Allen

Week 4: June 8, 2013



At first glance, the blueprint of all life seems very simple. Four nucleic bases-Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine, make up the entire genomic sequence of the human body, dictating everything from hair color to behavior. How do four bases code for all these traits? Which segments of DNA code for my hair color? The answers to such questions are new easier to find out than ever, at the rate that technology is increasing. In class this week, we conducted the most popular method for synthetically replicating a target strand of DNA, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). From there, we can use gel electrophoresis to determine different genotypes using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. However, this is a very tedious task, and we still don't know the specific base pairs in the target sequence of DNA. Fortunately, there are other methods for actually sequencing a genome, although it used to be very costly and time consuming. Specifically, there are more than 3 billion base pairs in the human genome, most of it nonsense, yet we decided to sequence it. The Human Genome Project took 4 billion dollars and 15 years to accomplish. However, with new technology, sequencing an individual's entire genome will become more cost efficient and quicker. Soon, it is predicted that entire genomic sequencing will cost as low as $1000. In the first video, Richard Resnick talks about how sequencing genomes has revolutionized the medical field. Physicians can now identify certain diseases, and the respective treatment, using the entire genome of the patient.

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As genomic sequencing becomes more prevalent, a different ethical question comes to the forefront of science. Genetic manipulation. Genetic manipulation on animals already exists and is used for various studies. For example, my science fair project this year used genetically modified mice that had the PKA cardiac gene knocked out, so that the Protein Kinase A activity would be limited. What if we could identify the certain genes for making us stronger or smarter? Potentially, we could genetically modify ourselves or our children into super-humans. Medical ethicist Harvey Fineberg discusses in the video below about a new type of evolution, synthetically directed by humans.

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In class this year, we studied Darwin's Origin of Species and his "descent with modification" hypothesis. If we assume evolution exists, Darwin's idea was the traditional type of evolution. However, as humans, are we still evolving through the traditional method of natural selection? With the medical capabilities that we have today, we have essentially kept certain genes and traits that would have been selected against otherwise. We have kept humans alive that would have been deemed "unfit" in the uncaring world of natural selection. Although we might not be evolving in the traditional sense since there is no geographic isolation anymore, we have found ways to synthetically engineer evolution. By genetically preventing certain diseases or creating immunities to pathogens, we will be able to cut down the traditionally 10,000 year process of evolution to possibly 100 years. This topic is an ethical bloodbath: Will first world countries or upper class citizens be able to select for the best trait, further distancing themselves from the "inferior" countries or classes? Will we make uniform, ideal human beings for everyone? Will Aldous Huxley's Brave New World turn into a reality, and our offspring will be genetically manufactured?



Sustainability and overpopulation are closely related topics. As humans develop the ability to play God with genetic manipulation, will the new wave of evolution select for fewer, but more fit offspring? Or will we further drive ourselves to the carrying capacity by creating longer lifespans and accelerating population growth?

Week 3: June 1, 2013

Inspired by the comments on my page and others, I decided to focus on the economic viability of sustainability for this week. A common theme that we start to notice as we delve further into our research is that often times economic interests and environmental friendly practices are at odds against each other. However, this does not have to be the case. As Mrs. Lil has mentioned over the course of the year, green and bio-technology could be the next biggest economic opportunity.

WATCH THIS VIDEO, all of it. This is probably the most moving, and inspiring video from TED that summarizes our "problem solving" mentality with regards to sustainability.

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Although the video is from 2007, the issues and solutions are still relevant today. The speaker, John Doerr, starts out with the problem: climate change. Now we can sit at our dinner tables and discuss the impending doom of our climate change crisis, but is that it? Doerr quotes his daughter, who tells him that his generation has caused the problem, so they should fix it. In my opinion, it doesn't matter who's problem it is, we "only have one atmosphere", so it should be the responsibility of all generations, nations, and people. But what can we do?  This is where we turn to the economy. Probably the most influential factor in initiating change is economy, and more importantly--profits. When John went to China and talked to the mayor of Dalian about carbon emissions, the mayor asks the harsh, but reasonable question, "Why should China sacrifice our growth, so the West can continue to be profligate and stupid?" No one wants to change because there is no economic incentive to, or at least thinks there are none. However, if all the countries got together and learned from each other, they would realize this notion would be wrong. Take Brazil for example. They mandated that their vehicles be able to use ethanol instead of oil, through "FlexFuel". As of 2007, they had been successful in replacing 40% of their oil consumption with ethanol, a plant-based source of fuel. And they are still a developing nation!



On the business scale, Walmart set the example by focusing on "green" practices such as less energy consumption and only selling fluorescent lightbulbs. Why is this important? Because Walmart was the biggest private employer company in the world and also the biggest private industry consumer of electricity. Since it was such a big company, Walmart showed other businesses that being "green" can be profitable. Moreover, Walmart forced the consumers to change, and it is not an easy task to change consumer behaviors. As consumers, we aren't bad people. It's just that we don't know all the information to see the environmental impact that we are making as a person. How much carbon emissions do I release on the daily commute? How much oil was required to make the amount of plastic water bottles I drink each day? These are the questions that we gloss over as we go about our daily lives. Here is one survey you can take to get a quick estimate of your carbon impact: Carbon Footprint Calculator If we knew the truth, it would be easy to change our consumer behavior. If you take a look at the discussion tab, you can see Mrs. Lil's comment about consumer demands  forcing South America to adopt better tree-cutting practices. There is an example of how economic pressure  can be used to force industries and nations to change their practices. A teamwork of businesses and consumers can help economically force better environmental policies for all.

Nevertheless, are the current reforms enough? Not even close. As Doerr explains, the best way to increase green technology is to <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 160%;">finance it <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">. According to John, the amount of money invested in green technology research in 2006 totaled $1.2 billion. To put that in perspective, Exon made $1 billion a DAY in 2007, while only spending .2% of the revenue on Research and Development. An easy argument for policymakers to make is that the government does not have the money to fund environmental research considering the amount of debt. However, the oil companies do. Potentially, consumer pressure can force oil companies to invest more money into developing technologies that help fix the mess that they have caused. To answer the question posed in the beginning, we, as consumers, wield great power over the big companies just by making smart purchases.

Week 2: May 25, 2013



<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">In continuation of an ongoing post-AP biology tradition, we took a bike ride this week to Robbins Park to conduct stream testing, to analyze the impact of the route 309 construction. Coincidentally, I was at Robbins Park that day, teaching the sixth graders about the environment. Specifically, the investigation that I run is the watershed activity. At the most basic level, we talk about how runoff can carry pollution down into the local rivers and streams, which then flow into lakes and oceans. As part of the activity, we have the sixth graders draw what they wanted to build on their imaginary piece of land. When each tile was pieced together, the local watershed was formed. Then, we analyzed the impact of different land developments that they had, such as roads and farms. For example, as we learned in class, nitrogen from the fertilizer in the farms can wash off and cause eutrophication, where algae take over and over-compete for resources, leading to plant and animal death. Then, we discuss the practices that can help reduce runoff pollution, such as rain gardens and permeable asphalt. These practices are being adopted all around the world to combat the water depletion situation.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 140%;">Click on the Picture!

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">In the article above, the author Elizabeth Royte writes about the strategies that regions all around the world are taking to preserve our water supply, from the smallest tasks to the most absurd ideas. Specifically, she contrasts the "hard" approach of building levees, dams and ditches with the "softer" approach of changing policies and behavioral shifts. Change starts at the local level, with cities and towns realizing the importance of maintaining their clean water supply. Different places have different needs. Some places need more water, such as Australia, while other places, such as along the Mississippi, need to supply the constant flooding. Even though we would think that global warming would transfer all the water to areas that needed it, the ecosystem doesn't work like that. In her article, Royte writes, "Climate change will make dry places drier, wet places wetter, and storms more intense." Whatever the case, local areas are trying to improve their water supplies, but is it enough? <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #999999; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 21px; text-align: left;">

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Georgia,serif;">It is important that we keep our local river systems clean, because in the end, water is the source of all life. Water will not disappear from this earth, but the amount of clean water might. We need water to survive, above all else. As I tell the sixth graders, although we may think that the little bit of pollution that we contribute only affects our local area, but it all accumulates as the river or stream runs its course to the lake or ocean, where it connects to other large bodies of water. Change needs to start small, even if it means using rain barrels to collect rainwater.

Week 1: May 18, 2013

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Impact,Charcoal,sans-serif; font-size: 200%;">TIMEs Are Changing

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">This week in class, we watched a video about the ever-changing world around us. In the last few decades, cities have been created, technologies never thought of before have been invented, and the environment has been ravaged by the continuously growing population. However, words and statistics are not very helpful when it comes to truly understanding the changes that have taken place within our lifetimes. As I perused the site of my favorite magazine for the latest news, I discovered an interactive article created by TIME, that illustrates the reality of what has occurred on Earth through satellite images: [|Timelapse Article]

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Here is the official TIME video, but I suggest visiting the article above. media type="youtube" key="jHz5kMMavas" width="560" height="315"

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">It began with a NASA program called Landsat, the name of which explains itself. A series of satellites were sent into orbit around the Earth, taking images of not outer space, but the Earth. After almost three decades, the millions of pictures taken by the satellites were compiled together with the help of the <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the digital expertise of Google, to create Timelapse. Similar to a flip-book, Timelapse displays a series of pictures of the same area over the span of 28 years, allowing the reader, or watcher, to see the changes that occur over time. And I'll admit, some of it is not pretty.

With the increase in population and economic growth, the demand for energy has increased. Unfortunately, with the lack of a cheaper and more viable source of alternative energy, oil and coal have been the chief of energy supplies. But are the environmental effects worth the economic benefits? Timelapse photos show the environmental scars of the forests of Alberta and the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, due to oil drilling and coal mining.
 * Resource Mining **

Not only does the extraction process of these resources damage the pristine environment, but the burning of fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Many skeptics still refute the claims of global warming, but the visual evidence is irrefutable. Timelapse highlights two specific glaciers, Columbia and Mendenhall. Over time, both areas show the retreating of the glaciers into blue water at an alarming rate. Hopefully, Waterworld is still another century off.
 * Climate Change **



<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 11px;">Retreat of South Cascade Glacier, Washington. Source: USG <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 11px;">S

Urban sprawl has a been a big issue recently, as it is known to reduce biodiversity as native wildlife lose their habitats to residential homes. As populations in the cities grow and overcrowding becomes an issue, cities expand outward, creating urban sprawl. In Timelapse "Explore the World", the program highlights three cities in particular that have seen substantial growth in the past decades: Shanghai, Dubai, and Las Vegas. Although Shanghai has been a major Chinese port in the last century, the expansion undergone in recent years is shocking. The population has grown from 13.3 million in 1990 to 23 million in 2010! Consequently, environmental issues threaten the life of Shanghai, with air and water pollution being major problems in the 21st century. Dubai has become a familiar name in current times, known for the world's tallest skyscraper, featured in Mission Impossible, and artificial islands. However, just thirty years ago, Dubai was a small desert city with a population of 300,000 people, and known it is one of the most prosperous cities in the Middle East. With new infrastructure technologies, cities in the desert have become a possibility. Another prime example is Las Vegas, or Sin City. As seen through the Timelapse images, the cities boundaries have been expanding to meet the needs of a growing housing sector. But if you zoom out and look closer, the large lake on the right, called Lake Mead is also shrinking due to prolonged drought. Lake Mead is the life source for this city in the desert, and if special precautions are not taken, then this city may face an environmental crisis. Another nice application in Timelapse is that it allows you to search a specific location in the world to focus on. Thus, I tried the nearest city to us: Philadelphia. Even in Philly, urban developments have changed the look of the city, turning it into a densely populated high-rise city in the past few decades.
 * Urban Explosion**

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Closing <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">These photos truly provide an eye opening experience of what is really happening to our only home, the Earth. Since we go about our daily lives and only see our local town or city, we don't see the big picture of the environmental impact. We are on a crash course towards disaster, and colonizing the Moon or Mars might not be soon enough. Although we pride ourselves for our technological advancement and social interactions, how sustainable is our future? If thirty years can show such a big change, what will the next thirty years entail?

<span style="color: #008000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Source: http://world.time.com/timelapse/