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.

Prescenzifall2014EH2000

Fukushima was a nuclear power plant off the cost of japan.  A earth quake and a following tsunami destroyed the plant on March 11,2011 causing several of the reactors inside to explode. (http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Fukushima-Accident/) Today the plant and surrounding area a post apocalyptic like landscape.  There are vast efforts being made in order to clean up the plant and stop the leaking radiation.  There are security check points on every road going into the Fukushima area.  The biggest concern currently is the contamination of ground water that flows further into the ground and also into the ocean.   Already a extremely large amount of water has been dumped into the ocean that is harmful and radioactive.  To stop this water contamination there are several methods being put to practice.  Every other day one 1/4 million gallon tank is constructed in order to hold the water oppose to letting it go into the ocean and ground water reservoir.  However these tanks are being constructed very quickly and are springing links and fixing them has become a job all in its own. (http://fukushimaupdate.com/)  The water that can not be pumped out and removed easily seeps through the surrounding soil.  To try and combat this, pipes have been ran though out the ground and are being circulated with coolant.  The intent is to freeze the surrounding soil so water can no longer pass through it.  Some water is also undergoing treatment to remove most of the radioactive elements in them.  Although expensive, all radioactive elements are removed except for tritium, which has proven extremely difficult to remove practically.  Sea life in the area has also been damaged to an extent.  Fish are caught some what close to the plant and a number of them are tested for levels of radiation.  Most fish actually meet the Japanese standards for what levels of radiation.  Japan also has the strictess radiation limit on fish in the world.  However there are still fish caught that are deemed unsuitable to eat by the Japanese government so fishing is still not permitted any were near the plant.

Prescenzifall2014EH2000 ·

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the popular herbicide known commonly as Round Up. It accounts for about 25% of herbicide use in the world. (http://www.glyphosate.eu/glyphosate-basics/what-glyphosate)Round Up is a product produced by the company Monsanto.  Monsanto is also the biggest promoter of genetically modified foods in the world.  They have engineered Round Up resistant crops so that there can spray the chemicals in the fields were the desired crop grows and all other plants will die except for the farmed crop.  However now undesired weeds are becoming "Round Up resistant" so farmers now need to use over double the amount of pesticides they used to use in many cases.  These GM plants are a relatively new science and we have no idea of knowing the long-term effects of tampering with the genes of these plants. The repeated use of this herbicide effects animals that live in or around the field were it was applied in as well as the near by water supply.(http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pesticidefactsheets/toxic/glyphosate.php)  Glyphosate has been found to hinder the growth and reproduction of earthworms, lady bugs, and other insects that are actually beneficial to the growth of the crops.  Not to mention we are eating the food that this pesticide is being sprayed on.  So humans are being exposed to this chemical whether they know it or not.  Glyphosate is strongly believed to be linked to causing lymphoma, hormonal diseases in children, and low testosterone males.  The EPA has just allowed the amount of glyphosate in oil seed crops such as soybeans to raise from 20 parts per million to 40 parts per million.  The parts per million aloud in food crops has been raised considerably as well.  Many professionals believe that said regulations are to high and if consumed regularly can be very harmful to humans over time.  Many believe the EPAs reasoning for this may have something to do with the several leaders in the organization having very close relationship with Monsanto.

Prescenzifall2014EH2000

Lead poisoning is a very substantial problem in todays world, this includes in the state of Ohio.  This really is not to surprising when you consider the fact that over 42 percent of all housing units in Ohio were built before 1950 and are highly likely to contain lead hazards. This comes out to be about 3.7 billion homes or apartments (http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhPrograms/cfhs/lead_ch/lead_data.aspx) This is most prevalent in the lead based paint at the time used in the homes.  Lead was used in the majority of paints at the time because it added to the quality.  Even though lead has been known as a poison for ages.  Someone, usually children can get lead poisoning many ways.  The lead can come from paint, contaminated dust, gasoline products from the past, old toys, pollution, glazes, paints, and many other products produced in the past. (http://www.healthline.com/health/lead-poisoning#Overview1) Someone gets lead poisoning because they establish a build up of lead within there body over a certain amount of time that becomes harmful.  This is especially harmful in young children because there bodies are smaller and can not deal with the lead as well as an adult could.  The brains and body systems of children are also still developing which means the lead can have long term to life long effects on a child.  Lead poisoning in Ohio and across the country is more prevalent in children in minority families.  This is because there is a higher concentration of them in low class settings, which are not ideal for health safety.  Another likely cause for this statistic is that people of lower incomes are less likely to be educated on lead poisoning.  The incidence rate in Ohio for children under he age of six with blood levels greater than 10ug/dL is declining.  In 1999 it was 8.9% and in 2013 it was .08%.  The prevalence rate is also going down, in 2005 children with levels greater than a blood level of 10ug/dL was 1.85% and it was 1.04% in 2009.  Locally, in Athens county, .25 percent of children have potentially harmful levels of lead in there body.

Prescenzifall2014EH2000

The CDC, WHO, and OSDH all offer fairly extensive information on their websites about how to prevent Ebola in the U.S. but most information given is in particular to those people who are in or traveling to countries with outbreaks currently in progress or health care workers who are around infected places and people.  The majority of the information offered is almost identical between the three websites preventive pages.  All website say the signs and symptoms of Ebola include the following.  A person that is infected may experience a fever, headache, muscle pains, fatigue,  vomiting, hemorrhage, and any other symptoms that one may have with a common flu but more severe, and in worse case scenario, death.  All three websites suggests basic cleanliest such as washing hands and body extensively and regularly.  The CDC says to use alcohol based hand sanitation products in specific.(http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/prevention/index.html)  All three websites say to stay away from bats or other non human primate animals(particularly in Africa) All three website also say to stay away from  any hospitals in Africa treating Ebola patients if you happen to be in the continent.  All websites stress avoiding direct contact with dead bodies of people who have been infected with Ebola and also to stay away from funeral services and rituals were one may come in contact with a infected body.  The OSDH stresses that it is impossible to get Ebola from food or water from here in the United States.  (http://www.ok.gov/health/Disease,_Prevention,_Preparedness/Acute_Disease_Service/Disease_Information/Ebola_Hemorrhagic_Fever.html)  The OSDH actually sites the CDC's prevention page on their website under there prevention tips.  All three website also state that there is no USDA approved vaccine for the Ebola virus yet.  There is however multiple organizations and researchers working to provide one as it is in great need.  It is my opinion that all three website are fairly identical and informative but if I had to choose one I  would say the CDC's is the best.  This is probably the reason the OSDH actually includes a link to it in there website.