Learn to Code

Let’s set an example for our girls

By starting with ourselves. What do you think of when your hear the words, “computer programmer”, “application developer”, or “web developer”? Most people will say a male, with a “nerdy” appearance and a love for computers and all things technological. Instead, why don’t we imagine a young lady, with feminine qualities, and a passion technological advances? Because that is how rare such a young lady is. However, we can change that! Today’s working professionals, mothers, and female college students all have the opportunity to help pave a way for women in programming. You can learn how to build and launch a beautiful and interactive website using HTML5, CSS3, and Javascript. You may choose to develop a useful Android application using Java! Develop software used for artificial intelligence using R, Python or MATLAB. Build a database for effective data analysis using SQL, Ruby On Rails, or C++. As women, when and if we choose to become the mothers of little girls, we will pass on our knowledge to them. Maybe you don’t have a daughter, or you don’t want to be a mother; you probably have a niece, a little sister, a friend’s daughter who looks up to you. Let’s set a new social norm: WOMEN AS PROGRAMMERS. After all, the mother of programming was a woman! Ada Lovelace would turn in her grave if she knew that only 1 in 4 women pursue computer science and programming! Let’s create an equal learning environment by engaging with the subject matter. Let’s act as mentors and be the female role-models our girls will look up to. Most importantly, let’s make it approachable by breaking the stereotype that only nerdy males can contribute to the realm of computer science and programming. Let’s get our little girls interested in computer science.

Check out these free and fun resources to learn a language of your choice:

• Learn to Code with Me
• Codecademy
• Free Code Camp

• Check me out on Google+

• Fanak Baarmand IG

 

 

 

Ecological Footprint

Ecological footprint can be described as the activities of humans that contribute to the consumption of a full year’s allotment of natural resources such as water, food and clean air. Human activities emit more greenhouse gases than Earth can absorb, and deplete more natural resources than Earth can replenish. Knowing this, ecological overshoot can be described as over-budget consumption and emission of allotted biosphere supply and regenerative capacity; overshoot can occur on global or local scale.

Carbon footprint makes up for 60% of humanity’s overall ecological footprint. Carbon footprint is the carbon emitted by human activities and production. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that contributes to an increased atmospheric temperature leading to catastrophic levels of climate change. The effects of humanity’s carbon footprint are an example of the law of unintended consequences- by altering one component of a complex system we have affected other parts of the system.

Electricity generation is one human activity that puts strain on the environment, particularly fossil-fuel fired electric power plants. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources, meaning they cannot be replenished once depleted. In addition, the burning of fossil-fuels emits carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other greenhouse gases. Increased greenhouse gases concentrations in the atmosphere has led to an increased global temperature, which is destroying animal populations and changing local ecosystems.

As societal electric power demand increases, we must develop technologies that reduce or eliminate dependency on fossil fuels. One way in which are currently developing technology to resolve this dependency is the integration of perovskite crystals in photovoltaic cell panels. The potential outcome would be a hybrid-sort of solar panel with increased efficiency and reduced cost. Such panels would be able to generate electricity without relying on the burning of fossil-fuels, which would then reduce carbon emissions.

Works Cited:

• By measuring the Footprint of a population—an individual, city, business, nation, or all of humanity—we can assess our pressure on the planet, which helps us manage our ecological assets more wisely and take personal and collective action in support of a world where humanity lives within the Earth’s bounds. (n.d.). Footprint Basics. Retrieved October 31, 2016, from http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/footprint_basics_overview/
  
  Perovskite solar cells surpass 20 percent efficiency. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2016, from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/06/160609151207.htm

 

Infrared Radiation and the Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is used to describe how infrared radiation becomes trapped in the atmosphere by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. Large concentrations of these gases are emitted by human activity on Earth. Once the gases are added to the atmosphere, they don’t remain in the same place. As air moves, these gases become globally mixed, having an overall global effect.

As infrared radiation photons interact with these air molecules, radiation is converted into kinetic energy, otherwise known as heat. This reaction is leading to increased atmospheric and surface temperatures known as climate change. Note that climate is defined as the average weather conditions of a place or area over a long term period, vastly different from weather, which is short term and localized. Without high concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, infrared radiation would more easily radiate back into space and allow the Earth to properly cool.

Greenhouse gases exist naturally in the atmosphere and are necessary to keep the Earth warm enough for life to thrive. However, human activity such the burning of fossil fuels for energy and deforestation, has added significantly more greenhouse gases to atmosphere than our biosphere can absorb. Given this information, excessive greenhouse gas concentrations and the greenhouse effect are bad for Earth inhabitants. Plants and animals thrive in specific climate conditions and patterns, and changes to the climate can harm diverse, interconnected, ecosystems. Some of these harmful effects can be observed by the endangerment and extinction of wildlife that depends on sea ice.

For humans, temperature-related illnesses, air pollution, and infectious diseases will have an adverse effect on more vulnerable groups such as the poor, disabled, and the very young or elderly. In areas where temperatures are already hot, increased heat may hurt crop growth and the food supply. Cities near the oceans could become flooded as sea levels rise, possibly wiping out certain beaches and islands as well inhabitants. As someone that would like to leave behind a clean and habitable Earth for future generations, there are steps that can be taken to reduce personal carbon footprint. In fact, almost everyone can reduce their personal carbon footprint by switching to clean energy, using less energy, reducing water use, and reducing waste. If these efforts are multiplied by millions of people worldwide, future generations of inhabitants will be able to thrive on planet Earth.

Sources Cited:

• Vital Signs of the Planet. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2016, from http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

• Carbon Footprint. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2016, from http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/carbon_footprint/

• Effects on People and the Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2016, from https://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/impacts/effects/index.html

• All About Carbon Dioxide. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2016, from http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/basics/today/carbon-dioxide.html