Science Solutions
Science Solutions
Week 2: September
“There is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something and not really understand it”
Charles F. Kettering quotes (American engineer, inventor of the electric starter, 1876-1958)Science Terminology:
- Water Cycle
- Hydrologic
- Water Molecule
- Condensation
- Evaporation
- Water Vapor
- Precipitation
- Transpiration
- Infiltration
- Oxygen
List where all of the water on earth is located.
Why is so little of Earth’s water available for human use?
Essential Questions:
- Where does water come from?
- What is water made up of?
- Why are cycles important?
- If one of the cycles ceased to function, how would this have an impact on other parts of the cycle?
- How are people effected by water cycles?
- Read the attached article. Highlight the important information. Write a short summary of the article. The following information should be included:
What
When
Where
Why
How
3 Things You Found Out
2 Interesting Things
1 Question You Have
Select and define three vocabulary words from the article.
/ Web address:
081013143031.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29
How Does Climate Change Affect The Water Cycle?
A flooded reservoir in Mexico. (Credit: Courtesy IUCN, Copyright Jim Thorsell)
ScienceDaily (Oct. 27, 2008) — Climate change is having an impact on the water cycle, raising the issue of whether we should be investing in adapting to these impacts or focusing on more pressing water resource issues, such as providing water and sanitation for increasing populations? If investment in adapting to climate change is a priority, then is it best to invest in protecting natural ecosystems or developing engineered infrastructure?
“The traditional way of handling extreme events such as floods and droughts, with engineering works should be complemented with the ecosystems approach which integrates the management of land and water that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way”, says Dr. Max Campos, Review Editor for the Latin American Chapter for IPCC Impacts and Adaptation Report .
“Climate change is indeed an important issue, but it needs to be seen in context of the many other global challenges affecting water resources such as population growth, urbanization and land use change. Adaptation is vital – but we need to adapt to the full range of factors that are stressing water resources, and not focus on human-forced climate change to the exclusion of everything else”, says Oliver Brown from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
“It should be a must for vulnerable communities whether in the developed or developing world to ensure that their development ambitions are prepared for climate change. Adaptation should not be limited to the rich”, said Dr. Henk Van Schaik, Deputy Programme Coordinator UNESCO-IHE. He argued that vulnerable communities in the developed world are preparing and investing to protect their societies, economies and environments to the impacts of climate change. This is not so in transition economies nor in developing countries.
Going beyond the issue of investment in pressing development issues or adaptation measures, is the question of looking at natural versus engineered solutions.
“Conventional approaches to climate change adaptation range from water conservation and efficient use to new operational techonologies”, says Dr Mark Smith, Head of the IUCN Water Programme. “Dams and reservoirs are still considered as the most effective structural means of risk management. But we need to start thinking of the environment as infrastructure for adaptation as well. Health and intact river basins, wetlands and floodplains make us less vulnerable to climate change. Lowering risk is a good reason for investing in watersheds and the environment.”
