#Blog

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1J1MFvV

There’s Always Room for Mushrooms!

            When most people think about mushrooms the first thing that comes to mind is as a topping. Few people stop to think about the origin of mushrooms or how they might be utilized to help save the world. One scientist did just that though: Paul Stamets presented at TED talks a very interesting proposal about mushrooms and how they are past masters from internet to recycling. Currently mushrooms are being used in experiments to decompose plastics and to help clean up oil spills. By having the mushrooms use the compounds that make up the oil and plastic as a food source they mushrooms can literally digest the plastic in landfills or the oil in the spills. This is a fascinating area of study and one which has been showing a great deal of promise in the field of environmentalism. Some recent experiments into utilizing mushrooms to their fullest potential include a dramatic example of mushroom spores being introduced to a crude oil contaminated pile of soil. The spores took root and began to consume the carbon bonds that hold the oil molecules together, then as the mushrooms died off they gave way for a whole new ecosystem to take over. After several weeks the dirt pile was transformed into an oasis of green vegetation. This is one example where mushrooms would be able to do much for the environment. Another area that is being explored is their use as a fuel source called Econol. Yet another way in which mushrooms are being used is by decomposing plastic. Until recently plastic was thought to take from anywhere around hundreds of years to thousands of years to decompose naturally. However a new discovery in the rain forest of a very rare mushroom that can actually consume and break down plastic has changed that number drastically. By using a variant of this mushroom species a new technology is being developed to turn waist plastic in to a food source for people. The special incubator consumes the plastic leaving behind something that can be eaten by humans. This is a very promising venture that may be able to eventually be able to solve too big problems that we face today, world hunger and overflowing landfills. While this concept is still a long way off from making it into our everyday lives, it’s still a fascinating idea that has the capability of changing the world for the better or the worse. (One step closer to Soylent Green..)

In short mushrooms may hold the key to the future of mankind; they have existed on the earth for longer than any other organism and show no signs of stopping anytime soon.  Mushrooms and fungi have the potential to change the way we live, from how we power our machines to what we eat. They developed the first internet, and are capable of cleaning up our messes from oil spills to landfills. Over the next several years it will be interesting to watch the progress of the mushroom in out day to day lives.

#Blog

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1OuRXlk

Vaccines: More harm than good?

                Vaccines have been used in one form or another for a very long time going back as far as 1000 CE with early Chinese inoculations. From very early on humans have identified a need to eradicate disease and sickness. The best way to do this is by vaccinating the population and building antibodies against the various types of illnesses. Only recently have we as a people been able to exterminate whole diseases such as Smallpox and until last year Measles. The way vaccines work is by injecting or exposing our bodies to either weak or dead versions of the virus that we are targeting. Our bodies are then able to identify and develop antibodies for those viruses thus protecting us from the full strength version. After several generations of inoculations, the affronting virus then dies off being another page in the history books. Since a vaccine is literally injecting a version of a deadly virus into our bodies there are some side effects. These side effects are typical of an immune system response like fever, or weak symptoms of the original virus. This can be expected, so when we go out and get a flu shot its perfectly normal to feel a little sick for a couple days after words. You are after all purposely injecting yourself with different strains of the flu virus in an effort to avoid getting the full strength version. Why then is there a controversy behind vaccines? It seems that they are a pretty good thing, and help in the long run by exterminating horrible diseases. All of that is true, but the controversy is stemming from what else is in the vaccines, particularly the preservatives. One of the preservatives that is causing a big fuss is Thmerosal which is an organomercurial. Basically it’s an organic compound that contains mercury a known neurotoxin. There are many other toxic preservatives in vaccines that are linked to causing brain, muscle, bone, and connective tissue diseases. So why would all these known toxins be included in vaccines that are meant to protect people from illness? This is where the controversy comes into play with the deliberate concealment of data and information. Recently the Measles vaccine has been making headlines with concerns of the vaccine causing Autism. The concern is whether or not the MMR (Measles Mumps and Rubella) vaccine has something in it that is causing Autism in children. The main evidence behind this theory is correlation. As the MMR vaccine has been administered to more any more children under the age of two, the cases of Autism have been increasing in a one to one ratio. In 2014 a CNN iReport regarding the CDC covering up data that indicates a 340% increase of Autism cases among African American children who were given the MMR vaccine was released that sparked outrage and added fuel to the fire of vaccine controversy. Later this story proved to be false, but the idea behind it remained. Over the last few years a growing movement of Anti-Vaxxers has developed, these people refuse to receive any vaccine or inoculation. While it’s their choice whether or not to take a vaccine, the implications of their choice has led to an outbreak of Measles a disease that in 2000 was declared eradicated in the United States. Because a few people decided not to take a vaccine a once dead illness reemerged and is once again threatening populations. The question now is whether or not you should be able to opt out of a vaccine without a medical exemption. Public schools and pediatricians are now requiring proof of vaccination for children before they are admitted, and rejected if their parents are unable to provide that proof. This is being done to protect the other children from potential carriers of diseases as a result of them not getting vaccinated. Over the next several months to years these questions and others are going to be raised, and it is up to us to decide how to interpret the data.

*Personal Opinion*

We have been getting vaccines for a very long time; I have been getting vaccinations, and immunizations all my life. While the controversy has always existed only recently has it reemerged to the headlines. While I will admit that there are awful lot correlations between vaccines and complications, correlation does not equal causation. What we need to see in the months and years to come is transparency with the CDC and FDA in regards to what the data is really saying. There should also be changes to what can and cannot be added to vaccines to act as preservatives. In my opinion I would like to have all the facts and to know why some of the facts are being obscured. Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion: this is mine.

#Blog

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1NkmeEB

Water Water Everywhere...

                Earth is mostly water with some land, yet in many places people do not have access to fresh clean drinking water. The big questions floating around today are whether or not water should be considered a basic human right. If so then it would be up to the governments of countries  to provide safe drinking water for their populations. When most people in America think about the water problem we think it's something going on in third world countries. But the facts are that this is a problem that hits closer to home then most people think. With the devastating droughts in California and the massive debt accumulating in Detroit, the water crisis is right around the proverbial corner. There are many ways in which we are able to reclaim water, from fog and humidity, to desalination. At the same time people are trying to reclaim water others are wasting it without regard to the people and communities being put at risk. There are those who would privatize water as a consumable resource that should be controlled and utilized as we utilize ore and fossil fuels. The other side of the spectrum are those who see water as a fundamental human right that everyone should have access to no matter their economic status. Over the years there have been a number water right acts brought forward to the UN about the access of water as a right for all people and in 2010 we saw the UN pass a resolution recognizing the access to clean water as such. It was a tremendous step forward but it was only a step, what matters is how it is followed up. Moving forward how water is handled is always going to stir up controversy and full of problems.

                Looking at water reclaiming we can see a slew of innovations being made in this field from the Fog nets to humidity traps, and so on. These systems can be implemented in locations where perceptible water is scarce and temperatures are high such as deserts and high elevations. The moisture can be trapped, condensed, and stored for consumption. The water collected this way can be filtered and made available almost anywhere that a need exists. In areas that have plenty of power and access to sea water, but little to no access to fresh water we see implementation of desalination plants. These plants take raw sea water and refine it into clean safe drinking water ready for use in any application. They way this works is by distilling the water, by heating the water to the point it turns into steam. The steam is then condensed back into clean water. In the next few years we will be seeing more water reclaiming going on as the need for more clean water increases. Likewise as the demand for clean drinking water increase so will the need for regulations concerning the use of said water, particularly in the industry sector. It will no longer be acceptable to pollute and drain aquifers and other natural water Reservoirs. The next few years are going to be interesting to say the least, and we might start seeing the first ever "Water Wars" which is a frightening thought.

#Blog

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1wFqeWD

The Footprint Shuffle

                In the United States we consume a tremendous amount of meat and greens. But could what we consume and the quantities in which we consume it be killing our planet? To assess this claim we will be looking at both the green house gas emissions from the agricultural industry and the meat industry. Roughly one third of all green house gas emissions come from the food industry sector. By using estimates from 2005, 2007, and 2008 one research paper was able to come up with a set of figures for the actual amount of green house gasses put into the atmosphere by the food industry. The figures are thus; around twelve megatons of carbon dioxide, around 86% of all the food industry green house gasses. Within this we have fertilizer production which stands at about five hundred and seventy five megatons of gas emissions, and refrigeration stands around four hundred and ninety megatons. In total the food industry puts around ninety eight hundred to sixteen thousand and nine hundred megatons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. When comparing the meat industry to the agricultural industry we need to factor in the amount of pesticides, herbicides, water use, waste production, fossil fuel use, and deforestation. All these things contribute to green house gasses. When we look at where the green house gasses come from most studies neglect this area and mainly focus on the negative impact of the meat industry. These studies tell people to eat less meat and more vegetables forgetting that the fruit and veggie industry is just as guilty of pollution as the meat industry.

                Let’s look at the meat industry now that we have taken a surface deep look at the agricultural industry.  One aspect of the meat industry that tends to be over looked is dairy. A typical dairy farm in Idaho puts out around thirty three thousand and ninety two pounds of methane a day on study found. Now with three hundred and sixty five days a year, and thousands of dairy farms in the United States we can see how detrimental an impact on the environment the dairy industry truly is. Looking at the meat industry, Americans love their meat. The primary meats consumed in the United States are chicken, pork, and beef. Beef is the most popular and has the most negative effect on the environment, with around twenty eight times more land being used for the productions of red meat, then for pork or chicken. It also has eleven times more water usage, culminating in about five times more green house gas emissions. One shocking statistic is comparing the effect per calorie of beef vs. potatoes with beef requiring around one hundred and sixty times more land, and producing about eleven times more green house gasses. One suggestion of reducing green house gasses, would be to eat less meat, big industry agriculture, and especially dairy. Some eco-friendly alternatives would be to eat certified organic agriculture, and free range/grass feed live stock. By supplementing the typical diet with more environmentally friendly options the amount of green house gasses being introduced into the atmosphere from the food industry can be reduced to a more manageable level.

#Blog

via Instagram http://ift.tt/1DwCdeZ

50 Shades of Salt

                Humans are made of salt. It is as integral to our existence as water: without salt we would die. Throughout human civilization salt has played an important role in culture by way of; economics, religion, war, and consumption. Salt dates back since before recorded history. As for recorded history, we see salt as early as 2700 BC China in the Peng-Tazao-Kan-Mu. One of the earliest treatise on pharmacology which had a major section devoted to a discussion of more than 40 different kinds of salt. Also describing two main ways to extract salt and convert it into a usable form.

                Roman soldiers were known as "Salarium Argentum", since many Roman soldiers were paid with salt. Salt makes several appearances in the English language. For instance the words; "salary", "salad", "sausage", and "sauce" are all derived from the Latin "Sal" meaning "salt". In Greece salt was an important commodity and was used in the exchange of slaves and is where we get the meaning of "not worth his salt." Looking at religion we see salt making its appearance with it being referenced more than 30 times in the Bible, in such references as "salt of the earth" and "holy salt." Salt has been the symbol of purity, incorruptibility, and immunity lending itself to religious ideology and incorporation.

                Today salt is as much a part of our culture as it has always been. We use salt in most facets of our lives, most of the time without even realizing it. Most all foods contain salt in one shape or another, we use slat on our roads, in chemical processes, water purification, and many other areas. There are many ways in which we get our salt. The two main ways are drying sea water and mining. The drying process is the same technique as our ancestors, involving several pools or salt brine water in various states of salinity. The over arching goal of this process is to evaporate the water out leaving behind the salt and minerals. Then the salt is cleaned and set to the market. The other main way to get salt is by mining it from slat deposits. In the United States we have several large salt mines. One such mine is located under Lake Erie. The Cargill mine under Lake Erie has been in operation for over 50 years, and owned by Cargill since 1997. The mine is located 1,800 feet below Lake Erie and is approximately 4 square miles. In 2013 the Cargill mine was temporarily closed due to suspected convergence, the mine was later reopened after ODNR inspectors and mine staff determined a solution to the problem.

                Salt in our diet has undergone several changes over the last few years, with the FDA putting further recommended restrictions on salt intake. Most of the restrictions are aimed at lowering obesity and cardiovascular disease. This is because as sodium accumulates, the body retains water in order to dilute the extra sodium. This leads to an increase in the amount of fluid surrounding cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. As the volume of blood increases it makes the heart work harder, and puts more pressure on blood vessels. Over time this can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and congestive heart failure. There are a number of health concerns related to too much sodium intake. While too much sodium is inherently bad, conversely too little sodium intake can be just as detrimental to human health. In recent studies scientists have been finding that the "Goldilocks Zone" for salt consumption is between 4 and 6 grams per day. Greatly more than the FDA's recommended 1.5 and 2.3 grams per day. As more studies are conducted the truth about how much salt we should consume will be identified. Today it would appear that the studies being conducted are pointing towards the same conclusion, that too little sodium can be just as detrimental to health as too much. Just some food for thought.