Biodiesel

In this lab we attempted to learn how to make bioethanol. We took the Banana fibers, and shredded them by hand before putting them into a blender. We then heated it up and let it cool down before we added the yeast. We then put a balloon  on it to the seal the container, then we waited for the gas to come. 

The reason people use banana leafs for this is to be efficient when making paper. If the simply used the leafs for paper, then it would be a lot of waste. However, by also making ethanol, then it becomes much more efficient. 

Instead of doing this, we actually made biodiesel, because it is much more simple to make. Although it is basically the same, "Biodiesel is a biodegradable, nontoxic, and clean-burning fuel that can be made from any fat or vegetable oil, including recycled cooking oil."

Actually a by product of making Biodiesel is glycerin which is actually a high quality soap. Add a some fragrance to it and you have a nice smelling product. 

Soils and Rocks

There are 12 major types of soils in the world. All soils are unique and specifically located in different parts of the world.

As you can see in the picture, soils change all over the world, including just the United States. The soil here in Georgia and the rest of the Southeast is mostly Ultisols. That is what makes up that red georgia clay. This type of soil is not very good for farming because it is so dense, it is hard to get water to pass through it. 

To go along with the soils, are different rocks that we must look at. The Micaceous Schist is one important rock. It is basically just a normal schist rock with a large quantity of Mica. The Mica is what makes it shine, It is said that Micaceous rocks are just heated and cooled down again, which makes Mica. 

The Mystery of the Megaflood

     In Washington State there are many channeled scablands that come from an unknown source, Scientist believe they were formed by a megaflood. These scablands look so bizarre that you would think it had taken millions of years to form. Instead they were simply done overnight in a matter of hours.

     It happens that these scablands in the picture above were formed by huge amounts of rushing water that all occurred at once. The source of water was first unknown, but soon found evidence in the Missoula valley, where it was once completely underwater. It is believed that the valley was once dammed up by a huge glacier, causing all the water to stay in one place until the glacier was removed. Once the glacier gave way, all the water rushed into the pacific ocean. The rushing water is what caused the scablands to formed the way they are today. 

Urban Community Gardens

      Urban Community Gardens are now all of a sudden becoming far more frequent than they were 10 years ago. This is partly due to the way the climate is changing and how we are becoming more aware of climate change as a culture. We also have good economic reasons right now to start your own community garden, examples are the war, or economic depression. These events have caused people to spend less money and community gardening is a good way to save.

     These gardens are also good because large groups of people will work together in order to receive a benefit. This can help bring a community together because they will work together and share the profits. These gardens provide healthy food for people to eat, which in a large city where many of these gardens are found, can be very important.

Trees around Mercer

Pecan Tree

Pecan trees are large trees that can be found in the south east, very often around Georgia. They provide a steady income for many people, based off of the sell of the nuts. Each and every pecan tree is different and will vary from its parent tree. 

Oak Tree

Oak trees are very large trees that can be found mostly in North America or Asia. There are over 600 different variations of the oak tree. The oak tree thrives in Colder weather climate. They have spiral shaped leaves. The most beautiful Oak trees can be found in the South Carolina Low country near Charleston. 

Southern Magnolia

The leaves on a southern Magnolia are large, creamy white and they have very fragrant flowers that will blossom this broad leafed evergreen in late spring and early summer. The leaves are shiny green. 

Larch

The Larch is a conifer that grows from 20-45 m tall. Found in colder climates in North America and Europe. Farther south they are typically found in mountainous regions. 

Change in Ocmulgee

Elevation of 5 different mountains