Listen Up: Speakers in C-U, January 19–25, 2009

Posted in CULTURE to Previews by Joel Gillespie on Monday, January 19, 2009 at 6:00 am

You live near a major university and a community college. There are smart people that come here every week to talk to the general public about interesting topics. Perhaps you were not aware of this fact, or were overwhelmed by the sheer number of opportunities for possible enlightenment. If that's the case, Smile Politely understands and is here to help. Here are four events going on in town this week, and three of the presenters took the time to answer a few questions about their area of expertise. Check out one or more of them if you have time.

WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 20 @ 3:30 p.m.

WHAT: The New Invaders: the Resurgence of Vector-borne Diseases in the U.S. by Dr. Linn Haramis

WHERE: Illinois Department of Public Health, I-Building Room 1005, 1816 S. Oak St., Champaign

Dr. Haramis' primary area of responsibility is "surveillance and control of mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile virus, tick-borne diseases like Lyme diseases and other pests of public health importance." He describes a vector-borne disease as one that "is spread by non-human organisms such as a tick or a mosquito, to a human being. Some examples of vector-borne diseases that affect humans are malaria and West Nile virus, which are transmitted by mosquitoes, and Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which are transmitted by ticks. Also, there are vectors of diseases to animals, such as transmission of rabies by vampire bats to mammals in Central and South America, and transmission of diseases to economically important plants, such as mosaic virus to cauliflower and other vegetables by aphids."

Haramis continued: "Two diseases that can have the most impact on humans in North America are tick-borne Lyme disease and mosquito-borne West Nile virus." According to Haramis, there are between 21,000 and 27,000 confirmed cases of Lyme disease per year in the States, with most cases occurring in New England and the upper Midwest. However, he states that there has been a slow but steady increase in Lyme disease cases in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa. West Nile Virus does not strike as frequently as Lyme Disease; however, because the virus can rapidly multiply in birds and mosquitoes during warm weather, focused outbreaks can occur within a specific region. In 2002, Illinois led the nation with 884 cases; in 2003, Colorado led the nation with 2,947 cases. In the case of both Lyme Disease and West Nile virus, early detection and prevention are key.

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 22 @ 12 noon

WHAT: "Challenges in Comfort Conditioning of a Zero Energy Residence," by Ty Newell and Ben Newell of Newell Instruments, Inc.

WHERE: Stephen J. Warner Conference Room, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, One E. Hazelwood Dr., Champaign

If you are still recovering from the shock of your last heating bill and are interested in finding out about the benefits of more efficient home design, then check out this seminar. Ben Newell explained a Zero Energy Residence thusly: "A zero energy house is one which over the course of a year has a net energy usage of zero or less. That is, the amount of energy consumed is equal to the amount produced. Any home can be net zero if you slap enough PV panels on it. The trick is to be able to do this efficiently with the right combination of smart design, quality construction, insulation and energy-efficient mechanical systems to minimize the energy needed in the first place. What we're working with is not necessarily a zero energy house, but a super-insulated/sealed low energy house, one which uses 50-75% less energy than a typical home. If a wind turbine or solar panels are then added, then yes, it would be a zero energy house."

The Newells' talk will also focus on an aspect of zero energy homes, air source heat pumps. Ben shared some insights as to why they use air source rather than ground source heat pumps. "Most commercially available air source systems do start to lose capacity at lower temperatures, but you already have a low temp heat pump in your house," he said. "Think about your refrigerator. It is able to recover heat from minus-20-degree Fahrenheit. Our system is unique because it is sized especially for super-insulated/sealed homes and has the ability to do ventilation, which becomes extremely important in this type of construction. We have a ground source heat pump for our lab and it is nice, but the reality is that they are just too complex and not cost effective for highly efficient homes that do not require substantial system capacity.

"There are homes [in Champaign-Urbana] that use different technology and many separate systems to accomplish the same benefits our single system will provide (heating, cooling and ventilation)," Newell continued, "but none offer this in one small modular package."

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 22 @ 1:45 p.m.

WHAT: "Non-tornadic convective wind fatalities in the United States" by Alan W. Black, Service Climatologist with the Illinois Water Survey

WHERE: Water Survey Research Center, room 201, 2204 Griffith Drive, Champaign

Alan Black has extensive experience studying more than 1,200 fatalities, and, according to him, "they all have some sort of unique circumstance." Black says: "My talk doesn't focus on the specific details of the fatalities, but more the broader picture, and I don't want people to get the impression that I'll be just talking about weird fatalities for an hour, because they will most certainly be disappointed." So, be forewarned, this is not a Weird Tales symposium.

If you're the type that will jump in their car at the sound of a tornado siren, though, you might be interested. Black noted, "I mostly expect people with an interest in meteorology, severe weather and hazards to attend. I think a non-academic could gain an insight in to the risks posed by non-tornadic thunderstorm winds, and ideally apply that information when making decisions about their own behavior in thunderstorms."

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 24 @ 8 p.m.

WHAT: Dave Lippman and George Shrub

WHERE: U-C Independent Media Center, 202 S. Broadway, Urbana

If you enjoy satirical songs with a left-wing bent, check these guys out. George W. Bush will no longer be around to provide them with fertile comic material, so this is the beginning of a new era for Lippman and Shrub. From the press release: "The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center is proud to announce the return of political satirist Dave Lippman and George Shrub, the only known singing CIA agent. After four years on assignment throughout the free world and in some pretty cheap places as well, the duo is back with more vicious parodies and twisted musical comedy. Come in for your briefing on the Obama years. Attendance is optional, but strongly suggested. Go to http://davelippman.com for downloads to share the fun." As this is a benefit for the IMC, a $12 donation is requested at the door.