Today, we started off by measuring all of the trees in our plots. It was basically the same thing as yesterday because we were categorizing which species of tree it was, the DBH, tagging the number to the tree, etc. One question that some of you had was how we can determine the CO2 content from the DBH. There is actually a math calculation that they use by plugging in the density of the wood, the height of the tree and the circumference. After plugging the numbers in the calculation, they can determine how much carbon is captured in that tree as well as the amount of carbon dioxide that would be given off if you burned the tree. There are also several other studies being done at the same time and after lunch, we had a chance to go up into a 120 foot tower to see how some of the scientists are measuring the atmospheric changes like temperature, ultraviolet light, as well as other variables dealing with climate change. After we walked up the tower, we went back into the woods to measure the amount of rainwater in various locations of the forest. I left a video clip of one of the scientists named Nancy Khan where she describes the process. We had a speech on climate change after dinner and it seems to me that a lot of scientists agree that climate change is occuring and if we don’t do something about the problem, there could be some major consequences to pay such as drought in some areas, flooding in others, disease, and water shortages among many others. I have a feeling that what they are saying is true. This is my feeling after reading a lot about the topic, watching the documentaries and listening to the experts, but you need to make up your own mind what you think about the situation. The scientist said that the number one thing that we can do to help solve climate change is to educate others to recycle and just simply to conserve electricty. Don’t leave lights on when you’re not using them, don’t let the heater or air conditioner run when you’re not home, don’t leave your computer on when not in use, don’t leave things plugged in when you’re done, etc. Electricity is the number one cause of carbon dioxide emissions so you really can make a difference. So here is your homework for tonight:
1. Tell me what you are going to do to decrease the amount of carbon dioxide you put into the air (will you turn off lights, shut off your computer when not in use, stop breathing – just kidding)
2. What will be some of the consequences if we don’t stop abusing our resources?
3. What do you think are some of the other sources of carbon in our plots besides the standing trees we are measuring?