Researchers find caffeine in waters off Oregon

[alp227]

Source: CNN

A study has found elevated levels of caffeine in the Pacific waters off the Oregon coast, but it doesn't appear that the region's many cafes and coffeehouses are to blame.

Researchers from Portland State University and Washington State University, Vancouver, looked at caffeine pollution off the coast as part of a broader study of contaminants in the water. Their findings are published in the July 2012 Marine Pollution Bulletin.

After taking samples from 21 spots along the coast, researchers expected to find the most caffeine pollution in areas near wastewater treatment plants, large population centers or rivers and streams emptying into the ocean, said Elise Granek, assistant professor of Environmental Science and Management at Portland State. She conducted the study with her former graduate student, Zoe Rodriguez del Rey, and Steve Sylvester of Washington State.

Instead, they found high caffeine levels near Carl Washburne State Park and Cape Lookout, two areas not near the potential pollution sources, and low levels of caffeine near large population centers such as Astoria, Warrenton and Coos Bay.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/01/us/oregon-ocean-caffeine/index.html

[NutmegYankee]

1. Sweet! I can just eat a bagel with lox in the morning...

and skip the coffee.

[tclambert]

2. Watch out for the hyperactive salmon.

[Moosepoop]

4. They'll be the ones flying upstream. n/t

[valerief]

3. Has this guy been seen in the area?

[We are Devo]

16. Well, well!

Juan Valdez! As I live and breathe...where have you been?

[Gregorian]

5. Key word- population.

Also, there was only one pathetic coffee shop in Coos Bay when I lived there. A bad one at that.

There's no way caffeine is coming out of Coos Bay. But I would expect it from Portland, and coming down the coastline.

But the importance of these kinds of articles is they are population related, and not something renewable energy is going to help. That's why even if we do begin to curb CO2 emissions, these other things are still going to be problems we simply cannot solve without decreasing population.

[JDPriestly]

7. Yes. Population control is the key to everything else in our environment.

[alp227]

11. Err...be careful with "population control"

You know that one child policy in China? That is called population control too.

[JDPriestly]

14. If we don't voluntarily control our population, we will have a one-child policy here.

I don't want that. I hate the idea, but if we have children dying of hunger -- it will happen. And that is why we need voluntary population control and now.

[primavera]

18. Gotta do something

A population that exceeds the carrying capacity of its environment is going to have bigger problems than political correctness. Consider Egypt that has failed to respond to their burgeoning population in a country where less than 5% of the country's land is arable. Infant mortality goes up, causing people to have even more children, and, when there is not enough food and jobs for the population, they export their citizenry to other countries as migrants, pissing off receiving countries. You can't just ignore overpopulation and hope that it goes away by itself like we do with most of our problems, you have to do something about it.

[Gregorian]

19. I'm not sure what to do. I just want to open this for discussion. Until then it's a nosedive.

[Permanut]

6. This is gonna save me some money..

when I'm at the Oregon coast; no more $4.00 Starbucks mochas, I'll just dip my cup in the Pacific.

[Duer 157099]

8. I've heard that a pinch of salt improves the taste of coffee

but this sounds like a bit too much

[renegade000]

9. caffe americano-pacifico

not just regular hot water: hot seawater, for extra flavor!

coming to a Starbucks near you!

[rocktivity]

10. Change your ways, Oregon and Washington State swimmers, or suffer the fate of this man

rocktivity

[PlanetBev]

13. What are you trying to do, rocktivity...kill me?

I almost peed my own pants, laughing so hard. Last time I saw that guy was at the kiddie matinee when I was a kid. He used to scare the hell out of me. Look what he's been reduced to now.

[We are Devo]

17. Remember those monster models?

The plastic ones with some glow in the dark pieces? Man, I wish I had kept them all..

[Demeter]

12. My initial chuckle is growing to a guffaw

and I don't drink coffee because caffeine turns my stomach. Shall we make Starbucks illegal? Or drinking water?

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. People get really upset.

[Javaman]

15. In other news: Fish have been seen demanding donuts. nt

[Nambe]

20. OMG... CNN must be watching the Olympics on NBC

Elise, Zoe, and Steve use grant money to take a cruse and find coffee in the vast pacific ocean???

Name: Elise Granek
School: Portland State University
Location: Portland, OR
Department: Environmental Science

Rated 2 out 5 in student rating.

Teacher works off of notes from former professor who originally designed the class. She does not understand the topic herself. A lot of working with little knowledge gained from class. A hard way to waste $1000.

Remember cold fusion? Assistant professor and former grad student looking for grant money.
At least that was a twosome without a boat.