Biosolids soon to be in our backyards? Economic advantages or Environmental concern

In other parts of the world, biosolids (human waste) from sewage treatment plants are treated and used as sustainable agricultural fertilizer. Research the pros and cons of this method and take a stand as to whether this can be a realistic alternative to our current agricultural practices. Who are the potential stakeholders in this issue? Are we influenced by the western view of human waste as an unsanitary and disgusting nuisance?

Biosolids are simply nutrient-rich organic materials that are basically human waste. When these biosolids are transferred through the domestic sewage and then into a treatment facility, they are carefully extracted. They process and treat these residuals as they can be recycled and applied as fertilizer for maintaining our plant soils and plant growth. Often, people refer biosolids as sewage sludge. There is a great different between the two is that biosolids are monitored and are treated as explained above.

The practice of treating sewage biosolids being used on agricultural land in Canada for more than 30 years! As well as in the United states and in Europe.Biosolids use in agriculture is that they are used to mainly fertilize fields for raising crops. Apparently across Canada about 50% are being recycled to land and less than one 1% of the nation's agricultural land. There are standards in where the agricultural use of biosolids need to meet the criteria. This criteria and application rates need to have good history in the improvement of crop growth. Biosolids contain very effective nutrients of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and trace elements such as calcium, copper iron, magnesium, manganese, sulfur and zinc. For farmers when they use biosolids for their crops this reduces the need to add any chemical fertilizers. When farmer`s use biosolids in the production of crops, it reduced the cost of production and also revives the matter that has been depleted. The organic matter improves soil structure by increasing the soil's ability to absorb and store moisture.

The pros:

- Improve crop production seasonally

- Enrich soil and nutrients

- Reduce farmer`s production costs (free fertilizers)

- Land reclamation

- Composting

- Promote rapid timber growth

- Creates jobs

- Reduces emissions from transportation to landfills

- Gain Economically

Cons:

- With regards to the 2001 report that the risks are low, biosolids can still be a potential hazard to our health.

- Could decrease property value of a farm.

- There is a distinctive odour depending on the type of treatment it had been through.

- May contain dangerous chemicals

Since fruits and vegetables have become less abundant during the seasons, I definitely believe that biosolids could be a great solution to this concern. Also this reduces the cost for other dangerous chemicals that are used to rapidly increase the growth of plants. These dangerous chemicals may become a danger for our crops and also our environment. Also, our vegetables and fruits that we see that are abnormally large and plump are the cause of these chemicals. We can finally have the real stuff is we stick to biosolids.

The human view of biosolids for hundreds of years is that it is disgusting and unsanitary.

I think that it is up to us to break this taboo. According to Canadian Water and Waste Water Association, they have proven that the practiced of preserving and treating biosolids are completely safe. In the complrehensive report in 2001, it indicated that the practices are performed in Ontario are sufficiently conservative and followed properly (if followed) shows no significant risk to the environment or human health. I think that biosolids should be practiced so that we can avoid and possibly learn about the effects of biosolids and master it. Also, economically we can save billions of dollars.

References:

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/nm/nasm/info/brochure.htm - Sewage Biosolids: Managing Ubran Nutrients Responsibility for Crop Production

http://www.biosolids.com/benefits.html - Biosolids Benefits

http://www.synagro.com/recycling/use.html - Biosolids use Regulations

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/nm/nasm/info/brochuref1.jpg - sewage

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r140/Jazzie-May27/tablebiosolids.jpg - Table: Metals found in biosolids

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/nm/nasm/info/brochuref8.jpg - Sewage Biosolids: From generation to beneficial reuse

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/nm/nasm/info/brochuref7.jpg - Biosolids transportation

Canadian Medical Successes

Evaluate the importance of various technologies, including Canadian contributions, to our understanding of internal body systems (digestive, circulatory or respiratory)

Canada is well noted for having great medical services like how medical expenses are covered by OHIP and government. Canada gives the opportunity nationwide for medical care. Canada is known for its great breakthrough medical inventions. Like how Obama has now instigated free health care, I think Canada is breaching its goodness to America because of our system.

“As we enter our centennial year we are still a young nation, very much in the formative stages. Our national condition is still flexible enough that we can make almost anything we wish of our nation. No other country is in a better position than Canada to go ahead with the evolution of a national purpose devoted to all that is good and noble and excellent in the human spirit.”

Lester B. Pearson

Canadian contributions to the Medical field has dated back in the 17th century. The native people passed on their traditions and rituals orally. When explorers set their feet on this promise land, they recorded all of the native peoples practices and beliefs on paper. Native people’s medicine was interconnected to the religious system in which they believed that all diseases were caused by a magical force and in return they would brew up a magical cure for healing these diseases. The most respectable and dependable person in this community was a Shaman who provided his medical care for the Native community. They also searched the earth’s medicine such as oil of wintergreen, bloodroot, high bush cranberries as effective plant remedies. They also used physical procedures such as sweat lodges and massages. When famous explorers such as Jacques Cartier learned about their practices, the native people started contracting epidemic diseases that the European settlers gave.


Europeans during the 17th century were on top with their growing knowledge on diseases and they progressed in their theories as their knowledge built up. It is recorded that the first medical practitioners were French and were barber surgeons, they were still in training and not fully certified. During the war time there were two noted general practitioners Robert Giffard and Michel Sarrazin, they dedicated their lives to serving the colonists. Considering that surgery was very limited during this time. Michel Sarrazin was serving the French troops in Canada and was appointed a surgeon major and later an official physician of the Hôtel-Dieu. He later became famous for contributing to helping hundreds of colonists recover from Typhus. He was then appointed a botanist.

In the 18th Century, Upper Canada settlers were afflicted by an acute infectious disease, severe injuries, serious illnesses such as malaria. Physicians were worried so they turned to the remedies of the native peoples. Later on a great discovery was discovered by Abraham Gesner, who had past education in London, and is known for discovering kerosene. Kerosene is a type of fuel. It is presently widely used to poer aircraft and some rockets. David Parkerwas the first physician in Canada to operate with the help of anaesthesia.

In the 19th Century, there was a very famous physician Christopher Widmer known as the father of surgery. He had immigrated from Britain to fulfill his career in Canada. He advanced the practice of modern medicine in Canada. W.R. Beaumont, he became famous for inventing surgical devices. William Rawlins Beaumont is noted for inventing a a gynecological fistula instrument to close fistulae (1836) , an instrument for making deep sutures, used in surgery for cleft palates (1837) ,an instrument for removing polyps from the uterus, nose, and ear; and tonsils (1837) an umbrella-shaped vaginal speculum with steel blades (1837) , a sliding iris forceps (1863), to enable the surgeon to remove portions of the iris without tearing the cornea upon exit. He also had the original theory for the sewing machine.

There were two Canadian doctors that made major contributions they were W.E Brown from University of Toronto and he established the value of ethylene as an anaesthetic, and in 1942 Dr Harold Griffith advanced the science of anaesthesia by his use of curare(intocostrin), it is known as a plant extract use by South Americans as an arrow poison. The second discovery, by the Englishman Joseph Lister, derived from Pasteur's work. Lister proved that the recovery rate of patients suffering wounds could be drastically improved if the wounds were disinfected (Lister first used carbolic acid for this purpose).


The most famous invention internationally is Frederick Banting’s insulin. After a long research he finally discovered insulin in 1922. Banting worked along with Cherles Best and J.J.R. Macleod. Globally their discovery had saved millions of people.
Without Canadian contributions to the advance of medical technology now, we would be suffering the real pain of surgeries without anaesthesia and people suffering from diabetes would not be able to perform without their insulin. I have been inspired by the great technological breakthroughs that Canadians have done to improve our health!
So, this comes to show how proud I am to be a CANADIAN!

References:

http://www.encyclopediecanadienne.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0005203 – Canadian Medical contributions

http://wapedia.mobi/en/Technological_and_industrial_history_of_Canada - Technological History of Canada

http://www.newwr.ca/SiteCollectionImages/Content/MPj01789540000%5B1%5D.jpg – OHIP

http://images.wellcome.ac.uk/indexplus/obf_images/45/7c/8fa4b34e99ccbabbdc28b68820a2.jpg - shaman

http://www.uphs.upenn.edu/paharc/collections/gallery/wartime/2777_Working_New_Caledonia.jpg - war front

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-1XfwcFUSp8mqnQGyFsAvtyPXMNHZSpjMHk5UHpYIeeiAtfDUqQ4Wz2_oejSM8_BDzge5YS_wB-HizaC-giG1sJxYNFIFhDnjfmPGesaaWRNrpuaQbZiwO-NkL9Kvy1DRD-v4OfOvU8/s400/dcbitlight.gif - anaesthesia surgery

http://www.james.com/beaumont/images_canada/spec.gif - W.E.B inventions

Artificial Selection: Makeup causes Madcow?

According to my handy dandy Biology textbook: Artificial selection is the intentional choosing of individuals of a species for the purpose of reproduction. Choices are based on the presence or absence of certain traits with the result that the desired characteristics will appear in subsequent generations. It is the intentional breeding for certain traits, or combination of traits.So this term was coined by the Charles Darwin to contrast this form of selection to Natural Selection. The difference between the two is that in artificial selections: humans favour specific traits also in natural selection humans have no control over choosing the specific traits.

Farm animals are a great example of Artificial Selection because they are individually scored to fit the criteria in which the breeder wants to produce a large amount of meat or produce. Animal breeders can highly change the characteristics of these domestic animals. They do this by selecting good candidates who are capable of meeting the desirable qualities expected by the owner. If these desirable characteristics grow over the years among the chosen plant or animal the breeding increases and continues the evolution process. I believe that this Artificial Selection will cause a great decline in other animals and plants because of the higher rate in the main focused plants and animals. Once these organisms are neglected, there will be a dramatic increase in the extinction of this Organism. But in the downfall we all know all of the outbreaks: MadCow, Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Samonella ,the diseases were once transmitted from these organisms to humans. Breeding a specific kind of animal may lead to a hazardous ending.

For my examples I’m going for a different approach

MAKEUP: A WOMAN'S ADDICTION OTHER THAN CHOCOLATE

A day ago, I came across a youtube makeup guru, MichellePhan. Personally I think she is one of the most amazing makeup artists I’ve seen in a long time. So we see that in her videos she offers tutorials on how to achieve a desirable look. Most people would think that it is really a dumb idea considering that everybody looks different. This is why I’ll be applying artificial selection to make-up.
Make up is considered to be a great invention to humankind and also not. Although it has always been debated on natural and artificial beauty we all know that makeup is temporary. The main reasons for women wearing makeup is to end up with their desired look. Make up is designed to evolve a humans features in so many ways ending up with a desirable outcome. Just like the following picture:

Just like how animals transmitting illnesses to humankind, Makeup is also considered to destroy the youth of one’s natural face. So we see a very close relation between contrasting two different concepts of Artificial Selection.But hey, people are getting smarter and smarter, they don’t need makeup anymore we have PHOTOSHOP. No pain, no gain that’s what they’d say.So in the end, Artificial Selection is a benefit for marketing and for personal interest but is also a hazard to society and applies to many hobbies like a makeup.

References:

Artificial Selection - http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2044/2467173920_69cb0d4305.jpg

Make up - http://www.enviroblog.org/makeup.jpg

Mad Cow - http://www.b12partners.net/mt/images/matson_mad_cow.gif

Makeup Makeovers - http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/2/20652/20_2007/MakeupMakeover.jpg

Designer babies, mere pixels coming to life?

A person cannot approach the divine by reaching beyond the human. To become human, is what this individual person, has been created for. - Martin Buber

The world is growing vastly, not only the world and culture itself but technology and science. Scientists and researchers have gathered ways to enhance our appearances and not only ourselves but the second generation. People have become so obsessed with appearances and looks and haven't looked beyond the beauty of reality. Babies are like kinder surprise chocolates with the random prize inside it. In reality, humans are all made of the same genetic material. This is a key factor that doesn't differentiate us from appearances because after all, were only human. Science is taking over the twenty first century not only for entertainment, leisure, and work reasons but also taken a part within humans. This is a huge improvement and a great discovery of our scientific world. But, this discovery would be modifying our future with a great force, which would allow us to select our children genes with our likings.



This is a shocking process; in my interpretation, you get to choose what the appearance of your baby will look like. You could even make them look like Brad Pitt and yet they'll still be your child. I'm completely petrified from this concept of choosing your own child. It's like going to the grocery store to buy ingredients from a variety of ingredients and only a few selected will be the major key ingredients for having a great outcome of a cake. I'll find it scary in the future to see children with Pink Eyes and Green Hair.
An exception of this research is if someone would like to gain the title of "Octo-mom" from Nadya Suleman, be my guest! But I highly won't recommend for anyone to do that because that that was way too many babies.

Researchers have gone "over board" with trying to modify the characteristics of childrens genes. People are taking advantage of this process of altering the genetics of a human being. The researchers should only use this important process when there is a problem with a baby and if the baby will be affected with an illness which would ruin their growth, before they are born.

This so called research could also cause many diseases because it could become an "expiriment gone bad". So if the baby was to become a "super baby" that is immune to other diseases" it may cause a new disease. In this case, it would be worse because Designer Babies would now be a new "species" or a new "type" of human being but in a more modified form which is going to attract a new illness which would be the new H1N1 Pandemic.


We, as humans need to appreciate and thank God for the beauty of mother nature. And for letting us share physical characteristics of our family. So, therefore we need to accept what the appearance of the baby looks like and so that in the future they won't be questioned by other people because of their different appearance in comparison of their parent. Parents should also note that babies are NOT LIKE BAKING A CAKE! They are fragile little angels THAT ARE LIKE Kinder Surprise Chocolates that have that surprise in the middle. So parents need to wait and see, that is the beauty of parenthood.


Pictures:
http://www.goldprodukt.de/wearables/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/designer-babies.jpg
http://www.australasianbioethics.org/Images/cloning-8.JPG
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10-HXG2tZQa__RZdGQx-1rMF_HWdKr6f0jEULfCB8cvn0yMb8trPJMIrT6alXg5o9-aAr8DC1mZzVKSt-nUVhN_9Di69J1HV6-q_DiGSsboTWVbsUaly6HYG1ndXUV-_aNNag_tFRXm8/s400/Baby+and+Me+5.jpg