Selden Tenzing
Professor Killebrew
English 21003
February 21st, 2021
NYT Summary
In Nicholas St. Fleur’s article “Watch Scientists Brew Their Own Lava” he discusses how volcano reactions have hurt a lot of people. He says “bombs of molten rock that were flung into the sky and then smashed into a nearby tourist boat, injuring 23 people“. This shows us how unpredictable a volcano can be and no one knows how to deal with it. That is why scientists intend on finding out what precautions we can take for the future. This is especially for people who live near active volcanos and are more likely to get a violent reaction from the lava. To learn more about this scientists have decided to make their own lava through solidified lava. The lead on this project is Dr. Sonder, he and his team have gotten basalt which is a type of solidified lava. This will be used to further understand what makes lava have such violent reactions when mixed with water. the researchers discovered that each time they got a different reaction from the lava sometimes it would shoot out 15 feet into the air and other times nothing would happen. This is exactly the reason this experiment is taking place to see what the difference between the situations is and how it can be counteracted. This was written to inform people of the current situation and how researchers are still working day and night to find an answer. It is important for people who live near active or inactive volcanos to know because they never know when hot molten lava bombs will fly out of the sky and what precautions are needed. I decided on this article because the title pulled me in and when I continued to read about the topic it just intrigued me.
The next article is “Texas Blackouts Point to Coast-to-Coast Crises Waiting to Happen” is written by three people Christopher Flavelle, Brad Plumer, and Hiroko Tabuchi because it encompasses many issues of climate change affecting us. By now we all have heard about the things happening in Texas and this article talks about the situation there. It also discusses how other states over the years have been hit by the rapid pace of climate change. Also, how our structures are not ready for the change we are facing our systems are too old and cannot withstand extreme conditions. The article states, “The city’s system was built in the late 1800s. Now, climate change is straining an already outdated design.” The city that is being referred to is Washington, over the years they have seen a record of more than two inches of water which has caused widespread flooding that destroyed homes. The article discusses the most vulnerable systems like power grids, water supply, and power plants. Texas is a good example of this as they have no power, heat, or running water. How will people survive in these severe conditions if proper precautions are not taken? This shows us that we are not ready to face climate change we need our government to take this issue very seriously or it will be a disastrous outcome for all. It is not only Texas and Washington it is all our states we must be prepared for the worst in the coming years as researchers and scientists have said. This article is more than about climate change it’s about how our government has done nothing to help upgrade our systems. This article was written to inform others of the current situation that is plaguing our world and still people refuse to listen to experts. There have been many warning signs from our planet that we need to stop doing what we do and think about trying to right the wrong. This is to show that if we keep going on this destructive path nothing will survive. This topic is extremely important because it directly affects us all we may not have a home to live in a few years if we do not try to live a more sustainable life. I found this article interesting because it not only talked about Texas but many other states in the same situation that we did not know about and bring to light a greater issue of us not being ready to face what is to come. I also agree with the message that the article is conveying the government has made many promises regarding climate change and how we will battle it, yet nothing is happening. One of the quotes from the article really stuck with me and it states, “Places that “may have been OK in 1990,” she said, “maybe a disaster waiting to happen in 2021”. This is exactly accurate as those were separate times and the world has changed at a rapid pace, the system that worked years ago will not function well today, we replace everything in our lives because it gets old yet the systems, we rely on every day have not been upgraded. This should be a big wake-up call for everyone.
Work Cited
Flavelle, C., Plumer, B., & Tabuchi, H. (2021, February 20). Texas crisis exposes a nation’s vulnerability to climate change. Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/climate/united-states-infrastructure-storms.html
St, N. (2019, January 08). Watch scientists brew their own lava. Retrieved February 23, 2021, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/08/science/volcanos-explosions-lava.html
