Nematodes Vanquish Billion Dollar Pest

No author given-Science Daily?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100624214306.htm


These nematodes could be the answer to environmentally friendly pesticides!












SUMMARY: The western corn rootworm has been eating the maize, a plant grown in many countries around the world. This rootworm is a problem in 11 of the European countries, as well as the United States. Farmers tried to kill the pest when it first arrived using pesticides. Unfortunately, these pesticides ended up killing millions of bees-a harmful, unintended consequence. Mr. Ivan Hiltpold researched an organism called the nematodes in hopes that it would be the answer to the agricultural and environmental dilemma. Mr. Ted Turlings and some of his colleagues furthered this research, bringing the nematodes into fields of maize to test their protection against the western corn rootworm. The conclusion of this research was that the nematodes in fields with caryophellene were better than their non-caryophellene-field colleagues, but all nematodes were effective at repelling the pest.

REACTION: This is wonderful news! There is so much happening to show us that people simply don't care about the environment and only themselves, but Hiltpold and Turlings have completed hours of research showing us otherwise. This information gives me high hopes for a future where more fields are protected by environmentally safe organisms rather than harmful pesticides. Even though this type of pesticide hasn't been officially named a pesticide to be marketed commercially, it is well on its way to that stage. If this could happen, more people would hopefully look for organisms to control pests rather than chemical pesticides, and there would be a decrease in growth of algal blooms and everything else bad that chemical pesticides can cause. This would be a very good thing indeed, because I know that I find it horrible that people do bad things to the environment for their own good, and then other people are affected by it as well. This should be stopped as quickly as possible, and if nematodes can do it, they should be allowed to!

QUESTIONS:
1) Do you think these nematodes could eventually have a negative environmental impact?
2) Are there any other types of environmentally friendly pesticides?
3) If this is not approved, is there something else that could be done instead to help our crops and the environment?

Hey guys...Who's blogging tonight...Unfortunately I can't.. so hopefully someone else can.

What a Waste of an Oil Disaster

By: Sarah Hodgdon
September 7, 2010



Although media coverage of the BP oil spill is slowly but surely fading away, the effects and results of it still live on. BP is relying on local landfills to house all the oil spill clean up wastes. They are relying on the landfills to house all the slimy, slippery gunk that was cleaned up from the spill and contains ever so many chemicals. Once put in the landfill, these chemicals will seep through the bottom of the landfill (lined or unlined) and throughout the Earth to reach our groundwater supply. These landfills are obviously not designed to handle these hazardous chemicals and are totally unprepared for them. Once the chemicals get into the groundwater, there is almost no getting them out for these chemicals are leeched into the ground and will be there for generations to come. Currently, this cannot be stopped because of a loophole in the federal law that considers this crude oil waste non-hazardous and, therefore, the wastes are legally allowed to be put in these landfills. Fortunately, the EPA is working to close this loophole so that soon, all is well!



The moment I saw this article on my google reader, I knew it was a keeper. It's really upsetting that not only did this oil spill effect the gulf, oceans all over (basically it has or will effect many large waterways and oceans in the world), but it effected our groundwater supply, too! It probably could have been prevented because the chemicals were brought to the landfills by humans for the humans convince, but what else are they going to do? Also, if the spill hadn't occurred in the first place, none of the water would have been polluted and this problem would not have even come up. What I'm really concerned about is the economic results of this. If it takes more energy, labor, and money to clean the groundwater because it is now ultra contaminated, won't the cost of water skyrocket near the gulf? I just feel really bad for the people who have to deal withall this oil spill mumbo-jumbo on a daily basis and they had nothing to do with it whatsoever. Because of other's mistakes, their life is effected forever and they probably will wave to pay more for water.



Some questions to consider...



1) What alternative disposal solutions could the "clean up crew" use besides dumping this nasty stuff straight into a landfill?

2) Why do you think they decided to dump it all into a landfill in the first place knowing they were introducing extreem pollution?

3) Next time there is an oil spill (which there inevitalbly will be) how could people prevent others from doing this to the environment?

Mining and Ready-Mix Concrete Company Faces Penalties for Clean Water Act Violations

Paula Ballentine, 11/02/2010

This is a concrete mixing truck from Torromeo. All of the water on the ground will run right into a nearby stream; it will not be cleaned.

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/a73a18721bc982f1852577cf0068a4cd!OpenDocument

SUMMARY:
A complaint has been filed against a company in New Hampshire that focuses on ready-mix concrete for violating the Clean Water Act. They apparently discharged stormwater and used water into waterways as well as wetlands, polluting these bodies of water. While doing this, they did not have the necessary National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit. The company did not use the best technologies to clean the water that they discharged, or much of anything for that matter. Run-off from ready-mix concrete companies is known to flow directly into waterways, picking up sediment, used oil, pesticides, solvents and other debris along the way. As we all know, pesticides in water bodies can cause algal blooms. The Attorney's office of the area has filed the complaint on behalf of the EPA, asking for up to $37,500 per day, per violation. The violations that the company has been accused of are as follows: discharging process water without authorization from the mid 1970's to present, and discharging stormwater associated with industrial activity without authorization from the mid 1990's to December 19, 2009. That is ALOT of money that they could be losing!

REFLECTION:
It is truly horrible that this company (by the way, the company's name is Torromeo Industries, Inc.) has let so much polluted water go into our waterways for so long. However, it is just a fact of life. So many companys care more about getting the biggest profit and don't think about how badly their actions affect the environment. It is a good thing we have so many environmental laws to punish these companies! However, I do feel bad for the current workers at the company, for they might not have agreed with what Torromeo was doing, but they needed a job so were afraid to speak up. Or if they simply didn't know everything that Torromeo was doing, they will still be punished and will most likely lose their job because the company simply can't afford to pay them anymore. Most likely, Torromeo will go out of business.

QUESTIONS:
1) Is it fair to punish the companies and minor workers so severly?

2) What other affects of this pollution besides algal blooms could have been caused?

3) What do you think all of this money will be used for?

4) If a permit wasn't necessary, would all companies pollute, the same amount, or more but not all? Why?