feature // 14

theotherpress.ca

 

Let's Talk Science:
geoengineering, and shrilk

UV Rays,

Chitwan Khosla
Features Editor
 features@theotherpress.ca

Science is about questions and
looking for their answers. If
Newton hadn't wondered and
looked for why the apple fell to
the Earth instead of going up,
we might have never found out
about gravity. So, like Newton,
this section is a quest to find
answers in the field of science,
logic, and theories. If you

have a question about science
that youd like answered, send
it to Chitwan at features@
theotherpress.ca

We have always heard and
read that UV rays from the
sun are harmful, but how
exactly do they cause harm?

r Yo begin, we must realize
that UV rays, or ultraviolet
rays, are not always harmful. In

useful. They help in some
the essential vitamin, Vitamin

D3 to the body. Even though
the sun is their primary source,

: UV rays are not just emitted by
: sun but also by other objects

: like mercury lamps, tanning

: lamps, laser machines, and

: often during welding. UV rays

: are electromagnetic rays that

: are invisible to us.

Exposure to these rays for

excessively long periods of time
: can be harmful; it may cause

: sun burns and even skin cancer.
: This happens because UV rays

: damage our genetic material

: in skin cells by striking the

: epidermis (outermost) layer

: of our skin and weakening

: our immune system. UV rays

: also can adversely affect one’s
eyesight by damaging the retina : and processes to intervene in
: or causing cataract and macular :

: degeneration. UV rays have

: short wavelengths but high

: frequency, higher than that of
: X-rays. This allows these rays

: to cause changes in the bio-

: chemical bonds between atoms :
: and ions. The breaking down
: of the bonds causes serious
some cases, UV rays are actually : damage as there are active
: ions formed. This is the major
medical treatments and provide : season behind the diseases
caused by overexposure to UV

: rays.

We can prevent these

: by taking some simple

: preventative measures. Avoid

: artificial tanning, don’t stay

: long in sunlight, always use

: sunscreen with high SPF before
: exposure to sun, wear good

: quality sunglasses, and don't

: look into the sun. Also, don’t

: eat or drink anything which has :
: been exposed to sun for a long
: time; plants and animals get

: affected by UV rays just like us.

: What is geoengineering?

: Geoengineering isa
: combination of techniques

: Earth’s climatic conditions

: and alter the factors that

: affect climate. The University
: of Oxford started the Oxford

: Geoengineering Programme

: in 2010 at Oxford Martin

: School. Their website informs
: that proposed techniques

: of geoengineering can be :
: categorized in two main groups: :
: Solar Radiation Management
: (SRM) and Carbon Dioxide

: Removal (CDR).

The website also explains

: that SRM techniques focus on
: curbing the rising temperature
: issues by controlling the

: sunlight entering Earth’s

: atmosphere through techniques :
: such as introducing space

: reflectors and stratospheric
: aerosols. CDR techniques focus :
: on the removal of excess carbon :

dioxide and other harmful

greenhouse gases from Earth’s
: biosphere in a number of ways
: such as afforestation, ocean

: fertilization, ocean alkalinity

: enhancement, and bio-

: charring.

Both these main

geoengineering techniques aim
: to reverse the drastic climate

: changes due to pollution,

: global warming, and other

: environmental issues. However, :
: there is a lot of ongoing

: debate around the validity of — :
: geoengineering as some studies :
: conducted have concluded that :
: geoengineering practices can
: actually have reverse effects.

What is shrimp plastic?

It is actually called shrilk.
: Shrilk is a form of bio-plastic

Image from Thinkstock

: made from the chitin present

: in shrimp shells and froma

: protein in silk. It was developed
: by researchers of Wyss Institute

for Biologically Inspired

: Engineering at Harvard
: University who wanted to make

a bio-degradable plastic which
is strong and lightweight.
Shrilk can be produced

: ata large scale and can be

: moulded into every imaginable
: thing like other plastics. It can

: even be used in 3-D printers to
: print some complex models.

: Itis also safe to package and

: store food products. Apart

: from these benefits, this bio-

: plastic is easily disposable and

: degenerates in few weeks. The

: researchers at Wyss Institute

have also claimed through an

: experiment that after shrilk
: degenerates, it provides

nutrients to soil for plant
growth as well. This leads to

: another optimal use of shrilk as
: bio-fertilizer to enhance plant

: growth. This bioplastic could be
: a revolution in plastic industry

: and we might be soon looking
at a time when shrilk will be

: extensively used.