Quarter 3, Article 3

1. Cellphone Use Tied to Changes in Brain Activity

2.

Chapter 18: Environmental Hazards and Human Health

3. This article deals with a global environmental issue.

4. Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have discovered that less than an hour of cellphone use can speed up brain activity in the area closest to the phone antenna, this new discovery has raised many questions about the effects of cellphones on humans. It is not sure whether the cellphone will have a negative effect on a persons overall health but the radiation emitted from cellphones can be potentially dangerous and alter brain activity. This study is important because it documents that the human brain is sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation that is emitted from cellphones. The biggest question and concern of the researchers is whether or not cellphones will have a long lasting impact because of the constant exposure. It is very hard to determine that but a few observational studies have shown that a link between heavy cellphone use and rare brain tumors exists.

5. I think this is very interesting and something people should be more concerned with since today almost everyone has a cellphone and uses it for hours on a daily basis. If it does have potentially harmful effects we should all be aware of them and try to eliminate tumors or cancer from happening. I think they should try and study the effects of cellphones on children, because today more and more kids have cellphones and since their brains are still developing the radiation might cause more damage to them then to an adult.

6. Dogma- a settled or established opinion, belief, or principle.

Quarter 3, Article 2

1. Extreme Storms and Floods Concretely Linked to Climate Change?

2.

Chapter 20: Climate Change + Ozone Depletion

3. This article deals with a global issue.

4. Studies have shown that increased levels of greenhouse gases has led to an increase of extreme weather events and may even make them stronger. Francis Zwiers has studied half a centuries rainfall data from locations like the United States, Asia, and Europe. His studies have shown that increased greenhouse gases correlate with heavy precipitation events. Some people would say that more precipitation is a good thing but these kinds of storms would lead to flooding and massive flooding does damage to both cities and agricultural lands, as we have seen in Pakistan and Australia. Zwiers compared the real observed data with climate models that account for the effects of CO2 and other atmosperic greenhouse gases. An intriguing discovery was revealed.

5. These studies show that increased greenhouse gases has more than just one effect on our world. We need to be alot more careful with our emissions of these greenhouse gases, because they will not only increase our climate and melt the ice caps and do other damage but now studies show that they will also increase natural disasters. It seems that we are destroying our environment and don't know that we are doing it. I think we need to raise more awareness about the dangers of high emissions of greenhouse gases and try to do something to prevent all of these potentially dangerous things from happening to our environment because we only have one planet and once we ruin it we can not get it back.

6. Daunting- To overcome with fear; intimidate.

Quarter 3, Article 1

1. Hudson River Fish Evolve Toxic PCB Immunity

2.

Chapter 21: Water Pollution

3. This article deals with a global issue.

4. Studies have shown that in the Hudson River, fish have developed a gene that makes them immune to the toxic effects of PCBs. This allows the fish to survive even in polluted waters, these fish are very fast evolving fish. For example one of these fish is called the Atlantic Tomcod. PCBs are mainly used for industrial purposes like electrical insulators. PCBs were banned in around 1979, 50 years after they were introduced. Although PCBs were banned the effects of them were still present. A 200-mile stretch along the Hudson River is the nations largest Superfund site. Scientists were fascinated that the Atlantic Tomcod were able to survive even in the contaminated area, so they began to study these fish and found a specific protein that regulates the toxic effects.

5. I think it is great the fish were able to adapt to their environment when it changed but I think it is bad that they had to adapt because of human mistakes. If we didn't use the PCBs the fish wouldn't have a problem. This is one species that was able to adapt but I am sure that there were others that were not able to survive under the harsh contamination and may have declined in population or even became extinct. I think we need to be more careful with the chemicals and toxins we use and how and where we dispose of them because we don't know the effect they will have on other species. Some species may adapt like the Atlantic Tomcod but others may be negatively effected.

6. Dredging- to clear out with a dredge; remove sand, silt, mud, etc., from the bottom of.