The Last Blog Assignment: Synthesis

                It has been quite the interesting journey in this class. It went by faster than I thought it would. This might be because I am taking seven classes and am always busy doing something. But I can honestly say that this class has been, by far, the most interesting.  I have learned more than I will be typing today in this blog, as it will be mostly about a couple of things I thought were important/interesting.  So the assignment this week is to give my opinion on what exactly I feel is the most important environmental issue today and why.  I can honestly say this one is easy.  When I was doing research for the climate change blog I definitely felt the massive amounts of pollution, specifically CO2 levels from them, in large quantities are by far, in my opinion, most important environmental issue.

                In class we discussed just how bad it could be, which I had also concluded in my blog...polar ice caps melt…water levels rise…no more awesome vacations to fun tropical islands because they no longer exist. I really liked the example used in class about how permafrost which has been frozen for well…a very long time…THOUSANDS of years, yet around the time we start releasing vast amounts of pollution into the atmosphere…it starts to melt. The Larsen B ice shelf’s collapse in 2002 which started to rapidly crack existed for some 12,000 years before disintegrating into small icebergs, a good article on it can be found here. The evidence is right there but many skeptics and others with agendas refuse to admit it is an issue, otherwise they may have to do something about it. Fact is that the water level rising because of the climate change involved in global warming is one of the greatest issues but not the only one. The pollution itself is a danger to animal life as well as humans. And polar bears are awesome, just sayin’! As a nation we could impose a much more regulated cap and trade system and also change fossil fuel dependence with alternative methods and strive for better technologies to make this a thing! Interestingly enough we are working on an assignment about this stuff this week! As what I can personally do about it. Well, probably the best thing I can do is lessen the amount I drive. I usually do not go nuts with driving without a good reason for it. It could be said that purchasing certain items could contribute indirectly by promoting more shipping of said products. That being said, I could purchase more locally made/grown products to combat this.

                Okay, now my opinion on the most interesting thing we have learned. I would have to say, the most interesting and by far the most shocking, for me, had to do with the research on tap water vs. bottled water. I have to admit that it blew my mind a bit. It was interesting to learn that the EPA has stricter guidelines on tap water than the FDA does on bottled water. And it wasn’t long ago when I was mostly drinking bottled water. Over the summer I wanted to stop purchasing bottled stuff so I stopped using them and used a water filter instead. Now I am glad I did for a different reason…my tap water might be better…especially after being filtered. It was by far the biggest learning experience for me. I learned quite a bit about our water system and how it was regulated, and of course that bottled water may not be as good as tap water.

                Another interesting factoid that I thought was rather interesting had to do with our consumerism. I never gave it much thought really but when it comes down to our products breaking at a set time so we either buy the latest model or the same thing…I never really thought about that in depth. And believe me, I contributed to this consumerism more than most, however, when things broke…I bought another brand. The story of stuff here, as well as many of the other videos on the site were really informative, and I learned quite a bit checking them out. Overall, I learned quite a bit and enjoyed this class a whole lot. 

My day without power!

               Okay, for this week my assignment had me turn off pretty much every unnecessary technological/electrical device in my house for a 24-hour period. I did this on Saturday, November 23^rd as I had all day to do whatever I wanted…and didn't have to worry about scrambling to get any assignment in particular done.  I did keep my cell phone around as it also serves as a house phone just in case of emergencies but I made sure it was fully charged before I started. I ended up not using the phone at all that day. I also used one light on my desk for reading at night.

                The first thing I should explain is that I had to unplug about 5 power strips in just one room alone. I had a good fifteen things connected to them. Most of which have not been used in quite a while. I began to feel a little bad at that point because I had, over time, wasted quite a bit of power usage no doubt from just them drawing energy even while turned off. A good example of this was the Xbox360 and Nintendo Wii I had hooked up that haven’t been played in months. 

                The first thing that bothered me right away was the fact I couldn't just go online whenever I wanted as my beautiful computer of awesomeness was unplugged and I was not allowed to use it of course. For years now I have enjoyed having boundless amounts of information at my fingertips…and today I didn't. You would think I could live without it for a day without complaining…but this was by far the hardest thing about the day. Which really…the day was not that bad. I ended up re-reading a book I liked written by Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. For those of you who don’t know who he is, he was a famous General turned Emperor in the Roman Empire. He was a stoic philosopher as well and wrote the book as he traveled around conquering peoples. If you watched the movie Gladiator, he was the dying emperor in the beginning. Though the story in the movie of course was not very accurate. The book kept me entertained for some time. After I finished reading it I ran for an hour out in the hills. When I ran up to the top of the first hill the wind was super cold and actually made me run a little slower for quite a while.  When I returned home, I took a quick shower. I made it my mission to get things done in less than two minutes. The cold water was pretty brutal but I was a bit sweaty from the run so it didn't bother me too much. I ended up not going anywhere at all, so no driving.  I did end up turning on the light at my desk so I could read a bit more from various school books. I also was lazy with eating throughout the day…I had cereal and a sandwich. OH and of course M&M’s…with peanuts! I also had no reason to use the AC/Heater…as it was colder than normal but really was rather nice. So even if it was overly cold…I would most likely throw on some sweat pants and be fine. And really I don’t use very much on the norm, so I didn't give up as much as some do who are amazing cooks or have kids. I am pretty simple aside from the gaming and computers.

                As far as my experience, it really wasn't bad. I didn't like not having access to my computer or the internet, but it really wasn't a horrid experience. I felt I wasted quite a bit of electricity on the norm just from having so much plugged in that I never use. I really only ever use my computer, monitor, and printer on a daily basis. Most everything else is not used all the time, and they should remain unplugged, that is something I am definitely willing to change. Even though I personally do not own a tread mill, I realized while running what a waste it would be if I did have one. Not only is it better to run out in nature because you get a better work out, but I don’t have to waste energy nor waste space by owning one. I definitely cannot give up using my computer all of the time, just too much a part of my life! Most everything else though, I could comfortably do without aside from driving to school or the store. Quick showers aren't too bad, but depending on how cold it is…the random hot shower would be needed. But the tip Professor Huff gave in class to fill a bucket up with the cold water as it gets hot may reduce some of the guilt from doing that.

                As far as trying to come up with a way to increase energy efficiency in my home with the stuff I refuse to give up. Well I am a complete nerd so this was an easy one. If you read my introduction when we first started class…I am a pro-gamer of sorts…I mess with my computer on the norm. In fact I built mine from scratch. The best way to save power when using a computer is to alter graphic card settings to a standard of performance rather than quality (Nvidia GeForce cards are the easiest to alter), then set the power settings (via control panel options) for the same (should have some sort of power saver option). That way it draws much less power from the most power draining item in the computer…the graphics card (as well as some other processing components). Some graphics cards do not have this option but the power options always should be there…so long as you run windows. Linux or Mac users probably have similar power setting options. This I can realistically do…although as I am lazy…it might take a lot of effort to make all of those clicks! (I kid I kid). And of course keeping things unplugged until I actually plan on using them, that one is a no-brainer. I already take pretty fast showers, but I could stand to not wait on the hot water as mentioned previously.  

Climate Change

          This week’s assignment is to look into climate change and check into the evidence that supports climate change and the skepticism of it. Personally, I've heard quite a bit about this in many AP classes during High School, and remember there being quite the lengthy discussion about it…many times! The scariest thing I remember from those talks had to do with many of the glaciers and polar ice caps melting, which in turn raises the sea level…which of course then takes away lots of land…and of course lives. Okay, now onto the actual research!

            Probably the most user friendly page (in my opinion), was the EPA site here. It very quickly got to the point that the Earth is warming, and that Earth’s average temperature has risen by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit over the past century, and is (of course) projected to rise another 2 to 11.5 degrees over the next hundred years. That little tidbit was a bit scary! One to two degrees is pretty nasty already…but possibly a 10+ increase…yeah a little frightening.  They went on to explain that these temperature changes have also been accompanied by changes in the weather and climate such as increases in rainfall, droughts, and intense rains as well as severe heat waves… all out of the norm for the places in which they occur or just more severe.

            It was really no surprise to find that humans are the largest contributor for the recent climate changes. I mean…we do pollute the Earth with tons of carbon dioxide, and the majority of greenhouse cases that come from the burning of fossil fuels…you know that stuff we like to burn all of the time to power things! Add in some deforestation, numerous industrial processes, and agricultural practices that all emit gases into the atmosphere…and well…we can safely say humans are the fault.  But why does putting all of this stuff in the air make us at fault? Well…these greenhouse gases act like a barrier (the EPA used a more comfy term…blanket) around the Earth. This traps energy in the atmosphere which causes it to warm. It is more commonly called the greenhouse effect.

            Many of those same things I learned in my AP classes in High School connected here. Climate change can impact almost every angle in our society. It can affect our water supplies, how we get our food, power and transportation etc etc etc. The list really goes on and on. I literally could go on and on with just how many things it could change around the world. But I already mentioned some scary ways it could above. If that isn't enough to scare anyone (the whole polar icecaps and the flooding of many coastal areas) I mean…if it does reach that 10+ degree mark…more skin cancer and other numerous health issues will be more prevalent.

            While I found the EPA site the most informative in quick to the point information. The Yale site, here, was quite interesting in pointing out just how many people believed that climate change/global warming was happening and how many of those thought it was mainly due to humans. Was a definite eye opener. I at first made some interesting joking comments about common sense…but…perhaps, the people in these studies just never learned or cared about the subject matter. I may not have been had many of my teachers growing up felt strong enough about it to make sure we knew the facts. This leads into the next topic.

            Ahhh, the fun part. We hear the other side here. Now I am a bit biased, as I've stated I grew up learning about global warming and climate change from teachers from elementary school through High School…and now my Environmental Science class. The main argument the skeptics point out boil down to not enough sufficient evidence to 100% confirm that it is a crisis. It claims that small changes in the climate could just as well be natural as they could from human interference from our creation of greenhouse gases. I think a majority of the skepticism exists because if they were to give in to the idea that it did exist that many policies would have to be created and enforced that would change (especially from an economic point of view) many aspects of American life.

            As for where I see the world in fifty years if we continue our path and do nothing to slow the rise of CO2 levels in the atmosphere. Well, I do see more of the polar ice caps melting…as well as ancient glaciers disappearing. I also see these things causing the ocean level to rise a bit which may make some islands and coastal areas slowly disappear. Will it be as extreme as that? No idea…but something tells me if nothing is done things will slowly get worse and the world will not be a better place. 

No Impact Man!

          No impact man was a very interesting documentary that followed the lives of the Beaven family as they changed the way they lived to make less of an impact on Earth. They didn’t do it all at once of course and no impact man’s wife (Michelle Conlin) of course was not keen on some of what she had to give up (Coffee anyone?). But the implementation of phasing certain things out of their life was inspiring. When Michelle started to warm up to the no impact style of living, I think I was even a little inspired since she had such a hard time adjusting to it at first. Colin Beaver (No Impact Man) was constantly hammered by the media as sort of a self-righteous author trying to garner popularity through an extreme method. Which seemed to weigh him down through the course of the documentary. 

            A basic summary of some of what he did was that he started using his own bags and would only buy used products with little to no waste involved in those products. He would also only buy foods that fit a certain criteria and usually grown as local as possible. Eventually the apartment would have no energy being supplied to it other than some to power his laptop for blogging via some solar panels. And they started using more man powered transportation methods (IE Bikes). They did whatever they could to reduce the waste they produced, which meant reusable everything, even diapers. And they made their own cleaning products out of a couple of simple ingredients.

            Overall, I liked it and I found it quite inspiring. I don’t think I could do all of what they did, but I definitely could do without a couple of things. 

My Waste!

             Okay, so I have an interesting assignment this week. I am to keep track of the waste I produce in two days and measure/count it. Then I am to research waste-reduction strategies and make a list of as many as I possibly can. THEN (caps for emphasis) I am to implement a strategy or two and see if it will lower my overall waste production in the next two days. I started this Saturday and ended the whole cycle today. I don’t 100% feel that the amount of trash I accumulated throughout the first two AND the last two days really is close to the amount I usually throw in the bin. I ate mostly left overs since I make large amounts of stuff and eat it throughout the week and I made a couple of sandwiches. So even though earlier in the week I threw away some food packaging when I went to Costco and opened a couple of boxes and threw them away, I threw none of that away this week, nor ran out of sandwich stuff to throw away the packaging from that (cheese and meat bags). To measure my created waste I put everything in the seven gallon waste bin in my room. The first two days of waste I put in the bin is as follows.

• Six paper towels
• Four banana peels
• Coffee filter + coffee grounds
• Twelve tootsie roll wrappers, the small ones (don’t judge me there was tons of left over candy!)

                 As we can see by my extreme waste use (sarcasm card raised here). It usually is much more, as mentioned earlier, but this is what I used Saturday and Sunday.  Seems the biggest issue is the paper towels usage, and I know I go through quite a bit of them in a week as I use them to clean spills in the kitchen and many times if I do not have a napkin handy and the paper towel is I use it…such as this weekend. And I usually don’t use bottles anymore, and have a good reason to not use it after learning about all that bottled water stuff from the last blog. So nothing really recyclable in this set.

                When I researched waste reduction strategies…I came across quite a bit of them. The very first page that popped up when I “googled” the term was the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality which can be found here. These mostly apply to businesses but I found a couple that I liked that have to do with things I do that I may not have done in the last four days but definitely apply to me. Also I went here to the EPA website which gave some decent tips as well.     

• Make double-sided copies whenever possible when printing.
• Make scratch pads from used paper.
• Fill the printer with paper already used on one side and print drafts on the other side.
• Rent instead of buying equipment that is used only occasionally.
• Use durable towers, tablecloths, napkins, dishes, flatware, cups, and glasses.
• Buy reusable coffee filters or unbleached disposable filters.
• Reuse trash can liners or eliminate where possible and discontinue use in cans with dry trash only.
• Consider using cloth roll towels, hot air dryers, large paper rolls in restrooms, or buy lighter/smaller paper towels.
• Buy products in concentrate, bulk, and in refillable containers. They reduce packaging and can save you money!
• Feed your soil with compost; make compost at home, or buy it in bags or bulk.

                I could go on but I think these were the ones that applied to me the most. I print quite often and when I do I try to use my black and white printer that can do the whole double-sided print thing. I also have another color printer but it does not do double-sided stuff.

                Okay, I just checked my waste for the last two days and it didn't turn out too bad after implementing some of the waste-reduction strategies.

• Three paper towels (Ripped into a couple pieces to use for my napkin use)
• Three dryer sheets (Had to wash the clothes)
• Five tootsie roll wrappers (Candy was running out or this number may have been exponentially higher)
• One shredded cheese bag (empty of course)    

                The strategies I implemented were really a rehash of some of them ones above. As I didn't go out and get cloth napkins or smaller paper towels, I decided to use what I had but rip it into pieces and use those as napkins instead of using the whole thing, as I previously have been, then crumpling it up and throwing it out. And I took the waste from the first two days and mixed it with the waste from today just now…forgetting to separate them both for a picture…so I have a picture of them both mixed together…BUT I did totally reuse the trash liner in the process…thus using another strategy! And I buried the five banana peels I would have thrown away and am slowly making a little compost mound in the back. Again, I didn't really use anything recyclable so nothing to talk about there.

All the waste from four days.

                As for which strategies I will continue to use…well all of them. Some of them I already use, others sound much better than what I am currently using. Purchasing cloth napkins sounds like a good plan and to just wash them with the rest of my clothes at the end of the week. Continuing to create my compost pile will assist me with my plants as I usually end up paying for garden soil when I plant new stuff…which happens more often than I would like. I already use my messed up prints as scratch paper and I buy in bulk when I know I will use it all.  So these strategies I know I will continue to use.

Amy's Farm

                    On November 2^nd, I went on a little excursion to Amy’s Farm in Ontario. The trip here had to do with a required class field trip, which there are multiple but we only have to choose one. I got there a bit earlier than everyone else as I don’t like being late if I can help it. And ended walking around petting the random Horses and Cows near the parking lot. All of which were extremely friendly especially the Cow “Donut” who attempted to lick me multiple times and follow me if I moved away a little. 

Donut

              When everyone arrived Timothy, who volunteers at the farm, started the tour. Now I am supposed to write about some stuff I learned…well…I learned quite a bit. It’s more of picking and choosing what to write about. Such as how different types of cows produce creamier milk (I really had no idea about any of that). It was a humbling experience to realize how little I knew about what happens on the farm. We were given a quick tour of the Turkey area (which they all looked delicious of course) then the Quail area, which they only take the eggs from them…not eating the bird. I have had quail eggs when having Asian hotpot dinners, and I did wonder where in the heck they farm these things…question answered! 

 

Delicious Turkeys

            We then took a look at some of the horses and cows near the parking area, and found out that they actually take care of the animals for other people, and feed them mostly weeds (the safe edible kind) and other produce that is not used. We even got a demonstration on how to milk a cow. The pigs amused me as some seemed friendly, but others (namely the gargantuan male separated from the other pigs) seemed bitter and angry. I don’t think it appreciated being looked at as it made amusing grunting snorts. 

Angry bitter pig!

           Then we made our way to the areas where things were planted, and there was a plethora of information gained here. Lots of information about how they plant to how to see if a plant isn't doing well, and one of the most informative bits of information, that insects feed on the plants that aren't doing well and what the plant does in response to that, which in turn makes the plant a little weaker.

Random Food

            As this is getting rather lengthy I will stop there. But there was quite a bit more I could ramble on about that I learned, and Tim did an amazing job as our tour guide. I may just have to visit again! Very informative tour.

Mmmmm...WATER!

                Hello again everyone.  This week’s assignment brought about interesting memories. The assignment is to learn about the pros and cons of tap vs. bottled water as well as learn about our own source of water (in my case in the City of Riverside).  When the assignment was announced in class I couldn't help but think of all the times I had to clean out calcium deposits in all the shower heads. It was the first thing that popped in my head. I checked Riverside’s Public Utility report regarding Water Quality (2012) located  here.  I also went ahead and checked the previous years to see if anything stood out, but I really ended up focusing on the calcium deposits. What I ended up finding out is that it fluctuated a bit but overall has gone down a little…but still enough to gunk up my shower heads *insert Andy shaking his fist here*.

                As per the 2012 Water Quality Report, Riverside’s water is groundwater from wells in the Bunker Hill Basin and Riverside Basin. Riverside Public Utilities (RPU) treats some (really some?) of its wells and all water sources are blended at a central location before entering into distribution. I was quite surprised that they collected more than 17,600 water samples to test for the potential contaminants. These samples were collection throughout the distribution system of water and the testing was done by independent laboratories to perform water tests (more than likely to show no funny business occurred). They test for more than 200 possible contaminants in the water system and only those contaminants detected in the water system are listed in the report.

                I also read through the general info about Riverside’s water which gave some interesting history lessons, such as in 2012 they tore down and replaced Evans Reservoir with a new state-of-the-art 16 million gallon reservoir.  I really had no idea. It also assured that Riverside’s water is safe and exceeds the standards set forth by the EPA (which leads to the next section). It also explained that a safe amount of chlorine is used to purify the water and prevent harmful bacteria…which also shows up in the report at the amount found in Riverside’s water system. However, the amount of chlorine is MUCH lower (caps again for emphasis) than the maximum allowed, so that made me feel a little better. Another scary point was made by the USEPA at the beginning of the report stating that because of where we get our water it could still contain microbial contaminants (viruses and bacteria, that may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, livestock, and wildlife), pesticides and herbicides from a variety of sources, organic chemical contaminants, and radioactive contaminants (from oil and gas production and mining activities).  It went on to explain other important health information regarding that some people may be much more vulnerable than others from these contaminants in the drinking water, such as immunocompromised people, people with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly people, and infants. So I learned quite a bit about what potential nastiness I could randomly be drinking!

                The EPA is in the federal agency in charge of tap water (drinking water) standards. I located a pdf that explains a little on their standards here. It also explains a bit on bottled water and the FDA around page 17.  On the topic of tap water still (before I get side tracked), their guidelines are set forth to ensure that a safe level of certain chemicals are in the water. They have guidelines on how much of a certain substance is allowed in the drinking water that is deemed safe to drink. If something is in the water supply the water suppliers have 24 hours to inform their customers of the violation of EPA standards that have the potential to cause harm to human health. There is also daily testing...several times here to insure safety.

                The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates bottled water used for drinking. And as the guide mentioned above states, most consumers assume (including me) that it is at least as safe as tap water. However, there are still potential risks. Though they still have to meet the same safety standards as public water supplies, bottled water does not undergo the same testing and reports as water from a treatment facility. If bottled and sold in the same state it may not be subject to federal standards at all.  It also recommended that those with compromised immune systems may want to read bottled water levels to make sure more stringent treatments have been used, such as reverse osmosis, distillation, UV radiation, or filtration by an absolute 1 micron filter. The FDA does require labeling on the bottles and as mentioned much less testing on average than with tap water.

                While both have guidelines to meet safety standards, tap water undergoes much stricter policies regarding testing and accuracy of meeting those guidelines.  And as mentioned above bottled water depending on some circumstances if bottled and sold in the same state is not set to the same federal standard tap water is.  Other problems from bottled water are the fact that a bottle is needed as a container (duh, bottled water). Most made from plastics which also leech into the water, and become unneeded waste even if they are recyclable. I found interesting info here, which explain just how bad the bottles can be. To sum it up bottles used to package water take over 1,000 years to bio-degrade and if incinerated, they produce toxic fumes. It is estimated that over 80% of all single-use water bottles in the United States become litter. U.S. landfills are overflowing with two million tons of discarded water bottles. Recycling water bottles is only feasible in limited circumstances as only 1 out of 5 bottles is actually sent to the recycle bin. It is estimated that it takes three liters of water to package one liter of bottled water. Bottled water, while convenient, also costs a bit when compared to tap water which is more economic.

                While I had to go to numerous sites to figure out all of this stuff…I am glad I did. This was a definite learning experience and it has changed my views on many aspects of our water system. I really used to think the bottled water I obtained was so much more amazing than tap water…now…well let’s just say I will be keeping an eye on it and probably will find other means to make the water I drink a little safer. I read a couple different web pages regarding ways to make water safer, and I have been doing most of that (using filters and what not) and I will continue to do so. I also need to stop using bottled water and use the metal thermos I hardly use because it is pretty big…maybe I could ummm…buy a smaller one? Yeah, that is a good idea! Oh and here is one of the more informative pages on making the water safer to drink.