Thursday, November 20, 2014

Vehicle safety report

Yesterday afternoon, 12 students and one instructor from PS 2003 Physics, Mechanics and Energy performed safety checks and pulled trouble codes on 55 student and staff vehicles, a record for this activity.

We checked lights, fluid levels, tire wear, and tire pressure. We also "pulled" check engine light "trouble codes" using a laptop-based code-puller device, and dispensed advice as to what to do about them.

Several more dangerous safety concerns were noted that would have almost certainly related in a winter travel "fail" and possibly a stranding, or worse, an accident. They are detailed here along with further instructions to help educate college community members about vehicle safety:
  • Several vehicles with disturbing low engine oil level. We added up to two quarts of oil. By the time a four-quart oil sump is down to two quarts, there's only half the oil there should be circulating to do the job of cooling and lubricating the engine. If you are losing or using oil like this, you should monitor your oil every time you add gas to the tank, and find out where the oil is going. You want to know.
  • Several "customers" reporting "not worried" or "not bothered" by check engine lights being on. The problem with this theory is that the check engine light may come on one day for something fairly safe, say a small leak in the evaporative emissions system, but while the light is on, a more problematic defect can occur, and the driver never know. If your check engine light is on, you should find out what the codes mean. If you choose to ignore the defect, you then need to regularly pull check engine codes, in case an additional defect occurs while the light is already on.
  • Many vehicles had tires that had only a millimeter or two of tread remaining. Several had completely bald tires. The Maine regulations require at least a millimeter all round, but this isn't nearly enough for Maine winter driving conditions, especially in a rear-wheel drive vehicle. These vehicles are extremely dangerous. These students were advised to get new all-weather or winter tires, and, until then, not to drive at all in snow storms.
  • Several customers reported that they had to "try" to make it through the winter with touring tires, some of which were worn out as above. These types of tires, which are made of much harder material than all weather or winter tires to last longer, and tend to have linear tread patterns for low road noise, are only adequate for Maine winter driving after all snow is cleared from the road.
  • At least three vehicles had one or more tires with dangerously low tire pressure. When your tire pressure drops below 15 pounds per square inch or so, the wheel can no longer keep straight on the road and that corner of the vehicle will wobble dangerously on corners. The best that can happen is that you wear out a tire prematurely. The worst that can happen is that you get a nasty wobble at high speed on a corner or while passing on a highway. This can lead to loss of control, and even a rollover accident. The remedy is to check your tire pressure more frequently. If the pressure in one or more tires is regularly down, you have a slow leak. Take it to a shop and get the leak fixed. This should only cost around thirty dollars, much cheaper than an accident.
  • One vehicle had been driven with low tire pressure on one tire for many miles. In addition to ensuring very poor steering and handling -- the tire was in a front drive wheel -- this tire was prematurely worn out. A vehicle driven long miles with low air pressure will wear out the edge of the tire before the middle. See these pictures here.
  • One vehicle with dangerously high tire pressures, above 40 psi. The correct tire pressure is not the maximum tire pressure written on the tire. It's the recommended tire pressure given in the owner's manual or written on a small sticker on the drivers-side door. Too much air in your tires can be dangerous too, just like too little air. You'll bounce more very time you hit a bump, and can bounce yourself clean off the road. You'll also wear out your tires unevenly, and have poorer traction in snow.
  • Various vehicles check engine lights for oxygen sensor.
An interesting new phenomenon was that at least seven customers were not able to turn on their headlight high beams for checking. Two were not able to turn on their headlights. Automatic photo-voltaic-operated headlight switches that turn the lights on when it gets dark seem to be the source. Suburban living negates the need for high beams. However in Maine high beams are needed to avoid hitting deer and other animals. We recommend that drivers familiarize themselves with all their vehicles controls, using the owner's manual. For students that have older cars and no longer have the manual, most are now available online.

That concludes our 2014 winter vehicle safety report.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

EII climate change quiz

Instructions:

Respond to the following questions (these are the same ones we've discussed in class) in paragraph form based on our classroom discussion, the video below from college President Mulkey, and the associated Town Hall meeting.

Due the last day of finals week. Was supposed to be 20% of grade but now reduced to 10%.

Questions:
  1. Is there climate change?
  2. What is causing climate change? Is it natural or humans or both? If humans, how did they start it? How did it become so drastic?
  3. What will be the effects of climate change?
  4. Should we be concerned?
  5. Can climate change be stopped or slowed?
  6. How can we do so? How can we reduce the human influence on climate change? Should we learn to control the planet's climate, perhaps via geoengineering?
  7. What are the political and economic conditions required to slow or stop climate change? What level of emissions regulation is needed? What kind of education is required? Should we get rid of consumerism?

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Our climate questions (from EII)



  1. Is there climate change?
  2. What is causing climate change? Is it natural or humans or both? If humans, how did they start it? How did it become so drastic?
  3. What will be the effects of climate change?
  4. Should we be concerned?
  5. Can climate change be stopped or slowed?
  6. How can we do so? How can we reduce the human influence on climate change? Should we learn to control the planet's climate, perhaps via geoengineering?
  7. What are the political and economic conditions required to slow or stop climate change? What level of emissions regulation is needed? What kind of education is required? Should we get rid of consumerism?

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Last two assignments for EII

Assignment #3: Create a script or storyboard for your final digital storytelling assignment.
  1. Choose a group, or chose to work alone. 
  2. Chose the environmental leader or leaders whose work you choose to highlight with a presentation. Remember, presentations may be audio, video, narrated slideshow or any of the choices listed below. The only requirement is that the presentation play itself (or be staged, if a traditional play or sketch)
  3. Prepare a storyboard or script
  4. Each individual or group member must hand in their own storyboard or script. In the next assignment you will come together to make only one final submission, but for now, you work alone. This is so I can be sure that each of you learns the basic techniques
  5. If making a video, study the You-Tube how-to below, and prepare a storyboard
  6. If making audio or a narrated slideshow, prepare a script
  7. Produce an introduction to your storyboard or script that explains your project, including thesis statement, evidence, and conclusion
  8. Hand in the introduction plus the storyboard or script
  9. Due either Friday before Thanksgiving break or Monday after, by email

 



Assignment 4:
  1. Research an environmental leader or issue of your choice. You may work in groups or alone. Identify a thesis related to the issue and supporting evidence, as well as the environmental or conservation organizations that are working on the issue. Prepare a video, audio, narrated slideshow, or other media production built around the thesis, providing supporting evidence, highlighting the work of the leader and their organization
  2. Due either the last day of the semester (Friday Dec 12th) or in time for the student conference (Wednesday Dec 10) -- your choice. Student conference participation is optional, but may be recommended for the best products
  3. The options are deliberately wide. Don't get lost in your choices! Pick an issue and format for your presentation that you or your group feel confident you can finalize, and then stick to it.
  4. Use "backwards design" to help structure and outline your presentation, and also to organize your schedule: Start with your topic, and decide on a thesis. Then decide what your want to achieve with this topic and thesis. What is the story that you want to tell, and to whom do you wish to tell it? From that, pick a media format that will best reach your audience, and then organize your schedule so you can deliver a product using this format.
  5. Workshop time will be made available during class hours and by appointment with the instructor so that you can get help with this project. The Quimby Library Media Technician, Ms. Olson, is standing by to help you with video and other formats.
  6. Here is a winning example from last year.
     



Examples of allowable media:

Video documentary

Video storytelling

Stage plays

Sketch comedy

Storytelling

Traditional video documentary

Narrated slideshows and presentations

Others, after timely negotiation with the instructor




Second midterm exam for Introduction to Economics

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3721mV8y-nyNWZDWVZEWEw3dGM/view?usp=sharing

I like this guy

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/05/climate-scientist-klaus-jacob-warning-new-york-city-hurricane-sandy