Electric Vehicles and Megasites: What is the environmental cost of sustainable development? By: Ainslie Smith

Construction for Hyundai Motor Group’s (HMG) first fully dedicated electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility has now begun on the nearly 3,000 acre megasite in Bryan county, starting with the clear cutting and burning of this forested area that has sparked concern about the ecological footprint of the project. 

Multiple individuals and organizations are calling upon local representatives to give serious consideration to the imminent demands on the local environment and infrastructure that will accompany the new facility that will sit adjacent to interstate 16.

Lissa Leege of Georgia Southern’s biology department recently spoke at a Bulloch County Commission meeting about zoning and how to deal with the tens of thousands of people that will be moving here in the next few years with the creation of 8,000 new jobs at the Hyundai plant.

“Yes, we are making electric vehicles in that space, but that is not a green decision unless all the development around it is sustainable,” said Leege.

Kris Howard, the Science and Policy Manager for Ogeechee Riverkeepers, described how the group is working closely with commissioners across multiple counties to ensure the sustainable development of not only the facility, but the neighboring communities that will see an influx of residents soon.

“We are very adamant about not being opposed to growth because growth is needed, but we are focused on sustainability,” said Howard.

The HMG facility's water use and the increased demands on public sewage systems are a top priority, and Howard says that the Riverkeepers are working towards ordinances that will require annual maintenance on septic systems in order to prevent malfunctioning and harmful impacts to our waters.

Beyond policy and infrastructure, some individuals are also concerned with the loss of habitat and how the permanent alteration of this much land will impact the surrounding environment. C. Ray Chandler of the Georgia Southern biology department described the importance of the forest and the effects of removing the vegetation from this land.

The forests and wetlands native to this part of Southeastern Georgia provide many essential ecosystem services including air and water filtration. As a carbon sink, the forest collects more CO2 than it produces but, with the clearing of this land, that carbon returns to the atmosphere. Additionally, because this land that was previously shaded by trees is now receiving direct sunlight and is now drier, topsoil erosion will occur. 

“Your physically altering temperature, humidity, wind, and over time, you're going to have biological effects,” said Chandler

According to Chandler many species of amphibians, including those such as the endangered Flatwood Salamander, rely on both the forests as their primary habitats, and also the wetlands for their short breeding seasons. 

Even with precautions such as creating boundaries around wetlands during construction, many species are threatened by deforestation because their life cycles and breeding patterns rely on different aspects of the environment. 

Chandler also detailed his concerns about the potential for misuse of water resources including overdraft of the rivers and effluent (treated wastewater) pollution.

His concerns are far from hypothetical, as just over a decade ago a textile treatment facility in Screven county seeped toxins into a 77-mile stretch of the Ogeechee river, resulting in the loss of nearly 40,000 fish, along with alligators, birds and turtles.

Chandler believes it is a difficult balance to strike between conserving the natural ecosystems and developing infrastructure that can support sustainability amongst a growing population.

“At the end of the day, we need to reduce our CO2 production. Electric vehicles are probably going to be part of the answer,” said Chandler.

However, because we will not be dismantling any warehouses or pulling up asphalt anytime in the foreseeable future, Chandler says serious forethought needs to be put into these permanent developments because ultimately, residents of South Georgia will pay the cost for mishandled resources.

According to Leege and Kris Howard, the most compelling action a citizen can take is to make their voice heard. By attending commision meetings and organizing as groups with a united cause, representatives are more likely to consider these opinions and make decisions that are truly in the interest of the community. 

The Bulloch County Board of Commissioners meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month, at which community members can make their opinions heard.

“There's potential to do it the right way, so speak up,” said Leege.

Humanoid Robots: Closer than what we think?

By: Jacob Zari

A humanoid robot has been seen jogging, jumping, and tossing a toolbag on video recently, which poses the question, can they be regularly seen sooner than many have envisioned?

Boston Dynamics, a robotics company that designs and manufactures robots themselves, released the demo video in the middle of January, showing off their research and development robot, called Atlas. 

Atlas has 28 hydraulic joints all across the body, each positioned in the likeness of where a human’s joints are. Instead of electricity in the joints, there is pressurized hydraulic oil threaded in that provides the robot human-like mobility. 

For Atlas to be able to “see” and react to its surroundings, it uses a time-of-flight depth camera. Pocket-Lint explains that the camera “uses infrared light (lasers invisible to human eyes) to determine depth information - a bit like how a bat senses its surroundings.” 

Boston Dynamics says that their depth camera is able to collect data at 15 frames per second. As a comparison, the human eye can see and interpret data anywhere from 30 to 60 frames per second. This is where the questions of efficiency and reliability come in. 

Kody Pierce, a student worker at the engineering lab at Georgia Southern spoke on the reliability of robots. Pierce says, “it’s more about how the data is collected that can lead to malfunctions.

“For instance, Tesla has been having a lot of issues with their autopilot because it’s mainly camera-based,” Pierce adds, “Cameras can only spit out a one dimensional image which can be difficult to get accurate distance measurements from, doable but extremely difficult. If the measurements aren’t accurate then the whole system is theoretically blind which can lead to some pretty serious issues.”

Issues are the very last thing that Construction Managers want on the job site. There is a lot riding on getting a job done not only in time, but meeting the budget for that job as well. Construction Managers have to be very aware of not only the risks of humanoid robots, but also the current limitations as well.

Matthew Ricks, an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction at Georgia Southern, put it this way, “ Take a look at those robots in Japan that can shoot three-pointers. They are making the shots, but they are ridiculously slow. So we know that it can get a task done, but how efficient is it? On the job site, that is what we have to worry about.”

So the question to ask is how long is it going to take until humanoid robots, like Atlas, are ready to be extensively used in the workforce? 

“I’d say robots can already act as quickly as humans.” Pierce says. “It is more about can they understand the environment and different situations the same as humans. I feel like it’ll be awhile before we get to that point.”

Avian flu: What's that got to do with the price of eggs?

 

By: Erin Ware

New data published from the Consumer Price Index shows that egg prices have soared 60% in 2022. 

While inflation and price-gouging could play a factor in high egg prices, the avian flu epidemic is the heart of the problem. 

The U.S. is currently facing the deadliest avian flu outbreak in its history with nearly 58 million birds having been infected, according to the USDA. 

The avian flu, much like the human influenza virus, mutates readily causing some strains to be more deadly than others. This is a year with a highly virulent strain circulating among birds, unlike less harmful strains in the past. 

This is not the first time the U.S. has seen a highly pathogenic strain of avian flu. In 2015, more than 50 million chickens and turkeys were infected, causing economic losses of $3.3 billion, according to the USDA. 

Ray Chandler, an ecology and bird conservation researcher at Georgia Southern University, notes that reducing an avian flu outbreak among domestic birds, such as chickens, is much more challenging compared to wild bird populations. 

"Similar to how the human flu spreads more readily during the winter because we are cooped up indoors," Chandler explains, "avian flu spreads readily among domestic birds because they are housed together in dense groups."

Wild bird populations naturally decrease the spread of the virus amongst themselves when they migrate to remote areas and spread-out during the breeding season. Domestic birds, however, require human intervention to contain the spread. One form of human intervention requires the euthanization of entire hen houses that have been exposed to the virus. 

Chicken farms also use extensive preventative measures to remain sterile. These measures require all trucks entering or leaving a farm to undergo a disinfection process and any person on the farm must wear a sterile suit and boots. 

Brad Sutton, the operations manager at Highridge Poultry, says that transmission prevention measure taken during an outbreak are not only tedious, but can end up being very costly. 

"Buying the disinfectant to spray the trucks can be a costly expense that a lot of people don't consider," said Sutton, "but it's better safe than sorry."

While poultry businesses seem to take the biggest hit from avian flu outbreaks, small businesses such as bakeries or restaurants can also take a costly blow. 

Jordan Gunter, the general manager of Sugar Magnolia Bistro in Statesboro, has not ran into any problems acquiring enough eggs for his day to day operations. However, Gunter says the higher egg prices have not been ideal. 

While it is hard to predict when egg prices will go back down, experts encourage consumers to remain hopeful.

Laser designed to redirect lightning strikes

 

By: Justin Hall

Scientists in Switzerland have been creating lasers to harness lightning in order to protect people from lightning strikes. Traditionally, lightning rods have been the safest technique to channel the lightning straight back into the ground. This new laser was tested on the top of the Santis mountains right at a telecommunications tower. They also attached a lightning rod that gets struck at least 100 times a year. The laser was transmitted at the sky between July and September2021.

Physicist Aurelien Houard of the Institut Polytechnique de Paris in Palaiseau, France believes that in order for a framework or configuration to be protected from a severe lightning strike, a rod would need to be hundreds of meters.

WSAV meteorologist Kris Allred believes that updated technology is necessary in order to track lightning strikes especially in the Savannah area.

“Our WSAV building on Victory Drive gets struck by lightning sometimes several times a year,” said Allred.

While Houard believes that the laser needs to be hundreds of meters, Allred contemplates the size in order to track the lightning.

“My question is if they’re able to make it smaller and more practical,” said Allred.

WTOC meteorologist Andrew Gorton is very much intrigued by the prospects of a new laser that is able to detect lightning strikes and their technology to avert enormous crises from happening.

"I think the possibility of using lasers and other technology to protect structures is interesting and innovative," said Gorton.  

The results showed that quick, fierce blasts of infrared light at the sky for about 1000 times persecond. The results also demonstrated that this was the equivalent of eliminating trees in the woods in order to make room for buildings. Houard and his team designed the laser this way tostop a bolt before it reached the equipment.

The skies themselves varied at different points during the testing. One sky was transparent which allowed cameras to film the event. The other skies were not so clear to capture. In place of them, the scientists looked at broadcasting frequencies peeled by the strikes. The results showed that followed the path of the laser a lot closer than other strikes. The main difference was that the laser was on instead of off.

The purpose of a lightning rod is to protect a home or other buildings from a strike. Systems such as a lightning rod can't prevent the structure, but it can and will provide interception to follow an electrical discharge and place the energy from the lightning safely into the ground. A complete lightning system is required in order to ensure that dangerous electrical floods and possible fires caused by lightning entering a home or building through wires or pipes. This would also include protection for power, data and communication lines. However surge protection devices are at-risk devices. Lightning protection would also be needed to petrol conduits. 

  

Nicotine addiction in teens at all-time high

By: Elizabeth Lavender

Nicotine addictions amongst college students is at an all time high. But the most common question is how vaping sales have remained such an issue among younger individuals since their rise in popularity in 2016.

Dr. Douglas Phillips, explains that “even though this addiction recovery would be fairly simple, and fast, I would presume that the temptation from how common they are is holding individuals back from recovery."

A New York Times article, also attributes the addiction rise to individuals being away from their parents for the first time. With this separation and lack of rules, students are able to experiment more freely without parental guidance.

“I think when younger students are able to do whatever they want, with younger individuals, these temptations are easily turned into the social normal,” said Dr. Phillips.

Kelby Smith, Georgia Southern University graduate, claims she only started vaping because all of her friends vaped while they were drinking in college.

“It was always just a drinking thing, we shared them when we would go out”, said Smith. But even though it just started as a weekend habit, the habit has grown to a daily activity. “I still buy disposable vapes before work, because I have to be awake very late for my job, and it helps when we’re busy,” said Smith. 

Kelby is one of many college students who have had a vaping addiction develop throughout their college career.

The easy accessibility of these devices being placed in corner stores, as well as their fruity, sweet flavors, has made the opportunity to get hooked even higher. While students are awake late studying, or even out with friends, these easily accessible nicotine devices have added a quick habit to their everyday life styles.

Current Georgia Southern University student, Elizabeth Love, claims that the temptation for vaping was never intriguing to her.

“I think even though everyone else was doing it, the first couple of times I tried it grossed me out,” said Love. She continued that coughing while attempting was uninteresting to her.

“I would watch people waste their money, and we would have to stop on the way to events if someone was out,” said Love, continuing how the habit seemed like it would be annoying to her. 

Love is not alone, many students have resisted temptation and do not partake in smoking habits. In 2021, the Center for Disease Control estimated over 2 million youth individuals have current nicotine addictions.

While these addictions are not seemingly ending soon, there have been multiple CDC bans on certain flavors to hopefully curve the numbers of the addicted.

Which CPU is Best 4 U: a guide to the benefits of building a custom PC

By: Addie Robinson 

With a higher platform for online gaming, and the more and more people have begun to take their office to their homes, a need for a personalized computer is more than ever. More and more over the recent years people have started building their own personal computers, picking every single piece of hardware by hand and putting them together. This can be a time consuming and expensive process, but what exactly makes this worth it?

“I spent about eleven hundred dollars total on all of my parts. I got all of my parts over a span of about two months and I actually built it all in a span of about 3 hours when I finally got all of my parts.” Said Jacob Daley, a sophomore computer science major at Georgia Southern who built his own PC. 

“It’s honestly been great having one because it was an upgrade from my old laptop so I can play more hardware intensive games and software and I like having a larger workspace and screen when I do my schoolwork.” What all goes into building a custom PC? There are some main parts that go into the build that one would need: a CPU, a graphics card, a motherboard, RAM, a PSU, and of course a monitor and keyboard. 

A CPU includes the instructions and the processing power that connects everything together. It is like the ‘brain’ of the computer, telling the organs what to do and providing them with the power to do so, but having the capabilities to do the actions themselves. The CPU has many functions alongside that, according to SmartBuyer, the CPU is responsible for the cache memory, which is the assistant memory provided to the central (RAM) memory, Threads, which are the individual tasks it can execute, and the cores, which are responsible for how fast it runs. The graphics card is the prized possession for any PC builder. The graphics card is responsible for all of the visuals the monitor produces. This is typically most important to a lot of PC builders because of the aesthetics it produces. While it is less important as far as how the computer itself runs, the importance is made in the fact that this is the only part of the PC that’s quality can be seen directly on the screen.  The motherboard is what works with the CPU that communicates with the other parts to execute a function. While the CPU is the brain, the motherboard would be like the central nervous system. Motherboards and CPUs do have to be compatible however, because of the amount of power they would require being fed to it. RAM, as previously mentioned, is the short-term memory the PC has that allows it to run programs and applications. On average, the average user would be satisfied with 8 gigabytes of RAM, however, those that use larger applications, such as video or photo editing softwares, animation software, or games with a large amount of file space, would be better off with larger amounts of RAM, such as 12 or 16 gigabytes.  A PSU, or Power Supply Unit, is responsible for distributing the appropriate amount of power. This will help with the longevity and stability of the PC and will make sure that only the appropriate amount of power is being provided to the PC. As far as monitors and keyboards go, like the graphics card these have a major role in the aesthetics of the PC, as well as the functionality. In keyboards, ones with customizable key caps are common, because it provides the user with a choice of what kind of feel, sound, and speed their keys will have.  Like the rest of the PC, a lot of keyboards are also heavily customizable. For example, if one were to buy a keyboard that has the correct aesthetics that the user wants, but does not have the right feel or sound, the user can purchase pieces called ‘switches’ that can change how the keycaps feel or sound. 

What started out as a hobby for technology enthusiasts has grown into a massive industry, and now a custom pc is almost an industry standard in some places. On the surface, the appeal for a custom PC is the same as the appeal for anything custom made; the user has the choice to prioritize what they want while not having to sacrifice any features in the process. The process goes deeper than that though.  The average cost of building a custom PC can range anywhere from $800 to $2000 according to CliffyB, a PC building guide website. The opportunity to include nearly any features you want in your custom computer is one of the main benefits to building a PC.  There are different features one can choose for the different functions they want their PC to do. Someone who is more of a gamer might choose different parts for their PC than someone who is going to use it for video editing, and ultimately that is the main appeal for building your own personal computer. 

On the surface, one would see the cost of building a PC and be immediately turned off, but the benefits the user would have after completing the build would ultimately make the price worth it. Being able to mix and match parts and pieces to fulfill individual needs and goals is something you would not be able to find with a pre-built PC. This is why those who use desktop computers are starting to make the switch. 

Sleep deprivation in college students is a common, concerning issue

 

 

By Austin Carter

Consistently being able to get the necessary eight hours of sleep every night can be quite difficult, especially for college students. Whether partying, studying or cramming assignments, students often sacrifice sleep without considering the implications that come with it. 

 

Sleep deprivation is increasingly common, affecting approximately one-third of adults in the United States, according to Sleep Foundation. Over half of all college students get less than seven hours of sleep each night, according to Harvard Summer School. Consistent sleep deprivation of this sort impacts a person’s cognitive abilities and mood, and also contributes to drowsiness during the day. 

 

Lifepoint Medical nurse practitioner Hannah Wilker noted that sleep disorders such as insomnia can be developed as a result of consistent sleep deprivation. To combat this, she described the importance of sleep hygiene, which involves limiting stimuli that keep a person’s mind active. “Avoiding using your phone prior to sleeping, avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon and keeping your bedroom dark and cool, things like that are good sleep hygiene,” said Wilker. 

 

Pulling an all-nighter can be considered a staple in the life of a college student. The impact that periods of acute sleep deprivation such as this can have on a person are drastic, but generally ignored. Students prioritize powering through an assignment or having fun with friends in those cases because they are unaware of how much an all-nighter affects them. 

 

Staying awake for 24 hours straight can have the same cognitive impairment effects as a blood alcohol content of 0.1%, higher than the legal limit of 0.08%, according to the CDC. Cognitive impairment to that extent can be dangerous for driving and diminishes reaction time. 

 

Sleep deprivation can also serve as an obstacle by causing students to miss out on certain aspects of every-day life. “This semester with my 8 a.m.’s, I have slept through a lot of those,” said Becca Lerzo, junior at Georgia Southern University. “Then sometimes if I take naps, I’ll only want to sleep for 30 minutes, but it’ll end up being like three hours.”

 

Allowing sleep deprivation to reach that extent is harmful to a student’s grades, social life and overall health. Beyond just the immediate impacts, consistent lack of sleep can have lingering effects that can be felt for an extended period afterward.

 

Reed Johnson has been out of college for over a year and still feels the impact of his poor sleeping habits. “I did all-nighters in college and it was bad on my body, and I still have not really recovered to this day,” Johnson said. While Johnson already suffers from sleep apnea, his habits of neglecting sleep altogether took a toll and would leave him feeling continuously exhausted. 

 

It is unrealistic to expect college students not to have relatively poor sleeping habits due to the nature of being in college to begin with, but it is important that students understand what they are doing to their body with continuous neglect of sleep. Impaired cognition as a result of an all-nighter could lead to lower quality work being done, negating the purpose of staying up all night in the first place. 

 

Balancing the negative effects is what it comes down to for students. Being able to keep a good sleep schedule that is relatively consistent while also partaking in other usual college activities should be the ultimate goal.

Breathe in, breathe out: Climate change’s effect on human respiratory health

By: Joshua Jones

The doom and gloom predictions of climate change may be a distant threat in the minds of many, but for those with respiratory issues, it is a very real problem.

Climate change has occurred naturally long before humans were around, but since the time of the Industrial Revolution, humanity has been a driving force behind these shifts in temperature and weather patterns, according to the United Nations.

Used for most of the world’s energy, industrial and transportation needs, fossil fuels, when burned, release greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into Earth’s atmosphere. These emissions trap the heat of the sun, raising temperatures globally.

What this looks like is earlier and longer warm seasons and more frequent extreme heat events, which can lead to complications for everyone, especially people with respiratory illnesses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Alan Harvey, professor of biology at Georgia Southern University, said that more carbon dioxide and longer-lasting warm periods will increase the amount of pollen in the air due to greater plant growth during those times.

While this just means a runny nose for most, a greater pollen count can trigger asthma attacks and cause more people with respiratory illnesses to be hospitalized, according to the CDC. In fact, medical costs related to pollen exceed $3 billion every year.

“If you’re starting just a couple of days earlier every year, and pollen levels are 5% higher than they were the last year, that accumulates pretty drastically over the course of a couple decades,” said Harvey.

Furthermore, when extreme heat events occur, there is a higher concentration of pollutants in the air, which can exacerbate asthma and lead to airway inflammation, according to a team of researchers at the University of Maryland and Maryland’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Lissa Leege, a biology professor at GSU, said that a lot of these respiratory problems come from tropospheric ozone, a pollutant formed when nitrous oxides from vehicle exhaust combine with heat and sunlight.

This ground-level ozone can diminish lung function and could lead to 1,000 to 4,300 additional premature deaths in the United States by 2050 if no action is taken, according to the CDC.
An additional concern with rising temperatures is drought, especially because of the increased frequency of wildfires in dry areas, according to the CDC.

On top of the loss of life and property damage that could occur if a fire breaks out, wildfire smoke contains particulate matter, greenhouse gases and ozone precursors that not only affect the area but locations downwind of the fire. This can increase hospitalizations and medical visits, as well as the dispensing of medicine for asthma, bronchitis, COPD and other respiratory infections.
Another consequence of climate change is rising sea levels, which happens as glaciers and ice sheets melt and water volume expands as it warms, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In coastal communities, this can cause “sunny-day flooding,” in which water seeps into homes and other structures leading to problems such as mold growth, said Leege.

Mold can worsen respiratory issues for those allergic if touched or inhaled, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.

While respiratory issues are not the only concern, the effects of climate change have already impacted many who do suffer from them, and this will continue to get worse if no change is made.

However, Leege was adamant that the fight against climate change is not lost if people can band together, though she added that it is now more an issue of adapting to current conditions than fixing the damage that has been done.

This includes planting trees, building sand dunes, which are natural barriers from rising tides, and trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“I can’t give up hope that we as humans can’t turn this around,” said Leege. “We know the solutions to the problem, it’s just the political will to get things done.”

Graphic by Joshua Jones

Concerns over avian flu spread as bald eagles are being infected in Georgia

Freedom the bald eagle, Georgia Southern's mascot. Photo By: Kaz Thomas

By: Kaz Thomas

The University of Georgia is identifying new cases of avian flu spreading across the state, notably affecting bald eagles.

 Avian flu, or Influenza A has not previously been identified in Georgia’s bald eagles, making this development a new risk for the species. The population is currently labeled as “Least Concern” after being endangered until 2007.

 The nest success rate for bald eagles on Georgia’s coast was found to be over 30% lower than usual, with avian flu “playing a substantial role in that remarkably substantial drop,” according to Bob Sargent, a program manager for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. 

Wild birds such as bald eagles fly long distances during winter migrations to warm climates, increasing the risk of avian flu in birds from each area. This makes social poultry such as chickens and ducks more susceptible to the virus as wild species fly in. 

Unfortunately infected birds must be culled to prevent the spread of the disease. “I’ve heard about it and learned that they stopped allowing chickens to be sold or traded at certain places, but not all,” said hobbyist poultry farmer Lilly Johnson. “I haven’t seen any affected by it though, and I hope it doesn’t get bad.” 

In order to keep the domesticated birds healthy, Johnson uses “medicated feed” as well as doing daily cleaning for their water pools. 

Some farmers use vaccines to keep their poultry free of common ailments such as bronchitis, Fowl Pox and cholera. 

Avian flu vaccines are available but not widely used since it makes it difficult to monitor symptoms of an outbreak, a method known as “surveillance testing” for visual signs of sickness in the birds. In addition, an effective avian flu vaccine is still being developed to withstand constant mutations the virus may undergo.

 According to OSHA, the symptoms of avian flu in birds is “sudden death; lack of energy, appetite, and coordination; purple discoloration and/or swelling of various body parts; diarrhea; nasal discharge; coughing; sneezing; and reduced egg production and/or soft-shelled or misshapen eggs.” 

This strain of bird flu is currently not affecting humans, though it has made the jump to other bird species. According to the CDC, domestic poultry and wild species may contract avian flu by “direct contact with infected waterfowl or other infected poultry, or through contact with surfaces that have been contaminated with the viruses.” 

Georgia Southern’s Wildlife Center in Statesboro maintains a large collection of wild-born raptors and domestic waterfowl, including a bald eagle known as Freedom, the school mascot.

 Bald eagles are central to the identity of Georgia Southern students and faculty, and Freedom flies over the Allen E. Paulson Stadium at every major event. 

“The bird flu is concerning especially for the wild population, bald eagles made such a good comeback from the endangered species list,” said Scott Courdin, Wildlife Curator of Georgia Southern. 

“Bird flu, it’s something that happens yearly. It does hit different parts of the United States, oftentimes it’s very localized and doesn’t go very far. Sometimes it spreads much farther and it affects a lot more birds than just bald eagles.”

 Domestic poultry infections are of high concern since the birds are raised in close proximity to each other. Raptors at the Wildlife Center are fed with domestic poultry such as farm raised quail and chicks as well as rodents.

 “If my quail producer had to eliminate his flock, we still have the mice and rats. We have other options if one of those food sources were to go down.” Courdin said. 

Though some of the raptors are housed in open air sections, Courdin explained that it was highly unlikely for an infected bird to land among them. The territorial nature of the captive birds in addition to the varied species causes wild populations to be repelled quickly. 

Currently eagle deaths have been confirmed in Chatham, Glynn and Liberty county, concentrated in northern Georgia. 

Epidemiologists are monitoring the avian flu strain as it spreads across the United States, pointing towards a trend of mass poultry die offs.

Opioids: Abling the disabled, and disabling the able

By: Addie Robinson

As a child, having a father with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a rare bone disease, meant watching him scream when trying to stand up. It meant letting him use my car to drive to his specialist hours away because it had better gas mileage, and probably the most important thing, it meant that I learned to not touch his medicine cabinet. 

Chronic illness affects more than the disabled. It affects everyone around them. Seeing a loved one in constant, excruciating pain is agonizing to watch. The able-bodied people around them can feel like there’s nothing they can do to stop or prevent it.

Think about how far modern medicine has come just over the last century. The development of antibiotics, life-saving surgical procedures and healthcare accessibility have made us a more healthy and able species than ever before. However, there is an ugly side to medicine.

Opioid products made from the opium poppy plant, are used to relieve pain from an individual that has a chronic illness or is recovering from surgery according to John Hopkins Medicine. Prescription painkillers, such as Oxycodone (branded as OxyContin) and Hydrocodone (branded as Vicodin), are examples of opioids a doctor would prescribe to a patient. 

When a pain reliever is taken, the chemicals in the medication is released, binding to the pain receptors in the brain, which blocks the feeling of pain, according to the National Library of Medicine.

These pills are not just used by people trying to relieve pain. They’re also used to get high. The biggest threat to able-bodied people is the fact that these products contain highly addictive chemicals that can ruin people’s lives. 

Opioids are making substances that are already dangerous even more dangerous. More accessible and less addictive “street drugs,” such as marijuana and cocaine, have recently seen more cases of being laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than morphine, causing drug users to unknowingly overdose. 

“[in Georgia] painkillers are used more by those aged 12-17 than those over 18,” said a researcher from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A study done by SAMHSA says that among 12-17 year olds in the state of Georgia, between 1.80%-2.06% misuse prescription pain relievers. 

The world has taken some steps towards solving the opioid crisis. With the creation of Narcan, an opioid antagonist, opioid-related deaths in the United States have seen a drastic decline. 

“Narcan is a nasal spray that a caregiver can use on you to help you regain consciousness if you overdose on opioid medication. It works by blocking the effects of opiates to relieve dangerous symptoms caused by a high level of opiates in the blood,” Kameron Lannan, a pharmacy technician, explained. 

Even Narcan has its drawbacks though. Lannan also said that, “Narcan is a prescription, and a doctor needs to write it for someone to get access to it, even then, the generic brand can be $40 without insurance and name-brand Narcan can be close to $150, so yes, it is life-saving, but it is also a lot of money for one-time use.” 

With the opioid crisis comes another dangerous side effect; the people who need opioids to combat their chronic illness have to go through great lengths to even keep their prescription, let alone the steps they have to take to get their prescription into their hands.

It is a common practice now to drug test people who are prescribed narcotics to make sure that it is in their system recently enough that they are not selling the drugs. If pharmacists or doctors have any amount of suspicion that a patient is selling their prescriptions or using them recreationally, they can revoke their prescription. It is precautionary, however, it can be humiliating for a patient to go through this.

There is still a glimmer of hope for the opioid epidemic. When it comes to accidental overdoses, advocacy groups have been pushing for the accessibility of recreational drug testing kits to prevent users from accidentally consuming fentanyl. 

They’re also pushing for more recovery efforts for those who have a narcotic addiction, and closely monitoring the dosage of opioid medication for those who need it to prevent possible addiction or accidental overdose. 

The first steps to ending the opioid epidemic is to destigmatize addiction, focus on recovery, and end the humiliation of both people with narcotic addictions and those with chronic illnesses that require opioids. This paves the way where people like my dad can live a life with less pain.