Orange Plastic

Shrouded in black curtains, the wonders of Wired Magazine's Nextfest displayed themselves to a (dare I say?) somewhat geeky crowd that was eager to see the latest science and technological innovations this weekend. Needless to say, I was among them.

Deep in the recesses of the giant room was the "green" section. There, standing at a small table were two young guys who were telling people that natural things like citrus fruits can make plastic.

How does this possible? Well, according to these two Cornell Ph.D. graduates, it's pretty simple. Stacked on top of each other were three clear, plastic boxes. One had a white balloon inside, representing limonene (which is found in citrus fruits) and two had red balloons, representing carbon. This molecule creates a strong plastic that is comparable to the plastics used to create things like a cup.

Apparently one company is interested in buying this technology that can decompose in a compost heap. Is it truly possible that organic things can make biodegrading plastic? One would like to think that if they can get a booth at Nextfest, anything can happen.

Nanotechnology for Water

Using a technology that is virtually invisible to the naked eye, scientists may be able to make your water, and everyone else's, cleaner. Nanotechnology designed to find contaminants in water and possibly even filter it in a way that conventional technology cannot could be the wave of the future, scientists and nanotechnology advocates told me when I was reporting a story for Scienceline, my Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting Program's webzine (the shortest distance between you and science).

At this point, even a hard look into a crystal ball won't be able to tell us whether or not all will be well after materials are nano-sized. The government is still supporting research, but oversight committees also caution that a close eye should be trained on the possibility of unintended health effects, The Scientist also reported yesterday.

If you believe in technological innovation, however, the future looks bright. Such little things might help us go a long way.

A Legend's Discussion

I know it may seem like I am obsessing a bit about E.O. Wilson, but after hearing him talk last week, I thought that other people might like to read about his presentation:

As E.O. Wilson, the Harvard entomologist, put his reading classes on to read from his book at the request of his interviewer, a hush came over the audience. Reading flawlessly, Wilson managed to captivate over 200 people after reading just two pages, enchanting the crowd with his words.

At the beginning of his new book, Creation, Wilson, the Pulitzer Prize winning author, writes to a fictional Baptist minister in Alabama, requesting that the Baptist church and its congregation get involved in protecting the earth. “If a tiny fraction could be recruited, it could tip the balance,” he said to Ira Flatow, his interviewer from National Public Radio’s Science Friday broadcast.

Wilson’s intention in writing the book was not to give his two cents about the marriage of science and religion, he explained to the crowd at the New York Public Library last Thursday. “I didn’t want to get into it,” he said. “I have too many relatives in Alabama,” he joked.

The reason that he decided to address the Baptist community, he said, was “pure and simple I wanted to save creation.” There is a natural overlap between the two groups, he explained, even though their ideologies are sometimes at odds.

Wilson doesn’t think that Intelligent Design should be taught in science class or that the scientific and religious communities must reach some sort of compromise. “There is no room for compromise,” he said. “Why would we have to compromise in the metaphysical to take action?”

The two groups come to the discussion from different perspectives, he said, and both can speak of a creation using different words. Baptists have the Bible and scientists have research. Humans see just one tiny section of the spectrum of light and can hear only certain frequencies, Wilson said. Research shows that elephants communicate at lower frequencies than humans can hear, while bats use a higher frequency than humans can hear. We can’t even feel electricity physically like some marine animals unless we stick our fingers in a socket, Wilson said. “Science is the best of what the Old Testament poets could have asked for.”

Wilson is asking the Baptist community to show concern about what is happening to the planet. He illustrated his point by quoting Billy Graham: “Just because humans have dominion over the earth doesn’t mean we have to destroy it.”

Wilson makes his eloquent request because his has seen the damage first hand. “I’m tired of going down to the tropics where I started my research and seeing one more acre of rainforest gone,” he said, leaning back in his chair. The earth’s history shows that one species in a million naturally went extinct every year. Now, because of humans, the extinction rate has gone up an order of magnitude to 1,000 and could reach 10,000 if it’s unabated, Wilson estimated.

“How awkward I feel that I and other scientists should have to plead for life. I feel like a defense attorney,” he told the audience.

Despite the seriousness of the topic, Wilson kept the mood light, telling the audience that he didn’t want to sound like a Pollyanna, but that he did think that we could turn things around. One woman in the audience expressed the effect of Wilson’s message: “Now I feel like I can get up in the morning.”

Talk Amongst Yourselves

Did you ever list E.O. Wilson as one of the people you would like to invite to dinner? He's not exactly sitting at your dining table, but the web has given us the next best thing. In celebration of Wilson's new book on environmentalism and religion, Audubon magazine (where I interned this summer) is engaging him in an e-conversation with a scientist and a religious leader all this week. Check it out and decide if you agree that science and religion are a match made in heaven.

GMO No!

They're invading, and not just the agriculture business. Genetically modified crops, banned by the EU and shunned by much of the environmentalist community, are starting to mingle with natural crops in the U.S.

A few weeks ago, agriculture and food safety authorities found genetically modified (GMO) rice in otherwise untainted rice bins in Arkansas and Missouri, Reuters reported. The experimental strain was concocted by Bayer CropScience, which is now testing whether the GMO strain has permeated long-grain rice ready for export.

Japan doesn't want GMO rice, and either does the EU -- two places where the U.S. exports the commodity. If the GMO strain is found in commercial supplies, the U.S. rice industry could be in for a shock. Even though GMOs don't hurt anyone, says Bayer CropScience, apparently not everyone wants to play with their food.

On the Chiquita Banana Highway

Driving along the bumpy roads of Costa Rica, occasionally you come upon a rickety, one-lane bridge built by Minor Keith from the Chiquita Company at the turn of the century. According to the Lonely Planet Guide for Costa Rica (and the company's website), he built the bridges as part of the railroad that connected Puerto Limon to San Jose, but couldn’t pay the bills. He planted banana trees to feed his workforce and decided to try to sell the fruit in the U.S. Soon after the bananas were sold at markets around the world, raking in huge profits.

The success came at a price to the environment, however, and the company became notorious for environmental degradation. Now, with the help of a do-gooder within its ranks, the company has turned over a new leaf, according to a post in Treehugger. The company partnered with the Rainforest Alliance and now recycles 100 percent of its plastic bags and reduced its pesticide use by over a quarter.

It is nice to see companies changing policies because of one person who makes a difference, especially from a company known for its affect on the land it uses to profit. If only there was a BP employee that wanted to do the same…

Shrinking Stature

President Bush is shrinking, reported his doctors after his physical exam on Tuesday, just like most other aging people.

In an article published on Slate yesterday, Daniel Engber explains that men usually start shrinking around 30. Unfortunately, women are not exempt.

The reason for the loss of stature is because the fluid-filled discs between the vertebrae start to lose their water, compressing over time. Then the bones have less space between them, so they press together and start to deteriorate. These factors take fractions of inches off of a person's height each year, according to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Even though it may not be a comforting thought to know that you will probably shrink as you get older, at least there is an explanation. It could be worse. Your approval ratings could be shrinking, too.

Final Evidence

Weather forecasters warn that New York City is going to reach a heat index of 110 degrees in the next few days, worrying everyone from energy providers to subway riders. Although a few days of searing temperatures are not necessarily evidence of global warming, the final proof is in: underwear.

Much of the scientific community agrees that global warming is not only a real phenomenon, but also a threat to humans, animals, insects, fish, and habitats (just to name a few). The evidence can be seen all over the globe, including in Greenland, Antarctica, and even California.

In Napa Valley, experts warn that the wine producing region will be too hot for grape growing by 2100, according to a study conducted by scientists from the U.S. and Italy. They (the experts) also say that ski resorts could be devoid of snow by around that time, reports Vail Daily.

Sometimes it helps to have it all laid out on the line, so it's clear just how drastically things can change. We may be late bloomers when it comes to recognizing the reality of our warming earth, but now we shouldn't be afraid to air our dirty laundry and see the truths of global warming in all their shapes and colors.

Fresh Air, Bad Lungs

A breath of fresh air may not really be as satisfying anymore. Air fresheners can actually make the air harder to breathe, according to a new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. One particular Volatile Organic Compound, 1,4 dichlorobenzene, which is emitted from fresheners like room deodorizers and mothballs, was found to reduce lung function.

Other recent studies also show that things commonly found in the air can negatively affect lung capacity. Ozone levels in the atmosphere, produced by car exhaust, are higher in the summer and also make it harder to breathe, especially for children, according to a study published in June (also in Environmental Health Perspectives). Ozone action days help people recognize when levels are higher so that they can stay inside and take other precautions like driving less.

But who is really going to stop using air fresheners or stop going outside in the summer? I would venture to guess that very few people want to smell some disgusting odor when the problem can be remedied immediately. These studies and warnings help people understand why it is harder to breathe, but might not help them breathe any easier.

Beach Sickness

Sometimes even the things that we love the most can make us sick - like an enjoyable meal that results in a bout of food poisoning, or that delicious wine that clouds our heads the next day. A nice day at the beach doesn't seem to fit into the same category – unless the water is contaminated.

At 28 beaches along the coast of California, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles and Stanford University found that nearly 1.5 million people could be getting sick from beaches with high bacteria counts, according to an article by the Associated Press. People who get sick experience gastrointestinal illnesses like vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. The study, which was published online in the Environmental Science and Technology journal, credits the bacteria with causing up to $414 million in health care costs.

So the next time that you pack your beach bag, just be aware that although it may be nice to squish the sand between your toes, taking a dip in the salt water may not be worth the consequences of getting water up your nose.

Mining Central America

The battle between local communities and business is gaining momentum in Guatemala as a Canadian company plans to re-open a nickel mine despite fierce opposition.

Skye Resources Inc., announced that it will start mining again in 2008, according to an article published by Planet Ark. The company's exploration license covers nearly one hundred square miles, home to over a dozen Mayan Q'eqchi' communities. Mayan locals worry that the mine, which was closed in 1980 because of falling nickel prices, will pollute the surrounding forest and Lake Izabal.

Guatemala is only one country where companies looking to profit from natural resources face challenges. Last year, BBC reported that Ecuadorian tribes vowed to stop oil and natural gas companies from searching their land in the Amazon.

As the world's superpowers search for natural resources in more remote places, it may be up to local communities all over the globe to stand their ground.

Caviar Can Still Taste As Sweet

Ever since most of the countries that harvest wild sturgeon caviar were banned by the UN from exporting the delicacy earlier this year, complaints have been heard around the world, but now that farmed sturgeon caviar is a thriving industry, people may start to taste the benefits of a sustainable harvest.

The branch of the UN that oversees the export of products from endangered species, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES), put a ban on the export of wild sturgeon caviar last April. The ban was instated after most of the countries that export the product failed to supply information that showed that the wild industry is sustainable. The only country to escape the ban was Iran, which is allowed to export caviar from wild sturgeon in the Caspian Sea.

Wild sturgeon “stocks have dwindled to dangerously low levels” because of over-fishing and illegal poaching, according to a press release issued by the UN in April.

A meeting held last month focused on eliminating the illegal trade of caviar. Importing and exporting country representatives met to identify solutions to illegal trade. As of July 9th, a new European Union (EU) regulation requires all caviar containers to have a label with information about the product, and all producers and processors in the EU will have to be registered.

Since the ban, sturgeon farms in California, which were not very successful when wild caviar was exported, have become lucrative. According to an article published by the New York Times, California sturgeon farms have seen a significant increase in profits in the past two years. One of the largest fish farming companies, Tsar Nicoulai, says that it has doubled its profits over the past two years.

Although experts say they can taste the difference between the wild and the farmed fish eggs, the benefits of having fish that will continuously provide such a valued product may outweigh the demands of the few people with the most sophisticated palates.

Narrative Medicine

Anyone who has ever been sick has a story. People who get an illness, a disease, an ailment, seem to be more willing to discuss their experiences of unexpected results or terrible side effects, tragedy or success, and medical journalists are trying to figure out the best way to weave together the science with those stories.

“80 percent of illness can be diagnosed based on a patient’s story,” said Sandeep Jauhar at a panel discussion hosted by the Association of Health Care Journalists this week. A cardiologist and freelance writer, he and many medical journalists are taking those stories and writing them in the style of “new journalism.”

Medical journalists continue the debate about how those narratives should be incorporated into scientific stories.

A good medical story should have all the qualities of any other good story. It should be both interesting and informative and often the best way to pair those qualities is through people’s personal experiences. Readers are interested in hearing about illnesses that affect them. “You don’t have to sell people real hard on being mortal,” said Henry Finder, the editorial director of the New Yorker magazine, at the panel discussion.

In Finder’s opinion, a good story must have an A plot, the foreground of the story, and a B plot, what it means, which can both be explained with narratives. The smaller narratives are wrapped around the primary narrative of the story he said, like cutouts from the main picture. “Every piece you write is going to be, if it’s interesting, tangential,” he said.

But anecdotes are not always just about the patients, they are also about the writers. Paul Raeburn, a contributor to the New York Times Magazine, wrote a book called Acquainted with the Night, which is about his children who both have mental illnesses. “You want to step out of that wallowing in your own story,” said Raeburn at the panel, and share experiences with disease, even as the writer.

Other medical journalists don’t want to rely on the narrative. “I don’t want to write about my mother’s Alzheimer’s,” said a woman in the audience. She would rather stick with what science shows.

Every story is different, and different approaches can be equally effective, but as far as the narrative is concerned, medical journalism, like most other forms of journalism, continues to evolve and find its footing.