Vf Life Under Stress
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Transcript of Vf Life Under Stress
Life Under Stress: Welcome To The 21st Century
An Introduction To Medical Ecology
Total biomass of the earth = 1,840 x 109 tonnes
Total biomass of humans = 200 x 106 tonnes
Total biomass of all animals = 0.2 x 109 tonnes
Ecosystem Services*
* from: Living In The Environment Thompson Brooks/Cole Pubs. 2004
A 6th Mass Extinction?
Polio - nearly gone
Some Good News Regarding Extinction:
Yaws - almost eliminated
Smallpox - eliminated (probably)
Onchocerciasis - on its way out
The Bad News Is We May Be Next!
Billions % Urban
The Bad News Is We May Be Next!
19731973
Some Bad News:
Since 1973 over 50 new infectious disease entities have emerged
onto the human scene
Since 1973 over 50 new infectious disease entities have emerged
onto the human scene
*
* ProMed reporter-at-large
More Bad News:Most vector-borne diseases are on the rise
About 25% of all drugs currently on the market come from natural sourcesAbout 25% of all drugs currently on the market come from natural sources
27,000 species/yr1950-present
Chopping Down The Tree Of Life
How many new drugs have been lostdue to extinction of species of plants andanimals that we had no idea even existed?
Why we should care
A 21st Century Dilemma: Microbial Drug Resistance*
*See: http://www.fda.gov/cvm/antimicrobial/022200slides/White/tsld004.htm
Microbe Disease ResistanceEnterobacteriaceae bacteremia, pneumonia aminoglycosides
wound infections β-lactamschloramphenicoltrimethoprimFQs
Enterococcus bacteremia aminoglycosideswound infections β-lactams
erythromycinglycopeptides
Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, otitis media β-lactamspneumonia tetracycline
chloramphenicoltrimethaprim
Mycobacterium tuberculosis tuberculosis aminoglycosidesethambutolisoniazidrifampin
Nisseria gonorrhoea gonorrhea β-lactamstetracylcineFQs
Top Ten Drug-resistant Microbes
Microbe Disease Resistance
Plasmodium falciparum malaria chloroquine
Pseudomonas aerogenosa bacteremia, pneumonia aminoglycosidesUTIs β-lactams
tetracyclineTMX
Shigella dysenteriae severe dysentery ampicillinchloramphenicoltetracyclineTMX
Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, pneumonia chloramphenicolwound infections macrolides
trimethoprimFQsβ-lactamstetracyclineglycopeptides?
Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis, pneumonia aminoglycosideschloramphenicolmacrolidespenicillin
Malaria300 million infections/year3 million deaths/year, mostly in Africa
Drugs - Most strains of Plasmodium falciparum are resistant to chloroquine and its derivatives.
Best Control Method: Eliminate breeding sites for vectorspecies of mosquitoes.
Examples: Ancient Rome - Construct city of OstiaSouth Eastern USA drained swamps, creating new farmland.
The Linkages Between Environmental Degradation
And Infectious Diseases
Fragmentation of Ecosystems
AgricultureSettlement
MiningIndustrialization
Civil unrestWar
Fragmentation of Ecosystems
AgricultureSettlement
MiningIndustrialization
Civil unrestWar
Sources Of Pollution
Non-point Sources:1. Agricultural*2. Residential
Point Sources:1. Industrial2. Residential
*Largest world-wide source - soil erosion, pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, heavy metals, animal and human waste, etc.
Sources Of Pollution
Non-point Sources:1. Agricultural*2. Residential
Point Sources:1. Industrial2. Residential
Q: Who allows this?
A: The EPA: Agricultural runoff is exempt from The Clean Water Act
See: http://www.epa.gov/region5/water/cwa.htm
Cryptosporidium parvum
Reservoir host
Access to safe drinking water is everyone’s right
Yet……………..
Many Tropical Infectious Diseases AreTransmitted At The Agricultural
Interface
MalariaHookwormAscaris Trichuris SchistosomiasisFilariasisNipha
Geohelminths (hookworm, ascaris, trichuris)
Eliminate feces as an environmental contaminant and you effectively control the spread all parasitic diseases spread by fecal-oral route.
Two approaches, two different outcomes:
United States : The birth of the outhouse. This single architectural wonder controlled all fecally-transmitted infections: viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminths.
Southeast Asia and China: Ferment feces before using it as fertilizer on crops: eliminated hookworm.
In 2050 Population Stabilizes At 9.3 billion*
*
Population Growth and Poverty
Problem:
How to feed the next 2.8 billion peoplewithout incurring more environmental damage due to traditional agriculturalpractices
1975
Land Use And AgricultureRondonia, Brazil
1986 1992
1975
1986 1992
Conclusion of Science article
Don’t just sit there,do something!
A Possible Solution: The Vertical Farm
http://www.urbanecology.org/
Vibrant,successful citiesare not onlypossible butnecessary for thehealth of societyand our planet.Urban Ecologyplans and designscities that sustainthe people,naturalresources, andeconomynecessary foreveryone tothrive.
Advantages Of Vertical Farming
• Year-round crop production• No weather related crop failures due to droughts, floods • Eliminates agricultural runoff • Converts black water to potable water• Greatly reduces the incidence of many infectious diseases• Adds energy back to the grid via methane generation • Dramatically reduces fossil fuel use (no tractors, plows, etc.)• Converts abandoned urban properties into food production• Sustainability for urban centers• Creates new employment opportunities• Returns farm land to nature, restoring ecosystem services• Reduces the incidence of armed conflict over natural
resources, such as water and land for agriculture
Advantages Of Vertical Farming
Adds energy back to the grid via methane generation
August 14th August 15th
What A Difference A Day Makes
Returns farm land to nature, restoring ecosystem services
Advantages Of Vertical Farming
A Vertical Farm*
* not exactly what I had in mind
Vertical New York City
Photo: NASA
Virtual Vertical Farm*
*www.verticalfarm.com
Kristin AndersonNicola Areshenko
Alan BrownJennifer BuskeyAmanda ColliganMarisa Dahlman
Catherine Dell’OrtoCatherine Tuglus
*Steven Chen- technical advisor
Medical Ecology Class of 2003*
How It Could WorkSustainability through re-cycling
BioremediationRe-gain “lost” water
Energy ConsiderationsCapture all energy in black water
Methane DigesterNo new technology needed
Original Design by Andrew Kranis, Columbia University School of Architecture 2003
A lunar colony
Schematic for advanced life-support system
Or a colony on Mars
Components for a Mars colony
The Dawn Of A New Beginning
The Dawn Of A New Beginning
(perhaps)
So, What’s For Dinner?
Anything you want
Any Time You Want It
Any Where In The WorldAny Where In The World
Or In The Universe