Do people live in Antarctica?
The general answer is no, as there are no permanent residents of Antarctica. Several contries however, do maintain permanent research stations with scientists and support personnel that number up to 5,000 in the summer and about 1,000 in the winter. Most researchers do not stay through the winter but those that do are typically there on one-year assignments.
The United States has two primary bases there: Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station and McMurdo Station.
An interesting aside: the South Pole has no solar time so a station there could theoretically be in any of the world’s 24 time zones. They use New Zealand time (UTC +12) since all flights to the continent come from Christchurch.
Image source: http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/time-zone/antarctica/antarctica.jpg
Categories: Ecology, General Science Tags:
Who coined the term “Spaceship Earth”?
Image source: http://www.robertlpeters.com/
Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983), an American scientist, author, inventor and environmentalist is credited with coining the term “Spaceship Earth.” He used it to represent the need for our technology to be self-contained. Think of the earth as a spaceship… it has to produce it’s own fuel, food, and usable resources, as well as take care of its own waste products. Basically, the earth has to be as self-contained as a spaceship.
One quote attributed to Fuller: “We have not been seeing our Spaceship Earth as an integrally designed machine which to be persistently successful must be comprehended and serviced in total.” [Source: Ashworth, William. The Encyclopedia of Environmental Studies]
On another note, Fuller is perhaps most remembered for his architecture work which included design of the geodesic dome.
Categories: Ecology, General Science Tags:
How do chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) affect the ozone layer?
CFCs are hydrocarbons in which some or all of the hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine atoms. They are often used as refrigerants, solvents and until recently as propellants in aerosol cans. When released, they rise high into the Earth’s atmosphere where they interact with the Sun’s ultraviolet rays. Read more…
Categories: Earth Science, Ecology Tags: CFCs, ozone
How acidic is acid rain?
Acidity (or alkalinity) is measured on a pH scale which is an abbreviation for its “potential for Hydrogen.” The scale measures a substance’s acidity from zero to 14. Zero would be extremely acidic and 14 is not acidic at all (very basic). Of course, 7 is right in the middle of the scale and is neutral. Read more…