Colorado and Texas to Require Disclosure of Fracking Chemicals

http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/colorado-and-texas-require-disclosure-fracking-chemicals.html

Article by: Rachel Cernansky

Caption: This picture shows what the land looks like around where fracking occurs.

Summary: This article is basically saying that Colorado and Texas need to send in a report of all the chemicals put into the ground prior to fracking. It was also stated that Texas will publish all fracking chemicals on a website. The EPA recently admitted that fracking chemicals are responsible for aquifer contamination in Wyoming. Basic environmental protections such as the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts haven't helped much because the oil and gas industry is exempt from these laws.

Opinion: I think it is a good idea that the states of Colorado and Texas are requiring that all fracking companies put in a report of the chemicals that they put into the ground. I also think it is completely rediculous that oil and gas industries are exemt from the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts because they are affecting other states aquifiers not just their own.

Questions:

1) Do you think that the oil and gas industry should be put under the Clean Air and Safe Drinking Water Acts?

2) Could this be happening in other states as well?

3) are their alternate ways to get natural gas besides fracking?

Wind Power Produces Just 4-14% Emissions of Fossil Fuels Even with Manufacturing & Decommissioning

 Caption: This shows an off-shore wind farm, which emits less fossil fuel than on shore wind farms.

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/wind-power-emissions-4-14-percent-fossil-fuels.html

 This article talks about how even wind power is creating emissions.  Newspapers through out the country are stating that Wind Turbines are emitting 4-14% of fossil fuels.  The fossil fuel emission comes from the manufacturing and installation of the turbine.  But Treehugger is saying that wind turbines that are off shore emit fewer fossil fuels versus those that are on shore.  They are not saying that you shouldn't use wind energy because it is more efficient than regular energy.        

I think that this is a shock to most people, it was to me.  I have always believed that all alternative energy was 100% good for the environment, I never thought that it could cause pollution.  I was also a little shocked to find out that the off shore wind turbines create less pollution than the ones that are on shore.  Finally, I was amazed that there are actually off shore wind farms.

QUESTIONS:

1) Are you surprised that wind power actually creates pollution?

2) Do you think other types of alternative energy create fossil fuel emission?

3) Would you still use this after learning that they pollute?

                     

Shocking Revelation: EPA Declares 'Fracking May Be To Blame For Causing Groundwater Pollution'

by Kyle Taylor

http://www.treehugger.com/fossil-fuels/shocking-revelation-epa-declares-fracking-may-be-blame-causing-groundwater-pollution.html

To sum up the article, the EPA has found chemicals found in fracking polluting our water sources here in the US. The pollution that has entered our ground water now will most likely be there and not be able to be distilled for years or even decades. In Pavillion, WY, contaminants had just showed up in citizens wells in the past few years. Nothing has changed in the area except the new process of fracking. Although they don't want to realize it, the only thing that is polluting their water is the contaminants assoiciated with fracking.

Fracking is a smart idea but it should not be harming a communities water supply. Water is more of a necessity than gas, therefore we should put it first and make sure it is not getting polluted. This is really bad and needs to change soon because if it continues to contaminate our water supply, we will have a water shortage because it is not able to be distilled for years after.

Question-

Do you think this happens in other areas in the US too?

Is this just a problem in the US?

What're your views on fracking?

Is fracking necessary?

Google, Making the Earth Greener!

Article Title: Google Invests an Additional $75 Million in Residential Solar Power
Article Link: http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/google-invests-an-additional-75-million-in-residential-solar-power.html?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29
Article Author: Michael Graham Richard

Picture: This picture shows a house that has its whole roof covered in solar panels. If you get solar panels, you do not need to cover your entire roof like this house, but this house is particularly being very environmentally friendly.

Summary: Google has recently decided to take some of their excessive money and put it in environmentally friendly projects. They have spend $280 million on solar energy in the past and now they are taking it to your homes. Google is leasing solar panels to customers for their homes. The $75 million dollars are going to help 3,000 homeowners make the switch to solar power. This is really great because the hardest part for homeowners to purchase solar energy systems is the cost for the panels. This is partially because there are not a lot of resources for financial help when it comes to going solar. In this case, Google owns the solar panels and the homeowners pay Google monthly which costs less than doing it by yourself. Solar panels are a safe investment for companies so there could be others that follow in Google's path.

Opinion: This is a really great thing that Google is doing to help the planet. It is a little ironic that they are a technology company, yet they still care enough to help the environment. Especially through alternative energy. Also, $75 million is a lot of money. When the article said that this is enough for 3,000 homes (which is also a lot), it means that they spend about $25,000 per home. Which is also a lot. It is also really great that they are taking a tremendous amount out of the company for this. Although, it is an investment, but one that that takes a while to get back which is why it could effect the company a little bit. Overall, it is great to hear that a major company, such as Google, is setting an example for many other companies. Who knows, maybe we will hear about more companies that will follow Google and do the same thing.

Picture #2: A Google logo that shows solar power. This shows how environmentally friendly they are and represents this article really well. It pulls two things together.

Questions:

• Would you ever think of Google doing this type of thing?
• Have you heard of any other companies doing something similar to this?
• Are you a personal fan of solar power? Why or why not?
• Do you know anyone that has solar panels? If so, what do they say about them?
• Where do you think would be the best and/or worst place (in the US) to own solar panels? Why?

U.S. Backs Project to Produce Fuel From Corn Waste

Link to article- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/business/energy-environment/us-backs-plant-to-make-fuel-from-corn-waste.html?partner=rss&emc=rss#

Title- U.S. Backs Project to Produce Fuel From Corn Waste
By MATTHEW L. WALD. 7.6.11

Link to picture: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=corn+waste&hl=en&tbo=d&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=RBXL18fShu3P_M:&imgrefurl=http://www.ongo.com/v/1322620/-1/90A2B84EAB237501/us-backs-project-to-produce-fuel-from-corn-waste&docid=WCrQa9pem3jIZM&imgurl=http://www.ongo.com/6/2011/07/07/1322620/202ea9c7360c1043a829778b9f7422e4d00.jpg&w=1024&h=670&ei=ZqjbTri1MOrp0QGTh-HpDQ&zoom=1&biw=1024&bih=690


Caption to picture: in this picture it is showing all the corn waste that is used each day in the factory to make motor fuel.

Summary- The Energy Department plans to provide a $105 million loan guarantee for the expansion of an ethanol factory in Emmetsburg, Iowa, that intends to make motor fuel from corncobs, leaves and husks.In the article it mentioned this could be the first project to make ethanol from a nonfood, or cellulosic,plant source.if this idea works properly it could greatly increase the potential to make motor vehicle fuel and reduce the use of fossil fuels. It could also reduce the use of corn in the manufacture of ethanol as motor fuel, which is becoming an arguable issue because it is reducing food supplies for people and animals.The plan for this corncob plant is intended to make all the energy it needs to operate and to supply some energy to the corn ethanol plant next door.The company’s plant in Scotland,has been running since 2008 and converts a ton of cobs, husks and leaves, a day into 75 to 80 gallons of ethanol! In order to get the final product the process is very simple:The waste parts of corn plants, called stover, are steamed and treated with acid, and then broken down by enzymes into ordinary sugar and a second sugar with one fewer carbon atom. Both are converted by yeast into alcohol, but persuading the yeast to eat the second sugar requires altering its DNA.

Opinion/ reflection: I think this is a really great idea! In class I remember discussing alternative energy sources and how it has it's positives and negatives. Well I think in retrospect this idea it mainly positives. An example of one it's positive factors is that the ethanol is being made from corn cobs, leaves, and husks. This means that it is not reducing food supplies for humans or animals. Another positive is that we are using waste material in order to make the ethanol, not something we had to make, buy, or use.like I had previously mentioned this will help us use less fossil fuels, and that is another positive thing, because it will help prevent us to run out of fossil fuels.I believe the article also mentioned that this project will help lower oil and gas prices, which is another great positive, in this horrible economy. I was able to relate this back to class when we were discussing about using human and animal feces as energy to power your home. I think this is something similar but more powerful and efficient .

EPA Lowers Irigation Cost and Waste

Link to article:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/93A51723CE20B18525793D004E0347
Link to picture:
http://irrigationsystemmelbournefl.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Irrigation-System-Melbourne-FL.gif

Caption to picture: This is the current and typical irrigation system for farms and larger areas of land.



SUMMARY: As of today the EPA confirmed that they had created an irigation system that would allow any commercial or private residence to save about 410 million dollars a year on irigation and water bills. Shelia Frace the EPA director said, "As much as half of the water we use on our landscapes goes to waste..." Not only will this help save money but it will save water because upwards of 7 billion gallons of water are used for landscaping reasons. This system is WaterSense approved, and will be available for purchase by Spring 2012. It is so far the only system that is WaterSense approved and EPA approved.

OPNION: My opinion of this system is that it will save a lot of water for everyone and it will also help cut back on money spent. I also find it shocking how much water we waste on watering our lawn basically, I mean I can understand doing this when you have a garden that you can get food from. But when you are just watering grass it seems really wasteful. Finally I think that it is really good that the EPA is making it known that we are wasting water, like we learned Gandhi said, "There is enough water for human need, but not enough for human greed."

QUESTIONS:
1) Do you think that watering you lawn is wasteful or a requirement?
2) What would you do if we ran out of water because it had all been used?
3) About how many gallons of water does you family use on landscaping?
4) Are there any other WaterSense Appliances?

Arsenic in Drinking Water

Article: http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=62999
Picture: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=arsenic&hl=en&gbv=2&biw=942&bih=434&tbm=isch&tbnid=XUGLezCksZhWBM:&imgrefurl=http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/water/a_arsenic.html&docid=ijEo_CoomQAQ5M&imgurl=http://nationalatlas.gov/articles/water/IMAGES/fig2.jpg&w=360&h=287&ei=K2KwToDVH8nv0gGh_bS8AQ&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=218&sig=101343160841677549513&page=1&tbnh=91&tbnw=110&start=0&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0&tx=29&ty=48


Picture: This picture shows the consentration of Arsenic in the United States. (I have included the link to the picture because the words are hard to see.)

Summary: Arsenic is an element on the periodic table that is oderless and colorless. It is harmful to humans and animals if ingested. It comes from natural deposits in the earth or from agriculture and industries. Arsenic has many non-cancer effects such as, thickening and discoloration of the skin, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, numbness in hands and feet, partial paralysis, and blindness. It also is known to cause cancer of the bladder, lungs, skin, kidney, nasal passages, liver, and prostate. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has set a standard of .010 parts per million (ppm) (10 parts per billion; ppb) for drinking water. Many villages in Africa had water that contained high volumes of Arsenic and many were dying and no body knew why. Eventually scientist found the Arsenic in the water and had to find a way to get it out so people would stop dying of the symptoms listed above. In 2009 IRIN ( ) tested water from 360 wells and they were all contaminated with arsenic.

Opinion: I think that the amount of aresenic in the water in Africa is very alarming and unsettling. To think that all of those children are drinking water that they have no idea is actually killing them. Its so sad to think about. This article is directly related to the discussion we had in class. We also learned that ilters were sent out by an organization called Filters for Familes to filter out most of the arsenic so that fewer people would die of arsenic poisoning.

Questions:

1. Is there any other place in the world that has a worse Arsenic concentration level than Africa?

2. Was there ever a time in history that the U.S. had high levels of Arsenic?

3. What would you do if you found out htere was a high level of Arsenic in the water around your town?

EPA Develops New Planning Approach to Improve Water Quality in U.S. Cities

Simal Ali

EPA Develops New Planning Approach to Improve Water Quality in U.S. Cities
Release Date: 10/28/2011
Contact Information: Stacy Kika, kika.stacy@epa.gov, 202-564-0906, 202-564-4355
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/68C9214FF1E0C157852579370055D62A

LINK TO PICTURE:http://www.adedgetechnologies.com/images/USGS%20County%20map.jpg
Description of picture: I found this picture to be really interesting because it is actually showing the arsenic concentration rates in America.

SUMMARY:In Washington today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a commitment, to begin using a planning process to help local governments deal with financial situations where they can identify opportunities to achieve clean water by controlling and managing releases of waste water and storm water runoff more efficiently and cost effectively. This new approach will address the most serious water quality issues and provide ways to fix them. As the sewer systems are getting older, it seems to be more obvious that they are not designed to handle heavy rain and snowfall in addition to handling the waste water from growing populations and local industries. They can overflow, releasing untreated sewage into waterways, onto city streets or into the basements of homes. As the runoff flows over the land, including paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops, it carries along with it remains of anything broken down like chemicals, sediment and other pollutants. Overflows and storm water can carry a variety of harmful pollutants, including bacteria, metals and nutrients that threaten communities' water quality and can contribute to disease outbreaks, flooding, and fishing or swimming warnings.

OPINION: I think it’s a great idea that the EPA is trying to find a better way to protect water quality. Like the article said the EPA will work with local governments to review the Clean Water Act requirements, so that each township will look for opportunities to improve the cleanness of their water. This is a good way to sit down and really think out what should be done. This was relative to class because as we were learning about what contaminates in our water can do, we talked about have they can contribute to disease outbreaks, flooding, and fishing or swimming warnings, just like the article. I believe this article ties in with my personal life because I always hear news stories about contaminated water in Africa, and storm water runoffs and this article actually helped me understand what action is taken after these events.

QUESTIONS OF MY OWN:
1.Is all the drinking water in America safe?
2.What are the most common contaminates found in drinking water?
3.What are a few results that can take place, if the community’s water quality carry harmful contaminates?

The EPA's Website for Water Violations

EPA Releases Searchable Website for Drinking Water Violations / Agency to host webinar to show how to use the public health data

Release date: 05/16/2011 By: Stacy Kika (kika.stacy@epa.gov)

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/5116771C5AE44EDF852578920063DBBF

Picture: This picture is of dirty drinking water. Personally, I think this is absolutely gross and disgusting but it is what some drinking water does look like. This is what some organizations are trying to prevent. They want clean water for everyone.

Summary: The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has launched a new page on their website dealing with the contaminants in our local water. It is called the Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) tool. This is something that the EPA is very excited about because it also goes along with President Obama's goal which is to let the people know what information the government collects. ECHO does that by telling us what the government finds out about our drinking water. The EPA feels as if this is information that should be shared because this is something that concerns our health. We need to know if the water we a re drinking is safe and will not damage our health. This new feature met the standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The website provides users with information about how clean their drinking water is, any serious violators, and the National Public Water Systems Compliance Report for 2009. The EPA's enforcement goal is to ensure that all of the communities have safe and clean water. 

Opinion: I think that it is great that the EPA has decided to let us know how safe the water we drink is. In class today, we learned about different chemicals that could be found in our water that could harm us. These included substances such as Barium, Fluoride, Uranium, and more. We saw that there were many negative impacts if we consumed any of those substances. We need water, and we want to try our best to avoid any chemicals that could harm us. There were a couple that could kill children if it was consumed too much. By having this website, it warns us of any potential harmful substances in our water. Below is a picture taken of the website when you put in Horsham's zip code. When I scrolled down, all of the spaces in the column "Alleged Current Significant Violations" read "no". Our water in the Horsham area is clear and safe for consumption. After all, we do NEED water.

Picture #2: A screenshot of the EPA's ECHO site for Horsham, PA. As you can see, there are no violations.

Questions:

• How much consumption do you think it takes to be harmed by a contaminate in our drinking water?
• If you found out there was a contaminate in our water that could not be gotten rid of right away, what would you do? Why?
• How much water do you think is consumed per day in America?
• How much water do you consume per day? Do you think you should improve that number?
• Do you think that we, as Americans should be drinking more or less water? Or are we drinking a good amount? Why?

World Energy Use to Increase 53% by 2035, Despite Facebook Changes

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/09/world-energy-use-increase-53-percent-2035-eia-projects.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29

Basically, in the article World Energy Use to Increase 53% by 2035, the writer is saying that based on the statistics that we have gathered, the world will begin to use more and more energy as time goes on. China has become the highest energy consumer in recent years. It is even proven that if it continues to increase at the rate it is now, it will use 68% more than the US by 2035! Despite the aggravations with social networking sites, such as Facebook, the energy consumption will continue to be on the rise. As much as we encourage conservation of energy, it is hard to persuade whole nation into doing so. Countries like China and India are in need of more energy due to their rapid growth in population. In order to lessen the amount of energy consumed, we need to rely heavily on fossil fuels and other alternatives.

In my opinion, i believe that humans as a whole consume way too much energy than necessary. If we began to lessen it only a LITTLE bit each day, the amount of energy used would extremely decrease, future generations would not have to worry about it being a huge issue, and the world would be a healthier place.

q1- Does it surprise you that the US isn't leading in energy consumption? Why or Why not?

q2- What else can we use as alternative energy sources?

q3- Do you think the country would willingly use less energy daily?

q4- What age group do you think is most responsible for the consumption of energy? Will future generations just be worse than we are?

Below is a picture of China's energy sources. Notice how small the "other renewables" section is compared to coal and oil

Australia Saves Water

Australia's main crop irigation source has been in a drought stage for almost 5 years and this year they decided to take a stand against the unwelcome dryness. The Murray Darling Water Basin provides water to many of Australia's inland crops, meaning crops that are not grown near the coast and are sold within the country. Without this basin not only would this country's economy drop but so would its food source hence leading to a much larger issue known as population depletion. When natives started to realizes that they drought was getting to be little too extreme they created the AWAS. AWAS keeps track of the water's assests, liabilities, and its flow. This means that they are just watching to see where the water is going, what it is being used for, and how fast/slow the flow of the water is. This will help them to determine what will need to be done in order to keep the Murray Darling Water Basin up and running, which will also keep their economy up and running.

Opinion:
When I first read this I was kind of shocked that they let a drought go on for so long in such an important body of water. But as I read on I became very impressed that they are doing so much now to keep in alive. I think that it is very smart to create a group that watches the behavior of the water so that they will be able to figure what is going on more accurately than if that just took a shot at it.

Questions:

1) What precentage of Earth's water do you think we use for our own good (showers, pools, etc.)?
2) How many bodies of water do you think are used for agricultural reasons in America?
3) Do you think that this orginization was a wise decision for this country to make or not? Why?


www.TheEnvironmentSite.org/getting-a-grip-on-water-use/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tes_org+%28TheEnvironmentSite.org%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Bicycle Care Stations in Copenhagen

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/09/copenhagen-statoil-bicycle-care-station-photos.php?campaign=th_rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+treehuggersite+%28Treehugger%29

Article by: Michael Graham Richard

Picture: This picture is of one of the bicycle stations in Copenhagen. It is 100% authentic, because if you look closely, you can tell that the sign is not in English!


Summary: In Copenhagen, they are trying to help our environment by encouraging people to ride a bicycle instead of a car. Cars, as we know, release gas into the atmosphere which hurts our environment.  What the people of Copenhagen are trying to demonstrate, is that bicycles not only help our environment, but it also helps get people healthier. The stations are connected to some gas stations. These stations help cyclists repair your bike, clean your bike, and check the tire pressure. The sign on the station says:
"Dear Cyclist,
You can care for your bicycle here. You can pump and wash your bicycle and, inside the shop, you're welcome to borrow a free bicycle care kit with oil, tire levers, allen keys, etc. 
Enjoy.
Statoil"

Opinion: I think that this is a great idea! It is a great way to motivate people to ride their bicycles. Instead of sitting in a car in traffic, you could be helping the environment and getting active! I found it shocking when it said "even a giant oil company like Norway's Statoil is trying to be cyclist-friendly." That means a lot! Most people think of oil companies to be the WORST think for our environment, but the ones in Copenhagen are trying to help the environment. I think they should spread this to the rest of the world.

Questions:

• If we had bicycle stations in the Hatboro-Horsham area, would you ride your bike more?
• How often do you ride your bicycle?
• Can you think of any additional advantages for riding bicycles more often?
• What percentage of people in the USA do you think own bicycles?

Glowing "Ghost" Mushrooms Reappear in Brazil After 170 Years

Glowing "Ghost" Mushrooms Reappear in Brazil After 170 Years!

By Kimberley Mok

Picture: This is a picture of the glowing mushrooms found in Brazil after being gone for 170 years.

Summary: This mushroom was originally found in 1840. Its scientific name is Neonthopanus gardneri. It is one of the 71 recognized species of bioluminescent mushrooms. They are sometimes called "ghost mushrooms" because of their eerie appearance. They are also poisonous to humans. The glow of the mushroom is bright enough for a person to read a newspaper in a dark room! Researchers believe that the mushrooms make light by a chemical mix of a luciferin compound and a lucifrase. Lucifrase is an enzyme that aids the interaction among luciferin, oxygen and water to produce light. Researchers found that these mushrooms glow 24 hours a day, as long as water are available.

Opinion: When I first read this title I was immediately fascinated by this! I mean who doesn't want to know about glowing mushrooms? I was also very surprised to find that they completely disappeared and then came back 170 years later! These mushrooms were found again in 2005 but I am wondering why we are just hearing about this now.

Questions:
1- Where else are these glowing mushrooms found?
2- Why did they disappear for such a long period of time?
3- What types of conditions does there need to be for this type of mushroom to grow?

test

Dead in the Gulf

Dead in the Gulf

A “Dead Zone” in the Gulf of Mexico May Reach Historical Proportions this Year

August 26, 2011 Lindsey Blomberg

By: Simal Ali. 9/13/2011

Summary: In this picture The low-oxygen or “dead zone” portions of the Gulf of Mexico stretch across thousands of miles. Dead zones are oxygen-depleted, lifeless expanses of water. The dead zone in the Gulf, which is 60 miles off the coasts of Louisiana and Texas, is one of the largest in the world and has more than doubled since the 1980s. In 2002, an shocking 8,400 square miles of the Gulf lacked quality oxygen for most of the marine life to survive. The lowest oxygen levels appear in red.Scientists predict that a “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico could expand to between 8,500 and 9,421 square miles this year, and is roughly the size of New Jersey and Delaware combined. The Gulf’s dead zone is mostly caused by farming waste , according to the article some of the toxins in the dead zone include sewage,animal waste and car exhaust.And just to throw in an interesting fact the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the 164,000 tons of nitrogen that reached the Gulf this May was 35% higher than average!Aside from just the facts the massive dead zone poses as a serious threat for the future of Gulf fisheries and marine life populations already suffering from the ongoing effects of the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010.
The dead zone now has smaller than average testes and lower sperm counts. Reproduction rates that should average a 40-80% hatching rate were instead only producing a 10% hatching rate.Though the Gulf dead zone continues to expand, future restoration and recovery is possible. Examples of these types of recoveries has been seen in the Black Sea ,which contained the largest dead zone in the world during the 1980s. So maybe together we can make a change!

Opinion: To be honest at first I thought of this article, that this is just another problem that the living things on this planet have created for ourselves that we can not control or fix. Although as I read the entire article I decided maybe we can make a change! However before getting to that part I do have to say that I think that this is something that effects a lot of different things.for example it is effecting the marine life population because they are not producing as many testes and sperm as they were previously to the oil spill and the " dead zone". However on a more positive note the article also said that the record flooding along the Mississippi this spring has caused twice the amount of average runoff to drain into the Gulf, as this year’s high corn prices encouraged additional planting that resulted in excess amounts of fertilizer. So as you can see this event has created negative and positive effects on the earth. So while we might feel that this problem in our environment really does not effect us, it probably will eventually.

Questions:

-What types of things can we avoid using on a daily basis to maybe help recover from this problem?

- How long might it take to recover from this problem?

- Dead zone effect local areas to for example streams, lakes, and beaches?