Fact Sheet: Copper

Fact Sheet: Copper

Copper is the twenty-ninth element on the periodic table. Copper is an easy metal to mine, and is abundant throughout the world. It can be found in the United States, Chile, Canada, and parts of Africa. The value of copper is high, but because of its abundance, and ease to recycle, it is not extremely expensive.

Copper is typically extracted from the ores of cuprite, tenorite, malachite, covellite, chalcocite, and bornite. Because copper is the second electrical conductor, it is often used in the electrical industry. Copper is often combined with other metals to form popular alloys and gain strength. In regards to toxins and poisons, copper is only harmful to the body when it contaminated copper is ingested and results in copper poisoning. The process of mining for copper can sometimes cause other toxins to leak into underground water sources.

"The Element Copper." It's Elemental -. N.p., n.d. Web. 28  Mar. 2014.

Entry #2 - Impactful Environmentalist: Rachel Carson

We were tasked with finding an impactful environmentalist. Many times throughout class Dr. Rood has mention Rachel Carson, and she was also mentioned briefly in our text. I want to learn more about her, and therefore chose her as my environmentalist to write on.


Rachel Carson attended Pennsylvania Women's College and earned a bachelors degree in Biology. She the matriculated through John Hopkins University to work on a graduate degree in zoology. She began working with the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries in 1935 and eventually worked her way into higher positions in their offices. Carson has written 4 books in her life time, and has one book published after her death.

Carson was very intersted in pesticides and their effect on the environment. She was able to publish on the subject;
"Carson had long been aware of the dangers of chemical pesticides but was also aware of the controversy within the agricultural community, which needed such pesticides to increase crop production. She had long hoped someone else would publish an expose' on DDT but realized finally that only she had the background as well as the economic freedom to do it. She made the decision to produce Silent Spring after years of research across the United States and Europe with the help of Shirley Briggs, a former Fish and Wildlife Service artist who had become editor of an Audubon Naturalist Society magazine called Atlantic Naturalist" (2).

Along with her great strides and research of detriments to the environment, she also successfully help mold environmental policy; she was able to appeal to congress in regards to DDT and help them come to the conclusion to ban DDT in the United States. This was one among her many accomplishments of environmental policy and awareness. Her voice was heard, but not always one that was received. She was criticized by many, but her legacy still is deemed as an unforgettable force in the environmental movement.




Sources:
1. "Rachel Carson's Biography." The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
2. "Rachel Carsons Impact - Google Search." Rachel Carsons Impact - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web.  31 Jan. 2014.