Blog 11: Global Warming

Global warming is when the earth heats up (the temperature rises).  It happens when greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane) trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature.  This hurts many people, animals, and plants. Many things cause global warming.  One thing that causes global warming is electrical pollution.  Electricity causes pollution in many ways, some worse than others. Fossil fuels are burned to create electricity.  Fossil fuels are made of dead plants and animals. 

We use these sources of energy much more than the sources that give off less pollution.  Global warming is doing many things to people as well as animals and plants.  It is killing algae, but it is also destroying many huge forests.  The pollution that causes global warming is linked to acid rain.  Acid rain gradually destroys almost everything it touches.  Global warming is also causing many more fires that wipe out whole forests.  This happens because global warming can make the earth very hot.  In forests, some plants and trees leaves can be so dry that they catch on fire. I do believe in Global warming and it is dangerous. When people go outside they become sick with all the pollution in the air. The government is doing many things to help stop global warming. The government made a law called The Clean Air Act so there is less air pollution.  Global warming is making people get very bad illnesses that could make them disabled, very sick, and sometimes even die.  The Clean Air Act is making many companies change their products to decrease these problems. Part of the law says that you may not put a certain amount of pollutants in the air.  Hairspray and some other products, like foam cups, had this problem.  Making and using these products let out too much volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), ozone-destroying chemicals (chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), and related chemicals (such as CO2) into the air.  Now, almost all of these products have a label on them telling people what this product can do to the environment and many people.  

Blog 13: Current Event (Bullet 'hit White House window')

The bullets were discovered  on Tuesday. After there were reports of gunfire between the White House and the Washington Monument at about 21:30 local time on Friday evening. The bullet casings were found on the grounds after gunshots were fired nearby late last week. The Secret Service is looking into whether the bullet fired into a window at the White House is connected to a shooting nearby last Friday. Last Friday night at about 9 p.m., U.S. Park Police and the Secret Service investigated after hearing shots fired about 700 to 800 yards from the White House. Witnesses heard shots and saw two speeding vehicles in the area. An AK-47 rifle was also found. "As the investigation continued, the US Park Police located a vehicle in the 2300 block of Constitution Avenue, about seven blocks away from the White House. Evidence in the vehicle led to the secret service to receiving an arrest warrant for Oscar Ortega. A weapon registered to Ortega was found in the car. The US Parks Police now says they are looking for a  Oscar Ramiro Ortega in connection to the shooting. The Bullets didn't hurt anyone in the white house it just hit a protective window.Mr Ortega is described as a white Hispanic male of medium build, with several distinguishing tattoos - including three dots on his right hand, his name across his back and the word Israel tattooed on his neck.Authorities are searching for Ortega, with the FBI, ATF and Metropolitan Police Department all participating. 
I think that so many people are fed up with how the government is not helping out, they are trying to take out the president and they don't understand the whole process with getting certain bills passed and getting the economy right. But still It also might be because of racial issues. The reason for this is not explain no one knows why Ortega might have shot at the white house. But still with him leaving his car and the weapon inside??? It don't really make sense to me because they said they heard wheel speeding away from the scene. This world is crazy.

Blog 12: The Keystone Pipeline


The Keystone pipeline would run from Alberta, Canada to Houston, Texas, where it would be turned into gasoline and material for other petroleum-based products. It is suppose to run through farmland in Nebraska. The pipeline would provide the United states with the chance to receive safe, reliable, and affordable energy from canada. It would reduce the need to import energy from other countries. It will run through Montana, south Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas Oklahoma and Texas. Many people support it because it will create jobs, improve the energy security, and there will be additional tax revenue. But also many people are against it because it can damage the air, there are oil spill threats, it will destroy habitats and create environmental destruction and in Nebraska many ranchers and farmers oppose its construction. Many environmentalists are also concerned about the situation.One of the largest aquifers in the world, the Ogallala is beneath the Sand Hills of Nebraska. It provides the water for about 30% of all the irrigated cropland in the United States. People who run those farms around here are concerned that a pipeline accident might damage that resource. The Pipeline would deliver Canadian crude oil to Oklahoma and Texas refineries increasing economic growth all along the way, creating tens of thousands of jobs, and much needed oil. The pipeline can serve as a climate threat. President Obama said the State Department will “be giving me a report over the next several months and, you know, my general attitude is: What is best for the American people? What’s best for our economy both short term and long term? But also: What’s best for the health of the American people?” I don’t really know what to say about this I agree but then I don’t agree on some affect that it will have on the environment and the people that it will affect!