Rainy Days

Ever since I met you on a cloudy Monday
I can't believe how much I love the rain! (8)

I've never seen T.O so foggy before (it was an adventure driving in the dark today- kinda like a haunted train ride).
Hmm and it's raining.. I don't know which I prefer, the rain or the snow.
Maybe the snow cuz it's fun- but then again, rain is a sign that spring is coming (hmm I guess the hedgehog was wrong about those 6 extra weeks of winter).

Speaking of spring, I am currently reading "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson. In a nutshell, the spring was silent because there were no birds, no fish, and no life present in the spring as a result of the negative effects produced by our nasty pollutants! Written in 1962, it is an interesting read that focuses primarily on the negative effects of DDT on the environment (and us). This book is the fundamental attribute that gave rise to ecology.

I am in love more and more with the environment.. and I think it has something to do with the biosolids I am working with for my thesis project (lol). Yes, they are smelly and yes they nearly make you faint when you first get a wif of them .. but if they can be applied on agriculture and act as a fertlizer, it would be beneficial to the environment. Normally this sludge, which results from the primary and secondary treatment steps of our waste water treatment, is either incinerated or landfilled- both inefficient forms to rid of this nutrient rich waste. Basically, biosolids can be recycled on agriculture and by this- Lake Ontario benefits, because its major pollutant is eliminated, and the biota living in and around it as well.

When conducting experiments of an environmental nature it is incredibly important to simulate the natural environment as close as possible. The environment is a thriving ecosystem which is composed of biocenosis and a biotope. Both factors (life and habitat) and the inter and intra relations among populations and communities of species should be considered. Heck, cuz we never aked the organisms, large or small, if they mind that we destroy their homes!

The biggest dilemma, and this was a big argument between Pres.Roosevelt and John Muir in the early 20th century, is preserving or conserving the environment. Pres. Roosevelt proposed to conserve a chunk of land by preserving one portion of land completely while puting the other portion to "good human use" (farming/industrial purposes). In contrast, Muir proposed to preserve the designated chunk completely and have it untouched by the human population. If land is to be designated for conservation it is not beneficial for an ecosystem to divide. Dividing the environment this way creates an imbalance in the homeostasis of the earth's natural chemical and physical interactions. This destroys the interactions among biota- alters their population growth, population density, and may give rise to unfavourable organisms through their overpopulation, competition, or ammensalism. *Sigh. This isn't the best idea because if mmicrorganisms, for example are negatively affected then in the long run- we will be too! Microrganisms are extremely important in the composition of the atmosphere. If organisms such as cyanobacteria or algae, which are primary producers in the food chain, are negatively impacted then photosynthesis is decreased. Marine biota are the main source of oxygen production, forming an equilibrium between the rise of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. With the decrease of O2, the concentrations of methane and CO2 rises and produces a warming effect, or greenhouse effect. This sudden flip from O2 and Nitrogen abundance to methane and Co2 in the atmosphere may contribute to another ice age.

*Insert sarcasm...
How lovely would that be?
Then we would have snow all the time (that's if we survive the anoxic and thermophilc conditions of the earth) and have more fun than we have now- in this rain!