Not Even Close: 2012 Was Hottest Ever in U.S.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/science/earth/2012-was-hottest-year-ever-in-us.html?ref=science&_r=0


There is absolutely no question that global warming is happening, and it is happening at a rapid pace.
2012 was the hottest year on record. Last years average temperature was 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit. 
The previous record was set in 1998 and was 54.3 degrees Fahrenheit. In 14 years, the temperature 
average increased by a full degree. During the full year, 34,008 record highs were recorded. Only 6,664 
record lows were record in this same time. If people do not start caring for earth and what
 they are doing to it, the temperature is just going to continue to rise. 

How fast is the world’s population growing?

http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/how-fast-is-the-worlds-population-growing

This article really shows that if the population increase does not slow down soon, 
the environment will be destroyed. Right now there are over 7 billion people living
in the world. A baby is born every 8 seconds and there are 200,000 babies born 
each day. 140 babies are born each minute, 80 million babies are born each year. 
A person dies every12 seconds. With the birth rate greater then the death rate, 
population is always increasing. Estimates are showing that by 2050 the worlds 
population will be 9 billion. From 1900 to 2000 the world population quadrupled in 
size. As life expectancy increases the population has no where to go but up. Humans 
have most likely have already reached their tipping point and there is really nothing that 
can be done to reverse the problems that are taking place. 

Power Company Loses Some of Its Appetite for Coal

This article was interesting, because it involved environmental restrictions stepping in to shut down coal burning boilers in one of the biggest coal burning plants in the United States. American Electric Power announced recently that they will have to switch to a different method and instead burn a safer and more environmental friendly gas.  The plant would have been forced to shut down if the they decided not to change. On Wednesday the power plant said that it would close both of the coal burning furnaces at Big Sandy by 2015, but left open the possibility that one of the units would be remade to use natural gas. This power plant currently burns over 2.5 tons of coal each year. So far about 55 different power plants have announced they will be closing or changing over from coal. 


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/business/energy-environment/aep-has-plan-to-close-kentuckys-big-sandy-power-plant.html?ref=science&_r=0

‘Famous’ Wolf Is Killed Outside Yellowstone

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/science/earth/famous-wolf-is-killed-outside-yellowstone.html?ref=earth&_r=0

I found this article on an alpha wolf pretty interesting, especially since we just watched a clip about wolves. Researcher called the wolf 832F. The wolf had a collar that had a GPS installed on it, and it tracked its every move. People referred to the wolf as "the rock star". For the past 6 years tourists have fell  in love with the wolf. Scientists said that the wolf was shot and killed outside of the parks boundaries last Thursday. This wolf was known as the alpha female and was being tracked by researchers to see how she lives her life.

Earliest known dinosaur discovered

http://news.yahoo.com/earliest-known-dinosaur-discovered-000536001.html

I found this article interesting because it is about a dinosaur fossil that is over 245 million years old. The fossil has been kept in a museum in London. The specimen has recently been related and indentified as the Nyasasaurus parringtoni, the earliest dinosaur to roam the earth. The Nyasasaurus parringtoni was about the size of a medium sized dog. The fossil was found in a lake called Lake Malawi (the article says it was Lake Nyasa at the time it was found) in Africa during the 1930's. Scientists have said the Nyasasaurus probably stood upright, was a meter tall at the hip, 2-3 meters long from head to tail, and weighed 20-60 kg. I find it interesting that about 80 years after the fossil was found that it is finally revealed as what the type of dinosaur it was. 

Green Building Designs Can Help Protect Homes During Natural Disasters

http://www.enn.com/energy/article/45269

This article not only talked about how solar power and alternate fuel can be safer during
 a disaster, but it can also attempt to stopping the global warming process. The design 
of the buildings are a major outcome to whether or not a building can sustain a disaster. 
Experts believe that if buildings have solar panels and the buildings are built stronger it 
will could potentially save people's lives. Buildings in the United States produce around 
40% of global warming gases, while they also use 70% of the electricity. Scientist believe 
that if buildings are built with solar power and have an alternate fuel source, global warming 
could stop approaching at such a rapid pace. This whole article pretty much summed up how 
the United States has to start being more concerned with the Earth, and protecting it. 

Even Moderate Drinking in Pregnancy Can Affect a Child's IQ

My article was about mothers drinking during pregnancy. A study that tracked 4,000 mothers during their pregnancy. After the child has turned eight years old, scientists found that the IQ of the child is lower then normal. The IQ was about two points lower than it should have been. This was only seen in children whose mothers drank during pregnancy. Children with mothers who did not drink, had normal IQs for their age. This study was only tested with women who were moderate drinkers, not heavy drinkers. The mothers were tracked throughout their pregnancy and filled out questionnaires every couple of weeks. The children were tested with a shortened version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. This study found that Alchol during pregnancy does indeed affect the fetus.