Chemic

 

Quayana Towns sat worried about her two-month old daughter at the hospital even after the family had been drinking bottled water for a few months. Ms. Towns remained worried because, before they were drinking Flint’s tap water and her child’s health was still at risk. The lead laced water threatens the children’s growth, behavior, and intelligence. Basically, their brains are still growing and cannot develop properly if they are consuming lead.

Residents were outraged that Flint’s government had failed to properly address the issue. They simply left people of Flint in harm’s way. Many residents felt like this problem would have been addressed better if more of the population was white. About fifty-seven percent of Flint’s 99,000 residents are black, and forty percent live in poverty, one of the highest rates in the nation for a city its size. The citizens are convinced there may even be a conspiracy at work, but there has not been much information on the subject.

After hearing so many rumors of health problems due to lead, the people began to grow curious how long this disaster may last. The citizens were not quite sure how serious to take the situation. Some moved out of town because, they grew impatient and did not want to make a mistake.

Part of the reason that this situation was not taken that serious at its start, is that the government did not know if they had found the worst case or not. If they just assumed someone like Ms. Towns had the worst case scenario, they were still clueless to what they were really dealing with. There were worse situations, residents also lacked knowledge about what was going on, so they might be fine in a few weeks, and that idea sounded great to them.

At the start of this disaster, advisors tried their hardest to create the belief that Flint’s water was still a good resource. There were post everywhere about how to clean the water and what to do. Some of the time that could have been used solving the problem had been spent just playing in the water at this point. Flint’s people were still getting sick, all of the post were making things worse. Some of these people really believed that their water resources were perfectly healthy because, they were convinced that there was a simple process that could clean their water.

Some websites made attempts to explain how the water could still be safe, but the post were never taken down. There was a lack of knowledge during the time these sites first posted their information. People continued to drink, bath, and survive using their tap water after these post, and the results of that did not make for a good ending. They should have been removed after the later findings, considering some people may think that Flint’s water is still be safe to drink. Some people failed to realized that nearly all of the pipes were rusted from aging and that water could not all be contained in one specific place so the sites would ask questions like “How do I know if

my tap water is contaminated with lead?”, and that just proved that there was a lack of knowledge in a lot of places even with in the community of Flint itself.

Children began to have rashes and breathing difficulties all due to taking showers in their toxic tap water. At the time, the problem was bigger than the government would admit. These simple ideas continued to be thrown around, but everyone realized the dangers that came along with that. The residents realized they had to stop using this water completely.

The people of Flint quickly learned that this lead contamination would lead to too many health problems. Innocent children were growing sick due to the lead so, the answers to many questions became evident.

Flint’s pipes were aging and did not have adequate corrosion control, which would make the pipes rust much faster and make the whole process harder to fix. Testing continued, and things were only getting worse. Researchers determined it would be too difficult to keep a river clean rather than a lake or any other body of stagnant water. The task would also become more difficult as there was still rain and other weather to worry about that made a definite difference.

Now that the circumstances were clear, Flint’s government could begin to take action. Ideas began to merge quickly since the government knew they would have to act fast. Between 2013 and 2014 the percentage of blood lead level increased from 5 µg/dL to a peak of about 7%. The numbers in this crisis were starting to sound unbelievable. The numbers were as high as 900 times more than the safe amount of lead in drinking water.

At this point, the people were beginning to get worried and there were beginning to be people were going without water. The water cases were flying off of the shelves much too fast for some families to get supplied. Families had to rely on bottled and contained water for baby formula, bathing, drinking, and surviving.

The problem obviously has a solution. The government would not have decided to just put an end to a city over something like this. There are whole countries that have this problem. Articles read that “there are still more than 850 billion gallons of raw or untreated sewage that reach our streams, rivers, and lakes every year, and without a better approach to funding, enforcement, and innovation, the situation will continue to get worse”. (“Sewer problems and solutions” American Rivers. April 25, 2016) This shows Americans everywhere that ultimately there is a plan to fix these type of problems on a bigger and possibly permanent scale, although there are temporary solutions that have worked for quite some time.

In the late 1960s the government realized that water pollution was a big issue that needed to be solved. Number wise, dealing with water always looks bad. Think about the ratio of water that we use in comparison to what we do not use.

These pollution issues have occurred time and time again. People can search the internet and find all kinds of ways to “unpoison” water. If that does not say that this is a common problem, then what does?

The most influential people have to work together to solve this problem and gain support from others that are capable of making a difference and help Flint’s people live healthy again. The citizens of Flint are working really hard to stay in their homes and continue their work in the town although there is a serious issue.

The little bit of attention the Flint water crisis does get is due to celebrities and government workers. As these celebrities show more support and interest, the Flint water crisis is being promoted for what it really is, as far as disaster goes.

Beyoncé caught the attention of CNN along with numerous others that were concerned with Flint’s current lifestyle. The singer has a foundation call the BeyGood Fund. Her foundation donated things like filters, filtration pitchers, and bottled water.

These high profile celebrities are pulling the attention of everyone to the disaster in Flint. These articles never fail to thoroughly explain what is going on in Flint as they explain the noble actions of these celebrities.

These wealthier people give automatic progress towards temporary and permanent solutions to this problem. They promote this crisis to get the support from others to help Flint as well but, they also have already donated excessive amounts of money that can speed up the process.

As long as the team work continue, the problem will be handled fairly soon. Flint’s mayor has determined that an estimated $55 million will be mandatory to replace all of the lead pipes. “The mayor of Flint, Michigan, said Tuesday she needs $55 million to remove lead pipes in the city beleaguered by a toxic water crisis. She is asking that Gov. Rick Snyder partner with her to get the funds.” (“Flint mayor says $55 million needed to replace lead pipes” CNN politics. Feb. 9 2016)

There are problems as far as finances go, but those numbers are not impossible. These numbers stated by the governor disappointed her people actually. Everyone is aware that the hardest part will be finding enough people to fix this disaster properly. What really bothers everyone is that majority of these pipes are placed between six and seven feet underground and stretches out for many miles. “So that’s the basic challenge: dig up several hundred miles of poisonous pipe buried as deep as dead bodies.”(“Here’s how hard it’ll be to unpoison Flint’s water” Wired. Jan. 29, 2016)

Basically, this article just let everyone know that, if the government can find enough helping hands that can handle a huge project, this could happen quickly. The amount of helping hands will determine how this solution will work out.

Another thing to keep in mind is, that everything that gets ruined in the process of this has to get fixed as well. So all of the pavement will have to be replaced, any homes that get damaged will need to be fixed, and there will need to be shelter for those who have to go without.

Although digging up pipes sounds like a simple job, it is not. These pipes are going to be difficult to locate anyway. The pipes only have a diameter of an inch so they are not just in plain sight. No one would dare to just dig up everything and have to spend more money and timing fixing all of the construction sites.

It would definitely be a blessing to say that Flint can recover in a few months, but after looking into the numbers, there is a very thin chance this may quickly come to an end. There is an infinite amount of things to consider in this situation. There are still things like gas lines, fire optic wires, and plenty of cables that could be destroyed in the process. Some of the results of digging around those things are worse than just having an abandoned city.

“Creagh said the answer is complicated, and part of the problem that a series of issues related to Flint’s drinking water — the color, high bacteria levels, dangerous levels of disinfectant byproducts, and lead concerns — were treated as “discrete incidents.” when officials should have been looking at the overall quality and safety of Flint’s water.” (“DEQ’s Creagh admits to ‘breakdown’ in handling Flint water complaints” Detroit Free Press. April 25,2016)

Flint has still decided to take the challenge anyway. The government probably does not want to just simply have a ghost town sitting. Everyone will still have to find a place to stay during these times of construction, but nonetheless the challenge has been accepted. There are many pieces to this puzzle that are all vital, if the government wants this new project to be a success. The FWTAF had a meeting recently to serve multiple purposes.

The first purpose of the report was to clarify and simplify the narrative regarding the roles of the parties involved, and assign accountability clearly, so that the people may become satisfied with the end results.

The second part of the report was to highlight the causes for the failures of the government that precipitated the crisis and suggest measures to prevent such failures in the future. Everyone wants to know who to point the finger at basically. Everyone also wants to make sure that they are not left to handle the same responsibilities anymore, if any responsibilities at all.

The final purpose is to simply let the people of Flint know what they need to do next. These people have been waiting for answers for quite some time and now there will be improved answers. They will not know exactly what to do, but they will make sure decisions are being made.

It took the nation a while to give Flint the attention it need in these times of need, but now the problem will be fixed. The process will take a little longer now, considering it has only gotten worse. Many websites are making articles about how long the process of fixing Flint’s water will be. The process of fixing the problem just puts people down in spirit.

It is easy to say considering all of the work that these people have lined up and how much organization must go into this attempt that it may take years more before this problem is fixed. With the crisis getting more and more attention, there will be donations and helpers coming from everywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/tips/water.htm

http://search.proquest.com/environmentalscience/docview/1765549400/D8CD2F7AD97E43DDPQ/1?accountid=4117

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27023578

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/09/politics/flint-mayor-cost-replace-pipes/

http://flintwaterstudy.org/

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/04/25/snyder-cabinet-members-testify-today-flint-panel/83488418/

http://www.vox.com/2016/1/20/10789810/flint-michigan-water-crisis

http://exclusivenightmare.wix.com/flintscrisis

A lot about my research can be answered easily. Almost anyone who hears this story will become concerned. There are innocent people who are growing sick and going without due to this bad water system. There has been problems like this in the past and yet we still manage to run into these situations again.

The stories are all over the United States about how these millionaires are spending thousands to supply Michigan with quality drinking water. These people are doing as much as they can to help.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/01/flint-water-crisis-lead-heroes

A lot of these people who decide to invest in the Flint water crisis are aware that the government will not fix these problems alone and they are fine with getting involved to make sure the issue is solved.

Tom Gores who owns the Detroit Pistons, vowed to raise 10 million dollars to help fund the city through their crisis. He grew up in Flint, so this water problem made him feel guilty, and really hopes that more people get involved for the sake of a great community.

The answer to the question of who cares is pretty simple. Almost anyone who knows about the situation cares.

The news is full of celebrities giving money and support to help out Flint in anyway possible. A lot of these celebrities usually go ahead and do some kind of promoting for Flint. Once they show their support and caring, others are easily provoked to do the same.

People are even going as far as donating a million water bottles like P.Diddy and Mark Wahlberg .

 

 

In my experience with any type of plumbing problem, there always has to be a way to get rid of the problem a little amount at a time. When our toilet is clogged,  we usually have to use the plunger constantly and then flush just as often.

We repeat this process plenty of times. What I am trying to say is that my main argument would be that this will take a good amount of time. These pipes are rusted. That alone is a big problem. How can we drain all of the polluted water to one place, and then replace the pipes , and then make sure that system is clean as well?

This just simply cannot be a simple process. Consider how much it would cost just to replace one homes plumbing. Now, imagine doing every house in a whole city if we assume that no home is safe. Which we have no other choice, because even if it is not there yet, it can easily get there in the process. And, plus what is everyone going to do? The government cannot afford to move all of these people into a new home.

Have you sat down and considered the solutions of the similar situations that happened before? Most of these situations were handled with in a certain amount of time?There is water pollution in a lot places when you think about it right? The problem’s solution has only ever taken so long so it is easier to set a standard considering how often we run into this type of problems.

 

On one hand, how to handle having lead in your tap water is useful information. On the other hand, there is a warning in the end proving that this is not the best idea . The .U.S. Department of Health and Human Services contradicts themselves. At the same time that they argue the people can use their tap water still, they also imply it is still dangerous.

I agree that the people can use this water at their own risk. They argue that it is a bigger priority to make sure that this water is more useful than dangerous,but others are saying that the dangers of this water are more important, and I agree because not everyone will be able to follow the instructions correctly and consistently.

Their argument that the water is still a dependable resource is supported by new research showing that some of the ill people began to become healthier again.

In recent discussion of how to fix the Flint water crisis, a controversial issue has been whether the problem can be fixed in a timely matter or not. On one hand some argue that it will. On the other hand, however, others argue that Flint’s plumbing will be no more.

I would have to agree to be honest. If the people want to use the water, and they know the risk they are taking, then let them do that, and let them know the correct way.

I think that the Centers for Disease Control and prevention is mistaken because the overlook the fact that people are  taking risk just to use this water. I disagree with the CDC’s view that people can take these risk at all because, as recent research has shown recent

Most studies show that exposure to lead-contaminated water alone would not be likely to elevate blood lead levels in most adults, even exposure to water with a lead content close to the EPA action level for lead of fifteen parts per billion. Risk will vary, however, depending on the individual, the circumstances, and the amount of water consumed. For example, infants who drink formula prepared with lead-contaminated water may be at a higher risk because of the large volume of water they consume relative to their body size.

New York Times demonstrates why Flint will return to using Detroit’s water. In fact, they celebrate the fact that people have realized the increase of lead exposure. That just shows that many people believed this was a terrible idea before it started. Justice is finally being served.

For my study I would definitely have to use data vis setup. I need to show the progress the lead percentage made in the bodies of water in Flint. These test were compared year to year, so I need to show where these bodies are and what percentage of their sample was lead each year.

It is easy for me to image my information on this setup and considering the description said it was good for lots of data with a simple, but eye catching image

It also says this chart is good for a focus on the design.  My design is going to emphasize the timely process that is going on with aging pipes and an increase in lead levels. I also noticed that if a study has anything to do a massive piece of land , the data vis seems to always work.

The final decision kind of depends on one’s preference on how much focus will go into the graphic design of the information. I feel like eyes that see patterns continue to search for patterns, so a few circular motions can hold attention for a decent amount of time. The picture in the description reminds me a lot of what I imagined when I pictured my data in my mind.

I am hoping to be able to find all of the test results of each sample throughout the  year or get the average percentage of lead found in each body of water by the year. My design will make a circular motion as it repeats the process.

As you all know I am interested in chemical engineering. As I search the web to figure out what is the most popular matter at hand as an engineer, I am finding that there have been a lot of mistakes in the engineering industry. Some of them are trending and some or not.

We hear about explosions and spills at least a few times a year. I saw issues in how much people are investing into engineering companies. I found out there have been new medical discoveries, and many other things.

The most popular event in the engineering world would have to be the activity that has been going on in Flint, Michigan recently.

This whole thing started almost a whole year ago. After doing a little research I easily discovered a good amount of the reasoning behind how the whole thing got started. The city of Flint switched their source of water last year. That part of the situation is fine. The problem was Flint officials failed to apply corrosion control treatment to the water.

There is more lead going into the water that comes from the aging pipes as well. There is a really bad chemical reaction and things do not look so good.

I have noticed a lot of people are still helping Flint get through these rough times. We see celebrities, wealthy people, and all types of other people who want to help out the community doing something to help everyday.

I feel that the real question should be “When will the whole problem be fixed?” at this point.

Our article “Some pervasive challenges to sustainability by design of electronic products – a conceptual discussion”, our author Rafael Laurenti wants to show us that technological improvements have made as much bad impact as good impact.This article is originally from the Journal of Cleaner Production. The article was accepted 12 August 2015. “However, these developments have also had sever environmental consequences.” he says. The word however triggers the fact that there will be some irony. From there the whole discussion takes a dramatic turn. The focus of this article becomes negative at that point.

“However, rather less attention has been paid to the unintended consequences or incremental improvements, which occur separated in time and geographical location from the point of the consumption.” Our focus is constantly getting pulled towards the negative view of these technology. The author explains to us that these schools believe in these technology improvements,tells us why they believe it, and then tells us why he does not believe it. He even explains his harsh choice of words. “Although the term unintended consequences may sound self explanatory….” he says to start his explanation. He uses pathos to show that he is not trying to be rude. He feels he has a valid point. H e wants to persuade us using every angle possible.

All of the graphs and numbers are supporting his opinion. He wants us to know an estimated number of how many resources we are waisting. These charts show how the numbers on technology subscribers have increased in a major way of the years.
“In a life cycle perspective, each choice of materials for a product involves downstream impacts from the point of design. Since in a globalised world materials are produced,…” Our author is now relating to us through logos. This is all simply logic. We cannot really argue against logic.

cancer drug

We automatically notice the title of the site. Even though this site is used by workers in the chemical field and engineers, this article is obviously for a broader crowd. Everything that we are reading on this site is for the most part simple and plain.

The thing that can catch nearly anyone’s attention is that this article is claiming that a drug that is already helping cancer patients may be able to help people with drinking problems as well. That is definitely a big statement to make. It is a good title though, it strikes curiosity. It is also straight to the point.

Our authors name can be found under a brief explanation of this article. If we click his name to gain some information and find his credentials, we will find that he has a good education and actually cares about the subject at hand. There is even some contact information if you would like to further your research on this matter.

From there, I would look back at the page containing the article. The first paragraph explains to us that not many medicines get approval to treat alcohol abuse. It then explains how the drugs help by telling what they do. The author does this so even the average person can gain some understanding of the purpose of these drugs.

Now we our introduced to the fact that there might be another drug capable of doing the same things and possibly better. These paragraphs use mild science terminology. This situation could be explained with simple expressions, but then it may lack detail. If the reader wants to gain more knowledge on the subject, they will have to search some of these words to gain more understanding. At the same time, there are people who work in these fields reading this article as well. They want to know details, so that the statement has some evidence behind it. If we were just told there is a drug that can help with drinking, there is such a broad range of drugs it could be with an even broader range of effects they can make. This way we can research and see if this claim is true. Any chemical majors may already know if this claim is believable automatically based off of the details that are stated.

All throughout the article we are told about how many times before drugs that help drinking problems tend to cause cancer. The author wants to stress the significance of this new finding. Once we consider that, it becomes an even bigger deal.

We are now informed of how the scientist experiment with this new drug. It is made just as simple as the last few statements so that the average person can have a good understanding. And all the same it has enough science terms for a person to seek more information on the topic. The process is explained well enough that we understand the end results and see the progress. That is what will matter to anyone who has read this far into the article.

In the end, we get another stress signal of the importance of this new discovery. We learn that there will be further research in the topic. That is the authors way of letting us know we can trust these people and their work.