Poop Happens...

In other parts of the world, biosolids are a popular choice as sustainable agricultural fertilizer. Biosolids, also called treated sludge are organic materials that are rich in nutrients resulting from the treatment of domestic sewage in a treatment facility. When treated and processed, these residuals can be recycled and applied as fertilizer to improve and sustain productive soils and stimulate plant growth.

Biosolids are created through the treatment of domestic wastewater generated from sewage treatment facilities. The treatment of biosolids can actually begin before the wastewater reaches the sewage treatment plant. In many larger wastewater treatment systems, pre-treatment regulations require that industrial facilities pre-treat their wastewater to remove many hazardous contaminants before it is sent to a wastewater treatment plant. Wastewater treatment facilities monitor incoming wastewater streams to ensure their recyclability and compatibility with the treatment plant process.

Once the wastewater reaches the plant, the sewage goes through physical, chemical and biological processes which clean the wastewater and remove the solids. If necessary, the solids are then treated with lime to raise the pH level to eliminate objectionable odors. The wastewater treatment processes sanitize wastewater solids to control pathogens (disease-causing organisms, such as certain bacteria, viruses and parasites) and other organisms capable of transporting disease. (EPA)

Biosolids are very easy to obtain which is one of the many advantages using biosolids. More examples are:

• improves crop production
• reduce soil erosion 
• protects water quality
• reclaims strip-mined lands
• enrich forest land 
• conserve landfill space
• provide economic incentives

When there are advantages there are disadvantages. Here are some of the disadvantages of biosolids:

• potential health hazard
• effects irreversible
• contamination resulting from industrial waste
• its true composition is unknown
• odor

The advantages and disadvantages make people have second thoughts about using biosolids. In my opinion biosolids are a legitimate kind and can be used as fertilizer. Biosolids have more advantages than disadvantages. Most, if not all of the Biosolids' disadvantages can be fixed or corrected through more research on the subject. Manure being used as a fertilizer and energy source is not new to us. Biosolids through research may also become a good alternative energy source because of its common properties with cow dung. If Biosolids were indeed an energy source, it would provide the world with the cheapest and most abundant energy source and with a number of energy sources becoming depleted, all the more do we need this source. We, the people can be the potential stakeholders of this resource.

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A Boost of Energy

"Energy drinks are beverages whose producers advertise that they 'boost energy.' These advertisements usually do not emphasize energy derived from the sugar they contain but rather increased energy release due to a variety of stimulants and vitamins."

"A sports drink beverage is designed to help athletes rehydrate when fluids are depleted after training or competition. Electrolyte replacement promotes proper rehydration, which is important in delaying the onset of fatigue during exercise. As the primary fuel utilized by exercising muscle, carbohydrates are important in maintaining exercise and sport performance."

The G Series

Getting healthy and getting fit is a growing societal need. With the help of a few actors and actresses, athletes, and the media the society is now immersed in getting fit and getting a better looking body.  The energy drink or sports drink first emerged dating as far back to the early 1960s in Japan. It was not until the 20th to 21st century that energy and sports drinks were heavily advertised and used. Companies like PepsiCo (Gatorade) and Red Bull GmbH (Red Bull) started to make different variations of their products. For example Gatorade just came up with a new line of Gatorade sports drink called the "G Series" There have also been new energy drinks and ways to "boost" your energy. For example: Sheets Energy Strips.

Amar'e Stoudemire a professional
Basketball player of the NBA taking a Sheet

The new ways we get extra energy and the advancement in our drinks was due to our societal needs. The society wants to get fit and what better drink to replenish your tired self than an energy drink? Companies that manufacture such said drinks pounced on this opportunity to take advantage of the situation. With the growing society and growing exercise-fitness business, expect a lot more and newer energy booster products.



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Keeping Up with Humans

In a world that is constantly growing and where new generations of humans emerge, specific aspects of daily life like food and agriculture are rapidly changing with the growing population. With the attempt to keep up with the "future" agriculture has taken many steps into making sure that their production is what people want and that they could keep up with the huge demand of their consumers.  

Sustainable agriculture is what I would say is the the old way of farming. Sustainable agriculture refers to the ability of a farm to produce food indefinitely, without causing irreversible damage to ecosystem health (newpaltz.edu). Originally farms were not supposed to hurt the environment or affect the biodiversity of an ecosystem. Sustainable agriculture existed at a time where the population of the world was not yet in the right position to demand more from these farms and where the technology was not yet as advanced as it is today.  

Industrial agriculture is the complete opposite of sustainable farming. While it also produces the same product, industrial agriculture uses things like pesticides and insecticides to ensure the successful growth of their product. 

newdream.org describes industrial agriculture as: "A food system that emerged in the 20th century that provides large scale agricultural production. Industrial agriculture has had a tremendous impact on the world's water resources and soil quality because of the massive use of chemical pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers." 

Industrial Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture

Industrial agriculture today has the ability to engineer our food. The biggest advancement in the food industry today is the use of corn. They use corn because corn can be easily broken down and turned into new ingredients that makes food and they can also use it to feed poultry animals like cows and chickens. You will be very surprised at the fact that most items in the grocery store contain corn or some sort of soy in its ingredients. Corn may be very cheap but also has its hazards. Cows were not designed to eat corn but were designed to eat grass (Food, Inc.). The corn that the cows eat can generate a harmful bacteria for humans when digested and that is E. Coli. (Escherichia Coli). Things to prevent E.coli has already been discovered and poultry is safe again.

The emergence of E.coli is a sign that if we further try and engineer and force evolution to our resources things that could harm us instead of help us can emerge. But with the way our technology is advancing, not only can the agricultural industry keep up with the rapid population growth, but the other industries as well

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Designer Babies: A Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

What are designer babies? The term "designer baby" refers to a baby whose genetic makeup has been artificially selected by genetic engineering combined with in vitro fertilization to ensure the presence or absence of particular genes or characteristics (actionbioscience.org). Meaning people can "design" their own babies to their liking from physical appearance to talent. Designing babies may include Genetic processes such as IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) and IGM (Inheritable Genetic Modification). In IVF the ova are removed from the ovaries and are fertilized outside the body. This process a major treatment to infertility. Inheritable genetic modification (IGM, also called germline engineering) means changing the genes passed on to future generations. The genetic changes would be made in eggs, sperm or early embryos; modified genes would appear not only in the person who developed from that gamete or embryo, but also in all succeeding generations. Even though this method is not tested with humans, it will potentially be a good method for designing babies or generations of family.

Designer babies do bring a lot of advantages to the society. If people were able to design their own babies the society would look way better. Society in future would also become stronger as people can design their babies to be great leaders. Society would also be more healthier as people can design babies that have no diseases, like cancer for example. 


While being able to design your own baby has its advantages it will also have some disadvantages. What if the technology of designer babies were used in the wrong way? Throughout time there has been those people who strive for power. The power to govern over the whole world.  If that were the case, these designer babies would be used as tools for that purpose. Those seeking for power would most likely design their babies as great soldiers so by the time they grow up, all of them would be in an army serving that one person. Continuing in the research of designer babies would probably lead to another war. A war that consists of arms race not for weapons or vehicles, but designer babies! 


From a religious standpoint, the idea of designer babies is also wrong. By approving of designing  your own baby you are taking the job that is only meant for one being, and that is God. God is the only one who's supposed to design and bless these babies with talents. 


Even though designer babies are a great accomplishment we people should stop and think if this kind of discovery would affect our moral values and think of the different ways a designer baby can be used.

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Blogs I commented on:
Creating the "perfect child"
Designer Babies

Greenpeace: Zero Deforestation

The earth is only composed of only two big masses, these two masses are land and water. Due to deforestation the forests of the world get reduced. Forests are home to millions of people and around two-thirds of the world's land-based species of plants and animals and deforestation causes a change in the climate generating about one fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions - more than all the cars, planes, and trains in the world (Greenpeace).

Deforestation in the Amazon before Greenpeace stepped in.

Greenpeace, a non-governmental organization has decided to put a stop to deforestation. They have past successes in other forests like the Amazon which is now receiving more protection due to agreements with industries in Brazil.  

The Greenpeace organization has suggested a solution (Forests for Climate) that industrial countries should get permits for the carbon they are allowed to emit and these permits should not be given out for free, but instead the industries have to pay for them. With the fee that the industries pay for emissions, Greenpeace said that there would be enough funds to save forests.

Ice could be reduced to global warming
caused by deforestation.

I completely agree with all of Greenpeace's points on stopping deforestation. After all forests are home to two thirds of the world's land-based species of plants and animals and if we continued to cut these trees the animal and plant species in those places would be reduced and the biodiversity of that ecosystem would be affected in a negative way. Deforestation does not just affect the habitats of those living in forests but also other animals like the polar bear. Deforestation causes climate changed and could lead to global warming which would affect the melting of the ice in the earth. 

If you want to learn more about deforestation and get ideas on how to help better the situation of forests click here.



Cartoon about the pollution caused during deforestation.



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