'PET Peeve' - Disposable Plastic Bottles

Roderick Chen / All Canada Photo / Universal Images Group

PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a type of plastic which can be identified by the recyclable symbol number '1'. It is typically used for single-use disposable water bottles which are extremely commonplace in many parts of the world such as North America.

Because PET plastic bottles are not only convenient but also recyclable, it can cause a consumer of water to question the validity of the claim that they are not 'eco-friendly'. However, there are problems associated with their use for ecosystems which also includes humans.

The Issues

Disposable water bottles generate massive amounts of waste every day around the world. In fact, the project 'Watershed' by MSLK, a graphic design firm in New York, estimates that about 1500 plastic bottles are used per second in the United States alone. It would take a lot of energy every day to recycle all these water bottles into other plastic products, however, although they can be recycled, only about 23% of the bottles used in the United States actually are recycled.

PET plastic will take a very long time to decompose, at an estimate of 700 years. Most plastic bottles are not recycled but instead sent to ever-growing landfills which have other associated issues such as land space, effects on local communities, and leaching into water sources.

Many plastic water bottles unintentionally end up polluting oceans. There is a landfill, similar to a plastic island, in the Pacific Ocean estimated to be about the size of Texas, composed mostly of plastic water bottles that the current accumulated. Small plastics such as the bottle caps (which cannot be recycled) also often end up harming wildlife directly, as animals such as sea birds accidentally ingest them or feed them to their young, mistaking it for food.

The solution lies in using reusable water bottles that can be refilled with tap water.

5 Reasons to Use Reusable Water Bottles (Instead of PET Plastic)

1. Reduce waste produced from thousands of water bottles disposed daily, and reduce the energy required to process the ones that get recycled.

2. Save money spent on hundreds of plastic water bottles by making the one-time purchase of a reusable one.

3. Prevent pollution and plastic bottles from accidentally ending up in bodies of water, and bottle caps from being ingested by wildlife.

4. Don’t support water being taken from communities to be used in bottled water sold to other places where water is already available through a tap. Some large bottling companies even continue to take water during periods of drought when water is scarce.

5. Avoid ingesting antimony. Although levels are low, it can leach into water from PET bottles increasing over time in storage, and can be easily avoided.

At a first glance one plastic water bottle is easy to dismiss as a small thing that has no real significance in the grand scheme of things, but they accumulate with such mass amounts. A person living in America may use an average of 167 disposable water bottles a year, but could replace all of them with just one reusable one, which is a small change that can go a long way.

If you are looking for information on what type of reusable bottle best fits your purposes, feel free to take a look at this older post that compares two different types of reusable water bottles.

Sources

banthebottle.net

http://www.factsonpet.com/frequently-asked-questions/

http://stopnestlewaters.org/about

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17396641

http://www.treehugger.com/clean-water/the-us-consumes-1500-plastic-water-bottles-every-second-a-fact-by-watershed.html

http://action.sumofus.org/a/nestle-water-ontario/4/2/?sub=homepage

May it be Spring

     It has been a long winter for some people, so here are a few pictures to help put a spring in your step:

 Double-crested cormorants

Goldinch

A couple of purple Finches

Visiting Pied-billed Grebes

Migrating common tern

Learning from Lichen

Do not forsake the beautiful little details in your life's picture. Make good small decisions every day. Hold the door open for strangers. Write down your dreams. Look for pictures in the clouds. Make a list of kind things people have said or done for you. Forgive people, including yourself. Understand that this moment will never happen again, so take in the details. Learn from mistakes. Encourage to someone every day. Always remember let people know how much they mean to you. Plant a seed, and remember when it rains that it will grow. 

51 Green Tips

     Above: On the trail at Belfountain, Ontario

#1. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact flourescent ones (CFLs).

#2. Hang your clothes to dry.

#3. Use cold wash in the laundry to save electricity.

#4. Compost uneaten parts of food.

#5. Car pool instead of taking individual vehicles.

#6. Don't idle in cars.

#7. Use paper that is still Good On One Side ("GOOS").

#8. Use a ceiling fan instead of A/C.

#9. Unplug electronics and appliances when not in use (chargers, too).

#10. Buy local, seasonal foods; it's heathier for you and the rest of the ecosystem.

#11. Don't transport firewood to avoid spreading invasive species.

#12. If looking for a Christmas tree, forego a real tree to reduce the number of trees that are chopped down.

#13. Wear a sweater during colder months instead of turning up the heater.

#14. Take shorter showers and avoid full baths to conserve water.

#15. Plant native plants in a garden to help contribute to your  local ecosystem.

#16. Wear and donate second-hand clothing.

#17. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth.

#18. Minimize the number of toilet flushes: 'If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down.'

#19. See your local municipality's instructions to dispose of batteries properly (dont' throw them in the garbage!)

#20. Avoid using pesticides.

#21. Use vinegar instead of strong chemicals for cleaning.

#22. Participate in litter cleanups, and never litter.

#23. Install a low-flow shower head and/or low-flush toilet.

#24. Walk or bike instead of driving.

#25. Use reusable water bottles instead of disposable ones.

#26. Use reusable containers for food instead of disposable wrappers and packaging.

#27. If you eat eggs or meat, buy free range.

#28. Make it a goal when you shop to only buy what you need.

#29. Eat sustainably raised/caught seafood, including eating only "Dolphin Safe" tuna. (visit seafoodwatch.org for Monterey Bay's Sustainable Seafood Guide)

#30. Try going meatless if you eat meat, even if it's justsometimes (especially cattle).

#31. Recycle electronic/e-waste. (Eg: Drop it off at a local Habitat for Humanity dropoff site)

#32. Try making your own cleaning supplies.

#33. Try making your own makeup/personal hygiene products using natural ingredients. (Try making your own oatmeal facial scrub: http://naturenimbus.blogspot.ca/2013/05/a-natural-alternative-to-benzoyl.html)

#34. Try to use electronics as long as you can instead of replacing them with newer models.

#35. Avoid palm oil products.

#36. Determine your Ecological Footprint to see where you personally can improve.

#37. Share and borrow things like books and movies.

#38. Use rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones.

#39. Recycle, and get to know your community's recycling guidelines.

#40. Buy shade-grown coffee.

#41. Water gardens and lawns at night to reduce evaporation.

#42. Buy fair trade products.

#43. Spend time in nature; go for a walk or hike and not just see, but hear, smell, and feel the natural world around you.

#44. Use only water when washing your car (no soap) to prevent runoff from polluting local water sources.

#45. Turn off the lights when you leave the room.

#46. Keep windows and doors closed when it's very hot or cold outside to conserve energy used for heating/cooling systems.

#47. Remember to turn off your computer when it's not in use.

#48. Don't release balloons outside.

#49. Grow your own organic vegetable garden and harvest your own crops.

#50. Have a bird feeder with food for native bird species.
#51. Try upcycling. For ideas visit http://www.pinterest.com/savvyb/upcycle-and-repurpose-ideas/

References (for more tips check these pages):

http://www.worldwatch.org/resources/go_green_save_green

http://www.globalstewards.org/ecotips.htm

A Report on Flooding and Climate Change

Climate Change Effects - Flooding

Melody Tadeo

    While there are many impacts climate change has on the environment and therefore also human society, one of the most concerning ones is the increased risk of flooding. This is an issue involving both water and atmosphere as flooding may occur because of increased amounts of precipitation in some regions, spring runoff, and may also along the coast as sea levels rise. During "storm surges", changes in the wind and atmospheric pressure due to storms already cases damage which will only be increased with a rise in sea level. Floods are a threat to human health and security, economy, and natural ecosystems.

     One of the implications of atmospheric change is higher potential for rainfall in some regions. Around the world many communities have been built around bodies of water, putting people living near rivers and on floodplains at risk during times of heavy rainfall. The UK Environmental Agency has already provided an online map available to citizens to locate areas that are at a higher risk of flooding, specifically near rivers and the coast. After the Somerset Levels Flood, it took three months for the land to dry and it may be two years before the soil returns to levels where viable crops can be grown. Land animals are also vulnerable to floods, as reported during flooding in Britain in February 2014. Many animals such as ground-dwelling hedgehogs and badgers also drown in floodwaters, and surviving animals may suffer from a lack of food resources. Floodwaters may also carry pollutants such as lead, waste, toxic chemicals from industrial areas, and pesticides, which can affect both wild animals in flooded areas and livestock that may ingest contaminants while grazing. Populations of bumblebees that were hibernating as well as earthworms would also greatly decrease for many drown during floods or their hibernating cycle is disrupted.bumblebees play the vital role of pollination, and the affects on creatures such as earthworms will likely make its way up the food chain.

     In other places such as the Sacramento San-Joaquim River Delta, flooding may threaten water source quality and supply for people due to runoff. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) states "[on] average, U.S. flooding kills more than 100 people a year --more than any other single weather hazard, including tornadoes and hurricanes" and that the toll due to flooding has actually increased in recent decades. During times of unexpected flash floods the strength of the water is sometimes underestimated, and about half of related deaths are due to driving into flooded areas to cross streams or drive on the highway. 

     In other communities, however, driving is not the greatest threat to human safety but rather complete displacement of communities and illness; from 1970 to 2008 over 95% of disaster-related deaths occurred in developing nations. In August 2010 over 20 million people in Pakistan lost their homes and over 1,500 people lost their lives in the most devastating flood in the country's history. Even after the initial damage was done water-related illness continued to inflict people and World Health Organization said "waterborne, airborne and vector-borne diseases, including acute watery diarrhea, measles, malaria and acute respiratory infections, are threats due to overcrowding, lack of hygiene and breakage in waterlines". In crowds of people that found themselves homeless there was fear of political unrest, "flood riots", and people fought over limited amounts necessities such as food. According to the federal flood commission, 557,000 hectares of agricultural land was flooded in Pakistan, over 10,000 cows died, and overall the damage was estimated to cost about $7.1 billion.

     During the following year a number of countries in the Global Climate Risk (GCR) Index --including Brazil, El Savadore, Laos, and Thailand-- had record-breaking natural disasters. The GCR reported that floods and landslides caused over 1,000 deaths in Brazil, and 45 deaths and $43 billion of flood damage when Thailand was hit by tropical storm Nock-ten also in 2011. These are only a few examples of floods that cause damage to land, including communities and ecosystems, threaten human health and safety, and have negative economic effects. For coastal countries like Cuba that largely depend on tourism, a rise in sea level could also put a major industry in jeopardy, as well as the natural ecosystems that attract so many visitors.

     Aquatic ecosystems are already vulnerable to a number of environmental threats, and spring runoff could also affect the water quality of coastal areas, such as Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico where "dead zones" are already being created due to agricultural fertilizer runoff, threatening the lives of animals in aquatic ecosystems as well as biodiversity. In saltwater and freshwater ecosystems flooding of rivers and creeks also causes erosion of soil that can prevent vegetation from being able to grow --also making it even more vulnerable to erosion by later rainfall-- and damaging habitats of animals such as turtles. Although some species can still survive, many are forced to move to higher ground and floodwaters can also spread species of fish and other aquatic wildlife into neighboring ecosystems as foreign and potentially invasive species if they are able to survive. Chemicals such as fertilizers can be transferred and pollute ecosystems during floods, as well as various other contaminants including sediments, nutrients, and even fresh water that can change the water quality that local species require to survive.

     Especially under the influence of other environmental and social concerns, including rising sea levels, increased tropical storm activity, and changes in rainfall which can also affect inland areas, flooding poses severe threats to human lives, societies, and natural ecosystems. While flooding is a natural phenomenon, it is important that needs to be prepared for as the effects of climate change become ever more apparent and complex.

References

Batty, D. (2010, August 14). Impact of Pakistan floods as bad as 1947 partition, says prime minister. theguardian.com. Retrieved March 27, 2014, fromhttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/aug/14/pakistan-flooding-disaster-partition-gilani

Bawden, T. (2014, February 17). UK weather: Floods could have devastating environmental impact as animals drown or die from lack of food . The Independent. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-weather-floods-could-have-devastating-environmental-impact-9132299.html

CNN Wire Staff. (2010, August 21). Death toll from Pakistan flooding tops 1,500 as risk of diseases rises. CNN. Retrieved March 27, 2014, fromhttp://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/08/21/pakistan.floods.death.toll/

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Southwest Impacts & Adaptation. EPA. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/impacts-adaptation/southwest.html

Irin news. (n.d.). CLIMATE CHANGE: Natural disasters made history in 2011. IRIN news - Humanitarian news and analysis. Retrieved March 27, 2014, fromhttp://www.irinnews.org/report/96895/climate-change-natural-disasters-made-history-in-2011

MCEER. (n.d.). Pakistan Floods 2010: Latest Facts, News, Photos & Maps. Pakistan Floods 2010: Facts, News, Photos & Maps. Retrieved March 27, 2014, fromhttps://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/disasters/Pakistan-Floods-2010.asp

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. (n.d.). Flooding Fact Sheet. UCAR. Retrieved March 26, 2014, from http://www.ucar.edu/communications/factsheets/Flooding.html

Wharton, J. (2014, March 27). Finally dry: The Somerset Levels are free from floods - THREE months after the rain. Daily Express UK RSS. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/467251/Finally-dry-The-Somerset-Levels-are-free-from-floods-THREE-months-after-the-rain

Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld. (n.d.). Environmental Impact of Floods - February 2011. Wildlife Queensland - Environmental Impact of Floods. Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.wildlife.org.au/news/2011/flooding5.html

     

Skywatching: Jupiter and Daymoon 19-02-2014

     Jupiter shines brightly this month, and on Saturday a friend and I went outside to skywatch. Fog from our breath quickly disappeared like dragon's breath in the crisp night air with a dwindling breeze. We fidgeted eagerly in our places and shuffled light flakes of frigid snow beneath our boots, as we peered up at the sky, straining to catch sight of dimmer stars.

     In this area light pollution sometimes blocks them out, but on Saturday without a cloud in sight the brightest light around was the full moon and the second-brightest was Jupiter (top right). We couldn't see Jupiter's moons, but in a darker area or with some aid they can be spotted. This website, Astro Viewer (http://www.astroviewer.com/current-night-sky.php?lon=-73.94&lat=40.67&city=New+York+City&tz=EST) , has a nice nightly star chart which can help you locate Jupiter, and you can use the search box on the left to set it to your location.
     The way I've been finding Jupiter this week is locating the constellation Orion, then going in a straight line from Rigel (Orion's right foot from our point-of-view) to Betelgeuse (Orion's left shoulder) and continuing about that length one more time and that's right next to Jupiter.

Here's a photo  from today:

These were taken with a Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS15 digital camera and no telescope, but in the picture above two of Jupiter's moons can be seen very faintly. For more about viewing Jupiter this month check out space.com's article: http://www.space.com/24624-see-jupiter-near-moon-tonight.html
Just for fun, here is a picture of the day moon this morning at around 7:30AM.

Good morning/night!

Elucidating Facts About Bioluminescence

The otherworldly, bioluminescent fauna of the twilight (or dysphotic) zone is astounding. A documentary series the Blue Planet features footage of creatures alien from our world on land from the way they were shaped, the way they moved, and the way they glowed.

Bioluminescence is a type of chemiluminescence which is when light is emitted during a chemical reaction and in chemiluminescence very little heat is emitted. This means that this sophisticated method of producing light is also very energy-efficient (perhaps someday technology will be mimicking these animals' efficiency). Bioluminescence Webpage gives a very clear and brief explanation: the chemical luciferin (either produced internally or obtained trough food) reacts with oxygen and is catalyzed by another chemical luciferase, resulting in the production of oxyluciferin and light from the atom going into an excited state.

So these animals use internal chemical reactions to make themselves glow brilliantly... but why? Here are a few thing bioluminescence is used for:

1. To see in the dark.

Very little light reaches the dysphotic zone in the ocean, so being able to glow can help animals see other organisms sharing the waters. Bioluminescence is different from bioflorescence which requires light to be absorbed from an external source in order to produce the glowing effect, so these animals wouldn't need to rely on external sources of light in their dark world. This might seem like an obvious reason, but the colour of the light also matters; many animals in the twilight zone glow blue or green, and that's because blue light will travel the farthest which can help the individual see more, whereas red lights do not travel as far, which can be helpful for finding food, but this also means that they would be more easily spotted by predators. Some animals have the ability to control their glow, but not all of them.

2. As a lure.

If you've seen Disney and Pixar's animated film Finding Nemo, then you've probably seen a enactment of the luring effect of a pretty little light on an angler fish... with some artistic license taken. The angler fish uses a little bioluminescent lure to attract smaller fish and other potential prey into its vicinity so that the angler fish can catch its prey by surprise.

3. For defense.

There are different ways in which bioluminescence is used in defense. Comb jellies/ctenophores have what is called sacrificial tags; when a part of one of the jellies is bitten off, the part remains glowing within the digestive tract of the predator, exposing the predator's location while a shrimp, Acanthephyra purpurea, ejects a blue bioluminescent cloud when it is attacked to protect itself (read more in Switek's article/post in the reference list). Other animals that can control the visibility of their bioluminescence can sometimes also use the glow to confuse predators. The glow of a firefly also warns predators of the bad-tasting chemical catalyst lucibufagens that the firefly is filled with.

Photonic camouflage is a unique type of bioluminescence, and the hatchetfish is one example. To avoid having a silouhette that can be spotted by predators, they adjust photophores on their stomachs which emit light to camouflage with the colour of the light/environment behind them. 

p.s. Scroll to the bottom of the page for an interactive demonstration by feeing 10 bioluminescent fish... however, one has photonic camouflaging (it is the exact same colour as the background). Like the hatchetfish, this fish is very tricky. Try to find the camouflaged fish, and don't forget to share your result in the poll that will be up for the rest of the month (the fish will still be there after the month is up, though). 
          Hint: The fish will follow your mouse until you drop food in.

4. To communicate.

Although this is not their only method of communicating, fireflies are also an example of this one; when they are attracting a mate, males and females will flash signals with their bioluminescent abdomen to communicate with each other. 

There is so much to bioluminescence this only scratches the surface of one of the most brilliant characteristics of a deep part of the ocean. If you're interested in further I found the websites in the reference to be great sources, and the the Blue Planet was awesome.

References

Bioluminescence Webpage. Chemistry of Bioluminescence.The Bioluminescence Webpage. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from http://biolum.eemb.ucsb.edu/chem/

'Docmo'. Animals the Glow: the Science of Bioluminescence. http://docmo.hubpages.com/hub/Animals-that-Glow-The-Science-of-Bioluminescence

National Science Foundation. December 30, 2011. What Glows Beneath: Illuminating Mysteries of the Unseen. Live Science. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from http://www.livescience.com/17685-glow-coral-oceans-nsf-bts.html

Office of Naval Research. Ocean Water: Optics. Office of Naval Research and Science Technology. Retrieved January 16, 2014 from http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/ocean/water/optics1.htm

Scientific Amierican. Shining Examples: 10 Bioluminescent Creatures that Glow in Surprising Ways [Slide Show]. http://www.scientificamerican.com/slideshow/bioluminescent-avatar/

Switek, Brian. Glow Little Spewing Shrimp, Glow. January 23. 2012. Wired Science. Retrieved February 12, 2014 from http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/01/glow-little-spewing-shrimp-glow/

Mid-winter Mysteries

Hi all, I'd like to call out to fellow explorers for some help identifying some species in Southern Ontario (especially arthropod/plant experts), Below the pictures are their Project Noah links so feel free to make a suggestion on the site to have it linked to your account if you have one, or if you'd like to create an account.

Spotted February 5, 2014 (http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/163076011)

Identification: Ichneumon Wasp (Ichneumonidae)

This new friend was what really spurred this post. My sister found this on insect the windowsill in the living room and we've been itching to know more about her and the specific species. She was about 1 inch in length, and the colour on her antennae gradiated from red to yellow at the tips with a subtle black band in between. It also has dark eyespots and thin pincers. He/she was walking very slowly and wasn't seen flying (only cleaning him/herself) and appeared to drink water straight form the tiny puddle we put in a can lid.

 

#2 (flower plant): Spotted July 11, 2013 (http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/157706016)

These flowers were dotting the side of a road in an industrial area. I was speedwalking with someone and couldn't stop for very long, but they were so lovely I just had to snap a couple photos with a cell phone. 

#3 (green insect): Spotted July 12, 2013 (http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/151776016)

This green insect was spotted about  on a mulberry in my backyard. Its crest, colour, and shape kind of reminds me of a chameleon.

Thanks for taking a look!

     - Melody