John, My students and I are really enjoying your journals. The Dog of the Week has been a crowd favorite. We were wondering what lessons you have personally taken from the carbon cycling experiments? What things do you and the research team recommend that we can all be doing to improve/benefit our planet the most in regard to potential climate change and the affects on carbon cycling?

Hope all is well! Stay safe!

Mike League & Millsboro Middle students

John Wood

Thank you for your nice comments and thoughtful questions. Personally I am humbled and overwhelmed with the area and the amount of living matter their is contained in arctic tundra. It really brings home the idea that our planet is a living thing which needs to be understood and cared for. Also, coming from California all the way to Alaska helps me to realize how connected we all are. There are no borders or walls that separate all of the air, oceans, ground, or climate. We all share the same systems. We all can make a change and a difference.My team did have some good input to your second question. Ride your bike! Carpool with your friends and neighbors, plan your trips and use less gas. Buy products with minimum packaging. Don't litter and recycle. Turn off the lights and the water when you really should! We can all pitch in an become better world citizens to help ourselves and others. Don't leave it up to someone else! At the same time get more informed about what local, state, and national government is doing. Find the issues that interest you and write your representatives. Our middle school students will be making the hard decisions in the next 20 to 30 years. But we all can start now!
Thank you,
John
P.S. - Cut flights to Antarctica!!!