To Bleed or Not to Bleed
Malcolm Gladwell writes in The New Yorker, March 13, 2000, the history of the birth control pill and how hormones work in the reproductive cycle of women. John Rock was one of the inventors of the birth control pill which was approved by the F.D.A. in 1960 and created a sensation. Rock was a Catholic and believed using hormones naturally produced in women as part of their reproductive menstrual cycle, in the form of a birth control pill, should be approved of by the Pope. He thought it was ‘natural’ to manipulate a woman’s menstrual cycle with 21 days of Progesterone and 7 days of placebos. This 28 day cycle was created to be compatible with the church’s rhythm method of contraception.
In 1986-89 Beverly Strassmann traveled to Africa to study the reproductive cycles of women in a remote African village near Timbuktu. There were two menstrual huts where women went during menses. Strassmann kept track of the women who visited these huts for 736 consecutive nights. She found the Dogon women menstruate about a hundred times in their lifetime compared to our modern world/day four hundred. The Dogon start having babies young and breastfeeding suppresses ovulation for an average of twenty months. This seems to be a natural cycle. She and other evolutionary scientists believe the frequent monthly menstruation thought of as normal is not normal or biologically healthy for women.
Frequent cell division increases the risk of cancer. Every ovulation causes the need for ovarian cell repair and renewal just as the uterine lining needs rebuilding after the sloughing off of menses. The more menstrual cycles a woman has the greater her risk of cancer. Progestin’s effect of suppressing ovulation and countering surges of estrogen, which restrains cell division in the uterus are ways that the pill reduce the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer. On the other hand estrogen causes rapid breast cell division leading to breast cancer.
There’s a new drug called GnRHas that stops the ovaries from producing estrogen and progestin. It can be inhaled nasally, used daily, until stopped for four annual menses. Less estrogen in a woman’s system means less breast cell activity and less breast cancer risk.
It appears that if we were living the way nature intended, women would be having more babies, seventy five percent less menstruations, and much less risk of ovarian, uterine, or breast cancer. The Catholic Church’s stance on contraception is probably best for women’s health because adding more hormones to their systems seems to increase risk of cancer.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
ENV290 God or Godzilla
Env290 Précis 2-05-09
Creationism vs. Evolution in US Public School Science Education
Harper’s Magazine/February 2006 included an article by Matthew Chapman, great-great grandson of Charles Darwin titled: God or Gorilla, A Darwin Descendant at the Dover Monkey Trial. Chapman’s title sets the mood of this story about a legal battle over science education in Dover, Pennsylvania. We find out who he’s referring to as monkeys when we read how individuals in this community tried to control what was taught as science education based on their own ignorant, biased beliefs, and opinions.
When Chapman immigrated to the US in the 80’s he was shocked to find his ancestor’s theory of evolution not fully excepted by the American public. His profession as a Hollywood screenwriter is apparent in the way he wrote this true story. Most of it takes place in the court room because a group of parents have sued the school district over the issue of creationism vs. evolution being taught the classroom.
The stage is set with descriptions of the community, its river, his motel room, the court room, and wonderfully vivid descriptions of the people involved. His descriptions of the plaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, witnesses, and judge turn what could just another boring day in court, into soap opera of complex characters who he interacts with outside of the court room as well.
I found myself loosing track of whether I was more interested in the characters or the legal issues. His sense of humor made me laugh out loud several times. Reverend Groves puts on a show at the firehouse entitled” More Reasons Evolution is Stupid.” and agrees to an interview with Chapman. The Reverend has set up a video camera to film Chapman filming him. Chapman finds out days later that the Reverend has placed a TV on the alter, with his declarations of agnosticism blaring out, to the horror of the Christians.
Ignorance is bliss for many. Some can believe in creationism, intelligent design, and evolution. Others believe in one or the other. There are gaps in all the theories. Church and State remain separate. Religion is not taught in our public schools. Evolution is taught as a theory. Committing perjury in court as a couple of these characters did, is a serious offense, punishable by fines and jail time. This article was published two years after the case was heard in court and no one had yet been charged with perjury.
Creationism vs. Evolution in US Public School Science Education
Harper’s Magazine/February 2006 included an article by Matthew Chapman, great-great grandson of Charles Darwin titled: God or Gorilla, A Darwin Descendant at the Dover Monkey Trial. Chapman’s title sets the mood of this story about a legal battle over science education in Dover, Pennsylvania. We find out who he’s referring to as monkeys when we read how individuals in this community tried to control what was taught as science education based on their own ignorant, biased beliefs, and opinions.
When Chapman immigrated to the US in the 80’s he was shocked to find his ancestor’s theory of evolution not fully excepted by the American public. His profession as a Hollywood screenwriter is apparent in the way he wrote this true story. Most of it takes place in the court room because a group of parents have sued the school district over the issue of creationism vs. evolution being taught the classroom.
The stage is set with descriptions of the community, its river, his motel room, the court room, and wonderfully vivid descriptions of the people involved. His descriptions of the plaintiffs, defendants, lawyers, witnesses, and judge turn what could just another boring day in court, into soap opera of complex characters who he interacts with outside of the court room as well.
I found myself loosing track of whether I was more interested in the characters or the legal issues. His sense of humor made me laugh out loud several times. Reverend Groves puts on a show at the firehouse entitled” More Reasons Evolution is Stupid.” and agrees to an interview with Chapman. The Reverend has set up a video camera to film Chapman filming him. Chapman finds out days later that the Reverend has placed a TV on the alter, with his declarations of agnosticism blaring out, to the horror of the Christians.
Ignorance is bliss for many. Some can believe in creationism, intelligent design, and evolution. Others believe in one or the other. There are gaps in all the theories. Church and State remain separate. Religion is not taught in our public schools. Evolution is taught as a theory. Committing perjury in court as a couple of these characters did, is a serious offense, punishable by fines and jail time. This article was published two years after the case was heard in court and no one had yet been charged with perjury.
Monday, February 2, 2009
ENV Op-ed #2
Taking Care of our Resources
I’ve lived in Port Angeles since 1974 and have witnessed the decline of logging, fishing, and mill work. Back then loaded log trucks from the west end were a never-ending, 24/7, train along Lake Cresent and Hiway 101. It was no surprise when logging came to a near halt. It appeared management of that resource wasn’t thought out as well as it should have been. I was angered when talks were about allowing logging in the National Park Thank goodness that didn’t happen.
Salmon used to be plentiful as well. Every September Port Angeles hosted a Salmon Derby Labor Day weekend that drew fisherman from far and wide. Prizes for who caught the biggest fish included a new truck or boat. They were paraded along with marching bandsand floats in the annual Derby Days Parade. Those festivities came to an end in the early 80’s with the decline of the salmon population. People wanted to blame the natives for over fishing and were angered about the native’s special fishing rights. Again, people thought fish were a never-ending resource and were wrong.
In the Spring of 1987 I purchased my second home a half mile up Mount Pleasant Road. I thought this would be a great place for my three kids to grow up. It was an acre with a mountain view and 16 old fruit trees, a garden, and greenhouse. As we were moving in a neighbor drove by and yelled out his window “you’re going to hate the air pollution!” I should have done more research because sure enough, every summer the wind direction changed, and Rayonier Mill’s emissions swathed the whole Mount Pleasant, Monroe Road area with a smell that burned the eyes and was so strong you could taste it. At times it made our lives miserable. We couldn’t go outside to do anything. During the nicest weather of the year, our air was the worst. Activists protested with Clean Air Now! They went un-fined when they had their “accidents”. The pollution caused paint to peel off houses in Gale’s Addition and a rare form of brain cancer that is found only in Port Angeles.
Rayonier shut down 10 years ago which was another blow to the economy of this area but certainly improved the air quality. They tore down the buildings and smoke stack with intentions of selling their prime water front property at the mouth of Ennis creek. This property was originally the site of an ancient Indian village. Before Rayonier can sell it’s their responsibility to clean up the toxic mess they’ve been producing there since 1930. Land owners are responsible for their property. There are laws that say we can not have junked vehicles or garbage lying around. Our pets must be under control. We can’t make too much noise. We can’t keep chickens or livestock inside city limits. If we have to abide by the law, so should Rayonier. Rayonier should pay for cleaning up their mess.
A partnership was formed, made up of the DOE, Rayonier, and the Clallam Tribe to help facilitate the clean up. In 10 years what has been accomplished? They made a plan for how to go about sampling for toxins in the soil. A sampling area of 4.2 square miles was decided upon. A plan was made on how to go about the sampling. This included where the sampling sites would be, how to get permission from land owners, how to mark off the chosen area, how to scrape vegetation away from the surface of the soil, using a spoon, make a 3” diameter clearing, dig down three inches removing the soil, place a piece of foil in the bottom of the hole, scrape around the side of the hole allowing the dirt to fall on the foil, put the soil in sample jars, refill the hole with potting soil if necessary, replace the vegetation, and so on. After 10 years the process can now begin for making a plan on how to go about the clean up. It’s understandable the process will take time but most agree this is taking too long.
The Port Angeles sanitary sewage treatment plant happens to be adjacent to the Rayonier property. Port Angeles is having problems with CSO (Combined Sewage Overflow). When we have heavy rains, our treatment facility can’t handle the volume of water it receives. Part of the problem is roof drain down spouts are connected to the sanitary sewage system. It’s called a co-mingled system. Storm water is flowing into our sanitary sewer system and flooding the treatment facility, which can not handle it. This causes an overflow of untreated sewage into the Straits of Juan de Fuca, violating the Clean Water Act and the Puget Sound Initiative. We are allowed ONE overflow event per 15 years.
We have city planners, county planners, The Port of Port Angeles authorities, a Public Development Athority, the Port Angeles Business Association, an Economic Development Council, County Commissioners, a City Council, and yet we apparently need to another entity approved by the City Council and Port of Port Angeles Commission, called The Harborworks Public Development Authority, who will be in charge of the acquisition and redevelopment of the Rayonier property, as well as harbor planning.. Remember it is the responsibility of the land owner to pay for the clean up of that property. It will cost tens of millions of dollars. The DOE has announced that there will be no money available from them for at least two years. If this new authority acquires the Rayonier property with our money, do tax payers realize they will be paying for Rayonier’s clean up too? It will cost tens of millions of dollars.
The newspaper is misleading us to believe that the CSO issue and Rayonier’s big tank were originally part of Harborwork’s concern. They have recently added this issue to pad the original intentions which is strictly about real estate and development. The tribe has not been invited to the table of any discussions. This violates the original plan set forth when the clean up process started 10 years ago.
I don’t understand why the disconnection of downspouts has not been explored as an option. New construction is not allowed to connect roof drains to the sanitary sewer system but for a long period of time it was required to connect them. If downspouts were disconnected, rain gardens and rain barrels installed, and other means of diverting water to the aquifer put to use, we would not need Rayonier’s 50 million gallon tank. There would be no need to criss cross that prime waterfront property with pipes covered with six foot earthen berms. The pipes can’t be buried. There can be no digging because it’s an archeological site. Disconnecting downspouts would cost less money, is more progressive, a greener approach, and is more in keeping with Obama’s “Yes We Can”, do it right attitude and plans for America’s future.
Water is becoming more and more of a precious resource and we must take care to guard it well. Poet Angeles is included in the Puget Sound Initiative. We need to comply with the 1998 Watershed Management Act and follow through with the WRIA 18 Elwah-Dungeness Watershed Plan. Buying/leasing Rayoneir’s 50 million gallon tank and going ahead with the most expensive public project in Port Angeles’s history as if it’s the only option is not in the public’s best interest.
I’ve lived in Port Angeles since 1974 and have witnessed the decline of logging, fishing, and mill work. Back then loaded log trucks from the west end were a never-ending, 24/7, train along Lake Cresent and Hiway 101. It was no surprise when logging came to a near halt. It appeared management of that resource wasn’t thought out as well as it should have been. I was angered when talks were about allowing logging in the National Park Thank goodness that didn’t happen.
Salmon used to be plentiful as well. Every September Port Angeles hosted a Salmon Derby Labor Day weekend that drew fisherman from far and wide. Prizes for who caught the biggest fish included a new truck or boat. They were paraded along with marching bandsand floats in the annual Derby Days Parade. Those festivities came to an end in the early 80’s with the decline of the salmon population. People wanted to blame the natives for over fishing and were angered about the native’s special fishing rights. Again, people thought fish were a never-ending resource and were wrong.
In the Spring of 1987 I purchased my second home a half mile up Mount Pleasant Road. I thought this would be a great place for my three kids to grow up. It was an acre with a mountain view and 16 old fruit trees, a garden, and greenhouse. As we were moving in a neighbor drove by and yelled out his window “you’re going to hate the air pollution!” I should have done more research because sure enough, every summer the wind direction changed, and Rayonier Mill’s emissions swathed the whole Mount Pleasant, Monroe Road area with a smell that burned the eyes and was so strong you could taste it. At times it made our lives miserable. We couldn’t go outside to do anything. During the nicest weather of the year, our air was the worst. Activists protested with Clean Air Now! They went un-fined when they had their “accidents”. The pollution caused paint to peel off houses in Gale’s Addition and a rare form of brain cancer that is found only in Port Angeles.
Rayonier shut down 10 years ago which was another blow to the economy of this area but certainly improved the air quality. They tore down the buildings and smoke stack with intentions of selling their prime water front property at the mouth of Ennis creek. This property was originally the site of an ancient Indian village. Before Rayonier can sell it’s their responsibility to clean up the toxic mess they’ve been producing there since 1930. Land owners are responsible for their property. There are laws that say we can not have junked vehicles or garbage lying around. Our pets must be under control. We can’t make too much noise. We can’t keep chickens or livestock inside city limits. If we have to abide by the law, so should Rayonier. Rayonier should pay for cleaning up their mess.
A partnership was formed, made up of the DOE, Rayonier, and the Clallam Tribe to help facilitate the clean up. In 10 years what has been accomplished? They made a plan for how to go about sampling for toxins in the soil. A sampling area of 4.2 square miles was decided upon. A plan was made on how to go about the sampling. This included where the sampling sites would be, how to get permission from land owners, how to mark off the chosen area, how to scrape vegetation away from the surface of the soil, using a spoon, make a 3” diameter clearing, dig down three inches removing the soil, place a piece of foil in the bottom of the hole, scrape around the side of the hole allowing the dirt to fall on the foil, put the soil in sample jars, refill the hole with potting soil if necessary, replace the vegetation, and so on. After 10 years the process can now begin for making a plan on how to go about the clean up. It’s understandable the process will take time but most agree this is taking too long.
The Port Angeles sanitary sewage treatment plant happens to be adjacent to the Rayonier property. Port Angeles is having problems with CSO (Combined Sewage Overflow). When we have heavy rains, our treatment facility can’t handle the volume of water it receives. Part of the problem is roof drain down spouts are connected to the sanitary sewage system. It’s called a co-mingled system. Storm water is flowing into our sanitary sewer system and flooding the treatment facility, which can not handle it. This causes an overflow of untreated sewage into the Straits of Juan de Fuca, violating the Clean Water Act and the Puget Sound Initiative. We are allowed ONE overflow event per 15 years.
We have city planners, county planners, The Port of Port Angeles authorities, a Public Development Athority, the Port Angeles Business Association, an Economic Development Council, County Commissioners, a City Council, and yet we apparently need to another entity approved by the City Council and Port of Port Angeles Commission, called The Harborworks Public Development Authority, who will be in charge of the acquisition and redevelopment of the Rayonier property, as well as harbor planning.. Remember it is the responsibility of the land owner to pay for the clean up of that property. It will cost tens of millions of dollars. The DOE has announced that there will be no money available from them for at least two years. If this new authority acquires the Rayonier property with our money, do tax payers realize they will be paying for Rayonier’s clean up too? It will cost tens of millions of dollars.
The newspaper is misleading us to believe that the CSO issue and Rayonier’s big tank were originally part of Harborwork’s concern. They have recently added this issue to pad the original intentions which is strictly about real estate and development. The tribe has not been invited to the table of any discussions. This violates the original plan set forth when the clean up process started 10 years ago.
I don’t understand why the disconnection of downspouts has not been explored as an option. New construction is not allowed to connect roof drains to the sanitary sewer system but for a long period of time it was required to connect them. If downspouts were disconnected, rain gardens and rain barrels installed, and other means of diverting water to the aquifer put to use, we would not need Rayonier’s 50 million gallon tank. There would be no need to criss cross that prime waterfront property with pipes covered with six foot earthen berms. The pipes can’t be buried. There can be no digging because it’s an archeological site. Disconnecting downspouts would cost less money, is more progressive, a greener approach, and is more in keeping with Obama’s “Yes We Can”, do it right attitude and plans for America’s future.
Water is becoming more and more of a precious resource and we must take care to guard it well. Poet Angeles is included in the Puget Sound Initiative. We need to comply with the 1998 Watershed Management Act and follow through with the WRIA 18 Elwah-Dungeness Watershed Plan. Buying/leasing Rayoneir’s 50 million gallon tank and going ahead with the most expensive public project in Port Angeles’s history as if it’s the only option is not in the public’s best interest.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
ENV290 Species Distribution As Climate Changes
In Elizabeth Kolbert’s, “Butterfly Lessons”, January 2006, New Yorker article, the effects of global warming on species migration and extinction are discussed. She gives scientific information with enough personal narrative to keep me interested in it as a story. As the title would indicate the story begins with butterflies in Europe and their well documented migration northward. Reason for this is not given. Only the fact that thorough mapping has been done for the past 30 years and 22 of 35 species have shifted north.
The article shifts to global CO2 levels and how much they have risen in the last 10,000 years. With industry and coal burning, levels of CO2 have risen more in the last 200 years than they did in the previous 10,000. Projected rises in temperature caused by the rise in CO2 levels are between three and a half and seven degrees by 2050. A three degree rise would make the earth hotter than it’s been in two million years.
More examples are given of how the effects of climate change can be observed in the natural world. These include earlier mating of frogs in New York, spring flowering shrubs in Boston blooming earlier, Costa Rican toucans nesting higher up in the mountains, plants in the Alps growing at higher elevations, Californian butterflies found 300 feet higher in the Sierra Nevada mountains, East Coast mosquito reproduction habits, and the extinction of the Costa Rican golden toad.
The earth has gone through dramatic climate changes, at least 20 in the past two million years. The last shift was 10,000 years ago when the earth started warming up again. At the rate we are now warming, we will see a rise in temperature in 100 years that up till now took 10,000 years and the earth has never been as warm as is predicted. We don’t know what to expect in how it will affect species including diseases. There is overwhelming evidence that species distribution is changing and will continue to change but there is no way of knowing exactly how.
The article shifts to global CO2 levels and how much they have risen in the last 10,000 years. With industry and coal burning, levels of CO2 have risen more in the last 200 years than they did in the previous 10,000. Projected rises in temperature caused by the rise in CO2 levels are between three and a half and seven degrees by 2050. A three degree rise would make the earth hotter than it’s been in two million years.
More examples are given of how the effects of climate change can be observed in the natural world. These include earlier mating of frogs in New York, spring flowering shrubs in Boston blooming earlier, Costa Rican toucans nesting higher up in the mountains, plants in the Alps growing at higher elevations, Californian butterflies found 300 feet higher in the Sierra Nevada mountains, East Coast mosquito reproduction habits, and the extinction of the Costa Rican golden toad.
The earth has gone through dramatic climate changes, at least 20 in the past two million years. The last shift was 10,000 years ago when the earth started warming up again. At the rate we are now warming, we will see a rise in temperature in 100 years that up till now took 10,000 years and the earth has never been as warm as is predicted. We don’t know what to expect in how it will affect species including diseases. There is overwhelming evidence that species distribution is changing and will continue to change but there is no way of knowing exactly how.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
ENV290 OP-ED
My hackles were raised by Joanna Pearstein's criticism of organics in Wired's June 2008 issue. She states organics may be good for our bodies but they're not good for the planet. Does that mean we should eat food that's bad for our bodies? Would be good for the planet? I disagree with her information on lower than average yields per acre (of organically grown produce) and this creating a need to farm more land for the same amount of food.
There are many examples of the exact opposite of this statement and here is one.
The Thompsons in Iowa switched their farming methods from conventional high-intensity, monocrop methods, using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, to a diversified alternative way they call "regenerative agriculture". They are producing the same amount of food, it's costing them less because they aren't spending money on chemicals, and they are improving the quality and fertility of their soil. The organic content in their soil is twice that of their neighbors giving it the capacity to store more carbon. (Cuningham, Principles of Environmental Science, mhtml:file://D:\Additional Case Studies.mht).
Another would be what has happened in Cuba. Cuba was dependent on imported food to feed her people and fuel to run the equipment used to farm their monocrop of sugarcane. The fuel came from the Soviet Union. They sold sugarcane for premium prices to the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, Cuba's economy fell apart. In a very short period of time they needed to figure out how to feed their people. They met the challenge and are leading the world in sustainable agricultural practices including the use of oxen and mules.."who have replaced 500,000 tractors idled by lack of fuel." (Cuningham)
I'm not about to be swayed into thinking that my eating of organically grown food is bad for the planet. Eating local sustainably grown organic food is one answer to the question, what can we as individuals do to help stop global warming.
There are many examples of the exact opposite of this statement and here is one.
The Thompsons in Iowa switched their farming methods from conventional high-intensity, monocrop methods, using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, to a diversified alternative way they call "regenerative agriculture". They are producing the same amount of food, it's costing them less because they aren't spending money on chemicals, and they are improving the quality and fertility of their soil. The organic content in their soil is twice that of their neighbors giving it the capacity to store more carbon. (Cuningham, Principles of Environmental Science, mhtml:file://D:\Additional Case Studies.mht).
Another would be what has happened in Cuba. Cuba was dependent on imported food to feed her people and fuel to run the equipment used to farm their monocrop of sugarcane. The fuel came from the Soviet Union. They sold sugarcane for premium prices to the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989, Cuba's economy fell apart. In a very short period of time they needed to figure out how to feed their people. They met the challenge and are leading the world in sustainable agricultural practices including the use of oxen and mules.."who have replaced 500,000 tractors idled by lack of fuel." (Cuningham)
I'm not about to be swayed into thinking that my eating of organically grown food is bad for the planet. Eating local sustainably grown organic food is one answer to the question, what can we as individuals do to help stop global warming.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
It's November 5th and I've been busy
On October 28th I witnessed Dr. Keegan signing PC's climate commitment, joining with other colleges and universities from every state in the US. Now PC is committed to implementing a carbon neutral plan within two years. I'm working with Alma Chong on assessing the college's carbon footprint. A data gathering email went out to all college employees/departments, asking for commuter info. We are looking at operations budget, utility bills, etc.
I looked over the college's tree survey data compiled by James Causton in June of 2007. I happen to know James and affectionately call him 'British James' . 308 trees,over 6" in diameter are included in his survey. The species are identified, whether they have health issues, structural issues, and how urgently or non-urgently attention is required.
I reviewed two software programs we could potentially use for the tree study, STRATUM and UFORE. STRATUM seems to be the best choice. We can input the data we already have and the program automatically calculates energy savings from less air conditioning needed because of cooling shade provided by trees, the sum of decreased CO2 in the air, how many other pollutants they pull out of the air, and the amount of reduced storm water runoff. This data will be useful in the college's carbon footprint evaluation I'm working on.
I went to Curtis Beuis's lecture, Putting the 'culture' back in Agriculture. It made me feel sick and angry to hear more about the big corporate seed mongers such as Monsanto, who are buying up rights to seeds and forcing farmer's into growing GMO hybrid crops and how we are loosing genetic diversity which could cause massive crop losses and shortages.
I'm writing a research paper in biology on Human Blood because I'm interested in knowing more about the Rh- factor. I was a 'blue baby' way back before they knew what they know today and needed a complete blood transfusion at birth.
I'm working on an English assignment that requires I interview someone. I'm interviewing Nash Huber. I want to ask him how environmental policies effect the work he is doing. What about land use laws, immigration labour laws, what is he doing genetically with crops, what does he have to say about farm to school lunch programs, compostable produce waste reduction, farmer's market, etc.
I looked over the college's tree survey data compiled by James Causton in June of 2007. I happen to know James and affectionately call him 'British James' . 308 trees,over 6" in diameter are included in his survey. The species are identified, whether they have health issues, structural issues, and how urgently or non-urgently attention is required.
I reviewed two software programs we could potentially use for the tree study, STRATUM and UFORE. STRATUM seems to be the best choice. We can input the data we already have and the program automatically calculates energy savings from less air conditioning needed because of cooling shade provided by trees, the sum of decreased CO2 in the air, how many other pollutants they pull out of the air, and the amount of reduced storm water runoff. This data will be useful in the college's carbon footprint evaluation I'm working on.
I went to Curtis Beuis's lecture, Putting the 'culture' back in Agriculture. It made me feel sick and angry to hear more about the big corporate seed mongers such as Monsanto, who are buying up rights to seeds and forcing farmer's into growing GMO hybrid crops and how we are loosing genetic diversity which could cause massive crop losses and shortages.
I'm writing a research paper in biology on Human Blood because I'm interested in knowing more about the Rh- factor. I was a 'blue baby' way back before they knew what they know today and needed a complete blood transfusion at birth.
I'm working on an English assignment that requires I interview someone. I'm interviewing Nash Huber. I want to ask him how environmental policies effect the work he is doing. What about land use laws, immigration labour laws, what is he doing genetically with crops, what does he have to say about farm to school lunch programs, compostable produce waste reduction, farmer's market, etc.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Still tracking my illusive 'crypto' cat
I been back up there a few times. I ran in to a landowner who advised me to get some bear mace as my little dogie friend, Luna, is no match for the cougars. So with all the scat sign I am leery and have been sticking to Deer Park Road.
Yesterday I was stopped catching my breath when a car came down the hill. The couple stopped and asked if I knew Burnt Mountain. Yes. I hike and bike it. I told them about the cats.
They live on property up Lost Mountain and see bobcats all the time. He had an amazing story! He's seen a cat that is not a cougar and is big for a bobcat (40 pounds) and HAS NO TAIL!, which he says is strange because the bob tail is prominent on a bobcat.
Yesterday I was stopped catching my breath when a car came down the hill. The couple stopped and asked if I knew Burnt Mountain. Yes. I hike and bike it. I told them about the cats.
They live on property up Lost Mountain and see bobcats all the time. He had an amazing story! He's seen a cat that is not a cougar and is big for a bobcat (40 pounds) and HAS NO TAIL!, which he says is strange because the bob tail is prominent on a bobcat.
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