Ecojustice Education

According to the essay, one way of educating people is similar to industrialism.  I believe that the education system in Wake County, NC is pretty good.  A few years ago, it was ranked as one of the top school districts in the country.  Even though Wake County has gone through a lot of issues with segregation and integration over the past few years, I believe that the schools in Wake County have still held up their reputation.  The students graduating from Wake County Schools are still performing highly on their standardized tests and are still being accepted to excellent universities.  In the essay, it also talks about how Americans have began losing noble values.  Americans have become wasteful of our resources and time.  Our society has lost sight of the main values that once held our society together. 

Meatrix

At first, I didn't take the Meatrix episodes seriously but then they actually made me put my thoughts into a new perspective.  We have a mindset of where we think our meat comes from, and we try to avoid the reality of where it really does come from.  It is common for individuals to think our meat comes from the typical family farm and do not realize that the meat comes from animals that are factory farmed.

While I was watching the several videos, I couldn't help but think about if factory farming was occuring anywhere near where I live.  Since these types of farms are often hidden amongst many different towns, I would not be surprised.

Biotechnology

Genetically Modified foods are thought to possibly lessen problems of hunger and starvation by boosting food production. However, critics of biotechnologies such as genetically modified crops, find that agricultural companies are the ones that benefit more from the GM crops than the poor and the hungry do.  This does not seem right to me since the whole point of it is to help the poor. Sure, there are benefits of GM crops and some people strongly support them, but others do not.  While reading in Real Texts, I was surprised at the different ways it was saying to use your information in persuasive essays.  It gave many ideas that I think will be very beneficial when I am writing future persuasive essays.

“Feds Link Water Contamination to Fracking for the First Time”

Underground water pollution and hydraulic fracturing are being linked.  Due to the gas drilling process that has been occurring in many of our states, there are contaminants that are causing underground water pollution.  A specific case of this is in Pavillion, Wyoming.  Ever since the mid-1900’s, residents near Pavillion have complained that their drinking water has worsened.  This began occurring after gas wells were fracked nearby.  The EPA determined that the contamination in this town had most likely seeped up from gas wells.  The mixing of hydraulic fracturing fluids with ground water caused many different compounds to be formed.  The company that owns the Pavillion wells says that it was naturally caused and that the company’s actions were not to blame.  However, the EPA concluded that the contamination had to have been caused by fracking.  Members of congress are now considering proposals to regulate fracking. 

Writing an Essay vs. A Powerpoint Presentation

I feel that researching a topic and putting it in a powerpoint is a lot easier for me than writing an essay.  I like the fact that I am able to break up my information on different slides and use titles, pictures, charts, and graphs to go along with the information on each of my powerpoint slides.   To me, this makes my organization of information a lot better and easier to follow.  When I create a powerpoint, I am able to write my key points on separate slides and then further elaborate.  Sometimes when I am writing an essay, I feel like I have too much information to deal with and sometimes it is hard to understand what my main points are.  I typically enjoy making powerpoints.  I do not enjoy writing essays because I usually become highly stressed and overwhelmed.

Environmental History

Throughout history, Raleigh, NC and the towns surrounding Raleigh have changed tremendously.  In the mid-1900's, the area consisted of open land.  Since then, buildings and houses have been built and are continuing to be built.  One of the reasons for such an extreme growth in the suburb area as well is due to the great location around the city which makes it convenient for individuals who work in the Raleigh area and the Research Triangle Park.  The RTP area brings a lot of businesses and workers since it is so well known.  The environment is highly effected by this because trees have been cut down and the land is cleared in order for the houses and buildings to be built.  This then makes certain species die out since their living environments have been changed and effected.

Religion & The Environment

I think there could be a relationship between religion and the environment.  As long as this relationship does not become harmful in any way, I believe religion has a chance to shape our attitudes towards the environment and ecology.  Even though most religions involve the presence of a being greater than themselves as well as faith, and the environment simply is essential to Earth, there's no reason for them to not be able to join together to benefit one another.

Article Relating to Richard Kahn's "Towards Ecopedagogy"

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/04/22/us/critics-rise-up-against-environmental-education.html?src=pm

Richard Kahn's "Towards Ecopedagogy"

Said by Richard Kahn, “…our moment is new – never before have the collected mass beings of the planet Earth been so thoroughly threatened with extinction as they are now and never before have so many of us raised this problem consciously and desperately together in the hopes of transforming society towards a better, more peaceable kingdom as a result.”  This statement speaks volumes for our future.  If our society does not step up and work towards making our world a better place to live, there will be a slim chance for future generations. 

            One way citizens can help make our world a better place to live, is to enhance environmental literacy.  According to the article, “95% of all American adults support having environmental education programs in schools, 85% of all American adults believe that governmental agencies should support environmental education programs, and 80% believe that corporations should train their employees in how to solve environmental problems.”  Due to these large percentages, I think it is vital for education on the environment to be a required part of the education system in schools and training systems for jobs.  “Federal and state legislatures have mandated that environmental education be included as part of the public education system’s curricular concerns with passage of legislation such as the National Environmental Education Act of 1990.”  This is very necessary because the individuals whom are educated on environmental issues are self-aware of the role they play in environmental destruction and they are more socially active in ways that can help to create a more ecological and sustainable world. 

            Another way to make our world a better place is to focus more on Ecology.  According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “Ecology is the scientific study of interactions of organisms with one another and with the physical and chemical environment.”  Ecology also includes the study of environmental problems such as pollution.  Ecology is very important and our whole society needs to work together towards the conservation and preservation of nature.  Citizens need to be aware that human interaction with nature is a key component of keeping our society from extinction.

            In order for social and ecological change, environmental education needs to remain a primary institution.  Change, for the better, deserves to be fought for.  Our citizens need to all step up and make a difference in society before it is too late.  This cannot occur unless individuals are aware of how important environmental literacy is and how important it is to work together towards the conservation and preservation of nature.

           

Water Forum & Google Alerts

After reading Water Adapting to a New Normal, I realized how neglected the topic of “water” really was in today’s society.  I learned a lot about how humans are affected by the limited water supply, and what we can do in attempt to help fix our water supply issue.

Not only are humans affected by today’s water, but so is marine life.  I follow “Pollution” on Google Alerts, and the article Government Acts Against Marine Pollution caught my eye.  Currently, there are measures being implemented to address the problem of pollution that is threatening our fish habitat.  The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources is working with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to try to prevent and eliminate marine pollution.  According to United Nations Environment Programme’s coordinator for the Global Program of Action, “…up to 90 percent of sewage in developing countries is discharged untreated into rivers, lakes and oceans, posing one of the most serious threats to water resources.”  This problem needs to be taken very seriously by the government and businesses.  It is not fair for our marine life to be harmed by our careless actions. 

The Colorado River & Pollution

Many people take enjoyable things for granted, such as white water rafting.  In order for individuals to continue enjoying white water rafting in the Colorado River, higher action needs to be taken.  Many individuals do not realize how serious the water pollution problems in the Colorado River are becoming.  The pollution problems are due to radioactive material, toxic chemicals, and human waste.  These sources of pollution enter the Colorado River through contaminated groundwater.  Not only does the pollution problems affect white water rafting, it also affects the 25 million people who drink its water as well as the surrounding wildlife and parks. 

VIDEO:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwHbJ50SNFo

McKibben

Thee Bill McKibben

A writer and activist

Wanted to change minds

Focus on future

Act before it is too late

Stop climate change now

Sustainability

I have never used Google Alerts before so it is very new to me.  I didn’t know that it even existed.  Over the past few days, I have been getting alerts on the topics of Air Pollution and Air Quality from the most popular resources on the internet.  Google Alerts makes research and current information on a topic easy to find, especially since I receive the alerts via email.  Another new thing to me was the idea of following an account on Twitter that is all about environmental issues.  I didn’t know that there were these types of Twitter accounts, and I think that it is a pretty interesting way to stay updated with environmental issues.

Sustainability is used to make sure that we continue to have the resources and materials to protect our health and environment.  Air pollution is the sustainability issue that I brought up in my last blog post.  There are many concerns about the environment due to rapid population growth, economic growth, and consumption of our natural resources.  If the air pollution issue isn’t taken care of, then our environment may eventually die out.  Sustainability is important because it is crucial that this does not happen.  The EPA is trying to make sustainability the next level of environmental protection.  They plan on doing this by using the advances in science and technology to protect the environment as well as human health.

Environmental Issue

The Environmental Protection Agency needs to do a better job at enforcing their regulations on greenhouse gases and other environmental issues.  The EPA’s regulations could be very beneficial if they were more greatly enforced.

EPA needs to continue to promote even cleaner technology as well as promote voluntary programs to reduce vehicle, engine, and equipment activity.  The EPA can promote alternative forms of transportation such as buses, trains, bicycles, and carpooling.

Vehicles and engines need to be better designed to improve transit options.  The programs to reduce mobile source pollution need to also address the fuels used by vehicles, engines, and equipment as well as the people who operate them.

If our reliance on mobile sources continues to grow without any further action, the mobile source pollution will eventually start to increase again.  The EPA needs to limit or restrict the use of mobile sources since they are the largest contributor to air toxics. These air toxics are pollutants that are suspected to cause cancer or other serious health and environmental effects. The global climate keeps changing due to greenhouse gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere.  If the air continues to be polluted and if the climate keeps changing, our environment may eventually die out.

The EPA, combined with the manufacturers of vehicles, engines, and fuel, along with state and local governments, transportation planners, and citizens, need to all work together.  We need to make sure that we are improving our air quality and ensuring a future for our planet.

SOURCE

Nash

In Roderick Nash’s “Island Civilization: A vision for human occupancy of Earth,” he discusses his thoughts and concerns of our precious planet Earth.  Individuals like Roderick Nash are a positive addition to our society and are the ones we should be thanking.   Nash believes in Island Civilization and tries to promote the importance of our actions and what we can do to make sure we are being positive additions to society as well.  It is already difficult enough to try to have our current population realize this, and it just continues to become more difficult as our population continues to grow.

“One way to look at the opportunity and the responsibility we have with regard to the environment is in terms of legacy.”  This statement made me realize that people in today’s society really are responsible for what has yet to occur.  Many individuals tend to spend a lot of time worrying about what is currently happening in the present, and not so much what has happened in the past nor what will happen in the future.  Our current actions greatly affect the future of our planet as well as the individuals in future generations.

I believe we need to “fulfill our evolutionary potential without compromising or eliminating the opportunity of other species doing the same.”  Currently, we need to be realizing that the wilderness and civilization are both equal; one is not more important than this other.  As time has gone on, we have “began to draw mental lines between ourselves and nature.”  In today’s society, it is hard to pair humans with uncontrolled nature.  Humans now live in civilized areas, and instead of hunting and gathering, we now bet our survival on farming.  I do believe that this was the start of our society’s downfall and it has only continued to worsen.

Once the Civil Rights Movement occurred, Humans began realizing what was happening to the environment and began to preserve Earth.  If this had not occurred, I am not sure where we would be today... if we would even be here at all.  I realize that I am blessed to be a part of society today, and I feel that it is important for individuals to read articles such as this, to help them come to a realization that there are changes that need to be made.

I feel that it is our duty as citizens to do all that we can now, to make sure that there is life on Earth in the next millennium.  “We don’t often think in the wider angles that encompass our species as a whole, but now is an excellent time to begin.”  In this statement, Nash is reminding us that it is not too late to make changes.  We do have control over the future condition of our planet as well as the future generations to come.