KQED Do Now- Artificial Turf vs. Natural Turf

This week’s do now focused on the pros and cons of installing and using turf vs. the natural turf, aka lawn. KQED emphasized new data that supported how the materials used to make turf contained harmful chemicals that can lead to cancer. Although these risks should be taken into consideration, KQED also mentioned that the alternative of having grass would require higher maintenance and potentially cause more injuries, something we do not need more of on a football or soccer field. With this dilemma, KQED proposed the question “Should We Install Fields of Artificial or Natural Turf?”

photo by Arsenikk

Although scientists have found that turf contains harmful chemicals, I think we should continue using artificial turf, but find a different material to make it. Not only does installing a lawn dramatically increase the use of water to keep the grass fresh, but natural turf is known to have a more slippery surface that can lead to more injuries. Another con when using natural turf is the maintenance. Natural turf will constantly have to be mowed and watered, thus increasing the costs of fields that are used year round.

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With turf being used for over 40 years, scientists should be able to create a similar material that is both less harmful and more effective. For that reason, I think artificial turf should continue to be used as its pros outweigh the cons.

KQED Do Now- Eradication of Polio

According to KQED Education, polio paralysis is a disease that is transmitted through contaminated food and water. Although polio is eliminated in 99% of the world, the disease is an ongoing problem in Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. An estimate of $12 billion is needed to eradicate polio as scientist wish to use inactivated polio vaccines, a more expensive but safer vaccine. With this large number in mind, KQED is prompting the question “Should global efforts to completely eradicate polio continue or is elimination of the disease enough?”

photo from wikipedia.
Somali boy receiving vaccine for polio

Although 12 billion dollars is a hefty amount of money, I think polio should be eradicated because every life matters. There are numerous diseases that scientists still do not know how to eliminate. With scientists having the answer to eradicate polio, the government should work to end the disease once and for all. It may not be a tempting argument to spend billions of dollars eradicating a disease that is not in our own country, but imagine polio being in your own country. You would want it gone. Every life matters no matter where he or she is living. We need to end polio while we have the chance!

Learn more about polio!

Department of Health

Global Polio Eradication Initiative

Sound Cloud on polio