This is a three stage view of the new planet as stars zoom by in the galaxy.

It’s bigger than Pluto and even further from the sun.  Well, what is it?  In 2005, they announced that this mystery object, scientifically known as 2003UB313, is in fact the 10th planet of our solar system.  This tiny planet is located in the Kuiper Belt, a region 97 AU from  the sun.  (One AU is equivalent to 92.96 million miles).  It’s orbit cycle is about 560 years long and 240 years from now it will be at is closest point to the sun, or 38 AU.  The reason that no one has discovered this planet before is because it rides on a forty-four degree orbit and people do not typically look up that high in the sky for planets.

The first team photographed the new planet on Halloween of 2003 with the 48-inch Oschin Telescpe at the Palomar Observatory.  As previously stated, the orbit is 560 years so the planet obviously moves at an undetectable speed.  It wasn’t until early in 2005 that they reanalyzed the images and noticed its planet-like movement.

While Pluto, the previously thought to be last planet, is red in color, this new one is rather gray.  It is also one quarter bigger than pluto in size and measures about 1,777 miles across.  However, the methane ice on both objects are very similar to each other and unlike any other objects in their belt.  Therefore, NASA approved the notion that the similar compositions between both Pluto and 2003UB313 make them both planets. 

http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=3401http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/050729_new_planet.html

It’s all over the news, radios, and papers.  The Swine Flu.  Did it start in the US?  In Mexico?  Have we seen it before?  The answer is yes, in fact, we have seen it before.  It was known as the 1918 Flu Pandemic that did not have a known place of origin but it did affect almost every part of the world.  Whereas most flus affect young children and elderly people, or in a sense those whose immune systems are not as strong as they need to be, the 1918 pandemic affected healthy young adults.  This is all thanks to H1N1, the virus strand that latches on extremely easily and carries a toxic that makes humans extremely sick.  Unfortunately, this viral disease lasted from March of 1918 to June of 1920 and killed between 20 and 100 million people, or the equivalent of about 1/3 of Europe’s population at the time.  It affected over 1 billion people, which was more than half of the entire world’s population at the time!  

Today, there is much research done with this virus as scientists are able to take frozen samples from the pandemic and use it for current study.  It is concluded that this virus produces a “cytokine storm” in the immune system, which means it takes over the entire immune system through raised levels of cytokine.  

In terms of another pandemic, countries are definitely taking precautions.  Many believe that the virus stemmed from Mexico so many schools, churches, and other public places have been shut down.  My Dad says that the U of I at Chicago hospital is taking extra precautions also and have a plethora of patients coming in with “swine flu symptoms” such as headaches, fevers, and muscle aches.  As of right now, it seems as if the spread has slowed.  We shall soon see if it once again becomes a problem.

Many people are taking extra precaution by wearing masks as to avoid the spread of germs.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol12no01/05-0979.htm

http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/032197/1918flu.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/026148.html

It’s a common phrase.  But where did it come from?  Personally, I always thought that “bed bugs” were a complete myth.  Or at least something my mom used to get me to stay tucked in bed at night.  But while watching the news with my dad the other night, I caught a glimpse of these creepy crawlers.  Now becoming prominent in urban areas such as New York City, the blood sucking insects have become almost 100% immune to insecticides that target the bug’s immune system.  At one point, these insects were almost completely eradicated.  Now they have toxicologists pretty confused.  

When compared to bed bugs found in an area of Florida, the New York City bed bugs proved to be over 264 times resistant to modern insecticides.  264 times!  That’s unbelievable.  These half inch creatures can live many many months as long as they have their main food supply: blood.  Most of the time, bites are not harmful except for itching and sometimes infection.  It seems that with each year there is an increase in the statistics of bed bugs in the area.  Sometimes people feel unusual itching in the morning.  This may be a sign to check your beds, wash your sheets, and keep clothes off the ground!    

Creeeeeeeepy Crawlers!

Sources:

1.) http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090110090254.htm

2.) http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1448411,CST-NWS-bedbugs25.article

Many think of the lion as “the king of the jungle” who reaps the benefits of being the most powerful cat, living the good life.  For the Tanzanian lions, however, this has not been the case.  A BBC news crew has followed the Ndutu Pride for the last seven months and has reported on the struggles of the pride.  

It all begins with the wildebeest.  The lion’s main food source, the wildebeest are the most hunted a killed prey.  The packs of wildebeest are extremely vulnerable to the agility and quickness of the male lions.  When the wildebeest decide to leave, however, the lions face a predicament.  In Tanzania, this was the case.  The female lions struggled to find food and water after the departure of the grazers.  In only a few short months, the number of cubs in the pack was reduced from seven to four.  The camera crew claims they have never seen cubs so thin before.  Two cubs were at one point separated from the pact and were so emaciated that calling out to find others was a difficult task.  The entire pack was dwindling and they did not even look like normal lions.  Blank spots appeared all over their bodies where a thick, beautiful, healthy mane once was.

During the wet season, many wildebeest returned and reproduced.  The Tanzanian lions were able to regain health to a certaine extent, but it is only a matter of time before the same cycle reoccurs, leaving the lions to face more hardships.

An injured, emaciated lion roams the Tanzanian fields in search of food

Sources:

1.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7899411.stm

2.) http://www.telacommunications.com/www/wildside/lions.htm

We’ve heard of the wind helping the planet’s energy crisis.  We’ve heard of the sun helping the planet’s energy crisis.  We’ve even heard of corn helping the planet’s energy crisis.  But did we ever think that bugs could help the energy crisis?  According to a BBC News article, it is reported that a UK company has recently been using bugs to make renewable fuel for cars.  

Although each bug is extremely small in size, about only 2% the thickness of human hair, its impact is enormous.  Essentially, the job of this “TM242″ bug is to turn all “rubbish” into ethanol.  It will transform just about anything, from rotten food to leftovers from industry, into ethanol.  However, ethanol is not the natural by-product.  TM242 normally produces lactic acid from the compost heap.  The UK “Bug Brewing” company  has supposedly modified the bacteria so that when it consumes carbs,it produces ethanol instead.         

Back in the compost heap, TM242 would normally produce lactic acid. But the company has modified the inner workings of the bacterium so that when it eats complex carbohydrates, the by-product is ethanol instead.  This has been done by reworking the inner metabolism of the bug and by heating this thermophilic bacteria to around 70 degrees Celsius.

The speed at which bugs produce this ethanol from garbage is efficient; it is also much cheaper than traditional yeast-based fermentation.  In fact, this aid in ethanol production is such a prize that when combined with gasoline, it can account for up to 10% of the UK’s transport fuel needs.  Also, it helps to make a dent in decreasing our greenhouse gases, reliance on foreign oil, and global warming issues.     

A compost dump similar to the ones where TM242 are hard at work to decompose garbage and produce ethanol.

Sources:

1.) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/working_lunch/7911231.stm

2.) http://www.scientificblogging.com/news_releases/energy_tm242_compost_heap_bacteria_could_meet_10_percent_of_uk_needs_says_researcher

After all this talk about landfills, it occurred to me that I never talked about how the methane plays a role in landfill decomposition.  When organic waste is dumped in a landfill sight, it is only a matter of time before it begins to decompose.  Because the surface of a landfill is fairly impervious, the solid waste becomes moist and anaerobic decomposition begins to occur.  This means that there is a lack of oxygen.  This leads to methane gas production, which is a far more potent gas than carbon dioxide.  The methane slowly but surely works its way up to the top of the waste and will be released into the atmosphere.

Methane, which is the main component of natural gas, can be burned extremely easily.  Even if a landfill is closed, methane gas still has a chance to seep through the earth and pollute the atmosphere.  Often times, it is 20-30 years before the landfill stops producing methane gas.  If this is the case, why not harness this methane and put it to good use?  Methane gas, also referred to as “biogas” (methane produce by biological processes) are channeled into electricity and heating for surrounding infrastructures.  There are often not many infrastructures around landfills due to the unpleasant smell but as urban cities grow, they cannot help but to situate closer to landfill sites.  The positive side, however, is that these cities can be part of the electricity outreach produced by harnessed methane gas.  

Could this ultimately be an alternative energy source?  In my opinion, dealing with the horrible smell is not worth the small amount of energy obtained from landfill methane.  

A landfill releases methane from deep within the decayed wastes.

For those of us who frequently drive down the Eisenhower Expressway, it is almost a habit to plug our nose when we see the yellow and blue CARMAX sign.  The expressway runs parallel to the Hillside Landfill, which luckily closed in the spring of 2008.  Although the landfill itself is no longer active, the methane production is still booming.  Hence the reason it still emits an awful smell.  Cook County never wanted the landfill in the first place but in 1979, a quarry was turned into a 55 acre landfill.  Village officials are quite satisfied; they have been reimbursed in over $400,000 in legal fees.  It is estimated that the odor will begin to reduce in September of 2009 when a layer of dirt is put over the western part of the landfill, which is apparently the part that is causing most of the problems.  

Allied Waste, a company that is the national leader in waste disposal, was responsible for closure of the landfill and continues to manage post closure regulations.  Efforts will go toward making the old landfill area more aesthetically pleasing to the eye by removing old equipment and removing debris piles.  Also, plants will be installed around parts of the site’s perimeter.  The site stopped receiving solid waste on June 15, 2008 and will be finally be completely capped on December 31, 2008.  The cap has formed a hill-like shape due to the plastic tarps, soil, and grass cover used to “fill” the landfill.  At one point, there was a deal with Allied Waste to capture the methane gas and use it to generate electricity.  This plan, however, fell through.

It will be a big change for garbage disposal in this area.  The Hillside site obtained over 400 tons of solid waste daily.  In 2008, it increased to 4,000 tons daily because it had to reach a capacity to be capped and also the top layer of fresh trash had to insulate the decaying trash below.  

Now the sight of this won't make you want to hold your nose!

 thought.http://www.thebusinessledger.com/Home/Archives/CommentaryViewpoints/tabid/86/newsid415/5/Odorous-Hillside-Landfill-Finally-To-Be-Capped/Default.aspx

We’ve just about seen it all these days.  Everything is labeled “environmentally friendly” from water bottles, to cars, to backpacks.  But what about the one thing that is considered a girl’s best friend?  No, not diamonds.  Cosmetics!  What would a girl’s morning regimen be without them?  Many people don’t think of cosmetics as having eco-friendly alternatives.  But there is good news: drug stores are going green.  After doing some research, I have found that eco makeup, also known as “green makeup”, causes less pollution, produces less waste, and uses less toxins that are harmful to the environment.  Green manufacturing helps in two ways.  First, ingredients and processes are chosen that are renewable and therefore less harmful to the environment.  Secondly, companies that produce these green products donate some proceeds to environmental causes.

Green makeup comes only in recycled, recyclable, and biodegradable packages.  Also, the amount of packaging material is cut down because let’s face it, less packaging means less waste in the landfills.  It is also important to consider where the makeup chemicals go after they are washed off your face.  Luckily, with green makeup, the chemicals go back into the environment because they are safe and biodegradable.

So can one face really save the planet?  Well, not exactly however just by checking the label of your cosmetics, you can reduce the amount of toxins that are going into the environment (and into your face) and reduce the packaging pollution in landfills.

Think twice before you choose your makeup!

http://www.the-n.com/trends/article.php?id=7436

“100 houses destroyed and 5,400 forced to flee!” desperately exclaimed the newscaster, reporting live from Santa Barbara, California where wildfires were seen destroying one multimillion dollar home after another.  Mid November proved to be a desperate time for the Southern Californians as wildfires ripped through the town of Montecito and then onto Santa Barbara.  In total, 1,900 acres were destroyed and flames reached to 150 feet in height.  

These fires are common this time of year in California.  In the months of September to November, fires often break out due to the low humidity (dryness as the season changes) and prolonged heat from sun exposure.  Wind also plays a huge impact in aiding large fires.  In the case of November’s fire, also known as the Tea Fire, winds gathered speeds up to 90 miles an hour.  This greatly increased the oxygen content in the fire, making it significantly larger.  It is unclear exactly how the Tea Fire started but it is suspected that it began in a Tea shop in the center of Montecito.  Hopefully firefighters will continue to keep these large fires under control, saving the homes of celebs such as Oprah who was ALMOST affected by this natural disaster!

  

 

Wildfires burn mansions in Southern California on November 14th, 2008

http://www.videojug.com/expertanswer/brush-and-wildfires-2/when-do-brush-and-wildfires-most-often-occur

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97010901

Issue #1: Carbon Capture and Sequestration

For fossil fuel burning power companies, this would seem to be the most promising future. Yet, there have been difficulties implementing this technology and there are more problems forecast for the future.

What happens during carbon capture and sequestration?

Carbon capture and sequestration, also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS), is the process by which carbon emissions are captured, utilized, and stored after they are harnessed from large stationary sources such as power plants or factories.  Perfecting this process is essential to guarantee the continued use of fossil fuels while reducing emissions and greenhouse gases.  When the CO2 emissions are captured, they are compressed and transported via pipeline to suitable locations.  Then, these emissions are injected deep into the surface of earth formations where they can no longer be a threat to earth’s atmosphere. 

Why has there been a delay in implementing this technology and what are some of the problems foreseen in developing this solution to carbon dioxide emissions?

The reasons for the delay of CCS are political, economical, and mechanical.  First, scientists do not know if this process will be efficient large-scale.  There seems to be a relative amount of success in the laboratory but it is not guaranteed to be our country’s greenhouse gas savior.  Secondly, politicians are worried that CCS will not be done correctly.  No one can guarantee that there will not be leakage a hundred years from now from underground structures where CO2 emissions are placed.  This causes fear of future, potentially fatal disasters.  Finally, the cost is extremely high.  The capital investment needed to jump start a major project such as creating CCS facilities is extremely expensive, let alone the building costs of construction plants who would have to trust untested technology to be their means of production.  All of these costs could potentially raise the price of fossil fuels by 2-4 cents/kWh           

Power companies have stated that fossil fuel plants provide base-load energy and for this reason, they will be necessary far into the future. What does base load mean? (Optional: This issue was discussed at Notre Dame’s Energy Forum. Discuss how problems with base load could be overcome as alternatives are put into the grid.)

Base load is the minimum amount of power that a company must distribute and make available to its consumers.  In other words, base load energy meets minimum demands of consumers of fossil fuels.  Base load plants are necessary for the future because they are devoted to produce this necessary supply that costumers demand.     

The movie mentioned China’s and India’s rapid development and huge reliance on coal. Will anything the U.S. does to reduce emissions from coal burning power plants be outweighed by China’s and India’s huge increases in coal use? What do you believe would be an international solution?

Unfortunately, no precaution the United States takes to reduce emissions will outweigh the impact China and India are now making with their coal usage.  First of all, both of these nations are significantly larger than the United States.  Secondly, they are each growing at a ridiculously rapid rate, with their industry growing even faster.  The movie stated that by 2030, India will have a greater population density than China.  India, who produces 10% more cement each year, is greatly contributing to the carbon emissions into the atmosphere.  Also, India has come out with a gas powered car that is only $2,500.00.  The demand for this vehicle is rampant and an increase in buyers will directly increase the amount of emissions into the atmosphere. 

The only international solution I can deduce that will help the environment long term is to create international emission standards.  This will guarantee that every nation is on the same page about processes such as CCS. 

http://www.wri.org/project/carbon-capture-sequestration