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While we are all immersed in human affairs, the earths biodiversity is in a tailspin. All major classes of organisms are in decline. For example, a recent study showed that as many as 25% of all mammals are in danger of extinction. Mr. Merkley, is this a major concern of yours, and if so, what will you do to address it as a senator?

posted 4 years, 6 months ago
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Can anyone provide links to research showing impacts of wind turbines on birds and bats?

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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I am a high school science teacher. Parents can certainly be competent teachers, or educational guides, or whatever you want to call it. There is an obvious big advantage to having a 6:1 student:teacher ratio. But in my experience, few home schooled students who arrive in my classroom have much scientific competence or knowledge. For instance, your guest describes her child mixing various substances together to "see what happens." This is the Science Lite approach to science in which the student has little hope of ever anchoring their observations to scientific principles or the rigorous approach that scientists use. They may learn that baking soda and vinegar fizzes when mixed together as opposed to baking soda and mud. But their own course of self discovery is unlikely to lead them to an explanation related to valence electrons, reactants and products, the law of conservation of mass, or principles of stoichiometry - all standard concepts taught in high school science classes. These are all concepts that I would argue every adult should have a basic understanding of in order to participate in a global society wrestling with problems related to global warming, personal and public health care, and pollution.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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One of the best ways to store additional carbon is the restoration of estuaries. The constant inlux of nutrients from the ocean makes estuaries extremely productive with rapid plant growth. As the estuary marsh increases in elevation through the aggredation of sediments, huge quantities of carbon fixed by the plants get stored in the soil.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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