Blogging was something I have never done before. Overall, I felt the expereince was good. It was a good way to express my opinion. i didn't really have any technical difficulties with it. I felt it was simple to use. Writing entries was practically painless for me because it didn't require perfect grammer or any specific format for doing it. We were allowed to write any way as long as the question was answered. Honestly, 250 words were no that hard to write at all. Most of the time the word count went over 300.
If there wasn't a deadline then no one would do it in a week. Nearly everyone ould wait till the last day to do all the entries. The amount of time given to complete the blogs was adequate and the timing worked for me since I don't like to do anythig over the weekend. Therefore, it was better for me that the blos were due Tuesday morning not Monday.
It was definitely good to read all the blogs. There are many people in the class (including myself) that don't talk too much. By reading their blogs I was able to learn their vies nd opinions about issues as well. It was good to also get their feedback to see what people thought about my opinions.
Blogging is definitely better than doind journals or essays. This way you don't have to be in cloass to submit it and don't have to wait for the professor to give their opinion. Also, its better when you hear your peers giving their opinion. I think it helps more.
I would like to continiue blogging but with a specific group. If there is a class or a specific subject then sure. I probably won't just blog without anyone responding or participating.
Overall, blogging was a good experience and I'm glad it counts for 400 points in the final grade. I have to admit they were easy points.
Monday, December 15, 2008
More gifts....
1. Bobble babes: Ok so this gift is sick. This special holiday bobble babe jiggles with the flick of your wrist. The Bobble Babes are made of neoprene to keep those drinks cooler for longer. Loaded with silicone boobs, mounted on plastic plate attached to a heavy foam bottle bra. What a waste and it costs $8.95! 
2. Each roll is 3-ply with 200 sheets. What a waste of paper and printing. Imagine how much electricity and ink are used to print these toilet paper that are disposed of after use. This costs $9.99.
3.The Tootin' Tush Angel has a bit of a gas problem. Switch her on, place her around the house or hang her on the tree and the small motion sensor in her hand will make her fart when someone passes. This little Farting Angel gets a little embarrassed so her cheeks light up with a reddish glow. How wasteful is this? And why do we need this???? The Tootin' Tush Farting Angel measures about 6 in. tall & 4 in. wide. Requires 2 AAA Batteries and it costs $9.95!
2. Each roll is 3-ply with 200 sheets. What a waste of paper and printing. Imagine how much electricity and ink are used to print these toilet paper that are disposed of after use. This costs $9.99.
3.The Tootin' Tush Angel has a bit of a gas problem. Switch her on, place her around the house or hang her on the tree and the small motion sensor in her hand will make her fart when someone passes. This little Farting Angel gets a little embarrassed so her cheeks light up with a reddish glow. How wasteful is this? And why do we need this???? The Tootin' Tush Farting Angel measures about 6 in. tall & 4 in. wide. Requires 2 AAA Batteries and it costs $9.95!
Monday, December 8, 2008
So, while searching for an unusual Christmas gift I found many things that I found were useless and wasteful. But I wanted to find things that made us lazier or tried to modernize our way of living. I also wanted something that requires a lot of batteries or light just to look good (Yes, I was working for the extra points). This is what I thought was insane:
1. Lighted Oval Mirror.
This product requires light bulb : 2 -25w B9.5 Cand F Incand
What I find insane is that this mirror costs $320.00!!! Just because it has a light next to the mirror.
http://www.lightinguniverse.com/products/view.aspx?family=297506&af=527&id3=01
.
2. Smart shopper- Electronic Grocery List Organizer.
This product records and prints your list of groceries or other spoken commands and prints them. It requires 4 AA batteries. Why not just use a paper and pen to make your list? It cost about $95.00.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8627925&type=product&id=1194050965117&DCMP=KNC-TLC&ref=25&loc=GFT&srccode=cii_5217346&cpncode=24-12088322-2
3. Bright feet Lighted Slippers.
This product is a pair of slippers with lights so you won’t stumble over yourselves. What ever happened to turning on your light or lamp? The slippers are LED lighted and
each pair requires 4 CR2032 batteries. It cost almost $40.00.
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?sk=MX72141&productID=10823
While these gifts may not be straight to the trash I think they are pretty useless. If we just the conventional way of doing things we will realize that it is a waste of money and energy to purchase these products. Trust me anyone can live without them.
1. Lighted Oval Mirror.
This product requires light bulb : 2 -25w B9.5 Cand F Incand
What I find insane is that this mirror costs $320.00!!! Just because it has a light next to the mirror.
http://www.lightinguniverse.com/products/view.aspx?family=297506&af=527&id3=01
.
2. Smart shopper- Electronic Grocery List Organizer.
This product records and prints your list of groceries or other spoken commands and prints them. It requires 4 AA batteries. Why not just use a paper and pen to make your list? It cost about $95.00.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8627925&type=product&id=1194050965117&DCMP=KNC-TLC&ref=25&loc=GFT&srccode=cii_5217346&cpncode=24-12088322-2
3. Bright feet Lighted Slippers.
This product is a pair of slippers with lights so you won’t stumble over yourselves. What ever happened to turning on your light or lamp? The slippers are LED lighted and
each pair requires 4 CR2032 batteries. It cost almost $40.00.
http://www.x-tremegeek.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?sk=MX72141&productID=10823
While these gifts may not be straight to the trash I think they are pretty useless. If we just the conventional way of doing things we will realize that it is a waste of money and energy to purchase these products. Trust me anyone can live without them.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Religions
On Thursday I learned about a lot of different religions. Each group did a great job explaining the environmental beliefs in relation to religions such as Hinduism, Daoism, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam. There were many things that I learned from these presentations. If we really do follow any religion (and even if we don’t) we are taught to use the environment but at the same time we must protect it.
Each religion values the environment. They believe it is our place to live and should be used with care. In the Jewish religion the Genesis teaches that God created the Earth and gave human the rights and power over it. However, one should remember that everything (even the birds, mice and other creatures) came before humans in the order of creation. So there is a balance.
In Islam, the religion prohibits needless and cruel killing of animals. Animals are to be killed a certain way as to cause least pain as possible. Other religions, like Hinduism, prohibits the killing of cows because they are sacred. All religions teach the people to respect the environment and everything in the environment including animals, trees, water and much more.
I really liked the presentation on Doaism. This is because I didn’t know anything pertaining to this religion. Even though these people don’t believe in any God they still have respect for the environment. Amazingly, in this religion every creature on Earth is of equal stature. This was different from the other religion since most of the other religions believe that they are superior and have a natural right to use the Earth. We should all think this. Why are we superior and how can we prove this? If we are superior than we should be able to lead the way in protecting the environment. Instead we are the leaders of polluting the Earth and causing all the destruction to it. This is something we should all think about….
Each religion values the environment. They believe it is our place to live and should be used with care. In the Jewish religion the Genesis teaches that God created the Earth and gave human the rights and power over it. However, one should remember that everything (even the birds, mice and other creatures) came before humans in the order of creation. So there is a balance.
In Islam, the religion prohibits needless and cruel killing of animals. Animals are to be killed a certain way as to cause least pain as possible. Other religions, like Hinduism, prohibits the killing of cows because they are sacred. All religions teach the people to respect the environment and everything in the environment including animals, trees, water and much more.
I really liked the presentation on Doaism. This is because I didn’t know anything pertaining to this religion. Even though these people don’t believe in any God they still have respect for the environment. Amazingly, in this religion every creature on Earth is of equal stature. This was different from the other religion since most of the other religions believe that they are superior and have a natural right to use the Earth. We should all think this. Why are we superior and how can we prove this? If we are superior than we should be able to lead the way in protecting the environment. Instead we are the leaders of polluting the Earth and causing all the destruction to it. This is something we should all think about….
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Trip to the Museum of Natural History
Last Thursday we went to the Museum of Natural History and saw many things there. Specifically we were required to see four exhibits. Out of the four the one that I thought related the most to our topics discussed in class was the Hall of biodiversity. There I saw the changes that our planet is going through.
This exhibit showed how there are new species arising because of the transformation of the spere. Human activity has altered the ecosystems. The soils and freshwaters are damaged because of increased industrialization which is due to high resource demand. One picture that fascinated me was the comparison of furniture and clothing between an Indian and Japanese family. It shows that the family in Japan owned much more than the family in India.
The NYS Environment exhibit was also interesting as it showed the activities of animals aording to seasons. Many animals go deeper into the soil as the season changes. while going there I also saw the huge tree that was chopped of and was fascinated by the size. Finally I came to the last exhibit.
The Spitzer Hall of Human Origins was also nice. It showed how human have evolved over time. From the earliest to the latest humans the humans one thing was that they decreased their hairs on the body. This was because of the clothing they had made and needed less fur on their skin. As we know, climate helps alter apperance of people. For example, people in Africa have dark skin because of the intensity of heat. We should realize that altering our weather may have many impacts on us as well.
I think the Museum of Natural History was a nice place to visit.
This exhibit showed how there are new species arising because of the transformation of the spere. Human activity has altered the ecosystems. The soils and freshwaters are damaged because of increased industrialization which is due to high resource demand. One picture that fascinated me was the comparison of furniture and clothing between an Indian and Japanese family. It shows that the family in Japan owned much more than the family in India.
The NYS Environment exhibit was also interesting as it showed the activities of animals aording to seasons. Many animals go deeper into the soil as the season changes. while going there I also saw the huge tree that was chopped of and was fascinated by the size. Finally I came to the last exhibit.
The Spitzer Hall of Human Origins was also nice. It showed how human have evolved over time. From the earliest to the latest humans the humans one thing was that they decreased their hairs on the body. This was because of the clothing they had made and needed less fur on their skin. As we know, climate helps alter apperance of people. For example, people in Africa have dark skin because of the intensity of heat. We should realize that altering our weather may have many impacts on us as well.
I think the Museum of Natural History was a nice place to visit.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Research Topic:
The topic I have chosen for my research paper is the environmental racism in New Orleans. I have chosen this topic because I have done a lot of research on New Orleans specifically on the causes and effects of Hurricane Katrina on the low income population.
In this research paper I plan to extensively research the environmental condition for the people in New Orleans,specifically the African American community, and how Hurricane Katrina has impacted on their living conditions. Also, I would like to discuss the role of the government in this environmental racism.
The sources I plan on using are the following:
1.Toxic Soup Redux: Why Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Matter after Katrina.
This is a good article that explains the environmental hazards for the colored people in New Orleans. Racism and specifically environmental racism played a key role in the aftermath of Katrina. It shows how toxic the environment has become for the people in that region.
http://understandingkatrina.ssrc.org/Sze/
2. Katrina Reveals Environmental Racism's Deadly Force.
This article explains how New Orleans as the victim of environmental injustice even before Katrina hit the region. It also shows how global warming has contributed to the natural disaster.
http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=74fb2e18f6e1c829ae73181353442a61
3. Environmental Racism: How Minority Communities Are Exposed to “Toxic Soup”
This article, as it is titled, shows how minority communities are exposed to toxic. New Orleans is one of them. New Orleans has a number of toxic sites. New Orleans has a great African American popultaion and that population has been negelcted before and after hurricane Katrina.
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/8/30/environmental_racism_how_minority_communities_are
4. There is no such thing as a Natural Disaster: Race, Class and Hurricane Katrina.
By:Chester Hartman
This book has various article on racism towards the citizens of New Orleans explaining how the government has neglected the low income African Americans in that community.
I plan on using more sources but as of right now these are the ones I have listed.
In this research paper I plan to extensively research the environmental condition for the people in New Orleans,specifically the African American community, and how Hurricane Katrina has impacted on their living conditions. Also, I would like to discuss the role of the government in this environmental racism.
The sources I plan on using are the following:
1.Toxic Soup Redux: Why Environmental Racism and Environmental Justice Matter after Katrina.
This is a good article that explains the environmental hazards for the colored people in New Orleans. Racism and specifically environmental racism played a key role in the aftermath of Katrina. It shows how toxic the environment has become for the people in that region.
http://understandingkatrina.ssrc.org/Sze/
2. Katrina Reveals Environmental Racism's Deadly Force.
This article explains how New Orleans as the victim of environmental injustice even before Katrina hit the region. It also shows how global warming has contributed to the natural disaster.
http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=74fb2e18f6e1c829ae73181353442a61
3. Environmental Racism: How Minority Communities Are Exposed to “Toxic Soup”
This article, as it is titled, shows how minority communities are exposed to toxic. New Orleans is one of them. New Orleans has a number of toxic sites. New Orleans has a great African American popultaion and that population has been negelcted before and after hurricane Katrina.
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/8/30/environmental_racism_how_minority_communities_are
4. There is no such thing as a Natural Disaster: Race, Class and Hurricane Katrina.
By:Chester Hartman
This book has various article on racism towards the citizens of New Orleans explaining how the government has neglected the low income African Americans in that community.
I plan on using more sources but as of right now these are the ones I have listed.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Waste and Consumerism
“ Collectively we are committing a vast and unsustainable act of taking, but we each are anonymous and no one is in charge or accountable for the consequences. I fear that in this process we are doing irreparable harm to our planet and to our individual spirits….”
In Chris Jordan’s statement these are the most powerful lines (above). We have somehow come to abuse all the resources available to us. All we do is buy more and more everyday and in turn waste more and more everyday. All the pictures in his gallery are shocking. The cell phones, the cigarette butts, the circuit boards and the cell phone chargers just prove how wasteful we are. This all has made me think of how much I am contributing to the destruction of the environment. Sadly, I realized that I am hurting the environment a lot.
So why do we need to buy new things all the time? Every now and then a member in my house buys a new cell phone because of some new feature it comes with when the old phone is just as good and works perfectly fine. What happens to the old one? It lies around the house for emergency use (in case someone’s phone doesn’t work which probably never happens and even if it does there is an urge to buy a new one). No one feels accountable for such waste even though all this wasteful acts harm our planet greatly.
Cell phones I found in my house that are used (4) and unused (5):
These are cables I found in my drawer (not house) which I never use and have no idea when and why I got them…. Sadly, wasteful and a not so wise consumer.
All the waste we produce and which we should be accountable for the disposal of, is sent other countries such as China. This is really very shocking and disturbing. Why aren’t we the ones breathing in toxic air that is being produced by us. We have so many laws against racism and equality yet we tend to violate them the most. Our waste should stay on our land so we learn not to produce so much waste. It’s horrible to take advantage of the underdeveloped countries.
Once we start to see extreme consequences only then will we realize that we are causing global warming. We need to wise consumers and not wasteful consumers. Once we realize this our souls will not be in peace, not because of the destruction we have caused but because in our hearts we would know we could have done something to prevent it.
In Chris Jordan’s statement these are the most powerful lines (above). We have somehow come to abuse all the resources available to us. All we do is buy more and more everyday and in turn waste more and more everyday. All the pictures in his gallery are shocking. The cell phones, the cigarette butts, the circuit boards and the cell phone chargers just prove how wasteful we are. This all has made me think of how much I am contributing to the destruction of the environment. Sadly, I realized that I am hurting the environment a lot.
So why do we need to buy new things all the time? Every now and then a member in my house buys a new cell phone because of some new feature it comes with when the old phone is just as good and works perfectly fine. What happens to the old one? It lies around the house for emergency use (in case someone’s phone doesn’t work which probably never happens and even if it does there is an urge to buy a new one). No one feels accountable for such waste even though all this wasteful acts harm our planet greatly.
Cell phones I found in my house that are used (4) and unused (5):
These are cables I found in my drawer (not house) which I never use and have no idea when and why I got them…. Sadly, wasteful and a not so wise consumer.
All the waste we produce and which we should be accountable for the disposal of, is sent other countries such as China. This is really very shocking and disturbing. Why aren’t we the ones breathing in toxic air that is being produced by us. We have so many laws against racism and equality yet we tend to violate them the most. Our waste should stay on our land so we learn not to produce so much waste. It’s horrible to take advantage of the underdeveloped countries.
Once we start to see extreme consequences only then will we realize that we are causing global warming. We need to wise consumers and not wasteful consumers. Once we realize this our souls will not be in peace, not because of the destruction we have caused but because in our hearts we would know we could have done something to prevent it.
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