Oh Poop - It’s worse than I thought | Stella Bowles | TEDxMSVUWomen
The speaker shares how her childhood, nurtured by a father figure, inspired her to use science to tackle the local environmental crisis of sewage flushing into the LaHaye River. Her work, initially focused on her desire to swim, led to vital testing that proved the river was contaminated with fecal bacteria, ultimately kickstarting a $15.7 million cleanup plan. She advocates for questioning norms and hands-on science, asserting that one individual can initiate significant community-wide change.
## Speakers & Context
- **Speaker** — Presenter, recounting her personal journey involving science and environmental activism.
- **Andrea** — Speaker's mother; helped draft positive social media posts.
- **Lennie** — Speaker's father; primary caregiver; taught the speaker basic science through activities like building a magic pickle machine and launching rockets.
- **Will** — Speaker's little brother.
- **Zappa** — Family dog.
- **Community** — The group involved in the river cleanup effort.
- **Parents** — The speaker’s parents; encouraged her curiosity and hands-on science.
## Theses & Positions
- Science education should be encouraging of curiosity and hands-on inquiry-based learning, rather than being confined to textbook learning.
- *“The river project is not my win it's the LaHaye River's win.”*
- Individuals possess the power to initiate and contribute to significant community and environmental change.
- Challenging societal misconceptions regarding gender roles (e.g., girls' roles in science) is necessary for progress.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Straight pipe** — A pipe running directly from a home's toilet into a waterway with no filtration.
- **Fecal bacteria** — Pathogens found in sewage, tested for in the LaHaye River.
- **Enterococci** — Indicator organisms used in testing the LaHaye River for fecal contamination.
- **Straight pipes are 100% illegal and a hundred percent really gross.**
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Magic Pickle Machine:** Using electrodes plugged into a pickle causing a light bulb to illuminate, demonstrating basic electrical concepts.
- **Rocket Building:** Constructing and launching small rockets in the backyard.
- **Septic System Collapse:** An old septic system failing due to age and increased usage.
- **Water Testing Process:** Testing the LaHaye River using kitchen supplies (in the basement) to culture fecal bacteria, requiring stringent control to ensure sterility.
- **Data Analysis:** Comparing test results against **Health Canada standards**:
- $>70$ *enterococci* per 100 milliliters: Should not swim.
- $>170$ *enterococci* per 100 milliliters: Should not let water touch the skin.
- **Advocacy Campaign:** Utilizing social media (Facebook) to disseminate scientific findings and mobilize community action.
## Timeline & Sequence
- **Fall of 2015** — Speaker's science fair project begins; initial questioning about straight pipes.
- **Summer of 2015** — Speaker conducts monthly water testing at four designated LaHaye River locations.
- **When the speaker was 11** — The period when the initial questioning about straight pipes began.
- **Past** — Previous science fair project (Grade 5): Bubble machine using a bubble solution.
- **Recently** — The funding of a fifteen point seven million dollar cleanup plan for the LaHaye River.
## Named Entities
- **Andrea** — Speaker's mother.
- **Lennie** — Speaker's father.
- **Will** — Speaker's little brother.
- **Perla** — Town where the family home is located; home has been occupied by Andrea's family for about 160 years.
- **LaHaye River** — The local river the project focused on; receiving illegal sewage discharge.
- **Coastal Action Foundation** — Local organization that became the science mentor contact.
- **Dr. David Maxwell** — Mentor who taught the speaker how to test for fecal bacteria in the kitchen.
- **Katie Ann University** — Laboratory where the speaker performed duplicate and parallel testing with an accredited lab.
- **Ontario Science Center** — Awarding body for the Western Youth Innovation Award.
- **Governor-General Canada** — Awarding body for the meritorious service medal.
- **Canada Walk of Fame** — Awarding body for the community here award.
- **Justin Trudeau** — Prime Minister addressed by the speaker.
- **Bernadette Jordan** — Former MP; now Federal Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Coast Guard.
- **Elizabeth May** — Leader of the Green Party.
## Numbers & Data
- Family residence tenure: **160 years** (for mother's side).
- Timeframe for septic system repair: **three months**.
- Speaker's age when questioning started: **11 years old**.
- Testing locations: **four** designated sites (Town Bridge Water, de Spring, upper LaHaye v', Yacht Club).
- Health Canada standard for swimming: **$>70$ enterococci per 100 milliliters**.
- Health Canada standard for skin contact: **$>170$ enterococci per 100 milliliters**.
- Testing volumes: **100 milliliters** (standard); **20 milliliters** (for easier counting, results multiplied by five).
- Western Youth Innovation Award: **One** top award received.
- Community Here Award: **One** award from the Canada Walk of Fame.
- Cleanup plan cost: **fifteen point seven million dollar**.
- Speaker's age: **11** (at project start); **14** (when traveling to Ecuador).
## Examples & Cases
- **Septic System Failure:** The local septic system collapsed, necessitating immediate repair.
- **Illegal Sewage Discharge:** Neighbors were flushing sewage directly into the river, unchecked by authorities.
- **Bubble Machine:** A Grade 5 science fair project where a bubble sheet was demonstrated, which was ultimately prohibited because the solution would ruin gym floors.
- **Ecuador Trip:** Traveling to Ecuador for **ten days** at age 14 with no Wi-Fi and no parents.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Electrodes** — Used in the magic pickle machine to create an electrical circuit.
- **Magic Pickle Machine** — DIY apparatus using electrodes to make a light bulb illuminate when plugged into a pickle.
- **Rockets** — Built and launched in the backyard.
- **Septic system** — Residential waste disposal unit that collapsed.
- **Faceboook page** — Platform used to build public awareness regarding river contamination.
- **Media** — Physical form used to present findings; later superseded by social media.
## References Cited
- **Health Canada standards** — Authority used to establish safe recreational water use parameters.
- **Accredited lab** — Facility used for external validation of the speaker's testing methods.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Presenting Format:** Initially relying on a physical poster board vs. transitioning to a Facebook page for broader reach, especially among the older, voting population.
- **Science Approach:** Relying on basic kitchen/home testing vs. needing a fancy laboratory setup.
## Methodology
- **Inquiry-Based Learning:** Starting with a simple question ("what's a straight pipe?") leading to complex research.
- **Field Testing:** Collecting environmental samples from the LaHaye River across **four** specific locations over the summer of **2015**.
- **Scientific Vetting:** Backing up initial findings through duplicate and parallel testing conducted in an accredited lab (**Katie Ann University**).
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- Communities must remain vigilant and question perceived environmental norms, especially regarding infrastructure like sewer lines.
- Individuals must be encouraged to pursue hands-on, curiosity-driven science to identify and initiate large-scale positive change.
- The focus should be on continuous improvement: "We all benefit from a healthy clean river."
## Implications & Consequences
- The inaction of authorities regarding illegal sewage flushing created a direct public health risk concerning the LaHaye River.
- The initial "feeling" of an issue (worrying about contamination) was given scientific, actionable weight, leading to systemic governmental funding ($15.7 million) for remediation.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"my dad was my primary caregiver so when i was born he stayed home with me and my mom went back to work"*
- *"what's a straight pipe"*
- *"i can't believe no one checks and that's gross"*
- *"if you flush toilet paper that is going into our beautiful waterways"*
- *"i kept repeating all my questions"*
- *"what do you mean people flush their septics into the river is that legal how many houses do this is it safe to swim in the river"*
- *"i'm going to get you to actually guess how many dots you see on the cards"*
- *"this is a visual representation that you should not swim there or get it in contact with your skin"*
- *"the river project is not my win it's the lahaye River's win"*
- *"I'm proof that one little girl can create change"*