Field Trip Report: SERC

Zachary Zhao

"Making Sense of Climate Change" Lecture 1 -- The History and Physical Science of Global Warming

Streamed via Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) YouTube premiere, originally aired 31 Jan 2017 (approx. 60 min)

What I watched. Plant physiologist Dr. Bert Drake walks through the discovery that CO2, CH4 and N2O absorb long-wave radiation, charts the ice-core record (pre-industrial about 280 ppm), and explains how isotope partitioning pins the recent 1 C rise on fossil fuels. A NOAA "pumphandle" animation visualizes atmospheric CO2 from 800 kyr BP to 2012, making the recent spike unmistakable.

Course connections. (1) Cumulative impacts -- the lecture underscores our CPSG model of climate as an integrator of emissions; every ton counts. (2) Evidence-based reasoning -- the chronological narrative highlights how skepticism lives inside peer review, dovetailing with our class module on the nature of science.

Personal take-aways. Seeing 19th-century lab work beside satellite retrievals made the greenhouse mechanism feel concrete. It clarified that uncertainty is not an excuse for inaction -- the risk distribution skews high. As an engineering major focused on sustainability, I left more committed to low-carbon design.

Field Trip Report: Microplastics

Zachary Zhao

"Plastics and Microplastics: An Emerging Global Issue" (Making Waves Webinar)

Chesapeake Bay Foundation live webinar, 20 May 2020 (65 min) -- recorded replay

What I watched. Marine microbiologist Dr. Fred Dobbs breaks down the global plastics budget (about 400 Mt per year produced, 11 Mt reaches oceans), then zooms into micro- and nano-scale fragments. Data on "plastisphere" microbial communities and filter-feeder ingestion rates show ecological stakes. Local Bay case studies link storm-drain litter to watershed health, and Dobbs ends with circular-economy fixes and individual reduction habits.

Course connections. (1) Systems thinking -- tracks plastics from consumer choice to river outfalls, matching our material-flow diagrams. (2) Environmental justice -- urban outfalls and seafood safety mirror class discussions on unequal pollutant exposure.

Personal take-aways. Quantifying Bay-bound litter was eye-opening; I am swapping bottled drinks for a filter and carrying reusable sampling vials in lab. The talk showed how chemistry, biology and policy must align, and how small design tweaks -- like ditching microbeads -- scale when adopted widely.