Animas Test Kitchen: Caramel
Communicating Science about the Gold King Mine Spill and Water Quality in the Animas River
Essential Questions:
- How have geological, biological and human factors created and exacerbated acid mine drainage and water quality issues in the Animas River?
- What ecological and human health threats might be associated with the Gold King Mine spill: initially, currently and in the future?
- What actions can be taken to improve the water quality in Cement Creek and the Animas River watershed?
- What is the role of science in making policy decisions?
Reflection:
Going into chemistry I had little knowledge of science and the scientific process, but as the year goes on I feel my understanding of both these concepts have improved immensely. I would call this year the most successful year of science for me in terms of the amount of knowledge I’ve taken away. One thing that has really been beneficial to my learning in science has been the experiments we've conducted and analyzed. Completing labs is a memorable experience; combined with the hands on aspect this makes retaining information easier. For example when we did the mini lab with balloons, vinegar, and baking soda that helped me visualize chemical reactions and the maximization of reactions. When watching the balloons fill with gas and analyzing why the balloons filled up to different amounts I understood why scientist balance the equation, in order for maximization of reactions. Doing lab reports also helped me a lot this year because it helps me reflect and retain maximum information on the lab. It also helps me understand the process because I’m writing it out word for word.
Examining and manipulating data collected by professional scientists helped me get an understanding of how scientist come to a conclusion and what tools they use to get there. For example, when looking at the charts that showed us when the plume hit for a metal helped me understand how to read scientific graphs but also understand what information is needed to get to that answer. I even learned at much as what machines they use to get that information and how those machines work. There is so much that goes into finding an answer in science and I am eager to learn more.
Communicating scientific concepts and data to the public in an understandable manner, I feel, scientist have a heavy obligation to do. When scientists communicate there evidence based understandings this helps the community come to a solution or conclusion on the issue at hand. Take the Gold King Mine spill for example. When people were unsure on the safety of the water scientist were able to come to the conclusion that the water was okay for recreational use. They came to this conclusion by measuring what metals were in the water and how much of each metal. They then compared the metals and their amount to what levels would be safe and with all metals falling below the toxic level they were able come to the conclusion that the water was safe.
Science can play a huge part in policy decisions, for issues that can be proven one way or another with scientific evidence. In fact it is extremely important to look at the science behind a decision to understand why the decision should be made. For example if we look at an issue, such as Global Warming, science can back up that littering contributes to the change in temperature. Therefor this evidence can be used to implement a new law on fining people who litter due to reasonable cause. However science can often refute itself so it is important to take in all perspectives when making a decision, and not just focusing on one piece of evidence. As William Pierce says “Science is not a smooth process where everyone arrives at universal agreement”. An example of this would be, that some scientists say Global warming is just a weather pattern and history is and will repeat itself. This is why in politics natural gas vs. oil is such a big controversy; it's hard to tell which scientist is right. When making policy decisions it is important to use scientific evidence however is some cases it can almost be as debatable as an opinion so do your research!
Actions that can be taken to improve the water quality in Cement Creek and the Animas River watershed include a superfund site and lime treatments. Both of these are currently being used as a solution, however the superfund is not up and running just yet. A superfund site is designed specifically for disasters like the Gold King Mine spill, and is run by the EPA. What a superfund does is cleans up and prevents further pollution. Putting a superfund site in Silverton was a recent decision and will work to prevent any more spills from occurring. Lime treatment is used to make the water neutral or basic. How it works is lime treatment adds base to an acidic solution. This makes the water neutral or basic because it balances out the acidity in the water. In order to know the amount of base to add you must know the pH, the more acidic the pH the more base is needed.
Going into chemistry I had little knowledge of science and the scientific process, but as the year goes on I feel my understanding of both these concepts have improved immensely. I would call this year the most successful year of science for me in terms of the amount of knowledge I’ve taken away. One thing that has really been beneficial to my learning in science has been the experiments we've conducted and analyzed. Completing labs is a memorable experience; combined with the hands on aspect this makes retaining information easier. For example when we did the mini lab with balloons, vinegar, and baking soda that helped me visualize chemical reactions and the maximization of reactions. When watching the balloons fill with gas and analyzing why the balloons filled up to different amounts I understood why scientist balance the equation, in order for maximization of reactions. Doing lab reports also helped me a lot this year because it helps me reflect and retain maximum information on the lab. It also helps me understand the process because I’m writing it out word for word.
Examining and manipulating data collected by professional scientists helped me get an understanding of how scientist come to a conclusion and what tools they use to get there. For example, when looking at the charts that showed us when the plume hit for a metal helped me understand how to read scientific graphs but also understand what information is needed to get to that answer. I even learned at much as what machines they use to get that information and how those machines work. There is so much that goes into finding an answer in science and I am eager to learn more.
Communicating scientific concepts and data to the public in an understandable manner, I feel, scientist have a heavy obligation to do. When scientists communicate there evidence based understandings this helps the community come to a solution or conclusion on the issue at hand. Take the Gold King Mine spill for example. When people were unsure on the safety of the water scientist were able to come to the conclusion that the water was okay for recreational use. They came to this conclusion by measuring what metals were in the water and how much of each metal. They then compared the metals and their amount to what levels would be safe and with all metals falling below the toxic level they were able come to the conclusion that the water was safe.
Science can play a huge part in policy decisions, for issues that can be proven one way or another with scientific evidence. In fact it is extremely important to look at the science behind a decision to understand why the decision should be made. For example if we look at an issue, such as Global Warming, science can back up that littering contributes to the change in temperature. Therefor this evidence can be used to implement a new law on fining people who litter due to reasonable cause. However science can often refute itself so it is important to take in all perspectives when making a decision, and not just focusing on one piece of evidence. As William Pierce says “Science is not a smooth process where everyone arrives at universal agreement”. An example of this would be, that some scientists say Global warming is just a weather pattern and history is and will repeat itself. This is why in politics natural gas vs. oil is such a big controversy; it's hard to tell which scientist is right. When making policy decisions it is important to use scientific evidence however is some cases it can almost be as debatable as an opinion so do your research!
Actions that can be taken to improve the water quality in Cement Creek and the Animas River watershed include a superfund site and lime treatments. Both of these are currently being used as a solution, however the superfund is not up and running just yet. A superfund site is designed specifically for disasters like the Gold King Mine spill, and is run by the EPA. What a superfund does is cleans up and prevents further pollution. Putting a superfund site in Silverton was a recent decision and will work to prevent any more spills from occurring. Lime treatment is used to make the water neutral or basic. How it works is lime treatment adds base to an acidic solution. This makes the water neutral or basic because it balances out the acidity in the water. In order to know the amount of base to add you must know the pH, the more acidic the pH the more base is needed.
Proud Piece of Work:
Link to Voices of the Animas Project: