Want To Learn Global Warming? Start From The Ocean

Global warming refers to the continous rising in the average temperature of the Earth’s climate system. It is the current change in Earth’s climate. It also refers to the increase in the average temperature of air and sea at the Earth’s surface. Since 1971, 90% of the warming has occured in the ocean. That is why ocean is the right place to start understanding global warming phenomenon which occured in our blue planet. Global warming affects the global conveyor belt and other physical properties of ocean water.

The Global Conveyor Belt
Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/

What is the global conveyor belt? It is the deep ocean current which is driven by density differences in the sea water. It is also called thermohaline circulation because water density affects by its temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). Density is an object’s mass per unit volume. Colder and saltier water equals denser water.  When water freezes, salt does not necessarily freeze with it. So, at the earth’s pole, large volume of dense cold and salt water is left behind. This large volume of water sinks to the bottom and other large volume of water replace it, creating a current. This other large volume of water will get cold and sinks continuing the cycle. That is why the global conveyor belt starts near the North Pole and goes to south between America and Africa toward Antartica, partly directed by the land they face. In Antartica, it enchanced by more cold water and divided into two direction; one of it goes to the Indian Ocean and the other goes to the Pacific Ocean. Because both of them is close to equator, it warms up and goes to the surface; this phenomenon is called upwelling. When they encounter land and cannot go any farther, it turns back to the South Atlantic Ocean and finally gets back to the North Atlantic Ocean. Then the cycle starts again. It takes 1,000 years to complete one full cycle around the globe.

Climate change like global warming affects the ocean. First, it makes the ocean warmer because the ocean absorb 80% of the heat added to the Earth’s system. Second, rising in greenhouse gases as one of the cause of global warming, causing increased atmospheric temperature which cause the iceberg at the poles and glaciers to melt  Third, the first and second effect I have mention cause sea water level to rise. Fourth, changes in ocean temperature and wind patterns as the result of overall climate change, will affect and change the ocean’s major current system which is the global conveyor belt I have explained in the second paragraph. Increased precipitation and the widespread of ice melting caused by global warming could create a larger layer of fresh water that would slow or prevent normal thermohaline mixing that occurs and would affect the current offshore from Greenland and Newfoundland.  The normal thermohaline circulation has suddenly stopped and recovered in the past, causing the climate to keep changing from warm to cold to become warm again. Fifth, the burning of fossil fuels that increases greenhouse gas level in the atmosphere, is also changing the chemical composition of sea water, making it more acidic.

           

In conclusion, if you want to learn global warming phenomenon, it is better to learn it from the ocean, from the physical phenomenon that happens in the ocean. Global warming affects a lot of aspect in the ocean. It affects the temperature of the ocean and the polar ice to melt. These events lead to the rising of sea water level. Change in ocean temperature, wind patterns, increased precipitation, and the melting of ice would affect and change the global conveyor belt. Besides that, the burning of fossil fuels that causes global warming, also makes sea water more acidic.

Data Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/ocean-current3.htm

http://www.conservation.org/Documents/Climate%20Change%20on%20the%20Ocean.pdf

http://www.neaq.org/conservation_and_research/climate_change/climate_change_and_the_oceans.php

Learning Physical Oceanography Is Essential For Me

I am a sophomore in ocean engineering program. When I entered physical oceanography class for the first time, the lecturer asked the class, “Why do ocean engineering students have to learn about physical oceanography?” Well that is what I am going to answer in this writing. To answer that question, we must know what do ocean engineers do and what would you get if you took a physical oceanography class. Why is that? Because the reason of why ocean engineering students have to learn about oceanography is there is a correlation between ocean engineers’ activities and the study of physical oceanography.

If you went to the beach, you probably would see a breakwater that protects the beach from powerful waves. That is one of ocean engineers’ work. They design, construct, and maintain breakwaters, oil rigs, ports, boats, ships, and other marine structures and vessels. In my university, the ocean engineering program covers offshore structure, coastal structure, ocean energy, marine geotechnic, and underwater acoustics. What am I going to construct when I become one of the ocean engineers? Well, I am interested in ocean energy. I am interested in how we can convert ocean energy into electrical energy and use it in our everyday life. Base on my knowledge, there are at least three energy that can be converted: tidal current energy, wave energy, and ocean thermal energy. To convert ocean energy to electrical energy, we also need infrastructures. Structures and vessels which ocean engineers design, construct, and maintain is located near the ocean (coastal structure) or is located in the middle of the ocean (offshore structure).

If ocean engineers’ works are located near the ocean or in the middle of the ocean, they need to know well about the ocean itself. They need to know about the physical conditions and physical processes which happen in the ocean. They need to learn about dimension of the ocean and physical properties of seawater, such as salinity, temperature, and density. Besides that, they also need to study about the basic theory and applications of ocean circulation. Moreover, they need to understand about the hypothesis of ocean conveyor belt and its effect to global warming. In addition, they have to learn about wave, tide, current, coast, and estuary. All of those knowledge can be learned in a physical oceanography class.

Why ocean engineers need to know about the physical properties of seawater? The need to know about the salinity of seawater because it can corrode metals and most marine structures use steel. Besides that, the salinity and temperature of seawater affect its density. The density of the seawater is important in the design of marine vessels and other floating structure. Moreover, knowing the temperature difference between the deep and shallow or surface ocean waters in certain location help them in calculation of ocean thermal energy conversion. In addition, the knowledge of wave, tide, and current also helpful in the design of tidal current energy conversion and wave energy conversion.

It is essential for ocean engineering students to sit in a physical oceanography class. Well not just sit in the class, I mean paying attention and learn the lecture given. They need that class because their job when they are graduated as ocean engineers will be designing, constructing, and maintaining structures and vessels that are located on coast or offshore. Almost all of those activities are happening near the ocean, on or in the ocean, and related to the ocean. So, its important for them to know the physical condition and physical processes of the ocean. The study of physical oceanography will be helpful in designing marine structures and vessels, including ocean energy infrastructure.

Addicted To Games?

Do you spend most of your times to think and learn about how to play and win a video game? Cannot wait to play games immediately after your school time is over? Do you forget to eat or take a bath when you are playing games? Do you postpone to do your homework to play games? If mostly your answer is yes to these questions then you are possibly addicted to games. Well, I have been in this situation, addicted to games. How can I defeat my games addiction? I defeat it by first realizing that I am addicted to games and it just gives nothing but bad effects, by finding new activities and hobbies that I am interested to, and by finding other forms of entertainment.

Potentially addicted to video games
Source: http://nypost.com/

When I was in high school, I am addicted to games, especially to the game named Defense of the Ancients (DotA). I read websites that provide guides about how to play DotA so that I could win when I play it with my friends; I read those guides even when I was having lunch or dinner with my family. If my mom asked me whether I wanted to go out or order food by phone for lunch or dinner, I would choose to order food by phone so I could have my lunch or dinner while I was playing games. When the holiday came, I could spend hours in front of my computer to play games and forgot to have my lunch or to take a bath. In addition, if my friend asked me to play DotA with them, most of the time I would say yes even when there is an exam or homework for the next day.  A few months ago, after I got into university, I just realize that I have wasted a lot of time to play games and that does nothing good for me.

Fortunately, it is easy to find new hobbies when I got into university since there are a lot of association for various student activities. I myself chose to learn to play tennis and learn Tarung Derajat, a martial art from Bandung. Playing tennis and practicing Tarung Derajat give more advantages rather than playing games. First, it makes my body healthier and in better shape. Second, it makes me to interact and socialize with other people.

After finding new hobbies, I also needed to find other forms of entertainment, besides playing tennis, to fulfilled my entertainment needs. I am always a big fan of movies and music. However, I have been too busy spending my times for games. Now, after I get rid of DotA in my computer, I relieve my stress by listening to music and sing it. I feel music seems to be more effective to relieve stress more than games. In some of my weekends, I spend my time to watch movies in cinema with my family or my friends.

In conclusion, if you are a game addict like I was, you can defeat your addiction like I do. First, you must realize that you have a problem with games; you are addicted to it and it gives you disadvantages. Second, you need to find something else to do with your time; rather than playing games, you need to find new activities and hobbies that you have interest in it. Third, you need to meet your needs of entertainment by finding other forms of entertainment, other than games.

What Is Wrong With Our Character Education?

Recently we have heard, read or seen the news of student brawls that happen in Jakarta. There were two student brawls that happened in the end of this September. The first one was between the students from SMAN 6 Jakarta state school and SMAN 70 Jakarta state school which happened on September 24, 2012. They were armed with sharp weapons and stones. This incident was followed by a brawl between SMK Kartika Zeni vocational school and SMA Yayasan Karya 66 high school which happened 2 days after the first one occurred. Each of this phenomenon took a life of a student.

Based on the article that I read, the suspected killer from SMA Kartika Zeni vocational school with initial AD gave a shocking answer. When  the Minister of Education and Culture, Muhammad Nuh, asked him whether he was satisfied with his act of murdering the victim, he answered with his eyes glisten, "I'm satisfied, sir." When M. Nuh asked him once more, he said that he was satisfied but he quite regretted it. His answer showed his hatred to the victim that he murdered.

According on the other article that I read, acts of violence involving students became more common when character education was integrated into the school curriculum. Thus, a question arises. Does the school teach them the right things? When I was in high school, I got my character education from the study of religion in school. However the study was just like other subjects. We mostly spent our times in class and learned about what was in the textbook. Only once in three years we had a retreat that, for me, was giving more contribution in building our character compared to the study we had in class. Therefore, the system of character education in school must be revisited and reevaluated.

Besides school, I think family has a more important role in character building because we started our lives in a family. Character building is a long process of learning, so it is important that it is started as early as possible in a family. Moreover, from my own experience, I get more of character education from my family, especially my mom. She listens to my stories and helps me learn about how to face different kinds of problems and different kinds of people that I found in my daily lives. She becomes a model for me in how to behave. She teaches me to love others rather than to hate, because hatred just brings pains to your own heart, but love brings peace to your heart. Unfortunately for AD, he seems to have so much hatred in his heart. Maybe this incident can be a lesson for parents to build the character of their child in the right way.

Are We Ready For Electric Cars?

According to the article that I have read, the government aiming to mass produce 10,000 electric cars in 2014. As part of the government policy to limit fuel subsidies, they have once planned to promote the use of gas for the transportation. However, electric cars are more likely to answer the problem of the increasing of fuel subsidies that is caused by the increasing fossil fuel consumption. Moreover, along with public awareness of global warming and the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, the use of electric cars in our transportation system looks unavoidable.

Tesla Roadster recharging
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/

The writer of the article which I read also wrote that one of the social benefits of electric cars as compared to fossil-fueled cars, is to reduce air pollution. This can further result in improving public health quality. However, the level of pollution will not decrease when there is not enough power resource to be utilized by electric cars and other electric devices needed by households and industries. Electricity, which is used to reduce air pollution in industrial activities, will instead be used to power electric cars. In addition, if electric cars get electricity from power plants that rely on fossil fuels, then the argument that electric cars are environmentally friendly cannot be accepted. If that occurs, it only replaces fossil fuel consumption from power plants to electric cars. Moreover, if the government really wants to develop electrical energy for our transportation system, they should start from generating electrical energy that should already be environmentally friendly and sustainable, which results in the form of convenient and reliable electric mass transportation.

In my opinion, the electricity infrastructure is not yet ready to support electric cars for personal use. Based on the illustration from other article that I read, the installed capacity of the domestic power resource reaches around 5,000 kWh annualy, while the power resource needed by households is around 4,500 kWh annualy. If there are 1,000 units of electric cars operated by an average power of 5-10 kWh, the installed capacity should reach about 9,500 annualy. This means that the government should build new power plants to meet the increased power requirements up to twice of the installed capacity. How about the increased power requirements for 10,000 units of electric cars which is the aim of the government in 2014?

Besides, the power plants in Indonesia are generally operated by environmentally unfriendly energy such as coals and petroleum. This makes electric cars become environmentally unfriendly, just like the conventional cars. This is because the new power plants that are built to meet the power requirements to operate electric cars will increase the level of air pollution. In conclusion, I agree with the writer; if the government wants to use electric cars in our transportation system, they should start from generating environmentally friendly electrical energy.

An Introduction To The World

Hello World! Program

Hello world! I'm from Indonesia. I'm a freshman in one of the universities in Bandung. Currently I'm in the faculty of civil and environmental engineering and will choose a major in my second year. At first, I wanted to choose civil engineering as my major but after I was being introduced to ocean engineering, I'm more interested in taking ocean engineering as my major. Maybe it's a bit funny why I'm more interested in ocean engineering rather than civil engineering. My reason is that I like to spend my time on the beach or an island. It is nice to see the view of the ocean.

The reason I make this blog is because this is my English class assignment. Well of course that's not the only reason. In addition, the other reason why I start blogging is because I want to improve my English writing skill, especially in academic writing. I also want to learn how to put my thoughts in writings. So, you are welcome to correct me and help me improve in my writings, and also to share your thoughts about some issues that I will write in my next posts.