Prescenzifall2014EH2000 ·

Many things have contaminated Lake Erie since the start of the industrial revolution.  Sewage, petroleum products, invasive species, algae blooms, and bacteria have plagued Lake Erie and most of the great lakes for some time and continue to now.  Today, one of the larger problems with Lake Erie is toxic algae plumes.  Often times these plumes are a result of bacteria forming from sewage being dumped into the lake either intentionally or because of flooding.  The warm weather during the summer months amplifies the amount of harmful protest, bacteria, and algae in the lake.  In fact, last year the harmful algae levels were so high, toxins from algae were actually starting to be detected in the water supply of Toledo.  Nearly 500,000 resident in the Toledo area last year were told to not drink their tap water as they could be at risk. (http://www.toledoblade.com/Featured-Editorial-Home/2014/12/04/Clean-up-Lake-Erie-for-real.html)  The algae plumes have been some what ignored by the politicians of our state with little being done.  However, recently a bill was passed to put some restrictions on how and when farmers can spread fertilizers and/or cow manure.  This bill came to be because studies are now shower that agricultural fields that have been treated with fertilizer cause a huge run off of phosphorus.  This Phosphorus than causes the algae growth to grow exponentially and cause problems as it can become toxic.  Instead of declaring the Lake Erie watershed “distressed” an action that would trigger mandatory conservation measures — the politicians involved merely called for a new definition of the condition that presumably put off action for some time and not make it a high alert issue.  This has upset many people through out the state and more legislation is in the process of being brought into law.  If nothing is done, experts have expected to only worsen in the spring and summer months this upcoming year.  Currently, high problem areas are those lake shores around larger cities like Cleveland and Toledo(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/lake-erie-algae-blooms_n_2994304.html )

Prescenzifall2014EH2000

The top five OSHA health complaints of 2014 are listed as, fall protection, hazard communication, scaffolding, respiratory protection, and powered industrial trucks. (https://www.osha.gov/Top_Ten_Standards.html)   Fall  protection was the number one OSHA complaint for this year.  This regulation exist to ensure that employers are making sure employees are safe from, slipping, tripping, or falling.   This can range anywhere from making sure the floors are not slippery, to making sure the structures employees are walking on are stable.  There are dozens of sub-regulations to the fall protections category.  One of which for example is as listed “Each employee less than 6 feet (1.8 m) above dangerous equipment shall be protected from falling into or onto the dangerous equipment by guardrail systems or by equipment guards.”  So as one can see as the regulations go much more in depth than one might think.  Hazard communication is the second on the list. The purpose of this section is to ensure that the hazards of all chemicals produced or imported are classified.  This includes labeling chemicals or safety warnings on containers to ensure people know what is the container and it is used safely.  Scaffolding is the third on our list.  Scaffolding is used all over the world for many reasons especially when performing repair or construction. (https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10752) There are many sub-regulations regarding this as well.  Scaffolding needs to be able to withstand a certain weight, they must be put together safely, and in some cases need counter weights so they do not tip easily, and many other rules.  Respiratory protection is the fourth violation listed.  This is also a very broad regulation.  It includes breathing anything from solid particles to breathing in gases.  This regulation exists to try and keep the air people breathe safe.  The 5^th regulation on our list is powered industrial trucks.  OSHA lists this regulation as follows’ “This section contains safety requirements relating to fire protection, design, maintenance, and use of fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines.”  So this is a fairly broad category with multiple regulations within it to try and keep the use of this type of equipment safe.

Prescenzifall2014EH2000

In my opinion blogs are more beneficial to me as a student than tests.  I find the topics very interesting and find myself becoming fairly knowledgeable on the subject when my blog is complete. I seem to retain the information better and am confident in all blog topics we have discussed.  I can honestly say I have learned more in this class than any other class this semester.  Blogging allows me to decide and receive whatever grade I would like as long as I do my work and put forth effort.  I like the low stress feel to the class and how it is set up.  I believe this is one of the reasons I find myself retaining so much of the information.  Also I like how the class is laid out for me in a straightforward manor.  I know what is required of me at all times and am confident in my abilities to succeed in the class.  I do really find the class enjoyable and never dread the blogs.  Most of the blog topics I have actually found intriguing enough to learn about and often look into the beyond what is required of me.  I never try to do the bare minimum, I actually like doing the homework most of the time, I often due it days before it is due because I do not mind it.  Many other classes require me to do homework that I really do not want to do.  This causes me to stress, which in turn makes it harder to focus and learn.  For me, and I am sure many other students, stress is one of the biggest factors in my college career.  I really do wish more classes were set up like yours at this school, I feel it would be very beneficial.  And that’s not because this class may be an "easy A" its because I feel that I have found this class to be the most interesting class I have taken at this school and also the most 

Prescenzifall2014EH2000

Ohio University has a very active recycling program on campus and in the city of Athens.  This is headed by several offices at the University.  One of the offices that is extremely proactive in recycling at the university is referred to as The Recycling and Refuse program. The Recycling and Refuse Office consists of one manager, one supervisor and approximately eight student staff. They work with the Office of Sustainability, Facilities Management, and other campus departments and groups to encourage a culture of reusing, reducing, and recycling. This group has a contract with the Athens County Recycling Center.  The ACRC also works with a few other organizations in order to reduce the environmental impact on the area.  Groups like  the Appalachian Peoples Action Coalition, Re-Use Industries, New To You, and Albany Tutoring Center are all working with the Recycling and Refuse program to try and divert as much trash from land fills as they can. (http://www.ohio.edu/facilities/recycle/index.html)  One way of keeping lots of organic matter like food and yard waste out of land fills is to compost it.  Composting is utilized by Ohio University and here in Athens county.  On the other side of Radar Hill just across the Hocking River and down the road from the University is a  very large composting center.  The facility takes in food scraps, yard waste, and other organic matter. The facility is very large and has rows and rows of compost outside.  The waste is rotated  or flipped from time to time.  Eventually the organic waste becomes highly fertile soil and can be used in agriculture.  " RecycleMania" is a positive reinforcement program implemented to encourage colleges in the united states to recycle.  The project is eight weeks of the intercollegiate recycling competition. (http://www.ohio.edu/compass/stories/12-13/4/RecycleMania-wrap-2013.cfm)  Ohio University's Athens campus finished first among Mid-American Conference schools in four categories.  This establishes Ohio University as one of the most eco friendly colleges in Ohio.

Prescenzifall2014EH2000 ·

Castoreum is a flavor added to some foods in the United States and around the world.  Castoreum was used as a medicine in 18th century but is now used to flavor foods and supplement the smell of perfume.  The Romans used to believe that burning the castor gland could induce the abortion of a pregnancy.  Paracelsus though the consumption of castoreum would help treat epilepsy. The product is used to simulate a vanilla, raspberry, or strawberry flavor.  It is currently used in ice cream, tea, jello, fruit drinks, yogurt, alcohol, tobacco products, and even some perfumes. What most people do not know is that castoreum is actually harvested from glands located between the genitals and anus of beavers.  These glands can be harvested from male or female beavers of either the North American, or European species of mature beaver.  At one point in time it was included in an aerosol to re-create the new car scent as it can be made to give off a leathery smell that is desired my many.  The beavers’ castor glands accumulate this flavor/scent from eating the bark of several plants. The FDA has deemed castoreum to be safe for human consumption.  This is usually labeled under  "all natural ingredients"  in food which many consumers find to be somewhat deceptive when they learn what they have actually been eating.  In the wild, beavers use this chemical to spray on there surroundings along with urine to mark there territories.(http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/castoreum.asp) When took from the beaver the castoreum resembles a yellow gel like liquid. However, we only use about 292 pounds of castoreum a year. (nowhttp://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/01/beaver-butts-emit-goo-used-for-vanilla-flavoring/) There are at least twenty-four compounds known to be constituents of beaver castoreum.  Badgers also have similar gland that were used in substitute in Europe during the 18th century.  The British at one point believed it to raise blood pressure and cardiac flow in the early 1900s. 

Prescenzifall2014EH2000

Exclusion Zone water, or EZ water for short, is a relatively new science that is just now beginning to develop.  It was discovered by a professor at the University of Washington. (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/18/exclusion-zone-water.aspx) EZ water is actually considered to be a 4th phase of water in between a solid and a liquid.  This form of water has the consistency of a gel.  This 4th form of water is the water thought to be found within the cells of our body.  Although just now becoming a known fact, the idea of a 4th form of water is relatively old, but this is the first time we can actually consistently create it.  The water is completely pure when created from debris or pathogens and the cycle is powered by light.  The more light introduced the larger the exclusion zone, which is the section were the 4th phase water is created.  So potentially this is a method that can be used to purify water in places like 3rd world countries were water is unsafe for consumption.  The process just needs to be made larger somehow in order for it to be practical however we do not yet know how to do this.  This exclusion zone water is different from normal water, which has an atomic formula of H20.  This fourth form of water has an atomic formula of H3O2, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-T7tCMUDXU)which gives it a negative charge.  Potentially the EZ water and normal water can create a battery because they have opposite charges. The process for making EZ water is hard to put into words, a medium is placed in the normal water and light causes a exclusion zone to  form on the edge of this which is composed of this H3O2 water.  The exclusion zone however is only about the width of a human hair under normal conditions.  Although as previously stated this exclusion zone can be made wider by the addition of light.  The EZ water can than be extracted from the exclusion zone.