Here's the problem: it's not definitely true! Everyone knows this, and yet nobody has said how one-sided his argument is. Nobody finds it odd that he has declared universal truth to an issue scientists spend THEIR WHOLE LIFETIME debating! Now some people might ask "is everything he's saying really true?" but I am afraid the public will more quickly say "it says an Inconvenient Truth, so now I must have gotten the full story." With that in mind, a few myths about global warming:
MYTH: Since temperatures have gotten warmer lately, humans have caused global warming.
It is true- temperatures have risen lately. It is also true that humans have caused an increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We do not know for a fact whether these two events are related. It may be, but it is not definitely true. In fact, the earth goes through cooling and warming periods in cycles of 100,000 years! We cannot take 100 years of data and say for sure that this current change is not part of one of these huge cycles. In fact, it is arrogant to say that we definitely have more power than these cycles. We have no idea.
MYTH: When you go out and it is unbearably hot, you should blame global warming for the temperature!
Even if it were 100% accepted as fact, Global warming still only accounts for a change in temperature of less than 2 degrees! I find it funny when people say the heat is from global warming. Apparently they can tell the difference between 97 degrees and 95 degrees!
MYTH: Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the only thing that has changed in the past 100 years, so this must be the cause of any change in the temperature.
Actually, the earth's elliptical orbit around the sun is imperfect and changes over time, the earth's tilt wobbles, and there are cycles in the number of sun spots that are directly related to the radiation the sun gives off. ALL of these have an effect on the earth's temperature.
MYTH: Carbon Dioxide is the number one greenhouse gas
Actually, water and methane both have a bigger greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide. We just haven't changed those.
MYTH: Global warming only has one outcome- the icecaps will melt and the earth will be completely underwater (starting with Florida).
Sorry Florida, but if this does happens you will indeed be underwater. However, and I don't quite understand this myself, global warming can actually just as easily cause the ocean tides to go so crazy that they will cause an ice age! (which is also the probable outcome of the 100,000 year temperature cycle if global warming isnt true!)
MYTH: Brandon Finegold loves George Bush Jr. Brandon Finegold thinks we should just burn up our entire planet without fearing global warming.
I know this blog could potentially piss people off and make me look like a conservative, but I am not. I hate George Bush I swear. I think that he should not have backed out of the Kyoto protocol (which promised to reduce carbon dioxide emissions). I agree with any step that Al Gore can propose to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. I just philosophically can't agree with him calling global warming a truth. Not when he is not a scientist. Not when many scientists have argued the point their whole careers. In other words, I don't know for sure its happening, but I still think we should do everything in our power to keep it from happening.
Of course, preventing global warming means we have to do exactly what we always have known we have to do: USE LESS FOSSIL FUELS! In other words, from a conservation standpoint, high gas prices are a good thing! We are trying harder than ever not to burn gas! Next up? We need to look into more alternative energy. The problem with that is there is no perfect choice. We fear Nuclear Power Plants for obvious reasons, and if we switched to them probably in 100 years the nuclear waste crisis would be worse than the global warming crisis. Nobody wants wind power in their backyards (eventually people are going to have to suck it up- its either ugly up the world we have or lose it for good) and the turbines kill birds! Solar power still doesnt work so well. I propose we get tour de france teams to do all their training on electric generators! Put all that elevated testosterone to good use! (Okay, i couldnt stay serious this WHOLE blog, could I? I hope you made it all the way through this one to reach that backhanded shot at Floyd Landis!)
If you are interested in this topic, I HIGHLY recommend reading State of Fear by Michael Crichton. It happens to be fiction, but his main point is we believe things to be the "truth" too easily without looking for all the facts. That and there are many ultra tree-hugging liberals that are willing to destroy the earth to get their point across. In other words, he wrote about a group of Brown graduates. And its all about the myths of global warming!
(Finally, in case you are wondering my sources, most of what I know comes from a graduate class i took last year in teaching Water and Weather. Thanks Professor Olsen!)
The next blog I write will be completely lighthearted and contain no science, I promise. Until then....
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Myths about global warming
Brazil photos and review!
A final blog with thoughts about Brazil. I obviously went into way more detail in my long blogs from abroad, but if you don't have the time, this will probably catch you up:
Most Amazing Sight: TIE- river boat rides with vegetation and animal life surrounding us or the incredible stars that the unobstructed sky had.
Most Glaring Dichotomy- The city of Sao Paolo vs the city of Campo Grande. Sao Paolo was dirty and scary, while Campo Grande was beautiful, clean and had friendly people. Don't take my word for it- check out pictures 006 and 014. Luckily, we spent 3 nights in Campo Grande and had a blast.
Most Indespensible Item- My Red Sox hat. Never before have I felt this close to an article of clothing, but my hat was with me through thick and thin on this trip. From the crazy airport scene in Sao Paolo (picture 005) to protecting me from bugs in the rainforest at night (picture 105). It was there with me when the Sox won the world series, and now it was halfway across the world with me. It is a friend I will never give up. And yes, I am still talking about a hat.
Least Indespensible Item- My Manny Ramirez Red Sox tshirt- Who knew the number 24 meant you were gay in Brazil?? I am just glad I didn't offer it as a gift to any of the cowboys who helped us out. I would be coming back to the states with a black eye.
Most Interesting Cultural Norm- Sharing. If you order a bottle of beer or even a bottle of water, they will bring out a small glass for everyone at your table and pour them all some. More my favorite, the Terere (kind of like tea) was one of the most communal customs I have experienced. (pictures 107, 148, and 150).One person continually pours water into the same tea and then passes it around the circle so people can one-by-one drink through the filter. No fear of germs necessary. (a close runner up is the fact that public displays of affection are totally ok there. It was completely common for couple to be cuddling, making out, or even necking in the airport, on the streets, or at their table at a restaurant!)
One way Brazil is more advanced than the US: their cigarette packages have pictures of dead rats poisoned and birth defect babies. Much better than a warning from the surgeon general.
One Way the US is More Advanced Than Brazil: Car emissions. There are no restrictions on what a car can spit out in Brazil, and as a result many are shooting out thick smog. I was sick from the fumes by the end of my cab ride in Sao Paolo. My guess is 50% of cars in Brazil would not be allowed on the road in the US.
Most comforting piece of home that was always around- Coca-Cola. There was a McDonalds in Campo Grande, but Coke made it all the way out to the remote stretches of the Pantanal. The do call Diet Coke "Coke Light."
Truest Stereotype- the Brazilian women. There is no way to truly explain them. You will have to take my word for it.
Most Amazingly Abundant- TIE- The birds, caimans, and bugs were all incredibly plentiful. It is cool every time a parrot or Macaw flies by, no matter how many times it happens. Caimans are everywhere and don't really seem to sweat humans at all. Instead, you could walk right by them or drive your boat right up to them (see pictures 074, 180, and 181) and they wouldn't care. After all, if you bother them they can always bite your hand off! Meanwhile, the bugs are everywhere. There are all types and it is unbelievable the percentage of living things there that must be bugs. I think I am still finding new bites on my arms and legs! (thank goodness for Benadryl anti-itch gel)
Truest Friends- Gene and I were already great friends and I cannot imagine having taken this trip without him. I also made 3 new really close friends while in the Pantanal: Silvana (pictures 108, 139, 230, 232)- a bat researcher from Brazil who has a caffeine addiction stronger than mine and probably learned more English than I learned Portuguese! Ivelisse (pictures 111, 139)- the coolest non-Madison Park science teacher in Boston and James aka Gentleman Jim(pictures 055, 093, and 194)- proof that the English can actually be extremely funny, caring, and pleasant to hang out with! I would have considered myself lucky to have met one of these friends. To meet 3 is a godsend.
Coolest example of what I teach directly in class: (picture 095) The marsh deers letting birds sit on top of them because they pick ticks off them. Very cool example of mutualism. We also saw a Capibara laying on its back letting a bird do the same thing. At first I thought it was dead and being picked apart! But it was just being its same-old mellow self. Capibaras rule. (pictures 174 and 182-184)
Only Animal Unhappy to See Us: The giant river otters. (pictures 169-171) They can get up to 5 feet and 90 pounds or so. They would come out and growl and try to intimidate us in order to protect their nests and feeding areas. Oddly the only animal that even really acknowledged our presence.
A little science: Bats and Peccaries are most important for their relationship to plants. They disperse fruit and plant seeds through their feces, making the plant populations there dependent on them. As their food sources decrease, they may shift behaviors and change what is being populated in the rainforest. So yeah, that's the short version of why they had us studying them while we were down there.
Most loyal blog readers- my friends, family and students! I have missed you all and though I miss Brazil very much, I am happy to be back and seeing many of you already!
The Life Aquatic- Day 16 Brazil. Coming back soon!
My last blog before my return to the united states! I will post a summary blog after returning, but a few experiences before then...
This has been an amazing time. The last day of work I was on the aquatic project and we caught tons of different fish and tested the salinity, oxygen content, and pH of the fresh water. There were tons of different fish, but also many different predator bugs that feed on the fish and on other fly's larvae, which was also in the water. I was warned to watch out for pairs of eyes swimming my way (caymans) and not dangle my fingers in the water (piranhas!)... It was a good experience and we waded chest deep into the murky waters. Fun times. I threw out the shoes i wore for that day (brought old ones for that exact purpose).
The final night in the Pantanal the cowboys took out their guitars and accordians and played us some local music. They are very good and two of them actually have a CD! One of the project investigators even taught me how to do the accompanying dance a little!
I am in the hotel in Sao Paolo waiting for my flight tomorrow. We flew back to Campo Grande yesterday from the Pantanal and, then flew into Sao Paolo today. The cities have a totally different feel to them- Campo Grande was very nice, but taking a cab in Sao Paolo today we realized exactly how dirty, impoverished, and indesirable this city is. We are holed up into the hotel not willing to leave into the city (which the cab driver called the murder capital of the world). But last night we went into the city of Campo Grande and met the project investigators of the bats project (who live there). They took us to some nice local spots and we had a very good time.
I will sure miss this place. I have to hand over the computer to Gene now... Next time you hear from me I'll be wrapping up this Brazil blog from my cozy apartment in Boston, MA. Until then...
Brazil Day 12 (?)
So the internet problem seems to be the sun disrupts the satellite signal they use for internet here. There is a rush to use the computers at night, and if you are on the bat trip, you are already in the forest before the computers start working. But anyways, here I am with another blog
I have had so many great experiences here it is not really right to rank them, but the few that have been so amazing I think everyone should experience them are the river boat ride, horse ride, and the stars here. I have talked about the river boat ride, but it seems to be where the most wildlife is. Caymans (small crocodiles) are around so much people dont even point them out anymore! We also saw a large family of giant otters, they are probably the only animal that has tried to scare away us humans. All the rest dont even really care if a human passes by. The otters wanted to protect their nest. Yesterday the group saw a family of howler monkeys. Unfortunately I wasnt on that trip but still it was cool to hear about. Now the last thing we are all waiting for is a jaguar
I rode a horse for the first time in my life (well, for longer than ten minutes). It was a very interesting experience, and I have to admit that I ended up a little bruised by the end. =P. The horses here are extremely well trained- I think it would have walked into a tree if I had asked it to! We crossed a river and rode for a good hour. The horse trainer does not like to speak to non-native Portuguese speakers but I was able to talk to him and her was very excited to hear I spoke some. He asked how I understood and I was proud to tell him my students come from Cabo Verde (and a few from
The stars are impossible to describe- there are more than you can possible imagine (so many that at times there seem to be smudges in the sky). Obviously there is no light out here to keep you from seeing them, so you get a beautiful view every night. Besides beautiful New England snow and water, I think the next ten most beautiful sceneries I have seen have been here in
Two nights ago we caught thirty bats! (compared to about 5 every other night besides 16 on the first). It was so many that we were up until 3 am processing them all- at first the researchers only wanted to process one at a time because they thought it was too confusing for two people to be calling out measurements at once. I took control of the recording though and convinced them to call out two at once and I could sort it all out. In addition, I prepared the collars for the bats and collected any feces in the bags at the same time. Organizing data and multi-tasking- now thats something I can do.
Other thoughts
The lead bat researcher is named Luis Philippe. At least twice I have called him Jean Philippe because that is the name of the maitre-d on Hells Kitchen =P
We caught one vampire bat and it was crazy! The thing is way more aggressive, it shrieks and bites continuously and even licks in case there is blood. And it turned out to be a pregnant mother!
Yesterday there was an anteater walking around- they are a very funny animal. They walk around very slowly with bad vision so you can sneak right up to them. I watched him walk right into thick brush with thorns instead of going around and five minutes later he made it out the other side and walked right past my feet. Very funny animal.
Armadillos are called tatu in Portuguese. Which means they are named after the short lived Russian lesbian band T.A.T.U.
There is a tall, awkward looking bird called a Jabiru here, which definitely was the inspiration for Jar Jar Binks. Its not even in question.
Yesterday I proudly put on my Manny Ramirez Red Sox shirt and the bat researcher said
Day 7 Brazil:
I have been working quite a bit lately and really have had a great time. Two nights ago we went out to see the bats. We caught
The "break" was an afternoon hike of about
Enough science. Some other stories...
The British guy i mentioned earlier has turned out to be very cool. On the bat trip he wore a fancy button-down shirt and we made fun of him for the rest of the night, calling him "Gentleman Jim." He was a good sport about it. Previous statements about his uptightness are hereby retracted.
On the hike we found a couple of skeletons picked clean, with skulls about the size of a pig head. Gene picked them up for photos and then grabbed a small bone to bring home. Then I told him how he probably wouldnt get it through customs because bones carry diseases pretty easily and he very quickly threw it out of his hands.
On the fruit census we were guided by a 14 year old brazilian boy from another farm who slashed through the forest with a machete to clear a path for us. He knew EVERYTHING about the area, which was amazing because it was so huge. I had no idea where we were the whole time but he knew everything. Very humbling. Also funny to have someone hack a path through the forest with a machete for you. I suggest trying it sometime.
It seems to be somewhat of a custom to dump this wheat grass looking substance into a cup, pour water into it, then suck the water up through a straw with attached filter. The bat assistant offered me some and I made her drink some in front of me first before having any. Then i tried some and it comes out tasting very tea-like. Not bad, actually.
Unlucky bat 13 had to be killed because the scientist couldn't identify him. Thats what you get for being rare! He was the cutest one too.
They caught 2 vampire bats last night, which are supposed to be rare because they are top-level consumers. Apparently, they dont suck blood but actually just cut you and then lick up the blood. They prey on cows a lot because the cows have no way of getting them off their backs. And in the biggest story of insult to injury, they pee on their victims while they are lapping up the blood.
The library on this farm/research station consists of about 150-200 science books in portuguese, about 10 science books in english, 2 time magazines from last year, and last but not least "The Justice Riders" by Chuck Norris!
It is dinner time so I will leave you on that note. Until next time...
Bats in the Mist (Brazil Day 5)
I survived the prop plane flight! The view was actually very nice and from above there were lots of animals that looked so still they looked like little toys.
Met with the site coordinator, the woman in charge of the Peccaries, and the guy in charge of the bats. They all had long presentations to give, and the bat one was toughest because he doesnt speak much English. Being here in the Pantanal though is WAY different because there are very few Brazilians to interact with, and 6 out of 8 of the people we are working with speak perfect English. So I am afraid my gains in Portuguese will suffer unless i speak to one of the 2 researchers in Portuguese or with the little children of the farmers.
Speaking of farmers- that is what the Pantanal rainforest is being deforested from! I picture big cities and need for wood as reasons why we chop down the rainforest, not creating farmland. They are cattle ranches and soy farms. The cattle are sold here (don't i know it- every meal thus far has involved beef) but 99% of Brazilians dont eat soy, so it is all for exporting...
Anyways, last night we had to put together a schedule involving 10 days and 10 people who needed to be randomly distributed amongst 4 different projects and randomly paired off with each other as much as possible. They left it up to us how to figure that out, and I was up for that math problem! It came out almost perfect- so if I contribute nothing else for the rest of the trip, they used my strengths at least once...
Day one of the actual research and I am on bats. We drove off road to a spot in the forest (finally a valid need for a truck or SUV, not like Bostonians driving to Whole Foods in Brighton). We picked out some spots a few yards in and set up the nets (like putting up a 5-tiered volleyball net), which took about an hour (untangling them was very hard). We left them closed and come back tonight to open them when the bats mist and measure them as they fly in. So yeah, this is the type of research I am doing...
When we do the pecaries, we will be tracking them with radio collars. People say the pecaries smell horrible because they have evolved a 10 cm stench gland near their anus. Who knows why, but probably because they dont taste as good to their predators after said smell. People say its awful, but these same people haven't worked chem labs with Butyric acid (my former chemistry students can attest to this being the most rotten, pungent smell on earth). So that's one thing i'm not worried about.
Finally they give us a bonus day with the coastal waterlife in the fresh waters.
Some other random thoughts:
I have been at the pool every free chance i get during the day. A beatle did try to swim into my belly button- I never thought about it before, but I think the is the first time I have ever seen a swimming bug. Besides a lobster of course. And yes, I have been wearing sunscreen.
The rainforest is really not as thick as I had imagined it. There are some thick parts, but lots of natural occuring plains. Hence the cattle ranching. But because of climate changes, they have needed to cut down forest to make more plains. Thats the main problem.
On the first day, the lady said never to leave your door open when you go out because when you come back there might be an armadillo in your bed. We thought she was joking or exaggerating, but it turns out there really are a bunch of armadillos walking around this camp!
Its winter here and it is 70 degrees. Just thought I'd mention. Number of shorts I brought: 2.
I said I wouldnt mention her again because she is one of the old, boring ones, but this woman Sherry rushes to the computer every time we get a free minute! It has made getting on here way more difficult, but not as difficult as in the hotel when a young girl was on chat and instand messenger for 5 hours until 1 am with no designs of stopping.
Everyone else has turned out to be very cool, even with the misgivings I had mentioned before.
Thats all for now I think. In one half hour I am going out into the forest to open some nets. Gene is worried about vampire bats, I just hope there are no tarantulas! Until next time...
tarantulas??? (Brazil day 3)
Our group has some people i think i will like and some i wont. There is one surprisingly cool old couple, 2 other younger teachers (one from Boston), and gene of course. Then there is one guy who has been on 8 of these trips and immediately cast the stone of "how have you people lived without ever leaving the country?" Well, not as many people have as much money as you buddy. But anyways, there was also a British guy who got assigned to our room and showed up at noon... and went to the front desk to request a new room in 5 minutes! He's a little up tight to say the least... Finally there are 2 older boring people I will never mention again. The british guy will from now on be refered to as British guy and the holier than thou traveller will be referred to as California snob.
We went into the city last night and had a great time. They have some interesting things here... drive-thru's consist of a guy at one of those grills like the sausage stand at Fenway and people drive up to the street parking spots he is at. Meanwhile there are tables there and teenage waitresses who bring the menu to passersby. One ran across the street to get us to sit down, and we did, even though we had already eaten once. Gene got a burger and i had a bite and had to get my own- the BEST burger ever made! It had cheese, linguica, bacon, and an egg on it (arteries watch out) and has moved past the mozzerela on a stick as the best thing here (and it only cost $2 !!!!!)...
Speaking of these drive thru's, there was another interesting trend we noticed while there. Brazilian's LOVE live music. Not just people playing, but videos of people playing at concerts. Every hotel, restaurant, and even the drive thru's (who bring out a tv and dvd player hooked to a generator) play DVDs of guitar concerts all day long. Its funny, because they can't just listen to their live music here, they have to see it!
A few other random thoughts
The band at the bar we went to (we felt a little out of place but people were friendly and eventually we had a blast) had 3 guitars and played half portuguese music and half random american covers. They played Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd and Wicked Game by Chris Isaak (I wonder if they have seen the video). By the way, Gene was obsessed with them and wants to bring them to the United States. Oh, and the appetizer we got was filet mignon wrapped in bacon. Awesome.
At the pool a woman was sunbathing and she dumped a powder into her suntan lotion and mixed it in with her finger. I asked her what it was and i think she told me it was a bronzing agent. Weird.
The group had to split into two for tomorrow's departure. Hald have a 6 am van ride for 2 hours and then a flight to the site and a 6:15 flight straight from here. To make things more one-sided, only the 6:15 group will get breakfast. And half of them WANTED the 6 am trip! Because of scenery on the van ride. I thought we were going to have to draw straws for it!
Ok, looks like the internet situation in the Pantanal is good. More to come sometime in the next few days... Until then...
Do you like American airports? (Brazil day 2)
I am in Brazil! We arrived safely yesterday after a long flight, but i was able to sleep through most of it. They showed King Kong but edited out the part where he plays with the dead dinosaurs mouth. Thats my favorite part! Also, the woman next to me laughed hysterically when he knocks over the woman multiple times as a game. Which validates my laughing hysterically in the movie theater.
Today we got up to take the charter flight from Sao Paolo to Campo Grande. It is by far the craziest experience i´ve seen. The floor packed in maybe a thousand people going to 20 desks... none of which had ropes or any kind of true line. Periodically, they would announce a flight in portuguese over the loudspeaker and a bunch of people would throw their hands up and get served. Of course, we had no idea when our flight would be announced. To give it a comparison, it was a lot like those seens from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange- complete bedlam, everyone out for themselves. Well, except for a nice woman and her daughter who helped me get a cart and find the right desk. She talked to me in Portuguese the whole time and offered me gum. Then when another woman started complained something incoherent in Portuguese at me, she yelled back at her! Somehow we made it on our flight (quote of the trip so far: ´´here is your ticket, your boarding time is now´´). Who thought I would miss the huge organized lines and up tight security personnel of American airports?
Oh, and Gene inadvertently requested to be randomly searched at Logan airport. That was funny.
Some other random thoughts:
Sao Paolo is huge! Looking out on the city is amazing.
The food is great so far- the best thing? fried cheese on a stick!
I am not feeling the keyboards here- upside down enter button, small shift and backspace´, punctuation characters all over the place...
If I had not gotten a portuguese lesson from my superstar former student Alice (one of the best students anywhere ever) I would be completely lost. Now at least i can picture words people are saying to me and pronounce things i read. Next up, a little better at speaking it.
But I do feel like a jerk for not knowing enough portuguese. Not many people speak english (the younger they are the more English they know it seems). I haven´t decided which is better, things written in english and people helping me by translating (thus enabling me not to learn as much, but helping me immensely), or everything in portuguese and me having to sink or swim. Which means I now don´t know my own opinion of whether it is better for non-English speakers in America to learn through immersion or not.
Well, I know throwing them into the fire isnt the best method in schools. But thats a whole other blog...
Interesting so far: most of the powerful, important or helpful people I have met so far have been women and the men seem to be assigned to much more nominal tasks. I am interested to see if this trend continues.
Looks like I´ll be on this again before making it to the field station monday. Who knows the access there, but keep checking back!
