Green World

Welcome back to Green World Today we're talking about nuclear fission. This energy source is quite controverial, so we're going to be looking at why. Before we begin, just a quick side note, there are multiple forms of nuclear power. This post is about nuclear fission. Nuclear decay is rarely used, most notably in some space missions. Nuclear fusion is currently being researched by scientists around the world and isn't used for commercial electricity yet. First, let's explain how nuclear fission actually works. This involves a lot of complicated chemistry and physics, but I'll do my best to explain it. Before anything else we need to look at what is in an atom. In this image, the grey represents negatively charged electrons, which circle the nucleus (plural: nuclei) in the center. The nucleus (blue and red) is made up of positively chargerd protons and neutrons (which are neutral). This means that the nucleus is positive. Th...

Hi everyone, We're back with another endangered animal. This time it's a pigeon, but not the kind that we're used to seeing in cities. The tooth-billes pigeon, didunculus strigirostris, is the only remaing species of the Didunculus genus and is one of the closest living relatives of the world-famous Dodo. The adults have chestnut coloured bodies and wings, a greenish head and neck with red skin around the eyes, reddish feet and an orange bill with a characteristic jagges tip (hence the name tooth-billed). They are 31-38cm long and weigh about 400g. The juveniles are duller with a brown head and a black bill. Tooth-billed pigeons are shy and are belived to live in small groups. These terrestrial birds are endemic to the islands of Upolu and Savai'i. They are Samoa's national bird and can be found on the local currency. In Samoa they are known as Manumea and are eaten on a local and national level, but not internationally. They ...

Hello everyone, Today we're talking about Atlantic salmon. Atlantic salmon are found in the north Atlantic and the rivers that flow into it. They can grow up to a meter long and are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN . Atlantic salmon start their lives in rivers. The pea-sized eggs are laid in autumn and hatch in April or May. The tiny salmon are called alevins. They feed on aquatic invertabrates and eventually devolop into parr. Parr are easily recognised by destinictive patterns and markings on their flanks. After up to several years, the parr develop a silvery sheen. These replace those characteristic parr markings. Their bodies change in preparation for the salt water and they are now called smolts. They swim downstream with the current all the way to the ocean. In the deep sea waters, the smolts feed on crustaceans and small fish for 15-50 months. However they are hunted by a number of predators including, sharks, seals and of ...

Hello, This month's quiz is all about trees. Questions: What is the name of the network that trees use to communicate? a) the mycorrhizal network b) the mythcorhinia network c) the symbocommunial network How much of the amazon rainforest has been lost due to deforestation in the last 50 years? a) 12% b) 17% c) 23% True or False? Over 75% of land-based species are found in forests? How much carbon do tropical forest contain? a) 230 gigatons b) 280 gigatons c) 330 gigatons In California, there is a rather strange tree that has survived 13 000 years by cloning itself. What species? a) Pin oak ;b) English oak c) Palmer's oak True or False? The oldest surviving tree species, Gingko trees, have been around since just after the meteor that killed off the dinosaurs struck. Where do acacia trees grow? a) cold and ha...

Welcome back to Green World, Today we're talking about a rather amazing animal that we've all heard of: the kangaroo. Kangaroos are marsupials. They have powerful back legs, short front legs and a strong tail for balance. Kangaroos can weigh up to 90kg and stand over 1.80m tall. They are probably best known for leaping about on their hind legs. And for good reason, grey kangaroos can cover 9 meters in a single bound and travel at more than 55km/h. Interestingly, red kangaroos use less energy when traveling at 10km/h than when traveling at 6.5km/h. All Kangaroos live in Australia, but different species inhabit different areas. Eastern grey kangaroos are found in eastern Australia and Tasmania. Western grey kangaroos are located on the southern coast and in the southwest of western Australia. Red kangaroos dwelll in the interior grasslands and desert while antilope kangaroos can be found on the plains of the tropical north. They l...

Hello, Today we're looking at a subspecies of monkey called the brown spider monkey ( Ateles hybridus ). The brown spider monkey, also known as the variegated spider monkey, can be found in the Magdalena River basin in Colombia and Venezuela. They live in lowland (sub-)tropical forests. They are social animals, living in groups of up to 30 individuals. These groups have no known social heirachy and are territorial. They split up into smaller groups while foraging for food. Their diet consists of ripe fleshy fruit, flowers, roots, young leaves and seeds. They are vital for the survival of their eco system as they play an important role in seed dispersal. Adult individuals weigh 6.5 to 9 kg. The females are slightly heavier. They mostly have brown eyes although some have remarkably pale blue eyes. They are about 50 cm big and live for 10-27 years (in the wild). Brown spider monkeys have long legs and a long thin powerful tail. They are better...

Hi Everyone! If you saw part one to the new Iceland mini series , you may know that I recently went to Iceland, and I wanted to share a little about my trip and the country as a whole. Today I wanted to discuss geothermal and hydropower energy sources, as they are such an important energy sources in Iceland. Disclaimer: I am not an expert, and this post was written from research I have done as well as my own experiences and things I witnessed during my recent trip to Iceland. Iceland's unique formation and geology, as it is on the Mid-Atlantic ridge and is over a volcanic hotspot, makes it a perfect place to harness geothermal energy. Due to this source, Iceland is more energy independent from other countries, as it can produce a lot of energy without resources from other countries. This means that prices are also lower for Icelandic people, especially when it comes to heating their homes. This is something the tour guide on our trip...