Mar 22 2012
Yes, I had to do it. I try to teach environmental science without preaching, but this one topic is hardest for me to avoid. There are probably hundreds of other posts out there on the topic, but I still feel the need to let this out (sorry as it is a bit long with the [...]
Feb 15 2012
Sorry this is a bit late, but I went to Davidson to see my Wildcats win tonight. Remember, when you use the term “hazardous” to describe waste it is defined as such by law (RCRA) and so, regulated (at least the industrial stuff). Here are the slides from today’s presentation as well as the 3 [...]
Feb 12 2012
If you missed Friday, we discussed the “next” industrial revolution. Did you know it was underway? The last industrial revolution gave us the linear material flow economy-the one we diagrammed earlier in the week. While recycling programs do reduce some waste disposal and some extraction, they focus on the “downstream” end of that flow (waste [...]
Feb 01 2012
Today we discussed a few more factors that affect toxicity (see previous post), like route of exposure, persistence, and solubility. In particular, we made note of POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) like dioxin, PCBs, and DDT. Substances like these don’t break down in water quickly, and so may persist in the environment for years. Once inside [...]
Jan 29 2012
Thursday and Friday, we watched a video and discussed reasons children are likely to be more vulnerable than adults to the effects of environmental toxins: 1. Age/developmental stage. Children don’t just pop out of the womb with fully developed detox organs (liver, kidneys, lungs) or immune systems, so they may react differently to a toxin [...]
Jan 25 2012
Today, after another preassessment acitvity, I introduced the study of “harmful chemcials” or toxicology. Toxins are lumped into several categories (below) in the text, but some chemicals trigger effects that place them in multiple categories. The quote “the dose makes the poison” is a paraphrase by the Renaissance “scientist,” Paracelsus (you gotta check out his [...]
