Feeling Old and Boring

Life feels as if it is at a standstill around here. Even though there is always laundry or some other chore to do, it has just been us and the pets since the 26th. One benefit of no kids at home for days is the concept of leftovers for dinner. I made a huge Christmas dinner, and even though the chicken was gone that night, we've been pairing the sides with my mom's leftover ham, and have been eating quite well.

To our surprise though, the youngest wanted to come home from his dad's last night, and the step-son called last night wanting to come home today. It's kind of weird, but we've always told them, we're just a phone call away and will always pick you up. I think they are more vocal now that we both recently began defending their right not to go to BioParents houses. It's one thing when they are young kids, but they all have their own lives and friends now that they are older. Both the hubby and I were forced into visitations as teens, so we've begun letting them make their own decisions about them. We still feel they should visit, but if their schedule only allows a day rather than a weekend, well we've decided to be firm and have their backs if needed.

I continued my pattern of watching old movies throughout my Winter Break, with my new Monty Python Holy Trilogy dvd's over the weekend. Since the break I've watched the original "The Day the Earth Stood Still," the original "Taking of Pelham 1,2,3," "Elmer Gentry," and many other oldies including countless Christmas classics like George C. Scott's "A Christmas Carol," "A Christmas Story," and of course "It's a Wonderful Life." I know it sounds boring, but sometimes I'm overwhelmed by all of the special effects, and want a classic story. The hubby also got me the new books from Steven King and Michael Crichton (yes, I know he's dead, tired of hearing about it) for Christmas. I've finally got some decent fiction to read.

I know what you're thinking - nothing about the World Climate Talks in Copenhagen? No, not really. I lost hope in them when we were following the pre-political preparation in class. Our politicians, for some reason think that they can dictate policies to us and the world. But here's a clue - people react best to peer pressure, and if you want to make a real change, you need to start small and work from the bottom up.

World talks will get no where until we can figure things out at home, and that includes your city and county. I have more hope for the Puget Sound Partnership than the Kyoto Protocol. I have some nasty words regarding the new developing country fund, since we need a major infrastucture overhaul at home, but I don't want to sound too cynical. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I'm not ready for next quarter yet, as the Amazon textbook order will be placed tonight. I feel like I need one more week off, but alas class starts on Monday. I do have a lead on a SnoCo parks internship, though. They are planning on making major changes and restorations at my old stomping ground out at Kayak Point County Park, and the Parks Department is requesting a couple of interns. I would love to work out there again, but I hope they don't get a new entrance sign. That's some great maitenance aid craftsmanship from 1996, I mean the routing and paint job is amazing! Sunshine and I worked for hours on it. :) I'll keep you posted on the new opportunity.

Watch What You Say About Old People

I got my final grades today from WWU, and did much better than I thought - 3.56 baby! The most surprising grade was my US Environmental Policy grade. I got a B+ or A- on all of my policy briefs, including a B+ on my final Drug Take-back paper and presentation. Class participation must have bumped up my grade to an A-, so maybe I should talk some more in her class next quarter for an A. It's still very strange to communicate through classroom internet and video technology.

Next quarter should be interesting, as I don't have a science class for an easy B. No, my science class is Environmental Economics, considered a mathematical science. Oh boy - hopefully Uncle D will be helping me again. I never thought in my life that I would end up taking 3 Economics classes.

On the pharmacy front, I correctly identified a tablet my cousin found in his couch in Mississippi over the phone. My sister called me on Saturday as I was leaving work. She was spending a few days at his house, and they had found the tablet earlier that day. My cousin has young kids and teenagers, so he was concerned on both fronts. She described it as a small and yellow tablet with a 7 on one side and nothing on the other.

Before I go any further, I have to explain my family history a little. I was the only product of my parent's second marriages, who had teenagers that were the same age from previous marriages. My aunt had 3 kids that were spaced years apart, so on her side, I have a cousin that is the same age as my oldest siblings, and a cousin that is only 6 years older than me. Okay enough of dysfunctional brady bunch.

Anyway, I told my sister that it sounded like an 81 mg aspirin, "the kind that we give old people." So my sister repeats to my cousin, "she said it's an aspirin, an old person aspirin." To which my cousin replies, "I have aspirin, but I'm not an old person." Then he kept interjecting old comments into the background while I told my sister I would look it up at work the next day.

About an hour later, I got a text message from my sister, that it was our aunt's aspirin that she had lost and couldn't find. And my aunt, bless her heart, is kind of old. Then on the next line, "but Wayne still doesn't appreciate you calling him old." Never gonna live that one down.

Welcome to the Hotel Reptilia

So I was going to start this blog off sweet, and serious, but I just have to let everyone know I have a squatter wintering under my house. Three nights ago, I thought I heard a frog while I was reading, but the Hermit didn't hear a thing. He did take the opportunity to equate me to a cat-lady with all of my reptile yard statues, art and nick-nacks - ha ha so funny, now I hear them.

However, our Siamese, Fokker, would not leave the bathroom this morning. When I went in to investigate what el gato loco was up to, I caught him trying to remove the floor vent for the central heating system. I know that sounds weird, but the cat thinks he is our child and has hands. As I stood there, I heard the croaking again, only this time much louder. It was very much the call of a Western Toad, and if he wants to winter there, and can somehow get in and out, then go for it buddy.

We had a great Thanksgiving with the Hermit's family in Wenatchee yesterday. On the way there on Wednesday, I kept thinking of my friend Jen, and the long drives we would put in to hang out after her parents moved her to Mount Index (yes the mountain, not the town) in our Junior year of high school. We had fallen out of touch the last year and a half, since she went to the dark side and took a job in Boise with Supervalu/Albertsons. I'm sure most of you won't understand that, but the Hermit and I both left that company with a sour taste.

But Jen's a great gal, and has 2 great boys with her hubby. With me in school, and her in a new busy corporate job, we just lost touch. Well lo and behold I get home last night, sign onto Facebook, and there's Jen with a friend request! How random and great is that?!

In Wenatchee, the hubby was able to kick back and hang out with his aunt and cousins, which is something I've been trying to convince him to do for a while. After dinner yesterday, we all pulled out our cell phones and exchanged numbers, email, facebooks, etc, so he has no excuse to not get out and do something once in a while. He was also able to spend some quality time with his grandpa, who's Alzheimer's is progressing more rapidly than the Hermit thought.

It's such an ugly disease, and most relatives don't realize how fast detioration can be. I've lost all my biological grandparents, but am lucky to have Granny on my step-dad's side and Ruth on my step-mom's side still around, and the hubby's grandparents. Harold, my step-mom's dad recently passed away from Alzheimer's and Ruth was diagnosed right around the same time as the hubby's grandpa. It's so hard to see such bright people get so confused, and the frustration that happens on all sides.

I've always loved hanging out with blue-hairs. My paternal grandparents were 70 when I was born, and my grandpa used to golf-cart me around Sun City Center Florida to hang out with the other old guys when we would visit. My favorite customers are mostly older adults, and I love talking to them, no matter what they want to talk about. You can always get a good laugh, or learn something. So it was good to visit with his grandparents this week, and keep his grandpa company.

And speaking of blue-hairs, it was good to talk to my dad yesterday, too, (ha ha just kidding?). We got some good ideas for a family project next summer, and my siblings on Dad's side are gonna love it! Uncle D and Dad will get it as a present, and they will have the option of ordering their own. I've got to get to the Seattle Public Library to get some historical documentation, so I can put together an album of our old family photos from the teens, twenties and thirties. My great-grandpa was a prominent lawyer, lumber tycoon and Seattle downtown developer after the historic fire. I have pictures, but no stories. I also want to get some info from UW regarding my grandparents' pictures from their college years in the twenties, before they graduated and grandpa whisked grandma off to live in Hawaii.

And speaking of UW, I'm taking sides in the Apple Cup for the first time since I moved here 20 years ago. I really didn't care when I moved here, as I will always root for the Maryland Terrapins, but I've been trying to respect the Cougs since I've worked for my employer the last 8 years. But my grandpa was UW ROTC, in football and crew, and my grandma was one of the first women to receive a Master's from the UW Information Science School (or whatever they call Librarian School), and my step-siblings have been rooting for them for a lifetime. So here it goes - GO HUSKIES!

Go Army!

So I was doing my homework for my Senior Environmental Policy class (now that the power is back on) and ran across this article. The Army Corps of Engineers has officially adopted rising sea levels and climate change into all of their dike, levee and coastal projects across the country. It is refreshing to see that even though they may be keeping quiet on the public front, at least one branch of the government is being realistic when it comes to the next fifty years.

I really wonder how realistic they can be about New Orleans. I have an opportunity to visit New Orleans for a conference this spring, but I've always been against visiting and supporting a city below sea level. Maybe it's because I grew up at sea level on flat Delmarva, but hurricane devastation at sea level is amazingly powerful. On the other hand, if they do have some serious solutions for the city, that are ecologically friendly, then I would be interested in going to hear those. And there's always the reason that I love me some jazz - raggity, dirty, loud Bourbon Street jazz!

Of course the Army Corps of Engineers are instituting this policy to protect their own assets, but it's a good first step. And I'm glad it's the Army that is leading the change. My grandpa retired as a Major General in the Army, was a WWII veteran, and even testified before Congress as to why women should be allowed to become generals. Even though two of my brothers were Marines, I'm still Army biased, because Grandpa was just too cool. So here's to success and new solutions - Go Army!

GMO Crops - A Dangerous Solution

Abstract: Ammonia based fertilizer application increased the food supply for many populations around the world, but its use over the last century has resulted in negative biological effects as serious as Global Warming. Some scientists suggest that Genetically Modified crops be planted and distributed world-wide to increase nitrogen fixation in the soil, nitrogen use by the plants, and reduce the need for ammonia-based fertilizers. GM crops are very controversial, however, and enough studies have not been done to establish their safety for humans and the environment. Many alternatives to GM crops are available, and farmers should be taught good farm management and organic farming practices.

Introduction

Since 1908, humans have been fixing nitrogen from the air into ammonia, which can be used to produce fertilizer for plants. In the US over eighty million tons of fertilizer is applied yearly, while only seventeen million tons of it is used by the plants to produce food. The rest is leached into stream systems and the ground water supply. The Green Revolution in the 1960’s which enhanced food crop growth around the world has caused its own disruption in the nitrogen cycle. The majority of these plants have lost fifty percent of their nitrogen use efficiency in the last fifty years. It also spread the agricultural practice of excessive fertilizer application throughout the world.

The seepage of unused ammonia-based nitrogen from the soil accumulates in rivers and ground water. Many rivers across the US are saturated with nitrogen, and can no longer perform the natural process of de-nitrification to restore it into safe atmospheric molecules. It also promotes algal blooms which can clog slow-moving streams and rivers, produce neurotoxins and toxic blooms, and have created over 400 oceanic dead zones worldwide. The dead zones have depleted oxygen levels, killing fish and marine life around the mouths of the world’s rivers.

Invasive species also seem to thrive and out-perform native species in riparian and estuarine habitats where nitrogen run-off is high. Scientists are predicting that the global use of nitrogen fertilizers on farmland to double by 2050 at 220 million tons per year. This is six times the safe threshold, and they recommend that nitrogen releases into the environment should be significantly slashed to 35 million tons. With the earth’s natural nitrogen process already saturated, the oceans are becoming acidified by nitrates and nitrites from fertilizer run-off. The same molecules in the air have created world- wide acid rain and combined with chlorine and fluorine in ozone depletion.

GMO Solution

Some scientists have suggested a second green revolution, where crops will be genetically modified to increase nitrogen fixation from the soil, and nitrogen usage within the plants. Genetically Modified Organisms are monitored by most countries around the world, and only some species have been approved for human consumption, but some are pushing for more studies to increase species modifications and increase their human market. On the molecular level, generally, one gene is cut and replaced by a synthetically designed gene selected to produce a wanted trait such as an insecticidal property, pesticide resistance or nitrogen fixation.

However, problems have already arisen in approved GMO crops, and in GMO practices in underdeveloped countries. In the US, pharmaceutical and chemical companies are involved in GM seed production, and lobby the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture heavily. There have been documentations of insecticidal resistance developed by targeted insect larvae across the US, and documentations of a transfer of herbicidal resistant transgenes from GM oilseed rape crop to the bacteria residing in the gut of honeybees.

In 2000, a livestock approved GM corn crop named Starlink, was accidentally shipped to a human corn processing plant where it went into the food supply as Taco Bell taco shells, Tostito corn chips, various corn flakes and corn syrups. The Bt toxin produced by the livestock corn resembles the molecules in baker’s yeast and some vegetables. Human allergic reactions were reported nation-wide, and large amounts of corn products were recalled.

Biologists, Conservationists, Organic gardeners, and Heritage Seed gardeners fear that GM crops threaten plant integrity and biodiversity. Since plants have polyploidy traits, organic gardeners and environmentalists are concerned that GM transgenes will be transferred to organic crops, producing food that may be lethal to beneficial insects, or that continues to produce toxins after harvesting. Heritage Gardeners feel transgene transfer can wipe out seed banks that are hundreds of years old, and biologists feel that pesticide resistant qualities can be transferred to weeds and invasive species.

In Africa, human rights groups and environmental groups claim that GM seed companies and African governments increase farmer poverty. While in areas such as the Valley of a Thousand Hills in South Africa where sustainable, organic farming is taught by environmental justice groups, and practiced by villages of farmers, other farmers are given free GM seeds from the South African Department of Agriculture. The organic farmers are able to generate and keep seeds from season to season, while GM farmers’ crops are usually sterile, or they are prohibited and prosecuted for reusing fertile seeds produced by GM crops. The GM farmers, however, must take loans from banks to pay for the insecticides and pesticides provided by the GM seed companies, and many lose their land to the banks because they spend too much on chemicals. Organic farmers, however have good soils and keep seed banks from year to year.

Ancestral Genes Model

AGM is another type of DNA Recombinant modification, however, botanists performing AGM studies claim it enhances conventional breeding methods. The link to conventional breeding is that only the crop’s ancestrally related plants are studied for wanted characteristics such as natural insect resistance, nitrogen usage, or nitrogen fixation. The crop is bred with its genetic relative and hybrid plants are bred to select for fertility qualities. Once fertile plants with the wanted trait are produced from the cross, DNA assays are run to find the genes responsible for the trait. Those genes are then cut, reproduced in bacterial hosts, and used in DNA Recombinant modifications to transfer those selected genes to the original crop.

GM modification is done with genes from bacteria, fungus, and non-related plant species, and usually focuses on one gene in the plant. Insects quickly evolve a resistance to the single gene modification, and single transgenes are more easily transferred to other plants. Since natural plant traits are usually multi-allele, insects do not overcome toxins in nature, and multi-alleles are less likely to be completely transferred to another plant species, especially if genes are used from only related plants.

Other Alternatives

Humans need to improve agricultural practices and farm management around the world, and especially in the agriculturally productive United States. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs of Ontario gives farmers a checklist of what they can do to improve nitrogen management practices:

1. Reduce total nitrogen loading – use available manure before purchasing off-farm sources

2. Prevent run-off from manure or other nutrient material – store manure properly until it is ready to be applied.

3. Manage fields to avoid excess nitrogen leaching.
-know soil types and where leaching will occur
-test nitrogen in soil and only match per crop needs
-split fertilizer applications
-practice crop rotation
-establish after-season cover crops to tie-up excess nitrogen in soil at the end of the growing season

4. Manage nutrient application –
-practice timely tilling and incorporate manure into soil
-avoid applying manure near surface water or on steep slopes
-keep application rates low
-establish buffers and erosion control to filter run-off before it enters surface water

Other ways to increase nitrogen fixation from the soil is to inoculate crop seeds or roots with nitrogen fixing rhizobacteria. These external bacteria increase surface area of roots, and fix nitrogen in soil into usable forms for the crop. During the off season, nitrogen-fixing soys and legumes can be planted as cover crop. The cover crop can be tilled just before flowering to maximize ammonia gain in the soil.

Where All the Grey Hairs Come From

As I'm typing this, I'm watching the Ida/Nor'easter pound the life out of all my favorite Maryland and Deleware Beaches. Some of them are already flooded. I've seen live shots from Virginia Beach, O.C., Rehobeth Beach and Cape May. Fifty years ago there were dunes and tidal marses to absorb these kinds of storm surges. Yesterday, at Nags Head, they were pumping sand during the storm to save an entire barrier island beach and its real estate from washing away. These resort towns need to seriously rethink development.

Life has been running tight lately, but I finally have two big projects under my belt and only 3 more to finish. One of my classmates is in two of my groups, in two different classes, and has been MIA for the last few team meetings and both classes. I'm starting to get nervous, but at least we can cut his content out of our wetland project and still have plenty of data, and I took some of my extra time off of work this week to research his part of our PSP Whidbey Acion Area project. Hopefully, one of my team-mates will be willing to use my notes to write his portion if needed.

Life at home has been busy, too. Tay has become active in her student government and yearbook, and baked goodies for her class fundraiser this week. I had my head buried in my laptop on Wednesday, so she took care of it all by herself. It's cool to watch your kids do responsible things out of choice, and come into their own.

The stepkid, on the other hand, has gone back to lying about homework and blood sugar checks, and had words with his mom last weekend. We're trying to back her up with things, but we have also been dealing with the ridiculous tantrums of, "why won't you drive me to town EVERY DAY so I can see my girlfriend?" The kid thinks he's justified in seeing the girl everyday, because his cousin has spent almost every day of the last 3 years with his girlfriend. However, the Hermit's nephew has also become ineligible for sports his Senior year, and may not graduate on time because of the girl he's been with since fifteen.

After watching that fiasco we decided the responsible, healthy thing to do for our kids, is not to let them spend every minute of every day together with their boyfriend or girlfriend. I'm not sure what's worse, though, the tantrums or the first break-up. Between what my siblings went through with nieces and nephews, to horror stories about my classmates' teenagers, I'm kind of scared.

And speaking of the Hermit, he let Tay cook a vegetarian meal on Monday, and was respectful in an argument I thought he would lose his head in. I was so happy with him. Last night, he even took the step of filling in on an ex-coworkers bowling team while I was at school. I was SO happy he got out of the house to do something fun. Not that Lowe's isn't fun, but it just leads to more work at home.

Tonight we're supposed to get the first snow of the season, along with a big windstorm. The mountains are thick, and white already, so ski season should be good this year. My awesome mom-in-law gave us four pairs of skis, and I've got decent snow gear now, so I really can't wait for winter break to try it all out!

Now that you've heard all my excuses for the last couple of weeks, I will get back to the Green Expressions, I swear. I did finish my report on Geoengineering, but it's so strange and new, I'd like to know more about it before I post anything publicly. Tomorrow I will post information about the danger of global Nitrogen saturation and why using Genetically Modified crops to help solve the situation is a bad solution.

A Little Bit of This With a Little Bit of That

I was planning on posting an opinion on geoengineering today, but it's just not ready. In fact, I think it may have to be the sacrificial lamb this week in class. There are so many major projects due soon in all 3 of my classes, that one of my weekly projects will have to be late. I still have kids and work, and life goes on. I was really proud of my 4.0's, but I will be happy to get B's this year.

Speaking of kids, Darrington 7th grade girl's volleyball completed the season undefeated. Tay was an ace server, thanks to my buddy Coach Eric and the UMES Lady Hawk serve. And kudos to Coach Eric as the Lady Hawks are rated the number one serving team in the nation!

That finally gives me a good thought about UMES, though, as the last one I have was a pretty bad one. My 6th grade GT teacher was a hippie that took us on a Science trip to see research animals and learn how they are tagged for experiments. I know, right? How is that was a good idea? My friend Karen tagged her chick right through its wing artery, so I grabbed it and held pressure to it's wing while it peeped and peeped. The research professor then took it from me and broke it's neck. Great memories.

Since I'm being random, I had a dream last night that I was rowing. Not in the big 8 man boat, but in a 4 man scull. We were gliding so fast downriver, and the water was completely calm and empty. I've been avoiding oceanography and hydrology, because I'm guilty of loving water sports, and I don't want to hear my impact. I can avoid it again this spring by taking Forestry, which none of my classmates want to take, but I keep having water dreams. I should just buckel down and take the class. It will probably be easier to get through it with the same group of people anyway.

And speaking of school, I have to mention that the Hermit has become a domestic god! The best part is that he is enjoying learning how to cook. I've been adding roasts, and whole grain pasta dishes on nights here and there, but he's been getting better at using fresh ingredients, too.

I went back out to the wetlands on Sunday, but won't share any pictures as they are for our Power Point data, and kind of boring. I will post info on geoengineering soon, and please understand if it seems as if I have checked out, but I have a ten page paper due on Monday.

Think Salmon Before You Flush

I've recently come to the conclusion that my mind works in strange ways. I have two big papers to write this quarter, that are both worth a large part of my grade in each class. Keep in mind, I have 3 group projects going as well, and each are coming together very well, except for one. I am having the hardest time with a policy focused Ecology paper.

I've loved amphibians since I was a very small kiddo, and had a great outline prepared for a science based paper. Unfortunately, with the extension deadline came a stipulation. The paper must be written based on your major. I picked Environmental Planning and Policy, so my paper must be from a policy perspective. I immediately thought of wetland buffering, and protecting the metapopulations of Western Toads, a threatened species in Washington.

We must have as many primary sources as possible, and in this field, that means peer-reviewed journals. I've searched the EBSCO library as many boolean ways I could figure out, and can't find a primary source on any amphibian in our state. I did find excellent sources for my points, but nothing on the topic. I'm so frustrated, but it's back to the grindstone today to find one.

My other major paper is for my Senior US Environmental Policy class. I will be making the argument that a drug take-back program is much needed in Washington State, and that the current pilot program that exclusively contracts Group Health as take-back sites discriminates against poor and rural communities. According to the Puget Sound Partnership, a lot of pollution that ends up in the sound starts at the base of the mountains. When rural citizens have to commute over fifty miles to dispose of unwanted prescriptions, they are likely to flush them or throw them away. (Odd note - Carly Simon's "Let the River Run" just came on t.v. as I'm about to talk about salmon and orcas - keep that in your head for salience people).

Even our best sewage systems cannot clean out pharmaceuticals from the water, and it is flushed out as "clean water" because the "best available technology" is just coming on the market. I have family in Huntsville, Alabama, where the drinking water has tested positive for estrogens, mood stablizers and cholesterol medications. Yet, there has been no government incentive to install UV filtering in the water treatment plants, and communities are only "looking into them." In Maryland, where I used to live, male fish have been developing female parts and eggs for multiple generations now, because of high estrogen levels in the water.

The WA Department of Ecology released a report in 2007 that made every citizen responsible for the ultimate pollution of the Puget Sound. The report mainly focused on storm-water run-off from communities all along the watershed, but took a wholistic ecosystem approach on how all of the contaminants flow into the Sound. If you think about every community along the watershed of all of our major rivers in the Puget Sound Region, you can see how the pollution problem multiplies as you move downstream. Remember, Puget Sound Chinook Salmon and the three Puget Sound Orca pods are listed on both the federal and state Endangered Species List.

Currently, state and federal policy is to seal unwanted drugs in a plastic container, and throw them away. If it is a narcotic, they require that you flush it. There are three major problems with this policy, and I've already discussed the problem with flushing. Landfills do not have any policies in place to prevent seepage of unwanted pharmaceuticals into the groundwater, and they end up in the rivers and ultimately, the Sound. Not to mention, you and the garbage collector are breaking the law when you transfer those prescription drugs into their hands, because if you read any Rx label in Washington State, you've agreed to those terms.

As a private pharmacy, we walk a fine legal line accepting drugs from other pharmacies, unless the customer has asked us to repackage them for Assisted Living use. The Federal DEA has restricted us from accepting unwanted narcotics for destruction, and only a Regional District DEA hearing can grant a pharmacy the special permit. The formation of the Puget Sound Action Team, which became the Puget Sound Partnership in 2007, spawned a committee called WA PH:ARM which constructed a pilot project to take back unwanted prescriptions at Group Health pharmacies, and reimbuse them for their participation.

Group Health allows us to bill them for prescriptions, because they acknowledge that their pharmacy is up to 65 miles away from some municipalities in Snohomish County. Yet, the state and the Regional DEA will not allow us to accept unwanted prescriptions from our rural patients, even if we were willing to do it on behalf of Group Health, as we do with filling prescriptions. Do you see where I'm going here?

I know I sound like a lawyer, but I was appalled at how slow the pharmaceutical community is responding to the charges given to them by the Puget Sound Partnership. I want the community where I live and the community where I work to be able to hold Partner Status in the future, so they can continue to receive grants and funding from state agencies such as the Department of Ecology. Don't worry, I promised my uncle (who is a lawyer) that I would never go down that road, and I intend to keep that promise. This is a small action the Department of Health can take that would make a large difference in the health of our streams, rivers and groundwater. After that, we can move on to installing UV filtration into our water treatment centers to take care of those chemicals we excrete from our bodies.

Working With Wetlands

Last Friday and Saturday we experienced torrential rains as two Pineapple Express Storms blew through the area. I went into town Saturday morning to meet my Ecology team, and was driving down a river of highway flooding. As I went over the bridges, I noticed all the creeks and rivers were spating as well, and knew sample collection would be difficult that day.

We all pulled into the flooded Safeway parking lot and got soaked trying to come up with a rescheduling strategy. With fall wind and rains, we knew plant integrity would continue to decline the longer we waited, so we decided to go out the next day, rain or shine. It turned up to be decent on Sunday, but the marshland had filled up with the 4 inches of rain from the previous two day, and we weren't able to get samples in the marshy area.

It was still a good study, and the good news is that from the samples of juvenile plants in the underbrush, the wetland on my property is recovering. A healthy wetland equals healthy frogs and salamanders in my woods. I've decided to focus on wetlands and frogs for my Ecology final paper, and selective logging and wetlands and streams in my US Environmental Policy class. I can't believe how much I've learned just in the first quarter. I actually feel confident enough in what I know that I could volunteer for a municipality now.

Anyway, here are some pictures from Saturday's study.

Wetland at Fortson Wildlife Area

Salamander Eggs at FWA Wetland

Fungus at FWA Wetland

Cattail at FWA Wetland

Snail on Lichens on my Wetland

Good News and Bad News

This last week has been full of bad news and sickness. Our whole family came down with some kind of a virus that hit my kids with asthma pretty hard. And now it looks as if the hubby may have some kind of secondary throat infection. Just as everything seemed to be coming together with our Ecology field project, bad news kept coming and coming.

First, I found out that today's class was cancelled because my professor's husband had passed away from cancer. Then, my sister called to let me know my great-nephew had been diagnosed with Cerebral Palsey, and that he had suffered a stroke in-uetero. I can't imagine what my niece and her husband are going through, but I have been to the ER multiple times with all 3 of our kids that each suffer from a chronic illness, and I know all the tests and results can be exhausting.

Then I went to a urologist today to find out why I have recurring bilateral kidney stones, and found out that it is probably some kind of metabolic disease. So they gave me a list of foods that I'm supposed to avoid which really conflicts with my low-cholesterol diet. I am proof that small people who exercise can inheirit high cholesterol, so it really is important to get that yearly physical. I had to make another appointment with my regular doctor just to figure out what to eat. For now, I'm drinking lots of water, but I have to avoid all black tea, chocolate, nuts, berries and ground pepper. Those are in my top 10 favorite foods!

There was some great news this week, as I mentioned above, my Ecology group is getting a big help from the DNR! One of my neighbors is a Forester for the agency, and has set me up with GIS maps of our study areas, and official DNR guides. She is also planning on coming with us on Saturday, and bringing her GPS for detailed mapping. One of the sites she helped me select has a beaver dam in a lake, that has created a dry path dividing the lake, and the water level on each side is higher than the trail. I can't wait to get pictures of that!

America's Big Problem with Food

America’s Big Diet Problem
Abstract:

It is obvious that with the growing waistlines of Americans, their diet must be changed, if not for health reasons, then to reduce their carbon footprint. According to Christopher Weber and H. Scott Matthews of Carnegie-Mellon University, cutting red meat and dairy out of the diet one day a week can reduce a family’s household greenhouse gas footprint by about 4%. This is almost equivalent to obtaining 100 percent of their foods from local sources. Even food writer Michael Pollan has declared that if Americans combined a white-meat and vegetable diet with local food purchasing it would be equal to taking 30-40 million cars off of road for a year.

Cattle Facts:

According to the study, transportation emissions from the distribution of meat and dairy only account for less than 5 percent of their total emissions. To quantify it, John’s Hopkins research has shown that it takes 40 calories of fossil fuels to produce 1 calorie of beef, which also includes fertilizer application for growing cattle feed. However, Methane and Nitrous Oxide emissions that occur with beef and dairy production are far more potent greenhouse gasses than the Carbon Dioxide that is emitted during shipping and feed production.

Many environmentalists argue that grass fed cattle are better for the Earth than grain fed cattle, due to the reduced acreage needed to produce grasses versus grains, but studies have found that ruminant gasses emitted from grass fed cattle are higher in methane. Manure management also increases the greenhouse footprint of cattle production, as many farmers may pile it or reuse it on the feed field where it is free to emit the biogases. The discarded manure is also bleached into the soil where it can pollute ground water or streams.

Diet Change Facts:

The Carnegie-Mellon study broke down a diet change to its equivalent of greenhouse gas mileage reduction, and came up with the following results. If Americans would purchase 100% local, it would be equivalent to reducing their driving emissions by 1,000 miles per year. If they were to change their diet just one night a week from red meat to white meat it would reduce their miles by 760. A one night a week change from red meat to all vegetables would reduce their miles by 1,160. If red meat and dairy were given up completely, or switched to a completely vegan diet, miles would be reduced by 5,340 and 8,100 miles respectively.

A reduction in red meat and dairy in the diet can also be healthier for consumers. A John’s Hopkins study has shown that diets abundant in red meat significantly increase the risk of digestive cancers. It also found that about two-thirds of Americans are obese and that a low-meat diet or a vegetarian diet will decrease body weight and body mass index along with reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and Type II Diabetes.

Conscientious Eating:

For those Americans who love their red meat and cheese or for those who can’t afford to change their diet, there are technologies some farms are using to reduce their own greenhouse gas footprint. According to the EPA, about 110 anaerobic manure digesters are being used on dairy farms across the nation with about another 70 under construction. These digesters combine the cattle waste with bacteria to drive methane-powered generators. They produce enough energy to power about 350 homes, and since they make the farms completely energy independent, they usually pay for themselves within 5 years. Other smaller farms are sealing their manure in bins and collecting the methane gas to use for heat.

The Carnegie-Mellon study found that shipping accounts for 11% of the greenhouse gas emissions from fruits and vegetables. Vegetarians can almost eliminate this footprint with buying from local greenhouse farmers. According to the British Colombia Greenhouse Growers Association, greenhouses use only 0.01% of B.C.’s total farmland while growing 11% of B.C.’s total agriculture production. If this amount of produce was grown in a field it would require 5,436 acres. The greenhouses in British Columbia also use Integrated Pest Management practices, or good bugs eating bad bugs, zero herbicides, collect and recycle rain water, and computerized hydroponic bags to ensure no more chemicals are used than what is necessary for nutrients.

With all of the abundant land available for growing and a thriving international trade business, America has not incorporated much greenhouse technology into its agricultural economy. If it was used more widely, Americans could buy local, sustainable produce 10 months out of the year and reduce their carbon footprint even more. Until then, they should cut their consumption of red meat and dairy considerably. They should also pressure legislatures to provide more incentive for sustainable cattle and vegetable farming and promote public awareness campaigns such as “Meatless Mondays.”

Seattle Plastic Bag Ban Can Cause More Problems Than It Solves

Incentives not Taxes

Abstract
Many cities and counties across America have introduced policies banning plastic bags, and have found just as much opposition as they have support. Environmentalists argue that plastic bag pollution has major affects around the globe, and that a tax, fee or ban would reduce these problems. Retailers and plastic manufacturers argue that the taxes are unfairly waged against them, and that there are other ways of reducing the pollution by plastic bags. A public tax or ban would result in a greater hardship on lower income families as the fees or costs of reusable bags are proportionately higher for their incomes. Retailers would respond better to tax incentives, and would be more likely to pass these to consumers as price breaks or rewards.

Fees versus Incentives

With the high levels of plastic chemicals in the nation’s rivers and the large accumulation of plastic waste circulating in oceans, plastic bag bans have become popular subjects in America’s cities. These bans and taxes have become a hot-button issue in city and county council meetings across the country. The American chemical and plastic lobbies have spent millions opposing these bans, and environmental groups have continuously lobbied to get them passed.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans consume about 100 billion plastic bags a year. The main arguments for the ban are animal ingestion, and slowing the growth of the Great Garbage Patch circulating in the Pacific Ocean. Whether it is blowing down the street or floating in the water, many animals mistake plastic bags and bag scraps for food, and die resulting from the inability to pass the plastic through their digestive systems. As plastic breaks down in the ocean, it does not dissolve away, rather it becomes small particles that glob together resembling plankton patches. The Pacific Ocean current, specifically has collected the plastic garbage and particles into a patch larger than the state of Texas in a prime marine feeding area. High levels of plastic chemicals have been found in rivers on the East Coast, and as they are bio-identical to some fish hormones, fisheries experts have been finding inter-sex fish in these rivers, affecting their reproduction rates.

Other reasons cities such as Seattle are considering the bans are to curb urban flooding and to improve city aesthetics. Bags can clog gutters and storm drains preventing the drainage of storm water, increasing urban flooding. They can also get caught in trees and fences making an ugly garbage problem even more apparent as cities like Seattle and San Francisco reduce available dumpsters for disposal. The externality costs of plastic bag litter is passed on from the manufacturers and stores to the public through the cities’ disposal process, so the question becomes how to clean it up and who should pay for it.

In 2007, San Francisco banned the use of plastic bags, but still allowed the distribution of paper bags. This resulted in the consumption of 84 million paper bags the year after the ban was passed. Eighty-four million paper bags equates to 72,000 trees felled, 91,2000 pounds of sulphur dioxide emissions, 21.5 million pounds of greenhouse gas, and 40 million gallons of processed waste water from pulp mills. The American Plastics lobby also argues that plastic bags take up significantly less space in city landfills, and that paper bags can take much longer to decompose than thought due to the anaerobic conditions of the landfills. Seattle, in turn has proposed the ban of paper bags in addition to the plastic ban.

A 2002 ban on plastic bag ban in Ireland resulted in a 90% reduction in plastic bag consumption, but also revealed problems with a complete ban. According to Dublin retailers, theft increased with the use of reusable bags as did food-borne illnesses as people did not follow recommendations to wash them regularly. They also saw a large increase in sales of small plastic trash bags as most people reuse plastic shopping bags as liners for small cans.

So what are the alternatives? There are many. Of course, there are the fabric and burlap reusable bags many retailers sell as an alternative to their plastic bags. However, according to French retailer Carrefour, the most environmentally friendly bags are heavy-duty reusable plastic bags. Some advocate biodegradable plastics as an alternative raw material, but they require mass amounts of corn or potatoes for production. Food and livestock feed prices have already increased due to diversion of carbohydrate rich crops for biodiesel and ethanol production. Food price increases affect the poor and working poor much more than those with higher incomes.

Some legislators have suggested a national fee, or tax, on plastic bags which is also regressive towards those with lower incomes. Jim Moran (D-VA) has introduced national legislation that would impose a 5 cent tax on all plastic bags by 2010, increasing to 25 cents by 2015. He claims the tax would divert other costs borne by the public with 1 cent going to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, 1 cent going to state and local trash and watershed programs, and 2 cents applying to the national debt. The other cent would go towards a 1 cent tax credit to participating retailers.

The state of Massachusetts has taken a more centrist approach on the bag problem. Over 500 grocery retailers and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection have teamed up to cut plastic and paper bag consumption by 1/3 in their state by 2013. Currently, 1.5 billion plastic and paper bags are distributed across the state in grocery stores yearly. Retailers are offering free reusable bags or coupons for them along with money back incentives for customers that use them. Other stores have built in-store plastic depots for recycling. Most importantly, the state has decided to give retailers the choice of how to participate in the program.

It makes more sense to provide a tax incentive for reusable bags and plastic bag recycling. Recycled bags are used to produce other plastic bags, but more importantly they are the main component of fire-retardant building material. These plastic lumber products, like Trex, last the lifetime of a home whereas lumber fencing and decking need to be replaced every 10-20 years, if not sooner. Recycling reduces the plastic going into the waterways and landfills, and is less harmful than paper bag or biodegradable bag production. Most importantly, consumers and retailers are more likely to respond positively to a tax incentive rather than a fee or a ban.

References
Kaste, Martin “Debate Over Plastic Bags Heats Up in Seattle” NPR (2009): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111662657. 27 Sep 2009
Eskenazi, Joe “Baggage.” San FranciscoWeekly (2009): www.sfweekly.com/content/printVersion/1297386. 27 Sep.2009
Truini, Joe "Plastic problem." Waste News 10.7 (2004): 1-23. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Web. 1 Oct. 2009.
Johnson, Jim "Paper or plastic?." Waste & Recycling News 14.24 (2009): 22. Business Source Complete. EBSCO. Web. 1 Oct. 2009.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources “Frequently Asked Questions about Plastic Shopping Bags” (2009) USA.gov.Web. 1 Oct.2009.
Boyle, Katherine “New Bottle Deposit, Bag Tax Bills Touted for Combating Pollution” New York Times (2009) Moran.House.gov. Web. 1 Oct.2009

Back to Work, Slacker

Back from a hiatus of full-time work weeks and kid time. Right now, it's band before school and sports after school for them, and with my school schedule, I know we won't see eachother much during the week. So I decided to spend the last 3 weeks of of my summer vacation free time to spend with the kids and the Hermit, because I knew my school schedule would make everything even more crazier. Is that a word?

I did successfully get the Hermit to go to Tapper's wedding (which was gorgeous), and then go to a high school football game afterward last weekend. He was kind of in the doghouse, though after making a big deal about traveling to his sister's wedding next spring. Hopefully, he's turned a new leaf over in the socializing world and will stay with us. Okay, so it's not that bad, but the neighbor and I like to give him crap.

I started my Junior year at Western yesterday, only to learn I won't get an A in Ecology. I know, right? Amy with a B in a BioScience? I was so proud of my 4.0's but the professor said he rarely gives A's and I'm not willing to sacrifice all my relationships in my life to maintain a high GPA.

I'm still not sure if night school is the right course of action. I'm going to finish this year at the WWU Everett Extension, but I think I'm going to transfer to main campus in Bellingham next year. The driving time is just 30 minutes more, but I won't be getting home between 9-10 at night after leaving my house at 8 am. I think morning classes and closing at the pharmacy would be better suited for this morning person. I've never really been a night owl. I like my sleep, and I love to get up early and seize the day.

Field work this quarter will be interesting. I'll be closing the store Friday nights, and then getting up SUPER early on Saturdays to catch the 7am ferry in Edmonds. Our site is all the way up near Sequim, and I have to return that night so I can work on Sunday. We have to decide what we're going to study, how we're going to collect data, and then present our conclusions to all 4 Huxley campuses. I'm so used to my science teachers giving us very detailed labs, so this will be really fun.

You can look forward to some controversial posts this quarter, too. I have to write over 20 papers between my two law classes about environmental issues. Next week we begin with Seattle's plastic bag controversy. That's right Greg Nickels prepare for a verbal Smack Down. You've gone about things the WRONG way, but that's what happens when you try to go Green without the help of experts.

Insurance Reform not Healthcare Reform

How much do you pay for your total healthcare? I've been asking that question to many of our customers, curious if the average American cost I researched for my Economics 201 class was true. Instead of getting numbers, I have been getting sad stories, and scary questions, so I feel it's time to expose my opinion, I've been carefully keeping to myself lately.

I have opinions for and against the nationalized system, and I'm not naive enough to believe that the insurance corporations are not writing this bill via the leftwing in Congress. Growing up near D.C., and having an uncle who was an Economic Lawyer for the Congressional Ways and Means Committee, I learned at an early age that both sides are bought and paid for by corporations. This is why I am a registered Independent.

My dad, a retired pharmacist, has long believed we needed a nationalized healthcare system for decades. I know of many physicians who believe the same, but the problem to change over to this system breaks down to Economics. The biggest question of all should be how do you reimburse all the doctors, pharmacists, nurses, etc. for their HUGE student loans when the government knocks down their reimbursement for services?

First of all, let me get it into the open that I cannot stand the outright lies the rightwing has been scaring people with. If a national healthcare system is socialist and illegal, then we must do away with Medicare. Medicare is simply socialized medicine for retired Americans. Medicare does not pay for everything, like the rightwing likes to claim, and is not deducted from retired Americans' SSI checks. The myth that seniors have paid for Medicare is another falsehood created to make Americans believe that Medicare is not a socialized healthcare system, the deduction from your paycheck goes strictly to Social Security, and Medicare is not deducted from your Social Security.

See, what's going on is that the right wing politicians know that they cannot let the public know that Medicare is a socialist system, because their arguement against a total system would be void. They cannot get rid of Medicare, because they would have the AARP and all of their constituents that hastily had to move in their elderly parents rioting at their doors. But the spin that even Obama's watered down plan is Nazi-esc brings us to the next big question - What is more Nazi, taking care of all the sick and elderly people, or leaving them to die uninsured in their homes?

And if there is an outbreak of a serious disease, what will we do about the people with insurance that do not go to the hospital or doctor because they can't afford their copays? What about all the kids who don't even get well child check-ups, because their parents can't afford the after-insurance bill, but make too much to qualify for the Children's Healthcare Insurance Program?

Which leads me to my next big question - why healthcare reform? If we can't all agree on how it is done, then why not insurance reform? I'm not just refering to health insurance, but home, car and life insurance as well. Does your state require that you have car insurance? Ours does. Does your bank require you have homeowners insurance with your mortgage? Ours does. So if it is all required by law and policy, tell me why they should have unlimited profits.

Insurance was non-profit for decades until it was deregulated little by little through the 70's and 80's. So what are the figures? Let's go to my FAVORITE Economic resource, Executive Paywatch. The CEO of Medco (a pharmaceutical third party payor), David B. Snow made $14 million the last 2 years, while the CEO of Aetna (a health insurer) made $18 million. The CEO of State Farm made $13.66 million last year, and the CEO of MetLife made $22.4 million last year. Anyone else feeling had?

The next problem that needs to be nailed down is the aggressive marketing by Pharmaceutical companies. Whatever happened to doctors deciding you had a condition, and not you? The government banned cigarrette commercials in the 70's and should do the same for pharmaceutical companies. Many cholesterol drugs cause liver damage, but yet most of them are advertised on t.v. How is that not dangerous marketing? Doctors are not allowed to tell their patients they are fat and need to go on a low-fat diet, but are pressured by their patients to give them Lipitor. You can get a coupon for Ambien in Reader's Digest that has all the insurance processing information for a free 7 day supply. If someone forged a prescription and took it to an understaffed Rite Aid, they would get free drugs, and most likely not get caught. Scary?

Let's talk about their CEO's compensation - the CEO of Merck & Co. made $25 million last year, the CEO of Bristol-Meyers Squibb made $24 million, and the CEO of Mylan (a strictly generics producer) made $13 million. I know my doctor didn't even make close to that, and our pharmacists - pocket change compared to these market drug pushers. There are so many things that need fixed in our healthcare system, a hastily passed bill this fall will not even begin to fix. So I have written my Congressmen/women to tell them to stop the easyspeak, and get down to the real healthcare problem.

We paid over $11,000 in insurance premiums (which my employer pays 2/3), copays and your-share/non-covered services last year. How much did you pay?

Crystals, Thundereggs, Fossils and More North Cascade Adventures

It seems that everytime I start feeling really good, my body throws a wrench in the wheel. I had just gotten back into my running routine when two weeks ago I passed a large kidney stone. A C.T. scan later showed six more in my kidneys which are causing me A LOT of back pain and nausea. The doctor thought I should stay home and wait it out, but that's just not me.

I've been working full time through the pain, and going on walks when I feel good. Last week, I took out some aggression on rocks and geodes as we went rockhounding at Walker Valley in Skagit County. We tried to hike up to a ridge, but between the Youngest's asthma and my back pain, we only made it a mile, then turned around. Next we went to the DNR gravel pit where we sledged, dug, and hammered rocks for hours looking for crystals.

Tay found the best thunderegg, the Hermit found some great smaller intact thundereggs, and I found some jadite, very small thundereggs, a large deposit of sulphur (yuck), and of course fossils. If you ever want to find fossils, just bring me with you. I think I have an internal radar for fossils as I have found them on every rockhounding trip, no matter what we're searching for.

Anyway, here are some great pictures of our trip and our finds...

Sitting in a hole breaking rocks

Still sitting in a hole breaking rocks

Small Geodes

Large Geodes

No kids?! No Fun.

This was supposed to be a weekend of adventure, that turned into a weekend of sleep. The kids were all scheduled to be at their other BioParent's houses, and it is gold panning season in our local streams. We had planned an over-night trip onto FR 49 to pan the mountain streams. Instead, I had a painful day at work on Friday, that turned into true trauma Friday night.

I had all the symptoms of a kidney stone all day at work, but I really didn't know how much pain I was in for, or I would have driven straight to the ER after work instead of suffering it out med-free at home. But I got through it with yoga breathing mixed with blubbery crying, only to find out on Saturday with a CT scan that there are at least 5 more. In our "greatest healthcare system in the world" it is going to be 2 weeks before I can see a urologist.

In the meantime, I just have to deal with the unrelenting back pain and wait. I've decided to work anyway, because it can be up to 3 weeks before they all make their way through my system, and in the meantime will get some bloodwork done to see if there's an underlying cause. I really think it's because we don't take enough time to drink or take a break in the pharmacy, but we'll see.

So with this downtime, here are some pictures from the last 3 weeks...

Blueberries on the vine

More Blueberries from the backyard

My tomato/cucumber pot

My herb pot - sage, thyme, cilantro and grape tomatoes

It is supposed to be sunny on Sunday, so I'll take some updated pictures.

Weeks of Adventure

It has been difficult to post lately due to both computer and time issues. I need to take a day to clean up my hard-drive, but who wants to do that when it's warm and sunny outside? I wanted to post a blog about our Sloan Creek picnic and adventure up FR 49, but the blog was blah without the pictures my computer just couldn't upload.

My sister came to visit us from Maryland a week ago, and I kicked her butt on the Boulder Creek hike, and spent a day on the Pilchuck River with our mom and step-dad. But once again, the computer wouldn't cooperate when it came time to upload the pictures. In fact, today is the first day this week I've had to sit down and start my day slowly. The kids were in the SnoCo Parks Totally Tech camp last week, but the north Everett shuttle was canceled, so we've been driving to McCollum Park in Mill Creek every day this week. They made some cool animated movies and wrote a couple of video games (along with swimming and kayaking).

On Wednesday, we drove up Segelsen Ridge behind us (behind Mt. Higgins), determined to find Higgins Creek. On our way up, I spotted a wild fire on the Southeast ridge of Mt. Higgins and called it in. We've had 4 lightning storms in the last week, and on Thursday had 11 fires in the Darrington area. The fires on Higgins and Jumbo are out, but Gold Mountain and Whitehorse Ridge are still burning, and I'm not sure where the other fires are located.

We found really large fossils at a shale slide on Segelsen Ridge that day, and stopped within a mile of the crystal site we were headed for. The Hermit didn't trust my map skills and didn't want to go down the Forest Road I told him to turn on, so we ended up picking through some dry creekbeds and finding some sparkly sandstone rocks. When we got home, I showed him my map and compared it to his gemstone map, and he was really bummed he didn't listen to me.

So today, I have to go back up the scary road and this time go all the way to Higgins Creek. Actually there are some spectacular views of the river valley and the surrounding peaks, including Whitehorse, and the road is only scary on Segelsen Pass, but scary it is! I have no problem with heights when I'm walking or biking, but on a horse or in a car, it really freaks me out. Lake Cavanaugh Road has nothing on these cliffs. I felt like I was on the Highway of Death in Peru, okay maybe not that bad, but let's just say I had some anxiety issues.

So I'm going to attempt to upload a few pictures for you, and we'll see how it goes:

Mt. Higgins fire 7/29/09

Top of Round Mountain taken from Segelsen Ridge

View of Whitehorse from Segelsen Ridge

What do you know? It worked! I will post pics of the rest of our adventures later.

Restless Life Goes On

I cannot believe how tired I am today. Lately, it seems that work is wiping me out. Nothing too drastic has changed at work, but everyone else seems to have stuff going on, and I've been left by myself several times in the last weeks to run the show. Ten years ago, that was no problem, but now, my knee and my back are screaming for me to take it easy. It's to the point now where I can't keep up with my housework, because I'm recovering from work. I feel too young to feel like this, but I don't even feel like exercising anymore, because I'm absolutely wiped out. Hmmm...what's up with that?!

I did finally finish my urban garden on Sunday, which gives me encouragement for the future career. I will load pictures later, when everything grows a little larger. Due to a mapping error by our house builder, we have to move the old garden to another part of the yard, so it doesn't affect our drain field anymore (I know, gross). But before I can do that, the Hermit needs to remove about 10 stumps, and that won't happen until next February, as long as there's not feet of snow like this past winter. We were planning on moving it this year, but Mamma Nature had other plans, so I had to improvise.

I've got several large pots going, a couple of planters, and 3 beefsteak tomatoes in their own pots. Of course, there's not peas or corn this year, but all of the fruits that we planted 6 years ago, have finally grown large enough for big harvests, so to me, that makes up for a lack of a plot. I've been having a great time making jam and syrup from my strawberries, gorged on tons of cherries, just harvested some raspberries for ?? this week, and in a few weeks we'll have thousands of blueberries. The blueberries will be our largest harvest this year, but I think I will still miss my corn and sunflowers. Pictures soon, I promise.

Jesus Says Pollute? Really?!

Once upon a time, a young Italian navigator was forced to go to the Inquisition Queen and King in Spain for funding to prove the Earth was round, because he was ostracized from Italy by the Catholic Church. Does this story sound familiar? Since I start my Junior Year in September, and I am down to zero reading material, I've decided to really concentrate on reading Climate Change and Green Engineering articles and studies. Boring, I know, but it must be done.

What do these two things have to do with eachother? Well, I am saddened by the comments on some of these online articles from "Christians" who have been convinced that Climate Change is nothing but a ploy to give liberals money. Despite 99.9% of all scientists and science studies showing that Climate Change is natural, but being exponentially increased by human activities, they call it "junk science." They proudly boast at how they purposely waste fuel, paper and other resources and they actually think it's funny.

The church seems to have cyclic activities in Science - healthily promoting it some centuries, and lying and killing to dispose of it in others. Some of the greatest Biologic findings were from monks like Mendel, and healthcare and sanitization were spurred into modernization from church organizations like the Red Cross. But, I'm afraid we are stuck in an era of church hindering Science once again.

The modern church preaches against condoms and birth control, and yet we have an AIDS epidemic and famines in over-populated third world nations where the churches control information through their missionaries. As things warm up and dry up, these famines will become worse, and increase in size. The Pacific front of WWII was basically fought over oil, and some say the Middle East wars were too. What will humans resort to when fighting over water?

Are these "Christians" really that selfish that they are willing to risk the quality of life of their children and grandchildren, so they don't have to change a thing? Perhaps they are just ignorant to the facts. I guarantee that if Jesus was on Earth today he would not be saying, "pump the oil at all costs and drive, drive, drive. Rape the Earth and pillage the rest of the resources while you're at it, and reclassify the toxic waste as toxic fill so you can pollute as much as you want." Really, is that what people think Jesus would do, or would he be appalled by the way humans have treated the only Earth they have?

I'm not sure what happens to us after we die, but I'm sure that I don't want to leave a toxic planet for future generations. I have found some churches that are preaching climate change, but they are few and far between, and they certainly are not standing up to their bully-pulpit brethren. Nor are they getting the publicity they deserve. One only has to look to the ice cores taken from the poles to see how the atmosphere changes the climate - what have you pumped into it today?

Nasty Boys

I had the best dream last night. With all the celebrity deaths last week, being nostalgic is understandable, but even my iPod seems to be in nostalgia mode. I washed my car Saturday to the tunes of Bon Jovi, GNR, Bob Marley and Eric Clapton. Not one modern song played, it was wierd, but cool.

Anyway, I was a kid again, in my parents old house in Maryland. Since someone was watching something lame on the only t.v. I was up in my room rocking out to Janet Jackson's Nasty Boys. Then, somehow I knew my BFF Joi was there to pick me up, so I went downstairs and we went to the beach with an unknown driver. After swimming and boogie boarding, we went up to buy an ice cream bar from the Good Humor guy. When we got our ice cream the guy gave us piles of mini Hershey bars, too, and when we opened the wrappers, there was even more candy wrapped up with the ice cream. Then I woke up - is that an awesome dream or what?! If I were to analyze it, I'd say it's time to call Joi and say whaddup.

I mentioned that I washed my car on Saturday, but I also detailed it. The hubby was in the doghouse after canceling our date, because he didn't feel like going into town, and I didn't feel like laying around the house with him. So I had some long island ice teas with the neighbor gals, and after playing Desperate Housewives for a while, I got off my pity party and made the Hybrid shine inside and out. So we decided that from here on out, the hubby will now be known as the Hermit. In fact, all the guys in the neighborhood got a name that day, but I think the Hermit fits so well, I'm keeping it. Ha ha - shouldn't act that old before you're 40!

Sadness and Quiet

Wow, I actually feel like I'm in mourning. My favorite Angel and Michael Jackson passed away on the same day! I know many of my friends in PNW aren't as sad about Michael Jackson, but where I grew up, he was just part of our lives.

I remember double dutching on the playground at Beaver Run to the Thriller album, and talking my mom into buying Bad for several of my black friends who couldn't afford it at North Salisbury. I even remember dancing to Off the Wall with my big sister at her first place when I was really little, and watching re-runs of the Jackson 5 cartoon. He became easy to laugh at when he was older, but I think his life story is so sad.

Farrah's story actually hits harder home to me, though. It didn't really bother me when my grandpa got a colonostomy, I thought it was something that happened to old people. Then I got really sick in 2003. I couldn't keep much food down, and I lost 17 pounds in 3 weeks. They ended up removing a good-sized polyp from my colon that was pre-cancerous, and I realized it could happen to anyone.

I was lucky my body reacted, Farrah had no symptoms, and her cancer was found at a routine screening. I had a hard time watching recent clips of her, because she was so beautiful and healthy, and was wasting away from colorectal cancer. You have no idea how painful your colon can become until it happens. I'm glad she's not in pain anymore.

Since I've been back in the "real world" of working full time, I've found my downtime quite boring. It was fine when it was sunny, I could go for a hike or run, but it's been typical PNW rainy lately here in the mountains. I have been able to get into a reality show on the History Channel that's based on Stanley's expedition to find Dr. Livingstone in Africa. It's called Expedition Africa: Out of the Wild, and it's on every Sunday evening.

I couldn't decide what to read in my free time this summer, but the show has inspired me to read some expedition journals. I realize that Stanley wasn't the nicest guy, beating his porters into carrying equipment with full-blown malaria, but after reading Howard Zinn, many great men have lost morality ground in my book. I've read Darwin a few times, but his journals lack excitement as he was more into taking detailed notes, after all, he was on to something.

So I'm going to read some expedition journals, and some adventure books recommended by one of my nieces. She's got great taste in music and literature, and I know she won't recommend a lame kids' book like Harry Snothead, I mean Potter. I do believe a trip to the library is in order tomorrow. We have an empty nest until Sunday, so I might as well enjoy the peace and quiet before the drums start up again. The youngest asked for money for his birthday, and bought a drumset. Here comes my trumpet karma.

Getting on Track

After a reality check of working full time in the pharmacy again, I was able to catch up on just about everything on my day off yesterday. I've been frustrated the last few weeks, trying to find an internship with one of the federal/state/county ecology agencies only to find out all of these new green collar jobs that Obama said the stimulus would create are not out there.

I'm also pretty upset that they are trying to put together a half-ass public healthcare plan written by the insurance company lobbyists. What we really need in this country is insurance reform - what other line of business can take your money (and a lot of money it is) for a just-in-case scenario, make a profit, trade on the stock market, and then refuse to pay-out when you need a claim paid? It's legalized theft is what it is, and the government it creating another cash cow for them.

But back to the job hunt... I cracked down on myself last night, after catching up on the dishes, laundry, vacuuming, etc. I took my employment resume and tweaked it into a student resume, so I could flaunt my newly acquired skills. Then I had an epiphony... what if the private sector has reacted faster than the public sector in applying for stimulus money, and do they have jobs available? Bingo!

I'm making a stop at Office Max this weekend to buy some thick, professional resume paper, and then swinging by the post office to buy a sheet of stamps. My resume will be scattered across King, Snohomish and Whatcom counties, and hopefully something will come of it. I've usually had great luck at the job hunt, mostly because I think I am more sure of myself than I should be, and my resumes always come across, crisp, clean and to the point. But hey, isn't finding a job nothing more than selling yourself?

It would be great if I could find something full time with benefits, but I'm not getting my hopes up. I've got no problem working in the pharmacy for as long as I need to, even if they don't want to treat me with respect. When your scheduler tells you that you can't have your mother-in-law's 60th birthday off because (and I quote word-for-word), "it's a Friday and she just needs to understand that people have to work on Fridays," you really begin to wonder where your own personal loyalties lie.

And yet, the same people get that three day weekend off, and I'm left being the weekend serf once again, despite all the weekends I've worked, and nights I've closed. So much for a "family oriented" company - guess I made friends with the wrong people. I've always said that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, but sweet things turn sour over time if you don't take care of them.

Unwinding

Last night and today feel very strange to me. I finished up my final in Physical Geography and turned in my final Engineering project (the windmill got a perfect score thank-you-very-much), and I think I'm very close to a 4.0. So now I have an Associates Degree in Environmental Science, and I feel like I'm tightly wedged half way between a crevice. It's weird, I have nothing to read, and didn't know what to do with myself last night after the laundry was folded.

Really, I know I should be more proud and excited, but with the economy in the toilet, there are few internships in the field this summer, and I feel held back by working so much in the pharmacy. Agencies don't want to hire me, because I can't commit to a regular schedule with the pharmacy schedule being different every week. I'm crossing my fingers for Universal Health Care soon, and will decide what path to take from there.

In other news, Snohomish County is planning a Sustainability Fair, and I'm hoping to get involved in that soon. I have a friend that works for the city of Everett, and I'm trying to get my foot back in the door. It was so tempting not to apply for a SnoCo Park Ranger Assistant job this summer, but we need benefits, and that job is seasonal. Hopefully something will pan out soon - it usually does.

Enjoy another day in the sun in PNW - day 22 without rain! I heard a rumor of El Nino, which would mean drought up here :( I feel guilty watering the strawberries, but they will be tiny if we don't get rain soon. I think we'll get a first harvest in about 10 days! Yummy!

Kids, Beach and Sun – Green Trip

I had a lot of people asking me about the retreat I went on with the kids last week, so I decided to post my write-up that I submitted for extra-credit in Geosystems, and that I'll be sending to the Whitehorse News (our local paper). Enjoy!

Darrington 6^th Grade Ecology Retreat

The WSU stewards had the Darrington 6^th graders busy upon their arrival at Cama Beach on Thursday, May 21. The theme of the day was Cama Beach Survivor, and the kids began their journey by backpacking their bags and gear a half mile to the camp. Lunch was served quickly, and a get-to-know-you game was played so the kids could become familiar with the chaperones, park employees, and WSU/EdCC stewards.

We immediately set out to the beach to learn beach etiquette and to learn what kinds of flora and fauna were in the different tidal areas, and what the kids could survive on. They learned what different kinds of marine life there were and where they could find them, and were even taught about Pacific Shellfish Paralytic Syndrome. My group walked far up the beach, and ran across a creek feeding into the sound. With some coaching from Ms. Lester and me, the girls decided this was where they would build their virtual shelter.

After beach combing, we were directed into the Center for Wooden Boats where the kids learned the different kinds of wooden boats they could build without power tools. They explored hand-made dingies, kayaks and cedar canoes. We also watched the boat builders work for a while.

Next we hiked back up the hill into the forest area of the park with Franny from the Stilly Tribe, and Mike, a WSU forester. The kids learned about different kinds of forest disturbances, which the "Loggers" were quite familiar with, and the progression of reforestation. They cored a Douglas fir that was over 80 years old, and were taught the difference between shade intolerant and shade tolerant trees, and how they progressively grow as the forest grows. We continued hiking a forest trail as Franny went over the underbrush. She showed the kids what was edible, and what was poisonous, and later at camp made teas and jellies from local flora for us to sample.
While the kids were waiting for dinner, they assembled into their cabin teams to play Cama Beach Survivor with the new knowledge they had from the day's activities. They were allowed 5 questions for the "experts" and our girls eventually tied for 3^rd, defeated only by two groups of boys that were avid hunters. The day wound down with dinner and free time and smores around the campfire and beach. Many of the kids had never been to the beach before, and most had never seen a sunset over the beach. They were mesmerized, and broke out the cameras and cell phones to take pictures.

Examining a shell full of muscles

Searching the intertidal zone



Coring a Douglas Fir

Kayak building without power tools

Survivor Camas Island team presentations



Sunset at the beach

The next morning after an early breakfast, we were split into two large groups for alternating projects. I was glad our group got to go low-tide beach collecting first, because it was the actual time for the lowest tide of the day. The kids had ten minutes to explore the high and intertidal zones of the beach and carefully remove live specimens to the WSU Beach Watchers who had tanks waiting. After ten minutes, the whistle blew and the kids ran down to the low tidal zone and standing tidal pools.

The kids carefully removed moon snails, gooey ducks, ludibrae and their slimy eggs, herring eggs (which were not removed), scallops, welchs, polychites, sea stars, anemones and sea urchins along with a special ice cream cone worm find. After the collection, the WSU Beach Watchers gave a lesson on all the specimins the kids found, and how they specifically fit into the ecosystem at Cama Beach.

After a quick hand washing and snack break, the groups switched places and our group hiked up the hill into the forest with Head Ranger Teri. We were given a brief history of the State's development of the terraced parking lots along the hill. When they were made, the land was completely cleared, and a large amount of dirt was removed. The state contracted landscapers to "reforest" the areas between the lots. The landscapers used native trees, but tied them to cedar stakes using large, black plastic zip ties that were about an inch wide.

Many of the trees had begun growing bark around the plastic ties, and so we were given the mission to save those juvenile pines, cedars and maples. Each group was given a pair of clippers and set out up the hill which contained 6 terraced lots. I was happy I had a pair of work gloves in my pack, because many of the trees we found were behind nettles and black berries, and were in trouble despite the plastic ties. All-in-all our 6 person group saved 5 trees.

We had a long lunch when we arrived back at camp, and closed the retreat with a circle of trust that we had to link to the circle of the beach and hill's ecosystem. The kids each had a favorite part of the weekend, and they all said they had a great time. This retreat was the conclusion of a year-long program sponsored by WSU and its affiliates, that linked all of their previous lessons and activities.



Careful collection of a star fish

Observing one tank of low tidal creatures

A lesson from WSU Beach Watchers

Ranger Teri gives us our mission

I saved the 4^th tree

The end of the mission