Week 14: Research Paper Final Draft

The Polluted Kenai River

How can the Kenai River be famous for its fishing and be listed as impaired by the Environmental Protection Agency? The main issue is pollution on the Kenai River, especially in the month of July. July is the peak time for both red salmon and king salmon. It is also when thousands of dip netters descend on the river. Although the new boat and motor restrictions have shown to reduce hydrocarbon pollution, they create other problems because it does not improve bank erosion, trash pollution, or the cost and effort by the city of Kenai or the Kenai Borough for trash clean up following the dip netting season.

The new regulations for boats and motors as implemented by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources are as follows: no longer will older two stroke motors be allowed in the personal use dip net fishery. Only four stroke or direct injected two stroke motors will be allowed and they also have a fifty horsepower limit. Electric motors are also allowed. Boats cannot be more than twenty one feet long or one hundred and six inches wide (1). The old regulations allowed any size boat and unlimited horsepower below the Warren Ames Bridge. The Warren Ames Bridge is the upper boundary for dip netting. The remainder of the Kenai River had a thirty five horsepower limit but the type of motor was not regulated. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the boundaries of the dip net area extend from the mouth of the Kenai River up to the downstream side of the Warren Ames Bridge. It covers both sides of the river bank and up and down the beach in both directions approximately 1 mile from the mouth of the river.

Bank erosion studies have shown that the most erosion occurs between river mile nine and river mile eighteen and between river mile thirty nine and river mile forty six. The study was conducted along a sixty seven mile long stretch of the river. The monitoring was conducted between late May and early August. The boat traffic peaked on weekend days in mid July. The most common boat was between sixteen and twenty feet long and carried four or five passengers. It was also noted that over fifty percent of all the boats observed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and local observers were guide boats (Dorava 6). It must also be noted that of all the boat caused bank erosion studies, none were conducted in the personal use dip netting area.

In a report by Robert J. Frates, Kenai Parks and Recreation director, the City of Kenai spent over one hundred and five thousand dollars during the two to three week long two thousand and eight dip net season (18-19). This cost is for trash removal, portable toilets, signage, and various other supplies used specifically for the cleanup during and after the dip net season. The City of Kenai also spent more than twenty eight thousand dollars for increased police patrols and extra personnel placed into service for the last three weeks of July.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Kenai Watershed Forum the Kenai River has exceeded the Alaska state limits for hydrocarbon pollution consistently during the month of July for the last ten years. The current hydrocarbon limits are ten parts per billion. Once the river was labeled “impaired” by the Environmental Protection Agency and the new regulations were put into place, there was a very noticeable improvement in the amount of hydrocarbons in the river as measured at the same time and same place in both two thousand and seven and in two thousand and eight. The new regulations are not the only reason for the improvement. It was shown that the Kenai River’s flow was at least thirty percent greater in two thousand and eight than it was in two thousand and seven due to greater rainfall and runoff from snow. With that much more flow it causes more dilution of hydrocarbon pollution. Also it was recorded that there were fifteen percent fewer boats on the river on that same day as the year before. This would be a good indication of how many people could not afford the new boat motors. With fewer boats on the river there would be less sources of pollution. Another important factor in the reduction of pollution would be that there was a much greater tidal fluctuation in the lower river which would cause even further dilution of hydrocarbon pollution. In addition to the elimination of the non Direct Fuel Injected two stroke motors, all of these factors contributed to the measured reduction in gasoline pollution (Kenai Watershed Forum). In a study done in the coastal waters and marinas of North Carolina, a type of plankton was used as an indicator species and found that their numbers, health, and reproduction were not affected by hydrocarbon pollution in and around the marinas (Piehler 157). This is because of the great mixing and flushing action of the ocean.
Salmon need different types of water habitat throughout its life cycle. Adult salmon return from the ocean to inlets in groups. The adult salmon then travel upriver, to spawning areas. Spawning areas are often tributaries. The female salmon create a “nest” called a “redd”, where she lays her eggs. A male salmon fertilizes the eggs. The eggs hatch, and tiny salmon fry remain in the rearing area of the stream. The rearing area of the stream needs edge habitat, off-channel habitat, habitat structures, various types of water and shade cover, a certain amount of sediment, and food and space capacity for the fry (Bartz 1580). Once the fry grow into juvenile salmon, the juveniles leave the spawning area, making their way back to the ocean to form schools of salmon. The salmon then remain in the ocean 2-6 years before returning inland to spawn.
In a study of Atlantic salmon declines, many fry were found in the rivers, but few juvenile salmon. A lack of suitable habitat was blamed for the loss of fish. Habitat must include larger boulders and other materials in order to allow for higher survival rates of juveniles (Landers 21). In a study of Pacific Coast salmon declines, the Columbia River Watershed and salmon rearing habitat are both in crisis. Chinook salmon in the Snake River Basin were listed by the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. The impacts are in the form of irrigation, tilled agriculture, hydroelectric development, logging, grazing and mining. Available information suggests that the construction and operation of dams throughout the Columbia River Basin have been the single largest cause of declines in salmon populations (Espinoza Jr. 207). The Kenai River system does not have these issues.
Studies have shown that bank erosion and hydrocarbon pollution can harm salmon fry because they spend the first year in shallow shoreline water. However, the designated dip netting area is not a salmon fry rearing area because of the tidal waters. The fry are much further upstream in clear water, not silty, brackish water. In two thousand and seven while dip netting from my boat my family and I caught numerous flounder as far as two miles upstream of the Kenai City dock. This should indicate how much the ocean salt water mixes with the river. The tide fluctuations affect the river as far as eight to ten miles upstream from the mouth.
The down side is more people, me included, now have to fish from the bank instead of my boat, which is causing a tremendous amount of bank erosion and damage. Also people fishing from the bank tend to leave more trash behind than boaters. This is an important issue for me because I now have to fish from the bank. I’m not very happy about the new regulations because one of the reasons I got my boat was to be able to dip-net my fish from a boat instead of fighting for a spot for my family on the bank. Also I can get more fish faster and move on to something else since I know I have fish to eat for the next year. Fishing from a boat results in a much cleaner fish. It is much faster and easier when it comes time for processing them. If any of you has dip-netted there you know you either have sand, if you are on the beach or silty mud if you are anyplace upriver from the mouth. Now I have to spend more time on the Kenai, resulting in more damage to the banks and this year I didn’t get my limit of fish. I would rather be fishing in the Matanuska and Susitna Valley streams where I live but the sockeye runs there aren’t even close to the amount of fish the Kenai River gets.
I have been thinking a lot about this issue since the rules changed in two thousand and eight. I will continue to think about it because unless I can borrow a Kenai River legal boat motor I’ll be back on the muddy bank again this year. I know the Department of Natural Resources and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game would not agree with me on this. I stand on the idea that they should return to unlimited horsepower and allow the older, non Direct Injected two strokes to be used below the Warren Ames Bridge. The Warren Ames Bridge is the upper boundary for dip netters. The rest of the river can keep the new regulations. I find it interesting that the entire Kenai commercial fishing fleet is anchored in the mouth of the Kenai River yet, I have not heard any restrictions pertaining to them and they certainly don’t have any horsepower restrictions. Is it fair? I think not. The older higher powered motors could be limited to dip-netters only. The dip net season is only two weeks long. I don’t believe that this would cause as much of an issue because the dip-netting all occurs in a stretch of the river that is entirely influenced by the tides of Cook Inlet. The dip netting area is also not an area for salmon fry rearing nor is bank erosion an issue except in the bluff area of the City of Kenai. That area of erosion is caused entirely by the river currents. I think that this would allow a greater number of Alaskans who really need those fish to be able to feed their families and be more efficient at it and also cause less damage to the river bank. I will also predict that there will be further restrictions put into place because of bank erosion to eventually cause the demise of dip-netting on the Kenai River. There are some people and organizations that are lobbying to make the entire Kenai River a drift boat only river. I’m all for protecting our environment but I don’t like it when the rules favor the elite few who can afford a new boat motor every time the regulations change. The ones who can are the fishing guides who aren’t dip-netting anyway, and a few others who can afford it, and some of those don’t even use the fish they catch.


Works Cited
Bartz, Krista K., et al. “Translating restoration scenarios into habitat conditions: an initial step in evaluating recovery strategies for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).” Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 63.7 (Jul. 2006): 1578-1595. EBSCO. University of Alaska Consortium Library, Anchorage, AK. 8 April 2009

Dorava, J.M., and G.W. Moore. “Effects of boat wakes on stream bank erosion, Kenai River, Alaska” U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4105 (1997): 6. 6 April 2009 <http://ak.water.usgs.gov>

Espinosa Jr., F. Al, Jon J. Rhodes, and Dale Al Mcullough. “The failure of existing plans to protect salmon habitat in the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho.” Journal of Environmental Management, 49.2 (Feb. 1997): 205-230. EBSCO. University of Alaska Consortium Library, Anchorage, AK. 29 Mar. 2009

Frates, Robert J. 2008 Kenai River Dip net Fishery. 7 Oct. 2008. 6 April 2009 <http://www.ci.kenai.ak.us/2008dipnetreport.pdf>

Holland, Larry, Adam Moles, Marie Larsen, Mark G. Carls, and Stanley D. Rice” Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in the Kenai River, Alaska: 2001-2005: a data report /” Juneau, Alaska: Auke Bay Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2006): AFSC processed report; 2006-08. ALNcat. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 17 Feb 2009 .

“Hydrocarbon Research in the Kenai River” Kenai Watershed Forum 2009
28 Feb. 2009 <http://www.kenaiwatershed.org/hydrocarbon.html>

Landers, Jay. “Engineers and Biologists Create Model to Improve Salmon Habitat.” Civil Engineering, 75.8 (Aug. 2005): 21-22. EBSCO. University of Alaska Consortium Library, Anchorage, AK. 8 April 2009

Piehler, Michael F., Julie S. Maloney, and Hans W. Paerl. "Bacterioplanktonic abundance, productivity and petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in marinas and other coastal waters in North Carolina, USA." Marine Environmental Research 54.2 (Aug. 2002): 157. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. University of Alaska Consortium Library, Anchorage, AK. 29 Mar. 2009

United States. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Personal Use 28 Feb. 2009 <http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/personaluse/kenaipu.cfm>



United States. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Watershed Initiative - Kenai River Watershed Nomination. 12 Jan. 2004. 28 Feb. 2009 <http://www.epa.gov/twg/2004/2004proposals/04kenai.pdf>

Essay #3 Final Draft

SHAMEFUL WASTE
Have you ever noticed how much garbage there is floating around in the wind? All that paper and plastic looks very unsightly in our beautiful state. Some communities are promoting more recycling, but it’s difficult to get the average person to support the program. Although the University of Alaska Anchorage encourages paper recycling, it should offer to recycle cardboard and metal because it would help the environment, save money, and decrease waste going to the land fill.
I attended a meeting on the twentieth of March about sustainability. The class was primarily for building managers for the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. Some managers from the University Center and the Matanuska and Susitna College attended as well. The meeting was very interesting in regards to recycling. The university has paper recycling cans at various locations around the campus. They have a team of mostly student workers who will pick it up. They will take cardboard on an on call basis; if it is broken down to lay flat.
As far as I know, the only departments that do anything with scrap metal are the Welding department and the Auto Diesel department, of which I am part of. I am the building manager and a Tool Room Technician there. Some of my duties include dismantling and scrapping vehicles when the department is finished with them. The auto and diesel department already has a scrap metal dumpster. The welding department has one as well.
The university has tried in the past to recycle plastics, but it was not successful due to the plastic bottles had to be clean or rinsed out prior to being deposited. Also there were a lot of people who either didn’t know or didn’t care and put regular trash in the plastic receptacle. This became such a problem that they dropped the plastic recycling.
I think the University of Alaska Anchorage is on the right track in holding these meetings and educating people on the recycling process. I know I learned a lot. The most important thing would be to get people excited about recycling. I really don’t know how to get people more interested in recycling. It’s not a very interesting subject. Most people are just too lazy to take the time.
What I would propose is that the University of Alaska Anchorage will continue its education program on recycling and that a few departments around the campus would volunteer their time to collect both cardboard and metal. The auto diesel department already has a scrap metal dumpster and a forklift to load it with. We also have a flatbed truck that we use to haul it to Alaska Metals Recycling. I would be willing to have a collection site for any metal object in our area. I could then incorporate that scrap metal into our dumpster and haul it off. Metal prices vary greatly so I will not quote any here. It also depends on what kind of metal it is. It is even different between types of steel. Aluminum is currently the most valuable. Copper is worth considerably more that steel. I have recently hauled off what is referred to as shredder material, which is the least valuable and it was worth about twenty six dollars a ton. It doesn’t sound like much, but it is better than putting it in the land fill. I’m sure the welding department would be able to assist in the scrap metal end of things as well. A flier with some contact information would be needed to get the word out. At least with the metal recycling, both the welding and auto diesel areas would be secure so trash shouldn’t be a problem.
The cardboard side of things could be a little trickier. We would probably need to get a couple of large cardboard recycling dumpsters to be placed in strategic places around the campus. The shop areas of auto diesel and facilities maintenance would be good places to start because of a high volume of supplies being shipped into them. One thing to think about when shopping, ask for paper bags instead of plastic. Paper bags are often already recycled and they can be recycled again. Plastic bags are usually not recycled and plastic requires petroleum products to make.

Week 11: Step 4 Rough Draft 2

The Polluted Kenai River

How can the Kenai River be famous for its fishing and be listed as impaired by the Environmental Protection Agency? The main issue is pollution on the Kenai River, especially in the month of July. July is the peak time for both red salmon and king salmon. It is also when thousands of dip netters descend on the river. Although the new boat and motor restrictions have shown to reduce hydrocarbon pollution, they create other problems because it does not improve bank erosion, trash pollution, or the cost and effort by the city of Kenai or the Kenai Borough for trash clean up following the dip netting season.

The new regulations for boats and motors as implemented by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources are as follows: no longer will older two stroke motors be allowed in the personal use dip net fishery. Only four stroke or direct injected two stroke motors will be allowed and they also have a fifty horsepower limit. Electric motors are also allowed. Boats cannot be more than twenty one feet long or one hundred and six inches wide (1). The old regulations allowed any size boat and unlimited horsepower below the Warren Ames Bridge. The Warren Ames Bridge is the upper boundary for dip netting. The remainder of the Kenai River had a thirty five horsepower limit but the type of motor was not regulated.

Bank erosion studies have shown that the most erosion occurs between river mile nine and river mile eighteen and between river mile thirty nine and river mile forty six. The study was conducted along a sixty seven mile long stretch of the river. The monitoring was conducted between late May and early August. The boat traffic peaked on weekend days in mid July. The most common boat was between sixteen and twenty feet long and carried four or five passengers. It was also noted that over fifty percent of all the boats observed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources and local observers were guide boats. (Dorava 1) It must also be noted that of all the boat caused bank erosion studies, none were conducted in the personal use dip netting area.

In a report by Robert J. Frates, Kenai Parks and Recreation director, the City of Kenai spent over one hundred and five thousand dollars during the two to three week long two thousand and eight dip net season(18-19). This cost is for trash removal, portable toilets, signage, and various other supplies used specifically for the cleanup during and after the dip net season. The City of Kenai also spent more than twenty eight thousand dollars for increased police patrols and extra personnel placed into service for the last three weeks of July.

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the boundaries of the dip net area extend from the mouth of the Kenai River up to the downstream side of the Warren Ames Bridge (4). It covers both sides of the river bank and up and down the beach in both directions approximately 1 mile from the mouth of the river.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Kenai Watershed Forum the Kenai River has exceeded the Alaska state limits for hydrocarbon pollution consistently during the month of July for the last ten years(2). The current hydrocarbon limits are ten parts per billion. Once the river was labeled “impaired” by the Environmental Protection Agency and the new regulations were put into place, there was a very noticeable improvement in the amount of hydrocarbons in the river as measured at the same time and same place in both two thousand and seven and in two thousand and eight. The new regulations are not the only reason for the improvement. It was shown that the Kenai River’s flow was at least thirty percent greater in two thousand and eight than it was in two thousand and seven due to greater rainfall and runoff from snow(1). With that much more flow it causes more dilution of hydrocarbon pollution. Also it was recorded that there were fifteen percent fewer boats on the river on that same day as the year before. This would be a good indication of how many people could not afford the new boat motors. With fewer boats on the river there would be less sources of pollution. Another important factor in the reduction of pollution would be that there was a much greater tidal fluctuation in the lower river which would cause even further dilution of hydrocarbon pollution. In addition to the elimination of the non Direct Fuel Injected two stroke motors, all of these factors contributed to the measured reduction in gasoline pollution (Kenai Watershed Forum). In a study by Piehler, in the coastal waters and marinas in North Carolina, he used a type of plankton as an indicator species and found that their numbers, health, and reproduction were not affected by hydrocarbon pollution in and around the marinas(157). This is because of the great mixing and flushing action of the ocean.

Salmon need different types of water habitat throughout its life cycle. Adult salmon return from the ocean to inlets in groups. The adult salmon then travel upriver, to spawning areas. Spawning areas are often tributaries. The female salmon create a “nest” called a “redd”, where she lays her eggs. A male salmon fertilizes the eggs. The eggs hatch, and tiny salmon fry remain in the rearing area of the stream. According to Bartz, the rearing area of the stream needs edge habitat, off-channel habitat, habitat structures, various types of water and shade cover, a certain amount of sediment, and food and space capacity for the fry(1590). Once the fry grow into juvenile salmon, the juveniles leave the spawning area, making their way back to the ocean to form schools of salmon. The salmon then remain in the ocean 2-6 years before returning inland to spawn.

In a study of Atlantic salmon declines, Landers has found that although there was “many fry, or young fish, in the river, but few juveniles….and lack of suitable habitat is the blame.” According to Landers, habitat must include larger boulders and other materials in order to allow for higher survival rates of juveniles(22). In a study of Pacific Coast salmon declines, the Columbia River Watershed and salmon rearing habitat are both in crisis. Espinosa Jr., states that that Chinook salmon in the Snake River Basin were listed by the National Marine Fisheries Service under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. He also states that impacts are found in rivers, tributaries, and estuaries. The impacts are in the form of irrigation, tilled agriculture, hydroelectric development, logging, grazing and mining. “Available information clearly suggests that construction and operation of dams throughout the Columbia River Basin have been the single largest cause of declines in salmon populations(207).” The Kenai River system does not have these issues.
Studies have shown that bank erosion and hydrocarbon pollution can harm salmon fry because they spend the first year in shallow shoreline water. However, the designated dip netting area is not a salmon fry rearing area because of the tidal waters. The fry are much further upstream in clear water, not silty, brackish water. In two thousand and seven while dip netting from my boat my family and I caught numerous flounder as far as two miles upstream of the Kenai City dock. This should indicate how much the ocean salt water mixes with the river. The tide fluctuations affect the river as far as eight to ten miles upstream from the mouth.

The down side is more people, me included, now have to fish from the bank instead of my boat, which is causing a tremendous amount of bank erosion and damage. Also people fishing from the bank tend to leave more trash behind than boaters.

This is an important issue for me because I now have to fish from the bank. I’m not very happy about the new regulations because one of the reasons I got my boat was to be able to dip-net my fish from a boat instead of fighting for a spot for my family on the bank. Also I can get more fish faster and move on to something else since I know I have fish to eat for the next year. Fishing from a boat results in a much cleaner fish. It is much faster and easier when it comes time for processing them. If any of you has dip-netted there you know you either have sand, if you are on the beach or silty mud if you are anyplace upriver from the mouth. Now I have to spend more time on the Kenai, resulting in more damage to the banks and this year I didn’t get my limit of fish. I would rather be fishing in the Matanuska and Susitna Valley streams where I live but the sockeye runs there aren’t even close to the amount of fish the Kenai River gets.

I have been thinking a lot about this issue since the rules changed in two thousand and eight. I will continue to think about it because unless I can borrow a Kenai River legal boat motor I’ll be back on the muddy bank again this year. I know the Department of Natural Resources and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game would not agree with me on this.

I stand on the idea that they should return to unlimited horsepower and allow the older, non Direct Injected two strokes to be used below the Warren Ames Bridge. The Warren Ames Bridge is the upper boundary for dip netters. The rest of the river can keep the new regulations. I find it interesting that the entire Kenai commercial fishing fleet is anchored in the mouth of the Kenai River yet, I have not heard any restrictions pertaining to them and they certainly don’t have any horsepower restrictions. Is it fair? I think not. The older higher powered motors could be limited to dip-netters only. The dip net season is only two weeks long. I don’t believe that this would cause as much of an issue because the dip-netting all occurs in a stretch of the river that is entirely influenced by the tides of Cook Inlet. The dip netting area is also not an area for salmon fry rearing nor is bank erosion an issue except in the bluff area of the City of Kenai. That area of erosion is caused entirely by the river currents. I think that this would allow a greater number of Alaskans who really need those fish to be able to feed their families and be more efficient at it and also cause less damage to the river bank. I will also predict that there will be further restrictions put into place because of bank erosion to eventually cause the demise of dip-netting on the Kenai River. There are some people and organizations that are lobbying to make the entire Kenai River a drift boat only river. I’m all for protecting our environment but I don’t like it when the rules favor the elite few who can afford a new boat motor every time the regulations change. The ones who can are the fishing guides who aren’t dip-netting anyway, and a few others who can afford it, and some of those don’t even use the fish they catch.


Works Cited

Bartz, Krista K., et al. “Translating restoration scenarios into habitat conditions: an initial step in evaluating recovery strategies for Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha).” Canadian Journal of Fisheries & Aquatic Sciences, 63.7 (Jul. 2006): 1578-1595. EBSCO. University of Alaska Consortium Library, Anchorage, AK. 8 April 2009

Dorava, J.M., and G.W. Moore, 1997, Effects of boat wakes on stream bank erosion, Kenai River, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 97-4105, 84 p. 6 April 2009 <http://ak.water.usgs.gov/>

Espinosa Jr., F. Al, Jon J. Rhodes, and Dale Al Mcullough. “The failure of existing plans to protect salmon habitat in the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho.” Journal of Environmental Management, 49.2 (Feb. 1997): 205-230. EBSCO. University of Alaska Consortium Library, Anchorage, AK. 29 Mar. 2009

Frates, Robert J. 2008 Kenai River Dip net Fishery. 7 Oct. 2008. 6 April 2009 <http://www.ci.kenai.ak.us/2008dipnetreport.pdf>

Holland, Larry, Adam Moles, Marie Larsen, Mark G. Carls, and Stanley D. Rice” Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in the Kenai River, Alaska: 2001-2005: a data report /” Juneau, Alaska: Auke Bay Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2006): AFSC processed report; 2006-08. ALNcat. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 17 Feb 2009 .

“Hydrocarbon Research in the Kenai River” Kenai Watershed Forum 2009
28 Feb. 2009 <http://www.kenaiwatershed.org/hydrocarbon.html>

Landers, Jay. “Engineers and Biologists Create Model to Improve Salmon Habitat.” Civil Engineering, 75.8 (Aug. 2005): 21-22. EBSCO. University of Alaska Consortium Library, Anchorage, AK. 8 April 2009

Piehler, Michael F., Julie S. Maloney, and Hans W. Paerl. "Bacterioplanktonic abundance, productivity and petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in marinas and other coastal waters in North Carolina, USA." Marine Environmental Research 54.2 (Aug. 2002): 157. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. University of Alaska Consortium Library, Anchorage, AK. 29 Mar. 2009

United States. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Personal Use 28 Feb. 2009 <http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/personaluse/kenaipu.cfm>



United States. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Watershed Initiative - Kenai River Watershed Nomination. 12 Jan. 2004. 28 Feb. 2009 <http://www.epa.gov/twg/2004/2004proposals/04kenai.pdf>

Workshop for Robert's Research Paper Step 3

Workshop for Part 3
Overall
1. What do you like best about the paper? Be specific.
Interesting information on genetically modified food. Makes you wonder what we’re eating.
2. Email the author and ask for one particular concern that s/he had about the draft. Examine that area and see if you can offer the author helpful suggestions.
Did that. Waiting for reply.
Thesis
3. Does the author clearly express his/her opinion of the topic in the thesis? What argument does the thesis make?
(A)Yes
(B)That there are potential risks with genetically modified food
4. What group of people agrees with the author? What group disagrees with the author?
(A)Everyone who eats modified food
(B)Scientist and the people who market it
5. Does the paper have an argumentative thesis statement using ALTHOUGH and BECAUSE?
Yes
Content
6. On a scale of 1 to 10, how interesting did you find this paper to read? Be brutally honest! (Friends don’t let friend turn in boring essays!)
6.5
7.Where can the author more fully develop ideas, either by providing examples or explaining/clarifying concepts for the reader? Be specific (e.g. “the 3rd is dullsville”; “the conclusion is really vague”).
Possibly some information on nutritional value on before and after modified.
8.What kinds of objections might someone who disagrees with the author’s point of view raise? If there are none, go back to #3.
The possibility of health issues, corporations with patents controlling the food supply and the quantity verses quality issue.
9.Has the author dealt with these objections?
Yes
10.Is the relationship between each paragraph and the thesis clear? If not, what suggestions do you have for the author to improve the connection?
Yes
Style
11. Are there easy transitions from one paragraph to the next, or does the author jump from topic to topic?
Seems to flow well. There are some abbreviations that I think should be spelled out.
12. Does the opening of the essay capture the reader’s attention? How so? If not, what suggestions can you make that might strengthen the opening?
(A)Yes
(B)Corn on the cob is my favorite!
13. Does the concluding paragraph serve to bring the discussion to an end that logically follows from the thesis and its direction?
Yes
Research
14. How many different sources are cited in the paper (don’t look at Works Cited; look at the parenthetical citations. The medium does not matter.)
4
15. Does the author rely heavily on just 1 or 2 sources, or does the author equally use all of the sources to support the paper’s thesis?
1 cite for each of the 4 sources
16. Does the author have more quotes in his/her paper than personal opinion?
About equal
17. Are there any sources listed on the Works Cited that are not cited within the body of the essay? (This is a no-no)
No
18. Is all the information retrieved from research, including opinion, ideas, paraphrases, quotes, and statistics, cited with in-text (parenthetical) citations? If not, list specifics of what needs to be cited (friends don’t let friends turn in plagiarized papers).
Yes
19. All quotes in research papers should be commented upon. Does the author comment after every quote? If not, help the author decide what the underlying reason behind putting the quote in the paper was.
Yes

Essay #3 Draft

Shameful Waste

Have you ever noticed how much garbage there is floating around in the wind? All that paper and plastic looks very unsightly in our beautiful state. Some communities are promoting more recycling but it’s difficult to get the average person to support the program. Although the University of Alaska Anchorage encourages paper recycling, it should offer to recycle cardboard and metal because it would help the environment, save money, and decrease waste going to the land fill.
I attended a meeting on the twentieth of March about sustainability. The class was primarily for building managers for the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. Some managers from the University Center and the Matanuska and Susitna College attended as well. The meeting was very interesting in regards to recycling. The university has paper recycling cans at various locations around the campus. They have a team of mostly student workers who will pick it up. They will take cardboard if it is broken down to lay flat on an on call basis.
As far as I know the only departments that do anything with scrap metal is the Welding department and the Auto Diesel department, of which I am part of. I am the building manager and a Tool Room Technician there. Some of my duties include dismantling and scraping vehicles when the department is finished with them. The auto and diesel department already has a scrap metal dumpster. The welding department has one as well.
The university has tried in the past to recycle plastics but it was not successful due to the plastic bottles had to be clean or rinsed out prior to being deposited. Also there were a lot of people who either didn’t know or didn’t care and put regular trash in the plastic receptacle. This became such a problem that they dropped the plastic recycling.
I think the University of Alaska Anchorage is on the right track in holding these meetings and educating people on the recycling process. I know I learned a lot. The most important thing would be to get people excited about recycling. I really don’t know how to get people more interested in recycling. It’s not a very interesting subject. Most people are just too lazy to take the time.
What I would propose is that the University of Alaska Anchorage will continue its education program on recycling and that a few departments around the campus would volunteer their time to collect both cardboard and metal. The auto diesel department already has a scrap metal dumpster and a forklift to load it with. We also have a flatbed truck that we use to haul it to Alaska Metals Recycling. I would be willing to have a collection site for any metal object in our area. I could then incorporate that scrap metal into our dumpster and haul it off. Metal prices vary greatly so I will not quote any here. It also depends on what kind of metal it is. It is even different between types of steel. Aluminum is currently the most valuable. Copper is worth considerably more that steel. I have recently hauled off what is referred to as shredder material, which is the least valuable and it was worth about twenty six dollars a ton. It doesn’t sound like much but it is better than putting it in the land fill. I’m sure the welding department would be able to assist in the scrap metal end of things as well. A flier with some contact information would be needed to get the word out. At least with the metal recycling, both the welding and auto diesel areas would be secure so trash shouldn’t be a problem.
The cardboard side of things could be a little trickier. We would probably need to get a couple of large cardboard recycling dumpsters to be placed in strategic places around the campus. The shop areas of auto diesel and facilities maintenance would be good places to start because of a high volume of supplies being shipped into them. One thing to think about when shopping, ask for paper bags instead of plastic. Paper bags are often already recycled and they can be recycled again. Plastic bags are usually not recycled and plastic requires petroleum products to make.

Reading Response #8

This week’s reading response is on an article written by David Carr and published in the business section of the New York Times in two thousand and three. The argument that Carr is making is the lack of racial diversity on magazine covers. It does not surprise me in the least that someone wrote an article complaining about this. There is never a lack of something to complain about. Does it matter that the article appeared in the business section instead of the front page or lifestyle section? No it doesn’t matter to me at all. I think they did that because the decision to put whatever race on the cover of a magazine is purely a business move. Whatever is going to sell the magazine is what they will put on it or in it. This is definitely not front page news. I don’t think the lifestyle section is a good fit either, but that is my opinion. I really don’t care about the why or why not. I don’t read and never will read any of the magazines mentioned in this article. The only magazines I read are automotive types and not the trashy ones with mostly naked women on the front. I do not understand why people read most of that garbage anyway. I’ve never heard of most of the people they mentioned as putting on the front cover. I guess I live in my own little world. I don’t want to read about whatever celebrity is doing this week. For the question about the article being framed differently for a different section of the newspaper, I don’t know exactly what they mean by that so I cannot answer the question.

Step 3 Reasearch Draft #1

The Polluted Kenai River

How can the Kenai River be famous for its fishing and be listed as impaired by the Environmental Protection Agency? The main issue is pollution on the Kenai River, especially in the month of July. July is the peak time for both red salmon and king salmon. It is also when thousands of dip netters descend on the river. Although the new boat and motor restrictions have shown to reduce hydrocarbon pollution, they create other problems because it does not improve bank erosion, trash pollution, or the cost and effort by the city of Kenai or the Kenai Borough for trash clean up following the dip-netting season.

But the down side is more people, me included, now have to fish from the bank instead of my boat which is causing a tremendous amount of bank erosion and damage. Also people fishing from the bank tend to leave more trash behind than boaters.
This is an important issue for me because I now have to fish from the bank. I’m not very happy about the new regulations because one of the reasons I got my boat was to be able to dip-net my fish from a boat instead of fighting for a spot for my family on the bank. Also I can get more fish faster and move on to something else since I know I have fish to eat for the next year. Fishing from a boat results in a much cleaner fish. It is much faster and easier when it comes time for processing them. If any of you has dip-netted there you know you either have sand, if you are on the beach or silty mud if you are anyplace upriver from the mouth. Now I have to spend more time on the Kenai, resulting in more damage to the banks and this year I didn’t get my limit of fish. I would rather be fishing in the Matanuska and Susitna Valley streams where I live but the sockeye runs there aren’t even close to the amount of fish the Kenai River gets.
I have been thinking a lot about this issue since the rules changed in two thousand and eight. I will continue to think about it because unless I can borrow a Kenai River legal boat motor I’ll be back on the muddy bank again this year. I know the Department of Natural Resources and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game would not agree with me on this.
I stand on the idea that they should return to unlimited horsepower and allow the older, non Direct Injected two strokes to be used below the Warren Ames Bridge. The Warren Ames Bridge is the upper boundary for dip netters. The rest of the river can keep the new regulations. I find it interesting that the entire Kenai commercial fishing fleet is anchored in the mouth of the Kenai River yet, I haven’t heard any restrictions pertaining to them and they certainly don’t have any horsepower restrictions. Is it fair? I think not. The older higher powered motors could be limited to dip-netters only. The dip net season is only two weeks long. I don’t believe that this would cause as much of an issue because the dip-netting all occurs in a stretch of the river that is entirely influenced by the tides of Cook Inlet. I think that this would allow a greater number of Alaskans who really need those fish to feed their families to be more efficient at it and cause less damage. I will also predict that there will be further restrictions put into place because of bank erosion to eventually cause the demise of dip-netting on the Kenai River. I’m all for protecting our environment but I don’t like it when the rules favor the elite few who can afford a new boat motor every time the regulations change. The ones who can are the fishing guides who aren’t dip-netting anyway, and a few others who can afford it, and some of those don’t even use the fish they catch.
Once the river was labeled “impaired” and the new regulations were put into place, there was a very noticeable improvement in the amount of hydrocarbons in the river as measured at the same time and same place in both two thousand and seven and in two thousand and eight. The new regulations are not the only reason for the improvement. It was shown that the Kenai River’s flow was at least thirty percent greater in two thousand and eight than it was in two thousand and seven due to greater rainfall and runoff from snow. With that much more flow it causes more dilution of hydrocarbon pollution. Also it was recorded that there were fifteen percent fewer boats on the river on that same day as the year before. This would be a good indication of how many people could not afford the new boat motors. With fewer boats on the river there would be less sources of pollution. Another important factor in the reduction of pollution would be that there was a much greater tidal fluctuation in the lower river which would cause even further dilution of hydrocarbon pollution. In addition to the elimination of the non Direct Fuel Injected two stroke motors, all of these factors contributed to the measured reduction in gasoline pollution.
Studies have shown that bank erosion and hydrocarbon pollution can harm salmon fry because they spend the first year in shallow shoreline water that is greatly disturbed by boat wakes. It is also known that in the designated dip-netting area is not a salmon fry rearing area because of the tidal waters. The fry are much further upstream in clear water, not silty, brackish water. In two thousand and seven while dip netting from my boat my family and I caught numerous flounder as far as three miles upstream of the Kenai City dock. This should indicate how much the ocean salt water mixes with the river. The tide fluctuations affect the river as far as eight to ten miles upstream from the mouth.
The University of North Carolina conducted a study of marinas and other coastal areas where there was a lot of boat traffic to determine the effects of hydrocarbon pollution to a type of plankton. The study showed no adverse long term effects to this organism.
We can all agree that pollution is a bad thing, but how much our environment can absorb without causing any health issues has yet to be determined. Only theries have been offered.




Holland, Larry, Adam Moles, Marie Larsen, Mark G. Carls, and Stanley D. Rice” Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in the Kenai River, Alaska: 2001-2005: a data report /” Juneau, Alaska: Auke Bay Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2006): AFSC processed report; 2006-08. ALNcat. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, AK. 17 Feb 2009 http://firstsearch.oclc.org/.

http://www.kenaiwatershed.org/hydrocarbon.html

http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/personaluse/kenaipu.cfm

http://www.epa.gov/twg/2004/2004proposals/04kenai.pdf


Piehler, Michael F., Julie S. Maloney, and Hans W. Paerl. "Bacterioplanktonic abundance, productivity and petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in marinas and other coastal waters in North Carolina, USA." Marine Environmental Research 54.2 (Aug. 2002): 157. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. University of Alaska Anchorage Lib., Anchorage, AK. 29 Mar. 2009
http://proxy.consortiumlibrary.org

Week 9 Grammar Girl #2

This week’s Grammar Girl response is on run-on sentences. I always thought that run-on sentences were really long sentences that just kept going and didn’t make any sense. I learned that that is not always true. They can be short sentences as well. I also found out that there are a few ways to fix them and not just with a period and make two sentences out of it. You can use commas, semi-colons, and periods. This could be useful when writing a paper and finding it difficult to meet the required word count. I could change the sentence and gain a word or two. I do remember that I have been guilty of them before. I wrote one on a previous paper, but the spell check actually found it and I was able to fix it and probably gained a word in the process. I have never really used a spell check before I signed up for this class. I am learning to like it and try to remember to use it before publishing anything on my blog. I also learned that the blog has a spell check and I have used it on my last post. Normally I write my papers on Word so I can get a word count then copy and paste it to my blog. I like the spell check in Word better. It has caught run on sentences where the one on blog didn’t. I caught that one during my proof read.

Week 7 & 8 Grammer Girl Response

This week’s grammar girl response is on the comma splice. I am guilty of them and probably will be in the future as well. I have noticed that spell check will often times catch them. That is lucky for me and anyone else who uses spell check. I do believe that I catch most of them on my own because the sentence just doesn’t sound right. Until I took this class I hadn’t even heard of a comma splice, at least not that I can remember. I have been out of school for a long time. My thirty year reunion is next year. Wow, how time flies when you are having fun. Well back to the task at hand. I think between spell checking and proof reading most of us should be able to catch and correct them before submitting our work. I know we are supposed to write a two hundred and fifty word minimum on this and I am having a very difficult time coming up with something to write about. We probably had a quiz on them as well, but I don’t remember which week it was in. I didn’t look at this grammar girl episode until Tuesday the seventeenth of March because we were having speaker problems with our new computer and I didn’t realize I could have just read it. Oh well, that’s what I get for thinking. I am wondering how many other people in this class are having, or had a hard time writing this response.

Week 7 & 8 Reading Response #3

The United States federal government would create such a poster for security reasons. It seems to have been created in a time when proper identification of Muslims was important. It was probably created for airport security after the September eleventh attack on our country. There purpose is to have a training aid for the security officers. They list the names of the different types of coverings and show examples. They also describe the necessary procedures for conducting a search. It would be a very valuable training aid for airport security, particularly in areas where Muslims are not a common sight. They describe how to conduct a search on a Muslim, and to do it in a way which would not offend or humiliate them in their culture. As far as the specific roles that the visual elements play are concerned, they are showing us that not all Muslims are turban wearing terrorists. I don’t think verbal descriptions would be as effective as visual because I don’t see any way to describe these head coverings, nor the people not being terrorists without some sort of visual aid. Concerning the descriptions of Muslim head coverings being provided by the American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee contributing to this posters credibility, until now I have never heard of such an organization and I surely hope my tax dollars are not funding it. As far as its ethos, or character contributing to its credibility, again I have never heard of the committee before so I know nothing of its character.

Week 7 & 8 Reading Response #2

In order to answer the question about the last three paragraphs there has to be a proper description of Latin American immigrants. We have to assume that she is talking about legal American citizens. If we are to go back to the last three paragraphs, I’m thinking that would be the one where she seems to have to justify being “American”. Without knowing her background or circumstances it is difficult to understand the discrimination that she seems to be pointing at. The discrimination of some peoples thoughts that if you don’t speak English you are not American. Myriam also seems to be disappointed that children and grandchildren resist speaking Spanish. I wonder if our European ancestors felt the same way when future generations did not carry on in their native tongue?
The whole purpose of this article seems to be in defense of her and her family speaking Spanish in public. I think it is a good point that she thinks that not speaking in English when in the company of someone who does not speak Spanish is rude and that she does not tolerate it. I think that is an individual character issue and not one of a particular people group. I have been fishing all over Alaska and have heard many languages while fishing. Most of the tourists that I encounter are from a European country. Some of them will lead you to believe that they do not speak or understand English until they lose a fish, then they start swearing in English. I am sure that Hispanics are the same. It goes back to a character issue, not a people group. She makes it a point to tell us what she does; but again, it is not necessarily what the whole Spanish population does. The issue is an individual’s character.

Week 7 & 8 Reading Response #1

The advertisement for the National Institute of Mental Health is primarily in Spanish because that is the target audience. It is partly in English so it covers a wider audience as well. It also mentions that Rodolfo is a university student so it covers that audience as well. I think the bottom line for the target audience is men, all men. For me, to answer the question of why the designers put the phrase, “Real Men. Real Depression.” In English doesn’t matter. The advertisement is in both English and Spanish so it targets a wide range of readers. The phrase itself is meant to persuade men in general that to acknowledge depression is more manly than not. Society has us convinced that men should not be depressed, that it is not in us to be depressed. Depression is for women. I personally know of several women who are being treated for depression but I don’t recall any men that I know of admitting that they are depressed or that they are being treated for depression. I think men have been taught that to admit that they are depressed would be shameful. From the advertisement one can assume that that is even more so in the Latino culture. Pride is a difficult thing to overcome. Most men are very prideful and again it’s that manly pride that gets us into more trouble that it gets us out of. Also the fact that Rodolfo is a university student assumes that he is more educated than most Latinos, especially immigrants or migrant workers.

Research Project Thesis and Sources

Although the new boat and motor restrictions have shown to reduce hydrocarbon pollution, it does not improve bank erosion, trash pollution, or the cost and effort by the city of Kenai or the Kenai Borough for trash clean up following the dip-netting season.

http://www.borough.kenai.ak.us/kenairivercenter/CurrentEvents/factsheet_hydrocarbon.pdf
This site gives information on site locations and the amounts of hydrocarbons. Also gives the dates of sampling.

http://dnr.alaska.gov/mlw/factsht/kenai_river_boat_motor_regulations.pdf
The DNR site defines the new boat and motor regulations. Also defines the Kenai River Special Management Area.

http://juneauempire.com/stories/091508/sta_332515335.shtml
The Juneau Empire reports a decrease in hydrocarbon pollution after the new motor regulations.

Holland, Larry, Adam Moles, Marie Larsen, Mark G. Carls, and Stanley D. Rice” Concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) in the Kenai River, Alaska: 2001-2005: a data report /” Juneau, Alaska: Auke Bay Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (2006): AFSC processed report; 2006-08. ALNcat. University of Alaska Fairbanks Lib., Fairbanks, Ak. 17 Feb 2009 http://firstsearch.oclc.org.
This source gives specific hydrocarbon data in parts per million for each sampling site.

http://www.kenaiwatershed.org/turbidity.html
The Kenai Watershed Forum reports on river bank damage due to boats and its effects on juvenile salmon.

http://web.acsalaska.net/~kenaiwatershed.forum/factsheet_hydrocarbon.pdf
This site also shows hydrocarbon monitoring sites and amounts with dates of sampling.

http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/personaluse/kenaipu.cfm
The fish and game site explains the new boat and motor restrictions and also defines the Kenai River dip-netting area.

http://www.epa.gov/twg/2004/2004proposals/04kenai.pdf
This site explains why the Kenai River was labeled “impaired” and the date. This process is required for a body of water to have restrictions put into effect.

https://www.dec.state.ak.us/press_releases/2003/kenai%20hydrocarbons%20112003%20embargoed.pdf
The Department of Environmental Conservation site names boats as the primary cause of hydrocarbon pollution on the Kenai River.

http://ak.water.usgs.gov/Publications/Factsheets/fs-160-96kenaiv3.pdf
Here I find information describing the Kenai River watershed and the explanation for the need for regulations and restoration of stream banks.

Essay #2 Final Draft

State of Emergency!

On Friday the twenty seventh of February, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for the state of California due to the continuing drought conditions there. He stated that the next step would to be water rationing. The rationing could be put into effect as early as the end of March. This is the third year in a row that California has had below normal rainfall and less than normal snow pack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The state has said that they have almost three billion dollars in economic loss so far because of the drought. Ninety five thousand jobs have been lost in the agricultural businesses alone. Although the current drought in California is nice weather-wise, it causes further economic difficulties because it increases food prices, reduces the number of agricultural jobs, and causes more wild land fires.
The state of California claims they produce over half of this countries fruits, nuts, and vegetables. It is rated the number one farm state in terms of the value of its crops. California’s agriculture business is valued at over thirty six billion dollars per year.
The unemployment rate in California is currently just over ten percent. This figure is the first time in the state’s history to have an unemployment rate that high. Governor Schwarzenegger hopes to divert some of the agricultural jobs to new public works jobs building controversial new dams and enlarging some existing dams to hold more water. The question is: when will they receive more water? Also adding to the problem is that California’s population is growing at the fastest rate in the country. Currently the state’s growth rate is twice what the national average is. The supply of water is far below the current demand from population growth. Building these new dams and upgrading others will not help the current situation. It would however, help during the next drought cycle.
Drought is defined as a lack of precipitation over an extended period of time. The time frame is at least one full season, usually longer. Droughts are a normal function of climate. It comes and goes in cycles. The last severe drought in the state of California started in 1987 and lasted until 1992. At the Saddle Camp Ranger Station in northern California in 1991 they recorded just over 17 inches of precipitation where the average is 30 inches. The current drought cycle started in the winter of 2006. The same ranger station received less than 17 inches of precipitation in 2007 and just over 18 inches in 2008 at the same 30 inch average. The lowest recorded year was 1975-1976 where 16.6 inches was received.
The cost to fight wild-land fires is increasing at an alarming rate. In California last year the forestry department spent over one billion dollars for wildfire suppression. The current drought cycle will further compound the cost. Some communities report that they survive because of federal dollars spent for fire suppression in their areas. This money is spent on local businesses for food and supplies for the fire crews. The cost is substantial because of the remote or rugged areas the fires usually occur in.
People are not the only ones who suffer during drought cycles. California’s pacific salmon and steelhead populations have dwindled to near nothing in recent years. Last year the state was forced to suspend all salmon fishing off the coast of California and parts of Oregon. They just cannot return to spawning streams when the water levels are so low, and lower water levels also raise the water temperature. Higher temperatures due to climate change further compound the problem. The state has pledged millions of dollars to improve fisheries habitat.
An alternative to the fresh water runoff held in lakes and reservoirs is a process called seawater desalination. There are currently plants on the coast of California but they do not produce fresh water in sufficient quantities for the current population. There are other plants in the planning stages as well. The only problem with them is the cost. They can cost up to three times more than catching and holding fresh water runoff. A type of desalination process is a solar powered humidification-dehumidification that uses solar powered plates. There are small experimental plants in both Jordan and Malaysia that show promising results. Again the drawback is cost verses efficiency. “The solar plants are between thirty and fifty percent efficient. Further research and development could increase this efficiency.”(94) A positive byproduct of this process is hot water, which could also be used for domestic purposes other than drinking water. In the face of climate change and recurrent drought in California, it seems to make sense to spend the extra money for seawater desalination since the largest populations are along the coast. This would leave freshwater for crop irrigation, inland communities, and reduce damage to fisheries habitat.

Works Cited:

Zamen,M. “Cost optimization of a solar humidification–dehumidification desalination unit using mathematical programming.”
Desalination Vol. 239 Issue 1-3 (Apr2009): p92-99. Academic Search Premier.
EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Anchorage Lib., Anchorage, AK.
9 Mar. 2009 http://search.ebscohost.com

A. S. B. “Study Assesses the Future of Desalination.”
Mechanical Engineering Vol. 130 Issue 8 (Aug2008): p23-23. Academic Search Premier.
EBSCOhost. University of Alaska Anchorage Lib., Anchorage, AK.
9 Mar. 2009 http://search.ebscohost.com


http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE51Q5XC20090228
http://www.drought.unl.edu/whatis/concept.htm

Essay 2 Draft

State of Emergency!
On Friday the twenty seventh of February, Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency for the state of California due to the continuing drought conditions there. He stated that the next step would to be water rationing. The rationing could be put into effect as early as the end of March. This is the third year in a row that California has had below normal rainfall and less than normal snow pack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The state has said that they have almost three billion dollars in economic loss so far because of the drought. Ninety five thousand jobs have been lost in the agricultural businesses alone. Although the current drought in California is nice weather-wise, it causes further economic difficulties because it increases food prices, reduces the number of agricultural jobs, and causes more wild land fires.
The state of California claims they produce over half of this countries fruits, nuts, and vegetables. It is rated the number one farm state in terms of the value of its crops. California’s agriculture business is valued at over thirty six billion dollars per year.
The unemployment rate in California is currently just over ten percent. This figure is the first time in the state’s history to have an unemployment rate that high. Governor Schwarzenegger hopes to divert some of the agricultural jobs to new public works jobs building controversial new dams and enlarging some existing dams to hold more water. The question is: when will they receive more water? Also adding to the problem is that California’s population is growing at the fastest rate in the country. Currently the state’s growth rate is twice what the national average is. The supply of water is far below the current demand from population growth. Building these new dams and upgrading others will not help the current situation. It would however, help during the next drought cycle.
Drought is defined as a lack of precipitation over an extended period of time. The time frame is at least one full season, usually longer. Droughts are a normal function of climate. It comes and goes in cycles. The last severe drought in the state of California started in 1987 and lasted until 1992. At the Saddle Camp Ranger Station in northern California in 1991 they recorded just over 17 inches of precipitation where the average is 30 inches. The current drought cycle started in the winter of 2006. The same ranger station received less than 17 inches of precipitation in 2007 and just over 18 inches in 2008 at the same 30 inch average. The lowest recorded year was 1975-1976 where 16.6 inches was received.
The cost to fight wild-land fires is increasing at an alarming rate. In California last year the forestry department spent over one billion dollars for wildfire suppression. The current drought cycle will further compound the cost. Some communities report that they survive because of federal dollars spent for fire suppression in their areas. This money is spent on local businesses for food and supplies for the fire crews. The cost is substantial because of the remote or rugged areas the fires usually occur in.
An alternative to the fresh water runoff held in lakes and reservoirs is a process called seawater desalination. There are currently plants on the coast of California but they do not produce fresh water in sufficient quantities for the current population. There are other plants in the planning stages as well. The only problem with them is the cost. They can cost up to three times more than catching and holding fresh water runoff.
People are not the only ones who suffer during drought cycles. California’s pacific salmon and steelhead populations have dwindled to near nothing in recent years. Last year the state was forced to suspend all salmon fishing off the coast of California and parts of Oregon. They just cannot return to spawning streams when the water levels are so low, and lower water levels also raise the water temperature. Higher temperatures due to climate change further compound the problem. The state has pledged millions of dollars to improve fisheries habitat.



http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE51Q5XC20090228
http://www.drought.unl.edu/whatis/concept.htm

Plagiarism Exercise

I have read all the information on plagiarism and paraphrasing. I didn't really know exactly what it was and still don't completely understand it. I didn't know that you had to list sources after each paraphrase. I thought that was why we listed sources at the end of our papers. Anyway I will do my very best to not get nailed on plagiarism.

Week 6 Reading Response: Ralli

Tania Ralli’s article about the definition of “looter” is completely new to me. I’ve never heard of it before. The last paragraph in the article where Mr. Graythen posted an email message about the time to argue is not now is right on. The time then was survival mode. The journalists in this article were there and called things as they saw them. It seems that the people that were criticizing this situation weren’t there. I think it’s easy for people to judge. These journalists were there and under a great deal of stress that we can’t imagine unless you live through it as they did. The people that complain about such things, in my opinion, need to find something to do that’s constructive. They must have way too much time on their hands. As long as there are people that like to “stir the pot” this nation will never be truly united. I think it’s sad that Graythen received so much negative email on this caption issue. This article is more about division than it is about definition. It’s pretty pathetic that people will even criticize him for spelling and grammar, given his environment. I looked up the word ethos in the dictionary in order to be able to address the question of the typing and spelling contributing or detracting from his argument and ethos. Ethos means character. How on earth are we supposed to judge his character by typing and spelling errors? In my opinion the only way to judge someone’s character is to get to know them. Having never heard of him before or read anything about this issue I cannot and will not judge his character.

Week 6 Reading Response: Visual Arguments

In Mike Lester’s cartoon, It’s GOT to be the shoes, I think he is saying that the Supreme Court Decision is ridicules. I would agree that some admission practices are very unfair. In Dennis Draughton’s cartoon, Supreme Irony, I don’t really understand it and to be honest, I don’t care to. Mike Thompson’s cartoon, Daniel Lives on Detroit’s Eastside, he is assuming an audience that is familiar with Detroit. We have to assume it’s a ghetto situation. He also seems to say that the only blacks live in the ghettos. I also found out that Calvin College that we wrote about last week is an all black college. Isn’t that reverse discrimination? Signe Wilkinson’s cartoon, Admissions, is an argument, I believe, about money and social status. Money and sports seem to get first choice, and then they fill the minority quota. Everyone else, regardless of grades or intent, or whatever other prerequisite, gets shoved aside. The minority gets blamed because they don’t have anyone to stand up for them. Dean Camp’s “Pricey” seems to argue the money issue as well. I think that Signe Wilkinson’s cartoon is the most effective because the more prestigious colleges in the lower forty eight states operate in this manner. It’s unfortunate but it is reality. It also seems like these same prestigious colleges have very successful sports teams. Why is that? Don’t have to think too hard on that one do we? To me, I think the least successful cartoon is “Supreme Irony” because as I said earlier, I don’t really get it.

Week 5: Reading Response 3

The multiple audiences for the “I am my anti-drug” campaign seem to be all the generations after the people in the ads. The young adults in the ads possibly seem to feel like they are being judged by their looks and age. Another audience could be future employers. They are also addressing their peers. To answer the question of whom the advertisements are addressing directly I would have to say all the older generations. Who are the invoked audiences? I would think it’s the same older generations. To compare the three ads, they all refer to drug users. Two of the three refer to kids and teenagers. All three refer to them playing some type of sport. Two of them allude to possible careers in progress. The only contrast I see is the color of their skin. I really don’t know which one of these ads is more effective. I’ve never seen any of them before. I don’t know if they were television ads or in newspapers or magazines. If they were in television ads it probably would matter what channel and what time the ads were run. It would be the same for magazines. It would depend on the particular audience they were targeting as to what magazine to advertise in or what channel to run the ad on. As far as these ads being effective, I don’t know what they mean by the “I am my anti-drug”. I understand what courage and regret are but, I don’t understand the I am statement.

Week 5: Reading Response 2

The article by John Zwier: An Opportunity for Intelligent Debate really stirred me up. Politics and religion have always been hand in hand, and always will be like it or not, right or wrong. I agree with the buttons statement, but it still alludes to division. There will always be division between Democrats and Republicans. We will always have a comparison of Conservatives to Republican, Liberals to Democrats, Christians to Republican and non Christians to Democrats. To pretend that this division doesn’t exist is infantile. I also agree with John that the opportunity for the president to speak at their college is one that should be taken advantage of. As far as the students who didn’t like the idea they can stay home if they don’t want to hear what he has to say. We all have that choice. We all must show respect for the person and the position regardless of whether we agree with him or not. There will never be a president that can make everyone happy all of the time. I for one am tired of Bush bashing. I find it sad that this school had already judged the man before he even spoke. The last two paragraphs seem to state this. Why do they hope that speaking there would make him nervous? And what makes Calvin College a Christian college? I can read between the lines that they even question his (George W. Bush) Christianity. I highly doubt they could do any better. The current administration certainly won’t. It seems the majority voted for change without knowing what all “change” meant. Buckle up folks; it’s going to be a rough ride.

Week 5: Reading Response 1

To summarize Bositis’s argument for me is difficult. I see a lot of numbers and stats about polls. All I see him doing is complaining that polls aren’t accurate for minority groups. I thought polls were to get information about what the majority wants or sees or needs. If he wants that information about minority groups then minority groups should have a separate poll. I understand that it is more difficult to accurately poll minorities in different parts of the county. I grew up in eastern Washington in an agricultural area. It has a very high percentage of Hispanics. A lot of them are here illegally and will fade into the woodwork when confronted for any questions. Yet these are the same people that will complain through others what they like, dislike or need or want from this country. Also a large percentage doesn’t speak English. I think step one would be to learn English. Step two is to become a citizen, and step three would be to only poll legitimate US citizens. I agree with Bositis that the polls are inaccurate, but they are inaccurate across the board, not just with minorities.

It is an evaluative argument because he is stating a claim and giving probable causes for it. It is a proposal argument because he gives some suggestions on how to help fix the problem. Some suggestions he gives are for certain organizations, including the news operations to go into areas where minorities live and work and find out and understand all the views they do or do not share.

Week 5: LEAD SENTENCES

The lead sentence I found is a summary lead. I liked it because it shows that data can be wrong. www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601110&sid=aIe9swvOgwIY click on enviroment.

Essay #1 Final Draft

LONG LIVE THE TWO STROKE!

Although two stroke boat motors are considered dirty as far as exhaust emissions are concerned, they are excellent motors because they are powerful, reliable, and economical to operate.

Dugald Clerk is credited for inventing the two stroke cycle engine around 1880. Joseph Day and one of his workmen designed the valve-less two strokes in 1889 which is basically what we use today. Ole Evinrude invented the first outboard motor in 1909.

Outboard motors on boats were developed as a self contained unit to power small boats. They are mounted on the back or stern of the boat. It can be pivoted or turned to steer the boat. They can have a propeller or, what is referred to as a jet unit. A jet unit is a type of enclosed propeller that forces a large amount of water through a small nozzle, or jet to propel the boat. Two stroke engines complete the thermodynamic cycle in two strokes of the piston. A two cycle (two stroke) engine uses the beginning of the compression stroke for the intake and the end of the combustion stroke to accomplish the exhaust function. This allows a power stroke every time the piston goes down. A two stroke engine has no camshaft or valves, and no crankcase oil other than what’s mixed with the fuel. Two stroke engines have a high power to weight ratio because they have fewer parts.

There are many different designs of two stroke engines but the most common for outboard motors is the reed valve. The reed valve is a type of one way check valve in the intake port to keep the fuel charge (fuel mixture) in the crankcase. The newest two stroke outboards use direct injection. Oil is injected in the intake port after the reed valve, to lubricate the rotating assembly. The fuel is injected directly into the cylinder. Direct injection gives more power with less fuel consumption and greatly reduced emissions. However there is still controversy over the use of older non-direct injected two stroke motors.

The San Diego Earth Times and the state of California state that according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), non-direct injected two strokes can discharge as much as thirty percent of their fuel and oil unburned into the water. The EPA also states that an older (prior to 1999) seventy horsepower two stroke outboard motor emits as much hydrocarbons as a modern car will in five thousand miles of driving. The San Diego Earth Times estimates that seventy five percent of all motorized boats are powered by two stroke motors. According to Evinrude their new E-TEC two stroke engines are cleaner than most four strokes and currently pass all emissions requirements including California's very strict regulations. Evinrude claims that a fifty horsepower E-TEC will only use two quarts of oil per year in average use.

I currently own an old 1981 Johnson sixty horsepower engine with a jet drive on my flat bottom river boat. The power is adequate for the boat and I can run this combination in about five inches of water. If I were to switch to a four stroke motor I would probably need at least a seventy five horsepower engine to compensate for the weight gain with the four stroke engine. As far as oil consumption is concerned, I mix fifteen ounces of oil per five and a half gallons of fuel. I can run my boat for most of the day on less than ten gallons of gas.

As you can see two stroke motors have been around for a long time. The basic design has not changed much in one hundred years, proving its reliability. A two stroke motor’s power to weight ratio is unmatched. Two stroke motors are economical because they use very little oil, require no oil and filter changes, and minimal maintenance. Current technology has made two stroke outboard motors clean running, powerful, and fuel efficient.

REFERENCES:

http://www.sdearthtimes.com/et0897/et0897s2.html
http://www.outboardcentral.com/content/view/16/1/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-stroke_engine
http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Environmental/TwoStroke/

Week 4 Reading Response- Pictures

In Everything is an Argument, with Readings, by Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters a photo essay shows American products being advertised in other countries. This photo essay, titled: “Making a Visual Argument: Exporting America” shows how different aspects of American culture have been exported around the world. When I look at these pictures I see junk. Beer, cigarettes, McDonald's, and sodas, are sold. Self-indulgence, like the picture entitled Mother and Children at Disney Sea, the Disney Theme Park in Japan, 2001, is another aspect. I see Disneyland as a waste of money. The picture, entitled Advertising Budweiser as Capitalism Comes to China (no date) associating beer with sex by a skimpily clad Budweiser girl being ogled by Chinese men. Why would Met Life advertise insurance in Taiwan? We should be exporting items that meet basic needs instead of junk food. The people of our nation are generally not healthy and beer, cigarettes, soda, and McDonald’s encourages other countries to be the same. We should be selling clean water and basic food staples, not extras. I wonder if other countries think that all we do is drink sodas, beers, smoke cigarettes and eat at McDonald's. I know from my trip to Taiwan that there were seven-eleven stores everywhere which sold junk food. I also wonder if some other countries want these things so that they can be like Americans, or if it's forced on them? The countries that it's forced on are probably the ones that don't like us, go figure. As you can probably tell I am very disappointed with the garbage we export.

Week 4 Reading Response Cartoons

In Everything’s an Argument; with Readings, Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters present five cartoons from the New Yorker Magazine. The main issue in the cartoons is communication between men and women. The kinds of people targeted by these cartoons appear to be working middle class heterosexual couples who appear to have traditional, possibly conservative values. The readers lives seem to be full of conflict in communication between men and women. Roz Chast’s cartoon shows conflict at home, and William Hamilton’s comic shows conflict at work. The intended audience values effective communication between men and women. Values such as traditional couples appear in two separate cartoons. Peter Steiner’s cartoon shows a traditional marriage in a church with a socio-linguist between the couple as they are getting married. Roz Chast’s cartoon shows a traditional couple, where the woman is the housewife with an apron on. People reading these cartoons are concerned with effective communication with the opposite sex. In Peter Steiner’s cartoon, the audience is expected to know who Debra Tannen is in order to understand the cartoon. They are also expected to know what is happening in Peter Steiner’s cartoon (a religious wedding ceremony). In all the cartoons, the men and woman are not understanding what the opposite sex is saying. Leo Cullum’s cartoon shows fear that man has when a woman says “We need to talk.” According to this cartoon, some men do not want to effectively communicate with women. William Hamilton’s carton shows men getting defensive at the woman’s question about asking directions. In conclusion, the cartoons are all about communication between men and women.

Essay #1 Draft

Although two stroke boat motors are considered dirty as far as exhaust emissions are concerned, they are excellent motors because they are powerful, reliable, and economical to operate. Ole Evinrude invented the first outboard motor in 1909. Dugald Clerk is credited for inventing the two stroke cycle engine around 1880. Two stroke engines complete the thermodynamic cycle in two strokes of the piston instead of four. A four stroke engine uses an intake stroke, compression stroke, power stroke and exhaust stroke. A two cycle engine uses the beginning of the compression stroke for the intake and the end of the combustion stroke to accomplish the exhaust function. this allows a power stroke every time the piston goes down instead of every other stroke. This also allows a two stroke engine to have less moving parts and no crankcase oil other than whats mixed with the fuel. Two stroke engines have a high power to weight ratio because they have fewer parts such as no camshafts or valves. There are many different designs of two stroke engines but the most common for outboard motors is the reed valve. The reed valve is a type of one way check valve in the intake port to keep the fuel charge in the crankcase. The newest outboards use direct injection. Oil is injected in the intake port after the reed valve to lubricate the rotating assembly and fuel is injected directly into the cylinder. Direct injection gives more power with less fuel consumption and greatly reduced emissions.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, non direct injected two strokes can discharge as much as thirty percent of there fuel and oil unburned into the water. The EPA also states that an older seventy horsepower two stroke engine emits as much hydrocarbons as a modern car will in five thousand miles of driving. The San Diego Earth Times estimates that seventy five percent of all motorized boats are powered by two stroke motors. According to Evinrude there new E-TEC two stroke engines are cleaner than most four strokes and currently pass all emissions requirements including California's very strict regulations. Evinrude claims that a fifty horsepower E-TEC will only use two quarts of oil per year in average use.
I currently own an old 1981 Johnson sixty horsepower engine with a jet drive on my flat bottom river boat. The power is adequate for the boat and I can run this combination in about five inches of water. If I were to switch to a four stroke motor I would probably need at least a seventy five horsepower engine to compensate for the weight gain with the four stroke. As far as oil consumption is concerned I mix fifteen ounces of oil per five and a half gallons of fuel. I can run my boat for most of the day on less than ten gallons of gas.
As you can see two stroke motors have been around for a long time and with current technology they are not going away any time soon for the reasons listed above.

Week 3 Response

Lamott’s writing style helps her make her point by convincing us that everyone makes bad first drafts. That it’s ok to make bad first drafts and she uses humor and personal experience to do that. I can relate to her about not being able to write anymore and think about getting her old job back. In paragraph five, she states: “I’m not going to be able to get the magic to work this time. I’m ruined. I’m through. I’m toast. Maybe, I’d think, I can get my old job back as a clerk typist. But probably not. I’d get up and study my teeth in the mirror for a while. Then I’d stop, remember to breathe, make a few phone calls, hit the kitchen and chow down.” However, I find that if I try to leave a writing assignment my tendency is to not come back at all. There are just too many distractions. This is where I can agree with some of her points but not all of them, but that is why we are all different. Some things will work for me but not for you. In paragraph seven she says that sometimes she writes a first draft that is twice as long as it should be. I struggle with wondering how on earth I will be able to come up with enough. Maybe I should go to the kitchen and chow down. It worked for her maybe it will work for me, oops my stomach just growled. It also doesn’t help with her talking about writing food reviews. Her main point is to just start writing and get something, anything down on paper. It’s a start and we all have to start somewhere.

Week 2 response

I think Sea's essay titled "Advertising Sets Double Standard for the Male Gender" portrays his disgust for the way advertising portrays men.  His examples are but a few of the many out there.  His question is valid in which he has to ask how men should act.  Advertising, it seems only show extreme ends of behavior.  He claims that men are portrayed as feminine, idiotic, or as macho man.  

Sea uses two types of claims.  His evaluative claim say's that advertising claims that men should act like men, but they don't say how men should act.  According to advertising, there are two types of men.  Sea lists the unmanly traits as baby talking to small dogs, effeminate swatting, dabbing grease off of pizza, being a bumbling fool, idiots controlled by women, and slightly built effeminate models.  Advertising list manly traits as fearless, muscular, masculine truck drivers.  His causal claim is stated in the following passage, "'metrosexual backlash' which is a return to traditional masculine images in reaction to the recent androgynous portrayal of the male figure."  I agree with Sea that advertising sets a double standard for men as well as women and probably every other group there is.  I think the media enjoys making fun of people in general.  Advertising and the media control us to a certain extent by what we see and perceive as "normal."

Writing Assignment #1-Why am I doing this?

Writing Assignment #1-Why am I doing this?

I still can’t believe I actually signed up for an English class. I unofficially have three classes left for my degree. They are the classes that I do not want to do, no offense Professor Sullivan. I am taking this class because a former co-worker who took a position at Rogue Community College in southern Oregon wants me to Teach with him. I would be teaching automotive classes. Wrenching not writing.

I think the most important skill for me to have for this course is the discipline to complete it. The reading will be hard for me to do because it is not technical automotive stuff. The writing will be hard because I do not like to write. A positive characteristic that I have is I tend to be a perfectionist when working on things with my hands so I will apply that here as well. Also I am not a quitter so I will work this in somehow. Did I mention that that I am married three teenagers? Did I mention that we are in the middle of remodeling our house so that we can sell it and take the opportunity in Oregon? Have any of you remodeled a house before? I don’t like it, I prefer grease instead of sawdust. So far we have rented a connex and moved everything we can live without into it for about the next two months. Then we gutted the downstairs in preparation for an actual heating system, other than wood.

My point in this writing is that I am feeling overwhelmed by adding this class to my plate.

Introduction

Hello; my name is Ken Ealy. I live halfway between Palmer and Wasilla.
I work at UAA in the Auto/ Diesel building in Anchorage. I have lived
in Alaska for a total of 16 years. 12 Years this last go around. I am taking this class to move one step closer to my AAS degree. My fears and anxieties about this class is finding the time to do the work. I work full time, have three
teenagers and we are in the middle of remodeling our house. I don't have any
writing history. My hobbies and interests include working on cars and trucks,
restoring classic cars, and building engines. I also love to fish and either be in
the garage or doing anything outside.