The Life of a Tree

Poem and art by Caeli MacLennan

Why Go Organic?

Imagine this: Helen, a mother with three children, is shopping at the grocery store to buy food for her family. Strolling through the produce section, her eyes scan the many crates, pondering over which brand of apple would suit her household best; they come to rest on a pink label that reads, “organic”. Scowling at the price tag, she wonders, why should I pay extra money for something that is organic? I mean, what’s the difference? In truth, there are actually great quantities of reasons why organic foods are preferable to non-organically grown foods: they are healthier, better for the environment, and are grown without pesticides.

One little known fact about organic foods is that they contain more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than non-organically grown foods. Why? The reason is actually quite simple. Plants produce antioxidants when placed in stressful conditions, such as becoming prey to a predator. Because inorganic foods are grown with pesticides, they don’t have to deal with the nuisances and therefore do not produce the antioxidants needed to help them through such situations. Because organic foods are exposed to all of nature’s obstacles, they are put in greater distress and, in turn, produce more antioxidants, which are known to help fight cancer. When tested, organic foods also are shown to contain higher levels of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium than non-organically grown foods.

Another reason to go organic is because organic farming is better for the environment than non-organic farming. Many non-organically grown foods are shipped all across the world, sometimes sitting in crates for multiple days in one trip. Sending the goods to all these different places uses an immense amount of fuel. Not only does the shipping of the produce require an enormous amount of energy, but the shipment of the fertilizer as well as its production requires so much fossil fuel that we are practically eating it. Also, because of the time needed to ship fruits and vegetables to their destination, most of the goods are harvested before they are ripe in order to ensure that they are not rotten when they arrive. Because they don’t have the opportunity to ripen on the vine, non-organically grown foods will often possess less flavor than organic foods, causing 53% of the U.S to dislike them.

Perhaps the most crucial reason that many people choose to buy organic foods despite expensive price is that non-organically grown foods, instead of using natural means to keep animals and pests away, spray pesticides on the produce, essentially covering them in a thin layer of poison. Animals, such as birds, that are unfortunate enough to make the mistake of nibbling on a non-organically grown fruit or vegetable suffer severe consequences, and if they don’t die soon after their error, their offspring will be born unable to survive in the harsh wilderness. In addition to the direct poisoning of animals that eat the unsafe foods, indirect poisoning occurs when pesticides are washed by rainwater into rivers, which affect fish and other wildlife. Not only are small animals affected, but many humans who eat the foods are also in harm’s way. As many as seven of the most toxic chemical compounds known to man are approved to be used as pesticides by the CAC (Codex Alimentarius Commission) and which the residues of are commonly found, as well as many other pesticide residues, in baby foods, spinach, dried fruit, bread, apples, celery, and chips. Although adults can experience symptoms as well, children are the most prone to the dangers of nonorganic farming. Birth defects, cancer, hormone disruption, neurological effects, and asthma are all common effects of these poisonous residues.

In conclusion, organic foods are healthier, safer, and better for the environment than non-organically grown alternatives. Although many people are fooled into buying the cheaper and often larger choices, those who have outsmarted the price tag find that they lead happier, healthier lives because of their decision. Don’t fall prey to the dangers that inorganic foods present; buy organic produce as often as possible, particularly when shopping for children.

Citations:

"Shocking Reasons to go Organic." Online Newspaper. CBS News, 16 Mar. 2010. Web. 7 July 2012. <http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500398_162-6303444.html>.

 

"Health Effects of Pesticides." Kids for Saving the Earth. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2012. <http://www.kidsforsavingearth.org/mnchec/articles/pesticides.htm>.

"Effects of Pesticides." Global healing Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 July 2012.         <http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/effects-of-pesticides/effects-of-pesticides>.

"Ten reasons why you should go organic." Organic Consumers Association. N.p., 3 Sept. 2006. Web. 8 July 2012. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_1944.cfm.

The Dirty Dozen: When to go organic. Private Collection. Web. 8 July 2012. <http://yuru.com/blog/2010-07-the-dirty-dozen-when-to-go-organic>.

A Hundred Years from Now

A Hundred Years from Now

What will life be like, a hundred years from now?
What troubles my grandchildren shall face
what life they shall live
what joys they be blessed
what tiresome struggles shall put them to test
a hundred years from now?

What will life be like, a hundred years from now?
When I have passed away
will trees grow on rooftops
cars soar above seas
cities float atop clouds that blow in the breeze
a hundred years from now?

What will life be like, a hundred years from now?
If the blue and green Earth turn gray.
Will the swallows that twitter
the bluebirds that sing
disappear in a flash without taking a wing
a hundred years from now?

What will life be like, a hundred years from now?
I’m afraid I’ll be too old to tell.
But hopefully someone
who struggles and fights
for the very same reasons that bring the earth light
will still be there, out somewhere
a hundred years from now.

~Caeli MacLennan

Living Streetlights?

Imagine this: the sun is setting and it’s about time for the streetlights to light up, one by one, bright bulbs casting yellow circles of light on the dark sidewalk below. However, as evening settles in, it is not the dirty electric bulbs that illuminate the street; instead, a ghostly blue light fills in the dark crevices, giving the street a magical aura. In certain places, the captivating cave-like glow is replaced by a soft golden light that radiates from above. The previously dull street is transformed into something out of a dream.

Recently, students at Cambridge University have discovered a way to insert the bioluminescent genetics found in fireflies into other organisms. The first organism that went through this procedure was a tobacco plant. Not only did the students successfully make the plant glow, but also modified the bioluminescent genetics so that the produced light was bright enough to read by. An idea has been proposed to do the same with trees in order to replace streetlights, and although the research required to do so would be fairly expensive, the result could potentially reduce the amount of money spent on electricity as well as the human impact on the environment.

Taiwanese researchers have come up with a similar idea. Their “living streetlights” are made using gold nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are inserted in the leaves of the tree, causing the tree to give off a bright reddish glow which could be used in place of streetlights to light the sidewalks at night. Not only do the nanoparticles provide light without electricity, but they also cause the trees to photosynthesize while they are lit which removes CO2 from the air. The expenses for this project however are extremely high, as gold nanoparticles are made from real gold which is very expensive. High prices set aside, these living lights are a potential replacement for common streetlights that are used today.

Bioluminescent trees illuminate the street
photo:http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827885.000-glowing-trees-could-light-up-city-streets.html

A bioluminescent christmas tree
photo: http://www.isbc.unibo.it/Files/IM_013.htm

a genetically engineered bioluminescent tobacco plant
photo: http://www.sciencebuzz.org/museum/object/2008_07_plants/dead
Gold nanoparticles
photo: http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/gold-is-metal.html courtesy of Georgia tech

Sources:

http://inhabitat.com/gold-nanoparticles-could-transform-trees-into-street-lights/2/

http://www.charpan.com/what-are-gold-nanoparticles-used-for

http://www.nextnature.net/2009/07/bioluminescent-trees-will-replace-streetlights/

For more information, please visit the websites listed above

New Power Supply for Car Batteries?

        Earlier in this blog, both the ideas of micro wind turbines and new, clean sources to power vehicles have been addressed. The current solution experts are trying to come up with for the amount of pollution that cars are producing is to power them with hydrogen, though, as we have seen in an earlier article, has it's flaws. But what if we could find another source to power automobiles? Micro wind turbines are small and can withstand even the worst of weather conditions. So why not mount them on vehicles? As the car drove, it would create high wind speeds that would turn the propellers of the turbine rapidly. If the Turbine was hooked up to the car battery, it may provide a sufficient supply of energy to power the car without the aid of gasoline. However, there are still questions that remain: Where will the turbines be mounted, and how will they be secured? Could a wind turbine be small enough to fit on a car (and still look sightly enough for people to purchase the car) and still produce a enough electricity to power the car?

I would like to hear other peoples' ideas on how we could make this work. Please post a reply with your thoughts.

Thank you Panda&#39;s Need to be Saved for this great idea.

Micro Wind Turbines

       Did you know that a single wind turbine can generate enough electricity to power a small town? These massive propellers can be up to 160 meters (525) in height and have blades that are 40 meters long. That makes the diameter of the blades longer than a football field! However, there is a problem with these enormous energy making machines; they simply take up too much space. Not only do they require room for the turbines themselves, they also need to be spaced far enough apart that each turbine gets enough wind to turn its huge propellers. Recently, experts have invented a smaller, more practical version of these colossal turbines known as micro wind turbines. These are, as their name suggests, mini wind turbines small enough that they can be placed in areas such as the top of a roof. A micro wind turbine, on a windy day, can provide enough energy to light an average household. They can also generate power with wind speeds as low as 2 meters per second. Although these new turbines are becoming quite popular in great Britain, many people do not like them because they are "unsightly" and make too much noise. However, with a little time, micro wind turbines could become a common appliance in our every day lives.

Hydrogen Cars: Vehicles of the Future

      Hydrogen cars are vehicles that use hydrogen powered fuel cells instead of gasoline. These cars are environmentally friendly, as the only emissions they produce are heat and water (normally in the from of steam). So why doesn't everyone use these Eco-friendly cars?

      One reason is that making these cars can be very expensive, and building refueling stations for them even more so. The fuel cells in a hydrogen car contain platinum, which is very costly. A single cell hydrogen car currently costs $100,000 or more. Those who are less than optimistic have estimated the cost for building an infrastructure that will allow a significant number of hydrogen cars to be as high as $500,000,000,000, and that it might take four decades for it to be complete.

      Another issue with hydrogen is that it is highly flammable and is difficult to store. Since Hydrogen is a gas, it expands significantly with heat. Therefore, a car filled with hydrogen fuel sitting in the sun will have to vent some of the hydrogen. A car that is left like this will eventually have no fuel left. Hydrogen is also extremely flammable and is believed to be the cause for the explosion of the Hindenburg.

      The third reason hydrogen may not be ideal is that it may not be as Eco-friendly as we think it is. There are two ways to produce hydrogen. One is to extract it from water and the other is to extract from a natural gas. The process used to remove hydrogen from water is called electrolysis. In this method, an electric current is run through the water, separating the hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The problem with using electrolysis is that much of the electricity used is produced by burning coal, which is causes pollution. The other way to get hydrogen, extracting it from natural gas, produces carbon as a bi-product, which is what we are trying to get rid of in the first place.

      But what if we were able to find a way around these obstacles? Like using solar power instead of burning coal or finding a less expensive metal that can replace the platinum in fuel cells? At this very moment, experts are coming up with new ideas to make the hydrogen car more realistic, but it could be decades before an effective way of creating this vehicle is found, and decades more before it is put into action.

Please comment on this post if you have any ideas whatsoever on ways that might help the hydrogen car become a reality. Here is a link to an article that further discusses hydrogen cars and how they work. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/hybrid-technology/hydrogen-cars3.htm