1.How has Worldview changed you/ what have you learnt from worldview?
Through this project, I learnt more about what is really happening to our Earth and some small things that can be done to help the earth. I will be careful of what I do in case it is something that will harm our Earth.
2.Any other comments? (A little quote for the facilitators or else for everyone)
Think about the consequences or sacrifices you have to do before you make a decision.
Posted by: Cherie **NOTE**
Hey gals, I need you all to answer these questions and send me a photo of your group together.Speech Bubbles (just a one/2 liner + photos):

1. How has Worldview changed you/ what have you learnt from worldview?

2. Any other comments? (A little quote for the facilitators or else for everyone) Please send it to me ASAP (Over the weekend if possible)
Tiffany Yong

Note from Evelyn: I want your answers by 14/7.
Post your answers on the blog or send them to my hotmail.

Posted by Evelyn.

The worldview project has come to an end and we've finally completed
it!

It is definitely time-consuming..

Engulfing most of our time during the holidays..

We did grumble and almost gave up..

Changing choice into commandment..

Though we may not have gotten into the finals..

But we managed to learn alot from this project..

What matters is the team work and effort that we've all put it..

And we'll consider twice whether to participate in this kind of competition
the next time..

posted by kang leng

Mini Cans Crushing Competition 17 June 2008 @ East Coast Park

Let's have fun crushing the cans. But before that, we'll have to collect the cans. Since everyone has already prepared the materials, let's begin! Wait a minute.. I think arranging the cans will be an easier job for us to crush the cans. So, we'll get Iylia, our green club member to help.


1, 2, 3! Ready, get set, go!

It looks like a difficult job. Some are struggling!

Good job everyone! Almost all are crush. But wait a minute...
Why is the one in light blue not crush yet? With Iylia's feet on it.


Almost done! Hang in there.

Now we shall all arrange them :)
Ta da! Nice and neat. Great effort!

Since the cans are crush, let's do our part to save the environment!

Next Stop: Recycling at Parkway Parade :)


Reuse, reduce and recycle!


Glad you know it Evelyn :). Its aluminium!

Since this competition is FUN and BENEFICIAL,

We shall implement it for our whole school next time :)

Posted by kang leng

Hey guys! I've received a letter from the National Environment Agency (NEA) which give us tips on how to save on electricity bills and conserve energy. I find it quite useful and it is also part of preserving the earth so i wanted to share with all of you! Check it out!

Hi Guys! These are some posters i found on the net and i want to use them as posters for publicity in school. Is that alright? They're very cute! I think these posters will get a lot of attention from our schoolmates!






Posted by Evelyn Through this project, I have realised that it is not all that difficult to save the earth. If we could spare just a little time to do something for the earth-for example, recycling drink cans instead of throwing them away-we will be able to do less harm to the earth.

There are more than 6 billion people in the world. To sustain 6 billion people, we have changed the world to suit our needs. First fire, then electricity,and then advanced technology. Even as you read this article, more and more greenhouse gases are being pumped into the atmosphere. Can we do somthing to help the earth?

After all that the Earth has given us, could we do something in return for the earth?

Le Qin

Water bottles to be recycled....

Efforts in collecting materials for short activity...

Toliet rolls collected....

Posted by Evelyn

Global warming


Global warming is happening
It strikes the whole world…
Leaving no place untouched

What may happen in the near future?

More heat waves
Melting glaciers and icecaps
Droughts and wildfires
Desertification
More intense rainstorms
Increased spread of disease
More powerful and dangerous hurricanes
Sea level rise
Drastic loss of species in ecosystems
Collapse of ecosystems

How can we stop it?
All it requires is a little effort from every one of us.
We can change the world
if we want to ...

LeQin


Like our day-to-day weather, climate change is a very complex subject. The media provides us with reports about global warming but it can be difficult to form an objective opinion when other scientists put forward what look like opposing views.

What we need to understand is that these views are just other climate change scenarios and nothing is set in stone. The latest thinking is that the world is warming up, but how this will affect us in the future is difficult to qualify. All scientists agree that the world is warming- the debate is centred on how much is due to human activity.

The weather elements at a given location will vary from day to day and from year to year, but generally are expected to remain within set limits over a long time period. This is known as our climate. This natural variability ensures we have cold and warm years.

When we talk about global warming, we talk about the 'greenhouse effect'. This is actually a natural and essential feature of our atmosphere without which our planet would be uninhabitable. This process works by the principle that certain atmospheric gases, (or greenhouse gases) allow short wave radiation from the sun to pass through them unabsorbed, while at the same time absorbing some of the long wave radiation reflected back to space. The net result; more heat is received from the sun than is lost back to space, keeping the earth's surface some 30 to 35C warmer than it would otherwise be.

The problem is that man is adding to and changing the levels of the gases responsible for the greenhouse effect and is therefore enhancing this warming.

Globally 1998 was the warmest year ever recorded and eight of the ten warmest years fell in the last decade. Global ice sheets have decreased, so has global snow cover. During the earth's history there have been warmer periods, millions of years ago. However this is the most rapid rise in temperature since the end of the last ice age. So evidence is mounting that we, mankind are affecting the global climate, and the current warming has exceeded the natural fluctuations.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the gas most significantly enhancing the greenhouse effect. Plant respiration and decomposition of organic material release more than 10 times the CO2 than released by human activities, but these releases have generally been in balance during the centuries leading up to the industrial revolution. Since the industrial revolution amounts have increased by 30%. Other greenhouse gases include Methane, Nitrous oxide, CFC's (manmade) and Ozone. One major problem is that these gases can remain in the atmosphere for decades.

The combustion of fossil fuel (oil, natural gas and coal) by heavy industry and other human activities, such as transport and deforestation, are the primary reasons for increased emissions of these gases.

In order to try and predict possible consequences of this warming for the future, research institutes use climate modelling to simulate the climate and oceans over many decades.
So far model simulations point to global temperature rises of approximately 3 degree C in the next 100 years, which doesn't sound much. Consider however that the difference between average global temperatures now and the last ice age (not strictly correct but sounds better!) some 20,000 years ago is only around 6 to 8C.

Climate models also predict changes in rainfall and continued rise in sea level. Sea level rises will be due to thermal expansion of the ocean along with the melting glaciers and mountain snow and ice. The best estimate is 50cm by 2100, but this will vary considerably with location. Think about Bangladesh where 37% of the land lies below 3 metres and the effect of storm surges.

It's difficult to ascertain whether the world weather is becoming or will become more extreme. The scenario of more storms, hurricanes, tornadoes etc is far from proven, although indications from the Hadley Centre are for a greater frequency of deep Atlantic depressions.The consequences of these changes are far reaching.

Consider for example that floods and droughts are likely to increase in number and severity. Diseases, such as malaria, spread by mosquitoes depend on local climate, especially temperature. Different flora and fauna flourish under various climate regimes, but cannot respond quickly to change. Nature reserves, often established to protect particular species may no longer be located within a climate hospitable to that species, making them prone to disease and pests.Humans are more adaptable to different climates, but heat and water stress are likely to become more of a problem.

Uncertainties in future predictions arise due to imperfect estimates of future emissions of greenhouse gases and sulphur, which in turn depend on population growth, energy demand, economic factors.

What can we do to slow down this warming? By sharing technologies, experience and resources we can hopefully lower the greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the threat of global climate change. Choose clean energy options where available, such as wind, solar and wave power, these do not emit greenhouse gases and are renewable. Individually, we can recycle material, insulate our homes, take public transport and think about energy efficiency in the home.

The effects of global warming and a changing climate will not be felt equally across our planet. Poorer nations are generally more vulnerable to the consequences.

We are confident that putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will lead to a continued warming of the earth's surface. However there will be consequential changes in the climate system which will either magnify or reduce the rate of warming.

Our incomplete understanding of this feedback leads to substantial uncertainty in the predictions.So what has been written here is more an indication of what change can be expected as opposed to a firm forecast. A balance is needed between the needs of the living and our obligations to future generations.

source: bbc.co.uk By Helen Willetts Scientists have spent decades figuring out what is causing global warming. They’ve look at the natural cycles and events that are known to influence climate. But the amount and pattern of warming that’s been measured can’t be explained by these factors alone. The only way to explain the pattern is to include the effect of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emitted by humans.

The causes of global warming practically are by many things around us. It is mainly caused by emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases that are emitted primarily by the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests. These gases remain in our atmosphere for decades or even centuries.

Sometimes, even we, ourselves are doing harm to the environment at times without realizing it. Using plastics bags is one example. Plastic bags are non-degradable, thus it cannot be disintegrate easily. Therefore, we have to think thrice before taking an action.

Causes of global warming
Ø Natural causes

· Obviously created by nature
· Release of methane, a combustible, greenhouse gas, that traps heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, from arctic tundra and wetland.
· The Earth goes through a cycle of climate change, usually lasting about 40,000 years.
· It can take the Earth thousands of years to warm up or cool down just 1 degree when it happens naturally.
· In addition to recurring ice-age cycles, the Earth's climate can change due to volcanic activity, differences in plant life, changes in the amount of radiation from the sun, and natural changes in the chemistry of the atmosphere.

Several greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming, and humans emit them in a variety of ways.

Ø Man-made or anthropogenic causes

· Contributes the greatest damage to global warming.
· Most come from the combustion of fossil fuels in cars, factories and electricity production.
· The gas responsible for the most warming is carbon dioxide (CO2), a colourless gas that is a by-product of the combustion of organic matter.
· Other contributors include methane released from landfills and agriculture (especially from the digestive systems of grazing animals), nitrous oxide from fertilizers, gases used for refrigeration and industrial processes, and the loss of forests that would otherwise store carbon dioxide.

ü Pollution

· Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems, available in any form, such as burning fossil fuels.
· Fossil fuels are fuels made of organic matter like coal, or oil.
· By mining coal and oil, methane will occur naturally through the decomposition of organic material and is often encountered in the form of "swamp gas."

ü World population

· Another major man-made cause of global warming is an increase in world population.
· It leads to increase in consumption of goods and services.
· Wastes produced will cause air pollution, as during the process of incinerating wastes, dust particles will be released into the air.
· Furthermore, there may be also land pollution due to the improper disposal of waste, such that great heaps of rubbish is either left in public places or at illegal dumping grounds.

As the world population increases, the number of vehicles especially in urban area also increases. In many cities, it is estimated that as much as 90% of dust and smoke particles present in the air are emitted by vehicles. These emissions contain harmful gases, such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.

How greenhouse gases contribute to greenhouse effect, leading to global warming?

· Methane acts much like carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, absorbing infrared energy and keeping heat energy on Earth.
· While there isn't as much methane as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, methane can absorb and emit twenty times more heat than CO2.
· These greenhouse gases in the atmosphere traps heat from the Sun’s rays, keeping the Earth warm for living things to survive.
· However, these gases do not break down easily.
· Hence, they accumulate in the atmosphere.
· This causes more heat from the Sun to be trapped in the lower atmosphere, resulting in an increase in air temperatures throughout the world, known as global warming.

The profound impact rising temperatures have had in the Arctic provides a window into a future we may all experience. With continued warming, we can expect more extreme heat and drought, rising sea levels, and higher-intensity tropical storms. At risk are our coastal property and resources, the liveability of our cities in summer, and the productivity of our farms, forests, and fisheries.

We can’t avoid all the consequences of global warming, but committing ourselves to action today can help ensure our children and grandchildren inherit a healthy world full of opportunity.

Acknowledgements:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/science/
http://science.howstuffworks.com/global-warming3.htm
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/environment/global-warming/gw-causes.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/J003411/causes.htm
Source: Secondary 2 Geography Earth Our Home textbook

Posted by kang leng