Dasani Water 11/20/13

Dasani water has not revealed the location to their source where they get their water from. Being that Coca Cola, one of the most unhealthiest soda brands, are the master minds behind the production of Dasani water, how clean do you expect the water to be? Because of the hidden source, we do not know if this water is groundwater, river, spring, etc, however we do know that Dasani received a D on the water transparency test! Dasani performs many different tests of pH level, temperature, nitrates, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, phosphorous, fecal coliform, and more before releasing their product to the public. Their water goes through a purification process called reverse osmosis. The result of this is that the solute is confined on the pressurized side of a semipermeable membrane and the pure solvent is allowed to pass through the other side. As a method of "selection" the membrane should not allow large molecules to pass through the pores, but should grant access to smaller elements, such as the solvent, to pass freely. With that being said, you would think that their water is nothing clean and pure, right? Wrong. The fact that Dasani nearly failed the transparency test tells people that you may think you know what you're drinking, but in fact you really have not one single idea. 

A Living Dream In The Cahabas 11/20/13

          The Cahaba is a water shed located in various areas of Alabama. The major cities you can find the Cahaba running through include Selma, Birmingham, Hoover, Cahaba, and Marion. Buck creek is the tributary that the Cahaba runs to.
          The Cahaba is known for the unique and rare species that live there. The watershed supports many different species of fish and mussels. The Cahaba is the champion of all watersheds in fish diversity with a wowing number of 131 different fish species. Some include the Blue Shiner, the Cahaba Shiner, and the Frecklebelly madtom. There are forty-two species of mussels with eleven threatened and one already extinct. The Cahaba has 118 different type of snails including unique species such as the painted rocksnail. The Cahaba is known for the extremely rare and famous Cahaba Lilly. One can spot a lilly by it's beautiful, delicate flowers.
          At 194 miles long with a basin that is 1,870 sq. mi. this watershed is the longest free-flowing river in Alabama. The Cahaba is known to be the most scenic and diverse watershed. This watershed is broken into two general areas. The Upper Cahaba runs through Birmingham, Mountain Brook, Trussville, and Leeds being the mountainous, rocky part of the watershed. The Lower Cahaba has a dramatic transition by deeming and widening. Here, sandbars replace the rocky shoals of the Upper Cahaba.
          The main threat to this gorgeous place are the high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous. Occasionally there will be threatening chemical spills in the water as well, which affects the quality of the water.
          Currently the Cahaba River Society is the main group that looks out for this watershed. They do their best to protect its unique diversity and scenic areas. The group conserves the water quality and does not discriminate by no means when it comes to creating a healthier environment for residents and whoever else may come for a visit.
          The Oak-pine forest is the predominant habitat of the Upper Cahaba. In the Lower Cahaba the loblolly-shortleafe pine dominates. These areas are technically separate, however still come together as a whole because of the uniqueness and dominance it has over all other watersheds.
          The Cahaba has been through many historical experiences. It was inhabited for around 10,000 years and was considered to be the boundary line between the Choctaws and Creeks. Then, during the Civil War, the Cahaba was used as a path for steamboat travel, but that was rare. After, in 1890, Birmingham declared this river the primary source of their drinking water.

The Cahaba Watershed

Cahaba Lillies

Dumping Sewage In The Sea 11/20/13

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/opinion/dumping-sewage-in-the-sea.html?ref=oceans

Large cruise ships generate more sewage than you could ever imagine. On average, one cruise ship has about seven million gallons of sewage each year. Think about how many cruise ships set out for fun times each year. That's billions and billions of gallons of sewage per year. As advertised, you will have the greatest time of your life on these floating cities, however cruise ship members fail to realize how damaging it is to dump their wastes into the sea. These toxins can have fatal effects on aquatic life and eventually people as well. Cruise ships have the option to create sewage treatment for cheaper than a coke per passenger. So why don't they? Questions that need to be answered.

Reaction - I think that it is absolutely disgusting how they dump their wastes into the ocean. I understand that it's legal, but they should at least treat it before settling it out into the ocean because it is vey harmful to the animals.

Floating City (Carnival Cruis Ship)

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The Araenic In Our Drinking Water 11/20/13

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/the-arsenic-in-our-drinking-water/?_r=0

Researches have recently found doses of arsenic in our drinking water. Arsenic is mainly found in rocks and soil. This chemical has been seeping it's way through the ground and finding its way to groundwater. Public health researches have disregarded the past discoveries of arsenic found in drinking water because they believed it wouldn't have any affect since it was at such low levels. They have recently started taking notice because they have discovered that no matter how high or low the dose of arsenic you consume, it is deadly. Arsenic was first found in drinking in Bangladesh. The public health researchers in Bangladesh worked diligently to clear Arsenic and any other harmful chemical they found in their drinking water. Since then, they have noticed the health of their people increasing. Public health reasearchers around the world have taken Arsenic more serious because of the damage it can do to a person's health.

You Never Know When You're Drinking Arsenic

Reaction - I think that it's absolutely ridiculous how they are just started to take actions to prevent Arsenic in our drinking water when they knew it has been present for one too many years. I also think that it's quite disgusting to think about because of all the water I've drank over these past few years.

Water Is A Life Necessity 11/20/13

The quote "All is born water, all is sustained by water." By Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe symbolizes how water is key for life. Throughout our entire lives, water plays many different roles in everyday tasks. The first years of life are centered around the consumption of liquids because at that point we are lacking in a set of pearly whites. At this point, a majority of what we consume is milk and things that have the more nutrients than water because we can not chew all kinds of food just yet. As we grow older, some people enroll their children in sports. Besides the delicious oranges and Caprisuns you get during half time, water is used to quench the undeniable thirst you have from the game. Even though it is tasteless, water quenches the thirst of many without a doubt. It balances your body fluids, which is a necessity. Water keeps your skin looking fresh and clean. Some athletes are Gatorade dependent when performing their sport, however water also has the power to energize muscles. Overall water obviously does more good than bad. We can go longer without food than we can without water, therefore water is an essential throughout everyone's lives.

Ardmore Creek Water Meets Requirements? 11/20/13

Creek water can be a controversial topic. Some may say that there is nothing wrong with creek water, while others may say that creek water is the most disgusting form of liquid on the planet. After many different tests of the level of pH, dissolved oxygen, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, and temperature, one can conclude that Ardmore Creek Water meets the standards for a habitat in the Alabama Sturgeon. Surprisingly the water meets the requirements to sustain life. If creek water has the ability to meet the standard for sustaining life, then maybe we overlook creek water as a whole.

Water Log 11/18/13

From the time I wake up until the time I go to sleep, here is a list of how I use water:

6:30 am : I shower, brush my teeth, drink a cup of water, and use the restroom.
7:00 am - 11:03 am : I drink at least one bottle of water throughout my morning classes and wash my hands before lunch or whenever necessary.
11:15 am - 2:59 pm : I consume another bottle of water throughout my afternoon classes.
3:00 pm : I use the restroom and wash my hands when I get home from school.
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm : I drink at least another water bottle, what can I say I'm pretty dehydrated I guess.
9:00 pm : I wash my face, brush my teeth, and basically get clean for the night and get ready for a nights rest before my next day of school.

How To Reduce Water Pollution 11/18/13

Who doesn't love food? I know I do. After cooking, you should never pour down the extra fat and grease down your sink. By doing this, it makes it harder for wastewater to flow. While you may think it is okay to dispose of the excess food nobody wants down your sink, it is doing nothing but damage to people, including yourself. No matter how much soap or hot water you use as an attempt to dissolve the fats, oils, etc. it will not dissolve once it reaches the pipes. Once these unfortunate extras flow down your sink, they will stick to pipe walls and solidify. This can cause very damaging effects to our water and eventually ourselves. On the topic of sink disposal, it is best to avoid the use of the garbage disposal. Solids should be kept solid and thrown away somewhere other than down your sink. By chopping up leftovers into millions of pieces and sending it down to the underworld below your sink, contributes absolutely to water pollution. This can be stopped by throwing away solid food into other things such as a garbage can.

Avoid Putting Solid Foods In The Garbage Disposal

Reducing Water Usage 11/17/13

          Realistically there are many ways to cut back on the use of water. One way to reduce the use of water would be simply turning off the faucet after using it. Most people are guilty of leaving the water running while they leave to go do something else. Right after you are done using the sink for the time being, turn it off before leaving to do another task. This not only lowers the use of water, but can also lower the bill at the end of the month. 
          Another way to reduce the use of water would be by making sure there are full loads in the dish washer, etc. before using it. By ensuring that the load is full, this reduces the water you might have used for several loads because of the sneaky dishes that you missed the first time. This also can lower the lovely bill at the end of the month because of the reduced use of the washer. 
          Who doesn't love a good shower? If your answer was "I don't" then you might want to pay closer attention to your personal hygiene. There is nothing better than the feeling of squeaky clean skin and the smell of that delicious dove body wash. Nobody wants to sacrifice their personal hygiene just to cut back on the use of water, however taking shorter showers saves more water than one could ever imagine. A new method to try would be turning off the water while you lather on the soap of your choice and turning it back on when you're ready to rinse off. This method can save you hundreds to thousands of gallons of water per year. 

Shorter Showers = Happy Environment

Turn off your faucets ladies and gentlemen!