Addicted To Drinking Water

Posted on | April 20, 2009 | Comments Off

An Associated Press investigation found that U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways. These drugs often find their way to drinking water sources.

The report said, “Hundreds of active pharmaceutical ingredients are used in a variety of manufacturing, including drugmaking: For example, lithium is used to make ceramics and treat bipolar disorder; nitroglycerin is a heart drug and also used in explosives; copper shows up in everything from pipes to contraceptives.”

The EPA has issued a statement:
Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are being discovered in our Nation’s waters at very low concentrations. Pharmaceuticals refer to prescription and over-the-counter therapeutic drugs and veterinary drugs. Personal care products refer to products used for personal and cosmetic reasons such as soaps, fragrances, and cosmetics.

We are responding to the issues of PPCPs in water with a four-pronged strategy aimed at:

1. improving science;
2. improving public understanding;
3. identifying partnership and stewardship opportunities; and
4. taking regulatory action when appropriate.

Super Soaker Cools Global Warming

Posted on | April 18, 2009 | 1 Comment

Atlanta, GA — The mixture of elements provided by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) could prove to by a potent form of energy. The FIRST robotics alliances now include the National 4-H Council and the Girl Scouts of the USA.

4-H is teaming up with FIRST as part of its “One Million New Scientists. One Million New Ideas.” campaign. Over the next four years 4-H has set a goal to engage one milion new young scientific thinkers.

The Girl Scouts of the USA have teamed up with FIRST as part of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) career program. The partnership was designed to foster opportunities for girls to explore STEM by providing hands-on experience in the designing, building and programming of robots while applying the concept of “gracious professionalism” during competition. The partnership is made possible through support from the Motorola Foundation.

It would appear that there are a growing number of individuals that feel the school systems can not handle the ever increasing demand for critical thinkers. “The global economy is constantly demanding a more technologically competent workforce…,” said Paul Gudonis, FIRST President.

It would also appear that climate change and energy alternatives are at the top of the list demanding critical thinkers. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has issued a proposed finding that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. Among the concerns for human health are ground-level ozone, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride.

SOLUTIONS
FIRST, and FIRST supporters, are working on solutions. This year’s FIRST LEGO League competition involved building robots out of LEGOs that would solve climate change problems.

Lonnie Johnson is an inventor that serves as a FIRST ambassador, as well as, FIRST event judge. In 1979, he became Senior Systems Engineer at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where he worked on the Galileo mission to Jupiter; however, Dr. Johnson is probably best known for inventing the Super Soaker. It was the top selling toy in 1991 and 1992 and has generated over $1 billion in sales.

But, don’t let LEGOs and Super Soakers get you thinking this is all child’s play. Dr. Johnson has developed a program to help educate the youth on climate change. In addition, he is putting his money where is mouth is by investing in energy technologies.

ENERGY TECHNOLGY
Two of Dr. Johnson’s companies are devoted to developing alternative energy technologies.

Excellatron Inc. mission statement is “to develop revolutionary energy storage technology as well as the manufacturing technology required for its cost effective commercialization.” They have developed a long cycle life battery that is also flexible. The technology has become known as TFB (thin film batteries).

Johnson Electro-Mechanical Systems (JEMS) mission is “to develop alternative energy generation technologies to meet tomorrow’s energy needs.” JEMS converts thermal energy to electrical energy using a non-steam process which works by pushing hydrogen ions through two membranes.

More About FIRST Robotics

EPA: Greenhouse Gases Pose Threat to Public Health

Posted on | April 17, 2009 | 1 Comment

(Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2009) After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding Friday that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare.

The proposed finding, which now moves to a public comment period, identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.

“This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations. Fortunately, it follows President Obama’s call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation,” said Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This pollution problem has a solution – one that will create millions of green jobs and end our country’s dependence on foreign oil.”

As the proposed endangerment finding states, “In both magnitude and probability, climate change is an enormous problem. The greenhouse gases that are responsible for it endanger public health and welfare within the meaning of the Clean Air Act.”

EPA’s proposed endangerment finding is based on rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analysis of six gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world. The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate.

The scientific analysis also confirms that climate change impacts human health in several ways. Findings from a recent EPA study titled “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone,” for example, suggest that climate change may lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant. Additional impacts of climate change include, but are not limited to:

increased drought;
more heavy downpours and flooding;
more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires;
greater sea level rise;
more intense storms; and
harm to water resources, agriculture, wildlife and ecosystems.

In proposing the finding, Administrator Jackson also took into account the disproportionate impact climate change has on the health of certain segments of the population, such as the poor, the very young, the elderly, those already in poor health, the disabled, those living alone and/or indigenous populations dependent on one or a few resources.

In addition to threatening human health, the analysis finds that climate change also has serious national security implications. Consistent with this proposed finding, in 2007, 11 retired U.S. generals and admirals signed a report from the Center for a New American Security stating that climate change “presents significant national security challenges for the United States.” Escalating violence in destabilized regions can be incited and fomented by an increasing scarcity of resources – including water. This lack of resources, driven by climate change patterns, then drives massive migration to more stabilized regions of the world.

The proposed endangerment finding now enters the public comment period, which is the next step in the deliberative process EPA must undertake before issuing final findings. Today’s proposed finding does not include any proposed regulations. Before taking any steps to reduce greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act, EPA would conduct an appropriate process and consider stakeholder input. Notwithstanding this required regulatory process, both President Obama and Administrator Jackson have repeatedly indicated their preference for comprehensive legislation to address this issue and create the framework for a clean energy economy.

Combating Global Warming Is Child’s Play

Posted on | April 17, 2009 | 4 Comments

Atlanta, GA — Kyoto, Japan was a notable gathering on global warming. The Netherlands, Brazil, India, Thailand and the U.K. have all had summits on climate change. Every year in Aspen, CO some of the brightest minds get together to share ideas on the environment. Do any of these events give hope to a solution?

The China LEGO Team

Maybe the best place to find an optimistic outlook for finding real world solutions to human induced climate change is… playing children’s games in Atlanta, Georgia. Youth from around the world gathered for the FIRST Robotics championships at the Georgia Dome. There are three different age groups that take part in a variety of competitions. The youngest group competes in the LEGO league. Each year a different challenge is presented for which the kids build robots out of LEGOs to try to solve “the problem”. This year’s challenge has to do with climate change.

Climate Connections World Festival
The objective of the Climate Connections competition is to score the most points using robots made out of LEGO’s by:

Bury Carbon Dioxide (Carbon Sequestration)
Move carbon dioxide (the gray balls) to the underground reservoir. For each carbon dioxide to score, it must be touching the reservoir model and/or the mat within the model, but it must not be touching the mat outside the model.Scoring carbon dioxide (balls) are worth 5 points each.

Construct Levees
Move levee blocks to low-lying shores while being careful not to damage the ones that are already in scoring position… For each block to score, it must be upright and touching low-lying shores on the mat. Scoring blocks are worth 5points touching red and 4 points touching green. Blocks touching both red and green shores are scored as touching red only.
NOTE: Levee blocks are this year’s “touch penalty objects.” When an active robot is touched while it’s completely out of Base, the referee will take one levee block off the field, out of play, starting with those that are in Base. If there arenone in Base, the one currently farthest west in the field will be taken. If the only levee blocks available are being moved by the robot at the time of the touch, one of those will be taken after the robot is carried back to Base. If all 8 levee blocks have been taken already, there is no loss.

Test Levees
See how levees survive when a storm approaches (activate the wheel-roller). The wheel must be allowed to roll freely until it either hits or misses the levees. The activation is worth 15 points whether the levees are hit or missed, but worth no points if the wheel is strategically blocked by anything other than released levees near or past the greenshore.

Raise The Flood Barrier
The barrier in the up position (red lever down) is worth 15 points.

Elevate The House
The house in the up position (red lever east) is worth 25 points.

Turn Off The Lights
The window showing black is worth 20 points.

Open A Window
The window all the way open is worth 25 points.

Get People Together
Three or more red/white citizens touching the pink grid area is worth 10 points.Three or more blue/gray leaders touching the tall, green mountain and/or city is worth 10 points.Three or more black/white scientists touching the research area is worth 10 points.

Find Agreement (Align The Arrows)
Before the match starts, the referee sets the yellow arrows in random disagreement. Alignment of both yellow arrowsis worth 40 points for both teams, no matter which direction the alignment faces and no matter if one or both robotshelped.

Fund Research Or Corrective Action
Move money (the yellow ball) to the research area or to the underground reservoir. For the ball to score, it must be touching the underground reservoir or research area (ice sheet) models and/or the mat within those models, but it must not be touching the mat outside those models. The scoring money is worth 15 points.

Deliver An Ice Core Drilling Machine
Move the core drilling machine to the research area. For the machine to score, it must be making direct contact with the research area model and/or the mat within that model, but it must not be touching the mat outside that model. The scoring machine is worth 20 points. The drill assembly raised completely vertical is worth an additional 10 points.

Extract An Ice Core Sample
The ice core pulled completely from its hole is worth 20 points. The ice core in Base is worth an additional 10 points.

Deliver An Ice Buoy
Move the ice buoy to the research area. For the buoy to score, it must be upright and making direct contact with the research area model and/or the mat within that model, but it must not be touching the mat outside that model. The scoring buoy is worth 25 points.

Insulate A House
Move the insulation to the green grid area. Both insulation touching the green grid area is worth 10 points.

Ride A Bicycle
Move the bicycle to the green grid area. The bicycle touching the green grid area is worth 10 points.

Telecommute And Research
Move the computer to the green grid area. The computer touching the green grid area is worth 10 points.

Study Wildlife
Move the polar bear and/or the snowmobile to the research area. To score, they must be making direct contact with the research area model and/or the mat within that model, but they must not be touching the mat outside that model.The scoring bear is worth 15 points upright, or 10 points “sleeping” (on its side), and the scoring snowmobile is worth 10 points.

Beat the Clock
At the end of the match, if the robot is making direct contact with the research area model and/or the mat within that model, but it’s not touching the mat outside that model, that’s worth 15 points. –OR– At the end of the match, the robot touching only the yellow grid area is worth 10 points.

Adults! Pay attention to this child’s play!

MULTIMEDIA
Video Clip: The Chinese LEGO Team In Action

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