Bioplastic Reflection

Bioplastic is developed from sugar that comes from corn, sugar cane and sugar beads. These plastics are green because they come from sugar not crude oil like normal plastics. Issues with this green plastics are that they evolve using pesticides to grow the corn we use for the bio plastics. We need gas which pollutes the air to transport the corn from the fields to the factories.The factories that make bioplastics need electricity to work which is usually produced from oil and gas. With green plastic we might start using less plastic inn packages and they would be more environmentally friendly.

Reflection on Food Inc.

Food Inc. shows us where our food comes from and how we get it. People need enormous amounts of food to feed all of their specie but there's still world hunger. Making food has turned into a business than rather trying to get the best and healthiest foods, now it's "cheaper is better we make more money." This brings a both positive and negative impact we can feed more people, but where destroying the environment. If consumer start choosing healthier foods the big corporations will have to start adapting.

we humans are connected on how the Earth is used in many ways we are the strongest species, and therefore in a way we control the way Earth is developing. Natural farming is much better than industrial farming it's much healthier for eating but we produce less food. Without science and technology we couldn't produce food so quickly which would equal The entire world to be hungry. I observed that natural farming is much better and healthier than industrial farming but is much more expensive. I think this is a big problem and that we need to find a way for farming to be healthy but quick.

Current Events

Surprise Visitor
February 3, 2010
web
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100203/Note2.asp

Scientist study pollination on the island of Réunion which is located near southern Africa ( Island belongs to France). One night scientist were looking at a Orchid flower though night vision camera's, when they suddenly noticed a cricket on it. Scientists quickly realized they've never seen such a cricket and new it was a new specie. But this isn't all this cricket was carrying pollen for plant to plant. This was quite surprising since they've never seen a cricket carrying pollen. Usually when a plant or flower mate wind or insects carry the pollen from the male to the female part of the plant but this was different. This wasn't a coincidence another group of scientists were studying a type of Orchids called Angraecum cadetii when they saw the same specie of crickets carrying pollen. Scientists conclude this cricket was made for the Orchid.


This relates to our studies in school, because this is an example of mutualism were both species benefit. The orchid gets to reproduce while the cricket can snack on the orchids pollen. We studied this in school that's why I think this would be a very good example.

I chose this article because it still relates to our school work. Just the title was very appealing and made me what to learn it. From this I learned that we know a lot but that we can still learn a lot and discover new species. I really enjoyed how this article was written, and I also enjoyed reading it because it was interesting but it gave a lot of information.

Answers to Owl Pellet Questions

1. From our class data the most frequently consumed prey by the owl is the Vole all together as a class we found out the pellets contained 88 vole's.

3. Hunting 35 insects a 1 gram each is much more expensive than hunting one 35 gram vole. This is because the insects are smaller and the owl has to waste much more energy hunting the 35 insects then that one vole

5. If the shrew population declined it would certainly affect the owl's but not that intensely as if vole declined, because owl eat the vole the most. Owl would still survive if shrew were declined.

Further Inquiry: Our information might not be reliable because we didn't find all the bones we also didn't have all the bones to match the skulls. Next time I would search for the bones more thoroughly.

Current Event

When Frog Gender Flips
March 24 2010
web, Science News for Kids
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100324/Note2.asp

A student called Ngoc Mai Nguyen at the Californian college was doing a experiment with male frogs. One day she went to check up on these frogs and realized that some of the frogs were acting like female frogs. She went and reported this to her biologist boss Tyrone Hayes. Hayes did experiments with male frogs and found out that a chemical called atrazine(used as weed killer) affected the frogs. The atrazine affects the frogs that were born in water that atrazine was put in. Hayes did another experiment were he put 40 male frogs in to a water tank with atrazine and 4 of them started acting like females. They dissected 2 and found out they have female reproductive organs, the other two were mated with normal male frogs and both had male babies.

This relates two are study of animals and organisms in class. If this continues the frog specie can become endangered. This is a serious problem because many animals depend on frogs as food but also shelter. If frogs disappear they will disrupt many ecosystems and biomes.

I found this article on the site " Science News for Kids" and it really drew my attention because the disappearance of frogs won't be good or helpful for anybody. I enjoyed reading this article because I learned a lot from it. I think the article was written really well, and by reading it I learned that we have yet another problem.

Human Footprint Movie

This movie showed us all the materials we use and it showed us that people need to start sustaining materials. Sustainability in ecology means that civilization and human population meet there needs while preserving the environment and biodiversity. We need to start sustaining are materials, were wasting them quickly. Some materials and resources are going to last only a couple more years. An example is coal it's quickly running out and we are using it for lot's of stuff. Human footprints our the way we affect the planet. We can lessen are human footprint and preserve the world in many ways. We can take shorter showers, use environmentally friendly detergents, Use fuel efficient cars such as hybrids. I think this video was trying to show people that we are wasting to much materials per person and that we to start sustaining materials.

My Human Foot Print is 6.9 I think I should really start caring for the environment around me. We don't have 7 Earth's so I really think I should change my habits because they really have a big impact on Earth. What I leaving Behind isn't very good. This site helped me realize what I have to change and how to change it I think the biggest problem is transportation.

Whales May Round Up Squid for Dinner
March 10, 2010
web, science news for kids
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100310/Note1.asp

Scientists studied the Sperm whale for quite a bit, and found out that these creatures usually herd up squid, and then eat when they desire. Scientists new that these massive creatures sometimes form communities for short periods of time, where female and young whales stay, but to them it's new that they hunt together. Sperm whales hunt and herd squid in groups of three; two of the whales circle the squid while the third swims under so none of them escape. After they let other whales eat. The whale that swims below always rotates among the three whales because it takes up a lot of the whales energy.

I think this relates to our unit,because these whales adapted to there environment and surroundings. They figured out away of hunting that functions really well for them, while the squids have no way out.

I found this article while searching for my current events. First I found another article but I liked this one much better. I enjoyed reading this article because I think the way these whales adapted is truly amazing. I agree with the scientists statement that the squid have a huge problem unless they figure out away to escape from this deathtrap.

Current Events

Fruit Flies Taste water
Stephen Omes
Web
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20100421/Note2.asp

If you ask a friend what water tastes like he would say nothing, but scientists did research on a type of fly, the fruit fly and determined that these flies tastes water. They can't yet explain whats the taste like but there sure it can taste water using a protein called PPK28. This protein adds taste to water. This protein they use is in a larger family of proteins one of these proteins humans use to taste salt. Scientist did an experiment to prove this they had to groups of fruit flies a normal one and one were the flies taste cells were disabled. Then They added a chemical to both groups of flies, the chemical started glowing when the protein PPK28 was in use. They let both groups toward water the normal fruit flies started glowing immediately and drank. While the other ones didn't even want to try the water.

In class we are studying survival of animals and organisms. In a way this protein ensures the survival of fruit flies. It supplies the with a food source. In the experiment scientists conducted the fruit flies with disabled taste cells didn't drink the water and the ones with the cells did. Which means protein helps them survive, because the flies can taste the water it supplies them with nutrients. The only thing the flies have to do is find a clean water source. And there's ample of nutrients for them.

I found this article while browsing the Science News for Kids website. And I chose it because this was weird but amazing. This discovery doesn't really help us solve any problems we face but scientist are trying to find a way to transfer this protein into humans. I while reading this article i thought I weird that such small creatures developed something amazing. I enjoyed reading this article because it was amazing but also made me think how water would taste.