Delmarva: Full of Chicken?

In my Great Problem Seminar: Feed the World class, I am currently researching dead zones in the Delmarva region. My team and I are looking to aid the Chesapeake Bay fisheries, who have seen a serious depletion in their fish intake. The fish, crabs, and other organisms are moving on to other places due to their habitat being overrun by algae blooms. The algae blooms form due to increased levels of nitrogen and other nutrients in the water. Now, the Delmarva region is known for its heavy chicken industry. These chicken farms have large amounts of chicken waste to deal with. To not waste it, they fertilize their grounds with it. However, due to the large amounts of waste, a great deal runs off into local estuaries, which flow into the Chesapeake Bay. This run-off has a high nitrogen content, which then fuels the growth of algae. The algae absorbs all of the dissolved oxygen in the area, as well as cuts off sunlight to the sea grass below. This habitat destruction is why the fisheries have found a decreased amount of fish in the area. It is this issue that my team and I are trying to solve.

Our first plan of action is to make the public aware of the issue. Hopefully, with their help, we can convince state officials of the area to form a stricter set of guidelines which chicken farmers much follow. Presently, the regulations for chicken waste dumpage are very lax and not enforced. By clamping down on how much chicken waste farmers can dump on their fields and into local waterways, we can reduce the nitrogen content of the Chesapeake Bay area, and hopefully enough so that the algae blooms die off and the fish, crabs and other organisms that have been displaced may return home.

Since chicken farmers require excess fields on which to dump their waste, the regulation of the waste dumpage would allow them to either sell the excess fields, or use them for profit. Either way, allowing the chicken waste to be given up, for free. Now, you may be curious as to who would want chicken waste. Most people do not go to the store saying, "Hmmm, I think I'll get some chicken feces today!" However, farmers can use the chicken waste in place of synthetic fertilizers. Therefore, there would be a competitive market for the chicken waste. The enforcement of stricter guidelines for farmers would allow for this new opportunity for entrenpenouers.

Our mechanisms for the enforcement of such rules would be a series of steps. First, we will hand in a report dictating the problem in Delmarva, and provide a set of possible solutions. These will include regulations for farmers, observations from the area, data that would provide recommendations for a certain level of chicken farmer to dispose of their waste in a manner other than fertilization. Second, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) would send inspectors to the farms to make sure that the farmers are disposing of their waste appropriately. If not, a set of fines would be in place. Third, our team is creating a digital story which will help raise awareness about the dead zones in the Chesapeake Bay. It will convey the issue and our goal to solve it.

In order to assess if our work has been of any help to the Delmarva fisheries, we will analyze the nutrient content of the Chesapeake Bay to see if any decrease in the nitrogen content has been seen. We will also check with the EPA to see if farmers are obeying the new regulations and that the run-off has appropriately dissipated. We will also be observing the chicken waste fertilizer market to see if it is competitive and surviving. If all of this is in order, we will know that our work has gone to the betterment of the world.

When my partner, Nate Merrill, first chose this I couldn't believe what I was going to be studying. However, his personal excitement at discovering a hidden patent that would easily burn off the excess chicken waste, showed me that there is more to this science thing after all. I may be a writer, but still, it's kind of neat to know that you could be helping to save the world, right?

So the next time you're near the Chesapeake Bay, check it out! Hopefully by the time you see it, there will be a lot more fish and a lot fewer algae blooms.

Flying High over WPI

This is the place where my future lies... for now. It's pretty beautiful I think. My dormitory is to the right of where this photo is taken. I live in Institute Hall, which is down the hill, through the woods, and across the street. Sort of like Grandma's house =D

Uncustomary Delays, College, and Life: 2007

Hello everyone! I apologize for the uncustomary delay in my posting, but blogger wanted to be a booger for quite some time, and wouldn't let me create new posts. However, I'm back up and running, and looking forward to updating theoretical deviation with news about college, life, and exciting new information as often as possible!

So, as you are most likely aware, I'm attending Worcester Polytechnic Institute right now. Until most recently I was an Environmental Engineering major, however, I am now in the Professional Writing Program: Major and also a Music Minor, so I am now officially a part of the large statistic of major-changing college students. That's alright though, because I already feel happier in my new major. For those of you unaware, Professional Writing at WPI is similar to Technical Writing -- where you are educated on how to write for magazines, newspapers, or your own pleasure. I decided to switch since I was obviously enjoying the writing portion of all of my science classes more than any other part. Maybe one day you'll see me as Chief Editor of Scientific American, who knows?

Besides the actual coursework, there is the extracurricular activites in which I'm involved. I sing in Alden Voices (the Chorale), Festival Chorus (the open Chorus), Technichords (WPI's No-fella, A Capella), Vocal Performance Lab (VPL - a chamber group), and RNA (Rhythmically Naughty A Capella - a four-part a capella group formed by friends :-P). I also arrange music for these groups, which is really exciting! Besides singing, I also play cello, help GAEA -- the Environmental Club, knit, dance, and read! I'm never without something to do.

There is of course the dorm-residence, which isn't actually that bad. My room is rather small, but since one of my roommates has migrated upstairs with her boyfriend, it isn't too confining. My other roommate is one of my best friends here, and it makes for great living quarters. Also, many of my friends are upper-classmen, and have apartments all around campus, so I can go there and relax if necessary. The one great thing about college is that you are never short on friends. I have so many wonderful friends who are always there, and if they're are reading this (which they should be, grrrr) they know I'm talking about them.

Life itself is rather boring. I'm plugging along through all of my school stuff and singing stuff, and trying not to let the little things get to me. With all the stress that school causes, I can't let the things which aren't truly problems bother me. Who needs a boyfriend? I mean, it's always nice to know you're loved, but why is it something for which I am striving? It's interesting because I know I have options: at a school where the ration of men to women is 3:1, you are almost guaranteed an admirer of sorts, but none of those whom I am aware of are options for myself. I've found I have this great gift, though, for falling for already taken men. So, if you're looking for a guy who has a girlfriend, ask me! I'm sure I can point them out to you. Other than that, I'm just keeping up.

Other than that, I've not much else to write. I suppose I would reccoment reading The People's Act of Love by James Meek and listening to some good bands, maybe Copper Tree, for instance. And, as always, I would say have a wonderful day and keep in touch!