Starbucks 2015 Goal

Watch Starbucks new YouTube Video.

What is Starbucks greatest environmental liability?  What percent of cups walk out the door?  What new initiative is Starbucks doing with all new stores?  What is Starbucks doing to solve this problem?  What have they done in New York?  What can you do?

The Battle for Biodiversity

Read the following article Hawaii: Model in the Battle for Biodiversity by Jon Letman.  What is biodiversity?  What is an endemic species?  Invasive species?  Why are non-native species such a problem?  Why is loss of biodiversity a global problem?  How is Hawaii a model?  What can we do?

Alice Algae and Freddy Fungus grew a "lichen" for each other.

Read the article When Fungi and Algae Marry by Emily Sohn .

What is lichen?  What type of relationship do they have?  symbiotic, mutualistic, parasitic, etc.  Why are lichens so hard to study? 

Surprise Visitor

Scientists are finding new species all the time.  Why are they finding new species?  What is the importance of all these species?  Read the following article and watch the video.  Suprise Visitor. 

What is biodiversity and why are these species important?  And how does this relate to evolution?  Hint:  Look back to the blog in January...

Got Milk?

Read the following article:  Got Milk? How? - Scientists are tracking down the first people who squeezed this nutritious liquid out of animals thousands of years ago by Emily Sohn.  Evolutionarily, why do we drink milk?  Why did only babies drink milk?  How come now all ages of people drink milk?  What are its nutritious benefits?

“Which made the chicken, the hormone or the gene?”

Read the following article:  Half rooster, half hen - Study of special chickens suggests new thinking on hormones and gender by Stephen Ornes.  Discuss the role of hormones and genetics on determination of sex. 

Are bacteria our new fingerprint?

Read the following article:  The tell-tale bacteria - What germs populate the hands may be as unique as fingerprints by Stephen Ornes.  Relate it to what you have learned earlier this year about bacteria, genetic fingerprints, etc.

What is a microbe fingerprint and how might it be useful?