Three Headaches for the Recycling Industry

ScrAPES#19: Three Headaches for the Recycling Industry

by Matt Richtel

March 25, 2016

The advanced recycling companies in the world modifies 75 percent or more of the community's waste from landfills. But these companies like, Zero Waste, are having difficulties to recycle THREE products; Diapers, Plastic Bags, and Juice Boxes. Diapers are made of composite materials with more than one type of plastic. A recycling consultant in Northern California, Gary Liss, says that he knows a company that is in the process of knowing a way to recycle diapers. But the process is long consisting of curbside pickup for used diapers, pulling apart, and cleaning. Plus it cost money. There are also adult diapers and it is not going to get better due to Baby Bloomers. Plastic Bags on the other hand are an everyday, per person use. It is in every retail or grocery stores in the United States and in the world. When plastic bags enter the world of machinery they are a nightmare because they float, cling, wrap, and gum up the expensive machines. Juice boxes are also a problem because they are extremely difficult to pull apart. The only possible solution people have figured out is to design packaging that allows the materials to be more easily separated. 

This is interesting to me because I never knew that diapers were one of the massive problems the recycling companies have to endure with to keep it from landfills. But then again it is not surprising because every day almost every second there is a new baby born in the United States. Juice boxes also surprised me because I did not know that machine could not disassemble a box and that people have to do it by hand. What did not surprise me at all was plastic bags because they are very widespread and the quality of these plastic bags are extremely strong.

This is important to the environment because if we do not recycle these products at all or in a faster pace it will build up and will eventually reach the landfills. It will pollute our streams and oceans and kill the aquatic animals. We will not have clean water available and we do need clean water in order to survive. Even though the process to prevent these products from reaching the landfills are expensive I think it is very much worth it! Would people rather care about the green paper we call money than our health and the health of our planet?

Resources:

• Three Headaches for the Recycling Industry

What Went Wrong in Flint

ScrAPES#18: What Went Wrong in Flint

by Monica Davey and Mitch Smith

March 3, 2016

On April 2014, Flint's state allowed a temporary change on the city's water source. Flint's water was originally coming from Lake Huron and was transferred to Flint's river. During the switch, Flint officials did not add corrosion controls (the measures that are implemented in various fields to control corrosion in: Soil, Metal, Concrete, and Water). Since the corrosion controls controlled metals, the contamination of lead could have been prevented initially. The epidemic of the contamination of lead derived from the city's old lead pipes. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality did not check twice for the corrosion controls and are one of the many people who is in fault for this issue. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency ignored when a scientist warned them about the levels of high lead in the water coming out of Flint's tap water. State and local officials relentlessly overlooked resident's complaints about the discoloration of the water and the effect of rashes. Mayor Walling also announced that he thinks people are wasting precious money buying bottled water. When Flint officials finally realized the elevated levels of contamination they told residents to boil their water before drinking it, but it failed miserably. The city and state officials did not warn the issue and later on arranged the water to return to Lake Huron. Detroit also offered to give Flint fresh and clean water but was rejected stating that Detroit's water is expensive. Other than rashes the other extreme, horrific effects of the contamination was the Legionnaire's Disease (a form of pneumonia) and high levels of lead in newborns. Governor Snyder was withheld the information of the contamination, even though he worried about Flint's water. Instead he was assured by officials and scientists that the water was perfectly fine!

This article or issue is interesting to me because water is the most important and valuable resource any living organism need. Humans can survive without food for probably a week or two because of water. It is disgusting that the officials of Flint hid a horrid complication instead of taking it in their own hands, which would have prevented lead contamination, residents and children getting sick and dying. Sometimes I question people's lack of humanity because apparently Flint rather would have cheap water than extravagant water. I guess people love to ruin our existence and cause dramatic problems for money. 

This is important for the environment because as I said earlier, water is literally everything for everyone! We NEED water and murky water is not the way to go with! Imagine a parent washing their hands on dirty tap water and then holding their newborn child, that child will get ill and die. Polluted water can also poison animals because there are aquatic animals who depend and live in the water. There are also animals who drink water from rivers and lakes. It can wipe out the diversity in the community of the animals, which will prevent them from surviving. Taking in too much lead can effect the human nervous system, bones, teeth, kidneys, cardiovascular, immune system, and reproductive system. As well as hearing loss and cataracts. Lead is extremely deadly and I know people are afraid to die. My point is that it is more important for us to be healthy over the possession of money.



Resources:

• What Went Wrong in Flint

Mummification Practiced in Bronze Age Britain

ScrAPES#9: Mummification Practiced in Bronze Age Britain

by Sindya N. Bhanoo

October 5, 2015

Ever heard of Ancient Egypt and their beliefs and superstitions? Egypt believed in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Recently, Dr. Tom Booth, an archaeologist at the Natural History Museum in London, discovered ancient mummification in the bronze age of Britain; expanding from 2200 B.C. to 750 B.C. He assumed that Ancient Britons' might have buried their dead in peat bogs (A bog is a mire that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material), and extracted human organs after death through evisceration. Dr. Booth also assumed that people probably displayed the dead mummies in the living society; to make a claim that they "owned" something, either a land or property. 

 This article is extremely interesting to me because my family and I are superstitious, sometimes my mom goes overboard with it. Our superstitions are not the typical American one's where; if you walk under a ladder you will get bad luck, opening an umbrella in a house is bad luck, knock on wood, wishbones, or simply Friday the 13th. Personally, I believe and SOME superstitions but mostly I do not because some people depend on it. I the contrary, I believe in God, depend him, not beliefs. This article also interest me because the afterlife is a very mysterious yet dangerous place. You do not know where you are going to end up. There might not even be a heaven or earth, MIGHT. Sometimes I overthink to myself if there is, but I try not to. I make claims that maybe after we die we would just be stuck in a dream that we cannot get out of. Or resurrection. I question Ancient Egypt, Ancient Briton, and other places that have practiced mummification, whether or not they do it because they believe that their loved ones will be with them. Is it safe for the body and soul to be mummified?

Mummification effects the environment because it is one of the many "beliefs" or non-beliefs that relates to the nonliving. For example, nowadays people bury the dead or cremate them. People think that the "proper" way to handle the dead is by burying them in a cemetery (yes that may be true). And some assume that cremation is the devil's work. No it is not because in ancient or pass times the dead used to be burned, in the belief of setting the soul free. If the practice of mummification became an epidemic around the world including the United States? What would happen? 

Resources:

• Mummification Practiced in Bronze Age Britain 
• Ancient Egyptian Civilization

Counting the World’s Trees

ScrAPES#7: Counting The World's Trees

September 4, 2015

In Counting the World’s Trees, BBC World Service News discussed about the side effects of road noises towards birds. Traffic noises are devastating to birds and from January to December of 2015 there had been a greatly amount of increase in temperature. There are three trillion trees in the world and they provide oxygen, carbon, stabilize, and provide habitats for wild life. Dr. Thomas Crowder of Vale School of Forestry om Environmental Studies explained that an average every year there is a gross lost of fifteen billion trees and a net loss of ten billion each year due to human impact. Dr. Heidi Ware of Boise State University and her team created a phantom road that has fifteen pairs of speakers that are strapped on trees blasting road noises in the forest. These speakers are turned on and off every four days; when the road noise are on birds show a low bmi or low body condition. Low body condition means less fat and less fuel. Also birds spent more time with their heads up looking for predators. On the contrary, when it is off birds has a good body condition. Eighty-three percent of the United States is covered within one kilometer of a road noise. Dr. Ware stated that to change this negative impact on birds roads should be designed with a different material (most likely rubber), decreasing the speed of cars, and decreasing the number of cars that drive on the road.

This podcast is significant to me because birds are one of the native species on Earth and the fact that human's most common work of art is negatively impacting them is horrid. Looking at birds I think they are the most precious animals on this Earth because they are innocent and wild. When I was younger I was not very fond of animals but recently owning six pets I realized the wonders of animals; they take a role in the ecosystem and the food chain no matter if they are an insect to as big as a polar bear. Trees are also one of the native plants on Earth. Scientifically they are one of the important factors of living things. 

Road noises relate to the environment because with it around birds will have weak body condition that results to less fuel which means they cannot migrate. Birds also pollinate plants, disperse seeds, and recycle nutrients. Other than that cutting down trees in a forest to invent roads decreases our oxygen level because trees are most common for their role of giving out oxygen to people and animals. They help us breathe. Without birds and trees the ecosystem would not be balanced. 

Resources:

• Counting the World’s Trees
• Why Do Birds Matter?

Obama Makes Urgent Appeal in Alaska for Climate Change Action

ScrAPES#6: Obama Makes Urgent Appeal in Alaska for Climate Change Action

by Julie Hirschfeld Davis & Steven Lee Myers

August 31, 2015

                President Barack Obama of the United States of America, visited Alaska to discuss about the current situation of global warming. Global warming is a continuously increase in temperature of the earth's atmosphere. Obama deliberated that climate change is not a problem of the future anymore it is a problem right now. Also, he admitted that the United States took a role in creating a climatic change issue and that they will acquire guidance to clarify the concern. Likewise stating that climate change will overflow countries and demolish cities, unless reducing emissions was to occur. Mr. Obama pledged to cut down emissions from twenty-sex percent to twenty-eight percent by the year 2025. In the contrary protesters protested demanding no to reducing emissions as a result of the state's high dependent issue on oil revenue. But Obama defends that there should not be any complication between a sound environment and strong economic growth. He also said quoting, "Those who want to ignore the science, they are increasingly alone. They're on their own shrinking island".

Winter Storm Juno 2015 in Boston

Juno

          This is concerning to me because President Obama is precise that climate change (or global warming) is arising currently. In my experience, during summer time it is magnificently burning hot compared to the temperature of summertime five to ten years ago; also nowadays the temperature around August in the United States, specifically Boston is decreasingly brisk around the temperature of sixty to sixty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, during winter we are experiencing moderate to very severe blizzards. On January 23, 2015 Winter Storm Juno was a compelling blizzard that effected Central and North Eastern United States and Canada with the highest gust of ninety-five miles per hour. It resulted to power outage which meant no heat or food available at the most. Also in western coast United States wild fires are happening due to extreme heat which goes up to ninety-five Fahrenheit nearly each day. I agree that United States should take action on climate change and also other countries as well because they are effected too. We live in one planet and we need this planet to survive.

Wild fires in California

           Climate change relates to the environment because with severe climate change like rapid increase in heat, severe blizzards, wild fires, erosion, our life would develop differently, if we even have a life anymore. Living things can not survive if we do not do something right away about climate change because sooner or later the land that we live in will soon perish away. People, animals, and plants will die. We will become extinct. Acting fast and ahead of time means we have an opportunity to innovate the future, for it to be a better living environment. People need to realize that natural disasters and climate changes can be murderous. I never understood why women tanned so much in the beach; I get it it, it makes you tanner and that is what you like. But when increase temperature of heat develops there will be a more likely chance that women or people in general will get skin cancer. Too much heat can also make you dehydrated. But it is not too late, we can better ourselves and our environment because our environment, our planet, our life is a very important thing to us, it is how we survive. 

Resources:

• Obama Makes Urgent Appeal in Alaska for Climate Change Action
• Pictures
• January 2015 North American Blizzard

Land Of Mutant Daisies

ScrAPES#5: Land of Mutant Daisies

by Martha Azzi

July 23, 2015

2011 Tsunami "3.11 Tsunami" hit Fukushami nuclear plant resulting to meltdowns
of 3 out of 6 nuclear plants.

Fasciation- caused primarily and rarely because of the
hormonal imbalance causing increase of weight and volume.

Back in March 11, 2011, a magnitude (level nine) earthquake hit Japan resulting to a brutal tsunami. Proceeding after the earthquake, radioactive water was recognized, exposing from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. According to the Japanese government the overall destruction of both the earthquake and tsunami are assuming to be three hundred billion dollars, which in currency of Yen is twenty-five trillion. Four years after the tragic incident residents detected mutated plants in the nearby city of Nasushiobara. There are plants, vegetables, and fruits that are mutated due to the earthquake and tsunami that occurred four years ago. Studies say that mutated flowers like daisies occur as a result of fasciation. Fasciation or cresting, develop due to rare condition of peculiar growth in vascular plants. Researchers have no doubt that mutation came into being by the earthquake that shook and the tsunami that flooded North Eastern Japan. 

This is ideally interesting to me because it astonished me that Japan was hit with magnitude of 9 earthquake with a tsunami. That is very menacing because it results to thousands to probably millions of death and what is more traumatizing is the fact that the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was also hit and destroyed. Nuclear Power Plants are extremely threatening especially when exposed to the environment and living things. Mutated plants, vegetables, and fruits? What has the world come to? If so, that this news is sincere then shortly food will be exterminated due to the nuclear and radiation effecting the grounds of north eastern Japan. People and animals cannot nourish food that contain radiation within the system because it can be a massacre. If people and animals did take in mutated vegetables and plants, will they become mutated as well? In my ideal opinion I think it is very horrific that mutation is occurring in Japan and that debris are washed up on North American beaches.

Green roots sprouting out of the tomato.

Mutation, radiation, and nuclear relate to the environment because these three things can effect the living people, animals, and plants in the environment. For example, the nuclear power plant already effected the environment because daises are mutated and are growing inwardly towards each other because of fasciation, vegetables are sprouting in different directions, and some are magnified in larger size or amount. Japanese people should no doubt stay away from radiated locations because their body can have a severe negative reaction to it. It might kill people and we do not want that. 

Resources:

**NOTE Video 1 is originally from Youtubers who discussed about the mutated plants, vegetables, and fruits after the devastating earthquake and tsunami four years ago in Japan. Plenty of foul language and crude humor may occur**

• Nuclear Mutant Plants and Veggies are Growing in Japan
• Land of Mutant Daisies
• Revenge of the Mutant Vegetables?
• Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011: Facts & Information

Ecobook

Ecobook

Omnivore #1:

Squirrels are omnivores because they ingest on plants primarily nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, and fungi. Sometimes they consume insects, eggs, small birds, newborn snakes, and small rodents like rats or mice.

Carnivore #2:
My dog Lucky is mainly a carnivore because he eats pork, beef, chicken which is all categorized as meat.

Ecosystem #3:

The park are ducks, squirrels, pigeons' ecosystem because this is where they live, interact with one another, while adapting to their environment and everything else around them.

Producer #4:
Algae and plants are classified as producers because they're a source of food for other organisms. Green plants harvest through photosynthesis.

Land Use #5: 

This is considered Land Use because University of Massachusetts Boston is renovating it's environment for dormitories for college students.

  

Abiotic #6:

Sunlight is an abiotic factor because it effects living organisms and the ecosystem. The sun provides vitamin D and also is an extensive part of photosynthesis.

  

Community #7:

Charles Newtown is a community because various of different race of people live here. Everyone pays rent, buys groceries, and communicate with one another.

Heterotroph #8:

I am a heterotroph because I absorb autotrophs (plant). Plants are also a source of food for me because they are nutritious and provide carbohydrates, fiber, protein, minerals, and vitamins.

Biotic #9:

Trees are a biotic factor because they affect other organisms. They provide oxygen to living things like humans and animals. Also, plants are contributed with food through trees because of photosynthesis. Without them no living things would be alive.

Land Pollution #10:

Across from my house is a baseball field that is occasionally filled with trash; papers, dunkin donut cups, plastic bags, plastic wrappers, etc. 

Renewable Resource #11 9/21/15:

Primark's paper bag is a renewable resource because it has the recycling symbol on the bottom with a statement stating, "Paper is a natural and renewable resource."

Water Pollution #12 9/21/15:

The water beneath this bridge that connects from Charlestown to Boston has filthy water that gushes out occasionally at least a day (I don't know how many times per day), but it turns the water into a disgusting green-like color.

Composting #13:

This is composting because it is a natural fertilizer where the people in The Greenway decomposes soil and plants, which also reduces the amount of material in the landfill.

Autotroph #14:

This flower is an autotroph because it takes in energy from the sunlight, also known as photosynthesis. Autotrophs and Producers are a major factor in the food chain in all ecosystem.

Omnivores #15:

My pet rats; William and Alfonso are both omnivores because they eat anything. They eat seeds, fruits, grains, nuts, flowers, leaves, insects, birds, etc.

Throw away society #16:

An iPhone is considered a throw-away-society because it involves consumerism. It promotes interests towards consumers and buyers by its cool features and updating every 6-12 months.

Waste generation #17:

This coca-cola bottle is considered waste generation because it is a waste/trash that is consuming our planet because it is made out of plastic (I found picture two disturbing and funny).

Food Chain #18:
This is a food chain because it is categorizing the food the animals take in and what animals take in them.

Pesticide #19:

This is pesticide prevention for dogs so that they will not have ticks or fleas or pest on their fur.