Making Observations and Solving Problems!

Many things happen around us everyday, so making observations was easy since I just needed to pay attention. On the way back from a recent vacation to Yellowstone, I witnessed a forest wildfire from a fairly close distance. In addition to massive loss of trees, wildfires also have a huge impact on soil quality. My project is focused on finding a solution to that very problem.

Each year we hear in the news about how Global Warming is getting worse. Another observation that I have made is that average temperatures in my city are trending up year after year and heat waves are becoming more frequent. Glaciers in Alaska (which I visited 3 years ago) have been shrinking causing sea levels to rise. 

More recently, I visited New York City and I learnt that the city is actually sinking at an alarming rate because of the weight of its buildings/skyscrapers and the rising sea levels. In fact, sea level rise has been twice the observed global rate over the last decade. This is yet another example of the long-term negative effects of Global Warming severely impacting coastal cities and communities.

It was really hard to narrow down my problem list. Over the years, I have come across a wide variety of problems, and in the end I could only focus on a few. I chose these specific problems because I truly feel that they are the most significant ones facing our planet. 

Many things could motivate 3M scientists to solve problems such as making a positive change in the world, curiosity to learn new things, and discovering new ways to make things better. 3M scientists use the power of science and the art of innovation to create products that make an actual difference in the world. Truly inspiring!

Thanks!