TECHNOLOGY Agriculture: it's used everywhere to provide food and sustenance for an ever increasing population. Different types of agriculture, including monoculture and crop rotation, have been used to grow crops all over the world. As the years have progressed, so has the technology used in farming practices. You may recognize different types of this technology when driving by large fields of flowers or corn along some highways when you see big metal machines spraying water, fertilizers, or pesticides on the desired crop. This technology has helped crops to grow better during irregular growing seasons, in different climates, and on different terrain by taking into account the nutrients, water, and sunlight it needs to do so. THE GREEN REVOLUTION & IMPACTS The Green Revolution was a time in agricultural history when new technology and farming practices greatly influenced the food that was being produced. Some of the new technologies produced include high yield variety crops, chemical fertilizers, mechanization of farming, multiple cropping patterns, herbicides and pesticides, and irrigation or legislation. The positive impacts of this new technology include growing mass amounts of crops without destruction from pests or degradation of soil, producing greater amounts of food for a growing population, and decreasing the prices of such crops. This has also made it easier to feed to poorer countries and provide food for low income families. Though there are numerous positive impacts of the Green Revolution, there are many negative impacts as well. Some of these negative impacts include runoff from fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals into other water sources, a decrease in biodiversity, and an increase in "super bugs" and "super weeds" because of the more prominent use of pesticides and herbicides. These impacts have been debated about many times by many scientists and have been proven through various studies and experiments as well. Whatever side you choose to stand on for the Green Revolution, there is certainty in saying that it dramatically changed the farming industry. Click below to learn more about the Green Revolution CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS In my Environmental Science in Action class, students were divided into groups to research and present about different technologies that came about in the Green Revolution. The topic my group was assigned was chemical fertilizers. There are various reasons why these chemical fertilizers are important. Because of the use of chemical fertilizers, more crops are able to be sustained and produced. Mass amounts of these crops are also able to grow in smaller regions together because of the input of nutrients that the soil may not already have. They can also grow better in climates or on terrain they are not typically accustomed to because of the extra nutrients. Click below to read more about chemical fertilizers GMO BENEFITS AND IMPACT One semi-recent breakthrough in the way crops are mutated, known as genetically modified organisms or GMOs, has solved many issues surrounding vitamin deficiency, starvation, and malnutrition in some of the most in-need countries to date. GMOs have become an extremely common practice because of the many benefits it provides. There have been many studies done that have debunked the majority of studies conducted claiming that GMOs have too many negative impacts and are not safe for consumption. Some claims made about the drawbacks of GMOs are an increase in allergies, cancer, and antibiotic resistance due to what the organisms are injected with. GMOs are also leading to a loss of biodiversity. I personally believe that in order to support the growing population, GMOs are an extremely helpful way to do so. They allow for the development of more nutritious, fast growing food and it is cheaper than buying organic foods because of increased pest resistance and better growth. This helps feed people in developing countries and helps them receive the nutrients they need to survive. I am a bit concerned that less biodiversity is being created because of the use of GMOs, but I believe that if scientists can genetically modify foods now, if a problem were to arise then they will be able to fix it by creating different GMOs or injecting different traits to make them continuously beneficial. This could impact the foods we eat because flavor could be changed and nutrition of the food could be changed as well. As previously mentioned, prices of GM foods could also be lowered due to mass production which would help billions of people around the globe. Click below to read more about GMOs UNDERSTANDING FOOD CHOICES Understanding agriculture means knowing what farms and farmers typically use on or in their crops. Many people who understand such differences as with GM crops and organic crops tend to choose accordingly. Others who do not see either as harmful may choose whatever product is cheapest. Although I understand agriculture and the ways that many farmers grow their crops, I do not let it impact the food choices I make. Whether or not a product is GM or organic does not bother me or lead me to believe that one is better than the other. My food choices are solely based what tastes the best, what I can afford, and what has a greater nutritional value.
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Recapping on my winter break, I celebrated my 18th birthday on December 30th with some friends. We went to San Francisco for the majority of the day and then my parents surprised me with my dream car which I never expected! After that we all went to dinner and then continued home for cake and gifts. A few days later we celebrated New Years and then my mom's birthday on January 2nd. The following day my family left for my cousin's wedding in Minnesota where the temperatures varied from -13 to 27 degrees Farenheit. I was a bridesmaid for the first time in this wedding and it was much more fun than I had expected. We stayed for five days and returned home to the pouring California rain on January 8. After looking back at my accomplishments in 2017, I decided to set some new goals for myself in 2018. These goals include managing my time better, spending lots more time with my family before I go off to college, and taking time to be with valued friends. An environmental goal I intend to set for myself this year is lowering my carbon footprint. Some steps I can take toward achieving this goal includes leaving less lights on in the house and carpooling with friends instead of taking separate cars. Along with this, some things I am looking forward to in 2018 are taking senior trips to LA with my friends, taking a trip to Wisconsin to go to my cousin's cabin which is my favorite vacation place, and attending college! Blue Gold: World Water Wars is a documentary about the importance of water. It discusses how water becomes polluted, what sector uses the most water, who should be in control of the water supply, how water wars start, and what we can do to help solve the water crisis. The main goals of the film are to inform the public of the importance of water, how we can save and keep water clean, how to prevent conflict over water, and how to make the most of the water that we have. On the Blue Gold website and in the documentary it is stated that many people don't know where their local water shed is, but this information is very important to know so that people, including myself, may protect it. Along with protecting the water supply, some starting steps that I can take to stop water pollution and privatization includes not littering, reducing my emissions, and writing to the government as a concerned voter saying that I am well aware of the water crisis and that it needs to be stopped. Water is a human right and is provided to us by the Earth. Because people don't manufacture water, it should be considered a public good. The importance of water is thoroughly expressed throughout the documentary. It is constantly expressed that water is a human right and should not be privately owned. When water becomes privately owned, companies raise prices and only want to profit. Water should be considered a public good so that everyone has access to it no matter their financial or economic status. Water belongs to everyone, not just to some people for profit. Privatization of water has even lead to lower water quality standards and lower or no safety regulations. For example, the privatization of water in Bolivia has lead to water wars. The public began fighting for their right to water and many have been severely injured or even killed. This could have been prevented if water was a public good which, as previously mentioned, benefits everyone since we need water to live a sustained and healthy life. Bottled water is only one example of the increased prices and lowered standards of the privatization of water. Privatization of water has resulted in people drinking, bathing in, and using water unsuitable for their needs. In my opinion, the most shocking part of the film was how much conflict there was in other countries over the privatization of water. I had no idea how awful and intense the situation was or how much it affected people. I was really taken back by this and never expected differences over water to lead to lost lives because of such corruption. If you would like to explore more about the movie Blue Gold: Water Wars, learn more about the water crisis, or know more about how to take control of your water supply, click the button below!
On November 20th I went with my class to Body Worlds at the Tech Museum. Some body systems that I learned about while there include the digestive system and the cardiovascular system. For the digestive system, I learned that the digestive tract can be up to 30 feet in length. This system is responsible for digesting foods and spreading the nutrients throughout the body. It also produces energy from the digested food. Some diseases that may affect the digestive system include acid reflux disease, appendicitis, and Crohn's disease. For the cardiovascular system, I learned that it is responsible for the transportation of blood cells, oxygen, and hormones throughout the body. It also removes unwanted and unneeded things such as carbon dioxide and other gases from the body. Some diseases that the cardiovascular system include high blood pressure, strokes, and coronary artery disease. Below are pictures of the large intestinal tract and all of the blood vessels in the heart. Personally, looking at parts of the body and the body itself grosses me out a bit. I'm not the biggest fan of learning about it either. I would definitely recommend the exhibit for someone who finds learning about the body and all the bodily systems and functions interesting. The exhibit was very interactive and showed lots about different parts of the body as well as there functions and how they may be affected. I think whether Body Worlds is appropriate for all ages is a matter of opinion and is up to each individual. Personally, I think it's okay for all ages to visit, but some parents may not want children viewing the models because they are a bit graphic and may upset some people. The only thing I would change about the exhibit would maybe be going more in depth about the eyes and how they may be affected or how they benefit us because I didn't see much information about them.
Connecting Body Worlds to climate change, believe that the body is largely affected by this. With the progression of climate change, there is more pollution. This affects the lungs by shrinking them as well as declining the overall health of them and how they function. It may lead to asthma and other respiratory issues. Pollution also poisons the rest of the body as well. When people inhale toxins that are provided and produced by pollution, it affects the brain which ultimately impacts the function of the entire rest of the body. More specifically, it can lead to heart disease and damage of major organs including the liver, brain, and even kidneys.
The Project Green Challenge occurs each day throughout the month of October. Each day has a challenge that is geared toward something environmentally friendly. The goal of this challenge is to get students to learn more about better ways to treat the Earth as well as ways to better the health of ourselves. It promotes the growth of learning about conscious living and informs people about the consequences of consumption. My favorite challenge was day 13 which was "Wellness". For this challenge, I had to create a positive intention that was supposed to guide my day. Then I reflected on how it changed my day. This was my favorite challenge because I was able to take some time to myself to destress and do things for myself to help promote a healthy mind and body. For this challenge I ate well, got more sleep than I usually would have, and took time to relax throughout the day.
Reflecting back on the Project Green Challenge, I believe it to be an amazing way to inform people of ways to sustainably live, to get the word out about the problems our Earth is having, and to promote a healthy lifestyle. I found it great that the challenge even gave certain days to promote taking time to ourselves. I am glad I was able to partake in a few of these challenges with my group because I really did learn a lot about topics I had never even thought about before. Below is the link to my favorite challenge:
https://projectgreenchallenge.com/2017-day-13-wellness/
The NOAA Marine Debris Program was created to be able to monitor the types of debris that washes up or are found on beaches as well as the size of each piece of debris. The goals of this program include being able to track debris washed up on shore so they can track how well the debris prevention programs are working. This helps the NOAA Marine Debris Program to know how they can improve or what they need to further track.
Our Environmental Science class went to Ocean Beach to participate in monitoring the and categorize it for better data and research results. At the beach, students were split into groups where we each chose a marked off section on the beach to search around for any debris. Once found, we had to categorize it by size, type of material, and how many there was of that product. This information will be used to help track the debris prevention programs put in place, see where some debris may be coming from, and find new ways to stop this debris from arriving on the beach. I had a very pleasant time learning about how this research helps and collecting debris from around the beach. I was surprised to see some of the things that my group found. There was much more debris in such a small area than what I imagined there would be. I would definitely go back and do this again because it really does upset me how much trash and debris pollutes oceans and beaches all around the world. Enjoy some pictures of our volunteer work and what we found at Ocean Beach! Recently in my Environmental Science class we spoke about Laudato Si and what it means. Laudato Si is about needing to care for our earth, preserve our world, and recognize the real reasons why climate change and such issues are occurring. I find Laudato Si to be different from other environmental dialogue because instead of solely focusing on saving the environment and preserving the earth, it speaks out about how helping the earth starts with only a single person, and that person is you. This also differs from other environmental dialogue that I have read and seen because Pope Francis addresses that people blame population growth for the destruction of the earth when really it is a matter of how each person is choosing to live in terms of not changing their routines to better accommodate the earth and it's needs. My biggest take away from the TED Talk we watched in class when Pope Francis spoke about Laudato Si was what I mentioned above when he speaks about the extreme consumerism of people which is really the problem when people are blaming it solely on population growth and are, in a way, ignoring what the main issue really is. I feel as though Pope Francis is trying to get the word out that everyone needs to come together and to recognize that climate change is a real issue and to work as a community to put this issue to a halt. My response to the Pope's message is to really try harder to reduce my consumerism or to deal with it in a more responsible manner. I already do try to do so by recycling whatever I can, taking short showers, and not leaving the water running when I wash the dishes and brush my teeth. I think I could do better by creating a compost bin to reduce my waste even more, and to use more environmentally friendly products that require less packaging and shipment.
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