Tequila leaves big envirnomental hangover (2)

Eight years after planting, the blue agave is ready for harvest. Its leaves are removed in order to extract the "piña", or heart of the plant, from the ground.

The pineapple-shaped hearts are set to bake 50 to 72 hours in brick ovens or steel tanks. The hearts soften and release the sugars used for fermentation.

In the fermentation process, the sugars are mixed with leavening, converting them into alcohol. The liquid is distilled twice, generally in stills made of copper or steel. The result is tequila, which can then be aged in oak barrels - "añejo" on the bottle's label indicates it has been aged.

In 1996, the Secretariat (ministry) of Environment and Natural Resources introduced standards for the degree of toxicity permitted in the waste and vinaza, which were to be adopted by the tequila industry in 2000. But none of the distilleries comply with all of the rules.

According to the standards, one liter of vinaza can generate no more than 150 milligrams of "biochemical oxygen demand" (BOD), a measurement of the quantity of the gas consumed in the biodegradation of the organic material in the water.

But each liter of vinaza emits about 25,000 milligrams of BOD, an indicator that permits measurements of water contamination.

According to the Jalisco State Environment Secretariat, only one of the 67 tequila factories there heeds the law on discharge of waste into rivers and lakes.

In 2007, the authorities conducted 197 inspections, found irregularities at 51 distilleries, and shut down two of them.

Due to increased tequila consumption within Mexico and abroad, the cultivation of blue agave has expanded to other regions.

"They are growing in a protected forest, invading several hectares, where it has replaced the encino trees," said Adriana Hernández, an activist with the non-governmental Save the Forest Committee, dedicated to protecting El Nixticuil forest.

El Nixticuil, declared a protected area in December 2005, extends across 1,850 hectares in the Jalisco municipality of Zapopán, 550 km from the Mexican capital.

The tequila industry has taken slow steps towards recognizing its polluting responsibilities. Some distilleries are neutralizing the acidity of the wastewater, and cool down the vinaza before discharging it, and produce compost from the agave pulp.

In 2010, two vinaza treatment plants are slated to begin operating.

In Hernández's opinion, there is no single solution to the environment problem. "The most common now is composting. In addition, they are trying to remove the oil coming from the cooked agave before distilling so that the vinaza is more environmentally friendly," said the researcher.

Tequila leaves big envirnomental hangover (1)

Tequila is causing a big environmental hangover in the lands where it is processed in central western Mexico, due to the constant dumping of highly acidic water to agricultural and water-source soils. Also, large quantities of untreated agave pulp go to waste.

Tequila, deeply absorbed into the national identity of Mexico, accompanies all types of family celebrations and national holidays. But many are unaware of the bitter taste the tequila industry leaves in the water and soil.

This liquor, which is about 38 percent alcohol (76 proof), comes from the fermentation and distillation of sugars from the blue agave (Agave tequilana weber), a plant with thick pointed leaves radiating out from a central point. It is native to Mexico.

Among the more than 200 agave varieties in this country, blue agave is the best for making tequila. Its Latin name refers to the German botanist, Franz Weber, who classified it in 1902.

The agave is grown in 180 municipalities in the western states of Jalisco, Nayarit and Michoacán, the central state of Guanajuato, and in Tamaulipas, in the east. This is the territory of the Tequila Denomination of Origin, established by the government in December 1974 to validate the legal status and quality of this liquor.

Mexico has 118 tequila factories and 715 brands. In Jalisco alone, considered the birthplace of tequila, the industry employs 38,000 people. From January to April, the factories produced 48 million liters, with about 40 million to be sold in Mexico and the rest for export.

But the tequila tradition and the business have environmental costs, particularly for water and soil.

To obtain one liter of tequila requires an input of at least 10 liters of water. However, the negative effect does not lie in the volume of water, "but rather the fact that the water is unlikely to be treated and will be discharged as industrial waste, in the ground and into streams and rivers. They are contaminated waters that contaminate more water," said José Hernández, a researcher with the University of Guadalajara and member of the Mexican Academy of Sciences.

For every liter of tequila bottled, the process generates five kilograms of agave pulp and seven to 10 liters of distillation waste, or "vinaza".

"The vinazas are acidic, they have an oil that makes the soil impermeable, and are hot when they are dumped. The acid is not recommended for agriculture; it should be neutralized. The oil makes the soil hard so it is useless for farming. And where the ground cracks, the vinaza filters into underground water sources," explained Hernández.

The indigenous peoples who lived in the region before the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadors revered the agave for its many benefits. The plant represented Mayahuel, the Nahuatl goddess of fertility, whose 400 breasts fed an equal number of children.

As a distilled beverage, tequila emerged in the 16th century from the combination of the native raw material and a European fermentation process.

Brutal abuse of mentally disabled at a Texas school

A story broadcasted in the radio station KNX 1070 Newsradio informed that several mentally disabled residents at a Corpus Christy, Texas state school were forced to be part of a brutal “fight club” ran by night shift employees, who videotaped the sessions with their cellphones.

The videos were discovered by police in March when one of the school employees left his phone at a hospital and it was turned over to police. In an effort to find its owner, officers saw the disturbing videos.

A judge ordered the tapes released to an attorney suing the state on behalf of a former resident also forced into the "fight club."

"It happened for over a year and it happened for many nights out of the week," said the attorney, Bob Hilliard.

Hilliard's client, Armando Hernandez, says he was told he would "go to prison" if he did not fight.

Hernandez, who is mentally disabled, says he was fearful to even tell his mother of what was happening inside at night. "They say 'snitches get stitches,'" Hernandez told ABC News.

To read the full story, please visit http://www.knx1070.com/pages/4382401.php"

Congressional internships for disabled students open

The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (MEAF) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) will offer, for the seventh consecutive summer, a congressional internship program for undergraduate students with disabilities.

Applications for the 2010 MEAF-AAPD Congressional Internship Program process will be open until January, 2010.

The internship program will:

• Allow students with disabilities to obtain first-hand knowledge of the legislative and political processes by working in congressional offices.
• Enable students with disabilities to acquire valuable work experience that will enhance their academic studies and career prospects.
• Demonstrate to members of Congress, their staff, and fellow interns the talents that students with disabilities can bring to a professional work environment.
• Introduce students to members of the Washington disability policy community and to national disability leaders through a series of seminars and special events such as the anniversary observance of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

As congressional interns, participants gain insight into congressional office operations, public policy development, and constituents' roles in the legislative and political processes. The internship program, administered by AAPD, was created in 2002 through a major grant from Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation.

Here's how it works:

Eligibility:
Current college students with any type of disability are invited to apply. At the time of application, applicants must be enrolled as sophomores or juniors. They must have at least one more academic semester to complete, at the end of the summer internship. Applicants must be U.S. citizens.

How to Apply:
Please contact AAPD at (800) 840-8844 (V/TTY), to get information on how to obtain an application form. Applicants will need to email their resumes, references, and reference letters, in Microsoft Word format, to AAPD at internship@aapd.com.

Applications for AAPD’s summer internship programs open the fall prior to the program year and are accepted November through early January. Those selected for telephone interviews are notified in January and selected by March of the program year.

What Happens Next
• After reviewing all eligible applications, a group of finalists will be asked to participate in phone interviews.
• Eight (8) students will be selected for the congressional internship.
• The interns will begin their eight(8)-week internships with an orientation in Washington, D.C. to be held in late May 2010.
• Interns will receive a $1,500 stipend to be disbursed in three installments throughout the internship period.
• AAPD will arrange roundtrip transportation for each intern to arrive in Washington, D.C. in May and return home at the end of the summer.
• Accessible housing will also be provided, free-of-charge, to each intern.
• Students will work with congressional staff members to select a significant policy issue.
• Academic credit may be arranged; students must initiate this process.

Genes condicionan, no determinan discapacidades (2)

¿Y cómo influye el aspecto genético en el síndrome de Down?

"Este es un ejemplo de una enfermedad genética no hereditaria. Es genética porque se afectan los cromosomas, pero esta patología es un accidente biológico que ocurre durante la concepción, y eso no se hereda".

¿Qué aporta la genética para evitar o prevenir la discapacidad?

"La genética médica o humana está en sus comienzos. Sólo en los últimos 10 años estamos conociendo más los genes de los que dispone la especie humana en su aspecto molecular. Por ahora, una manera de hacer prevención genética es bastante antipática: evitar que nazcan niños con discapacidades graves a través del diagnóstico prenatal, que se indica generalmente en embarazos de riesgo. La pareja puede interrumpir el embarazo, evitando el nacimiento".

Entonces, por ahora, parece que la genética no aporta mucho para evitar la discapacidad.

"Por ahora no. Es una promesa".

Una promesa de perfección: ¿la gente vendrá más perfecta ?

"No, la gente no vendrá más perfecta. Creo que la genética contribuirá con mejores tratamientos para discapacidades porque se conocerá mejor cómo se producen algunas patologías y se podrá intervenir con métodos innovadores. También está la promesa de la terapia génica, pero creo que para eso falta mucho. La cuestión no es tan simple y no se reduce a cambiar un gen enfermo por uno sano, como a veces, en aras de la comprensión, se publica en los medios. Es que ninguna de las discapacidades depende sólo de factores genéticos. Con las mismas características genéticas, según el medio ambiente, un individuo puede ser feliz y sano o enfermo e infeliz. Por eso, si no supiéramos nada de genética, igual podríamos hacer muchas cosas por la salud de nuestros niños".

¿Por ejemplo?

"Controlar algunos factores que causan discapacidad: los accidentes; las infecciones, que dejan secuelas; una buena atención prenatal y del parto; la vacunación adecuada de la mamá para prevenir el síndrome de rubeola congénita; una alimentación materna suficiente para evitar el bajo peso, que es causa de discapacidad. Y no hay que olvidarse de que la discapacidad está definida socialmente, no biológicamente. Las personas con discapacidad nos dicen que sus principales dificultades derivan de las trabas que les pone la sociedad para integrarse. Ahí hay elementos de prevención: promover la aceptación de las diferencias, combatir los prejuicios y la discriminación".

Genes condicionan, no determinan discapacidades (1)

Un experto argentino en cuestiones genéticas dijo que los genes humanos condicionan, pero no determinan totalmente las discapacidades que los niños empiezan a desarrollar una vez que comienzan su formación como embrión en el útero de sus madres.

El pediatra Victor Penchaszadeh, director del Departamento de Genética Médica del hospital Beth Israel, de Nueva York, agregó que los factores ambientales pueden causar o evitar deficiencias fisicas o cognitivas.

Penchaszadeh, quien salió exiliado de la Argentina en diciembre de 1975, mencionó lo anterior en el marco del Primer Congreso Latinoamericano y Argentino de Discapacidad en Pediatria, que concluyo la semana pasada. Sus conocimientos en genética e identificación permitieron, entre otras cosas, hallar a niños desaparecidos, apropiados durante la ultima dictadura militar.

Penchaszadeh abandonó el pais bajo amenazas de muerte del comando paramilitar Triple A, creado por allegados de seguridad policial del ex-presidente Juan Domingo Perón. Ultimamente ha visitado la Argentina con relativa frecuencia, para estar al lado de su hijo Nicolás, y su primer nieto, quien está por nacer en estos días.

De causas y azares

“Alrededor del 50% de la discapacidad infantil tiene causas genéticas predisponentes", dijo Penchaszadeh. “Eso no quiere decir que el papá o la mamá tengan el mismo problema. La mayoría de las enfermedades genéticas son recesivas: si tanto el padre como la madre, aun siendo sanos, portan un gen recesivo y ambos genes, por azar, se juntan, pueden tener uno o varios niños con enfermedades genéticas. Por ejemplo, sordera o ceguera congénita, aunque los padres sean videntes y oyentes”.

¿Genético es igual a congénito?

"Congénito no alude a causa sino a cronología: significa que está presente en el momento del nacimiento, aunque no se detecte en esa instancia. La mayor parte de la patología congénita no es hereditaria: los efectos teratogénicos producidos en el feto por drogas, radiaciones o virus o el síndrome de alcohol fetal no se heredan, ocurren por factores ambientales durante el embarazo. En cambio, lo hereditario o genético es congénito: al nacer, tenemos todos los genes que heredamos de los padres, se expresen o no".

¿Cómo opera lo genético en las discapacidades más habituales?

"Hoy se conocen algunos genes que pueden predisponer para defectos en el cierre del tubo neural (el futuro sistema nervioso del bebe), que causan mielomeningocele o espina bífida. Uno de ellos se vincula con el metabolismo del ácido fólico. Por eso la suplementación previene del 50 a 55% de los defectos, pero no la totalidad. Sin embargo, existen otras causas ambientales que pueden desembocar en la misma patología. Por ejemplo, inadecuada nutrición, exposición a tóxicos, a infecciones".