1. ADEQ Update on Colorado Gold King Mine Spill. ADEQ and cooperating agencies report Lake Powell is safe for all uses and encourage Lake Powell recreation.
PHOENIX (September 3, 2015) – As the Labor Day holiday weekend approaches, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today that their analysis of water entering Lake Powell shows that the lake is safe for normal uses.
“ADEQ wants Arizona residents and visitors to know that Lake Powell is safe for Labor Day recreational activities including swimming and boating,” said ADEQ Water Quality Division Director Trevor Baggiore. “ADEQ and the multiple cooperating agencies are reviewing and analyzing new information as it becomes available as part of our everyday work to protect Arizona’s waters,” he added.
Scientists and specialists from several Arizona agencies have been and are continuing to monitor and assess data related to the mine spill. Arizona’s cooperating agencies agree that Lake Powell and the downstream Colorado River are safe for all uses including recreation and agriculture as well as a drinking water source for public water systems.
To establish baseline water quality, ADEQ conducted water quality sampling on August 12, 2015. Test results of these samples are consistent with historic water quality data from Lee’s Ferry (downstream of Glen Canyon Dam). These results, along with ADEQ’s data analysis of water entering Lake Powell (San Juan River test data collected by Utah) are available for review on the Arizona cooperating agencies’ Gold King Mine spill information website: https://ein.az.gov/gold-king-mine-spill-response, located on the Arizona Emergency Information Network (AZEIN) website.
As part of the ongoing water quality monitoring and assessment work, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is collecting and testing fish tissue and water quality samples from the Arizona portion of Lake Powell. As new test results become available, ADEQ will compare them with Arizona surface water quality standards and historical data to support water quality protection efforts and continue to share updated information on the AZEIN website.
2. Drones: A Better Way To Track Wildlife. From recreational uses to military operations, drones are becoming ubiquitous in society. Already, the technology is being applied to help monitor and protect endangered species in Africa.
Researchers from Australian National Univ. and Univ. of Sydney are testing a drone designed to track small wildlife that moves through rugged and inaccessible terrain.
“Over the last 2 1⁄2 years, we’ve been building and testing a drone to radio track wildlife,” said Debbie Saunders, of Australian National Univ.’s School of Environment and Society, in a video. “It enables us to fl y a very small, lightweight and portable drone…anywhere in the landscape, and track wildlife in any number of areas.”
According to the researchers, traditional radio tracking processes are largely manual, and occur over hours in harsh terrain
“There is a great opportunity for autonomous flying systems to improve data collection efficiency and, thus, help to resolve longstanding scientific questions that inform wildlife management policies,” the researchers write in a paper. “Small aerial robots, such as multirotor platforms, are suitable for this task because they are easy to deploy and can fly over terrain that is difficult to access on foot, potentially reducing localization time from hours in the manual to tens of minutes.”
According to Saunders, the technology consists of an off-theshelf drone, whose camera payload was replaced with a custom receiver system, comprised of two monopole antennas mounted to a carrier rail. The maximum take-off weight is 2,200 g (4.85 lb), with a payload capacity of 750 g (1.65 lb).
According to Australian National Univ., Saunders thought of the idea eight years ago to track small birds, such as the endangered swift parrot.
In experiments involving radio-tagged Manorina Melanocephala, observations were taken at altitudes of 50 m from the launch elevation, and took 45 sec to complete. “The custom-built miniature receiver and antenna provide real-time information…mapped live on a laptop,” according to Australian National Univ. For researchers, the drone may allow the ability to monitor unseen animal mobility, said Saunders.
“For a land manager, it may enable them to actually locate pest species, or identify den sites,” she added. “Because it is such a flexible system, it can be applied in so many ways and different circumstances,” but “we need to get it fine-tuned,” she said.
The new system is funded by an Australian Research Council Linkage Project Grant and the Loro Parque Foundacion.
The researchers have performed more than 150 test flights. Further, the technology was tested tracking bettongs at Mulligan’s Flat woodland sanctuary in Canberra, Australia. Source: R&D
3. Plant Chemical Differentiates Female Honey Bees. Nurse bees feed larvae destined to be workers not only royal jelly, which queen-destined larvae are fed, but also beebread, or processed pollen (seen below).
Beebread contains p-coumaric acid, which alters gene expression and contributes to the honey bees’ developmental fate. Image: Terry Harrison, U. of I. beekeeper. For the western honey bee, the swarming process begins when between 10 and 20 daughter queens develop in a colony. As the daughter queens develop from the larvae stage, the original mother queen and a portion of the hive branch out, and establish a new colony. What follows is a fight for dominance over the original hive. If the daughter queens emerge simultaneously, they fight until one remains.
Within the western honey bee species are three castes, drones (male), worker bees (non-reproductive females) and queens.
According to researchers, a female larva’s development, whether it’ll become a queen or worker bee, is contingent upon the diet it receives. “Larvae fed exclusively royal jelly, a glandular secretion of nurse bees, become queens, whereas those fed royal jelly for 3 days and subsequently worker jelly containing honey and beebread become sterile workers,” write researchers from the Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
In a new study appearing in Science Advances, the researchers identify a phytochemical present in worker jelly that plays a part in a female’s developmental track. The researchers note queen-destined larvae consuming royal jelly develop more rapidly and attain larger body size than their worker bee counterparts.
“For years, people have wondered what components in royal jelly lead to queen development, but what might be more important is what isn’t in royal jelly—plant chemicals that can interfere with development,” said May Berenbaum, a professor of entomology and department head at the university
“Consuming the phytochemical p-coumaric acid, which is ubiquitous in beebread and honey, alters the expression of a whole suite of genes involved in caste determination,” she said.
The researchers found p-coumaric acid, by altering the expression of 26 genes, reduced ovary development in larvae. Further, the altering “is likely required to enable larvae to process the multiple phenolics they counter in honey and beebread in worker jelly for the remainder of their development,” the researchers write.
Whether the regulatory effects of phytochemicals is present among other hymenopteran pollinators has yet to be answered. The researchers speculate the answer may unveil connections between diet and food processing and *eusociality evolution. * an insect showing an advanced level of social organization, in which a single female or caste produces the offspring and nonreproductive individuals cooperate in caring for the young. Source: R&D
4. New Use For Waste Coffee Grounds: Fuel Storage. You may toss yous coffee grounds into the trash, You may toss them into your compost pile or onto your lawn to enrich the compost and soil. Now, scientists say there is yet another use for your coffee grounds.
Scientists have developed a simple process to treat waste coffee grounds to allow them to store methane. The simple soak and heating process develops a carbon capture material with the additional environmental benefits of recycling a waste product.
The results are published in “Nanotechnology”.
Methane capture and storage provides a double environmental return—it removes a harmful greenhouse gas from the atmosphere that can then be used as a fuel that is cleaner than other fossil fuels.
The process developed by the researchers, based at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea, involves soaking the waste coffee grounds in sodium hydroxide and heating to 700 to 900 C in a furnace. This produced a stable carbon capture material in less than a day—a fraction of the time it takes to produce carbon capture materials.
“The big thing is we are decreasing the fabrication time and we are using cheap materials,” explains Christian Kemp, an author of the paper now based at Pohang Univ. of Science and Technology, Korea. “The waste material is free compared to all the metals and expensive organic chemicals needed in other processes—in my opinion this is a far easier way to go.”
Kemp found inspiration in his cup of coffee whilst discussing an entirely different project with colleagues at UNIST. “We were sitting around drinking coffee and looked at the coffee grounds and thought ‘I wonder if we can use this for methane storage?’” he continues.
The absorbency of coffee grounds may be the key to successful activation of the material for carbon capture. “It seems when we add the sodium hydroxide to form the activated carbon it absorbs everything,” says Kemp. “We were able to take away one step in the normal activation process—the fi ltering and washing— because the coffee is such a brilliant absorbant.”
The work also demonstrates hydrogen storage at cryogenic temperatures, and the researchers are now keen to develop hydrogen storage in the activated coffee grounds at less extreme temperatures.
Source: Institute of Physics
5. Green Chamber Lunch. September 9, 2015 at Macayo’s Restaurant located at 4001 N Central Avenue, Phoenix (South of Indian School). The Lunch and Learn topic this month is Post Propositions-What Do The Voter Approved Transit And Land Use Plans Mean For Phoenix?
6. A Few Uses for Apple Cider Vinegar
1. Treatment for Healthy, Shiny Hair Repair damaged hair and get naturally shiny and healthy locks with apple cider vinegar. In a glass jar with a lid, mix 2 cups apple cider vinegar with 10 drops essential oil (of your choice). Let the mixture blend for one to two days. To use: Rinse hair after shampooing with 1/2 teaspoon vinegar mixture and 1 cup water.
2. Medicinal Extracts
While not as potent as alcohol-based extracts, infusing medicinal herbs with apple cider While not as potent as alcohol-based extracts, infusing medicinal herbs with apple cider vinegar is a great alternative for children or those with alcohol sensitivities. Medicinal vinegar is a great alternative for children or those with alcohol sensitivities. Medicinal extracts treat a variety of ailments depending on the herb used. Learn how to infuse extracts treat a variety of ailments depending on the herb used. Learn how to infuse your own extracts in the article “Make Medicinal Vinegar Extracts”.
3. Skin Toner
Beneficial for all skin-types, this toner will help restore acidity to the skin and help resist infection. Mix 3 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 1 cup distilled water. Let sit for three days. Strain out the solids into a bottle with tight-fitting lid. To use: Apply to skin with cotton pad.
4. Acid Refl ux Relief Because acid reflux is actually due to too little acid in the stomach, adding 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to water will provide the acidic environment your teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to water will provide the acidic environment your stomach needs to help break down food.
5. Relaxing Bath Relax and unwind in this herbal vinegar bath. Apple cider vinegar’s slight acidity helps rinse away soap residue and may help counteract yeast infections. Get the recipe: Herbal Vinegar Bath.
6. Salad Vinaigrette Apple cider vinegar adds a tasty kick to salad dressings. Dress fresh spring greens, such as our Arugula, Pear, Pecan and Blue Cheese Salad, with our Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
7. Treat Swimmer’s Ear The acidity of vinegar helps kill bacteria and clear infection. To help treat swimmer’s ear, lie on your side with the infected ear facing up and place a few drops of apple cider vinegar in the ear with an eye dropper. After a few minutes, get up and let the vinegar drain from the ear.
8. Get Rid of Ants If you have a problem with ants, try deterring them with apple cider vinegar. To use: Spray undiluted on ant routes. The vinegar will cover their invisible pheromone tracks, preventing them from finding their way back to their foraging sites.
7. How Many Trees Are There In All Of The Forest Around The Global ? Using satellite imagery, Yale University estimates there are approximately: 823 million trees
300 billion trees
3.04 trillion trees
8. Just Plain NASTY!!! End Of Summer “Deep Clean” In Oak Creek Removes 348 Pounds Of Litter.
Oak Creek Watershed Council’s three day volunteer clean-up project hailed as great success Sedona, AZ – As high recreation season ends, the Oak Creek Watershed Council (OCWC) and volunteer groups are out in full force working to clean up trash, pet and human waste from the Oak Creek Canyon. Partnering with the Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger district and with volunteers from Miller Coors, the Arizona Water Company, the Friends of Oak Creek and the Oak Creek Ambassadors, the fi rst annual Oak Creek Canyon Deep Clean resulted in the removal of 248 pounds of trash, pet and human waste, and 100 pounds of recyclable materials – for a total of 348 pounds of litter.
“Clean-ups are important events for our organization for a number of reasons,” says Dalton Zanetti, OCWC Operations Assistant and organizer of the August Canyon Deep Clean. “The Watershed Council began as a group of concerned residents passionate about protecting the health of Oak Creek and its tributaries. Events like the Deep Clean help us to bring those conservation minded volunteers and groups together, while making a signifi cant impact on reducing pollution in the area and educating volunteers and visitors on prevention.”
Waste patrols helps to keep the canyon beautiful, but more importantly they help to reduce sources of pollution in and around Oak Creek and its tributaries. Taking action on water quality impairments to the creek, such as high levels of E. coli bacteria is a high priority for the OCWC. Projects like the Canyon Deep Clean advance those objectives by addressing the “loved to death” effect of recreation throughout the canyon on the watershed.
The Oak Creek Canyon Deep Clean engaged volunteers working on clean up, but also offered educational opportunities to learn about the science of the watershed and the importance of Leave No Trace recreation practices.
“There is no ‘away’ when it comes to trash and waste in the watershed” says Oak Creek Ambassador Team Leader, Nick Kowall. “Our educational models of the watershed and on how long it takes trash to decompose help us to reach visitors and inform their practices of ‘canyon friendly’ recreation.”
Funding for the Oak Creek Ambassador Program and this event is provided through a grant with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Oak Creek Watershed Council hosts monthly clean- ups along the creek. To learn more about upcoming clean ups or to get involved – as a group or as an individual – visit www.oakcreekwatershed.org.
The Oak Creek Watershed Council is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) dedicated to maintaining a standard of excellence for watershed stewardship, as well as preserving the integrity of Oak Creek, and its tributaries.
