Oh Carp!

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Manipulating/managing the environment is always a very tricky job. Factors not even considered in the original plan can easily come up, causing even further problems. I'm sure we can all think of examples of "good ideas" that we now know may have not been the best choice in the long run. Off the top of my head I would mention, predation control, introduction of non-natives, or fire suppression. I know these are all controversial and have their pros and cons, but they make the point that when managing the environments, we never fully understand the long term effects.

As such, I was pleased to read an article yesterday about controlling carp in Utah Lake. The issue is this - Carp need to be controlled in Utah Lake. There is a virus that has been present in British lakes, and now in Arizona that kills only carp. One might think this was a great solution to the problem. But is it?

Again, we don't fully know the answer to this question, but I was impressed with the forethought of the Utah June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program (who works on Utah Lake). Reed Harris, director of the program states that "There were three different diseases that we know kill carp. We're just reluctant to bring in a disease when we can't control it and we don't know (everything) about it."

He also goes on to say that "Well, the disease down at Mohave affected a lot of other fish besides carp."

That's because of what Harris called "collateral damage" to fish the virus doesn't target. When carp die by the thousands, it fouls the water. That makes it unpleasant for humans and unhealthy for other fish. It's one of the hard-to-predict consequences if people begin tinkering with viruses to kill carp.

"We think that catching them and using them in some sort of productive way is probably a better way," Harris said. "It's a little more controlled, and we feel like that way we can watch and see what happens."

So, Harris and his team will opt to use nets and round up at least 75% of the carp (which they say will be enough to improve water quality), and they'll use the carp for things like fertilizers, pet food, etc.

One other aspect of this story is that the virus would kill the fish for free, where the netting will cost over 9 million dollars. Even though it may seem costly upfront, we don't know how much it might cost down the road if the virus got out of control.

Is their course of action the best choice? I'm not sure any of us can make that call. BUT, I for one would like to say Kudos to the managers of this project for their forethought and inclusiveness.

Click here to read the full article.

I just finished reading Michael Chabon's essay, Manhood for Amateurs: The Wilderness of Childhood at the New York Review of Books. In the essay he dips into some of the issues related to Nature Deficit Disorder and explores the idea that childhood has historically been a branch of cartography focusing on unstructured play and imagination. As children we roamed the streets and woodlots mapping our own neighborhoods free from adult supervision. However all of that seems to be changing:

"We schedule their encounters for them, driving them to and from one another's houses so they never get a chance to discover the unexplored lands between. If they are lucky, we send them out to play in the backyard, where they can be safely fenced in and even, in extreme cases, monitored with security cameras."

What happens when children no longer have the freedom to explore without adult supervision?

"The sandlots and creek beds, the alleys and woodlands have been abandoned in favor of a system of reservations—Chuck E. Cheese, the Jungle, the Discovery Zone: jolly internment centers mapped and planned by adults with no blank spots aside from doors marked staff only. When children roller-skate or ride their bikes, they go forth armored as for battle, and their parents typically stand nearby."

Wind Farms!

You may have noticed by now that I've been passing along a lot of KSL articles lately. It just seems like so much has been popping up that seems worthy to share. So bear with me as I link to other articles, and enjoy Nicole's longer, well researched, in-depth blogs. :)

The article below about windfarms caught my eye as I grew up in California, near the Altamont Pass, which has a HUGE windfarm. Supposedly the Altamont Pass Windfarm was one of the first in California, and I know its been around for a long time since I don't ever recall seeing the green (or brown) hills without them being covered in huge turbines. When we were little, we just referred to the pass as "The Windmill Hills." Moving to Utah and hearing people talk about how the turbines might be an "eyesore" always seemed odd to me as my brother and I always thought they were so beautiful and our favorite part of the drive to our grandparents house. By the way, there are over 4900 windmills covering the hills.

Here is a picture of the Altamont Pass Windfarm (photo credit).


Now, on to the KSL Article......

First blades attached at Utah wind farm

July 7th, 2009 @ 8:21am

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The first set of blades on the first of 97 planned turbines has been hung at a wind farm under construction near Milford.

Officials with First Wind LLC say the first turbine tower went up in early June and the blades were attached late last month.

More turbine towers are expected to go up in the coming weeks. Company officials say the project is on track to be finished by mid-November.

The turbines are initially expected to generate 300-megawatts of electricity.

Electricity from the project will go to California.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Isn't that great? I'm excited to see this alternative energy source becoming more popular here in Utah. Hopefully driving through Milford will now remind me of home.

I'd also like to note that there are issues with the windfarms harming wildlife (especially birds), but as I understand it, the newer larger turbines spin more slowly and are high enough to be out of the general path of the birds.

Anyone have any insights? Do you think windmills are pretty too?

Plant Anatomy 101: Cashews

Did you know that cashews grow on trees? Cashew trees grow in many tropical areas in South America, Asia, and Africa, but are native to Brazil. The trees are medium in size (growing to about 10 to 12 feet) and the flowers on the tree are usually pink to dark red.

Though cashews are usually referred to as nuts in the culinary world, they are in fact fruits. There are two parts to the "fruit" of the cashew tree. The cashew "nut" or kidney shaped seed is the true fruit of a cashew tree and forms first. It is covered with a hard shell and inside there is a single seed, thereby making it the true fruit.

The shell of a cashew has a resin in it that is a skin irritant. The oil contained in the resin is the same as the oil that is found in poison ivy, making the cashews difficult to harvest. In many places the cashew is thrown away and it is the "cashew apple" that is coveted. However, in Brazil they have a highly advanced harvesting industry where the nuts are safely shelled.

What appears to be the fruit is the "cashew apple" which forms in between the "nut" and flower. This apple is known as an accessory fruit, which means that the tissue is formed not from the ovary, like the cashew itself, but from another part of the plant. Other examples of accessory fruits are pineapples, figs, and the fleshy parts of pears and apples. (The core is the true fruit for apples and pears.) In the picture below the cashew apple has been cut open. Notice that there are no seeds in the cashew apple.

Inside of a Cashew Apple
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The cashew apple has a sweet taste and is used in many different ways. The apple and cashew fall from the tree when they are both ripe and the apples must be harvested quickly from the ground as they will spoil within one day without refrigeration. The "apples" are most often used for their juice as the fruit is very fibrous. The fruit is chewed for refreshment and then the pithy residue is discarded. The juice is also used to make a variety of beverages from carbonated drinks to wine and distilled liquors. The cashew apples are most often red or yellow. Some fruits even exhibit both red and yellow colors on one fruit!

Cashew Trees in Florida

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Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July from the USEE staff!

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Restaurant owner finds new way to recycle food waste - KSL NEWS ARTICLE

I thought I would share this great article about recycling the food waste. Nicole and I think it should be labeled reducing food waste, but the reduce - reuse - recycle flowchart discussion is another blog for another day. Enjoy the article! Oh, and I was excited to see my friend Insa Reipen, Executive Director of Recycle Utah quoted in the article as well.

June 30th, 2009 @ 10:10pm

By Alex Cabrero

KAMAS -- Restaurants throw out a lot of food every day. In fact, Recycle Utah says 25 percent of restaurant food is wasted, but now one restaurant owner has an idea on what to do with it all.

Sean Wharton, owner of The Gateway Grill in Kamas, has an interesting way of dealing with food waste: He gives excess food his customers didn't pig out on to his pigs.

"I think it's my effort to give back to society and be more of a producer than a consumer," Wharton said.

It always bugged Wharton how much food got tossed away, so he decided to have his restaurant staff throw extra food away in a separate bucket.

"Everyone is like, ‘Where's the pig box?' It's an instinct, and you look to save the food," Wharton said.

Now, the food isn't wasted. Wharton raises pigs on it and sells them to people. In fact, five recently went to a Weber County petting zoo.

"It's an excellent idea," said Insa Riepen, executive director for Recycle Utah. She says Wharton has inspired about 10 other restaurants in Summit County to join the program. Lots of farmers can benefit.

"If the chef is willing to work with the program like this, to sort out their waste and then get the credit for it, then it works," Riepen said.

Not only does sorting scrap food help feed Wharton's pigs, but it also decreases his garbage bill, which he says any restaurant owner would love. "My food waste has gone from twice-a-week pickup on the dumpsters to once every other week," he said.

That's saving him about $250 a month. But more importantly, it's saving food that would otherwise go to waste.

Recycle Utah says it would like to see restaurants in other communities come up with programs to donate food waste to their local farmers.

E-mail: acabrero@ksl.com

Indoor Plants and Indoor Air Quality

-by Alaina Caudillo

At USEE's most recent Green Bag Lecture, Indoor Plants and Indoor Air Quality, Brandie Balken from Cactus and Tropicals had some excellent points about why indoor plants are beneficial both emotionally and physically for our indoor environments.

First of all, people gravitate toward natural environments. We like to shop in stores with plants, people drive slower on streets lined with trees, and they have many aesthetic qualities such as blossoms that make us feel happy.

Brandie pointed out that plants aren't just pretty to look at as they have amazing benefits for us during our time spent in indoor environments like our homes and offices. Tropical plants in particular thrive in the same humidity level range that people like to thrive in (30%-60% humidity). By including plants in your decor, they will clean the carbon dioxide emitted from our exhaled breaths out of your indoor air, replacing it with fresh oxygen to nourish us.

Plants naturally add clean water vapor through evapo-transpiration to our indoor air, allowing the optimal humidity levels so that we can breathe easier. House plants also break down toxic chemicals found in the indoor environment like benzene and formaldehyde, often used in the production of common household goods like furniture.

Some people feel that they are not "plant people". For those of you with this concern, take solace in knowing that there are plants that are right for every kind of person, from easy to needy plants, depending on the care and light you can provide them.

To improve the quality of air indoors, you need about 2 plants for every 100 square feet, so stop by your local nursery today to find your new friends. They will help clean the air while you are away in exchange for a little water and sunlight.

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