Maybe Hydro-electric power isn't so clean after all.

I am reading the book "Dead Pool: Lake Powell, Global Warming, and the Future of Water In The West" by James Lawrence Powell. Though not with this book, water rights was a topic in my Environmental Policy class that I took last year. With only 20 pages left to read I've been quite surprised by what I learned.

 Maybe hydro-electric power isn't so clean after all. The lakes behind dams slowly (or quickly depending on a number of factors) fill up with sediment which causes the reservoirs to hold less and less water. Eventually the silt deposits get high enough at the bottom of the reservoirs that the generators are blocked and there is no power generated at all. The water released during generation comes from the bottom of the lake which causes the river to be colder that normal in the summer and warmer than normal in the winter. This directly affects the type of flora and fauna found downstream. These issues I was previously aware of however I did not know that the salinity of the water is also affected. With each dam that river water has to pass through, salinity in ppm increases. This knowledge adds a new parameter that I will use in my research.

Reading a book about the politics and ecology of the convoluted water rights system in the U.S. may not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you like that sort of thing, I highly recommend this book.

On a lighter note, the link below takes you to a blog from a scientist that has discovered greater diversity than expected.

http://deepseanews.com/2011/09/behind-the-veil/

The Naked Scientist Podcast

During my run I listened to "The Naked Scientists" podcast which talked about a new program in which the flora and fauna of the worlds oceans was going to be cataloged. I was quiet surprised that it had not already been cataloged.
As a class assignment I read a paper from 1922 (written by Stephen A Forbes for which you have to have access to JStore or Nature to read) entitled "The Humanizing of Ecology". The paper discusses the need for a holistic approach to science in that pure science and material science need to work together to the benefit of mankind. This debate still occurs today although I believe it takes the form of material science being where the money is (both income for the scientist and research dollars handed out) and pure science is often misunderstood by the general public. There is a group of scientists and science journalists trying to remedy this issue and bring pure science to the public. Bill Nye the Science Guy. The Mythbusters. Top Gear. The Naked Scientists. There are dozens more TV shows and podcasts but is it enough? How can I help?
By the end of the semester my Ecology professor wants us to be able to provide and answer to the question of "Is a shrimp on a treadmill a waste of taxpayer money?" Hopefully by the end of the semester I'll have answers.

I love TED because...

Something captures my imagination.
I laugh.
I cry.
I am made to think.
I am exposed to new ideas.
My opinions are tested.
I see greatness.
I see courage.
I am taught by passionate teachers.
I am compelled to act.

Turtle tracks

On Monday my daughter and I went to watch the sunrise (such as it was) at the Emerald Isle beach. The background of the blog is one of the pictures from that day. We came across some turtle tracks moving out of the surf onto the beach, the nest was laid, and the tracks returned to the ocean. (See photo below) A fisherman came over and asked what it was and my limited undergrad biology student explanation probably left him with more questions than answers. You can get a general idea of the size of the turtle from the human foot prints next to the trail. My daughter and I continued our walk to the pier. When we made our way back to the nest we saw that the local authorities had marked the nest with a large circle. Of course we wanted to show off our find so later in the day when the family went to the ocean to swim we tried to locate the nest. It had been moved to the dunes where it was roped off with orange tape and a sign posted.

On Tuesday I visited the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort http://www.nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab/to get first hand information about their grad school program. While there I asked about the turtle nest. My guide, Lauren, said that the locals are pretty well educated about conservation and that the nest would not be disturbed. Local authorities would monitor the nest and collect data.