Americans Are More Insecure About their Food
By: Timi Gustafson RD
Publication: Seattlepi
May 30, 2012
Link: http://blog.seattlepi.com/timigustafsonrd/2012/05/30/americans-are-more-insecure-about-their-food/
Summary: According to a survey by the International Food Information Council, Americans currently have much less confidence in the quality and safety of their foods than they have had in many years. Some causes of this may be from recent shocking reports in the news such as mad-cow disease, and slime and glue meat. Other causes vary from production of the food supply, to its transportation on the market. In the survey, more than 50% worried about meat, 25% about seafood, and about 23% worried about produce. As a result of this insecurity, Americans started to pay better attention to their food choices when it came to knowing where their food was produced, how it was produced, its safety, overall healthiness, and finally, its cost. Although eating habits of our nation have yet to change, price consciousness has increased along with the insecurity of purchasing food to put on your family's plate.
The image above illustrates the increase in food insecurity in our country.
Opinion: In my opinion, I do not find any of this shocking. Very often we don't know where our food is from or how it got here but most of the time we just don't care. After reading this article I might start thinking more about the safety of my food and what I'm about to put into my body.
Questions:
1.) How safe do you think the foods you usually eat are?
2.) What can be done to make foods safer and lower insecurity?
3.) Give an example of a food and how it is produced, where it is produced, its safety, over all healthiness, and its price.
Golden Girls
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Buildings Cleaning the Air
Buildings
Cleaning the Air
Vertical
Forest
By Rachelle
Burk
http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA289215170&v=2.1&u=hatterslib&it=r&p=GPS&sw=w
Summary: In Milan,
Italy the world’s first forest covered buildings are being built. They are
making twin high rise apartment complexes which will be covered in 900 trees
and thousands of different plants. This will be equivalent 108,000 sq. feet of
woodland. The plants are going irrigated with recycled water from the
apartments. The plants will provide shade in the summer and create homes for
birds and insects that are disappearing from cities. The most important thing
the plants will do is filter the air.
This is what
the buildings are expected to look like.
This is a
diagram showing how plants filter air.
Opinion: I think this is a wonderful idea. It
is a great way to filter the air in cities since the air there seems to be
getting worse and worse. It is also great that the plants serve many purposes
like shade and habitats. I think that if this works out in Milan then we should
start trying it in cities all over the world. It is also great that the water
from apartments will be recycled for irrigation.
Questions:
1. Do you think this will work? Why or
why not?
2. What problems could they face with
the ‘vertical forest’?
3. Would you ever live in an apartment like
this? Why or why not?
4. What are some other advantages of a ‘vertical
forest’?
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Does Dirty Air Make Us Dumb?
Air Pollution Causes Harmful Physical Changes in The Brain
"Air
Pollution Causes Harmful Physical Changes in the Brain." Air
Pollution Causes Harmful Physical Changes in the Brain. Web. 23 May 2012.
<http://www.naturalnews.com/032983_air_pollution_brain.html>.
Ohio State has been
conducting research on the effect that air pollution can have on human brains.
The results they found are definitely something to be concerned
about. The effects include physical changes and effects like memory loss,
learning and depression. The most recent study done has shown that extended exposure
to air pollution can lead other changes in the body including; diabetes and
hypertension. The study also showed that air pollution from cars, factories,
and natural dust can settle into the lungs and organs of the body because the
particles are so small. The population exposed to the pollutants showed severe
impairments in memory, learning, caused depression and caused anxiety.
This is a brain effected by air pollution |
Most common types of air pollution. |
Reflection:
In my opinion, we should be very concerned about the amount of air pollution we
are in taking. Also mentioned in the article, the pollution is the worst in
large cities and that is really worrisome considering a lot of people in our
country are living in cities. I think that we need to come up with a way to
stop air pollution as soon as possible or our country is all going to intellectual
problems.
Questions:
1. Should
we be concerned about an air pollution affecting our brains? Why or why not?
2. Do you think that alternative energy could
solve this problem? If so which kind of alternative energy?
3. What
do you think is the biggest cause of air pollution and how could we cut back on
it?
4. Do
you know any other effects air pollution can have on the body and brain?
Monday, May 21, 2012
are animals polluting the air?
A mighty wind
In this article it talks a lot about how
other animals and creatures pollute the air as well as humans. Humans are constantly being blamed
for the poor air quality, and although we pollute the most there are other
factors as well. It starts with stating that there was pollution way before
humans even existed. The go back to the dinosaur time and explain that in the
dinosaur age herbivores gave of methane, which polluted the
air. Nowadays we have other animals which give off harmful pollutants
as their food digests one example is a cow. “Methane emissions from cattle are
the issue today, accounting for 2 percent of all greenhouse gases.” This
quote talks about how the indigestion of animals causes a measurable amount of
harmful air pollutants.
This was a unique
article. I took a new view on natural air pollution. It recognized that humans
are the top polluters but also put some blame on all animals. I liked that they
tied in the idea of pollution from the dinosaurs to show that pollution has
been around forever. Dinosaurs are now extinct, obviously, but it makes one
think about if that had anything to do with pollution. Scientist had said that
methane was the harmful substance in this equation. I thought this article was
different and took a whole new look on one of the components of pollution.
This is a methane molecule it is polluting the air.
This scientist is exploring the idea of methane pollution from
the time of the dinosaurs.
Questions:
1. What is one way to reduce the air pollution from
animals?
2. What is methane? What are some negative effects it
has on the environment.
3. Are there any positive uses of methane?
4. Where did Methane originate from (even before
dinosaurs)?
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Experimental, High Tech 'Ghost Town' Being Built in New Mexico
Rabinowitz, Marco. "Experimental, High Tech 'Ghost Town' Being Built in New Mexico."Benzinga. Web. 10 May 2012. <http://www.benzinga.com/general/entrepreneurship/12/05/2575383/experimental-high-tech-ghost-town-being-built-in-new-mexico>.
Projected image of what the city will look like. |
Close up shot of what the city will look like. |
Questions:
- Do you think that building a ghost town is a good idea? Why or why not.
- What do you think is the best way to test protection plans, renewable resources, and smart technology?
- How do you think that a project like this will help America?
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wind Turbines That Make Clean Water
Title: Wind Turbine Makes 1,000 Liters of Clean Water a Day in the Desert
Author: Megan Treacy
Publisher: Treehugger
Date: April 16, 2012
Link: http://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/wind-turbine-makes-clean-water-desert.html
Summary: While living in the Caribbean, Marc Parent was able to collect water from his air conditioning unit which inspired him to create technology that could collect and condense water. He invented a cool concept which is currently being tested in the Abu Dhabi desert that involves a wind turbine. Once air is taken in through the nose cone of the turbine, it is then heated to make steam. After the steam travels through a cooling compressor, it becomes moisture which is then condensed and collected. The collected water is sent through pipes down to stainless steel storage tanks which it is purified and filtered to make sure it clean and safe to drink. With the power of wind, this system can create up to 1,000 liters of clean water a day!
Here is a picture of the wind turbine being used in the desert to collect wind and turn it into drinkable water.
This is a diagram of the inside of every wind turbine and how it works.
Opinion: In my opinion, i think that this is a great idea and invention! It seems very safe for the environment, which is a big deal in deciding whether or not to use it as a source of water. In class we learned about contaminated water, and how it is hard for some parts of the world to obtain water safe enough to drink. With the help of these turbines, a lot of clean water can be provided to areas that don't already have access to clean water.
Questions:
1) Does the turbine cause any effects on the environment?
2) In your opinion, do you feel as that the turbines are a good idea? Why or why not?
3) Do you know of any other water solutions that would provide drinking water to areas that do not have access to clean water?
Author: Megan Treacy
Publisher: Treehugger
Date: April 16, 2012
Link: http://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/wind-turbine-makes-clean-water-desert.html
Summary: While living in the Caribbean, Marc Parent was able to collect water from his air conditioning unit which inspired him to create technology that could collect and condense water. He invented a cool concept which is currently being tested in the Abu Dhabi desert that involves a wind turbine. Once air is taken in through the nose cone of the turbine, it is then heated to make steam. After the steam travels through a cooling compressor, it becomes moisture which is then condensed and collected. The collected water is sent through pipes down to stainless steel storage tanks which it is purified and filtered to make sure it clean and safe to drink. With the power of wind, this system can create up to 1,000 liters of clean water a day!
Here is a picture of the wind turbine being used in the desert to collect wind and turn it into drinkable water.
This is a diagram of the inside of every wind turbine and how it works.
Opinion: In my opinion, i think that this is a great idea and invention! It seems very safe for the environment, which is a big deal in deciding whether or not to use it as a source of water. In class we learned about contaminated water, and how it is hard for some parts of the world to obtain water safe enough to drink. With the help of these turbines, a lot of clean water can be provided to areas that don't already have access to clean water.
Questions:
1) Does the turbine cause any effects on the environment?
2) In your opinion, do you feel as that the turbines are a good idea? Why or why not?
3) Do you know of any other water solutions that would provide drinking water to areas that do not have access to clean water?
Friday, May 4, 2012
Farms-to-Forks-to-Farms
Farm-to-Fork-to-Farm
Title: Organic Diversion Adds Collingswood Restaurants to Food Waste Composting Program
Entertainment Close-up 27 Apr. 2012
Summary: A recycling company, Organic Diversion, has recently started the Farm-to-Fork-to-Farm program in Collingswood, NJ. There are currently six restaurants participating.This program recycles the waste from restaurants and makes it compost for local farms. The compost helps grow crops on the farms which is then used in the restaurants. Things continue in that cycle which helps keep waste out of landfills. Not only is it helping the environment but it also reduces the disposal cost for the restaurants.
A picture showing all the different things in a compost.
One of the restaurants participating in Farms-to-Forks-to-Farms, Bistro DiMarino.
Opinion: I think that this is a great way to recycle! It was a great idea by Organic Diversion to use restaurant waste as compost. Compost is just decayed organic matter used as plant fertilizer. The restaurants are helping the farms, the farms are helping the restaurants, and they are both helping the environment. If i was a restaurant owner i would definitely participate in this program. It is great because it helps the environment and helps the restaurant owners save money.
Questions:
1. If you were a restaurant owner would you participate in this program?
2. Do you use compost at home?If yes do you think it works well? If no would you ever consider using it?
3. Do you think this is a good program? Why or why not?
4. What are some other ways restaurant waste could be used?
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