Climate Change Contest Top Entries Announced

The top entries in a science contest addressing climate change sponsored by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Air Quality Bureau were announced today. The top prize for each of three grade-level categories is an over-night stay at the DNR’s Springbrook Conservation Education Center for their science class or science club. Science students in sixth through twelfth grades were asked “What Would You Do?” to curb greenhouse gas emissions in Iowa. Entries could address an industry, a product or process, or an area. Concepts could be submitted as posters, web sites, PowerPoint presentations, videos, models and narrative scripts.

For the sixth and seventh grade levels, the winning entry, entitled “Electro Magnetic Cars,” was a poster produced by seventh grade students Levi Price, Austin Barongan and Katie Hitchcock of Winterset Junior High School, whose science teacher is Randy McDonald. Their scientific principle was the use of electromagnetic propulsion, which eliminates fuel fumes and also provides for safety: if the same side of a magnet is applied to the same side of another car they repel each other.

The winner in the eighth and ninth grade division was a PowerPoint presentation and drawings by Aaron Storesund, an eighth-grader taught by Mrs. Lensch from Glidden-Ralston. His concept was “Electromagnetic Levitation Transportation,” which involves the same scientific principle as the above entry, but expanded to more long-range transportation needs: traveling at 300 mph, constructing power stations along the magnetic road to support the energy used in electromagnets, what might cause accidents, and a backup system for power outages. Jon Ware of Glidden-Ralston received an honorable mention for his concept “Use Air to Push Cars.”

The division for tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grades was won by Manoj Kamalumpundi, Ashly Rotter and Derek Tharp, students of Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids and members of the National Science Honor Society, with a website entitled “BetterWorld.” The website takes a worldwide perspective of climate change and provides information on alternative fuels and pollution prevention tips in four languages. The students’ teacher is Mrs. Jabens and their honor society advisors are Joan Cochrane and Kim Hynek.

Honorable mention prizes in that division go to Jen Twaiten of Emmetsburg High School for “Cars Run By Silicon Nano Windows” and to Courtney Noah and Amber Connett of PCM (Prairie City-Monroe) High School for their entry, “Landfill Gas Recovery.”

“The contest and prize encouraged teamwork in solving the problems associated with green house gases,” says Mindy Kralicek, air quality information specialist and contest coordinator. “Climate change is an interdependent concern and we wanted to encourage student problem-solvers to work together to benefit the group.”

The DNR Springbrook Conservation Education Center provides first-hand experiences in conservation, water quality, landforms and environmental interrelationships through activities such as archery, hiking, bird handing, kayaking, aquatic life investigation and water quality study.

The Science Center of Iowa also contributed free general admission tickets and a $50 gift certificate for early contest entrants and honorable mention prizes.

Contest entries can be viewed at www.iowacleanair.com/citizen/climate/entries.html (Link no longer available).