Don’t “tire” yourself

Environmental impact of car tires

Ever wonder what it takes to make car tires? What happens to old tires? What is this process doing to the planet? The California Integrated Waste Management Board did a very interesting and in depth report on waste tires. It is very long, so you can read it here . This post will give a short overview to get you started on learning about tire manufacturing.

First where does rubber come from? Top countries are Brazil, Asia and Africa. Here is a graph of the top five.

	Country	Production 2010	Production 2004	Percent Change
1	Thailand	3,166,910 m/t	3,007,612 m/t	+ 5.296 %
2	Indonesia	2,921,872 m/t	2,065,820 m/t	+ 41.439 %
3	Malaysia	1,072,400 m/t	1,168,700 m/t	- 8.24 %
4	India	819,000 m/t	749,665 m/t	+ 9.249 %
5	Viet Nam	659,600 m/t	419,000 m/t	+ 57.422 %

How does it affect habitat?

Generally, single crops like palm oil and rubber are better adapted for monoculture (single crop plantations), so forest lands are cleared, taking away vital habitat for a variety of species. Also single crop farming makes the crop very vulnerable to disease and can be risky with fluctuating  economies (Butler,2012).                            

Tire production        

The process of tire production and the additives and processes involve many toxic chemicals. The report from California is very comprehensive.

Tire waste and recycling                              

Only 7% of the total mass quantity of tires produced are currently recycled. Tires can be used as fuel alternatives. Combustion facilities currently using tires as fuel include: (1) power plants; (2) tire manufacturing plants; (3) cement kilns; (4) pulp and paper plants; and (5) small package steam generators. This produces toxic emissions.

Continue reading about all the pitfalls of tire production from the link above.

Reference:

Butler, R., 2012. THE IMPACT OF INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE IN RAINFORESTS. Mongabay.com. Online. Available at: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0811.htm

http://top5ofanything.com/index.php?h=7738a992

California Integrated Waste management Board, 1996. EFFECTS OF WASTE TIRES, WASTE TIRE FACILITIES, AND WASTE TIRE PROJECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT. Online. Available at:

http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/publications/Documents/Tires%5C43296029.pdf [Accessed on 08/28/2013].

image credit:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rubbermold.jpg 

 

A stinky proposition

Biotechnology to reduce cattle flatulence and improve air quality

As human populations increase, the need for food increases. In turn, the cattle industry is growing, which means more waste from animal production. According to new research, biotechnology can help increase food production while reducing harmful gas output from cattle.

Researchers gave different groups of cattle implants, Ionophores and Beta-adrenergic agonists to help cattle grow more efficiently.  These animals were then placed in special corrals that trapped emissions for testing. They also injected dairy cows with rBST to increase milk production. They argue that the rBST group produced more milk per cow. When cows produce more milk, greenhouse gas emissions decrease because farms need fewer cows.

“Dr. Kim Stackhouse, National Cattleman's Beef Association Director of Sustainability, said animal agriculture has reduced emissions through the use of technologies. Technologies that improve animal performance, crop yields, and manure management and the installation of biogas recovery systems have all contributed to reducing the environmental impact of beef” (SD, 2013).

You can decide how comfortable you are with any biotechnology being used to alter the normal biological functions of livestock. But it is good to be informed of what is happening in the industry.

You can research lonophores and beta-adrenergic agonists through our online databases found here.

You can also have quick look on Wikipedia here.

References:

Image credit: http://chrisal.ca/Better_Cleaning_for_Dairy_Cattle.htm

 

SD (Science Daily), 2013. Science Daily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130701163939.htm

 

C. J. Neumeier, F. M. Mitloehner. Cattle biotechnologies reduce environmental impact and help feed a growing planet. Animal Frontiers, 2013; 3 (3): 36

A sticky situation

The ability of Coccinellidae and other insects to cling to diverse surfaces

Coccinellidae (ladybugs or ladybirds if you are in the U.K.) have the ability to cling to a wide variety of surfaces just like spiderman! Understanding the microstructures of these insects has the potential for new product development for human use; such as Gecko®-Tape (developed based on the setae found on the toes of a gecko).

Researchers at Kiel University decided to find out. Using special microscopy techniques, they saw that each leg of the ladybug is equipped with fine adhesive hair. Different parts of the leg have varying material compositions and properties. The base is hard and stiff, while the tips are very soft and flexible, allowing the leg to adjust to different surfaces that results in better adhesion.

The protein resilin in the tips is responsible for the elasticity. Researchers stated that this protein is also present in wings and leg joints of insects. This ladybug hair composition is very complex and there is no current material available to reproduce it (SD, 2013).

To read the full study see the reference below.

Journal Reference:

Henrik Peisker, Jan Michels, Stanislav,. N. Gorb. Evidence for a material gradient in the adhesive tarsal setae of the ladybird beetle Coccinella septempunctata. Nature Communications, 2013; 4: 1661

Science Daily, 2013. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130814144746.htm

Rock-a-bye-baby

Physiological impact of maternal carrying behaviors across species.

Image credit: (Clockwise From Top Right) Ken Yuel; Mehgan Murphy/Smithsonian National Zoo; Senthil Palaniappun; Manfred Ebert).

Neurobiologists have done a study linking rocking a human baby and animals carrying their young by the scruff of the neck. In humans and in young animals across species, this seems to have the same physiological affect. Researchers state that “The findings may lead to better parenting techniques for people and possibly to new ways to detect developmental disorders early in life” (Science, 2013).

 

Studies show that carrying a newborn while walking had the same effect as an animal holding the animal by the scruff of the neck. This activity produced three responses—cessation of crying, passivity, and a decreased heart rate. The very same was true for mice tested.

Testing revealed that those infants left in cribs were the fussiest. Those held and rocked in a sitting position were in the middle. When the mother started walking, within 2-3 seconds the crying and squirming, along with lower pulse rates occurred. Posture and balance come into play when held this way.

Implications for things such as autism or other developmental disorders are now being reviewed as a result of this study.

To read more, see the reference below.

Reference:

Science, 2013. Online. Available at:  http://news.sciencemag.org/evolution/2013/04/how-rocking-baby-mouth-carrying-mouse-pup