Susan asks…
Are climate change scientists altering weather / sea level data to advance a political agenda?
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/06/17/research-center-under-fire-for-adjusted-sea-level-data/
The University of Colorado’s Sea Level Research Group decided in May to add 0.3 millimeters — or about the thickness of a fingernail — every year to its actual measurements of sea levels, sparking criticism from experts who called it an attempt to exaggerate the effects of global warming.
“Gatekeepers of our sea level data are manufacturing a fictitious sea level rise that is not occurring,” said James M. Taylor, a lawyer who focuses on environmental issues for the Heartland Institute.
Steve Nerem, the director of the widely relied-upon research center, told FoxNews.com that his group added the 0.3 millimeters per year to the actual sea level measurements because land masses, still rebounding from the ice age, are rising and increasing the amount of water that oceans can hold.
“We have to account for the fact that the ocean basins are actually getting slightly bigger… water volume is expanding,” he said, a phenomenon they call glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA).
Taylor calls it tomfoolery.
“There really is no reason to do this other than to advance a political agenda,” he said.
Climate scientist John Christy, a professor at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, said that the amount of water in the ocean and sea level were two different things.
“To me… sea level rise is what’s measured against the actual coast,” he told FoxNews.com. “That’s what tells us the impact of rising oceans.”
Taylor agreed.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/06/17/research-center-under-fire-for-adjusted-sea-level-data/#ixzz1PqAEwYN6
Yea yea. Fox News. Get over it. Answer the question based on the article and not the source.
The Expert answers:
Naaaahhhh….they wouldn’t do that. Oh wait! They already HAVE altered data. But they don’t have a political agenda; only Republicans do.
Thomas asks…
Prospects for College?
I was wondering if what kinds of colleges could be reach, target and safe schools for me.
Looking for: University of California or private liberal arts colleges such as Pitzer, Oberlin, etc.
Cumulative GPA so far: 3.05 unweighted
2009: 3.2 Fall, 3.2 Spring – unweighted
2010: 3.2 Fall, 3.2 Spring – unweighted
2011: 3.2 Fall, 2.3 Spring – unweighted
APs/Honors taken: 2009: none; 2010: AP European History (score: 5), English Honors; 2011: AP Environmental Science, AP United States History, AP English Language (scores not received yet); 2012: AP Statistics, AP Psychology, AP English Literature.
SAT I: 2030 first time, second time unknown
SAT II: 740 US History, Literature and Math I to be taken later
Reason for bad Junior year GPA: Going through problems — anxiety issues because of academically demanding, nationally ranked high school; medicated for anxiety issues; etc.
Hobbies: Dance (12 years)
Volunteer Work/Work Experience: 3 years for the San Francisco Tenant’s Union, 2 years for an arts nonprofit organization (creative writing)
The Expert answers:
A high chance
Donald asks…
Japan disaster questions!!?
Ok, well my health teacher gave my class an essay to do about Japan and the 2011 Earthquake/ Tsunami. I need to know:
1) 3 physical health issues
2) 2 other health issues (emotional, mental, spiritual or environmental)
3) at least 5 things that Japan people need to have on a daily basis (this on is really easy, though)
please could you leave me links so I can check your information?? anything you have to contribute would be really helpful…Thank you!!
The Expert answers:
1) injury, dehydration, hypothermia
2) psychological trauma, radiation poisoning
3) water, food, warmth (clothes), fuel, support / encouragement
Steven asks…
Do you know that CAG slammed the National Biodiversity Authority for allowing questionable patents?
CAG’s findings on biodiversity conservation, in particular, will fill environmentalists with dismay. It turns out that a lax NBA allowed commercial enterprises to exploit biological resources with very little monitoring…
Environmental groups tracking NBA have been warning that the authority’s processes are far from transparent, and have raised disquieting questions on the access being provided to companies to exploit India’s biological resources without due process.
A report titled ‘6 Years of the Biological Diversity Act in India’, prepared by Kanchi Kohli and Mashqura Fareedi from Kalpavriksh environmental group and Shalini Bhutani of the international non-profit GRAIN and released in early 2009, had pointed out serious flaws with NBA’s style of functioning..
First the NBA, had refused them access to documents on its proceedings. It was only after Kohli filed a Right to Information application in 2007 that the researchers were able to get some data. Then filed a complaint with the Central Information Commission which ordered NBA to provide the required documents.
The CAG report is equally perceptive and highlights concerns on the loss of biodiversity to foreign commercial enterprises. It notes that the Biodiversity Act (2002) empowers NBA to oppose the grant of IPR in any country outside India on biological resources obtained from here or on knowledge associated with such resources. Although NBA had appointed a legal consultant in November 2005 it “did not take effective action to contest questionable IPRs”.
Tailpiece: Just recently, Gautam relinquished charge of NBA and took over as chairperson of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority!
For more read article:
”Biodiversity—India’s other scandal” by Author(s): Latha Jishnu
In the online journal:
Down to Earth – Science and Environment online. / Issue: Jan 15, 2011
http://www.downtoearth.org.in/node/2795
——–
Now do you find any difference from the greedy politicos and the learned scientists in quest of knowledge and power?
The Expert answers:
I read RS Narayanan’s article in Dinamani on this subject yesterday and he had lambasted the science community in his characteristic way! I was thinking of googling for more info and your link was useful, thanks.
National Poet Subramanya Bharathi sang ”if the learned person cheats, he would be lost in infamous fall” (crude translation of his poetic Tamil), but the people in Education, Research (science community), Judiciary or Religious groups are not the least free from irresponsibility, greed and dishonesty! ON that score it would be too unjust to lambast whole community of Educationists, Social activists, scientists, jurists etc as rascals – at least that is what learned critics like RSN do!
I have had the good fortune to meet many dedicated scientists, lawyers and Activists in my long public life and I always have held high esteem for their professions! But yes, the grave lapses of Biodiversity Dept costing not just the valuable native herbs to exotic commercial interests, but depriving the rights of tribes and farmers (under IPR) for their contribution to find their uses long before and preservation of the stock for the community – deserve the strongest condemnations!
The CAG could not fix the value of the precious materials already left our shores and the state of their uses – perhaps flourishing under illegal patents in other countries! That lists of valuable / disappearing herbs and farmer / tribal communities that are eligible for the share of sale proceeds etc have not been prepared even after lapse of so many years, is really shocking.
That the Chief of NBA who indulged in hasty approval for sale of number of herbs without any effort to get the share of IPR holders (whose lists also he had not cared to collect) etc, had conveniently left the Biodiversity Authority and got posted to another Authority (for welfare of Farmers!) shows the corrupt political background under which the like of him thrive!
People have been diverted by mega political scandals like the Spectrum and Adarsh in the news that this huge critical – and recurring – loss and irregularity of an elite society of Scientists has been completely side lined by media!!
You asked about the ‘difference’ between the political greed and the scientists’ greed! Well, it is like this, to me! We know the snake poison is deadly like the political corruption, which we expect and try to be wary of. But the scientist’s greed and corruption are like poisons in food items, like the Aflatoxin, etc which people unknowingly gulp and get affected. We take scientists as honest and toiling elites and prone to overlook the bugs among them!
There should be public pressure to save the biological wealth of the nation and earn the Intellectural Property Rights of the farmers who had supplied the stock for sale out of India, in accordance with the NBA approvals. The lists of the endangered and precious bio stock have to be prepared urgently along with the list of sources eligible for IPR shares! The legal wing of the Authority should monitor the use of the stock already exported and the way they are used (for breach of any patent rights of our nation)!
Edit: An independent Enquiry by team of scientists and Activists should assess the losses and punish the guilty elites. The approvals already given have to be reviewed urgently!
George asks…
How does my list of colleges fit in with my stats? And any suggestions?
Alabama
Tennessee
South Carolina
UNC-Chapel Hill
UCLA
Davidson
Georgetown
Pomona
Occidental
Rice
UVA
Middlebury
Duke
Vanderbilt
Yale
Brown
Penn
Stanford
Chicago
Harvard
ACT
E-34
M-26
R-34
S-26
GPA
5.0 W
3.8 UW
Classes
2009-2010
Semester I-
Honors English I (B)
French I (A)
Contemporary Issues (A)
Honors Ancient History (A)
Semester II-
Honors Biology (A)
Honors Algebra I (A)
French II (A)
Health/PE (A)
2010-2011
Semester I-
Honors Geometry (B)
AP Art History (A)
French III (A)
Honors English II (A)
Semester II-
AP US History (A)
AP Chemistry (B)
Honors Algebra II (A)
French IV (A)
2011-2012 Schedule
Semester I-
AP Environmental Science
AP English Language
AP World History
Spanish I
Semester II-
AP English Literature
AP Statistics
AP US Gov’t and Politics/Macroeconomics
Spanish II
Extracurricular Activities (I went ahead and listed them in order of most important)
1. 10-month (paid) internship with a local production company (2010-2011)
2. Fencing, saber and foil (2009 to present)
3. Children’s book reviewer and guest blogger (2009 to present)
4. Duke TIP Center for Summer Studies (2008 to present)
5. Member and Volunteer for HoLa Hora Latina (2010 to present…and no, I’m not hispanic 😉
6. Statistical Coordinator of the Chess Club (2009-2010)
7. Volunteer for Children’s Festival of Reading (2009)
8. Member of the Math Club (2010 to present)
I’m not sure what else to add except that I expect to have pretty good recommendations (1 extra from my teacher at Duke) and that I’m adding a book review as a writing sample.
I’m also graduating a year early (hence the strange transcripts) and I started taking my classes online after 9th grade (I don’t know if this hurts or not?)
Anyway, please let me know if you think these schools are like WAY out of my reach or if I need some more mid-range schools (I’m open to suggestions) or anything else you can think of. I’m taking the SAT in May, so I don’t know if my score for that will be better or not (hoping for around a 2100 but who knows) I’m also taking the US History, Math 1b, and English Literature subject tests in June and of course the AP exams in May but I have no idea what my score will be like.
Thanks for the help! Sorry if this kind of rambling/messy. I’d also love it if you could suggest some schools for me to look at.
To the person who told me I should take with my counselor, I have. However, she mainly quotes me stats from the Princeton Review which is helpful but I’d really like personal opinions from people who went some of these schools or know someone who did, ect.
The Expert answers:
Go to your counselor . Present to him or her or whoever this list.
THIS IS THEIR JOB. If your responsible you should be doing this already NOT asking here. :/
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