Sweden where the trash turns into Cash!

Countries are having trouble trying to find places where they can dump trash that is generated on a daily basis. But Sweden is thinking the opposite way, instead they want more trash, they want it so much that they are actually importing 800,000 tons of it from many different countries. In the 1940's the world never even thought of making a recycling plant, but Sweden was progressive and began to turn their garbage into energy. Even though this has released harmful toxics in the air over the years it has gotten so good at this technique that the garbage has been reduced to a very low level. This recycle plant generates enough energy to provide heat for about 20% or around 810,000 swedish households and electricity for 250,000. And because of the public awareness it has strict laws and only a precent of 4% of all swedish trash ends up in a landfill. 63% of it ends up in USA landfills. Norway, is now sending its trash to Sweden and Bulgaria, Romania, and Italy are considering it too. 

So this was really cool to learn about and it was also good because right now in science I am learning a bout recycling. And so if the countries in the world did this that there would not be so much trash in the world, and us, animals, and our environment would not be harmed. 

Bibliography

http://www.dogonews.com/2012/11/1/how-sweden-plans-to-turn-the-worlds-trash-into-cash  

Spying on Plants on Soil

For many years scientists have been wondering what actually goes on in plants that are not visible for us. The team Lionel Dupuy at the University of Abertay Dundee  have had acreation of synthetic soil, which is actually as clear as glass. This transparent dirt took two years to develop which is made from composite Naflon, it is a certain type of material that is used in fuel cells, they are used in batteries and other devices. It also replicates chemistry in the soil that allows the plant to grow. So Naflon is transparent, so to make it clear so that around people can observe it, but the scientists mix it with a proprietary to mimic the soil. 

The scientists shaped the naflon into little pellets. Dupuy has used some of the soil to see how some E.coli bacteria can interact with lettuce roots. So they did that by creating a modified version of the bacteria to help the fluorescent green protein. They are not sure how much bacteria is formed around the roots of the plant, but they are finding a way to transfer the bacteria into fresh products like lettuce and straw berries.

This was really interesting to me because it shows that scientists today are coming up with even better ways to observe experiments and test things. So it really shows how our technology is growing.

http://www.dogonews.com/2012/11/8/scientists-create-transparent-soil-to-spy-on-plants

2012’s Only Eclipse

On November 14^th 2012 apart of the southern Hemisphere will get a very special surprise, there will be the only total eclipse of 2012. But the eclipse will only be seen from Kakadu National Park in Carins Australia and parts of the south Pacific, and on the coast of Chile. It will be visible from parts of Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zeland, Antartica, and South America. The last time there was a solar eclipse in the southern hemisphere was on July 11^th 2011 but it could only be seen from certain parts of America. The residents of 

Australia have not yet have had a solar eclipse since December 4^th 2002.  Solar eclipses only occur for a few minutes the longest solar eclipse in history is around 7 and half minutes. For the people in Carins the eclipse will go from 5.45am to 7.40 am.  So this is a good experience because scientists can do experiments such as seeing what makes the star so hot, the solar flames of its surface. Also for people who do not know how a solar eclipse happens is, when the moon passes between the sun and the earth, so the sun is covered, but they can only occur during a new moon. 

This was really cool because I do nto really know much about solar eclipses and its cool to know some things about my home country and what is going on there. So this was really cool to learn about. \

Bibliography

"Astronomy Fans And Scientists Get Ready For 2012's Only Total Solar Eclipse." DOGOnews. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.dogonews.com/2012/11/11/astronomy-fans-and-scientists-get-ready-for-2012-s-only-total-solar-eclipse>.