Reflective Summary

Reflection Summary-

I have learn that climate change will only affect the sea creature like fish, turtle but after reading, I then know that it affected migrating birds too. Those birds are facing extinction as climate change can dramatically alter their habitat and food supply. Birds like puffins are producing few offspring’s every year and their habitats are most susceptible to climate change phenomena.
At first, I never thought that global warming is so dangerous and that serious but now, I know that there is a need to stop global warming. Man-kind have been destroying animals’ habitat and have increase global warming. Man-kind should stop this and let the world return to how it is suppose to be before.
I think that there is a need to stop global warming as they are destroying animal’s habitat. Weather patterns could change, causing flooding, drought, and an increase in damaging storms. Global warming could melt enough polar ice to raise the sea level. In certain parts of the world, human disease could spread, and crop yields could decline. People may also die if all this happen.
I can help by spreading the messages to other people you know. I can tell them about what climate change is, ways to conserve electricity and ask them to spread the message to other people they know. I can also help my family member save money by using less electricity and asking them to save electricity too. I can also teach my family members and friends how to save water and when my friends waste water or play with water, I will stop them and teach them the right thing to do.
We could all make earth a better place by start saving electricity and water. These are little things we can all do to play apart for the Earth. We can walk or take bus instead of driving car. By doing this, we can save on petrol and it will too help as not that much of fossil fuels will be burn and this may help to reduce global warming.

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Third Reflection

Climate change pushing bird species
'towards extinction:' US

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100312/tts-environment-climate-us-birds-972e412.html

Summary-

"For well over a century, migratory birds have faced stresses," Salazar said. "Now they are facing a new threat -- climate change -- that could dramatically alter their habitat and food supply and push many species towards extinction."
Birds that depend upon the ocean for survival "are among the most vulnerable birds on Earth to climate change," warned the report put together by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination with several environmental groups.
All 67 oceanic bird species, including albatrosses, petrels and puffins, are at particular risk because they produce few offspring each year and their habitats are most susceptible to climate change phenomena.
Species including the Laysan Albatross and the Bonin Petrel typically nest on very low-lying islands, which could disappear as sea levels rise.
Many Hawaiian birds, including the endangered Puaiohi and Akiapolaau, face multiple threats, including from mosquito-borne diseases and invasive species, as well as loss of habitat, the report warned.
But even less-threatened species, like the American oystercatcher -- a black and white bird with a long red bill -- the common nighthawk, and the northern pintail -- an ubiquitous type of duck, are likely to become "of conservation concern" because of climate change.
In mountainous and Arctic regions "increased temperatures will drastically alter surface water and vegetation," meaning species like the White-tailed Ptarmigan and rosy-finches "may disappear... as alpine tundra diminishes."
"Birds are excellent indicators of the health of our environment, and right now they are telling us an important story about climate change," said Kenneth Rosenberg, director of conservation science at Cornell University's Lab of Ornithology, a contributor to the report.

Reflection-

After reading this article, I know that migratory birds are facing extinction as they are facing a new threat, climate change, that could dramatically alter their habitat and food supply. Birds that depend on the ocean for survival are the most vulnerable birds on earth. There are 67 oceanic bird species for example, albatrosses, puffins are at particular risk because they produce very few offspring each year and their habitats are most susceptible to climate change phenomena. birds like laysanAlbatross typically nest on very low-lying islands, which could disappear as sea levels rise. Some birds face multiple threats, including from mosquito- borne diseases and invasive species, as well as loss of habitat.

Kuantan learning journey

I had a good experience on a five day trip to Malaysia, kuantan. This was the first time I took a plane from budget terminal and the plane we took was cute as it was small and looks different from the huge plane I normally take.

We spent the first night sleeping at a hotel and the breakfast was nice as there were lots of yummy food. After that, we proceed to MGSS where they greeted us warmly. We had fun watching the performance they perform for us. We had games and some students brought us around the school. We had lunch there and after that we went to a shopping centre nearby.

After shopping for about 1 hour, we move on to the kampong where we stay for the rest of the trip. The villagers welcome us and we learn some simple malay words. I share a room with Vernice while Yujing share a room with Huixuan. Our room was damn nice. There is a toilet in my room! So lucky. My foster parent was good to us and I really enjoy the stay. I miss her alot.

From the kampong stay, I learn how they live there and what they normally do there. We went to the palm oil and rubber plantation and place I like the most is the paddy field. On the way there, we saw deforestation and burnt trees. Later than I know that they do this to make way for oil palm and rubber plantation.

On the second last day, we went to the elephant conservation. Over there, we can feed the elephants, bath them and ride them. I felt sad for the elephants as the people there pull them by their ear and when the person pull, the elephant would fall down into the water with about five to six people sitting on the back.

I hope that the school can arrange more of this kind of learning journing oversea as I think many of the students will like it and they will learn lots of thing from all this trips.

Second Reflection

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming#External_forcings (URL)

Summary:

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. Global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C between the start and the end of the 20th century. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that most of the observed temperature increases since the middle of the 20th century was very likely caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation. The IPCC also concludes that variations in natural phenomena such as solar radiation and volcanic eruptions had a small cooling effect after 1950.

Climate model projections summarized in the latest IPCC report indicate that the global surface temperature is likely to rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C during the 21st century. The uncertainty in this estimate arises from the use of models with differing sensitivity to greenhouse gas concentrations and the use of differing estimates of future greenhouse gas emissions. Most studies focus on the period leading up to the year 2100. However, warming is expected to continue beyond 2100 even if emissions stop, because of the large heat capacity of the oceans and the long lifetime of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

An increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts. Warming is expected to be strongest in the Arctic and would be associated with continuing retreat of glaciers, permafrost and sea ice. Other likely effects include changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, species extinctions, and changes in agricultural yields. Warming and related changes will vary from region to region around the globe, though the natures of these regional variations are uncertain.

Reflection:

Before reading this article on global warming, I did not know that the global surface will most likely going to rise a further of 1.1 to 6.4°C during the 21st century. I know that the country that will be affected the most is the arctic as the ice there will melt and soon there will be no more ice and we will not be able to see any polar bears as they are all going to sink. But I did not know that it is expected to have the strongest impact in the Arctic.

I too from this article know that warming is expected to continue beyond 2100 even if the emissions stop, because of the large heat capacity of the oceans and the long lifetime of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

First reflection

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change (URL)

Summary –

Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather over periods of time that range from decades to millions of years. It can be a change in the average weather or a change in the distribution of weather events around an average (for example, greater or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change may be limited to a specific region, or may occur across the whole Earth. In recent usage, especially in the context of environmental policy, climate change usually refers to changes in modern climate. It may be qualified as anthropogenic climate change, more generally known as "global warming" or "anthropogenic global warming"

Of most concern in these anthropogenic factors is the increase in CO2 levels due to emissions from fossil fuel combustion, followed by aerosols (particulate matter in the atmosphere) and cement manufacture. Other factors, including land use, ozone depletion, animal agriculture and deforestation, are also of concern in the roles they play - both separately and in conjunction with other factors - in affecting climate, microclimate, and measures of climate variables. Glaciers are considered among the most sensitive indicators of climate change, advancing when climate cools and retreating when climate warms. Glaciers worldwide have been found to be shrinking significantly.

Reflection:

I have learnt more about global warming after reading this article from Wikipedia. Before reading the article, I did not know that more than 100000 glaciers covered a total area of about 240000km2. But, the glaciers are sinking due to global warming and they are melting at a fast rate. Sciencetist conclude that most of the island will sink due to the melting of the glacier.

In the past, I do not know what an ice core is. After reading, I found out that an ice sheet like the Antarctic ice sheet can be used to show the link between temperature and the global sea level. I too know that bubbles trap in the ice can also reveal CO2 variations of the atmosphere. I also do not know that global warming can also be called anthropogenic climate change or anthropogenic global warming.