Gulf Oil Clean Up
By: Savannah Fletcher
From the moment the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the Louisiana coast on April 20, 2010, nearly everyone in our country, from the President to the fishermen in the Gulf, are asking, “How are we cleaning this mess up?”
205 million gallons leaked in the Gulf of Mexico this summer, oil covers the gulf and the Pacific Ocean around Florida. The spill has effected the under water habitat; sharks, turtles, fish, dolphins, and birds have been effected by the oil. People close to the shore are also impacted by the oil damage. Not only the people and the animals but, the economy will be greatly impacted.
So, cleaning the oil is the next step, BP, Oil Company, donated to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). BP contributed a large sum of 5 million dollars for the clean up in the gulf. Tony Hayward, BP's chief executive officer stated, “With its successful 25-year track record of identifying and funding solutions to America's toughest conservation challenges, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a strong and responsible steward for this money from the wildlife fund.” NFWF is currently working on helping the high risk species.
There are various methods of cleaning up the oil in the gulf and in the Pacific Ocean around Florida. Chemical dispersants separate the oil and shrink the oil so oil-eating bacteria consumes the oil. The chemical dispersants are efficient and quick. The downside of the Chemical dispersants is it’s a hazard to the environment and it changes over time preventing the separating reaction. Keeping the oil from the shore, controlled fires can burn the oil. However, this technique is dangerous for the weather and the environment. The one of the ways to get most of the oil is natural clean up. It consists of waves, microorganisms, sunlight and natural water flow. Skimmers and boomers are the most popular way to clean oil spill. Since, most of the oil is too thin for this method, natural clean up might be the best way. Only 15 percent of the oil is has been cleaned up since the oil has leaked this summer.
Still, people are working hard to trying to clean the oil. Workers everyday are helping and volunteering to help clean up the ocean and the communities hurt most by the oil spill.
(Editor's note: Samantha Joye, a professor of marine sciences, has been staying on top of the environmental impact of the Gulf Oil Spill through her very in-depth blog. Interested readers may also get a sense of the area of devastation by moving the oil spill itself as it were happening in our own backyard. If it were my home?....'tis)
Ah, there is nothing like the smell of pumpkin pie in the air to tell us that it’s October again. But as you can see from the picture above, not all pies were created equal. This pie was made from the mother of all pumpkins.
(Editor's note: Samantha Joye, a professor of marine sciences, has been staying on top of the environmental impact of the Gulf Oil Spill through her very in-depth blog. Interested readers may also get a sense of the area of devastation by moving the oil spill itself as it were happening in our own backyard. If it were my home?....'tis)
Hey There, Pumpkin!
By: Taylor Fleshman
By: Taylor Fleshman
The world’s biggest pumpkin for 2010 was set by Christy Harp. Her story is absolutely incredible. Her pumpkin weighed 1,725 pounds as she took it to the annual Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh-Off. What is so incredible about her story is that she has been growing pumpkins since the eighth grade and has a rivalry with her husband, Nick. Last year she said that Nick beat her by 200 pounds. But that’s when she decided she was gonna whip him by a sound margarine, um, make that margin. She beat him by 400. The competition is all in friendly fun as she and Nick work together in their pumpkin patch but somehow avoid stepping foot on each other’s side.
At one point in mid-summer her pumpkin was growing 33 pounds a day. She kept her massive pumpkin going by plying the soil with a mixture of compost, coffee grounds, and cow manure.
For those of you who want to try this at home—it’s good, clean gardening fun. You too can grow a massive pumpkin like hers by first finding seeds with good genetics then using the guide to play with the agricultural elements in making your own humungus backyard pumpkin..
" Taking the pumpkin-growing title was a thrill for the entire family,” says Christy. Her parents are very proud of her and her husband got emotional, but so did she. Winning the annual Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh Off was a very proud moment for Christy and her family.
That's a great pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
" Taking the pumpkin-growing title was a thrill for the entire family,” says Christy. Her parents are very proud of her and her husband got emotional, but so did she. Winning the annual Ohio Valley Giant Pumpkin Growers Weigh Off was a very proud moment for Christy and her family.
That's a great pumpkin, Charlie Brown.
A Pumpkin Pie for the Ages
