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!
A bit of my view...
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
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!
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!
Monday, November 16, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, November 13, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, October 26, 2009
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.
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.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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. 
Fungus at FWA Wetland 
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
