Juvenile Spadefish

Juvenile Spadefish
I took this picture this summer

Friday, February 7, 2014

VCU Science Symposium Panel Discussion

Ethics of Animal Research article

Dear CBGS Students- This year at our annual VCU Science Symposium on March 15, we will be having a panelist discussion regarding the ethical issues surrounding research on live animals.  This is a very contentious issue in science and one about which pretty much everyone has an opinion.  Your teachers would like you to read the article linked above, and do some thinking about how you feel about this issue.  We would like for you to write one to two pages in your journal about the issues presented in the article and also to jot down 2-3 questions you would like to submit to the expert panel who will discuss some of the submissions at the Symposium.  Your journal article and questions will be graded and count in your Biology and Chemistry classes.  Seniors, we ask that you also read the article, but as you already have a lot to do for that day, you do not have to do the written assignment, feel free to submit questions if you wish.  Okay?  Questions are due no later than 2/14, entire assignment 2/28.

To submit your questions electronically click the link, then under the "File"menu, select "make a copy", after you have made a copy, save it as your last name, and then fill out the form.  To save as your name, just click on the file name at the top and overwrite the file name.  Good luck!!!
VCU Symposium Animal Research Question Submission

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Why I HATE Palm Oil

Union of Concerned Scientists- Palm Oil Plea
It is really hard to describe how I feel about palm oil.  There do not seem to be appropriate adjectives for my utter disgust and disdain for this horrific product.  Palm oil to me is the embodiment of all that is horrible about man's disregard for nature.  Palm oil itself is an incredible substance that makes food taste great and a good source for biofuel, it enables mega-corporations to reap massive profits and hook the public on a new source of addictive fat.  The bottom line is that we have sold out Mother Nature and some of Earth's most magnificent forests and creatures so that we can have margarine that is solid at room temperature and cookies that have a rich, moist fat that is cheap.  Are all of our ethics for sale to our taste buds?
    The important thing to remember in this epic fat struggle is that it was not always this way.  Prior to WWII, lard was the saturated fat of choice.  If you study the nutritional analysis, you will find that lard has a lot of positive nutritional qualities and if eaten in moderation, as with all fats, can be part of a healthy diet.  During WWII, lard was commandeered by governments for the manufacture of glycerin for munitions and became so expensive that an alternative- hydrogenated vegetable oil was born.  Really it was the combination of history, food science, and 1970's diet fads that discredited lard and promoted Crisco and oleo margarine type products instead.  (McDonalds used to fry their french fries in lard until the late 70's!)  Enter the 21st century, when it is discovered that hydrogenated oils lead to the formation of free radicals in the body, so called "trans fats" are bad for you.  Another hysteria ensues and trans fats are banned.  What replaces them?  Palm oil.  True palm oil is not a trans fat, it is a saturated fat, plant lard, I like to call it.  This is the kind of fat that clogs your arteries and gives you heart disease, but I guess that's okay.  At the end of the day, my hope is that we can return to our traditional lard, butter and old time fats, which we produce anyway and we know their ills, and renounce palm oil altogether.  THE ONLY WAY this can happen, is an educated consumer outright rejecting this "blood" oil and a decision on the part of the public to hold corporations accountable for their impact  on the environment globally. What will you decide?    Here endeth the lesson.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Sophomores- Sea Level Rise- So Many Questions!

Rising Waters, How fast, How far?
In our study of sea level rise, it is really important for us to acknowledge what we DO NOT know.  Very often science is taught as a series of laws, truths, facts and unquestionables (gravity IS holding you in your seat right now, we needn't worry about that one), but it is really what we DO NOT know, that drives scientific inquiry.  Sea level undoubtedly does change, and it changes dramatically.  Water becomes sequestered in glacial ice and sea level lowers by many meters, and when those glaciers give up their water through melting, the water re-enters the hydrologic cycle and ultimately gets deposited in the ocean.  Adding mass to the ocean increases its volume which in turn increases its level relative to land.  Easy right?  Why then, do we not all agree that this is occurring nor can we agree on the rate?  The short answer is- it's not that simple.
     Please read the linked article above from Yale 360, and think about the debate that is raging among scientists, and then think about how the non-scientists might react to this lack of certainty.  In a 1-2 page essay, summarize the main points of the article, be specific, and then think about a few questions.  Are there people who might exploit this scientific uncertainty?  Are there people who need to convince the public to believe the future projections to protect their life and property?  What should our government do to prepare and protect us in light of an uncertain future or should we just let homes fall in the sea and not prepare?  Finally, how does the knowledge that you have gained affect your perception and decision making- are you a better prepared citizen of future Earth than most?