After reading Chapter 3, "Water and Life", I was not really blown away by any new information. I had already learned in chemistry about acids and bases, the properties of water and also buffer solutions. I also have a good understanding of the math behind the pH scale and also chemical equation writing and solving. Though I knew the information in the chapter, I was still happy to go back over these concepts because I haven't used any of them for at least a year and a half. I feel much more in the biology mindset than the physics mindset I was in at the end of last year.
As for the evolution connection question at the end of the chapter, I believe that astrobiologists are interested in studying extremophile organisms because it means that there could be life flourishing on planets previously though uninhabitable because of their extreme heat, cold, acidity or basicity. This would shatter the traditional views on life, that life was confined to a certain temperature range or pH scale level as life on earth is. Furthermore, research on extremophiles could lead scientists to consider the possibility of life on other planets that have extreme conditions, such as the methane rich Neptune or the scorching hot Venus. Other extremophiles also flourish in areas full of materials toxic to most organisms, yet somehow these organisms still thrive. These organisms are evidence that there can be life just about anywhere in the galaxy because the range of conditions for life would be greatly expanded.
Friday, August 14, 2015
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Reactions and Reviews for The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
For my summer reading book for Mr. Wong's AP Biology class, I chose The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert because I was fascinated at the title, but also because I wasn't sure what this "sixth extinction" was. When I first picked up the book, I was kind of excited to start my work and find out what this extinction was, but soon my excitement turned to boredom and denial. In her first chapter, Kolbert discusses the mass extinctions of tree frogs in Central America, and how many scientists, rather than finding specimens to preserve, found a bunch of dead frogs. Not one of the most exciting starts, the author then continued to declare that humans had caused this mass extinction because they had brought over frogs with a certain type of fungus that, while harmless to the newcomers, was seriously deadly for the native frog population. I immediately went on the defensive, justifying humanity's mistake due to the many benefits brought about by the so-called Colombian Exchange or New to Old World exchange that happens to this day. I claimed, in my head, that Kolbert's claim was circumstantial at best, that humans cannot be blamed for accidentally transporting some frogs to new areas and not taking a serious look at the potential consequences. Also, I believed at first that this extinction event was an anomaly, that these frog species that are dying due to human error are an oddity in the animal kingdom.
However, as I continued reading, I discovered that I was wrong. Kolbert was not overreacting to a single event, but examining a global pattern affecting frogs but also birds, corals, plants, and mega fauna. I was shocked that something as astronomically important to the world such as a mass extinction event could remain unknown to a large segment of the population. I became very sad when Kolbert would discuss how it was directly humanity's fault that so many species were losing their homes and food chains were being disrupted do to the massive amount of pollution pumped into the air or people hunting a species to extinction, like the great auks. I also felt disappointment at the world because we have known that this process has been occurring for many years, yet only now is a Green Revolution taking place, and it seems like no amount of remedial measures can save the planet and restore many species already lost forever.
The most important and most shocking chapter to me was the chapter about the little brown bats, mainly because it is happening so close to home and also because I know nothing about this catastrophe happening in my own country. The gruesome images that Kolbert evoked, describing the literal mountains of bat corpses forming in caves and the bloody pulp that researchers left in their wake from walking on dead bats turned my stomach. Furthermore, when the author describes one live bat cuddling with many dead bats, looking for a sign of companionship and, more practically, warmth, I felt an immense sadness come over me. I could only imagine the loneliness and despair that would have to come over me to make me want to cuddle with a pile of corpses, and it broke my heart that animals who cannot understand what is happening to them must endure such pain. By the end of the little brown bat chapter, I was feeling hopeless and thought that there was nothing that could be done about the mass extinction event going on today. Species were breathing their last breaths everyday, winking out of existence, never to be seen again, yet humanity continues to pump out pollutants and kill the habitats of these animals without a thought of what their actions could be doing to the world. It felt as though no regressive action could fix the world's problem, and that humanity was doomed to extinct every other species and finally itself.
Kolbert then began talking more about efforts to stop extinction of some species, such as the Sumatran Rhino and many bird species from Hawaii and other tropical climates. The author describes how there are teams of scientists and researchers working day and night to try and save animals in the process of being eliminated, even going as far as extracting semen samples from a bird to try and impregnate another and save the species. This description of the efforts to turn the tide of the Sixth Extinction really gave me hope, making me believe that even though there may not be a way to turn the tide and restore the thousands of species already extinct, it is possible to stop the mass extinction event and save the planet for future generations.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed "The Sixth Extinction" and would recommend it to all readers because it is a description of an event that is happening underneath the noses of every human being, yet also has the potential to end life as we know it. Kolbert brings personal experience and rich historical background together to give the reader a real idea of what is happening in the world and why we should all care so much about our animal and plant neighbors across the globe.
However, as I continued reading, I discovered that I was wrong. Kolbert was not overreacting to a single event, but examining a global pattern affecting frogs but also birds, corals, plants, and mega fauna. I was shocked that something as astronomically important to the world such as a mass extinction event could remain unknown to a large segment of the population. I became very sad when Kolbert would discuss how it was directly humanity's fault that so many species were losing their homes and food chains were being disrupted do to the massive amount of pollution pumped into the air or people hunting a species to extinction, like the great auks. I also felt disappointment at the world because we have known that this process has been occurring for many years, yet only now is a Green Revolution taking place, and it seems like no amount of remedial measures can save the planet and restore many species already lost forever.
The most important and most shocking chapter to me was the chapter about the little brown bats, mainly because it is happening so close to home and also because I know nothing about this catastrophe happening in my own country. The gruesome images that Kolbert evoked, describing the literal mountains of bat corpses forming in caves and the bloody pulp that researchers left in their wake from walking on dead bats turned my stomach. Furthermore, when the author describes one live bat cuddling with many dead bats, looking for a sign of companionship and, more practically, warmth, I felt an immense sadness come over me. I could only imagine the loneliness and despair that would have to come over me to make me want to cuddle with a pile of corpses, and it broke my heart that animals who cannot understand what is happening to them must endure such pain. By the end of the little brown bat chapter, I was feeling hopeless and thought that there was nothing that could be done about the mass extinction event going on today. Species were breathing their last breaths everyday, winking out of existence, never to be seen again, yet humanity continues to pump out pollutants and kill the habitats of these animals without a thought of what their actions could be doing to the world. It felt as though no regressive action could fix the world's problem, and that humanity was doomed to extinct every other species and finally itself.
Kolbert then began talking more about efforts to stop extinction of some species, such as the Sumatran Rhino and many bird species from Hawaii and other tropical climates. The author describes how there are teams of scientists and researchers working day and night to try and save animals in the process of being eliminated, even going as far as extracting semen samples from a bird to try and impregnate another and save the species. This description of the efforts to turn the tide of the Sixth Extinction really gave me hope, making me believe that even though there may not be a way to turn the tide and restore the thousands of species already extinct, it is possible to stop the mass extinction event and save the planet for future generations.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed "The Sixth Extinction" and would recommend it to all readers because it is a description of an event that is happening underneath the noses of every human being, yet also has the potential to end life as we know it. Kolbert brings personal experience and rich historical background together to give the reader a real idea of what is happening in the world and why we should all care so much about our animal and plant neighbors across the globe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)