Thursday, March 27, 2014

Guinea: Government Bans Bat Soup to Halt Ebola Outbreak

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/27/world/africa/guinea-government-bans-bat-soup-to-halt-ebola-outbreak.html?from=science
There was a recent ebola outbreak in Guinea that has resulted in a ban of bat soup.  Bats are a common food source in West Africa but they have been banned from consumption due to the outbreak of ebola that has killed 63 people. The bats contain a filovirus that causes ebola. This can be seen as a cultural hazard because it is the result of the West African diet.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Questions as More Wastewater Flows in North Carolina

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/us/north-carolina-investigating-another-duke-energy-site.html?ref=science&_r=0
Duke energy, which is the company that spilled toxic waste into a North Carolina River last month, has released wastewater from a second site upriver, which could be illegal.  There are pumps that appear to be siphoning water into a canal leading to the river.  A company representative said that this was "routine maintenance" to lower the water level in the pond.  The company has permits to remove excess water from the surface from rain, however if they are pumping out too much water, they take some of the impurities out along with the water.  It is believed that such actions were taken so that Duke energy would have to spend less money on treating less water.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

2013 Marks Record Year for Solar Power in US

http://www.enn.com/business/article/47128
In 2013 4751 megawatts of photovoltaic cells were installed.  This was a 41% increase from 2012, which shows the US, although we are way behind many countries, is moving a step in the right direction towards renewable energy.  By the end of 2013 there were more than 445,000 solar energy systems that were creating  renewable electrical power--enough to power more than 2.2 million average US homes.  Solar energy will hopefully become mainstream in the US very soon.  This is a step in the right direction for the US, however the journey towards a sustainable and renewable future is still a long one.