Food Science Scientific Article: French Toast
Communicating Science about the Gold King Mine Spill and Water
Quality in the Animas River
Essential Question:
1. How have geological, biological and human factors created and exacerbated acid mine
drainage and water quality issues in the Animas River?
2. What ecological and human health threats might be associated with the Gold King Mine
spill: initially, currently and in the future?
3. What actions can be taken to improve the water quality in Cement Creek and the
Animas River watershed?
4. What is the role of science in making policy decisions?
Reflection:
To what degree do scientists have an obligation to communicate scientific concepts and data to the public in an understandable manner?
Scientists ave a major obligation to communicate scientific concepts and data to the public in a manner that allows the general populace to understand. By doing this, they will make clear the state of different things, such as water quality, and let the public decide what measures should be taken to fix a problem or prevent a larger problem.
How has your understanding of scientific knowledge and/or the process of doing science changed throughout the semester as you’ve examined and manipulated data collected by professional scientists and performed analogous experiments to collect and analyze your own data?
I have grown in my understanding of science and its processes in many ways throughout this semester. The biggest thing that I've learned is that science is far more involved then I originally thought. Originally, I thought that scientists (in the case of the Animas River spill) just came in and did a couple water samples by testing pH and creating charts and things like that, but instead they test water in a myriad of different ways including alkalinity, spectroscopy, and others, then they took the data collected and turned them into graphs and charts. The biggest part after that is they interpreted the data, which I originally thought was just the job of the public looking at it.
What actions can be taken to improve the water quality in Cement Creek and the Animas River watershed?
A start to improving the water quality in Cement Creek comes with neutralizing the pH of the water by using a base, usually lime. Then the water should go through small containment ponds to allow the precipitate formed by the neutralization to settle, collect, and be disposed of. Then, the water quality will be improved so much that it will be safe to let the water free flow into the Animas River. Another possibility to raise the water quality is to induct a superfund sight to clean up surrounding mines and infected areas.
What is the role of science in making policy decisions?
Science and it's data should be thoroughly considered in all policy decisions because usually science determines the outcome and lasting effects of certain events. By having scientific data that either proves or disproves certain facts, it should be easier to make a policy decision that is for the bast benefit of the community.
Humanities project: Voices from the Animas:
http://kwcdp.weebly.com/humanities.html
Poster:
1. How have geological, biological and human factors created and exacerbated acid mine
drainage and water quality issues in the Animas River?
2. What ecological and human health threats might be associated with the Gold King Mine
spill: initially, currently and in the future?
3. What actions can be taken to improve the water quality in Cement Creek and the
Animas River watershed?
4. What is the role of science in making policy decisions?
Reflection:
To what degree do scientists have an obligation to communicate scientific concepts and data to the public in an understandable manner?
Scientists ave a major obligation to communicate scientific concepts and data to the public in a manner that allows the general populace to understand. By doing this, they will make clear the state of different things, such as water quality, and let the public decide what measures should be taken to fix a problem or prevent a larger problem.
How has your understanding of scientific knowledge and/or the process of doing science changed throughout the semester as you’ve examined and manipulated data collected by professional scientists and performed analogous experiments to collect and analyze your own data?
I have grown in my understanding of science and its processes in many ways throughout this semester. The biggest thing that I've learned is that science is far more involved then I originally thought. Originally, I thought that scientists (in the case of the Animas River spill) just came in and did a couple water samples by testing pH and creating charts and things like that, but instead they test water in a myriad of different ways including alkalinity, spectroscopy, and others, then they took the data collected and turned them into graphs and charts. The biggest part after that is they interpreted the data, which I originally thought was just the job of the public looking at it.
What actions can be taken to improve the water quality in Cement Creek and the Animas River watershed?
A start to improving the water quality in Cement Creek comes with neutralizing the pH of the water by using a base, usually lime. Then the water should go through small containment ponds to allow the precipitate formed by the neutralization to settle, collect, and be disposed of. Then, the water quality will be improved so much that it will be safe to let the water free flow into the Animas River. Another possibility to raise the water quality is to induct a superfund sight to clean up surrounding mines and infected areas.
What is the role of science in making policy decisions?
Science and it's data should be thoroughly considered in all policy decisions because usually science determines the outcome and lasting effects of certain events. By having scientific data that either proves or disproves certain facts, it should be easier to make a policy decision that is for the bast benefit of the community.
Humanities project: Voices from the Animas:
http://kwcdp.weebly.com/humanities.html
Poster: