Blogger #5 Spring Break

Social Issue: Climate Change
Part 1

1. http://lib-ezproxy.lbcc.edu:2093/docview/1712481771/fulltext/B86F6D6AD8A84B55PQ/1?accountid=39846

2. Causes of the 2011-14 California Drought. By Seager, Richard; Hoerling, Martin; Schubert, Siegfried; Wang, Hailan; Lyon, Bradfield; Kumar, Arun; Nakamura, Jennifer; Henderson, Naomi

3.       The California Drought has been said that it is being caused by several different factors. The number one factor that scientists and people seem to say that its causing it is Climate Change. Climate Change is something that is said that is happening because of artificial ways like by human products, and naturally meaning earth has gone through many cycles like ice age's and now a warm cycle. The artificial ways that is being caused by humans include carbon dioxide released by vehicles especially here in Los Angeles were there is so much vehicles out on the road. Not only are cars causing this change in climate but also factories here in California that also release a lot of different type of chemicals into the air. Factories are also depleting the ozone which as a result is causing climate change and contributing to the California Drought. Human activities are not the only events that are going on that is causing climate change, naturally this is going on because earth is entering a new cycle which naturally the planet gets warm.

        All of these things are contributing to climate change according to scientists and also meteorologist. In the article it says " models project southwestern North America as a whole to become more arid as a result of rising GHGs" (section 10). This statement proves that even computer models are showing the results of why human activities are causing the drought and climate change.
The green house gases are building up in our atmosphere and warming it up resulting in the depletion of the ozone layer which as a result lets more harmful sun rays through and causes the warming as well which maybe causing this drought we are having in California.

      The author's overall idea is that even though climate change may be causing the drought, the drought itself is not a new event happening in California. There is research that proves that California has gone through droughts in the past that were bigger than what we are dealing with right now. Also there is not enough evidence that proves that even because climate change maybe because of human activities that no one knows if this would have happened anyways.

Part 2

EPA

1.   The EPA was created in 1970 by president Richard Nixon to set and enforces national pollution standards. Its main headquarters are in Washington, D.C. The EPA is an organization that is government based but works with a lot of non-profit organizations. The main executives are Gina McCarthy which is an Administer and Stan Meiburg which is an Acting Deputy Administer. The people who can work at the epa include biologists, chemists, lab technicians, life scientists and a whole lot more that are from the areas of science and math.

2.   The purpose/goals of the EPA was to protect human health and the environment. The services the EPA provides to meet their goal is that they write and enforce regulations based on laws passed by congress. The EPA wants to accomplish environmental protection so that not only the U.S but the whole worlds communities and ecosystems continue to be sustainable and safe to live in.