How Much We Still Don’t Know About The Ocean

The Earth is literally covered in water: It makes up over 70% of our surface, and without it our planet would be inhospitable. When it comes to our Earth’s oceans, the vast majority of their expanse remains unchartered and unexplored. In fact, we have more comprehensive maps of the moon’s surface than of the bottom of our ocean floors. While the ocean floor seems distant and irrelevant at times, the fact of the matter is that our ocean floors are home to a whole host of mysteries. not to mention thousands of volcanoes and shifting tectonic plates. By learning about the bottom of the ocean, scientists may one day be able to understand and adequately prepare for earthquakes and tsunamis that are caused by movement along the oceanic floor.

Despite covering 72 percent of Earth and supplying more than 70 percent of the world’s oxygen, there’s still a lot we don’t know about our planet’s life support system.

Here’s a brief guide to our exploration of the ocean:

e-Waste: Fastest Growing Sector Within The Global Waste Industry

“Electronic waste” may be defined as discarded computers, office electronic equipment, entertainment device electronics, mobile phones, television sets and refrigerators. This definition includes used electronics which are destined for reuse, resale, salvage, recycling, or disposal.”- Wikipedia

e-Waste Composition

Electronic appliances are composed of hundreds of different materials that can be both toxic but also of high value. While bulk materials such as iron, aluminium, plastics and glass account for over 80 weight %, valuable and toxic materials are found in smaller quantities but are still of high importance. The material composition of different appliances is often similar, but the percentage of different components can vary a lot.

Gold, silver, copper, platinum etc. are valuable substances which turn recycling of e-waste into a lucrative business opportunity. On the other hand, the recycling of hazardous substances, e.g. carcinogens such as lead and arsenic is critical and poses serious health risks and environment dangers of not properly handled.

e-Waste Market

E-waste represents one of the fastest-growing sectors by volume within the global waste industry. According to a new analysis by Frost & Sullivan titled “Global Opportunities in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Recycling Services Market”,  the global WEEE recycling services market was estimated at $1,424.6 million in 2011. This is further expected to grow to $1,869.3 million in 2017 with a strong CAGR of 4 percent.

The global economic slowdown affected the WEEE recycling market in as much as the prices of steel and plastics, for example, went on a steady decline, as did tonnages of e-waste in the market, states an analysis by Frost & Sullivan.

Here’s an insightful infographic to help you understand e-Waste:

Parkinson’s Disease: Infographic

Parkinson’s disease  is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. It is is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and the most common movement disorder. It is characterized by progressive loss of muscle control, which leads to trembling of the limbs and head while at rest, stiffness, slowness, and impaired balance. As symptoms worsen, it may become difficult to walk, talk, and complete simple tasks.

What causes Parkinson’s disease?

A substance called dopamine acts as a messenger between two brain areas – the substantia nigra and the corpus striatum – to produce smooth, controlled movements. Most of the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are caused by a lack of dopamine due to the loss of dopamine-producing cells in the substantia nigra. When the amount of dopamine is too low, communication between the substantia nigra and corpus striatum becomes ineffective, and movement becomes impaired; the greater the loss of dopamine, the worse the movement-related symptoms. Other cells in the brain also degenerate to some degree and may contribute to non-movement related symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

Have a look at the infographic: