Environmental Perspective #3

<(9/26)/66F degree/mostly clear/67% humidity/756.7 mmHg pressure> Today, my class went on a field trip to Tancheon, a small stream nearby our school. Transparent water was flowing down and, in some places, I could see white water, which is dissolved oxygen. We actually went into the stream. I like the nature itself, but don't enjoy going into the nature. Therefore, it was a little challenge to me at the very beginning of the field trip. In the stream, there was no big fish that I could see from a far distance, but we could find some tiny organisms when we picked up the rocks. I could see organisms that looked like small leeches and crabs. They were somewhat interesting, but more of disgusting. Thus, even though I wasn't scared, I still didn't want to touch them. To me, they were no different from the bugs that I hate. I didn't actively participate in exploration, but I still found this field trip meaningful. Even though I frequently pass by Tancheon, I never actually went into there and explored, so finding some organisms was surprising. Also, I could learn that life exists everywhere and that every part of nature plays a different, but all equally important, role. In conclusion, I reflected on myself and figured out that I am just a part of nature and not special at all compared to grand nature. Therefore, I decided that, instead of thinking of bugs and leeches and other small organisms as trivial organisms, I will actively participate on next field trip.

Energy from Sun to Earth

At sun, 4 hydrogens are fused into 1 helium, which is transformation of potential energy to kinetic energy. Mass of 4 hydrogens is 4 x 1.007, so 4.028 and mass of 1 helium is 4.026. As the fusion occurs, mass of 4.028 converts into 4.026 and there is 0.002 mass left. This 0.002 mass forms entire range of electromagnetic spectrum. Then, entire EMS is released into all directions. When the EMS reaches the Earth, different portion of EMS is absorbed by different atmosphere layers. As energy gets absorbed by each layer, energy is always degraded into lower intensity forms. In thermosphere, gamma rays and x-rays are absorbed and released as degraded IR and visible light. In ozone layer, UV is absorbed and released as degraded IR. Lastly, at Earth's surface, visible light is absorbed and released as degraded IR.

Environmental Perspective #2

"Live simply, so others may simply live." If people live simply, the world would be a better place to live because people will be lighthearted, having nothing to worry about. In the past, there was no huge metropolitan urban; rather, a small group of people formed the village and lived there. In small towns, contact with outside of the town was rare, so people cooperated with each other well and their goal of the year was to live happy lives. Furthermore, there was nothing to worry about. In contrast, modern people's priority is to be rich and interactions between people are too complex. Therefore, there are too much things to think or worry about. Also, modern way of living has a great impact on environment. Because people give priority on money-making over environment, people do not care about damages done to environment if they can become wealthy. Due to this fact, a lot of poisonous liquids and gases are being exposed to the Earth's atmosphere. Also, because companies manufacture their products in factories and produce them in massive quantities, amount of trash being exposed is higher than ever. Since the Earth is getting sick more and more, people should remember that their every single action has impact on Earth and take responsibilities on their deeds. Needs = what is indispensable Wants = not needed, but desired to get Part of reason for Earth being complex and becoming a worse place to live is too much of wants compared to the past. Since industrial revolution, items available to consumers have increased dramatically. And, as people have a lot of more products to buy, people's wants, or greed, are increasing. There would be no problem if people buy only what are needed. However, people buy more than needed, so trash issue is getting serious. If people don't have desire to own a lot of things, there will not be much of trash made. Therefore, it is important for people to reduce their desire and only buy what they need.

Environmental Perspective #1

<(8/17)/26.7 degree/cloudy/80% humidity/1013 hPa pressure> I went up the hill that is right next to the school. It was a humid day, so the way up to the benches was full of mud. When I arrived at the benches, I could see how the industrialization has changed the land. If industrialization had not occurred, I think the land that I saw would have had only a few traditional houses and been full of crops that were going to be harvested. Also, the air that I breathed in would have been fresher. However, unlike my imagination, what I actually saw with my eyes was totally different; it was the dark side of the industrialization. I could see black gas coming out from automobiles and buildings more crowded than trees. And, by looking at the crowded city, I felt guilty because I realized that humans destroyed the Earth only to make their lives more comfortable without considering the impacts of their deeds on other organisms that are living together with us on Earth. For example, through urbanization, people live in comfortable urban, but plants and organisms that used to habitat that area were forced to move and to lose their shelters. Also, industrialization and some other human activities have caused air pollution and global warming, which also took away homes of many animals, leading to extinction of some of those animals. Since humans have been devastating the Earth, I think humans should now be responsible for their past actions and try to protect the Earth, rather than continuing to destroy.