Watching a documentary about the nearly unknown water crisis is eye opening, and causes the viewer to think about something that most of us taken for granted. Blue Gold was an informative documentary that caused the viewers to reflect upon water and the global situation. We live in a world where day by day we careless use the resources around us, without thinking about the impacts.
Although the movie was a standard environmental documentary, it was very enlightening into the corruption and problems with a resource that should be accessible to all. The documentary was less about how we waste water in our daily lives, but more about where the water actually comes from and issues globally. I was most shocked to learn about publicly and privately owned water sources. Getting water from the tap costs a fraction of a penny, but the same water run through a filter costs more than a dollar. It isnt practical, and yet corporations are making money from selling something that we already had.
After watching Blue Gold, I wasn't able to go back to my ignorant ways of not thinking about water and where it comes from. When I thought of water accessibility on a global scale, it never occurred to me that the only clean water may be owned by a private company and sold to the public, like in Africa. Or that the water that supplies large cities, can come from hundreds of miles away. Los Angles, for example, successfully bought and drained an entire water supply, and now depends on water pumped in from around the country. Blue Gold didnt try to turn the viewer against any one source, but instead kept the audience captivated with the cold hard facts.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Hungry Planet QQC
"Everyone who has visited a foreign country has experienced it. Walking down a street, you are unexpectedly assaulted by the sights and smells of cooking food-food unlike anything youve seen or tasted before in roadside stalls."
Although the article wasn't about foreign cuisine, that first intro made me remember the first time I ate new foods abroad. Not only street food, but other kinds of food or places to sell food that are unique to a region. When I went to Brazil, they had juice bars on every block that had all kinds of exotic fruits and drinks for sale. Reading this article also made me question why street food has phased out from many major cities. I still saw plenty of street food in NYC, but there isnt much here aside from fair food.
For topic ideas; foreign food, different food cultures around the world, how people eat (i.e. street food, make it themselves), or a similar article about street food and the consistent culture around the world.
Although the article wasn't about foreign cuisine, that first intro made me remember the first time I ate new foods abroad. Not only street food, but other kinds of food or places to sell food that are unique to a region. When I went to Brazil, they had juice bars on every block that had all kinds of exotic fruits and drinks for sale. Reading this article also made me question why street food has phased out from many major cities. I still saw plenty of street food in NYC, but there isnt much here aside from fair food.
For topic ideas; foreign food, different food cultures around the world, how people eat (i.e. street food, make it themselves), or a similar article about street food and the consistent culture around the world.
WSDE ESSAY ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wessel, David. "The Art and Science of Inflation Expectations - WSJ.com." Business News & Financial News - The Wall Street Journal - Wsj.com. 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2011. .
This source was an expert article on the prices of everything going up. The article mentioned food prices going up and why that may or may not effect the American market. Although this article focused mainly on the economics, it did give me ideas of further food related topics to look into. The article mainly focused on inflation and the economics behind how and when inflation, wages, and cost of living rises.
"Food Prices: Food Costs Will Increase 4% in 2011, USDA Says in Raising Its Projection - Latimes.com." Los Angeles Times - California, National and World News - Latimes.com. 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2011..
This article was about the major jump in food prices announced today. The projections for prices has risen to 4%, in almost all food areas. The article covered food inflation and how it is going to pass the last raise in prices. It also briefly mentioned corn and the supply and demand and the effect on all food prices. The article gave some great statistics which may be useful later on in the project.
"Media Examine Effects, Outlook Of Food Price Increases Worldwide - Kaiser Global Health." Kaiser Global Health. 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.
This article was about global food prices, and how things may not be totally grim for the world. This source went into different reasons why food prices may or may not go up. The article covered weather factors and conflict in the middle east. The article also cited recent happenings that have effected food prices like Russia's ban on wheat exportation.
This source was an expert article on the prices of everything going up. The article mentioned food prices going up and why that may or may not effect the American market. Although this article focused mainly on the economics, it did give me ideas of further food related topics to look into. The article mainly focused on inflation and the economics behind how and when inflation, wages, and cost of living rises.
"Food Prices: Food Costs Will Increase 4% in 2011, USDA Says in Raising Its Projection - Latimes.com." Los Angeles Times - California, National and World News - Latimes.com. 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.
This article was about the major jump in food prices announced today. The projections for prices has risen to 4%, in almost all food areas. The article covered food inflation and how it is going to pass the last raise in prices. It also briefly mentioned corn and the supply and demand and the effect on all food prices. The article gave some great statistics which may be useful later on in the project.
"Media Examine Effects, Outlook Of Food Price Increases Worldwide - Kaiser Global Health." Kaiser Global Health. 24 Feb. 2011. Web. 24 Feb. 2011.
This article was about global food prices, and how things may not be totally grim for the world. This source went into different reasons why food prices may or may not go up. The article covered weather factors and conflict in the middle east. The article also cited recent happenings that have effected food prices like Russia's ban on wheat exportation.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
6 Degrees of Separation-Paper
The first kind of paper was created in China, in about 100 CE. Since then, the paper industry has grown, and now paper is made in many sizes, colors, and textures. Paper is a material that is dominant in our every day lives, every year the United States alone uses over ninety million tons of paper a year. In 1993, the paper industry was worth $129 billion, and the value has only risen since. In the past forty years, worldwide consumption of paper has risen four hundred percent. Paper has many uses, but it mostly used as computer paper. There are several main components that go into the papermaking process.
The paper making process begins with trees, one of the most important ingredients. The trees used to make paper are chopped down and then debarked by a large machine that makes logs rub against each other in a rotating drum. While the logs rub against each other, the bark is removed. After that, the logs are cut into small chips to help the pulping process. Plant fibers from trees called cellulose are the main component of paper. Before cellulose can be used to make paper, it must be converted to pulp. The pulp is made by taking shredded plant fibers and adding water. The pulp is washed and cleaned and is then put in a beater to create a kind of slush. After this step, color dyes, coatings, clay, and other things are mixed in. Then the slush is pumped onto a moving screen, and the water is drained out and recycled. The pulp goes through several rollers to make sure all of the excess water is out, and to create the smooth paper texture. The paper is then packaged and sent out various places throughout the country. Trees are constantly being cut down in rainforests all over the world to meet the demand for paper worldwide. In The Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil, a million quare kilometer forest was reduced to less than fiver percent of its size due to logging. Cutting down trees is bad for the air and soil. Trees inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen, which is valuable to our environment. Although deforestation is a controversial environmental issue, it actually accounts for less than ten percent of the wood pulp used to make paper. Most of the trees actually come from plantation forests, which is known as a monoculture, which degrades the soil and creates an ecological concern.
During the pulping process, the wood chips are soaked in several chemicals like sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfate. These chemicals help remove unwanted components from the wood chips. Although these chemicals may be harmful to the environment, more than ninety five percent of the chemicals are re-used. The main problem that arises during the pulping process is most of these chemicals produce by-products very harmful to the environment.
There are two different ways to pulp paper, one is known as mechanical pulping and the other is called Kraft pulping. There are environmental pros and cons to both methods. In mechanical pulping, the paper quality is lower, but much more of the wood is turned into usable pulp that will become paper. In Kraft pulping, only about half of the wood can be used but it is a more efficient process. Both types of processing are used depending on the type of paper being made.
During the manufacturing of paper, several major chemicals are put into the air. They are; nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). These chemicals are two of the major contributors to acid rain. Another by-product is CO2, which is famously known as a greenhouse gas that relates to climate change.
Paper mills are almost always located near large bodies of water because the process requires a lot of water to create the pulp. At the end of the paper making process, there is a large amount of waste water that is discharged and it is considered a pollutant. Dissolved organic materials can change the ecological make up of a body of water, and can sometimes lead to death of some organisms. Other compounds like phosphoreus can also alter the status of a natural water way.
Another main process relating to paper is paper recycling. There are three types of paper that are used in recycling; mill broke (scraps from the paper mill), pre-consumer waste (things disposed before consumers used them) and post-consumer waste (everything after consumer use, like old magazines). The EPA found that recycling causes thirty-five percent less water pollution and seventy-four percent less air pollution than creating new paper. The only problem with recycling is that the fibers used to make the paper pulp become degraded with each recycle, and can only be used four or five times.
My view on my impact has changed a lot from doing this research. I never realized that something as simple as the piece of paper this essay is written on has such a large environmental impact. The main problem is the high demand for paper and other mass produced objects. Although we may not see it, we impact the earth and drain it of so many different resources. Everything I do has some impact on the environment, no matter how eco-friendly I try to be. We can do our part by recycling, but even that isn’t a sustainable solution in the long run. As the woman in Dirt: The Movie said, “we can only do the best we can”. We can help minimize impacts by reducing our intake, and moving things to be digital.
The paper making process begins with trees, one of the most important ingredients. The trees used to make paper are chopped down and then debarked by a large machine that makes logs rub against each other in a rotating drum. While the logs rub against each other, the bark is removed. After that, the logs are cut into small chips to help the pulping process. Plant fibers from trees called cellulose are the main component of paper. Before cellulose can be used to make paper, it must be converted to pulp. The pulp is made by taking shredded plant fibers and adding water. The pulp is washed and cleaned and is then put in a beater to create a kind of slush. After this step, color dyes, coatings, clay, and other things are mixed in. Then the slush is pumped onto a moving screen, and the water is drained out and recycled. The pulp goes through several rollers to make sure all of the excess water is out, and to create the smooth paper texture. The paper is then packaged and sent out various places throughout the country. Trees are constantly being cut down in rainforests all over the world to meet the demand for paper worldwide. In The Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil, a million quare kilometer forest was reduced to less than fiver percent of its size due to logging. Cutting down trees is bad for the air and soil. Trees inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen, which is valuable to our environment. Although deforestation is a controversial environmental issue, it actually accounts for less than ten percent of the wood pulp used to make paper. Most of the trees actually come from plantation forests, which is known as a monoculture, which degrades the soil and creates an ecological concern.
During the pulping process, the wood chips are soaked in several chemicals like sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfate. These chemicals help remove unwanted components from the wood chips. Although these chemicals may be harmful to the environment, more than ninety five percent of the chemicals are re-used. The main problem that arises during the pulping process is most of these chemicals produce by-products very harmful to the environment.
There are two different ways to pulp paper, one is known as mechanical pulping and the other is called Kraft pulping. There are environmental pros and cons to both methods. In mechanical pulping, the paper quality is lower, but much more of the wood is turned into usable pulp that will become paper. In Kraft pulping, only about half of the wood can be used but it is a more efficient process. Both types of processing are used depending on the type of paper being made.
During the manufacturing of paper, several major chemicals are put into the air. They are; nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). These chemicals are two of the major contributors to acid rain. Another by-product is CO2, which is famously known as a greenhouse gas that relates to climate change.
Paper mills are almost always located near large bodies of water because the process requires a lot of water to create the pulp. At the end of the paper making process, there is a large amount of waste water that is discharged and it is considered a pollutant. Dissolved organic materials can change the ecological make up of a body of water, and can sometimes lead to death of some organisms. Other compounds like phosphoreus can also alter the status of a natural water way.
Another main process relating to paper is paper recycling. There are three types of paper that are used in recycling; mill broke (scraps from the paper mill), pre-consumer waste (things disposed before consumers used them) and post-consumer waste (everything after consumer use, like old magazines). The EPA found that recycling causes thirty-five percent less water pollution and seventy-four percent less air pollution than creating new paper. The only problem with recycling is that the fibers used to make the paper pulp become degraded with each recycle, and can only be used four or five times.
My view on my impact has changed a lot from doing this research. I never realized that something as simple as the piece of paper this essay is written on has such a large environmental impact. The main problem is the high demand for paper and other mass produced objects. Although we may not see it, we impact the earth and drain it of so many different resources. Everything I do has some impact on the environment, no matter how eco-friendly I try to be. We can do our part by recycling, but even that isn’t a sustainable solution in the long run. As the woman in Dirt: The Movie said, “we can only do the best we can”. We can help minimize impacts by reducing our intake, and moving things to be digital.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Cove
In The Cove, I think that the camera did take sides. Last year in Randy's class, I learned that all writing, even an objective news story, takes a side. I think that this is also true for this documentary. The movie was all about the outsiders perspective coming into the whaling industry, and made it all very negative. There is plenty of evidence to support the anti whaling movement, and maybe if you tried you could find something for the pro whaling. As a viewer, I would like to think that the audience was able to think for themselves, but emotions were manipulated by the imagery shown. When I saw the footage from inside the secret cove, I was shocked and it was powerful footage. I was swayed without question. There might be some hidden reasoning for the Japanese fisherman to do this. They might actually believe that they are helping with a "pest problem", but from this film we dont know that. The movie educates, enlightens and also "preaches to the converted". I really enjoyed watching this film, and I learned a lot about a new issue that was serious and shocking, but it was very easy to get lost their mission and outlook on whaling. Im not saying I support whaling, but after the discussion we had about why people eat whale, and where this need came from, I was enlightened to a whole other side of the story.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Mango Tree
**In deep soil, the mango trees tap root can go down up to 20 feet. There are also feeder roots which go down several feet.
There are two or more fruits to a stem, and they range in size (from 8-24 oz.)
It reqires full sun and good air drainage. Does best at top or mid level slopes, and should have minimal wind exposure. In a garden, should be planted against a south wall or in an area near paving to provide maximum heat.
Mango trees need well drained soil, sandy, loam or clay. Make sure to avoid heavy wet soil. They also need deep soil for their complex root systems.
Irrigation should start when the weather gets warm, and continue 1-2 weeks. Soil should be kept moist until fruits appear.
They need nitrogen fertilizer, chelated micronutirents like iorn. They should not be fertilized after midsummer.
TRANSPLANTING A MANGO TREE
Transplanting a mango tree during warm weather is best. 24 hours before the transplant, it is advised that you dig a hole where the tree will go, and fill it with water. To help deal with shock, a seaweed liquid fertilizer should be put in the hole and on top of the tree after the transplant. You are also supposed to prune the tree, but since ours is small, I dont think that will be too difficult. Next, you "dig a trench around the trunk of the tree to cut off the surface spreading roots." After that, you use a tool to work the soil under the tree. The article I read also said to "make sure to break the downward roots and free the soil ball."
Once you make the transplant, make sure to give the plant extra water and love!
There are two or more fruits to a stem, and they range in size (from 8-24 oz.)
It reqires full sun and good air drainage. Does best at top or mid level slopes, and should have minimal wind exposure. In a garden, should be planted against a south wall or in an area near paving to provide maximum heat.
Mango trees need well drained soil, sandy, loam or clay. Make sure to avoid heavy wet soil. They also need deep soil for their complex root systems.
Irrigation should start when the weather gets warm, and continue 1-2 weeks. Soil should be kept moist until fruits appear.
They need nitrogen fertilizer, chelated micronutirents like iorn. They should not be fertilized after midsummer.
TRANSPLANTING A MANGO TREE
Transplanting a mango tree during warm weather is best. 24 hours before the transplant, it is advised that you dig a hole where the tree will go, and fill it with water. To help deal with shock, a seaweed liquid fertilizer should be put in the hole and on top of the tree after the transplant. You are also supposed to prune the tree, but since ours is small, I dont think that will be too difficult. Next, you "dig a trench around the trunk of the tree to cut off the surface spreading roots." After that, you use a tool to work the soil under the tree. The article I read also said to "make sure to break the downward roots and free the soil ball."
Once you make the transplant, make sure to give the plant extra water and love!
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