Poo. Nature's Nutrition.

Pooh...Get it?

Okay we are not going to talk about the beloved bear. So yeah, you've guessed it! We are going to talk about our nasty little brown, smelly friend: POOP. Feces, doo-doo, number 2, it's all the same. Ever wonder what happens to it? Honestly, this has crossed my mind once or twice. Does it end up in some body of water or does it gather up in a huge pile in some unknown location? Actually to know what happens to it you have to know what poop's other name is. Our poop is also nicknamed "biosolid."

What is a biosolid? A biosolid is an organic material from our poop that is rich in nutrients essential for plant growth. That's right, our poop becomes fertilizer. A biosolid is actually our poop that goes through a careful treatment at wastewater facilities. Who knew that underneath all that beautiful green grass lies our poopy. But there is obviously some sort of trade-off here; there's the good and there's the bad...

THE PROS

So what do we get out of using our poo as fertilizer? Well for one thing, biosolids help improve and maintain healthy soil. Biosolids are able to hold more nutrients and water and can help avoid topsoil runoff. And all you gardeners and farmers know how annoying that can get during the rainy seasons. Biosolids are also rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, very essential elements in plant growth.

We all know what erosion is. For those who don't, it is when the land becomes dry and brittle and breaks apart. Well, with biosolids, you don't have that problem. The organic matter in biosolids helps soil particles bind together. With more soil bound together, the more water it is able to hold. This helps roots grow more and reduces drought.

Other than helping plants grow, biosolids have other benefits. There are communities that are slowly running out of landfills for their solid waste. When we recycle biosolids, we don't have to worry about disposing of them in landfills. Recycling biosolids can lower a community's waste disposal costs. CHA-CHING! $$$$$$

THE CONS

Keep in mind that these biosolids are our own waste, as in a product of going Number 2. So we are using our smelly deposits to help the environment. Although it helps plants grow, no one really wants to smell last night's dinner again.

Remember what was mention about biosolids having an abundant amount of nitrogen and phosphorus? Well too much of these can be dangerous if they are released into our waterways and other sources of water.

Biosolids can help in vegetation. Plants become really healthy and prosper. But honestly, do you really wanna eat something that was grown from your own poo?

Biosolids are a great way to help plants grow and prosper. Although they have benefits, we need to take some of the disadvantages into consideration. Considering our current agricultural methods, I think it would help make our lives easier. But nothing is perfect. We need to keep in minds the risks of using biosolids. I guess the bottom line is: USE BIOSOLIDS WISELY.

Works Cited List:

http://www.cwwa.ca/faqbiosolids_e.asp

http://www.biosolids.com/benefits.html

http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/452/452-304/452-304.html
http://www.your-healthy-gardens.com/fertilizers.html

Shout-out to...US!!!

Not too bad mankind, not bad at all. If you notice, this is the first post that will actually praise the human race for what they've done haha.

People these days are so unhealthy. Like seriously, health problems are one of the main causes of death. Some of those health problems are related to bad eating habits and lack of exercise. Yeah, you've heard it before but people just won't listen to those health tips out there. They are there to help us live healthier lives. And there is so many technological advancements that help us in achieving those health goals. It is these advancements that is going to be the topic of this blog entry.



The first thing I think of from the top of my head when it comes to health issues is insulin. Insulin was discovered by Dr. Frederick Banting from Toronto (CANADA REPRESENT!). It is a hormone produced in the pancreas that helps treat diabetes. For your information, diabetes is the case where a person has high glucose levels because the body doesn't produce enough insulin.



Next up on our list is the use of endoscopy. Endoscopy means to look inside. When doctor's can't treat a disease externally, they look inside. That's right; as in looking inside the body. How? With cameras of course. There is this long camera that can explore our whole digestive tract. This is called an endoscope. It's a tube-shaped camera that comes in from our throat and travels through our body. Makes you a little squeamish, but hey it helps.




For those of you who don't enjoy this snake-like thing traveling through your body, go smaller! There is something called a capsule endoscopy. Basically, it's a camera in pill form. Isn't that so awesome? This is more useful for looking at diseases in the small intestine and detect causes of abdominal pain such as Crohn's disease or peptic ulcers.


Let us now tackle a health problem that has overrun most of the human population: OBESITY. You probably know what that means but I'll give an explanation for the sake of it. Obesity is when we accumulate excess body fat to the point that it affects our overall health such as reducing our life expectancy. For those that have problems with exercise due to heart problems or laziness, there is a solution! It's called a "laparoscopic adjustable gastric band." That's a mouthful so we'll call it a lap band for short. The lap band is like a belt for your stomach. It wraps around the upper part of your stomach and controls our hunger. Though a little risky because of some side effects, it is effective.


One final point. This is completely from my general knowledge. People need to start eating healthier foods. For starters there's your fruits and vegetables...common sense (which is not that common). Second, there's so many food alternatives that are being produced for our benefit such as whole grain chips, lower fat content in meat, recipes for making foods healthier, the list goes on. I suggest that we start taking our health seriously and start eating those fruits and vegetables. Third, I think it's time to bust out the gym equipment that's collecting dust in your basement HAHAHA!. By the way, for those without gym equipment, it wouldn't hurt to get up and jog for a few minutes wouldn't it?

WORKS CITED
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endoscopy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_endoscopy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjustable_gastric_band

The science behind plastic surge--oh I mean Artificial Selection.

Ah, nature... the biggest shopping mall ever created. That's right; A SHOPPING MALL. How? Think of EVERYTHING in we see as being able to be selected, kind of like "off the shelf" products. You just pick which ingredients you want and what you don't want and then you go home and make some weird concoction of your own; your own little twisted original creation or invention. Well, that's how the world works. Well, at least in majority of the aspects. It's kind of our fault. Correction, IT IS OUR FAULT.

Haha, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Not exactly saying it's a good thing either. In an artificial selection debate, I'm caught right in the middle. It has its pros and cons, you know?

HOW CAN YOU NOT LAUGH OUT LOUD AT THIS?!

Under specific circumstances, artificial selection is good for us. Take a look at the wild mustard plant:

From just one plant, we have made a variety of healthy green vegetables for ourselves, ranging from broccoli (not my personal favourite), cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts. These vegetables were created out of artificial selection and now prove to be healthy for our digestive and overall health.







And also take a look at dogs:

Pure bred dogs are actually different versions of their ancestor, the wolf. Each species of dog has specific alleles and traits that were isolated and selected to make their desired characteristic. Like any fashion show, the contestants are...FAKE! (HAHAHA)



Now turn your attention away from the good and let's face the BAD (it sucks but it's the truth).

Ever heard of variation? This is the science behind why each one of us look unique. Our genetic make-up is not exactly the same as everyone else. It is because of variation that we are able to survive specific conditions, look in a specific way, or do specific actions. How is this related to artificial selection? Let me explain...

In animals, only the same species can mate with one another. If they mate with other species, then there is a high possibility that their offspring will not live long or not live at all.
Different species of dogs, for example, are caused by artificial selection. Different species such as collies, poodles, retrievers, etc. can only have offspring with a mate of the same species. But the problem with dogs of the same species is that they can only have offspring that have the same genetic make-up, then that means that the resulting puppies are not special. They have the same resistances and strengths as their parents. They are restricted to those abilities. They will not be able to survive different disasters or become immune to different diseases. Variation is not achieved.

The bottom line:

Artificial selection can have its good and bad sides. It just depends on how we look at it and how we use it; just as long as we take the effects and consequences into consideration.

You have been warned...

SOURCES:

http://www.freethunk.net/weeklies/2007-may-20-artificial-selection.gif
http://campus.udayton.edu/~INSS/Dillon230/WebUNIT-III/2ArtificialSelection-cabbage_files/image002.gif
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/lines/images/le_dogs2.gif

http://www.biology-online.org/2/13_genetic_engineering.htm

"Your daughter's gorgeous! Who designed her?"

Haha. My title would be an awesome conversation starter in the future. I've been reading my fellow classmates' blog entries and majority of them seem to be completely against it. Opinions seem to be based on ethical arguments. Personally, I am not complaining about it. I'm all for designer babies. That's right...

Well, I only say this because of a personal experience that has got me thinking for the past 16 years. I've based my opinion on the fact that my family has a long history of diabetics. In my family tree, only the MALES get diabetes through inheritance. Although I don't have it yet, there is a chance that I may. And yes, it scares me.

But I digress. What does this have to do with my opinion? Well think about it. If we could select what traits children can have, we might be able to eliminate diseases and disabilities. Why stop at diseases? These babies can be physically perfect! Designing babies can include choosing sex, eye colour, and hair colour to name a few. Now go beyond the superficial. When designing a baby, we may be able to select genes that affect IQ and personality. Wouldn't you want a smart and popular kid?

This picture is too cute :)

Let's take it a step further! I'm sure as a kid, we've all wanted to be like our favourite superhero we see on the TV. With science ANYTHING is possible! Scientists are currently doing research on artificial and animal genes. If a human can harbour these special genes, think of the possibilities of a generation of super humans. I've always wanted to have the strength of a lion or the voice of a songbird. I'm sure girls would want to have the grace of a swan or...something else I can't think of at the moment. haha.

I'll go a little more in depth with my points. My first one was about diseases. Imagine a world without a single disease going around. Imagine us having all the genes that carry immunities to those diseases. Wouldn't that be awesome? For example, by selecting genes we do not want we can remove a hereditary disease known as CYSTIC FIBROSIS, an autosomal recessive gene. This disease causes progressive disability and early death. Other genetic related diseases are Huntington's disease and muscular dystrophy. All these diseases can be isolated when we design a baby.

A woman with Huntington's is confined to a wheelchair.

POINT DEUX: cosmetics. When we hear that word, we think of appearance. Let's face it (no pun intended): we are all about the looks no matter what age we are. We all wish to be hot and sexy. Well, we can have that if the right genes are placed. Also, we can achieve physical perfection if the wrong genes are isolated. We can isolate the gene for acne. I'm pretty sure that teens everywhere would want that. Who knows, there's probably a gene for fitness. Guys want abs and girls want curves.

AHHH! The horror!

Isn't this what we all want? (Don't deny it)

Numero three: mental condition. If we select the genes that make kids significantly smart, wouldn't that be a better future for everyone? Imagine IQ's reaching, like what, six digits! WHOA! Fantasize about the possibilities: technological advancements, job opportunities, medical discoveries, the list goes on. Basically, a better world.
And look at personality. Selecting what kind of personality our children would have opens many doors for them. If they have a funny personality, they have a career as a comedian. If they have a persuasive personality, they would succeed in the business world. I could go on about this...but I won't. I'll just leave the future to your imaginations.













Popularity plays a big role in child development.

Our overall IQ is affected by environment and genetics.

Finally, SUPAH POWAS!! Haha, only kidding. But you get my point. Scientific research has lead us to integrating animal and human genes with each other to create a new hybrid creation. We can select genes that make us fast like a cheetah, strong like a rhino, wise like an eagle, etc. If only we can get the genes that make us fly :P But honestly, if we did have a new generation of humans think of how it could affect our world. If we were as fast as a cheetah, we wouldn't need so many cars on the road to get to our destinations. If we were as strong as rhinos, we would not need expensive machinery for construction. Sure this all sounds out of this world, but this can be possible.

Oh yeah, that wasn't exactly the final point. I came across some last minute reading and I thought that it should be mentioned. When we design a baby, we can copy it's exact genetic makeup to make a twin. If ever the original has health complications, then the twin can be used for organ donations and other resources like blood transfusion.

Okay, so I've basically said what is so awesome about designer babies. Here's a few counterarguments to consider though. But trust me, the good outweighs the bad in this case.

The first bad thing about designing a baby is that there is a price to pay...literally. This stuff's EXPENSIVE! I am not exactly sure what the price is but there is no hope of it being cheap. It's a scientific breakthrough so start saving up if you want a beautiful child.

This second point might not be so harsh on the wallets but it may take a toll on love lives. In order to design a baby, the sperm must enter the egg via in vitro fertilization. That means no doing the "freak nasty" for all you couples out there. What's the fun of having a baby if you don't get to make it?

The last point is a moral violation. Referring to the "twin" example before, designing a baby makes it feel used. It is a sort of "organ factory" for the original and not to be used for his/her own needs. Another violation would be that the "perfect" humans would look down on the normal humans as being inferior. Presently, there is discrimination against people like the blind or paraplegic.

SO THERE'S YOUR FACTS!!! A 5-3 good to bad ratio isn't that bad. But still, even though there are more good facts than bad, let us not forget what we get ourselves into when we design a baby. Think of both the rewards and the consequences.

Take it easy, my scientific brethren.


RESOURCES:
http://www.bionetonline.org/English/content/db_eth.htm
http://www.bionetonline.org/English/content/db_cont1.htm
http://www.bionetonline.org/English/content/db_cont2.htm
http://www.bionetonline.org/English/content/db_cont3.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cystic_fibrosis

Humans taking care of the environment? What a joke!

Kudos to the human race for being sooo thoughtful about our environment (insert sarcasm here). Seriously, it's like determining our own fate (a.k.a. SUICIDE!!!) and we don't even know it; let alone care about it. We just go about our daily lives wasting the natural resources that are there for us and just take them for granted. It disgusts me...

We live in cities and urban areas. We need this to cope with everyday life. We have adapted to our environment so it can meet our needs. But what about the needs of our very own Mother Nature? What about all the other creatures that live on this Earth? Are we that selfish? The Nature Conservancy and Harvard University (that's right... the Harvard University) released a study that urban growth has been a very dangerous factor to our environment. In 2007, the United Nations revealed that 50% of the entire population on Earth live in cities. That 50% will go up to about 60% around the year 2030. That means TWO BILLION new city residents; coming in from rural areas. According to the study, humans are building cities the size of Vancouver every week!!! I think one Vancouver is enough.



Robert Kareiva (the chief scientist of the Nature Conservancy) and Robert McDonald (the study's lead author) have created possible scenarios in the year 2030 if our rate or urbanization continues at this rate:

1) Natural areas are most affected by urbanization. They harbour the most indigenous species of the world. The Wimmer's Shrew is one example of these species. It resides in Côte d'Ivoire, on the west coast of Africa. It is very unlikely that it would survive because of the expansion Abidjan (the largest city in the nation). Poor shrew...

2) Would you believe me if I said that 8% of vertebrae species are now considered endangered because of urbanization? And that this number may continue to grow because of urban growth and expansion? You probably wouldn't. Pity. Denial is bad.

3) Right now, there are protected areas where our natural resources are under watch. In Eastern Asia, the average distance between a city and a protected area will be 14 miles in 2030 as opposed to 27 miles in 1995. The numbers don't lie.

Oh, joy. Look at how much land we've urbanized. (And this is only in the U.S.)
Click for better quality.

Here's a very interesting quote that we need to take in. Robert McDonald said:

"While we found the effects of urbanization to be localized, cumulatively, they pose a big threat to biodiversity. Our urban footprint covers much of the globe and is coming closer to stomping out many endangered species and posing new risks to protected areas and parks."

FINAL THOUGHTS:

If it hasn't occurred to you yet, I am kind of despising what the human race is doing. I mean, this is our only planet. The only one where we can actually survive in. We need to take care of it. But noooo... We just choose to live on and destroy everything in our way to make our environment the way we want it to be, to meet our needs. Sure, we are doing something, but only some of us are. In order to make change, EVERYBODY needs to do everything they can in order to reverse the damage we have done. Whether it be donating money, volunteering, or simply spreading the word, everyone needs to be proactive and save mother nature. Not only for us, but all the living creatures that share the Earth with us. This is our home and we need to protect what shelters us.

With that, I bid you goodbye. PEACE OUT!

SOURCES:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080610182856.htm

"Trends in Urbanization, by Region" picture provided by: http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/urbanization-region.jpg

"Acres of Land Converted to Urban Use by Central Valley Subregion" picture provided by:
http://www.greatvalley.org/indicators/images/environment/report05/urbanization_subregion.gif

So... I just wanted to try it out :)

So apparently I'm going to be blogging for this unit. It's for my SBI 3U1 course. Blogging is an excellent time waster. Biology is my favourtie subject. Two awesome things placed into one hobby? Awesome! So if it hasn't occured to you yet, this is only a test blog. I'm still trying to get the hang of using blogspot... I'm very technologically disabled :)