Give Poop… I mean Bio Solids a Chance!



Fresh farm vegetables... yum! Did you know that bio solids help
farmers hundreds of dollars a year? They are a safe and cost
effective way of growing the veggies you love!

         Bio solids; kind of gross right? Maybe a little bit but we need to get over it because they are a really feasible and valid option for the future! First, learn about the facts and then decide…

What are these weird things called bio solids and where do they come from?

Bio solids are the new and improved version of sewage sludge. Water waste treatment facilities cleans our dirty water, didn’t you ever wonder where you sink led too? Once cleaned the water goes off but the waste, well the facility have thousands of tonnes of it left over, it and that is sewage sludge. Now, bio solids are sewage sludge that goes through multiple tests, processes, and places to remove harmful pathogens and substances in them.

That sounds gross, what are they made of?

In general, bio solids are made up of well… the waste found in the water that has been solidified by careful processes. As you can imagine, there’s some human waste, some left over’s from last night’s dinner, phosphorus, sulphur, organic nitrogen, a little bit of zinc, copper, and iron. It is kind of cool to think that each city’s bio solid is like their own fingerprint because no one city’s water has exactly what the other does in their water!



Take a look at the steps of which sewage sludge is turned into bio solids and how they are then used! It is pretty cool and also very informative and shows how bio solids are carefully processed and therefore safe.



So you have just convinced me they are really gross! How are they good in any way?

Trust me; they are surprisingly useful, good for the environment, safe, and cost effective! Let’s take a closer look:

This is what bio solids look like after they have been treated and approved safe.
They are extremely useful for so many things!

Agriculture Industry

Ø     Nutrients found in bio solids are necessary for crop production and growth.

Ø     The organic matter renders soil more sustainable and with a greater capacity for water retention.

Ø     STATISTIC from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “About half of the bio solids generated in the United States is beneficially recycled. Biosolids provide farmers with about $100 per acre worth of organic fertilizer.”

Forestry Industry

Ø     Nutrients in bio solids make the soil richer and therefore the growth of trees and other plant species is enhanced.

Ø     Bio solids are cheaper, efficient, and help the growth of an important resource that is a big money maker.

Mining Industry

Ø     Bio solids have been found to successfully change old mine sites into useless pieces of land into land where vegetation is able to grow.

Ø     This has to do with the fact that they are able to regenerate layers of soil and almost neutralize the harmful substances found in the old soil with their organic and inorganic materials.

One more major positive that comes from the use of bio solids is the fact that instead of taking up space in land fills and other disposal facilities, it is being put to good use!



Bio solids are used on selected pieces of land and there is a
careful process that must be followed for the location to be
selected. This is just an example of one saftey precaution
taken to make sure bio solids are used properly!



Now, that is the good side of things, all of the pros. The next few points I’m going to discuss are cons which make things look a little darker but don’t say no to bio solids yet! Bio solids can be dangerous and there is no denying that but only when they are not monitored properly. There are infections that can spread to humans, wildlife, and the environment, there is a certain odour to them, and it is a very knew concept so there may be things we don’t know about the effects of this yet. Honestly though, there are dangers to everything if they are misused but the government has very strict protocol and monitoring of the use of bio solids so really….

Give poop... I mean bio solids a chance!

I commented on the following blogs: http://bio-blob.blogspot.com/2011/05/biosolids-legitimate-fertilizers-or.html and http://caitlincosgrovebioblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/unit-1314-factors-affecting-plant.html

                    

Works Cited

"Biosolids.com | About Biosolids: Biosolids Benefits." _. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.biosolids.com/benefits.html>.

"CCME: Biosolids." CCME : Home : Début Écran. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.ccme.ca/ourwork/waste.html?category_id=137>.

City of Greater Sudbury. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.greatersudbury.ca/cms/index.cfm?app=home_cgs>.

"CWWA - FAQ - Biosolids." CWWA/ACEPU. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.cwwa.ca/faqbiosolids_e.asp>.

"Frequently Asked Questions | Sewage Sludge (Biosolids) | US EPA." Index | Water | US EPA. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/wastewater/treatment/biosolids/genqa.cfm>.

"Home | Biosolids | About Biosolids." Water Environment Federation: The Water Quality People. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.wef.org/Biosolids/page.aspx?id=7513>.

Janssen, Don. "What Are Biosolids?" University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://lancaster.unl.edu/enviro/biosolids/whatare1.shtml>.

"Sludge, Sludge Treatment, Sludge Disposal, Sewage, Australian New Zealand Biosolids." Australian and New Zealand Biosolids Partnership. Web. 31 May 2011. <http://www.biosolids.com.au/what-are-biosolids.php>.

The Price of Lazy Living and the Medical World’s Response…

Our lazy lifestyle is causing some big issues...

Let us be honest with ourselves, the lifestyle choices that we, as a society has made in the last twenty years our definitely not the smartest ones. Two prominent health problems we face today are

1. Colon cancer, which is linked to a bad diet and inactivity;
2. Multiple sclerosis which has tripled in woman over the last decade;

It has been a constant struggle in the medical world to keep up with the increasing health issues of our population that have arisen.

“A new study serves as good evidence that a western diet can more than double the risk of colon cancer.” (Boyles, Colon Cancer Linked to Pork/Beef) Yep, that sounds really scary and even more so when this study explains that those who ate lots of red meat were 2.5 times more likely to develop colorectal cancer. It is not just our diet though, researchers estimated the rate of colorectal cancer will increase by 50% by 2040 (BBC, Colon Cancer May Rise 50%). Now, what can we do? First of all get off our butts and get active, eat healthier less processed foods and be aware. The medical community has started an intense campaign to encourage everyone to get regular colonoscopies. A colonoscopy cannot be described as the most pleasant thing but it could save your life since 90% of cases if caught early are treatable. If you watch any Canadian TV you have seen the (what I call) “invisible people” commercials; they advertise the need for colonoscopies. Check it out here if you don’t watch any Canadian TV, which is sad but common.

Colorectal cancer awareness is so incredibly imporant because of the fact that if caught early enough, 90% of cases are treatable and to catch it people must get colonoscopies! It could save thousands of lives.

This procedure is being pushed so hard now because of the increase in colorectal cancer and it is the medical community’s way of trying to protect us from ourselves!

           



More adds stressing the importance of colonoscopies, they save lives and whether they are pleasent or not, they are vital. Just because a baby does not like having it's medicine we still force them to have it because it helps them... same thing here!



 This next case is more of a mystery because doctors still cannot figure out the causes of this debilitating illness. Multiple Sclerosis has more than doubled over the last twenty years in women and whether it is lifestyle, genetics, environment or something else it is vital for something to be done (Petrun, MS, On the Rise). A very promising study though has brought new hope to MS patients and families everywhere! One of the results thought to be from MS are the narrowing of blood vessels in the neck, this means less blood going to the brain and obviously this impairs the brains ability to make the body work properly. The procedure is pioneered by Dr. Paolo Zamboni and it inserts a tiny tube into neck veins and widens them with the goal to get more blood flowing through them and therefore improving the symptoms of MS patients. There has been major funding issues, especially in Canada and I think it is terrible that something that could help so many people is not being supported.



Dr. Paolo Zamboni, the pioneer of the vien therapy treatment for MS patients.



This is a simplified explanation of the procedure. The tube is inserted into the vien, it is then inflated to widen the vien and hopefully the last image is the widened vien which blood flows freely through.

In the words of the Alberta Health Minister Gene Zwozdesky, "I don't think that we should ever take away hope that there might be something new out there that works."

Take a stand. There are people, loved ones, suffering who need our help and we must do what we can do provide it. Whether that is informing people through high school biology blogs, putting ads on the TV, or taking part in activities to promote awareness; we must step up and make our voices heard!

I commented on these two Bio Blogs:   http://caitlincosgrovebioblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/importance-of-various-technologies.html and http://bioblogstuff.blogspot.com/2011/03/its-wonderful-life-thanks-to-technology.html

Works Cited

"BBC News - Colon Cancer Cases 'may Rise 50%'" BBC - Homepage. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11264372>.

"Colon Cancer Rise Linked to Beef, Pork." WebMD - Better Information. Better Health. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20021115/colon-cancer-rise-linked-to-beef-pork>.

News, Cbc. "MS Vein Therapy Study Still a Go: Zwozdesky - Calgary - CBC News." CBC.ca - Canadian News Sports Entertainment Kids Docs Radio TV. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2011/04/14/edmonton-ms-vein-therapy-alberta-study-zwozdesky.html>.

Size, Font. "MS, On The Rise - Up To The Minute - CBS News." Breaking News Headlines: Business, Entertainment & World News - CBS News. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/27/uttm/main2734068.shtml>.

"Use of Virtual Colonoscopy on the Rise in U.S. Hospitals." Home. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.wmbb.com/Global/story.asp?S=14162299>.

"Vein-opening Treatment Safe for Multiple Sclerosis Patients, Say Researchers." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110328092411.htm>.

"YouTube - Colorectal Cancer : Get the Facts - Ad." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 04 May 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAT_VnY6gME>.

The Dirty Little Secrets of the Food Industry...

          Food is pretty awesome; I mean we live off the stuff… literally. We all enjoy sitting down for a nice meal but do we ever think of where this food we’re eating is coming from? The agriculture industry is such an important part of our world but many of us no little to nothing about it, me included. I don’t know where the tomatoes in my salad come from or the pepperoni on my pizza…



 

http://kenokazaki.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/FullPlate-Melih-Kesmen.jpg and http://torontoist.com/attachments/toronto_patrickm/2008_04_07_loblaw.jpg

Where does your food come from?

Buy your groceries from Loblaw? Is it really great food?

             There are two main types of agriculture that are used in today’s society.

Ø      Industrial agriculture is the modern farming technique that refers to the industrialized production of livestock and crops. The methods used to produce this food include mostly machinery, genetic technology, chemicals, hormones and antibiotics.

Ø      Sustainable agriculture is basically the opposite; it is farming while keeping in mind the affects on the health and sustainability of the environment, the economy and us, the ones who eat the food.



http://tasmaniantimes.com/images/uploads/Lukas2_TasDevil_thumb.jpg and http://tiki.oneworld.net/food/sustainable_farming.gif

Industrial Farming v.s. Sustainable Farming



Industrial agriculture provides most of the food in our supermarkets, especially in developed countries. This type of agriculture is much cheaper, much more time efficient in the amount it produces, and at to many, it seems the only way to keep up with the growing demand for food. Documentaries like Food Inc, have exposed the dirty little secrets of this growing industry and it is common knowledge that most, if not all, of our food is now genetically modified somehow. So, then if we know which option is better than why is there such as issue; because by 2050 there is going to be an estimated population of over 9 billion people on this earth and we need to feed all of them (United Nations News Centre). To keep up with this growth in the past, factory farming was invented and now provides 74% of the world’s poultry, 43% of all beef and 68% of all eggs (World Watch Institute).  Factory farming is the process of raising livestock in a high density environment, the highest production rate and the lowest costs.

   

http://transitionculture.org/wp-content/uploads/food_inc.jpg and http://cruelty-free.org/environment/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/factory_farm.jpg

Food Inc was a documentary that “outed” the disgusting food industry in America.

                               These pigs are kept like this 24/7 until they are slaughtered in this factory farm.

The ethics of this is a huge part of the growing discomfort with using this method of farming. You can see how animal cruelty can be assumed in most cases and many are fighting the cruelty aspect of the issue. Others are against it because of the health impact to humans; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified that the use of antibiotics may create antibiotic-resistant pathogens; parasites, bacteria, and viruses may be spread, among many other things. Some are most worried about the terrible environmental impacts of factory farming, environmental degradation, pollution of water, air, soil, and the harmful use of a huge amount of pesticides.



http://www.treehugger.com/World-Population-Growth-2050.JPG
How are we going to feed the world's growing population?

           Whatever the reasons, the list goes on to prove that industrial/factory farming is one of the worst practices possible. The issue is that the increasing demand for food is ruthless and sustainable farming just doesn't seem to be able to keep up. In my opinion, it is our job to invest and put the effort into finding sustainable technology. We are the generation that needs to make change!

I commented on the blogs... http://caitlincosgrovebioblog.blogspot.com/ and http://bioblogstuff.blogspot.com/

Works Cited

"2050 High-Level Experts Forum: The Forum." FAO: FAO Home. Web. 15 Jan. 2011. <http://www.fao.org/wsfs/forum2050/wsfs-forum/en/>.

Biello, David. "Another Inconvenient Truth: The World's Growing Population Poses a Malthusian Dilemma: Scientific American." Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American. Web. 15 Jan. 2011. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=growing-population-poses-malthusian-dilemma>.

"Boosting Agricultural Productivity Key to Feeding Growing Population – UN." Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. Web. 15 Jan. 2011. <http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=32503&Cr=fao&Cr1>.

"Nutrition and the Environment." Welcome to the Official Web Site Locator for the UN System OfOrganizations. Web. 15 Jan. 2011. <http://www.unsystem.org/SCN/archives/scnnews21/ch04.htm#TopOfPage>.

"World Summit on Food Security: World Summit." FAO: FAO Home. Web. 15 Jan. 2011. <http://www.fao.org/wsfs/world-summit/en/>.

The Moral Dilemmas of Being Smart

 

Political cartoon on designer babies.
http://www1.odn.ne.jp/~cam39380/images/ep317.gif



Scientists are really smart, don’t we know that already? Yes, we do but as science progresses, we start to face new moral dilemmas in the name of smart scientists. Among many discoveries in the past few decades, “designer babies” is one of them. There are many concerns posed about designer babies having to do with what we can do with this progressing scientific knowledge but seemingly digressing human morals.

Designer baby is the term used to describe a baby whose genes have been chosen. That’s right; you can get your genetically modified albino zucchini and then get your genetically modified baby! Designer babies sound like something unethical and completely bizarre but they are a real issue that needs to be discussed. There is a slippery slope between the creation of this for the good of medicine vs. purely for vanity. We have to focus on the ethical challenges we face even if this slippery slope is avoided and designer babies are used only for medical reason because many issues will still prevail.



Designer babies genes are being chosen so the baby has a specific gentic makeup, they are literally building a baby!
http://www.scientificamerican.com/media/inline/regulate-designer-babies_1.jpg 



 The scientific process of creating a “designer baby” is called Pre-Implantation Genetic diagnosis (PGD) and it is used to determine the sex and the genes of the child. The egg is taken out of the mother and is fertilized with specific sperm, then the embryo is scanned for genetic diseases and only the embryo’s that are clear of any danger signs are implanted the womb. This is the only legal technique PGD right now but more are being studied. Some say this screening for diseased embryos is a great step forward in medicine, and some are completely opposed, expressing the idea that we are playing “God”. I have thought way too much about it and I am still split, sorry I know that’s boring, but honestly it seems better for a child to be born fully healthy and happy but who am I to say that a certain life isn’t worth living?

 

PGD is a very complicated procedure that is truly an amazing step in science.
http://a.abcnews.com/images/WNT/embryos_babies_090303_mn.jpg



Another pressing ethical subject is where the line must be drawn for designer babies being made specifically to save the life of another person.  Adam Nash was born in 2000, he was perfect. He was also specifically created through PGD with his sister’s exact blood type so that he could save her life. Molly suffered from a rare blood disease that would have killed. With a successful bone-marrow transplant that involved Adam’s tissue though, she is now living a healthy life. My problem is the moral choice of scientifically creating a child specifically just to use their body. Don’t get me wrong, if I had the choice to save my sister’s life I wouldn’t think twice, but that is my decision. An embryo doesn’t have that decision. What if these children don’t only donate once though, what if they have to do it again and again? The physical and emotional stress would be crippling but what if you are trying to save your child’s life, your brother’s, your cousin’s?  

If you could save your siblings life, wouldn't you?
http://www.babyzone.com/upload/cms/topics/20060090025001300600357120.jpg



Science has brought us this much closer to saving lives which is what we want… right? The moral dilemmas faced are troubling and who knows where these “designer babies” can lead us? As it stands though, this will continue to be a developing and very controversial topic that is oh-so-worth discussing!

I commented on http://caitlincosgrovebioblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/designer-babies.html#comments and

 http://melissasbioblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/designer-babies-are-we-taking-science.html#comments

Works Cited

"BBC News | HEALTH | 'Designer Baby' Ethics Fear." BBC News - Home. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/955644.stm>.

By. "Designer Baby - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,998238,00.html>.

By, Park/New York, and Thompson/Washington. "Designer Babies - TIME." Breaking News, Analysis, Politics, Blogs, News Photos, Video, Tech Reviews - TIME.com. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989987,00.html>.

"Human Genetics Alert - The Threat of Human Genetic Engineering." Human Genetics Alert - Technologies Which May Contribute to Human Genetic Engineering and Eugenics. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.hgalert.org/topics/hge/threat.htm>.

"What Is a Designer Baby?" Bionet - New Discoveries in Life Sciences - Explore the Science and Debate the Issues. Web. 17 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bionetonline.org/english/content/db_cont1.htm>.

World's Fastest Cats are Disappearing way too FAST...

Since I was a little kid I’ve been enthralled by Acinonyx Jubatus, with their amazing physique, speed, and appearance. People find them scary, a lot of people actually but I’ve always wanted one as a pet… I was a weird kid. Oh and by the way Acinonyx Jubatus are cheetahs (I just wanted to sound smart for a few minutes). Cheetahs are the fastest land animals in the world but they are also the fastest disappearing cat in Africa!

Cheetah cubs
http://www.cheetahkids.com/cheetahconservationfund.html

Cheetah running, showing its speed of up to 70 miles per hour!
http://naturescrusaders.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/running-cheetahs-need-high-pufas-so-do-you/running-cheetah/

 The three main issues that are causing the extinction of this species are loss of habitat, human conflict and the loss of genetic variation. Approximately in 1900, more than 100,000 cheetahs were living in the wild. In present day the species is extinct from 20 countries and only 10,000 to 12,500 cheetahs remain!

http://www.cheetahkids.com/cheetahconservationfund.html

       

The Cheetah Conservation Fund has been saving cheetahs for twenty years! They have many branches, including:

Ø      CCF Namibia

Ø      CCF United States

Ø      CCF Canada (Wohoo!)

The CCF has tons of awesome different programs, they do not only take immediate action, like creating cheetah conservatories but they do research so that they can discover long term solutions. The problem with a lot of organizations is that they set up conservations but they never deal with the root of the problem and the animals who are still living in the wild (which is how they should be!), are not protected at all. The CCF, on the other hand, they help cheetahs survive, not in a tiny, controlled habitat, but in their natural wildlife habitat. A specific program that does this is the Guard Dog Program.

Cheetah and guard dog, real picture taken in Namibia
www.cheetah.org/?nd=guarding_dog_program

An Anatolian Sheppard, the guard dogs used in the CCF program
http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=guarding_dog_program

Ø      The Guard Dog Program is used in Namibia because it has the largest population of wild cheetahs in the world.

Ø      Farmers in Namibia constantly are killing cheetahs because they see them as a threat to their livestock and being honest they are! But that’s where the program comes into play.

Ø      Anatolian Sheppard’s are natural guard dogs and the CCF is breeding these dogs and placing them in farms all over Namibia to scare away the cheetahs. I know it’s hard to believe that a dog could scare away a cheetah but cheetahs are kind of “scaredy-cats” (pun very intended).

Ø      These dogs keep the cheetahs away so the farmers don’t kill them, the livestock is protected from the hunting cheetahs and these dogs are very well taken care of. The CCF gives the family funds to take care of them, so don’t worry about the cute doggies. It’s a win-win-win situation!

Wild life activist with Cheetah in Namibia
http://azstarnet.com/lifestyles/recreation/article_0b59ad25-1e54-5d6d-bb27-7d69847047cc.html

 Cheetahs are magnificent animals that have been on this earth three to four million years and now they are disappearing fast! We need to band together and support organizations like the CCF, we need to show the world humans are not only capable of destroying our furry friends but protecting them too.

   Help me save the cheetahs!

Go to http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=donate_detail&donation_id=112 ! 

p.s. Blogs I commented on... 

http://caitlincosgrovebioblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/positive-

aspects.html#comments

 and 

http://itsalive-conn.blogspot.com/2010/09/references.html#comments

Works Cited

Cheetah Fastest Land Animal Endangered Big Cat. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cheetahspot.com/>.

"Cheetahs, Cheetah Pictures, Cheetah Facts - National Geographic." Animals, Animal Pictures, Wild Animal Facts - National Geographic. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/cheetah/>.

"Introduction to the Cheetah." Cheetah Conservation Fund. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=intro_to_the_cheetah>.

"The Livestock Guarding Dog Program." Cheetah Conservation Fund. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=guarding_dog_program>.

"Why Are Cheetahs Endangered? | Ecological Problems." Ecological Problems. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. <http://ecological-problems.blogspot.com/2009/09/why-are-cheetahs-endangered.html>.