In Dr. Down Steyn’s research paper, “Impact of Climate Change on Ozone Pollution in the Lower Fraser Valley, Canada,” he analyzed climate patterns to determine which types led to elevated levels of ozone. His analysis allowed him to predict if there would be an increase in episodes of elevated ozone levels in the future (2046-2065). Dr. Steyn used different statistical techniques to capture the climate pattern, and applied these to forecast the future of air quality in the Lower Fraser Valley. According to Dr. Steyn, episodes of elevated ozone levels will increase to a dangerous amount due to global warming, and as such actions must be taken to address this problem.
Environmental Canada: The image of Lower Fraser Valley
Air quality and Health affects
Ozone is a molecule consisting of three oxygen atoms. Despite its benefits in the upper atmosphere as a shield to harmful UV radiation, it is a pollutant in lower atmosphere. Addressing such a study is important because ozone is damaging to plants and poses certain health risks to humans. Such risks include lung inflammation, lung diseases, premature death, heart attack, and stunting the plant growth.
What affects the air quality?
There are three components to look at: temperature, wind, and pressure.
William M. Connolley: the image of atmosphere pressure pattern
1) Temperature has a significant relationship with the production of ozone. Ozone is generated by a chemical reaction and the rate of this reaction is temperature dependant. Thus, higher temperatures equate to abundance in ozone.
2) The wind is what mixes the atmosphere. Mixing causes dilution and as a result, lowers the amount of pollution.
3) In summer, a high pressure system develops in the Lower Fraser Valley. High pressure makes the atmosphere heavy, resulting in the sinking of the whole atmosphere. This sinking then causes the increase in temperature with its height and the vertical mixing is reduced.
High Temperature + Light Wind + High Pressure System
= Pollution level ↑
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Y0juwbHcU
How was the study conducted?
In order to analyze the climate pattern, Dr. Steyn used different statistical techniques and the following podcast will explain the specific tools used to analyze the pressure patterns such as:
– Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) decomposition
– Clustering (grouping of pressure patterns in six dimensions)
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Dr. Steyn concluded that in the future, the weather types are going to be the same while the temperature will be warmer due to global warming. In other words, global warming is the main factor in increasing ozone level.
We thank Dr. Steyn for giving us an interview and explaining his research. We also would like to thank our SCIE 300 instructors for designing the science outreach project.
We are all familiar with the increasing global temperatures that encourage the melting of arctic ice but we don’t really think too much about how this will effect species other then ourselves. “Canada is home to two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population and we have a unique conservation responsibility to effectively care for them,” said Environment Minister Peter Kent. Best estimates suggest the polar bear population is approximately 15,000 in Canada. Polar bears have an important effect on the animal populations in the arctic. They provide food for animals lower on the food chain by leaving behind animals they have killed and not fully finished eating in addition to their bodies being food for animals once they have died.
CBC News Report
Polar bear waiting for a seal at the edge of a hole in the ice
Polar bears are the worlds largest carnivores and are also tied for the largest bears on Earth. Being carnivores in the arctic, their main diet consists of bearded and ringed seals.The polar bears hunt the seas in a very specific way. They find holes in the ice sheet where the seals would come up to breath. When a seal surfaces the polar bear can easily attack from above and haul the seal onto the sheet. Climate change is therefore causing the ice area to shrink therefore causing a decrease in hunting ground for polar bears. The population is therefore decreasing as many polar bears cannot find enough food to survive or reproduce.
Polar bear perched on shrinking ice sheet
On Thursday November 10,2011, Environment Canada formally declared that polar bears were to be considered a “species of concern”. This decision was made through consultation with provincial and territorial governments, regional wildlife management boards, aboriginals and other stakeholders. The classification of “species of concern” is one level below a threatened classification and two levels below an endangered classification under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Peter Kent continued to say, “Our government is demonstrating leadership in protecting this iconic species. Listing the polar bear under the Species at Risk Act represents an important contribution to protecting our environment and the animals that live in it.”
There is some controversy around this issue as not all were in favour of labelling the polar bears a “species of concern”. One argument is that there has not been enough surveying done to make these claims as the surveys conducted were both too infrequent and too limited. Others feel that climate change is impacting many animal species but polar bears are very good at adapting so it may not be as large an impact as they’re predicting. Some claim the polar bear population is actually increasing but is simply changing location.
Aboriginal hunting polar bear
The government will be taking action by setting strict quotas on polar bear hunting. To exercise traditional rights aboriginals will be allowed to continue hunting the bears. Currently about 534 polar bears are killed annually in Canada, 325 of them by Inuit in Nunavut. To increase awareness of this issue a Conservative senator recently proposed that we replace the beaver with a polar bear as Canada’s national animal. I think that would be a simple way to get the issue out there and also polar bears make a much cooler national animal!
On November 3rd, I witnessed one of the greatest examples of communicating science that I have ever seen. That evening, the University of British Columbia (UBC) was the lucky host to one of the most influential Canadians of our time: David Suzuki. He presented a lecture entitled “The Global Eco-crisis: Is it too late?”
David Suzuki, with a grayling from the Hart River, 2011. Photo by peelwatershed.
Who is David Suzuki?
If you have been living under a rock for the past few decades, you wouldn’t know that David Suzuki is one of the most well-known activists for reversing climate change, writing many books and hosting several TV shows on the subject. Most notably, he hosted the Canadian TV series, “The Nature of Things.” In 1990, David Suzuki co-founded the “David Suzuki Foundation,” a non-profit organization, which focuses on sustainability and climate change.
As David Suzuki braced the speaking podium, I prepared myself to be changed.
Humans are unique
David Suzuki began to trace the origin of humans from our common ancestors in Africa to today. What made humans unique, he claimed, was their foresight. That is, our innate ability to predict or plan the future. He explained that humans moved from Africa to eventually cover the world. Using our foresight, we exploited the resources of every location, only to move on when those resources were depleted.
Laws that we CAN change
Dr. Suzuki went on to describe the so-called “laws” that we have imposed on society today, specifically, a “law” called capitalism. But, he said, “laws” like capitalism aren’t really laws at all but they are “nuts!” because we can change them. With capitalism, economists rule the world and they just don’t give a “shit” about our environment and what we do to it. It is time that we change these laws and take control back from the economists. To do so, we have to take back our government and make it more representative. Vote.
Stop the excuses!
Moving on to current efforts being made, David Suzuki claimed that our government is full of excuses. As an example, he discussed the carbon tax. In Canada, we claimed that our businesses couldn’t survive a $15/ton carbon tax. But in Sweden, their business are doing just fine with a $120/ton carbon tax. It is time that we stop making excuses and get to work.
Never too late
Drop in the bucket. Photo by theilr.
Inspiring us, David Suzuki concluded that it isn’t too late. We can save our environment but first, we have to take back our government and the only way to do that is to vote. You may just feel like a drop in a bucket but he reminded us, with enough drops, we can fill the bucket.
From this lecture, I didn’t just learn that we need to change our environment but I also learned how to connect with your audience. David Suzuki kept the science basic and used language that was not only fun (there were more than a few swear words…) but easy to understand.
Even though plastic, which is present in many aspects of our lives, has many applications and usages, it is not biodegradeable. The reason of the continuation of manifacturing plastic is that it “only takes up 5 percent of the world’s oil supplies and, in doing so, provides us with an exhaustive supply of material”. You might think “what about replacing plastic with biodegradeable material?” Aluminum and glass are more expensive and not as versatile as plastic. Wood processed products also have their downsides, such as the chemical treatment and clear-cutting.
Today, researchers are working on the synthesis of bioplastics that are based on “renewable biomass resources”. Some of the bioplastics are made to be biodegradeable, and their main applications are: packaging, easily-discarded items (e.g. utensils, bottles), and storage (e.g. food containers). The other that are produced to be nonbiodegradeable are used in areas that need endurability.
While bioplastics will eventually provide a clean, recyclable, nontoxic alternative, energy and environmental analyst Christopher Flavin, author of “The Future of Synthetic Materials” insists that oil-based plastics aren’t going anywhere just yet. He predicts that the next 20 years will see bioplastics absorb a mere 5 percent of the global plastic market [source: Kahn].
Meanwhile, we can use daily plastic products in an environmental friendly manner. For example, we can re-use plastic bags. I recommend you to read “10 Smart Uses for Old Plastic Bags” and “5 Unusual Uses for Plastic Bags” for ideas of re-using old plastic bags.
According to 2007 estimates, most plastic bags are only used an average of 12 minutes and then discarded. Consider that the world uses a staggering 1 million bags a minute and you begin to see how big the problem is [source: Batty].
One of the goals of education is to teach students to apply the knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom to solve problems that exist around the world. Inspired by the Appropriate Technologies Collaborative principles, students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) took heed to this concept and developed the “solar bottle bulb.”
In Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, there is a remarkable contrast in the quality of life between the rich and the poor. Specifically, there are millions of homes in the poorer areas without a single light source because very few of these homes have connections to electrical grids, and even fewer families have the resources to pay for lighting and electricity. In addition, the metal roofs of these homes block out all the light.
Source: Eco Ideas Net
An illustration demonstrating the capabilities of the solar bottle bulb.
To combat this problem, students at MIT developed a solar bottle bulb to be inserted into the roofs of these homes. It is a one-liter, plastic bottle filled with water and three tablespoons of bleach. In contrast to developing a single hole in the roof that would supply light to a single spot – picture shining a flashlight onto a wall in complete darkness – the water diffracts light 360° and is capable of illuminating an entire room. The solar bottle bulb is able to emit as much light as a 55-Watt light bulb. Furthermore, the added bleach prevents algae, mold and bacteria growth within the bottle.
Because the materials to build a solar bottle bulb are readily available in these communities, installation is simple. It requires sealant, one sheet of metal with a hole (of the same diameter of the bottle) cut in the middle and an equivalent hole cut in the metal roof it is to be installed in.
To make this sustainable innovation accessible, Isang Litrong Liwanag (A Liter of Light), a Philippines-based organization, plans to supply indoor lighting to one million homes throughout the country by 2012. They have currently installed over 10 000 solar bottle bulbs. Moreover, the Manila city government has helped fund the expenses of lighting homes in their city respectively.
A video by Isang Litrong Liwanag reposted by SaurabhMore introducing the solar bottle bulb.
Although one of the cons of this innovation is its inability to store energy and generate light at night, we need to recall that many of these homes do not have access to light during any time of the day. To this end, any illumination is helpful. Also, this design does not create any harmful pollutants and prevents electrical fires due to the faulty electrical connectors that exist in some homes.
Overall, we should remember not to take lighting and electricity for granted. If it is possible for countries overseas to find sustainable resources and limit their carbon footprint, we should follow in their footsteps and stay green as well! Next time you are the last person to leave a room, turn off the lights and save some energy!
A large comet spanning 3-5 km in width, large enough to have severe consequences if it had crash landed on Earth’s surface. Theorists hypothesized that it would be similar to the events that led to the extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago. These events may include unnatural drop in Earth’s atmospheric temperature, nuclear winters, and decreased sunlight.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_event
A comet is made of rock, ice, dust, and organic compounds and can be several kilometers long in diameter. However, comets are fragile and can be broken into smaller pieces fairly easily. NASA noted that comet Elenin flew within 75 million kilometers of the sun and broke apart. As the comet approached Earth, it was only a cloud of debris, only visible through a telescope.
Don Yeomans of NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program says that the comet won’t be back for another 12,000 years. He noted that there has been hype on the internet about the comet and the consequences of it entering Earth. Yeomans said that in scientific reality, the comet is incredibly miniscule to have any impact on Earth’s gravitational pull to affect any environmental changes on Earth. The comet passed Earth at a distance that is ninety times the distance of the moon, and its mass was one-hundredths the size of the moon. If anything, the moon is currently exerting significantly more environmental changes than Elenin.
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Maybe this event was nothing we should’ve been scared about in the first place. Only time will tell if the next space matter heading towards Earth is large enough for the hypothesized phenomena that were attributed to this comet.
Figure 1: Demonstates potential incorporation of technology into existing sidewalks in populated areas.
The world today is constantly struggling to find new, environmentally friendly ways to generate energy. The major power sources today include oil, gas, coal, hydroelectric, and nuclear power. Until recently no one has thought to use everyday life to help generate usable energy.
Laurence Kembell-Cook, director of Pavegen Systems, has had the ingenious idea to harvest electrical energy from pedestrian’s footsteps. He is going to use sidewalk tiles that will be connected to a lithium battery to supply energy to electrically powered devices in the surrounding area. This could range from traffic lights to advertisement boards on sidewalks or supply energy to light up displays at the mall.
Figure 3:Simple schematic of Pavegen tile mechanism
The basic design is outlined in Figure 2 and a demonstration of the Pavegen tile system can be found online . The pedestrian will step on the tile, displayed in Figure 3, which will cause it to glow, just like the tiles in Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” music video. The five-millimeter compression will initiate a mechanism (unreleased to the public) which allows the kinetic energy to by converted to usable electricity. The tile can also store the energy for up to three days in an onboard battery. Each step on one of these tiles contributes 2.1 W per hour of electricity. Out of the energy the tile absorbs, only five percent goes into lighting up the tile leaving 95 percent of the energy to be used elsewhere. Personally, I believe the energy to light the tile is significant as it gives people a positive reinforcement,which may increase their participation. However,
Figure 3: The light up tile model to be used
it also could be argued that energy lighting the tile is wasting energy that could be used elsewhere which I also recognize. The tile itself is made of nearly 100 percent recycled materials, mostly consisting of rubber and some stainless steal which both contribute to its durability. These tiles are designed to be weather resistant, water-resistant, and are easily added to existing structures. The company claims the lifespan of each tile is approximately 5 years or 20 million steps.
Figure 4: Computer generated models of the applications of this technology on sidewalks in front of the Westfield Stratford City Mall.
The first commercial application will be placing 20 tiles across a very busy intersection in London between London’s Olympic stadium and the newly opened Westfield Stratford City mall. The opening of the mall alone is estimated to bring in around 30 million customers within the first year, that’s a lot of steps!
The aim of this project it to collect a small amount of energy from a large number of people. The growth of this technology will rely heavily on the tiles production costs. If this project gets approved the company hopes to introduce this technology into subway stations, malls, or any other high traffic areas. I believe this would be a fantastic venture for our society so we can finally take a stand, or a stroll, towards helping generate clean energy in the future.
Figure 5: Computer generated models of the applications of this technology in subway staircases.
Plastic. Everyone is familiar with it; it’s used in the majority of products that are available to us. Yet because it is so frequent, many people do not take enough time to consider the effects that such a large industry has on the environment. Unknown to many, over 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. According to the China Trade News, China alone uses 3 billion plastic bags per day. All this amounts to about 1 million plastic bags being used every minute. However, despite the immense usage of plastics bags, hardly any actually end up being recycled. For example, according to the BBC, in the UK, only 1 in 200 plastic bags get recycled. As such, more than 3.5 million tons of plastic was discarded in 2008 alone. This amounts to a massive global footprint, whose blame can be shared throughout the world.
What people fail to understand is that it takes up to 1,000 years for a plastic bag to degrade. This means that when you throw out the plastic bag that your subway sandwich came in only a few minutes ago, that bag will still be around a millennium later, long after your have passed away.
Plastic In Our World
plastic can end up in the environment by a simple gust of wind. (taken from www.reuseit.com)
So, from this, one can understand that every piece of plastic ever made, since its creation in 1862 by Alexander Parkes, is still floating around somewhere today. As such, where is all this plastic ending up? There are many theories and myths out there, but one of the main ones is of an island of plastic in the middle of the ocean that is bigger than the state of Texas. The sad thing is that this story holds more truth than fiction.
News broadcast on the Great Pacific Gyre found on YouTube
Even more plastics end up floating to the sea via our modern waterways
The Pacific Gyre
Every story about the island is slightly different, just as every researcher has observed a different thing. As such, many people have written it off as an urban myth. The fact is that there is a vortex of currents called to Pacific Gyre, located in the Pacific Ocean and stretching from coast of California to Japan. This current formation has historically been the collecting point for all different kinds of debris. However, in recent history, it has become known as the collection point for plastic. It is estimated that over 90% of the floating debris is plastic. Originating from land, waterways and wind, millions of tons of plastic are cast into the environment from all over the world. This has resulted in some areas having six times more plastic than plankton, which is the major source of food for many marine organisms. Basically, we have created an ecological disaster.
Current flow of the Pacific Gyre
A scientist, named captain Charles Moore, who is the captain of an oceanographic research vessel, took a detour into North Pacific Gyre, on his way back to the United States from Australia. What he found was an ocean filled with tiny pieces of plastic. He and his crew cast plastic trolls into the water and found they came back filled with plastic. Moore commented that many people believe that the worst kind of spill for the ocean is oil, but the reality is that the worst is really the plastic bottles we throw away.
Sample taken from mile long troll for plastic in the Gyre.
Effects on Humans
Amazingly, this section of ocean, literally in the middle of nowhere, with no land or other ships around, holds one of the highest concentrations of plastic per square inch of water. The danger here lies in the main component of plastic, Bisphenol A. This compound, used for the plastic polycarbonates, is made at 7 billion pounds per year and is completely non-recyclable. The scary part is that evidence from all over the world says that every person examined has these chemicals in their bodies. Worse still, in Japan, women who had increased levels of Bisphenol A were the ones who were unable to get pregnant, and continually had miscarriages.
Effects on Animals
But how is it possible that our trash is coming back to haunt us? It can be explained with one word: bioaccumulation. The ecological effects of plastic in the oceans, starts out at the smallest scale: plankton. There is six times more plastic than plankton in many parts of the ocean, specifically in the Pacific Gyre. Since plankton is one of the most common food sources for marine life, animals are mistaking small pieces of plastic for their food. For example, turtles may mistake a floating plastic bag for a jellyfish, which they can consume. Thus, there is a build up of Bisphenol A in animals. These are then the prey of other, larger animals, and as such bioaccumulation begins. It doesn’t stop until it reaches the top of the food chains and humans. As a result, the contaminations and poison associated with plastic is passed on through nearly every organism. Even despite bioaccumulation, many marine animals die due to the direct effects of being caught in or choking on plastic pieces.
Seal tangled in mass of various strings and fishing line
Dead Albatross found filled with all sizes of various plastics in its stomach.
The main problem with plastic is that it doesn’t chemically break down over time; it simply slowly degrades into smaller and smaller pieces. As a result, the chemicals in this material, specifically the Bisphenol A, increases in concentration, as the pieces get smaller. So it becomes increasingly toxic and near impossible to clean up. These toxins all work their way up the food chain back onto our plates at home.
Since ocean is full of plastic products, the really mystery is, where in the world is there not exposure to them?
What can we do?
Although it seems like too big of a problem to even think about dealing with, we cannot give up hope. There are many ways that you can reduce your plastic intake and output.
Use reusable shopping bags to cut down on unnecessary plastic usage (not only for shopping, but for an everyday bag!)
Buy loose fruit and vegetables from the shops instead of ones that are pre packed in plastic
Buy your meats from a butcher, that way it will be wrapped in paper instead of plastic
If you bring packed lunches with you, don’t wrap everything in plastic, use paper or other containers instead
The goal here, of course, is not to get rid of all the plastic in our lives, that would be impossible. Instead, it is for us to be aware of the damaging effects plastic has on our environment and the simple things that we can do to limit our consumption. This is a real world problem that will be the test for our future scientists to come up with alternative solutions to plastic. As of today it is embedded into our everyday lives, so much so that many people don’t even realize it, but hopefully, in the future, an alternative can successfully be mass produced to limit out plastic waste.
All it takes is one more step, a resounding click for it to be your last. In Africa last year, 6000 people walked on landmines. Sadly, there was no way of knowing what was below the surface. A simple and sustainable solution for Africa’s real world problem has now been found. Bart Weetjens, a Buddhist monk, developed a program called APOPO (Anti-Personnel LandMines Detection Product Development). This program trains African Giant Pouched Rats, Cricetomys Gambianus, to detect landmines to save human lives.
Bart Weetjens holding an African Giant Pouched Rat. Source: APOPO's website
Why rats?
It is true that dogs have already been trained to detect landmines; but, it costs five times more to train demining dogs than rats. This significant difference allows APOPO to use the remaining money to expand training programs. Also, like dogs, these animals are highly sociable with humans. However, unlike dogs, rats have more genetic material allotted to olfaction (sense of smell). They have an amazing capability to map smells and communicate them to us. In addition, African Giant Pouched Rats are a native species to sub-Saharan Africa, which allows them to be easily caught and trained. Additionally, they are smaller in size, thus they do not activate the landmines; whereas large dogs may be at risk. Furthermore, rats differ from dogs because they do not get emotionally attached to a specific trainer. This is important because it allows for multiple trainers to handle the rats.
The Training Begins
Around four weeks of age, the rats are weaned, handled by trainers, and exposed to many different surroundings. The purpose of this is to reduce the rats’ easily startled instincts to run and hide.
Training then proceeds by teaching the rats to recognize a specific clicking sound followed by a food reward. This process is known as Classical Conditioning Methodology. Once the rat automatically associates the click sound with the food reward (a mixture of peanuts and mashed bananas) they move on to the next stage of training.
Next, the rat is placed into a cage with a single hole in the bottom. Directly below this hole, a target sense is placed. The target sense consists of five drops of aqueous TNT, trinitrotoluene, solution. The rat’s goal is to learn to put its nose in the hole for five seconds until it can receive a food reward. Once this task is achieved, the rat moves on to the next level.
APOPO rats sniffing out the target sense in the cage's holes. Source: APOPO's website.
The subsequent step places the rat in a cage with ten holes, with only one containing the target sense. If the rat can continuously locate the target sense and hold its nose in the hole for five seconds, it can move on to conquer the next task.
As the undertakings get gradually more difficult, the rat usually accomplishes them more quickly. It must now face the job of learning to walk on a leash in the fields and find targets. They must learn to systematically move up and down on an axle and search the land. They are strapped to a harness and are gently directed in the correct direction by two trainers. Once this is accomplished they must discover real mines in real mine fields. The trainers know the rat has discovered a mine because they dig, bite and sniff at the ground for five consecutive seconds.
On average, it takes 252 days of training in the cages and fields to ready a rat for the final test.
The Test
Finally, once the rat has passed all its training stages, it is sent to The International Mine Action Standards. This test consists of 400 m² and 5-7 mines placed blindly under the surface. The team of trainer and rat must detect all the mines to get licensed and once this is accomplished the rat becomes an accreted animal to the operation in the field. If the rat fails this test, they must start their training again.
APOPO's rat detecting landmines in the field. Source: APOPO's website.
Why is this important?
Currently, the rats are being trained in Morogoro and Tanzania. They are then shipped, along with their trainers, to Mozambique where more people are recruited to become trainers. For safety purposes, trainers are fully equipped with protective gear and two different rats always examine the same area to guarantee accuracy. Moreover, once the rats have indicated the same spot contains a mine, the area is further checked by a metal detector. The landmines are then disposed of by trained de-miners. In 2009 within nine months, APOPO’s team cleared 199,317 m² in Mozambique and discovered 75 landmines and 62 other explosive remnants of war. From this, 750 families were allowed to return to their land, to their home.
Already 11 African countries have adopted this skill. It allows them to be less dependent on foreign aid. In conclusion, these hero rats are saving many people’s lives. They empower vulnerable communities to tackle difficult and dangerous tasks at a feasible price.
Source: APOPO's website.
Fun Fact:
Weetjens and APOPO have also trained rats to detect tuberculosis and they are in the process of training them to detect victims of earthquakes.
Most of us remember, back in January 2010, the devastating earthquake occurred in Haiti which caused over 250,000 deaths. Then came the outbreak of cholera, which is an infection of the small intestine that causes severe diarrhea and vomiting. This outbreak is due to lack of sanitation and clean water and has caused over 400,000 Haitians became infected since the natural disaster.
It is not as if Haiti needed the earthquake to gain international attention; it had many problems even before. Two main problems were sanitation and agriculture. Currently, only 16% of rural Haitians and 50% of those in the cities have access to adequate sanitation facilities. Moreover, agricultural output is low due to poor soil fertility, soil erosion and lack of fertilizers.
Photo credit: CBC news
SOIL – Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihood
Although it was amazing to see how much international attention Haiti received, there were a group of people long before 2010 that dedicated their hard work in improving the lives of Haitians. Please allow me to introduce the group SOIL – Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihood.
Sasha Kramer, Executive Director and co-founder of SOIL, has been living and working in Haiti since 2004. She first came to Haiti as a human rights advocate, and in 2006 co-founded SOIL with Sarah Brownell. During that year she also received her Ph.D in Ecology from Stanford University.
Photo credit: http://www.oursoil.org/
Dry Toilet
Together, they have transformed the idea of human waste into something more valuable than gold in Haiti. They started something called “ecological sanitation,” which is a low cost approach to sanitation where human wastes are collected, composted and recycled for use in agriculture and reforestation.
Within the toilet, called dry or composting toilet, the liquid and solid parts are separated. Then after a year of composting, it becomes a nutrient rich fertilizer, which can help the agriculture by doubling the yield. SOIL have already installed more than 50 public ecological toilets for schools and community group across Northern Haiti and they are planning on expanding their project throughout the country
Photo Credit: http://www.oursoil.org/
Since the earthquake, Sasha and her team relocated to Port-au-Price to assist in relief efforts there. After weeks of distributing emergency aid, SOIL began to set up an office in Port-au Prince in response to the outbreak of cholera and sanitation crisis.
People like Sasha and organizations like SOIL reminds us two things: one- that one person indeed have the power to make a different, and two- we have all the knowledge and resources to do so. Thanks to their hard work, a country with depleted resources is having a second chance to rebuild themselves through sustainable resources.
