Part I: Contemplation of the Energy Return on Investment (EROI) Author’s note This post is a bit longer (and headier) than previous posts, but herein I open a very complex and somewhat controversial constellation of subjects, and attempt to treat matters in a cross-disciplinary manner and at the root-level. My intention in blogging for Chemists …
A Chemist’s Critique of Economics and “Sustainable Development” Read More »
By Josh Kearns Readers of this blog probably don’t have to be told that the proliferation of synthetic chemicals over the past century has hugely impacted drinking water sources around the world. But you might be shocked to learn that these toxic contaminants are completely ignored by international, governmental and non-governmental agencies concerned with expanding …
Making “Low-Tech” Biochar Adsorbent For Decentralized Water Treatment Read More »
by Josh Kearns For this, my second post on the Chemists Without Borders blog, I had prepared a more “academic-sounding” post about Making “Low-Tech” Biochar Adsorbent For Decentralized Water Treatment. While that’s an interesting topic (I hope…), we’ll save that discussion for next week as I’ve just returned from a real Chemist-Without-Borders situation with visceral …
Hi! My name is Josh Kearns, and I am excited to be a guest blogger for Chemists Without Borders! I am a chemist by training – I hold a BS in chemistry with a minor in environmental engineering from Clemson University in South Carolina, and an MS in environmental biogeochemistry from the University of California-Berkeley. …
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I read about this in a recent American Chemical Society (ACS) newsletter. It is a neat idea that Chemists Without Borders might be inspired by or may want to team up with this student group. The ACS Student Chapter at Missouri State University came up with a way to raise funds, spread their cause, and have some …
Our friend recommends this Arsenic Crisis Newsletter & Discussion. He said of it, “… this site has a boatload of contributions, I think some of them may actually be good research. FYI in case you want to scan the overall chatter about the As problem. Regards, David” The formal group description is: “Newsletter & discussion …
Denis (right) with teachers in computer room. Chemists Without Borders president Bego Gerber believes that “The Power is in the Network”. A case in point: In January this year he sent me a quick e-mail telling me about Marijke De Vos from Belgium. She had participated in Chemists Without Borders bi-monthly call-ins and had mentioned …
As some of you may have heard last month, Cadmium was found to have contaminated rice in China. There was an interesting article about it in the Bloomberg News: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-06-13/china-to-survey-level-of-soil-pollution-nationwide-xinhua-says.html Human pollution is believed to be the cause. This has understandably caused public outrage and spurred a nationwide project to determine the level of 78 elements …
I saw this interesting article about the antibacterial ingredient triclosan (5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol) by CBS news. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57582621/does-antibacterial-soap-cause-more-harm-than-good-fda-to-decide-after-four-decades/ Triclosan is in all sorts of household products including antibacterial hand soap, acne wash, mouthwash, and even toothpaste. Although used in household products for 40 years, the FDA has yet to decide if triclosan is actually effective as an antibacterial …
Safety & Effectiveness of Triclosan in Household Products Read More »