Dolphin slaughter

I almost started crying when watching the youtube clip about Dolphin Slaughter on the Danish Faroe island (Färöarna). I do not have sufficient knowledge to judge, but is it really necessary to kill all those dolphins? The link to a very biased page is in the link list Research and news, to the right "nothing I want to support.... "

I just wanted to share my feelings about it.. And if you do not share my feelings, please do not tell me!

And maybe the quotation from my last post fits here as well:

"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." 

-Isaac Asimov

Spring time and VOCaVOCa

Yeah! It seams lite spring has finally arrived. I'm not sure if I dare to believe so, but today the sun was shining, the air felt warm and people were happier than some days ago. I had to take a walk on my lunch just to see the sun and have a small taste of spring! 

Kongens Have

When I'm not enjoying the sun and spring in Copenhagen I'm sitting on my office reading articles about VOC emissions. I've finished the lab work for this time (I'll soon continue though, since we will rise the temperature next week) but I cannot analyse the samples yet, because there are some problem with the GC... Well, reading all this articles I've got a better picture of VOCs and the processes affecting the emissions. It's not completely straight forward though, and I think it will take some time before I'm an expert.. I'll do my best of course and I think it is really good that I have started doing lab work so early... 

About VOC and BVOC

For you guys who haven't faithfully read this blog; VOC stands for Volatile organic compounds. My PhD project will treat BVOCs,  which is Biogenic Volatile organic compounds, accordingly, VOCs from biological systems. Examples of BVOCs are methanol, ethanol (and other alcohols), aceton, isoprene (globally the most important BVOC), monoterpenes and susquiterpens (well, there are thousands of different substances). There are several reasons for the plant to release BVOCs, for example in reproduction or as defense against biotic or abiotic stress. However, VOCs affect the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere, producing aerosols, extending the life time of methane in the atmosphere and cause elevated ozon concentrations in the troposphere (=not good). 

There are several processes affecting VOC emission. However, the most pronounced abiotic factors are temperature and light. With warmer temperature it is most likely that the emissions from vegetation will increase, and thereby also the concentration of methane and ozone (=greenhouse gases), leading to even more warming, as a positive feedback mechanism. My project will treat the BVOC emissions from high arctic (i.e. NE Greenland and W Greenland), to see how a rise in temperature may affect the emissions. I will also measure emissions in nighttime, since the sun is shining 24 h in the arctic (and some emissions are light dependent), and no one has ever measured BVOCs in nighttime.. 

And, the last part of the project is a isotope labeling session. Where I want to find out the origin of the BVOCs... Are they coming from storage pools in the plant or is it newly assimilated carbon that is synthesised to BVOCs?

Okey, so that was a short sum up of so far knowledge.. (I apologize in advance for any shortcomings).

"The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom." 

-Isaac Asimov

Touching the hidden

Here is a filmclip from Midway island made by Chris Jordan. From the heart of the pacific. A true and very sad story!

Start of PhD and lab-work

Many new things have happend since last time I wrote. I've got an office at CENPERM and have got my computer installed and almost everything is working out fine. The only thing that remain is the registration at the PhD school, and before that won't I have acces to the network on CENPERM.

I've started an experiment where I measure VOCs from frozen microcosms (brought to Denmark from Abisko and Zackenberg). No one has ever measured VOC emission from frozen samples before, and if we find any significant emission it may have implication on the carbon budget in the high arctic. I took some pictures from the lab, showing the instruments and everything in action. The samples are stored in freezers where the temp right now is -5°C. And I will measure again when the temperature is raised to +2°C. 

The microcosms are put in chamber bases and the chamber is put on top. Everything is air tight  and clean air is pumped in to the chamber and sucked out through the metal tube which is filled with VOC absorbants. 

So, the VOCs are trapped in the metal tubes and will later be analysed in the GC.

The freezer is kept closed during the measurements. With the lights on. 

This is the toolbox which filter the air (clean it from O3 etc.) that is pumped into the chamber, and also the vacuum tubes that "suck" the air trough the tube and out from the chamber.

Protocol, where everything is noted thoroughly

Finding my way in the city

Last few days I've been biking around in the city, trying to figure out how to behave on the biking roads and find the way to different places. It's a really nice city. I've recon what parts i like, and don't like. The appartment is really nice, and the area too. It's 20-25 min biking to town, depending on at how many crossing you have to stop. Well I'm really found of the nice old houses in different colors. I saw this shop the first day here, I haven´t been inside, but it seems so nice...  

Today I was at the university, on a PhD-morning meeting. The PhD's on CENPERM meets every second wednesday, and I joined today. Everybody seems really nice and I think I'll fell at home =). 

Tomorrow I'll meet Riikka. She will show me around on the department of biology. Feels good to meet her aswell. Cheers!

By the way, I've got my Diploma, which feels really good! It seems like everything works out perfectly fine...

The beginning of a new time

Just moved to Copenhagen.. First day here. My room looks nice. My bike is eager to go out for a ride in a very sunny city. Lars just left, which feels a bit sad and empty. I hope everything will be just fine.. I think I'll go to a breakfast meeting with the other PhD's on CENPERM on wednesday, feels nice to have something planed, and to meet some new people..