Could Climate Change Reform Cost Us?

Recently, there has been a lot of effort to get Congress to pass a climate change reform bill. However, due to the already-large amount of things on Congress's agenda, it seems unlikely that it will come to fruition this calendar year. But that doesn't stop people from contemplating the effects that it could have on our society if it is somehow miraculously passed soon. Experts are predicting that the GDP would fall, unemployment would rise, and energy may have a higher cost as it will be taxed more. However, in the long term, this reform would save everybody a lot of money because high efficiency buildings and appliances would be used. Because of that, the effect of greenhouse gases could be reduced and the U.S. would be in charge of that. Sometime in the near future, I can see something like this becoming effective, but in this economy, it does not make sense as people in America don't really need to be paying too much money on something else.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/05/what-would-climate-change-reform-i-cost-i-us/57019/

Glacier National Park Melting

The Glacier National Park in Montana just celebrated its 100th anniversary last Tuesday. However, its birthdays are numbered as the glaciers are melting extremely rapidly. Scientists predict that there may be nothing left in ten years. When the park was established in 1911, it had around 150 glaciers. Now, though, it only has 25. Average temperatures in the park have risen 1.8 times faster than the average global temperature, so the change is visible to the naked eye. Receding glaciers leave behind huge moraines, and the increase in temperature is causing more wildfires and lower stream flows, which endangers many fish populations. The animals in the park do not seem to be suffering yet, but spring is arriving three weeks earlier than usual which could disrupt the animals' survival patterns as food grows at different times or becomes scarce. If the glaciers do disappear, it will make international headlines; it's hard for anyone to imagine Montana without its snow capped mountains or glaciers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20100511/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_trip_glacier_at100

The New Smart-Grid

On the Scientific American website, there was an article about the new smart grid, so I thought I would check it out. In this article it talked about how there has been a replacement for the traditional power grid. The traditional grid is known for brownouts and blackouts, but the new grid is leaving its designers with high hopes to reduce the number of problems greatly. The new grid will allow for a "two-way flow of both electricity and data". There is however, one large problem with the new grids. They pose a huge security risk because traditional grids have the problem of cyber-security, but the new grid adds a whole new level of complexity to ensuring the people using the grid safety. The problem with is that a computer hacker who is able to tamper with the smart meters would be able to not only effect a handful of homes, but have the potential to shut down power to 15,000 homes within 24 hours.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=securing-the-smart-grid

Neandertals Bred With Humans

A recent study shows that neandertal's and humans likely interbred. It came as a surpise to researchers, as they had long been looking for evidence of this and had never found it. It is estimated that 1 to 4 percent of the DNA of people from Europe and Asia is neandertal DNA. This has long been studied, as it gives a better picture of how we evolved. Neandertal's lived in that area until they were killed off about 30,000 years ago. The scientists expected to find no related DNA, this result was suprising. Some did predict the result, however. One odd fact is that people living in islands like New Guinea were found to have as much neandertal DNA as people from Europe or Asia, when neandertal's never lived there. At least one leading scientist now believes that we cannot classify neandertal's as different from us. He believes that we are essentially the same race. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58936/title/Neandertal_genome_yields_evidence_of_interbreeding_with_humans

Louisiana Oil Spill Reaches Wildlife Refuge

This article is about two parts of the oil spill. One is the oil spill reaching a Wildlife Refuge and the other is about efforts to contain the oil spill and clean up the oil.

The uninhabited Chandeleur Islands, off the coast of Louisiana, are part of the Breton National Wildlife Refuge, which is the second oldest Wildlife Refuge in America. Pelicans and other birds that are covered in oil have been found on these islands, and a federal Maritime agency said there was "oiling all over"the islands. There is also an oily substance that is washing up on New Harbor Island, which serves as a roosting place for thousands of frigate birds. Everyone is worried about the impact that this oil spill will have on the fishing economy since the area is a vital spawning ground for fish, shrimp and crabs. One fisherman is quoted saying, "It's all over the place... that's our whole fishing ground. That's our livelihood". The effects of this oil spill on the environment are, and will be, awful - especially if the oil continues to affect Wildlife Refuges like the Chandeleur Islands.

Ever since the explosion, 18 days ago, oil has been leaking non-stop into the Gulf of Mexico. People have been criticizing BP on its slow response time, and BP has argued back that they have sent out 100 boats to skim the oil off the water (including 20 of the worlds largest skimming vessels), thousands of feet of boom are trying to contain the oil and planes are flying over deploying dispersants. Apparently the smallest of the three leaks has been sealed and crews are burning off some of the oil in the parts where there is a heavy concentration. BP is attempting to contain the leaking oil by putting a giant iron funnel over the leak. It'll try to capture about 85% of the leaking oil and funnel it up to a barge. This has been used in shallower waters but they're hoping it'll work for this leak too. A few problems may occur while using this funnel - the device may damage the well and make the leak worse, ice may clog the drill pipe, and explosions may occur at the surface while trying to separate the mix of oil, gas and water.

Hopefully the funnel will work because the oil spill is bad enough without the continuous leaking of even more oil into the gulf. This article is pretty optimistic that the funnel will work but didn't say much about how helpful the methods of cleaning up the oil will be and how bad the threat against the Wildlife Refuges is. I hope they'll be able to clear up as much oil as possible and that the ecosystems won't be too badly damaged, but I guess we can't tell how bad it will be until the oil is cleared up.

Link to article from the BBC

New study shows that future temperatures could be lethal

For the first time scientists have calculated the highest wet bulb temperature that humans can tolerate. We calculated wet bulb temperatures in a unit a couple months ago (it is equal to what is felt when wet skin is exposed to moving air and it includes the temperature and atmospheric huidity). Researchers discovered that if a human or animal is exposed to wet bulb temperatures above 95 degrees for at least six hours they will experience potentially lethal levels of heat stress. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that if the world continues warming at the same rate it is now, by 2100 average global temperatures will have risen by seven degrees Farenheit. The study has found that a warming of twelve degrees Farenheit would cause parts of the world to surpass the wet-bulb temperature limit, and that a warming of 21-degrees would place fifty percent of the globe in an unlivable environment. Researchers say that if nothing is done to slow global warming we may very well reach these temperatures, pretty scary!

The map of the world shows the wet-bulb temperatures that would occur around the world with a global-mean temperature increase of 21 degrees farenheit. The white coloring portrays areas that humans would experienced potentially lethal heat stress.

Mammoths are cool!

I chose this story because I feel like recently the news has been overcome by volcanoes, floods, oil spills, and earthquakes. No one really ever hears about really cool mammoths with anti-freeze blood anymore.

Apparently wooly mammoths used more than their thick fur to stay warm in the ice age and it's cold arctic winters. Recently scientists have discovered that mammoths had a genetic adaptation in their blood allowing their haemoglobin to release oxygen into their bodies at extremely low temperatures. In this way their blood was similar to anti-freeze! This adaptation probably helped them keep their oxygen moving which kept helped them concentrate their heat internally and stop heat loss. They discovered this by extracting a DNA sample from the remains of a 43,000 year old wooly mammoth. The converted the DNA into RNA and then put it in e. coli bacteria which helped produce the mammoth protein of the 43,000 year old specimen. If they didn't have this adaptation they would have to eat a lot more, much more often so that they could get their energy from food. This would have posed a large problem in the winter when there wasn't a large food supply. This adaptation for mammoths was dealt to deal with the cold just as their elephant relatives adapted to the African heat by having large ears and no thick coat of fur.

-Katie Powell

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8657464.stm

"Colorado River water policy faces an age of limits"

Scientists are expecting a significant reduction in flow for the Colorado River. The fundamental problem is with the Colorado River Basin. Six species are already threatened or endangered due to invasive quagga mussels. The Colorado has severe water quality issues leading to a shortage of surface water. Hence communities are starting to mine groundwater. Agriculture is expected to take an immense hit from this. I found this article dismal yet extremely informative.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_14921852

unit review

5 major sources of oil spills:
-natural seeps
-extraction
-transportation/tankers
-pipelines
-runoff

4 short term effects of oil spills:
-reduction of light transmissions
-reduction in dissolved oxygen
-damage to marine birds
-toxic effects to marine environments

2 long term effects:
-block taste receptors causing fish to eat harmful things
- it can concentrate poisons

Methods of cleanup:
-booms or barriers--used to contain the oil spill
-skimmers-- skim oil off surface and into boats
-sorbents--used to soak up and contain spill
-chemical dispersants--used to degrade the oil
-flames-- used to burn oil

Dow Life Earth Run for Water

On April 18th, the DOW Earth Run for Water is a charity run that had tens of thousands of participants around the world. The run is an event that celebrities and civilians alike could participate in. The purpose of the run was to raise awareness to the fact that we need to have cleaner water. Tonight on Bravo there is a special show to highlight the current water crisis through out the world. This year the run went very well, so they hope to do it next year too.

New species of killer whales

A new study has found strong genetic evidence which points to the presence of several different species of killer whales in the world's oceans. The research has appeared in the journal Genome Research.Scientists have suspected for some time that there was more than one species of killer whales because of differences in behaviour, feeding preferences and subtle physical features. But until now DNA analysis has been inconclusive because of the inability to map the entire genetic picture, or genome, of the whales' mitochondria inherited from the mother. As a result of the study, two types of killer whales in the Antarctic that eat fish and seals, respectively, are suggested as separate species, along with mammal-eating "transient" killer whales in the North Pacific.

http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_several-new-species-of-killer-whales-likely-to-be-found-in-oceans_1374822

Evolution of Earth Day

Earth Day began 40 years ago as a day to recognize the environment. 40 years ago, there was no talk of global warming or the green movement. Rather, the original purpose was to emphasize ecology and the power of cleaning up litter and pollution. Before earth day, Americans were rather uninformed about the environment other than a few radical environmentalists. Today, the green movement is sweeping the nation. Today, major environmental organizations like the EPA and WWF hold events to raise awareness. Also, major companies like UPS, P&G and Wells Fargo sponsor Earth Day events. Over the past 40 years, Earth Day has evolved from a hippie event to a major environmental awareness day.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hRQcGJRPZAitgVuKGUNrYVYm0hAgD9F8CFL00

More Oil Spills

A few days ago a large oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded. The major concern for everyone is making sure all the workers are safe. The majority of the workers were able to evacuate unharmed, and with only 11 people missing. It is believed that those 11 did not make it out in time but searches are still going on. Second to the human issue is the amount of crude oil released. At this time officials are unsure if the spill will be detrimental or if they can clean in up in time. Unfortunately it is still unknown as to caused the explosion, but officials speculate that it was because of worker negligence.

Feel free to head over to http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/22/oil.rig.explosion/index.html?hpt=T1 for a video of the explosion.

dEaD zOnEs

There is a problem that commonly plagues bodies of water called "Dead Zones." These are zones that have no life in them and that is why they are called dead zones. Dead zones can occur due to a slew of reasons. One being eutrophication. This is when there is not enough dissolved oxygen in the water for fish to live. This depletion of oxygen occurs because there are too many nutrients in the water and this causes bacteria to grow out of control and then the bacteria that eats this eats up all the oxygen as well causing fish to die. This is why they are called dead zones is because all the fish die. There are other reasons for these zones of no life. Another being algal blooms. These can be poisonous blooms of an algae that usually occurs because there is a change in temperature or too many nutrients. This can poison the fish and cause them to die. It can also poison humans so it is important to not eat seafood that comes from a poisonous algal bloom.

EARTH DAY

I read an article in the New York Times talking about how companies are marketing a lot of products off of Earth Day. For example, the company Bahama Umbrellas is marketing an umbrella that has as drain so that you can store the water and recycle it. When Earth Day made its first appearance in 1970 most people were pretty against it, but now a lot of companies are making it into a marketing idea. This goes to show how people are actually starting to accept global warming and the fact that we need to protect our earth.

Oil Spills

So, since we were recently talking about oil spills and oil spills hit close to home, I thought I would do a unit review on them.

Oil pollution sources: oil tankers, run-off from boats in the marinas, waste & sewage, off-shore drilling accidents, natural sepage, road run-off from cars and pipe line leaks.

Short term effects: the reduction of light transmition results in the reduction of dissolved H2O because of photosynthesis, oil getting on the aquatic life can drown them or make them handicap, and the toxic effects can destruct a huge range of species including fish, shellfish, worms, crabs, microcrustaceans and other invertebrates.

Long term effects:the oil compounds interfere with the chemical messangers of the marine life, and that can block receptors including taste and smell. The oil can also mimic the receptors, which causes disasterous effects. Oil can also sereve as a concentrated medium in fertalizers which makes it way into the marine food chain and then eventually into humans.

Clean-up methods: there are many cleanup methods that include using booms or barriers to contain the spill, skimmers to remove the oil from the surface, absorbents to absorb the oil that has gotten deeper than the surface,.chemical dispertants that degrade the oil, and flames which burn the oil spill. Personally, I feel like bioremediation is the best method to remove oil, and this involves using naturally occuring microorganisms that have been genetically engineered so they can degrade the petroleum.

hope this helps!

Oil Spills

Oil Spills are caused by
Ships with oil breaking
Runoff from boats
Waste that is put in the ocean
Off Shore drilling
Natural seepage
and road runoff

When the oil is spilled it goes in to oceans lakes and rivers

The effects of these spills cause reduction of light transmission, reduction of dissolved oxygen, the oil sticks to marine mammals and birds, and it destroys the marine environment.

There are 6 ways of cleaning up the oil: Mechanicals-booms, Skimmers, absorbents, chemicals dispersants and detergents, burning the oil and bioremediation.

Airplanes in Ash Clouds

When an airplane passes through an ash cloud it is disastorous for the passengers, pilots, and crew members. The ash can coat the entire windsheild, making it impossible for the pilots to see, but if the ash is sucked into the engines, it can cause the engines to stall out. This will essentially cause the plane to free fall. This has happened twice before, and the pilots were able to restart some of the engines and do an emergency landing. Here is a video clip that explains what is happening in England, and what exactly happens when a plane engine encounters volcanic ash.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid69900095001?bctid=78324298001

Oil Rig Explosion

Just today in class we briefly looked at the oil rig explosion in the gulf of mexico. More news in beginning to come in about that explosion and its effects on the environment. In an article in the New York Times they said that it is getting more and more complicating to contain the damage from the burning rig that left a one-by-five-mile sheen of what the authorities said was “crude oil mix.” They are saying that it has great potential to have to be a major spill. There were 115 survivors from the explosion and they are saying that there is a very small chance that the lost 11 workers are alive. The owners of the rig said they are not sure if the rig is still emitting gas or oil underwater because they said that the workers “were not able to stem the flow of hydrocarbons” before the rig sank. There is also potentially 700000 gallons of diesel fuel that was on the rig could be part of the leak. BP now released 30 skimming vessels to try to contain the spill. This whole situation has brought up old fears about the safety of offshore oil rigs and their relationship to the environment

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/us/23rig.html?src=mv

Water Testing

For the test we don't have to know HOW we tested for the chemicals in water, we just need to know WHAT we tested for. So here is a list for all of those chemicals/tests.

• Water temperature
• Ammonia Nitrogen
• pH
• Chlorine
• Chromium
• Copper
• Iron
• Nitrate Nitrogen
• Phosphorus
• Silica (sand)
• Sulfide
  

UPcycling

Today I got an email from the TOMS corporation telling me ways to upcycle old TOMS. It turns out that upcycing is different than recycling. Upcycling is when you " converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value" (Wikipedia). I had never heard of upcycling before I got that email, but I think that it's an intersting idea. The wikipedia article has a quote where a man calls recycling "downcycling". He thinks that upcycling is the better alternative. Will upcycling become the new recycling? We'll just have to wait and see.

Heres a link about upcycling old TOMS , http://www.toms.com/earthday

Freshwater Distribution

Since this unit dealt a lot with water and pollution, I decided to look up which countries have the most available freshwater.  The stat is measured in cubic kilometers per year.

1. Brazil … 8,233 ckpy (14.9% of world total)
2. Russia … 4,498 (8.1%)
3. Canada … 3,300 (6%)
4. United States … 3,069 (5.6%)
5. Indonesia … 2,838 (5.1%)
6. China … 2,830 (5.1%)
7. Colombia … 2,132 (3.9%)
8. Peru … 1,913 (3.5%)
9. India … 1,908 (3.5%)
10. Democratic Republic of Congo … 1,283 (2.3%)

These countries alone account for 60 percent of the world's total amount of freshwater.  Freshwater (water that can be consumed) is found mostly in glaciers.  Fortunately, many countries with high population density like India and China have a lot of access to freshwater.  Only one country in Africa is in the top 10, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and it is tenth.

Read Resources http://internationaltrade.suite101.com/article.cfm/richest_water_countries#ixzz0lt2ds4Ku

EARTH DAY!

In the spirit of Earth Day 2010, I dedicated my unit post to discussing some Earth Day facts. -This year, it was the 40th anniversary of the celebration for our Earth -Every year, Earth Day is held on April 22nd. -Earth Day was started in 1970 by a U.S. Senator named Gaylord Nelson. -This year, at the National Mall in Washington D.C., the EPA held free exhibits and events for the public. "EPA will have exhibits on an environmental forensics demonstration, cutting edge automotive technology, climate change, habitat loss exhibits, environmental videos, an interactive kids booth about environmental hazards, backyard composting demonstrations, a Chesapeake Bay water model, and live mascots teaching kids about recycling and protecting nature, and others.

EPA will also be showcasing the creative efforts of more than 40 college teams and their design solutions to sustainability challenges around the world. The participants of the exhibit will compete for a $75,000 prize. The expo highlights designs that address alternative energy technologies; collection, purification and distribution of water; agricultural practices to reduce pesticide run-off; new technologies for green buildings and other innovative approaches to improve society’s sustainability." (http://www.enn.com/ecosystems/article/41247)

-Many nations all around the world celebrate Earth Week, and other environmental awareness days.

-Visit the Earth Day Network website, http://www.earthday.org/ , and learn more about Earth Day. Also, enter in your "Act of Green", any way you have made a sacrifice to save water, electricity, etc, and help them reach 1 billion acts of green. So far they have 31,467,348

Unit Review

Categories Of Water Pollution:

Sewage

- Wastewater from toilets and house drains. Examples are human waste, paints, etc.

Pathogens

- Typhoid and cholera carried into waterways. Human and animal waste are examples

Plant Nutrients

- Phosphates and nitrates. Sources are sewage, feedlots, etc. Causes eutrophication

Organic Compounds

- Oil, gas pesticides, detergents. Comes from industrial waste, surface runoff. Can kill wildlife, cause nervous system damage

Toxic Inorganic Compounds

- Lead, arsenic salt, acids. Comes from surface runoff, household cleaners. Harms drinking water, can cause cancer, etc.

Sediment

- Soil, silt. Comes from eroded land. Reduced photosynthesis, carries pesticides, etc.

water contaminants

here's a list of common water contaminants, their sources, and effects

chlorine
sources: water additive
effects: eye/nose irritation, stomach discomfort, anemia

iron
sources: minerals found in drinking water supplies
effects: unpleasant taste/odor

copper
sources: corrosion from plumbing systems, erosion of natural deposits
effects: gastrointestinal disease, liver/kidney damage

sulfide
sources: decay of plant materials
effects: nausea, illness, and death

silica
sources: naturally found in water
effects: harmless

ph
sources: leaching from pipes and fixtures, acid rain
effect: no health threats

phosphates
sources: human/animal waste, fertilizer, manure
effects: eutrophication, changes in aquatic life

nitrates
sources: fertilizers, sweewage erosion, leaching from septic tanks
effects: eutrophication, death

chromium
sources: discharge from steel and pulp mills, erosion
effects: allergic dermatitis

ammonia nitrogen
sources: runoff from fertilizer, leaching from septic tanks, sewage erosion
effects: harmful to infants

fecal coliform
sources: human and animal feed waste
effects: can indicate presence of other bacteria

DINOSHARK

A little while ago, I remembered that I had recorded Dinoshark on my DVR after Ms. Meyer told us about it and decided to watch it. If you're looking for something hilarious passed off as a serious movie, then I highly recommend it. Even if you aren't, it's still highly entertaining. The general plot is that there is a string of disappearances of people at a resort in Mexico. The main character (played by Eric Balfour) is out on the ocean and notices a creature (dinoshark) that is killing people (with great special effects). He and his friends go on a mission to kill it so that the people can enjoy their vacation in peace. After a few entertaining scenes, one of which involving a chopper being eaten, they have a final confrontation with dinoshark. I won't give away the ending, but it's pretty amazing. see this movie and look out for the next installment in the series, which is going to be called Dinocroc vs. Supergator.

New Species Discovered In Borneo

123 new species have been discovered in the great rainforest known as Borneo. The project to find them has been going since 2007, in an effort to help conserve the rainforest. The project was known as "Heart Of Borneo", and was sponsored by the WWF. Some of the more interesting species are totally unique. One was a bright orange snake which can turn shades of blue when threatened. Another is a flat looking frog that breathes through its skin because it has no lungs. Another is a slug with its tail almost 3 times the size of its head. Borneo is home to thousands of species found nowhere else.

Trouble Waters Video, test

If you guys don't remember the Troubled Waters Video, it's the video with the goofy guy.

Hermaphroditic Frogs: Caused from Atrazine which produced Estrogen within male frogs.

Beluga Whales: Cancer found within them.

Plants and Mercury: Scientists genetically modifying plants to absorb mercury making fish less likely to eat mercury.

Crown of Thorns: Massive outbreak of sea-stars in tropic reefs, believed to be linked to pollution in water. They destroy reefs.

Global Warming Creating More Frequent and Violent?

With Iceland's volcano Eyjafjallajokull erupting, melting the glacier around it, scientists are now wondering if the melting of ice caps due to global warming might create more frequent and more violent volcan eruptions. However, they don't believe that Eyjafjallajokull's eruption is due to global warming. Hugh Tuffen of Lancaster University believes that it's not long before global warming causes the icecaps on volcanoes all over the world to melt, relieving pressure from supercharged magma chambers to increase the frequency and violence of the volcano eruptions. He also thinks that it won't take long for this to happen, with activity possibly increasing significantly by 2100.

Scientists don't entirely know what will happen when the icecaps melt since that hasn't happened since before the last ice age. They've been studying long-term trends since the last ice age, which show that volcanic activity has been increasing. But they don't know what this means for us yet. The writer of the article thinks that we should just try to stop global warming before we find out what happens when the icecaps melt.

Original Article

Water Pollution Unit Review Post - Oil Spills

Oil Spill: When oil gets into the water, usually due to human activity.

Ways the Oil Gets There:

- Natural Seepage

- Oil Tanker

- Seepage from offshore drilling

- Runoff from roads

- Seepage from boats

What does it affect:

- The oil creates a film over the water that sunlight cannot penetrate, so the producers cannot photosynthesize.

- It sticks to the feathers of sea birds stopping them from flying and stopping the feathers from insulating the birds.

- It gets in the fur of sea mammals (especially otters) and stops the fur from insulating them.

- Animals can digest the oil, which is bad for them.

- The oil will eventually sink to the bottom of the ocean, which will hurt the animals on the sea floor.

How can we clean it up:

- Bioremediation: The use of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, etc.) to break down and remove the oil.

- Booms: Contains the oil to stop it from spreading and lifts it off the water.

- Skimmers: Usually used with booms to skim up the oil.

- Sorbents: Absorb the oil

- Burning the Oil: Bad because it just sends the oil into the air to be brought right back with the next rain.

The Exxon Valdez:

On March 24, 1989, it spilled its cargo of oil in the Prince William Sound off of Alaska when it went off course and crashed into the Bligh Reef. The ship's crew had worked too hard due to job cuts in the company and the 3rd mate (who isn't allowed to navigate the ship) was put in charge while under the effects of alcohol. It took a while for the first clean up crews to arrive, and after Exxon went bankrupt it was up to the volunteers to clean up the oil. Thousands of animals died: around 250,000 sea birds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 247 bald eagles and 22 orcas, alonf with the destruction of salmon and herring eggs. Some species still haven't recovered and the impacts of this spill can still be seen today.

OiL Spills! -

Major Sources of Oil Spills:

- tanker spills or sinks

- runoff from boats

- oil in waste (sewage)

- offshore drilling/ runoff from roads or pipelines

- natural sepage from land or ocean floor

Short Term Effects:

- reduction of light transmission: by reducing the amount of sunlight that can penetrate through to plants in the sea, photosynthesis is reduced and plant growth is affected

- reduction in DO (dissolved oxygen)- hinders the rate of oxygen uptake by water

- damage to marine wildlife- because oil can collect in feathers or fur and can be ingested, many birds, mammals, and invertebrates can die (drown, can't fly, freeze, stave, etc.)

Long Term Effects:

- oil interferes with chemical messengers in organisms so have trouble finding food, mates, shelter, etc. because their stimuli can get "blocked" by the oil compounds.

- oil serves as a concentration medium for poisons like pesticides reach organisms in higher levels than usual, causing more damage

A Planet Without Methane

Recently, NASA's Spitzer Telescope found that there is no methane on a distant planet. Methane, which is present on Earth, is created by microbes that live in cows and, surprisingly, rice fields. It can also be found in dead stars, or "brown dwarfs." This planet, called GJ436b, is about the size of Neptune which not only makes it the smallest planet (it is 33 light years away) to be analyzed from such a distance but also lacks the one element that the planets in the solar system have: methane. Scientists expected to find methane because, according the principle investigator of the search, the type of planet that it is made the production of the chemical likely. Though scientists are thoroughly puzzled, they are glad to know what is going on in the atmosphere of planets in far away constellations.
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2010-137&cid=release_2010-137

Water Pollution Test Review

Available Water:

-Sea Water: 97.5%

-Freshwater: 2.5%

Ice caps/glaciers: 79%

Groundwater: 20%

Surface water (lakes/streams): 1%

Main Uses of Water:

-domestic (drinking, cooking, toilets)

-industrial (cooling systems, cars)

-agricultural (irrigation-animals, crops)

Water Pollution:

Point Source Pollution: specific locations of pollution

-sewage or drain pipes

-leaky gas tanks

-industrial sites

Non-point Source Pollution: pollution from widespread (unknown) areas

-agricultural, residential, or industrial runoff

-atmospheric deposition

Categories of Water Pollution:

-Sewage- ex) wastewater from toilets, household drains

-Pathogens- ex) human and animal wastes (typhoid, cholera)

-Plant nutrients- ex) phosphates, nitrates

-Organic compounds- ex) oil, gasoline, plastics, detergents

-Toxic inorganic compounds- ex) lead, acids

-Sediment- ex) soil, silt

Oil Spill in The Gulf of Mexico

A few nights ago, on Tuesday April 20th, an oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana. Two days later, the once burning oil rig has now sunk to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and has left a 5-square-mile trail of spreading oil. Not only is burning oil being released into the atmosphere and leaking into the gulf, but the explosion caused 11 workers to be blown into the gulf of mexico and there is currently a search out looking for them. Out of the 115 people on board at the time of the explosion, 11 are missing, 17 are injured, are the remaining 94 were taken ashore with no apparent injuries. They are determined to find the missing workers as soon as possible because they longer they go unfound, the more likely it is that they will be dead. The oil released into the gulf is estimated to be around 336,000 gallons. Along with that oil, it is estimated that 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel also leaked out.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/22/oil.rig.explosion/index.html?hpt=T1

The Botany of Desire

The book that I read was The Botany of Desire. I personally found this book to be very very interesting, it forced me to think of plants in a different manner. Never before had it occurred to me that plants could be using people the same ways that plants use bees to spread and become more populated. In the book it focuses on four main plants the apple, the tulip, the potato, and the marijuana plant. Each plant represents a desire that humans have the apple represents sweetness, the tulip beauty, marijuana intoxication, and the potato is control. Pollan the author starts off talking about how the apple attracts are desire of sweetness. The book talks about how the apple originated in Kazakhstan and slowly made its way through Europe and then to America. Then it talks about Johnny Appleseed's journey across America spreading the apple tree. After that it talks about all of the uses the apple has had since and how popular it is. The reason the apple is so popular is because of how its natural sweetness is so rare and how it represents that it is healthy and good for humans. The next plant is the tulip. The tulip represents the desire of beauty. The tulip is specifically attractive to humans because of its contrast to its surrounding and its variation. The next plant is marijuana. This represents the human desire for change in consciousness. The plant itself is very adaptable to its situations so humans take advantage of it. They even risk their lives and freedom for it. People are so drawn to the high that they receive from marijuana that it has such a popular market people will risk everything to get their hands on it. The final plant talked about is the potato plant. This plant specifically is very representative of the humans desire to control everything. This is specifically an appropriate thing to control because it is a great sense of food for humans. If people can control food then they can pretty much control their own destiny.
I found this book to be very interesting and I personally really enjoyed how it opened my eyes to a new look at the relationship between humans and plants. I had to skim through certain parts of the book because i felt like some of it was unnecessary details but for the most part I was very interested by the details the story goes into about the plants. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding the relationship between humans and the plants we surround ourselves with.

Typhoid Fever

Typhoid Fever is caused by ingesting liquids or foods that have been contaminated with Salmonella Typhi bacteria (a type a bacteria that only lives in humans). Water that has sewage contaminated with S. Typhi is a main cause of the disease in areas of the world where water doesn't undergo intensive treatment. Symptoms of the disease include a high fever (103-104 degrees), stomach pains, headache and loss of appetite. If someone infected does not receive antibiotics the fever may continue for weeks to months. 20 % of people who contract typhoid fever die from complications of the infection. When traveling in foreign countries, in order to reduce the risk of contracting the fever, avoid risky foods and drinks, and get vaccinnated against the disease. If you drink water when traveling, buy it bottled or boil it before consuming. also, avoid raw vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled (i.e. lettuce, carrots ect.)

A Super Fun Review of Water Pollution

There are two types of water pollution:

Point Source: Pollution can be traced to a SPECIFIC location

Non-Point Source: Pollution can NOT be traced to a specific location

There are seven categories of water pollution:

1.) Sewage: human and food wastes, soaps, detergents

2.) Pathogens: disease carried in waterways such as typhoid and cholera

3.) Plant Nutrients: phosphates and nitrates from sewage, animal feedlots. Can cause eutrophication and baby blue syndrome

4.) Organic Compounds: oil, gas, plastics from industry, household cleansers, and runoff. Can cause neverous system damage, reproduction disorders

5.) Toxic Inorganic Compounds: lead, arsenic, acids from surface runoff. Can cause skin cancer, nervous system damage

6.) Sediment: soil, silt from land erosion. Can cloud water and reduce photosynthesis

7.) Radioactive materials

Biomagnification

Biomagnification is the process by which a pollutant can become more and more concentrated at each step in the food chain. This normally means that the place where pollutants (such as mercury) are most concentrated are in the biggest fish. So in the picture to the left, the organism that would have the highest concentration of the toxin would be the catfish.

Hermaphrodite Frogs

Since the movie we watched touched on some male frogs becoming hermaphrodites, I thought I would elaborate on the topic:

The popular fertilizer Atrazine has been found to affect the sexual development of male frogs. The most interesting fact about this is, these frogs are being exposed to amounts 30 times lower than the amount deemed safe by the EPA. Like Ms. Meyer said, humans don't have to worry about the fertilizer getting into their water, but it does raise questions such as how other chemicals will affect human bodies.

"If you take five grains of salt, divide this weight by five thousand, that is the

amount of atrazine that causes these abnormalities," added Hayes.

Besides the frightening amount of chemicals that have caused this change, frogs native to the mid-west of the U.S. have found to be undergoing some changes. Althought Hayes said that this information cannot be deemed accurate until it is peer reviewed, he believes that the data is correct.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/04/0416_020416_TVfrog.html

Murcury In Rice!!!!

I Know this isn't a current events post but i read this article and i felt i needed to share it with the class.
a study was done to the rice in a specific area in china and it turns out that the Mercury in their fish is not what they have to worry about, its the rice. this area was down wind from a coal plant. the fact is that rice paddies carry the types of bacteria that can convert inorganic mercury to its more toxic, methylated form. The rice sucks up the Mercury! It averaged 9.3 micrograms of this especially toxic mercury per kilogram of rice in an area where people down an average of more than a half-kilogram of the grain each day. why does this concern you do you say? Any tainted rice may not stay put for very long in our increasingly global economy.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58350/title/Mercury_surprise_Rice_can_be_risky

Wewage Treatment

At a sewage treatment center they sometimes use three steps to filter and clean the waste water.

Primary Treatment: Primary treatment is when all of the sewage is put in large tanks and allowed to settle. this separates each individual material. the sludge sinks to the bottom and is sent to a separate sludge treatment area and the grease and oil is scraped off the top. the treatable liquid id then sent to the next stage.

Secondary treatment: in the secondary treatment, aerobic and biological processes are used. there are two types of secondary treatment. fixed film treatment is when a fixed biomass is grown and the sewage passes over it. suspended growth is when the biomass i suspended within the sewage. these processes remove BOD or biochemical oxygen demand.

Tertiary Treatment: this is the last and most rare form of sewage treatment. it uses bacteria to denitrify nitrates in the water producing nitrogen gas which id then released into the atmosphere. the major purpose is to remove nitrogen and phosphates

Hopefully after all this you can drink some of it!

Cholera

Because Cholera is spread through insanitation and water pollution, I thought it would be interesting to find more details about this disease.

What is it: Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that causes a large amount of watery diarrhea (pleasant, I know.)

Symptoms:

Abdominal cramps

Dry mucus membranes or mouth

Dry skin

Excessive thirst

Glassy or sunken eyes

Lack of tears

Lethargy

Low urine output

Nausea

Rapid dehydration

Rapid pulse (heart rate)

Sunken "soft spots" (fontanelles) in infants

Unusual sleepiness or tiredness

Vomiting

Watery diarrhea that starts sudden

Causes: Cholera is caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae. The bacteria releases a toxin that causes increased release of water in the intestines, which produces severe diarrhea.

Cholera occurs in places with poor sanitation, crowding, war, and famine. Common locations for cholera include:

Africa

Asia

India

Mexico

South and Central America

The Mediterranean

People get the infection by ingesting contaminated food or water.

A type of vibrio bacteria also has been associated with shellfish, especially raw oysters.

Treatment: The objective of treatment is to replace fluid and electrolytes lost through diarrhea. Fluids may be given by mouth or through a vein. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed an oral rehydration solution that is cheaper and easier to use than the typical intravenous fluid. Their solution of sugar and electrolytes is now being used internationally.

Types of Water Pollution

1.) Sewage: Wastewater from household drains.

2.) Pathogens and waterborn diseases: Bacteria. They come from human and animal waste and can cause disease.

3.) Plant Nutrients: Phosphates and nitrates. Sources of these include sewage, feedlosts, paper mills and fertilizers. Plant nutrients can cause etrophication and the blue baby syndrome.

4.) Organic Compounds: Oil, gasoline, detergents and plastics. Sources of these materials include industrial waste, household cleaners and surface runoff. These can cause nervous system damage and can harm fish/wildlife.

5.) Toxic Inorganic Compounds: Lead, arsenic salts and acids. Sources include surface runoff and household cleaners. These compounds can lead to water becoming unusable, skin cancer and brain/nervous damage.

6.) Sediment: Soil and silt. These materials come from the erosion of land. These can cloud water, reduce photosynthesis and can carry pesticides.

Detroit Residents Press EPA for Stronger Air Pollution Monitoring

Residents of Detroit's industrial southwest neighborhoods have demanded higher air quality standards. A computer that measures air pollution has recently been revealing spikes around the industrial plants of southwest Detroit. Around these industrial plants are whole neighborhoods surrounded by oil recycling plants, asphalt makers, a steel plant, a stinky composting yard, a salt factory and an expanding oil refinery. A woman who lives in the area decided to take her own air samples with the help of the national environmental monitoring group, Global Community Monitor, and found lead-laden dust, which could come from a steel mill nearby. Additionally, a few months ago, similar sampling found a dangerous chemical in the air -- methyl ethyl ketone, a gas that can cause numbness, tremors and gait problems. Methyl ethyl ketone, is commonly found in manufacturing plant emissions as well as specific products such as industrial glue and the exhaust of cars and trucks, according to the Centers for Disease Control's toxic substances registry. Fewer than 50 air monitors are present in the state of Michigan and residents would like to see this improve in the near future. I thought this article was interesting because it is a specific example of how air pollution has been becoming such a problem.


http://dc.streetsblog.org/2010/04/19/detroit-residents-press-epa-for-stronger-air-pollution-monitoring/

Water and Water Pollution

Available Water:
Sea water -97.5%
Freshwater- 2.5%
Surface Water-1%
Groundwater- 20%
Ice caps/Glaciers-79%

Three main uses of water:
1. Domestic (drinking, cooking, toilets)
2. Industrial (Electric power, producing paper)
3. Agricultural (irrigation, animals, crops)

Water pollution: Any chemical, biological or physical change in water quality that has a harfull affect on living organisms or makes water unsuitable for desired uses
Two types:
-Point source
Can be traced to a specific location
Ex) sewage or drain pipes, leaky gas tanks, ditchs
-Nonpoint source
Pollution that enters streams and waterways from a widespread area and cannot be traced to one particular site
Ex) agricultural, residential and industrial runoff, atmospheric deposition

Eutrophication and Dead Zones Review

Click on the picture to see the whole thing, it's helpful to understanding dead zones!

Eutrophication means "nutrient pollution", and a dead zone is an area where there is no to low oxygen in water.

Dead zones are caused by excess nitrates and phosphates from fertilizers, industrial runoff, and runoff from homes entering water sources. (Freshwater areas are affected more by the phosphates, while salt water areas are affected more by the nitrates). These excess nutrients cause an algal bloom. When all these algae die, they sink to the bottom. Decomposing bacteria consume the phytoplankton, and with all this excess food creates a growth in the population of the bacteria. They consume all the oxygen dissolved in the area, while the algae reduce the amount of light that reaches the depths of the ocean, and aquatic life begins to die. Anaerobic bacteria soon take over, and release hydrogen and sulfuric gas, making the water even more acidic and unsuitable for life.

More Related Terms:
Hypoxia- Waters that have dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations less than 2mg/L

Anoxia- No DO present in the water.

Oxygen depletion is further caused by stratification preventing oxygen refreshment.

Preparing for the Big One

Lately a number of different natural disasters have made headlines in the news, such as the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile.  This brings into discussion once again the predicted "mega-earthquake" that would occur on the San Andreas fault-line located on the western coast of the United States.  Many people are skeptical of this earthquake, but one town in Oregon is going to be prepared if or when it does occur.  Cannon Beach, Oregon has begun discussions of building a tsunami and earthquake-proof tower for an estimated 4 million dollars.  The tower is based off a similar tower in Japan, and will be able to be a safe-haven for up to 1,000 people.  Although Cannon Beach is leading the way in Earthquake/Tsunami safety, awareness is increasing all along the west coast, with signs of what to do in case of disaster posted everywhere.  Experts predict that there is a 37 percent chance that a major earthquake (8.0 magnitude) will hit the west coast within the next 50 years.  A tsunami that occurred in 1964 knocked out the main bridge in Cannon Beach, and right now experts say the city is not well enough protected.  The tower will hopefully change that.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/us/15tsunami.html?ref=science

In Defense of Food

In his non-fiction book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan argues that most of the stuff we put into our mouths is not actually food. At least it’s not the food our great, great grandmothers would have recognized as food. Instead of food, we're consuming "edible foodlike substances,” which are produced by food science, rather than nature. Many of them come packaged with health claims, such as “trans-fat free,” that make us think they are healthy, but in reality, are most likely distracting us from the fact that they are actually not healthy. The result is what Michael Pollan calls the American paradox: The more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become. To solve this problem, Pollan offers some simple and catchy advice: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. By urging us to once again eat real food, he challenges the popular nutrient-by-nutrient approach, what he calls nutritionism -- and proposes an alternative way of eating that is informed by the traditions of real, unprocessed food. I really enjoyed this book because it is current and relatable. In society today, everyone is looking for the new fad diet that “really works.” Whether it’s Atkins or Jenny Craig, we’re being told that nutrients enrich food, instead of depleting it, which is what Pollan argues. Therefore, it was very interesting and informative to get an alternate perspective. Because, to be honest, Pollan’s simple advice makes much more sense than the crazy dietary rules of the fad-diet companies!

Pompeii Book Review

Pompeii, by Robert Harris, is a fascinating account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius seen from the perspective of a few citizens from the surrounding towns. The main character is Marcus Attilius Primus, or just Attilius, who is an engineer that is named the new aquarius of Augusta after the previous one goes missing and just in time for the Aqua Augusta to break. Throughout the book, we realize that the Augusta broke down due to the up and coming eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which is unknown to most of the characters until the very end of the book. This book is interspersed with factual accounts of the eruption, but the main story of the book is the slow realisation of Attilius about the eruption and then his frantic tries to save as many people as possible. In this book, we find out much about ancient Roman society (which is eerily similar to our society in regards to its politicians), while experiencing the surprise and horror of the eruption. The most amazing part of this book is Harris' ability to incorporate real historical figures into the book, while still creating an extremely exciting and interesting story about the real life eruption of Mount Vesuvius. I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in ancient Roman society, volcanoes and possibly even detective novels because it was similar in that you had to pick up all the clues to figure out what was happening. I give this book 4/5 stars.

Another Eruption in Iceland?

The article I read discussed the fact that the recent eruption of a vent on the volcano Eyjafjallajökul (pronounced AY-ya-fyat-la-yo-kult) could be the least of Iceland's worries. There's another bigger, more dangerous volcano called Katla to the east which scientists have been keeping an eye on. In the past Katla has erupted along with the other or on its own. Katla is said to be more dangerous because it is a lot larger, and because it lies beneath a glacier. If Katla were to erupt, there would be a lot of flooding as the ice is melted by the hot lava. Katla would also cause more ash clouds, which we know are a problem to all the air traffic in many countries. The article also described some of Iceland's past troubles with its volcanoes; Iceland is located above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a place prone to volcanic activity. In 1783 and 84 a volcano erupted and spewed out sulfur dioxide and ash, killing thousands of people, and they had a couple of eruptions in the 1960's and 70's. The end of the article did give some good news, as a result of all the ash in the atmosphere people in Europe might be able to see some pretty red sunsets.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58333/title/Ash_from_Icelandic_eruption_may_just_be_the_start

Giardia

Giardia thrives within intestines of infected humans or animals. One becomes infected through ingesting or coming into contact with contaminated water, food or soil. The Giardia parasite spreads when a person accidently ingests it, this can originate from contaminated items and surfaces that have been tainted by the feces of an infected human or animal. The parasite can also transfer from consuming unsanitary food or water
The symptoms of Giardia include: diarrhea, excess gas, stomach or abdominal cramps, and upset stomach or nausea. This can result in weight loss or dehydration, which can be harmful if not treated immediately. Typical infection within an individual is around 2-6 weeks, but medicine can shorten this time. In rare cases giardia can become a chronic disease.
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/giardiasis-topic-overview

Whale Hunting

The article I read was about a convention held internationally to discuss regulating and ultimately ending the hunting of whales. Mostly Norway, Iceland and Japan are the countries that are hunting and trading these whales. Many people at the convention wanted to end whale hunting all together, but since that didn't seem like an option, many just opted to try and regulate it more seriously. They said they hoped to bring more respect back to international law and also they wanted to make it so people wouldn't illegally trade these whale anymore. Japan was the nation to most disagree with this idea because they get a lot of money from whale hunting each year. They did succeed in making the laws tighter and all the nations agreed to respect these laws.

Unit Review

Mercury

Mercury is released into the environment through the burning of fossil fuels. Coal is responsible for 87 percent of mercury emissions through oxy-coal combustion. One way factories try to reduce their coal emission is through cleaning the coal.

When inhaled mercury can cause problems in the mouth, lungs and respiratory system. It is said that it's likely to cause cancer in humans. For females the mercury can be harmful for their babies through the breast milk. This would lead to neurological problems.

Boimagnification in the increase in concentration of a substance up the food chain. In result eating larger fish is a greater health risk than eating smaller non predatory fish. The toxic chemicals bioaccumulatre and work their way through a food web.


Water Quality Index:

Chlorine- water additive _>eye/nose irritation, stomach discomfort
Iron- natural sources, corrosion of pipes -> discolored, gross taste
Copper- corrosion of household plumbing systems -> liver or kidney damage
Sulfied- sewage -> salty taste
Silica- sand
pH- corrosion and deposits -> bitter metallic taste
Phosphate- fertilizers, soap/detergents -> interfer with digestion
Nitrate- sewage, fertilizers ->blue baby syndrom, infant death, shortness of breath
Chromium- discharges through steel mills -> allergic dermatis
Ammonia nitrogen- agriculture run-offs, fertilizers -> suffocatoin of babies, blueish skin
Fecal coliform -> bacteria, indicator of other pollutants -> stomach discomfort