. We reviewed a little biochemistry in class, noting that carbs, lipids, nucleic acids, [...]
Sep 02 2010
Did you guys hear this yet? It’s true….check out the developing story: Boston.com: Oil Sheen Spreading from Gulf Oil Platform NPR.com: Production Platform on Fire South of Louisiana, Coast Guard Reports
