Who Is That?

You know who this is...

And this....



But do you know these people??? What changes have they made in the world?

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1.  Sonia Sotomayor, the first person of Hispanic descent to serve as an Associate Justice (judge) on the United States Supreme Court and the third female Associate Justice. She is originally from New York. The other 2 women are Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

2.  Malala Yousefzi. At the age of 14, she was the youngest person to ever win a Nobel Prize. She is outspoken about women's rights, particularly focusing on education. She was shot in the head for being so outspoken, survived, and continues to speak out for womens' rights.

Read about her: Triogenius, 1-6-2014: The Rebel.

3. Greta Thunberg. She is a climate-change activist from Sweden and is not quite 16 years old. She began her call for climate awareness by protesting outside the Swedish Parliament building. She travels the world to spread support for protecting the world's climate. She also is autistic, and calls that her 'superpower'. 

Are you interested in learning about young people that have influenced our lives? Check this out: http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/responsible-living/photos/8-amazing-kids-who-have-changed-the-world/get-ready

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4. Nelson Mandela. He is a South African man who spoke out against apartheid, and spent 27 years of his life in prison. Read about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela

5. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft,, which provides many basic computer programs we all use or have used . Read about him at Triogenius, 9-1-2014. 

6. Rosa Parks, considered a pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement, refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man in 1955, and was arrested. This is a picture of her being fingerprinted, and yes, she was actually arrested over a dispute about a seat on a bus. Her case was heard in court and eventually, the court found in her favor.  Read more about Rosa here:  http://www.rosaparks.org/biography/

7.  Mother Theresa, a highly regarded nun who was born in Albania and served in Calcutta, India, the founder of the Missions of Charity, serving the poorest people of the country and those suffering from AIDs, leprosy, and other diseases. She also was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

8.  Stephen Hawking. Hawking was a physicist who studied things like how the universe began, black holes, and time: He wrote a book, "A Brief History of Time." He suffered from motor neuron disease, which eventually robbed him of the ability to speak as you and I do, but communicated using a computer*..  He died in 2018 at the age of 76.

*learn about the person who developed this sort of computer..beginning when she was 12 years old--Rachel Zimmerman:  http://women-inventors.com/Rachel-Zimmerman.asp

9.  Sally Ride, the first female astronaut in the U.S. Ms. Ride was born in 1951. She was the first American woman in space, flying twice on the space shuttle Challenger and spending over 14 days in space. . She was the youngest person at age 32 to orbit the Earth. After she retired from NASA, she was a physics professor. Ms. Ride died in 2012.

10. Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin. He did research on the staphylococcus germ, watching how it grew and behaved when invading healthy cells. He planned to go on a holiday and stacked his samples in a pile, and when he returned he noticed there was some other kind of mold in some of the staph samples that was consuming and destroying it. His remark was, "That's funny.." Penicillin in many forms is still used as the first antibiotic to fight infections. Fleming lived from 1881 to 1955. He was born in Scotland and lived in England.

11.  Jane Goodall, born 1934. She is an Englishwoman who has devoted her life to the study of chimpanzees, living among them and discovering that they use tools, for one thing. Ms. Goodall still advocates for protection of chimpanzees as well as  promoting the saving of the environment,especially that of endangered species. Did you know that her notes and records were first digitized by the University of Minnesota? Here is more on her life:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Goodall

12. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the cell phone (an early prototype is pictured). He worked for Motorola. The first cell phone conversation was Cooper calling a friend while standing on the streets of New York City.

Now you know some important people...

Think of more that you can explore:

• Who invented something you use every day, and when did that happen?
• Who has achieved great success, and how did he or she do it?
• Who would be a role model for you?
• Who rose from humble beginnings to accomplish great things?

What is the EPA?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency, established in 1970, says this about its mission:
Our Mission
The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment.

EPA works to ensure that:

• Americans have clean air, land and water;
• National efforts to reduce environmental risks are based on the best available scientific information;
• Federal laws protecting human health and the environment are administered and enforced fairly, effectively and as Congress intended;
• Environmental stewardship is integral to U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human health, economic growth, energy, transportation, agriculture, industry, and international trade, and these factors are similarly considered in establishing environmental policy;
• All parts of society--communities, individuals, businesses, and state, local and tribal governments--have access to accurate information sufficient to effectively participate in managing human health and environmental risks;
• Contaminated lands and toxic sites are cleaned up by potentially responsible parties and revitalized; and
• Chemicals in the marketplace are reviewed for safety.

Visit their website for more info: https://www.epa.gov/

Keeping the environment clean and safe includes...

• Cutting down on dangerous emissions from vehicles, from cars to buses to trains to planes
• Eliminating substances such as lead from drinking water, and updating old underground infrastructure of pipes as well as water processing plants
• Setting standards for monitoring and removing mold from homes
• Encouraging testing for Radon in homes
• Making sure soil is safe for growing food
• Prohibiting waste emissions from businesses that pollute the air we breathe
• Promoting alternate energy such as electric-powered cars, large windmills, or solar energy for homes

 

We can thank the EPA for....

• A ban on lead in paint, and standards to remove lead paint from existing homes
• A ban on the pesticide DDT
• Protection of the Great Lakes from pollution
• Removing lead from gasoline
• Clamping down on factory pollution
• The Clean Air Act
• Safer storage of toxic chemicals
• Studying the efffects of second-hand smoke

There are some areas not covered by the EPA but by other agencies, such as workplace environments (handled by OSHA) or testing of cosmetics (handled by the FDA). Here are some further examples: https://publicaccess.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/212071687-Does-EPA-handle-all-environmental-concerns-


Possible career paths with the EPA

• Science: Biology/Marine Biology, geology
• EPA Law
• Education
• Statistics/trends
• Engineering - finding ways to combat pollution with technology
• Alternative energy
• Communications
• Meteorologist
• Public affairs
• Budget management

https://www.epa.gov/careers This part of their website also talks about student internships!


Did you know they have a Pinterest page? They do, and it's called Green Your Dorm or Your Home https://www.pinterest.com/epagov/green-your-dorm-or-your-home/

Water We Doing? Reasons Not To Use Bottled Water

**This was Triogenius' very first blog entry in April 2012.
We've taken on lots of topics since then, but this one is still valid......

Do you buy water in bottles?

Why?

OK, we know we need to be drinking plenty of water every day. In fact, an adult should have between 8 and 12 cups of water every day, more if you are exercising or otherwise losing water through sweat. Drinking more water helps hydrate your joints and tissues, helps keep your skin healthy, helps flush out germs, and generally is completely fabulous, not to mention the water we use for play: Pools, Watering the lawn, decorative fountains, ice.....

But….

Did you know that lots of bottled water is nothing but tap water? Yep, it’s true. Did you know that Dasani is a Coca-Cola product and Aquafina is from Pepsi? Perrier, Poland Spring, and Deer Park bottled water are distributed by Nestle. All of them are originally from municipal water supplies—simply put, water out of a faucet. It may have been filtered or processed in some fashion, but it originally was just obtained by turning on a faucet and filling up the container. At least 25% of bottled water sold in the United States is tap water (tap water is water that comes from a faucet).

The company selling the bottled water is required to put “Municipal Water Supply” somewhere on its label, and is not allowed to use the term “All Natural” unless the water has had absolutely no processing or altering. Check out the label of the last bottle of water you bought.

For more water facts to think about, check out this National Geographic video:  http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/env-freshwater-whycare
When you pay your local ‘water bill,’ you pay for the processing of the water that comes out of your faucet: Local water purification cleans the water adds fluoridation for the health of your teeth.

Remember that lots of people in the world don't have easy access to clean water. We never give a second thought to turning on a faucet and expecting that.

It’s important, too, that we make the effort to buy less plastic bottles for any liquids: They're used to package juice, milk, soft drinks, 'power' drinks, sauces, items used in baking, and soaps, and they come in lots of different colors. Consider getting a re-usable drinking water container (preferably not made of plastic!). You could get two, one you’re using and one that’s ‘in the wash.’ Simply wash it with hot, soapy water, clean out the ‘mouthpiece part’, and let it air dry or just refill and use again. Because…think about this:

To make plastic, you need petroleum. Petroleum is the base substance that can eventually be made into fuel such as gasoline. It is a limited resource. Is it worth wasting that natural resource for our convenience? And once it’s made, a plastic water bottle tossed in the garbage will last in a landfill an estimated 450 years before it degrades, if at all. Imagine that times the millions of plastic bottles that will be tossed in the garbage today. Recycling plastic is great, but it also takes heat and (believe it or not) chemicals to be re-used in another way.

Ironic: Using plastic water bottles creates plastic pollution in our water supply. Wait, what?? 

 

A small step can make a big difference. Make the effort to stop using bottled water today!

That's Rotten!

Did you ever wonder why it's such a big deal to let garbage pile up in landfills? Mostly, it's because it takes a very long time for materials to disintegrate or decompose.

Here are some examples of the length of time some material takes to decompose:

Newspaper                                 6 weeks                         
Leather shoes                            25 years or more

Banana peel                               2 to 5 days
Thread                                       3-4 months
Cotton fabric                            1-5 months
Apple Core                              2 months

Glass Bottle                            1000 years or more estimated
Orange peel                               6 months
Cigarette                                   1-12 years

This article talks about how long it takes a body to decompose:
http://www.wereyouwondering.com/how-long-does-it-take-for-a-body-to-decompose/

Leaves                                   1-3 months

Milk Carton (paper type)      5 years
Disposable Diaper              75 years  estimated
Beer Can (aluminum)         200-500 years  estimated

Tin can (fruit or vegetables)  50 years
Nylon fabric                       30-40 years
Cardboard                           2 months

Styrofoam                              Never

Plastic Beverage Bottle         450 years estimated

Paper towel                            2-4 weeks

*items in landfills. Some materials that are placed in water will decompose faster.



So........please think carefully about what you are throwing into the garbage!

The Amazing Tree

Did you know that trees do amazing things? Like...........

• They absorb carbon dioxide, helping keep our air clean to breathe
• One tree releases 260 pounds of oxygen in a year, enough to sustain 2 people
• They help retain our soil
• They provide a barrier to glare from cars on our streets
• In its lifetime, one tree can absorb a ton of carbon dioxide

• A mature tree removes 70x more pollution than a newly-planted tree
• A tree in an urban (city) area may have a lifespan of only 8 years
• White and Red Pines can live for 100-150 years
• Maple Trees can live 150 years or more
• Birch trees live from 50 to 70 years
• In one day, a large tree can lift 100 gallons of water out of the ground and discharge it into the air
• Communities with more trees tend to have a lower crime rate

---from Discover magazine:
One, green spaces encourage people to spend more time socially outdoors, which discourages crime. It’s especially helpful for crime control when young and old people mix together in public places. And two, the presence of plants has a therapeutic effect. Vegetation decreases mental fatigue and its associated symptoms, such as irritability and decreased impulse control, both considered to be precursors to violence.

• A tree provides homes for birds, squirrels, and insects; in the rain forests, they house many frog species

• Trees give us shade, which can keep a home's cooling costs down by as much as 30%

• Trees provide building materials
• How would we get by without apples??

• Oak trees must live about 20 years before they will produce acorns.

• An average American uses about 750 pounds of paper every year, and 95% of homes are built using wood. That means each person uses the equivalent of one 100 foot tall, 16 inch diameter, tree every year for their paper and wood product needs.

• India has the most different kinds of trees, followed by the United States.

• In observing willows and poplars, scientists found that these trees 'talk' to one another, in a sense: if there are several living close to one another and one is stressed due to an insect infestation, it will somehow alert the tree next to it, and both will produce chemicals to fight the infestation.

How can we save trees?

• Get an e-reader such as a Kindle or Nook, or a reading app for your phone, computer, or Ipad.
• An e-reader can store up to 3500 books, newspapers, magazines, or blogs. Using your public library to borrow e-books will also save on the need for paper and save you money. Interestingly, if you download a book to your computer, it will take up very minimal space.

• Use every bit of every piece of paper.

                         This isn't exactly what we meant....but still...

• Set margins wider to avoid a 2-page letter.
• Share magazines with friends or donate them, rather than having multiple subscriptions.
• Route one copy to several people instead of giving everyone a copy, or email instead..
• Print double-sided whenever possible from your computer printer.
• Wrap gifts in newspaper or something other than paper, like leftover fabric.
• Use shredded paper in your compost pile.
• Use fabric diapers at least part of the time.

If every American family planted just one tree, the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion pounds annually. This is almost 5% of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year.

American Forestry Association Tree Facts: Growing Greener Cities, 1992.


Give a shout-out to trees...and a hug wouldn't hurt!

Floods

Seeing the mess created by massive flooding in Louisiana lately, we looked into the causes and effects floods have on peoples' lives.

A flood can occur, obviously, when too much rain falls and the ground can't absorb it quickly enough. If it happens very quickly with little warning, it's called a 'flash flood.'

But flooding also happens if a dam or levee breaks, or after heavy snowfall melts.


The area where flooding has happened or is expected to happen is called the "floodplain."

We have seen flooding in Minnesota, and North and South Dakota. These have usually been associated with a river overflowing its banks. Sandbags are assembled and piled up as people try to prevent the flood from reaching their homes.

Here is the progress of flooding in Louisiana and southern states earlier this month:

Moving water has a lot of power. As it moves through whatever outlets it can find, it will erode dirt underneath buildings and trees and drag all of it along as it goes. The water may contain sewage and always contains bacteria, and can also be carrying pieces of buildings or harmful trash that can injure people trying to slog through it. Frequently, this results in contaminated drinking water.

When a home is damaged by water, the greatest damage is probably mold that will grow on surfaces that never dry out. Replacing the whole building is the only way to start over; there is nothing to rid that house and its contents of all the water and resulting mold and bacteria from forming.


Building any kind of structure on unstable ground is never a good idea. This would include roads, homes, and bridges. People continue to re-build too close to the shore of the ocean after their homes are destroyed, most often by hurricanes and the huge amounts of water that flood beyond the shores. This also holds true for building too close to a river or a lake. 

Built with bricks but probably on shifting ground.

Even in areas where you might not expect flooding, there has been a trend in home building where the builders attempt to fill in an area that is naturally wetlands with dirt in order to build on top of it. This is unwise as the wetland will always be unstable.





Here is National Geographic's information about flooding: http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/floods-safety-tips/


What careers are involved in studying floods and making structures safer?

• Engineering
• Geologist
• Hydrologist
• Meteorologist
• Architects
• Building trades