Green insights

Category: Environmental Science

  • A Toxic Tour Through Picher

    A couple days ago I drove through Picher, Oklahoma as members of L.E.A.D. Agency gave a toxic tour. During this tour, we discussed the history of all the sites we had visited, their current states, and ways in which these sites are being remediated. There were quite a few sites that stood out to me during this tour.

    One of our first stops was by a large field of Tallgrass. I pulled off the side of the road into a small parking lot. I asked what we were stopping for. My first thought was that we were looking at the looming chat pile to our left. However, the actual focus was the field of grass, which once used to be a residential neighborhood. All of the homes had been destroyed. Much of the destruction can be attributed to the 2010 tornado which blew through Picher, tearing down homes and sandblasting the ones that remained standing with chat. One of the only remaining pieces of evidence that homes used to be there was the three space parking lot.

    Our next stop was by the Picher repository. From a distance, the repository looked like a gigantic, flat chat pile. However, it was actually made up of the chat and mining waste that could not be repurposed. The waste found here has extremely fine particle size and a darker color then most chat. When we stepped out of the truck, I noticed a trail of this waste running down the side of the hill. L.E.A.D. Agency informed me that this waste measures around 13,000 ppm of lead. This is far above the upper safe threshold of 400 ppm.

    The most shocking sight of the entire tour was the “Anti-Fountain of Youth”. After exiting the car a last time, I heard the noise of running water. At first, I thought it was the flowing noises from Tar Creek, but when I looked over the bridge, the water was relatively calm. After walking farther down the road, I saw the source of the noise. Slightly covered by the Tallgrass and cattail stems, there was an actual fountain spewing out orange-tinted water. This fountain was an old bore hole. The liquid being pumped out was acidic mine drainage (AMD), and it was flowing straight into Tar Creek. When I heard that the AMD was seeping out of the mines into the surrounding environment, I imagined a slow flow of water. The amount of pressure with which the AMD was being pumped out at, to the point at which it was going up in the air a couple feet was mind blowing.

    On a final note, I would like to say that we saw a beaver dam and a family of ducks in Tar Creek. This highlights how there is still life present in this creek, giving us even more reason why we must work our hardest to remediate it, and prevent events like this from occurring again in the future.

  • How can we Preserve Biodiversity?

    First, let’s answer the question: “What is biodiversity?”. Biodiversity is the term encompassing the variety of life, such as variety in species, in genes, and even ecosystems. This is a critical aspect of nature because it provides stability to an ecosystem, and greater resistance to disasters and disease.

    The main threats to biodiversity are habitat loss, invasive species, and overexploitation of resources. Humans play an important role in these three threats. For habitat loss, deforestation is a prime example of how humans cause biodiversity loss by destroying species’ habitats. Additionally, humans have been responsible for the introduction of many invasive species by means of transportation. Many of these invasive species were not intentionally introduced, but they would act as stowaways on ships or other vehicles, being transported to a foreign ecosystem where they could thrive and disrupt the balance and biodiversity. For the third threat, humans can over use the resources of the land by over fishing, hunting, or mining, which would destabilize biodiversity.

    So how can we prevent these issues from happening?

    As people living on this Earth, we should also care for it. While it would be unrealistic to address every single threat to biodiversity, we can at least reduce our own contributions to its decline. The best ways to do this are to reduce deforestation and set limits or taxes when fishing and hunting. There are many nations already implementing these changes, but for them to stick, the regulations must be even more strict than they are now. This strictness could come in forms of hard stops in terms of fishing and hunting activity after passing a specified amount, or increased taxes when it comes to deforestation.

    There are also many ways in which humans can address the invasive species problem. The first would be to minimize of completely get rid of human involvement in introducing invasive species to new ecosystem. This could be achieved by thoroughly checking vehicles for any stowaway species before departing. For the invasive species that have already been introduced to a new ecosystem, people can report them to local authorities. In some regions, the hunting of invasive species is allowed, and you may be rewarded for the amount of specimens you catch.

    While this blog has many proposed solutions to the broad threats to biodiversity, these solutions would be very difficult to achieve without substantial support and compliance from institutions. We must cooperate with each other and think about the good of this planet and its inhabitants (including us!) and build our world into a safer and healthier place for the future.

  • Where are Microplastics From? How can we Reduce Their Prevalence?

    Microplastics are found all over the world. In modern times, almost every single house will contain multiple sources of microplastics. Even the clothes you are wearing right now could be contributing microplastics to the environment. If you are wearing polyester, each time you move or brush something off your shirt, hundreds of microplastics would float off into the air. However, there are still plenty of clothes that are plastic-free; 100% organic fiber clothing, such as cotton, does not contribute any plastics.

    Clothing is one of the main sources of microplastics, with the other being tire wear. As you drive your car or ride a bike, the friction between the tires and the road will release microplastics into the air. While most believe bicycling is an environmentally-friendly activity, look into the tires you use because there is a chance they could be contributing to pollution. Transportation’s contribution to environmental damage is not just limited to energy sources and gas pollution. We must also look towards plastic pollution.

    But the question we should be asking is: “How can we reduce these microplastics?” The best way to start is inside your own home. Switching towels and clothing to 100% natural fibers will play a large role in eliminating your contribution of microplastics. When purchasing items from the grocery store, always be mindful of items with microbeads. While some countries have banned the usage of microplastics in rinse-off cosmetics as a direct effort to limit their introduction into water systems, they are still found in other items and countries.

    If you are interested in participating in a community-level activity, look for local environmental cleanups. These could be in creeks, on hikes, at local parks, or wherever else the environment needs help! By picking up plastic litter and abandoned pieces of clothings in these natural environments, you will be helping reduce microplastic pollution one step at a time.

  • How Mining Contaminants Enter our Food Chain

    Growing up in the Tri-State Mining District (TSMD), I was taught to not play in the dirt or creeks. This was a common rule among families because the soil and water were all potential sources of heavy metal poisoning. Of course, as a child we didn’t know this was the reason. We just thought that the dirt had bugs or germs that weren’t good for us.

    However, the dangers go far beyond these worries. There are toxic heavy metals present in the soil and flowing through the creeks. While these may not be present in deadly concentrations, long-term exposure to elevated concentrations of these metals will likely have adverse health effects. In the TSMD, there was a mining legacy of lead and zinc, with much of these metals used in the World Wars coming from this mining district. This supply of metals brought great wealth to many mining companies, but the people living here were not so fortunate.

    Chat, a name for toxic mining waste, started accumulating near mining sites. This chat contains all sorts of toxicants, and is extremely toxic to humans and the environment alike. In fact, before the dangers were known, families would use chat in their children’s sandboxes. During these years, there were many cases of lead poisoning in children. Even today, chat is found in the backyards of homes, with the owners clueless to the dangers of the gravel-like substance.

    In places with current or prior mining activity, it is likely that there are chat piles close by. Even a small amount of chat incorporated into the soil of one’s lawn could pose a threat. If kids were playing in that contaminated soil, they are exposing themselves to possibly heavy metal poisoning. If a pet or the bottoms of shoes track in chat-laced-mud into the house, a toddler or baby crawling on the floor then putting their hands in their mouths are also extremely susceptible to heavy metal poisoning.

    While the number of victims to this danger can be reduced by increasing societal awareness of this problem, the root cause will still be present. Instead, we must take steps to remediate contaminated soil, clean up the chat piles, reduce unnecessary mining activity, and educate children on the dangers of playing in the soil. These improvements will take time, they will take effort, but they are not impossible.

    With this, I leave you with a task. Go and make a difference for others. If you know a family with kids, send them an article on the dangers of heavy metal contamination. It could very well even be this blog post. But no matter what, it is us the people who can make the difference.

  • My Experience at The 27th Annual Tar Creek Conference

    It’s my first time at a conference. I feel nervous, not sure what to expect. I get there and I realize I am going to present my research in less than 30 minutes. The nerves start to kick in and I wonder if people are going to like it.

    The time comes, I walk in the room, I set up my poster. 20 people swarm around me and stare. Suddenly I feel the nerves fade away. I realize something: this is my research; I know my research better than anyone else in this room. I own it, and I have to make that clear. I start talking and all eyes are on me. I spoke slow and steady, and when I looked at the crowd, I saw people who care, people who want to know more. What do I do? I give it to them.

    The point of scientific research is to give your results back to the community. The final goal is to fill a gap in understanding, but in doing that, ten more gaps are created. That’s the beauty of research: the job is never done.

    I finish presenting, I am greeted with a round of applause. A couple of researchers stay to inquire about my experience. A news reporter takes me aside to interview me. The whole ordeal feels otherworldly. If you told me five years ago that I would be presenting my first research project at a national conference, and gaining the attention of other established researchers in the field, I would have said that you’re crazy. But no, thats not craziness. Rather, it is passion.

    Passion. It’s something that connects all humans. Every person has a passion of some kind. Mine is for environmental science. Yours could be for music. The point is that we are all passionate about something, and that’s what makes us people. At the Tar Creek Conference, I saw a whole crowd of people with the same passion as me. They are my people. Each presenter that went up onto the podium took a moment to connect with us, to connect with the community. There was one gentleman who took photographs of birds and insects. Each photo was different and marvelous in its own way. Whether it be the softness of the species, or its facial expression, or the way light reflected off the wings, each one was special. For each photo he showed, the crowd reacted a little more. Up until the point where we were laughing and cheering for the last few birds. We were united.

    I hope that in my attempt to convey the poetic nature and atmosphere of the conference, that I did not take away from it. For no words could do justice to what I experienced today.

    Actually, there is one word that comes close. A simple word, but one with meaning.

    Magical.

  • Tiny Plastics, Big Problem: The Unseen Threat of Microplastics

    They’re in our oceans. In our food. In our blood. Microplastics have slipped through the gaps of modern life and settled everywhere. The scary part is most of us never even notice.

    Microplastics are smaller than five millimeters, often the result of larger plastics breaking down from exposure to sunlight, water, and time. Some are even manufactured at that size. Once released into the environment, they don’t just disappear. They stick around. And worse, they travel.

    In the ocean, microplastics are mistaken for food by fish, seabirds, and even whales. But plastic doesn’t digest. It just builds up in stomachs, tissues, and, eventually, in us. Studies have found microplastics in bottled water, salt, fruits, vegetables, and even human bloodstreams.

    But it’s not just their presence that’s unsettling. Microplastics can act like tiny toxic sponges, absorbing harmful chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals from the surrounding environment. When swallowed, these pollutants hitch a ride straight into the body of the unsuspecting animal that consumes them.

    We still don’t fully understand what all this means for human health. But the early signs aren’t good: inflammation, hormonal disruption, and immune system interference are all being explored as possible outcomes.

    So what can we do? Reduce single-use plastics. Support bans on microbeads and unnecessary packaging. Choose natural fibers over synthetics. And speak up. Because the more we learn, the clearer it becomes: when it comes to plastic pollution, small doesn’t mean harmless. It means everywhere.

  • Soil Health: The Silent Crisis Beneath Our Feet

    Soil is more than just dirt. It’s actually a living, breathing ecosystem that sustains nearly all life on land. And yet, we treat it like it’s disposable. From over-farming to chemical overuse, human activity is degrading soil faster than it can recover. The result? A silent environmental crisis that threatens food security, water quality, and biodiversity.

    Healthy soil is teeming with life. Earthworms, fungi, bacteria are all part of a complex underground web that helps plants grow, sequesters carbon, and filters water. But when we douse soil with synthetic fertilizers and till it to death, we destroy these communities. The soil becomes compacted, lifeless, and less able to hold water or nutrients.

    This has massive ripple effects. Crops become weaker, more dependent on chemical inputs, and less nutritious. Runoff from degraded soil carries fertilizers and pesticides into rivers and lakes, causing dead zones and toxic algae blooms. And degraded soil stores less carbon, meaning more CO₂ stays in the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.

    But here’s the good news: soil can bounce back. Regenerative agriculture practices like cover cropping, reduced tillage, and composting restore the microbiome of the soil. Not only does this improve crop yields and farm resilience, it also turns fields into powerful carbon sinks.

    We spend a lot of time talking about saving the planet, but maybe it’s time we talked more about saving the ground beneath our feet. Because if we lose our soil, we lose everything it supports, ranging from forests to farms to our own future.

  • How Pesticides Affect the Plants They’re Supposed to Protect

    When we think of pesticides, we usually think of protection — a chemical shield designed to keep pests and weeds at bay, ensuring that our crops grow strong and healthy. But what if the very chemicals we spray to protect plants are actually harming them?

    Pesticides — including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides — are widely used in agriculture. They’re often praised for boosting yields and preventing crop loss. But beneath the surface, their impact on plant health can be much more complicated. Some pesticides don’t just kill pests — they interfere with the biology of the plants themselves.

    For one, certain pesticides can damage plant roots and reduce nutrient absorption. Roots exposed to high pesticide concentrations often grow shorter and thinner, weakening the plant’s foundation. Others interfere with photosynthesis, limiting the plant’s ability to produce food and energy. And over time, repeated pesticide exposure can stunt growth, alter flowering patterns, or make plants more vulnerable to environmental stress.

    There’s also a ripple effect — pesticides sprayed on plants can disrupt the beneficial microbes living in the soil. These tiny allies help plants absorb nutrients and fight off disease. When they’re disrupted, the plants suffer too.

    The bottom line? Not all pesticides are bad, and in some cases, they’re necessary. But their effects on plant health go far beyond what we can see on the surface. Like most shortcuts, heavy pesticide use comes with hidden costs — and it’s the plants, and ultimately us, who pay the price.

  • The Future of Food

    In the center of the U.S. Midwest, where vast plains of corn once reached their hands all the way to the horizon, farmers are facing an unexpected future. Events like flash floods, drier springs, and burning hot summers are making planting seasons unpredictable and crop yields unreliable. Some growers in Illinois and Iowa are already shifting their planting schedules, or reconsidering what they should grow.

    Climate change is no longer an abstract threat. In the Midwest, it’s arriving as drowned fields, parched soil, and rising insurance claims. Corn, a crop that dominates the region’s landscape, is especially vulnerable to heat during pollination. Soybeans, though slightly more resilient, suffer when there is too much or too little water. As extreme weather slowly becomes the new norm, the foundation of American food production is being put to the test.

    But this isn’t just a story of loss—it’s also one of adaptation. Some farmers are turning to cover crops to improve soil moisture retention. Others are trialing sorghum, a more drought-tolerant grain, or investing in precision agriculture to optimize water and fertilizer use. Research stations across the Midwest are racing to breed heat-tolerant crop varieties before conditions outpace innovation.

    Beyond the farm, consumers are part of the equation too. A shift toward more climate-resilient foods—like legumes, grains that require less water, and diversified plant-based diets—could ease pressure on a strained system.

    The future of food will be written in places like the Midwest. As climate volatility grows, resilience will depend not just on technology, but on our willingness to rethink what we grow, how we grow it, and what we choose to eat.

  • A Drive Through Picher: Where Memories and Toxic Dust Linger

    It was a sunny Monday afternoon when I decided to drive to Picher, Oklahoma, just 20 miles away from where I live. I’ve done a lot of research on this area and knew all about its history — the 2008 tornado that devastated the town, the toxic groundwater seeping from abandoned mines, and the enormous, looming chat piles scattered across the landscape.

    Still, it had been many years since I last visited. On the short drive there, I found myself wondering what the land would look like now. Would the roads be blocked? Would there be anyone still lingering in this forgotten place? I’d heard stories about visitors being followed by locals or questioned by sheriffs and tribal marshals. At first, I was skeptical — I wasn’t even sure anyone spent time in Picher anymore.

    As soon as you enter the town, the remains of neighborhoods greet you. Houses are falling apart, and in many places, only brick foundations are left — the rest of the homes long gone. Each one gave me a haunting sense in my gut. I could almost imagine the lives once lived in those houses, the sounds of daily life in what was once a bustling mining town. But the second an image entered my mind, another ruin passed by, and the process repeated.

    Now that no one lives in them, it’s as if the memories these homes once held have been released into the world — swirling in the wind, waiting to be inhaled by someone nearby. Remind you of anything? That’s right — I’m talking about chat.

    Enclosing these ghost neighborhoods and lining the streets are massive chat piles — toxic mining waste. At first glance, I thought they were just hills, some reaching 300 feet tall. But on closer inspection, it was clear: these were mountains of toxic metal, chaotically spread throughout the city. On a windy day, the air could easily become laced with lead, cadmium, and zinc. Most piles were fenced off with barbed wire, but not well — I saw footprints winding through the gaps, where someone clearly got curious and decided to take a stroll on a literal hill of poison.

    What surprised me most was that a highway still runs through Picher — and it was busy. Cars zipped past like nothing was wrong. I exited onto a side road and started exploring deeper into the town, circling around Tar Creek, past skeletal buildings and contaminated land. After about 30 minutes of driving, I noticed a white pickup truck had been behind me for a while. Fifteen minutes, maybe more. I realized it had done a U-turn to stay behind me.

    At that point, I decided it was time to go.