October 10th, 2008 ecoli
story here
A necropsy revealed that a virgin shark was pregnant at the time of death and was nearly ready to give birth. Parthenogenesis was not thought to be common among sharks, the last documented case was at an Omaha zoo in 2002.
Genetic testing confirmed that the unborn shark had no father. The testing was done at Stony Brook University (always like giving a shoutout to my uni) at the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science. This could indicate that parthenogenesis could be more common in sharks than previously thought.
Posted in environment, genetics, link out | 2 Comments »
September 7th, 2008 ecoli
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of property are inalienable rights granted in the US constitution to “We the people of the United States.” Though these natural rights are afforded to US citizens, truly they also belong to all the people of the world. It is any government’s job to protect these rights of their citizens and a government which fails to do so is assuredly broken.
I cannot imagine that any free person would disagree that these rights should be granted and protected for all people but some, like the nation of Ecuador, are debating whether these rights go far enough. After all, why is it only people who are granted these rights?
A proposed change to an article Ecuadorian constitution would grant Nature the right to “exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution.” In addition, it would grant legal status to any person attempting to protect these rights in court. Obviously, this is the farthest a government has gone in re-examining natural rights.
In a way, the Ecuadorians have a point. Why do humans think we’re more special than other animals, plants and ecosystems? We are, after all, just one of many different propositions of life that Nature came up with. Surely, if we’re reasoned enough to appreciate that people should have rights extending from Nature, how can we not afford these rights to Nature itself? Self serving ideas that Nature exists solely for the exploitation of man will not get us very far, considering the delicate balance we are currently in, which, by most accounts, is tipping towards the side of disaster.
From that perspective, I appreciate what the Ecuadorians are trying to do. Our founding fathers realized that it is easy for a government to lose its way, and set up a system in which balanced powers ensures government doesn’t exploit their fellow man. It is just as easy for people to exploit Nature, even though it is our equal, as sustainable ecosystems are required to fuel all life.
This constitutional change will probably serve the people of Ecuador well, but the same effect of this new article can be achieved in the US without a constitutional amendment.
The idea of property rights is protected in the US constitution. This may seem like an anthropocentric view, but Nature, which is the land we live on and farm, the air we breathe and the water we drink, is property. Some of that is private property, but much of nature is common property, belonging to the greater public and communities. As long as we afford the protection of Nature as public or private property from environmental harm and degradation, then we need not change the constitution. Environmental issues such as pollution and global warming, become an issue that should be dealt with in the courts under civil rights arguments.
If the inalienable rights of man are “natural” rights which we must protect for each other, how can we, in turn grant rights back to nature? As much as we hate to admit it, humans are basically selfish and work better when working for ourselves. However, we can be persuaded to work together and protect each others rights in the form of modern governments. Therefore, we can be persuaded to protect Nature’s rights if we understand that Nature is needed collectively and individually by us all.
It seems unfortunate, but it is a natural thing for us to treat Nature as a possession. That doesn’t mean a trinket we can just toss away, but as a sacred possession that we must honor and treat with respect. We don’t have to grant rights to Nature in human documents, because the natural world will be here long after us humans are gone. If we want to extend that time, however, we have to realize that, if Nature is property, it has to be protected for everyone’s good.
via A blog around the clock
Posted in environment, news | No Comments »
June 9th, 2008 ecoli
We mourn the loss of another marine mammal.
via Brian Switek at Laelaps
Posted in environment, link out, news | No Comments »
June 5th, 2008 ecoli
This graph from the NY times, kindly provided by Jake Young, at Pure Pedantry provides a good case for letting the market just do it’s thing, when it comes to alternative energies in regards to transportation.
If you’re an environmentalist, or if you don’t work for big oil, high gas prices is a good thing. When costs are artificially low, there’s little incentive for companies to produce alternative energies or hybrids. But, these charts show that inflated prices do, in fact, bring down the rate of fuel consumption (less driving). Now, corporations can only continue to inflate prices so much, before people start opting out of personal automobile use altogether, travel overseas by steamboat and start biking to work. In order for energy companies to keep selling energies, they’ll have to develop alternative sources.
Oil subsidies, paid for out of our taxes, keeps oil prices artifically low and less responsive to the laws of demand. This is harmful to our economy by preventing the development of alternative energies and harmful to our environment in the same respect.
If the gas tax is repealed for the summer, it will have a similiar effect by making gas prices appear cheaper, increasing demand and delying alternative technologies. The gas tax is needed to keep our public roadways in shape. Hillary’s proposal to add a windfall tax to oil companies and then fine companies millions who jack up prices to compensate for the loss is, at best, ridiculous. You can’t fine companies for trying to maintain their profits, and this would never be approved by a Bush appointed FTC administration anyway. Hillary’s plan would screw federal highways, because there’s no altervative source of income for this tax. And, it would delay the production of badly needed alternative energy by messing with the laws of demand. Leave the free market alone!
Posted in environment, link out, musings, politics | 3 Comments »
June 4th, 2008 ecoli
…. for farmers. I’d say this is a good way to promote self-initiated sustainability practices. O, internet, dost thou have a solution for everything?
via Science blog’s Worlds Fair
Posted in education, environment, link out | No Comments »
May 29th, 2008 ecoli
It’s hard to imagine, in our world of internet and cell phones, that there could be any people unconnected and unplugged from the ‘modern world.’ Yet, these photographs show that there are still some tribes in South America, this one is in Brazil, that remains isolated from the Western world and modern government. Who knows how much they know about the world outside their tribe? This group still uses bow and arrows.
Now here’s the question. Should we make contact with these tribes, to study them. There is much we can learn from isolated tribes about human behavior and evolution. On the other hand, would it not be better for them to leave them be? Especially because, in the past, western diseases have been known to decimate tribal populations.
more pictures
Posted in environment, evolution, politics | 5 Comments »
May 26th, 2008 ecoli
I’ve been sitting on this one for a while now, wondering on how best to approach it.
For our anniversary, my girlfriend got me this box of 12 #2 Antimicrobial Pencils from Ticonderoga.
My first thought was, “WTF is wrong with the world” quickly followed by a “Why would you get this for me?” to my girlfriend. She shrugged and said “you like bacteria.”
Well, I guess I like them so much that she thought I should contribute to the growing problem of bacterial resistance to commercial antibiotics by introducing a new source of a completely useless product.
According to the front of the box:
Microban protection inhibits the growth of odor and stain causing bacteria
and according to Wikipedia:
Microban International, Ltd. produces chemicals used for antimicrobial product protection. These persistent chemicals provide antimicrobial properties in consumer, industrial and medical products… The broad application of the Microban product in everything from cutting boards to flooring, along with its long life in the product and hence the environment, has raised some concerns about the long term effects of its promiscuous use.
This could be a made up statistic, but 48.5 out of 50 microbiologists agree that the concept of Microban products is one of the stupidest they’ve heard in a while.
We’re overusing antimicrobial agents in everything from flooring, pencils and our colons. It’s no wonder that widespread antibiotic resistance is wreaking havoc in the medical field. Haven’t we seen in the recent spread of drug resistant superbugs, like MRSA)shown us the dangers of overusing antibiotics?
Apparantly not, because companies like Microban will not be satisfied until their antimicrobial products are in the lining of every pot and in the flooring of every garage. Just looking at that insidious green packaging, in it’s environmentally friendly guise, is making me angry.
I can see the attractiveness of wanting to put antibiotics into pencils, sort of. I suppose if you happen to be an elementary school teacher who’s students slobber all over their pencils, it could help stop the spread of germs,if they happen to share their pencils. But, this still, is going too far.
Bacteria will quickly build up resistance to these types of antibiotics, which is dangerous because of the increased virulence associated with increased resistance. So, instead of a few relatively harmless bacteria on your pencil, you’ve got lots of harmful bacteria.
This simple fact speaks to a larger ignorance in the general public about the simple fact that antimicrobial products become less effective when they’re overused. As a result, the doctor’s treatment arsenal is getting smaller, and science simply cannot produce new antibiotic agents as quickly as they are needed.
I am going to send an email to Microban International, Ltd to give them a piece of my mind, and I urge all my readers to do the same. Perhaps we can pressure them into at least recognizing the potential problem associated with their company.
(my email – feel free to use this version or modify as needed for your own letters)
I am writing as a student in microbiology and biochemistry to express my concern about the general content and implications of your Microban products.
As you may or may not know, antimicrobial products are important tool in medicine and treating infectious diseases, however, their overuse is leading to a serious health problem.
This company, which seeks to put antimicrobial products into everything from flooring to pencils, is doing the public a great disservice. It is important to realize that not all bacteria or fungi are killed by antimicrobials, and that the pathogens that survive are often the strongest and most virulent of the population. These organisms are also largely resistant to antimicrobials.
Therefore, as more antimicrobials enter general use, they become less effective. This is annoying problem for those concerned with household odors. This is an potential public health catastrophe to those, like myself, who can envision what the overuse of antimicrobial products will bring.
In the news we see with cases like the MRSA superbug, which have been able to outmaneuver our antibiotics faster than science can produce them, and the result is often fatal (to children). This is one of hundreds of different cases of virulent diseases made worse by overuse of antibiotics.
I write to urge this company to reconsider the way it approaches and applies it’s products.
Right now, overuse of antimicrobials is a nuisance, but in the future it could become a real health epidemic if this overuse is continued. If Microban International, Ltd. truly cares about the public good and its consumer base, it will seriously reconsider its business approach.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Posted in business, education, environment, evolution, microbiology, musings | 4 Comments »
May 25th, 2008 ecoli
I need to save money on gas and I need exercise, so I’m planning on killing two birds on two wheels.
Since I haven’t biked seriously since I was much smaller, probably middle school, my bike would be too small, if it hadn’t already been thrown out. I could buy a new one, but my parents have two older bikes hanging up in the shed that I figured I would try out… you never know, they might not be in that bad shape.
Back in the magical year of 1983, my parents were married and bought semi-matching bicycles for themselves (or perhaps they were gifts). At any rate, like everything built before the 1990s, it seems as if the bikes were built to last.
On one of the bikes, the chain was stuck between the gear and the frame, but that was easily fixable. The kickstand is a little wobbly, but the breaks will certainly have to be replaced.
The other bike is in better shape. I tightened the kickstand on that bike, adjusted the seat and handlebars. The brakes are in good condition and the gear shift works properly. I’m not sure when the tires or tubes were last replaced, but presumably it wasn’t that long ago. I filled them up and there doesn’t seem to be any leaks.
The latter bike was my dad’s. I prefer it to the other one because of the nice blue color, its in better condition (relatively speaking) but mostly because of the brandname. It’s called “Soma.” Who doesn’t want to ride a bicycle named after the mind altering drug from Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World?
I didn’t feel like taking pictures for this post, but it seems as if this guy on Craig’s list has almost exactly the same bike:
My original estimate was that the trip to my lab was about 10 miles, which I guess would take about an hour. However, I mapped out the route on google maps, and it’s only a 7.6 mile trip, which I think is doable with some training.
I timed myself on a 2 mile trip, up and down my street, and it took me 11 minutes and 47 seconds. I figure that it will take 45 min to an hour to make the trip, depending on how tired I am.
I’m thinking I should train for at least a week before I attempt the trip for real. I’m an out-of-shape nerd, and after 2 miles today, I definitely felt my legs cramp up a bit (though not as bad as I was expecting). I also need to get used to riding with a backpack on.
I need to invest in a water bottle holder for the bike as well as review mirror. It can be quite disconcerting relying on hearing alone to guess when a car is going to pass, and only a small part of the route has sidewalks.
Certain things I’m going to have to get used to; making sure my work doesn’t suffer because of the longer travelling time, (and along the same lines) getting used to dealing with leg cramps at work, eating more calories (this might get just as expensive as using my car for this reason!), bringing a change of clothes, or at least a shirt, with me so my colleuges don’t kick me out… or at least subject me to the emergency shower!
Posted in environment, musings | 2 Comments »
April 27th, 2008 ecoli
‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ is a wise waste management policy and words to live by. However, we also need to ‘Rethink’ our approaches to environmental policy and the role of government in its enforcement.
Government organizations, implemented by legislation or executive order, tend to be large and intrusive. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), for example, has largely been a positive motivator for environmental awareness; however, this large federal bureaucracy also uses its power to violate states rights. Back in February, the EPA blocked 16 states from raising fuel economy standards for new cars, with unreasonable justification. Presumably, EPA administrators were trying to shield the automakers from environmental responsibility.
Though, thankfully, this type of abuse of power is not too frequent, the fact that any federal agency not administrated by elected officials has this level of authority is worrisome. Furthermore, it is against the spirit of the Constitution to forbid states from making their own environmental policy, especially when that policy would tend to improve the environment.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in environment, musings | 3 Comments »
global RSS feed.