Expert outreach letter
Dear Mr. Scientist ,
Kearny SCT sophomores in San Diego value the environment and are concerned about the problems that we are causing. Our class is divided into groups to cover and research different problems. My team took special interest in the great pacific garbage patch for our environmental science project. We've come to the conclusion that this problem has been impacting the life on Earth, but the fact that we can't see it impacting our life on an everyday basis makes it invisible to many people.
We realize that many of the mainstream media outlets that we checked for information either never have written an article about the 'great pacific garbage patch' or don't talk about it as much as we feel that they should. The way mainstream media is addressing the problem, in our opinion, is in a broad and biased manner. Sometimes the sources have really strong viewpoints and they don't necessarily support those ideas with the sources they cite or the things that the experts say.
While investigating how to help, we came up wth interesting information about the leading technologies being developed around the globe to solve problems regarding plastic and other materials with a long process of decomposition. Oceanographers at the University of Western have been working on genetically modified microbes that "eat" plastic and if put into work could reduce the amount of microplastics and create a cleaner ocean. This technology has been applied in different ways around the world, from petroleum-eating mushrooms to bacteria that turns salty water into fresh water. Although this and other new ideas are revolutionary, we still feel a little concern about the drawbacks for the environment, are these options really the best way to get rid of the ocean's problems? Are they causing extra damage, if so, how can they affect anything else?
The great pacific garbage patch has been on many expert's radars for quite a while, although a topic of interest, research has not been focusing on solutions and ways to prevent this kind of issue. We as a team have been researching the topic and found strong evidence that the problem could be stopped with the proper recycling techniques and garbage disposal, but how do we eliminate the garbage that is already there? Our project has been coming along pretty well, although the lack of information and the poor presentation in the media makes some research difficult. For example, we couldn't find enough information on active solutions. What type of solutions are there for the problem? Is any new technology being developed? Any information you could provide would be excellent.
Thank you for your time,
Jose Fuertes, Delaney White, Saeed Brandon, Eric Palmer
Sources
Kearny SCT sophomores in San Diego value the environment and are concerned about the problems that we are causing. Our class is divided into groups to cover and research different problems. My team took special interest in the great pacific garbage patch for our environmental science project. We've come to the conclusion that this problem has been impacting the life on Earth, but the fact that we can't see it impacting our life on an everyday basis makes it invisible to many people.
We realize that many of the mainstream media outlets that we checked for information either never have written an article about the 'great pacific garbage patch' or don't talk about it as much as we feel that they should. The way mainstream media is addressing the problem, in our opinion, is in a broad and biased manner. Sometimes the sources have really strong viewpoints and they don't necessarily support those ideas with the sources they cite or the things that the experts say.
While investigating how to help, we came up wth interesting information about the leading technologies being developed around the globe to solve problems regarding plastic and other materials with a long process of decomposition. Oceanographers at the University of Western have been working on genetically modified microbes that "eat" plastic and if put into work could reduce the amount of microplastics and create a cleaner ocean. This technology has been applied in different ways around the world, from petroleum-eating mushrooms to bacteria that turns salty water into fresh water. Although this and other new ideas are revolutionary, we still feel a little concern about the drawbacks for the environment, are these options really the best way to get rid of the ocean's problems? Are they causing extra damage, if so, how can they affect anything else?
The great pacific garbage patch has been on many expert's radars for quite a while, although a topic of interest, research has not been focusing on solutions and ways to prevent this kind of issue. We as a team have been researching the topic and found strong evidence that the problem could be stopped with the proper recycling techniques and garbage disposal, but how do we eliminate the garbage that is already there? Our project has been coming along pretty well, although the lack of information and the poor presentation in the media makes some research difficult. For example, we couldn't find enough information on active solutions. What type of solutions are there for the problem? Is any new technology being developed? Any information you could provide would be excellent.
Thank you for your time,
Jose Fuertes, Delaney White, Saeed Brandon, Eric Palmer
Sources
- 'Plastic-Eating' Microbes Help Marine Debris Sink : DNews. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2015, from http://news.discovery.com/earth/oceans/plastic-eating-microbes-help-marine-debris-sink-140619.htm
- http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow/gulf-oil-eating-microbes-slide-show/
- http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111130125412.htm
- http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/natures-desalination-bacteria-turn-salty-water-fresh
Experts:
1)Todd Anderson, Professor of Biology, Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara (1993).
[email protected]
2)J. David Archibald, Professor Emeritus. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1977).
[email protected]
3)Sanford I. Bernstein Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Wesleyan University (1979).
[email protected]
4)Annalisa Berta, Professor of Biology. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1979).
[email protected]
5)Richard Bizzoco Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Indiana University (1972).
[email protected]
6)Andrew W J. Bohonak Professor and Vice Chair of Biology. Ph.D., Cornell University (1998).
[email protected]
7)Michael J. Buono, Professor of Biology and Exercise and Nutritional Science. Ph.D., University of Arizona (1982).
[email protected]
8) Kevin Burns, Professor of Biology. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1996).
[email protected]
9)David J. Archibald, Professor Emeritus. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1977).
[email protected]
[email protected]
2)J. David Archibald, Professor Emeritus. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1977).
[email protected]
3)Sanford I. Bernstein Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Wesleyan University (1979).
[email protected]
4)Annalisa Berta, Professor of Biology. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1979).
[email protected]
5)Richard Bizzoco Professor of Biology, Ph.D., Indiana University (1972).
[email protected]
6)Andrew W J. Bohonak Professor and Vice Chair of Biology. Ph.D., Cornell University (1998).
[email protected]
7)Michael J. Buono, Professor of Biology and Exercise and Nutritional Science. Ph.D., University of Arizona (1982).
[email protected]
8) Kevin Burns, Professor of Biology. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1996).
[email protected]
9)David J. Archibald, Professor Emeritus. Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley (1977).
[email protected]