Yesterday I was watching my favorite show, Dirty Jobs. Mike Rowe was cutting dead salmon in half with a machete to help count how many fish had died while moving up the river to spawn. This is important because it shows how man-made objects and contaminants affect the salmon spawning patterns. To me it seemed kind of wierd to cut an dead salmon in half but it was a good way to identify which salmon they had already counted. This also kept food for the micro-organisms in the river to ensure a healthy stream.
The next task Mike undertook was working on a cow farm. This farm made biodegradable flower pots out of cow dung. They also used the gas from the cow dung to heat and light there house and barn. He trapped the methane gas released from the dung under a tarp and sent it up to his house to be burned as an energy source. I thought this was really disgusting but a very effecient use of a product that is usually discarded. It is a product that is readily available to the farmer and he does an excellent job of harnessing his resources to provide cheap energy for his family. He is also able to provide flower pots that are a good source of fertilizer and friendely to the environment. Even though I feel this is a disgusting way to make a living, I think he is very creative thinker and a smart entrepernuer.
2 comments:
I have never seen this show, but it sounds like it's interesting, as well as pretty important. Is it always about environmental issues, or does it sometimes feature other kinds of dirty jobs? Do you think it portrays a kind of alternative aspiration, perhaps for young people who want to work with their hands, rather than in corporate offices? You might want to think about these questions when you post about a show for the first time.
Good post.
I just had the show on and that segment about the salmon was about two minutes away from completion. I couldn’t remember why they cut the salmon in half. Thanks for clarifying with this ancient post!
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