ocean clean-up

I hope your school year has ended well and you get a chance to enjoy a little bit of Summer of 2015!  

For inexpensive chemistry lab ideas to expand your repertoire, buy my lab book Chemistry on a Budget for $20.56 at amazon.com or $23 at lulu.com. It will take a few weeks to get to you, so order now! 

http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget

http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html

This book contains 13 labs using consumable materials purchased from local stores including Analysis of a Mixture, Paper Chromatography, and Coinium (using pennies to demonstrate half-life).  There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report.  This way the teacher has the option!  Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout. 
 
During the next few weeks, I will talk about some current research going on in the science community.  I realize that during the school year it’s very difficult to keep up with such topics, so this would be a quick snapshot of what's being pursued.  

I was aware of the large amount of plastic-based garbage in the world’s oceans, and I’m pleased that one clean-up method is being investigated.  Here are a few articles:

http://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-ocean-cleanup-array-will-start-removing-plastic-from-the-seas-in-2016/

 
http://www.theoceancleanup.com/blog/show/item/worlds-first-ocean-cleaning-system-to-be-deployed-in-2016.html

 
http://inhabitat.com/19-year-olds-ocean-cleanup-array-could-clean-half-the-pacific-garbage-patch-in-10-years-study-shows/


There is a report available but it’s 527 pages!  If you’re interested:

http://www.theoceancleanup.com/fileadmin/media-archive/theoceancleanup/press/downloads/TOC_Feasibility_study_lowres.pdf


There are concerns about this method as stated here:

http://inhabitat.com/the-fallacy-of-cleaning-the-gyres-of-plastic-with-a-floating-ocean-cleanup-array/

I think that it is important to examine and question proposed clean-up methods – we don’t know if there would be unintended consequences.  I’m encouraged that a test patch of clean-up is being attempted in 2016.

I’d love to hear from you about further research developments – write when you can!  

This Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom.  Remember, you can check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.

Have a good weekend!