Tragic Tsunami Occuring In The US?

The Cascadia Subduction Zone, ranging from Northern California to British Columbia, lines a huge fault system marked with volcanoes. The last major earthquake along this fault was recorded on January 26, 1700 which produced a record-breaking tsunami. Yumei Wang, geotechnical engineer for the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, worries that the next earthquake could be sometime very soon. Wang says this massive tsunami will ultimately flood the Pacific Northwest which will destroy unprotected homes and cause many casualties. The area is a prime region for the next earthquake-triggered tsunami, probably growing up to 50 ft. or more in a mere time of 10-20 seconds.

To try to help this region, Wang has been working hard. She has talked with public officials about setting up evacuation buildings up and down the Northwest coast. These buildings will be made of reinforced concrete, a deep foundation, strong columns, an 18-foot tall first floor and many other safety precautions. Also, she believes it is a good idea to raise awareness as well. She presented a session called “Risks and Realities: Current Advances in Understanding Societal Risk and Resilience to Natural Hazards” in Portland, Oregon. However, all these measures will be costly; the added cost could be between 1-2 million dollars.

Although expensive, I think Yumei Wang definitely has the right idea in mind. This could ultimately change the course of history of the U.S. and people should be informed. Any precautions that could be done now positively should be. There are many ways, like the evacuation buildings, that could save thousands of lives. I don’t think people really realize the severity of something like a tsunami. Many Americans don’t think anything could actually happen to them until something tragic occurs. But, the money put towards this is definitely worth it in everyway. Wang says the quake could occur tomorrow or in a couple years; it’s simply up to fate.

Geological Society of America (2009, October 28). Tsunami Evacuation Buildings: Another Way to Save Lives In The Pacific Northwest.

New Invention Used To Monitor Air Quality

Thanks to Tel Aviv University, families now have the technology to trace dust pollutants in their own homes. Professor Eyal Ben-Dor and student Sandra Chudnovsky created a new system called “Dust Alert” which informs people exactly of their air quality they are constantly breathing in. Similar to a carbon monoxide monitor, it finds the particles contaminating the air and the chemical composition of the toxins. In just minutes of the installation, this chemical analyzer can tell what dust is surrounding them. Although, the data can be much more conclusive over a couple week’s time. Polluted air can have damaging health effects such as asthma, bronchitis and lung cancer.

This monitor can drastically help after disasters like 9/11, dust storms and chemical fires. Many pollutants are released into the air at these times which many people are oblivious to. It can tell them when a building or office is safe enough to re-enter after being cleared out. In addition, this technology can possibly be used as “dust maps,” tracing cities and neighborhoods. In this way, high polluting areas like construction sites can be monitored. Many families would be more at ease with a monitor like this, knowing that their family is safe.


Rightly so, many families today are concerned for their health. The world is constantly being overused and then polluted with the wastes. But with technology like this, I think people would certainly be interested. Knowing exactly what they’re breathing in, they can find ways to improve air quality. Honestly in my opinion, the more the people know the better. We are the ones who are harming the environment and polluting the air so we should ultimately find ways to fix it.


American Friends of Tel Aviv University (2009, September 23). 'Dust Alert' Invention Monitors Air Quality, Determines Chemical Composition Of Toxins. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2009/09/090922162303.htm

Discarding Leaves Becomes Harmful

Although many people might not think so, leaf burning and some methods of disposing leaves are very harmful to the environment. Once leaves are burned, their pollutants and smell linger in the air for everyone to breathe. Fortunately, this practice is now banned from many areas and if not, it is highly discouraged. Dust, soot and mold are all results of this seemingly harmless task. The Environmental Protection Agency, also known as the EPA, indicates that leaf burning causes health problems and ultimately disrupts the environment. Therefore, this leads to an increase financially as well.

Leaf burning may not be the only problem. Recently, leaf blowing has become banned as well. Although this method is much easier and faster, it is creating more environmental issues. Almost 2.5 leaf blowers are purchased in the US per year creating as much pollution as 80 cars. In addition to harming the environment, it is also harming people’s health. The pollutants being discharged can certainly infect lungs and other areas of the body.


To many lawn caring individuals, falling leaves can definitely be considered a nuisance. They think burning or blowing the leaves away can solve their problems and make their lawn look nice. However, most do not realize how much impact this task has on the environment. There are already too many pollutants in the air today that can be prevented. Simple solutions such as old fashioned raking and turning leaves into mulch can drastically improve our quality of living. Although people always say how we are constantly harming the environment, living styles are not changing the way they should be. But, after knowing this, everyone should reconsider their easy but harmful lifestyles.

Sierra Club Green Home (2009, September 25) Burning Leaves is Bad News. Retrieved from http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/40523

My Footprint

My ecological footprint is 229.78

Number of acres for food: 89.6
Number of acres for mobility: 76.0
Number of acres for shelter: 23.9
Number of acres for goods: 40.3

Number of planets needed: 5.92

I am pleasantly surprised that most of my categories are under the country's average. Honestly, I thought my results would have been much higher. On a day to day basis, I normally do not go out of my way to help the environment. But, this quiz made me realize, the environment is crucial and I should do my part in helping out. My food acres was higher than the country's average which makes me consider changing my lifestyle. An act such as buying organic foods can definitely help me and the world I live in. I will now strive to be a greener person!!

The Popular Craze 'Twitter' Becomes Environmentally Friendly

Recently, universities and organizations have been using Twitter accounts and other online sources to inform people of energy consumption. One school that is definitely partaking in this goal is the University of Mississippi. They plan to distribute the consumption of lighting, temperature and appliances through Twitter updates. This way, students can hopefully reduce the amount of energy being consumed. At the same time, building operators can find exactly where the energy is being wasted and create a better way to use it.

Partnering with the smart grid company, SmartSynch, they hope to make other companies make the grid more efficient. The smart grid created by SmartSynch provides the most effective solution for utilities, commercial and industrial customers, and renewable energy providers. Companies such as IBM, Cisco and Google could create applications to control energy consumption. Fortunately, the amount of energy is already moving in the right direction. There are currently iPhone applications to manage the usage of energy while more appliances are made to reduce energy.


Informing people about the amount of energy wasted could dramatically assist the environment. I think using online sources like Twitter would definitely help people understand the importance of conserving energy. Plus, using popular trends like Twitter is only beneficial because the public might even consider reading it and acting upon the issue. Another bonus to this innovative idea is that paper and other products are being saved. By using the Internet, trees are not being simply wasted and discarded.

Gartner, John. (2009, August 27) Even Buildings Have Twitter Accounts. Matter Network. Retrieved from http://www.matternetwork.com/

Weed Killer Could Be Killing People Also

Controversy arose as new research shows chemicals in water can truly have damaging effects. The weed killer atrazine used by many farmers, lawn care workers and professional green thumbs, often gets into water supplies. This has been known for some time but now, studies show that even low levels of this chemical can be dangerous, especially for the fetuses of pregnant women. There seems to be a connection of atrazine and birth defects. Recent evidence suggests that atrazine can lead to skull and facial malformations, misshapen limbs, low birth weights and death.

Understandably, scientists and health advocates are concerned for people’s well beings. On the other hand, officials of the Environmental Protection Agency as well as Syngenta, the company that manufactures atrazine, say that the water is completely safe. They believe there is no need to inform Americans of this issue. The E.P.A. says that studies do not show any birth defects or abnormalities from the consumption of atrazine in drinking water. Employees at the E.P.A. decided to ignore the controversy of atrazine and continue their other work.

Evidence proves that 40% of the nation’s water systems have violated the Safe Drinking Water Act in the past year. The Safe Drinking Water Act was created to warn local residents about any chemicals in their water. However, residents are not informed when atrazine and other chemicals spike in number.


As a citizen of this nation, I feel as though everyone should be warned about this issue. Even if there is a small risk, it is something that needs to be addressed. People, especially pregnant women, want to do everything to keep themselves as safe as possible and without crucial information, they cannot. I recently explained this subject to a pregnant family friend who was undoubtedly concerned after hearing the news. She in no way wants her innocent son or daughter to be harmed. Especially because she is drinking plenty of water to help the development of the fetus, she simply wanted to be notified about the chemical. I personally believe all people have a right to know of this harmful atrazine to protect themselves and their families.

Duhigg, Charles. (2009, August 22) Debating How Much Weed Killer Is Safe in Your Water Glass. The New York Times. Retrived from http://www.newyorktimes.com/

Human Activity Continues to Destroy Oceans

Recent evidence has proven that man-made carbon emissions are drastically impacting the oceans. Not only does the ocean have an evident physical change, soon enough, fish and other sea creatures will decrease in number. Evidently, this is a huge shift in all marine ecosystems. The recent acidity in the water could outcome in harmful consequences definitely for plankton and shellfish. Along with the carbon emissions, over-fishing, increased UV exposure, toxic pollution, alien species and disease contribute to the damaging effects.

Scientists see this as another natural disaster contributing to global warming. "It is vital that we intervene before the oceans go down the sort of spiral of decline we have seen in the world's tropical forests and rangelands," said Dr. Andrew Brierley and Professor Mike Kingsford. They predict that by the year 2040, the global climate change could reach the level of catastrophe.


Modern inventions and methods of easier living have done a lot of good in this world. Thousands of factories are running to produce essential products in today's society while simple means of transportation are available. Many people, including myself, cannot fathom living without this modern lifestyle. However, this so-called "easier living" has harmed the environment in irreversible ways. Most think it is simply polluting the air but in actuality, it is damaging every aspect of the earth including oceans. Today's civilization needs to reconsider the real necessities of living if they ever plan on seeing their grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up.

ARC Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies (2009, August 11). Humans 'Damaging The Oceans' In Profound Ways. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 12, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729092538.htm