The World’s Largest Dump: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Kevin Trichtinger

I found this article in Discover magazine, “The World’s Largest Dump: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” written by Thomas M. Kostigen.  The article can be found on the web at this address  http://discovermagazine.com/ and search for “Kostigen.”

                                                                                      Summary:

Mr. Kostigen describes his experience of going out to examine what is called the “Eastern Garbage Patch.”  This is one of two large areas in the Pacific Ocean where a huge volume of mostly plastic trash has gathered.  The spot is located at the point where several different currents cross which has caused plastic items that have been thrown into the ocean from North and South America to clump together.  The position is between Hawaii and California and is apparently much larger than people think.  It is spread out over an area of one and one half the size of the United States and in some areas is as thick as 100 feet.  A group called the Algalita Marine Research Foundation is studying the garbage to determine its effect on marine life.  So far they have found evidence that it suppresses phytoplankton and gets into the stomach of birds and marine animals that mistake it for food.  This garbage collection was first noticed after World War II when the world started using petroleum to develop plastics.  There has been a progressive increase in the plastics not only made but collecting in this garbage heap.  Besides the effect it has directly on marine life, there is concern about some toxicity from how the plastics absorb toxins.  These toxins are building up in wildlife.

Reaction:

 I was very upset that we are turning an area of the ocean into a trash dump and damaging the environment.  At first, I was wondering why people aren’t out there trying to clean it up. But it is hard to think of an area the size of the United States out there floating with some parts 100 ft deep. Clean up is not an easy option. I was also upset that we are poisoning the fish and getting them to build up in toxins.  In the article it pointed out that more than 2.5 billion people on this planet get most of their protein from the sea. Also, when I look around, so many things are packaged in plastic. It is scary to think some of it ends up in the oceans. I think we need to look at the use of plastics and how we dispose of them, or these clumps of garbage are going to continue to get bigger. 

Questions

1)      Is there a way to decrease our overuse of plastics containers?

2)      Would it be possible to gather up and deal with this massive dump?

3)      Can we develop some plastics that would biodegrade faster so they don’t take years to dissolve?

Faulty Wells, Not Fracking, Blamed for Water Pollution

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304537904577277814040731688.html?KEYWORDS=water+pollutionKEYWORDS%3Dwater+pollution



Graphic depicting proper well structure

Picture: This picture is showing a detailed diagram of a proper fracking well design.


Summary: Many experts have agreed, many cases of poorly made fracking wells have led to water contamination. This wells we not properly sealed with subterranean cement allowing contaminants to travel up the wells bore and into small aquifers. The industry has been struggling to convince the critics that fracking itself is not a dangerous process but the faulty construction of the wells were. Many experts like Environmental Defense senior adviser Scott Anderson confirming it is a constructional problem. With the cement problem long plaguing the industry for many years. Companies like Chesapeake Energy Corp. promising better construction for the future, it looks like the problem is being handled well.


Reflection: I do believe that fracking is not the issue itself but the poor construction of their wells. It seems like some companies are taking full responsibility for their actions and rebuilding wells with more safe designs. I think the future for the industry looks bright.

Questions:

1. What is fracking?
2. What is your stance on this issue? Why?
3. What are the other believed risks of fracking?







Short Film Contest to Help Solve Water Issue

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/city-of-ventura-limoneira-patagonia-ithentic-announce-global-online-short-film-contest-for-environmentally-conscious-filmmakers-at-wwwwatertake1com-2012-03-26 

Advertisement for the contest

Summary:

The Ventura Water Company is holding a contest for short films. What's different about it though, is that they are films based on the the global water issue. It is said that the world is facing a water shortage and that not many people know about it. This Contest is to help raise awareness to the public and also show off the talents of many short film makers. To submit a piece participants would need to go to www.watertake1.com. There is no entry fee so this is available to anyone to participate in.

Reaction:

I think this is a wonderful idea. I didn't even know that our water supply was at risk of a shortage. This film contest seems fun and interesting which would attract many people to participate. I feel that it could help because it would bring the attention to more people out there. Also, it's great to see people get involved with helping the environment and actually care about our future.

Questions:

~If you were given the opportunity would you enter the contest? what would you talk about in your five minute film?

~Do you think this will help make a difference with the water shortage? why or why not?

~What would be another creative way to spread the awareness?

Study Finds Safety of Drinking Water in U.S. Cities at Risk

http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/uscities.asp

Study Finds Safety of Drinking Water in U.S. Cities at Risk

Picture: Clean drinking water, similar to the kind discussed in the article.

Summary: Believe it or not, but many cities in the United States rely on pre-World War I- era water systems to deliver water to homes and buildings. This means there are many old pipes, which have minor or major breaks, which lead to bacteria breeding in the very same place you’re drinking from. As you know, this can lead to many serious problems to the well-being of many communities in America. Many believe our government is neglecting this fact, and refuses to do much at all about this issue. If nothing is done soon, our clean drinking water supply will be totally contaminated.

Opinion/Reflection: I believe that we need to do something about our current water delivery systems. Personally, I think we are spending too much time worrying about other people’s problems, and not dealing with our own on our own soil. The government needs to look into this issue before it is too late. Also, I think Americans, me included, take clean, accessible, drinking water for granted, and this may also be a big part of the problem. Lastly, I believe we need to recognize this problem, as a nation, and work to solve it before it is too late.

Questions:

1)      What are some ways we can solve this issue while being Eco-Friendly as well as money efficient?

2)      How does the contamination of clean drinking water affect our everyday lives in the future?

3)      Why do you think we have put this problem off to the side for such a long time, and did nothing so far? 

 Health Ills About as Farm Runoff Fouls Wells

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/18/us/18dairy.html?_r=2

Picture: This picture shows the process of groundwater contamination.

Summary: This article is about cow waste on farms that is contaminating runoff, tap, and well water. This problem is very scary and there is not much that we can do to stop it. Cows have to excreate their waste on the land that they are given and we just don't have enough land to absorb the manure. Manure contains many contaminants which when consumed by humans through water, can cause diarrhea, stomach illness, and severe ear infections. Also, evironmentalists aren't doing much to stop the water contamination. The Clean Water Act of 1972 only regulates chemicals that move through pipes, not chemicals that seep underground (manure). Also, farmers aren't forced to fill out paper work for the E.P.A (Environmental Protection Agency). This problem is very hazardous to humans and wildlife.

Opinion: This is a very scary situation and I hope we can find a solution to stop it. Although, it is going to be very difficult. As I said before, it is impossible to force cows to stop excreating waste unless you clean up after them everytime they "go". But on a farm with over 100 cows, that would be nearly impossible. Also, the farmers need some of the manure to fertilize their feilds. The effects of drinking some of the pollutants from the manure is also very scary. From personal experience, I know that ear infections are very painful and take some time to go away. I think that environmentalists should buckle down and solve this problem however they can becasue it is having negative repercussions.

Questions:
1) How are the cow wastes reaching water supplies?
2) What could be a possible solution to this problem?
3) Could we somehow regulate when the cows "go"?

Kevin Trichtinger(McTWISTx)7

“A Dose of Diversity” by Jessica Snyder Sachs in National Wildlife August/September 2010 p. 22-29

http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/National-Wildlife/Animals/Archives/2010/A-Dose-of-Div

then search for “Jessica Sachs”  and click on title

Picture:  

This is a picture of some of the urban birds know to carry West Nile virus

Summary:  This article by Jessica Sachs seen to bring home the importance of what we were taught about biodiversity.  In this article she points to specific examples where the lack of biodiversity has had a direct effect on the rise of some less common illnesses that have become more frequent.  A Rutgers group found that in areas of wetlands that had lost it biodiversity that the bird populations also lost its diversity. The same areas where birds are less diverse West Nile virus infections have increased. She writes “studies have shown that across the nation bird diversity is a significant buffer against the spread of West Nile virus to humans.”  This unfortunately is not an isolated example.  Less diversity increases the rates of Lyme disease as in fragment areas the tic that spread the disease have an easier time finding both the white-footed mouse and the white tailed deer.  Additionally Ms Sachs points out that the loss of species diminishes the amphibians, mammals and plants that are our greatest hope to finding new drugs and vaccines to fight these diseases.

Opinion/Reflection: From our class I understood that the loss of biodiversity puts other species of plants or animals at risk for extinction; however, I don’t think I really understood that it is not just the loss of certain species; the loss of biodiversity influences other aspects of our lives. The illnesses that she talks about really hit home to me because one of my older brothers classmates was in the hospital for months due to West Nile virus.  Some of my family including my dog has needed to be treated for Lyme disease.  But the most disturbing thing may be that in lost species we are losing the opportunity to discover how nature fights off the very disease we are facing.

Questions:

1)      Should the government spend more money for research to preserve biodiversity wetlands or spend more to stop global warming?

2)      Since the amount of wetlands will not help the fractured urban regions that breed West Nile virus how do we make urban areas safer?

3)      How do we get the material that nature has available for us to fight diseases before the species that carry this information to go extinct?

Going Green

It's Too Easy Being Green

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203889904577198922867850002.html?KEYWORDS=environmental+disasters#articleTabs%3Darticle

Picture:

This graphic mocks all the "green" people out there.

Summary:

  In this article, It's Too Easy Being Green by David Owen; Mr. Owen talks about the consumers that consider themselves green by self-deception. For example in 2010 he took a ride in his friends new Ford Fusion, a gas electric hybrid which gets more miles per the gallon then comparable cars with conventional engines.  "His dashboard fuel gauge filled with images of intertwining green foliage, a symbolic representation of the environmental benefits we were apparently dispensing from the tailpipe as we aimlessly drove around." Similar to many concerned Americans he falls victim to the Prius Fallacy: "a belief that switching to an ostensibly more benign form of consumption turns consumption itself into a boon for the environment"
We're all consumers at heart says Owens, so why can't we solve all our problems with consumption? But the challenge arises when consumption its self is the problem, with a long list of environmental challenges and the only solutions made are either irrelevant or make the problem worse.  "That's the conundrum facing anyone who yearns for "'sustainability."'

Opinion/Reflection:

I laughed at this article when i read it! It is so true, I find it hilarious how stupid people can be.  When i found this article i knew i needed to share it. I wish people could see the errors in their ways. You buy a environmentally "friendly" product does not mean it is still not harming the environment, for example hybrids they are still putting out emissions. Or you buy a build a pool, and put in a solar powered water heater. Look at you saving the earth! They have good intentions but ultimately we will all wait for the scientists and politicians to carry out the solutions to our environmental problems.

Questions:

1. What is the Prius Fallacy?
2. In the article he mentions that, "our efforts are often at cross-purposes with our goals." What is he saying?
3. What is your opinion on this self deceiving consumption?