Water Recycling - The Future is Here!

Everyday, water is wasted through baths, showers, doing the dishes and flushing the toilet. But what if that water could be treated and reused? In the world, there is about one percent of water available for drinking. That same water is not just used for drinking; it is also used for all household functions. Recycling water is not new in nature, but has come to the forefront again as countries are re-evaluating their water needs. While some countries already participate in water recycling, other countries are unsure about trying it because the thought of drinking waste water is unappealing. Unfortunately the environment is in a tailspin towards global warming, so every effort should be made towards recycling. Although initially expensive to create and still somewhat controversial, water treatment facilities are important because they recycle already used water, save millions of gallons each day, and protect the environment from further harm.

There are at least two different types of treatment facilities. In one type of facility, the waste water goes through a series of vats in the chemical process until at last it comes out clean. The water is tested before being sent out for reuse. A newer type of treatment facility is a man made “natural wetland”. Gravel and rock are put down with dirt. The waste water is placed on top and plants that are chosen because they help out the environment are planted. As the soil begins to break down, water trickles into pipes laid in the ground. The plants help by breaking down the waste quicker through sunlight and the natural oxygen they produce. The chemical process is the most popular process to use, but people are starting to realize that recycling naturally is not only better for the environment but it is the natural process. The earth already recycles water naturally, so we should as well.

With an ongoing drought in several countries including America, the idea of saving water is becoming more attractive not only to residents but also to lawmakers and politicians. Right now Denver, Colorado is struggling to integrate a new system in which to recycle waste water. The price tag for a new system is right around one billion dollars, however, they expect to welcome another three million people into the state within the next five years. In order to meet future water needs, they need to make a decision now regarding their water use. With installing a new system, they hope to double the amount of treated water they currently use. Cheyenne, Wyoming uses their treated water to water the parks. They estimate that they save over one million gallons of water each day by using treated water. Australia is at the fore front of the debate right now as two cities fight over whether they really want to drink recycled water. The politicians are ready to implement the 68 million dollar facility to treat the water but residents are not ready yet. They are unsure about the idea of drinking purified waste water or as science.org put it, “thinking that the water in the glass in your hand might have started off in someone’s toilet bowl”.

With only approximately one percent of water available for consumption on the earth, measures should be taken to protect our environment. We should look at the environment as a legacy for our children. If we don’t take care of it now, then what is left for our children? With global warming as a huge threat in the future and our water supply slowly dwindling as glaciers continue to melt at an ever quickening pace; we need to turn towards water recycling as a means for protecting not only the environment but our water supplies as well.

When thinking of recycling, one does not readily think of water conservation. In fact, it would probably be last on the list with paper, glass, and aluminum first. However, water is very important to a healthy environment and planet. Without water, our planet cannot survive. It is important to put up with the expense of saving water now, than spending more in the future trying to save what was lost. We should quit being selfish and start thinking about our children and even grandchildren’s future. What legacy are we leaving them? Are we leaving them a beautiful environment or a desert wasteland?



Works Cited

Smith, Jared. “Sticker shock: $1 billion for water”. Rocky Mountain News. 26 Sep. 2007
Rocky Mountain News. 26 Sep. 2007. http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/
arcticle/ 0,1299,DRMN_15_5707548,00.html

Associated Press. “Water recycling in Cheyenne saves 1 million gallons a day”. Local
News 8. 1 Sep. 2007. World Now. 26 Sep. 2007. http://www.localnews8.com/
Global/story.asp?S=7015628

Integrated Water Strategies. Water Recycling. 2007. 26 Sep.2007. http://waterrecycling.
Com/wastewater-basics

Triangle School Wastewater Treatment Facility. Alternative wastewater treatment. 26
Sep. 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20041204041451/www.waterrecycling.com
/index.htm

Australian Academy of Science. “Making every drop count”. Nova: Science in the news.
Aug 2006. Nova. 26 Sep 2007. http://www.science.org.au/nova/095/095print.htm

Cartoons

Fiore Cartoon: This cartoon uses sarcastic humor to get the point across. The cartoonist is against the war and he is using humor to help combat an extremely touchy subject. I think his point comes across really well and those that are for the war and those that are fairly conservative will be offended by this cartoon. I don't think that the offending is done on purpose; however, this subject is so touchy that someone is sure to be offended.

Britney Spears Cartoon: I have an eight year old daughter who just adores music and one of the artists she likes is Britney Spears. I personally have never liked Britney because I don’t think she can really sing. I have also watched her career plummet as she has made mistake after mistake. At what point is she going to learn from any of these mistakes? Sure she is in the lime light so her mistakes are magnified but I don’t think that is a good enough excuse to continue on this path. As far as the cartoon is concerned, this is every parent’s nightmare and even as I looked at the cartoon I wondered what I would say to my daughter. I would probably have to tell her that it is ok to have role models but let’s choose someone closer to your age like Miley Cyrus. I can see the sarcastic humor in this cartoon very clearly, but I hope I never hear those words come out of my daughter’s mouth.

Annihilate the Weight

Obesity kills. Since the mid-1970’s, Americans have been at war with the battle of the bulge. According to CNN’s website, more than 300,000 people die each year because of obesity which equates to thirty-four obesity related deaths every hour of every day of the year. While these statistics are grim, there is hope. Many programs are available for weight loss including Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, and Nutrisystem. For those individuals who have a body mass index of 40 or more or a body mass index of 35 with severe medical problems related to their obesity there is another alternative, the gastric bypass surgery. Although considered to be a dangerous and highly evasive surgery, the gastric bypass is an incredible tool for weight loss because weight loss from the surgery promotes a better self-image, increased physical mobility, and a reduction in physical ailments.

Obesity is a problem that affects over half the population in America. The gastric bypass surgery is becoming more popular as people with major health problems need an extra boost to help them lose weight. The surgery is highly controversial because of the major health risks involved such as dying on the operating table, dying from complications after the surgery, and the development of diseases such as osteoporosis in the future. Still with all the risks involved, the gastric bypass can eliminate type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea, asthma, and acid reflux disease. The costs of obesity related health issues are astronomical to both insurance companies and families. For someone who is morbidly obese, having the surgery would tremendously cut back the health care costs by eliminating many health problems.

While depression is a widespread epidemic that can affect anyone, people with obesity can have up to a 25-30% increase in the chance of being affected by depression. Why is this? Depression is directly related to a person’s self image. People who are over weight have a very poor image of themselves. This can stem from childhood if the person was over weight and children called them names or even in adult hood when passed up for that job, treated badly in a store, or laughed at by others. Unfortunately, depression is a vicious circle. People who are depressed want to eat more because food brings comfort and if they are put on medications for depression some of the side effects include weight gain. In society today where there are size zero supermodels and Hollywood’s emphasis on the perfect body; it is no wonder that many overweight people have a complex about how they look. As a whole, our society has been trained to look down on obesity even though about half of our society is overweight. Such negative feedback on obesity causes the obese person to feel ashamed in how they look, a sense of failure at what they have let themselves become, and rejection from peers due to how they look.

Increased physical mobility is every obese person’s dream. Being able to walk without pain is usually one of the first goals. Being overweight puts much stress on bones and joints making it hard to move around. Even getting out of bed in the morning can be an enormous chore. As the weight comes off after the surgery, the body actually starts to feel lighter and the person becomes limber. Walking is one of the first steps towards exercise and is one of the easiest to do. Patients find exercising to be exhilarating and fun when the pain starts to go away. Problems such as degenerative disk disease in the back have been known to disappear within the first thirty pounds of weight loss. Degenerative joint disease is another ailment related to physical mobility that is lessened as the weigh is reduced.

The gastric bypass can eliminate type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnea, asthma, and acid reflux disease. Besides these major health benefits, there are so many other benefits as well. Permanent weight loss, which is the goal of the surgery, is also a great benefit. Patients may also reduce their medicine intake drastically such as blood pressure medicines or inhalers for asthma. Because the stomach is reduced to the size of a walnut, patients only eat a tiny portion to feel full and satisfied. Patients are also usually healthier through following their vitamin supplementary intake.

The gastric bypass is an excellent tool to help people achieve their weight loss goals. Though considered drastic by some, this surgery has been a lifesaver for others. The benefits of this surgery far out weigh the risks.

Response to "Shitty First Drafts"

Question # 1: Lamott is funny even though she is matter of fact. It would be easy to say that when writing a first draft make it bad so the next one is better and be done with it, but Lamott goes into funny detailed examples of how to write a shitty first draft. She shows the potential writer that it is okay to make mistakes. She uses herself as an example of how to write that really bad first draft.

Question # 2: I agree with what Lamott wrote in this article. I had already read this article from taking your last class and have actually aspired to write really bad first drafts first just so I can improve on them. The one thing that stood out to me this time around was circling all the ideas in the first draft and incorporating them into the second draft. I think that Lamott is dead on with her writing techniques, which is why she is a published author.

Response to “Hog Futures”

To start off I have two suggestions. Read “The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals” by Michael Pollan and then watch “Super Size Me”. The book basically states that we are walking tortilla chips because everything we eat is processed with corn and all the meat we eat is stuffed with corn because farmers have such an overabundance of corn so that is what the animals are fed. The documentary is a real eye opener about processed foods such as meat. What really got me were chicken nuggets. Due to a surgery I had in December, I have had to become almost vegetarian because meat does not agree with my system any more. I believe that this is almost a blessing in disguise as I read article relating to how the animals are fed and kept. Why are consumers okay with rising prices? Because as a whole we are addicted to meat and people have completely pulled away from the balanced lifestyle of fruits, veggies, and a little meat. Gone are the days of portion control as they have been replaced by super size everything. I think that this is why obesity is on the rise today not just with adults but with children as well. Farmers are having a hard time with fluctuating costs because they can’t compete with meat and the third world countries that sell for pennies. What happened to the good old days of farmers markets and fresh off the vine? I personally would prefer to know that my food was locally grown than shipped across the customs borders. I think that if I lived in a place where a meat processing factory was, I would become a complete vegetarian. The description in the article is appalling and makes me wonder if the meat industry has gotten too big for its britches. At least the farmer’s will stay in business if they keep growing corn!

Response to “America, The Sexy Fascist State”

This article reminds me of the novel “Nineteen Eighty-four” by George Orwell. The theme of Big Brother is watching you is very strong. Funny enough is the fact that America thrives on voyeurism. There is the reality TV show “Big Brother” that I have to admit I am a huge fan of. Whenever I am done watching an episode, I call my best friend up who also happens to be a big fan and we discuss what happened in the episode. For those that don’t get enough of the action just three hours every week, there is the new night time portion available on Showtime and the live twenty-four hour internet feed. I am fine with just the three hours. My point is that people don’t care if they are watched. To be honest, I don’t even think about video cameras as I go about my day. Sure, there is the knowledge in the back of my head when I walk into a store that I am being watched but it is no longer the first thing I think about. I understand why Americans are apt to want to be watched. I think the consensus comes from upstanding citizen who have nothing to hide and they don’t care if they are watched as long as it is for the greater good of fighting crime. What is really disturbing is the fact that nothing seems to be done with all the surveillance footage, and it always seems like the innocent person is targeted. What seems really funny to me is the fact that in the name of fighting the war on terrorism, the persons of interest list is all Middle Eastern last names. My funny thought is what if some of the terrorists have the last name of Smith or Johnson. The government would be spending tax payer’s money on the wrong person and all that time gathering footage on them would be wasted. All I have to say is watch me if you want, but you are just wasting precious resources on me and a billon other people. Maybe there is a better way after all…

Online Courses, Not for the Faint of Heart

Home schooling is becoming the popular craze in the United States. Each year, more parents opt to home school their children and college students choose more online courses instead of face to face classes. Most students feel that online courses are easier to manage than the face to face classes, especially those that work full time. What students fail to realize is that online courses are usually double or triple the work because of the lack of weekly lectures. Although students enjoy the ease of online courses because they can complete their work on their own schedule, students need to recognize that consistency, organization, discipline, and dedication are characteristics and skills that are necessary to succeed in an online course.

Consistency is key in any course, but more so for online courses. Consistency means setting up a study schedule and sticking to it. If a student is not consistent in their studies, their work will reflect those inconsistencies. Being consistent benefits the student greatly because they have allowed themselves appropriate time to complete their work. In the end, their reward is hopefully a good grade for all their hard work.

Another important skill is organization. Knowing right where to go when studying is really helpful. Putting together a binder of quizzes, homework, and notes is a great way to start organizing any course. If a student uses a computer to complete their lessons, a great way to organize is to have a folder labeled “school” with sub folders of the various courses. Organization will contribute towards a better grade for the student. Unorganized students tend to receive poor grades because they are unable to study effectively.

Students who are disciplined will be very happy with their online experience. Discipline takes practice, refinement, and much work. No one is born with discipline and many never learn it well. However, for school, it is very important. Discipline goes along with consistency. Students who consistently study are disciplined because they have trained themselves to sit down and complete their work. Discipline requires the student to tune out everything else except the task at hand.

Without dedication, people would not go far in this world. Whether a student or a business person, success lies in dedication. Dedication means leaving friends or a favorite television show to study. Dedication means working until the project is complete. Dedicated students are students who make the good grades. They know what they want and they buckle down to make it happen.

While there are many other skills and characteristics that are important for an online course; consistency, organization, discipline, and dedication all work very strongly together. Students who use all of these together will advance farther than the average student in their online courses. It takes a very dedicated and disciplined student to sit down and finish a task when there is no live teacher to turn the work into. Online courses are not for everyone, but those that have the skills will do very well.