Blog for Thought (Reflection Essay)

Blog for Thought:

I believe that blogging was a very effective tool for this content of this class. I learned a lot about myself by delving into and physically writing down my opinions on the topics this class was centered on. The blog aspect made the writings seem informal which made it easier to free-write and get emotional over the various prompts presented all quarter. I found myself picking up a righteous tone against the current environmental issues such as mountain-top removal coal mining and the exploitative food industry.
My posts near the beginning of the quarter were more formal, but I eased into sharing my thoughts more readily as the quarter progressed. I found that most of my longer posts were ones that I found particularly interesting and found it nearly impossible to only write 300 word minimum. These longer posts, such as the one I wrote after seeing the documentary Flow, I also believe were some of the more poignant ones because they were emotionally driven. I started out writing mostly for the audience of my peers and professor, but soon found that it was better to instead write for my self-reflection and for the world at-large, even if it is currently a relatively small audience. My friend, who was not in this class, was immediately interested in the topics I told her I was writing about on here, and when she began to “follow me” and comment on my posts about half way through the quarter I was even more aware of the power of my words being presented over the internet for anyone to read.
I probably could have utilized commenting more effectively on my peer’s posts. I usually read almost all of the blogs before realizing that I had only commented on one or two. Even though I feel like my comments were generally insightful, I wish I had commented on more people’s blogs because I know how much I enjoyed reading what people commented on my posts. I liked seeing how everyone in the class reacted to the same reading, film, or lecture differently. How different things stuck out for each of us was quite interesting to observe. I really enjoyed reading the comments that people left on my posts. They often made me think about what I had written in a different light and it was neat to see how other’s opinions over the matter were both similar and different. The interactive aspect of the commenting made the blogs very effective in engaging me as a class participant. I was always checking to see if anyone had left a comment and to see how it related to what I had written.
I am glad that I was prompted to write about the various things we read and viewed for this class. I believe that writing about these topics allowed me to absorb their messages more deeply by making me think more in depth about them. Going back and reading my posts shows me how inspiring I found the topics covered over the duration of the course. I believe this is also evident from my papers and the website I created, but much of the backbone of this inspiration was developed solely from my blog posts. They served as a starting point from which I was able to continually delve into deeper and deeper. The fact that they were open to the public I think gave me a much more urgent tone in my opinions over the various aspects of the ecological crisis. I presented a sense of immediacy through my posts that carried on later into the papers I wrote for this class.
This was my first experience with blogging and I have to admit that I am rather hooked. I am considering creating a personal blog now that the quarter has come to an end because I have seen how effective of a tool it is to share your opinion over relevant issues. This forum is a relatively new phenomenon, but I think it is a powerful one that will continue to be useful in the years to come.

Food Inc. Post 3

My favorite section from this part of the book was Marion Nestle's article Eating Made Simple. I enjoyed how she dissected the different groups of food and discussed the pros and cons of them from a nutritionist's standpoint. I learned a lot about the types of food I generally eat, and since I've recently become interested in this, I enjoyed the informative nature of her article.

I found the Questions for the Farmer article to also be informative, but also rather repetitive. I feel like it was an effective way for the information to be presented, yet it also became boring to read after a while. The Declare your Independence article had a much angrier tone set to it, but I also found it more interesting to read. On page 186 when Salatin lays into the food industry by suggesting that "safety is a subjective matter" really struck home with me. I found myself agreeing with much of what he said even though it was presented in a rather caustic manner. I enjoyed reading his suggestions about what you can do personally to help because it related partially to my topic for my argument essay. I feel like much of what Salatin suggests should really be taken to heart by his readers simply because it makes sense for both the environment and for your personal health.

Argument Outline

1.Introduction:
Thesis: Everyone should help reduce their personal ecological footprint by lessening their energy consumption because if people do not start taking the environmental crisis seriously then we will no longer be able to live comfortably on this planet.

2.Discuss current ecological problems associated with energy consumption
a. Water supply
b. Air supply
c. Garbage/waste

3.Explain ecological footprint- average American’s use of energy
d. Quote statistics/facts about current consumption
e. Reference Michael Pollan article/ Al Gore’s film Inconvenient Truth, ect.

4.List/explain ways to lessen one’s consumption
a. Around the house
i. Heating
ii. Insulation
iii. Appliances
b. Green movement
i. Sustainable products
ii. Local/national programs
iii. Recycling
c. Food consumption
i. Eating vegetarian
ii. Organics
iii. Local food/personal garden
d. Transportation
i. Driving
ii. Flying

5. Mention large-scale government programs (i.e. alternative energy or revamping the food industry), but show that individual help is even more important because it forwards an idea change trend that makes these programs possible

6.Conclusion: Reiterate the impending ecological disaster and the importance of helping out collaboratively on a small scale


Bibliography:
Carson, Rachel. Silent spring. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Web.

Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth and K. Environmental Science: In Context. Farmington Hills, MI. Gale, Cengage Learning, 2009. Web.

Braumgart, Michael and McDonough, William. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way we Make Things. New York: North Point, 2002.

"Carbon Footprint - Recycling." Carbon Footprint - Home of Carbon Management. Web. 29 Jan.2010..

Greenpeace | Greenpeace USA. Web. 30 Jan. 2010. .

"United Nations Global Issues." Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. Web. 29 Jan. 2010..

Auger, Steve. Carbon Footprint verses Ecological Footprint. Web. 06 Feb. 2010. .

Ecological Footprint Quiz by Redefining Progress. Web. 07 Feb. 2010. .

Buchanan, Gail. "Vegetarianism." College of Family & Consumer Sciences. University of Georgia. Web. 05 Feb. 2010. .

"Carnegiefabrics." Commercial Textiles Sustainable Fabrics Contract Commercial Textiles from Carnegie Fabrics. Web. 07 Feb. 2010. .

"Shades of Green: Sustainable Style for Eco-Conscious Shoppers |." MyShape. Web. 07 Feb. 2010. .

"Advantages of hybrids- electric cars." Hybrid cars- electric vehicles. Web. 07 Feb. 2010. .

"Efficient Water Heating." ACEEE - American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Web. 07 Feb. 2010. .

David Harp Lecture

David Harp's lecture and slideshow about the Chesapeake area was very interesting. He is a very personable individual and made the information he presented captivating through both his work and the manner in which he spoke about the images. He told his story and experiences via his striking images. He described himself as more of a photojouralist rather than an artistic photographer since he likes to do editorial work, but his photos are simply stunning. It was neat to meet someone who has graduated from OU and has made a professional living doing the thing he loves. He has published several books and has been featured in magazines like Time and Newsweek. He explained his process of taking photos and mentioned that the best lighting has a very narrow window of time— around 10 minutes or so before or after sunrise and sunset. He likes to catpture the people and wildlife of the bay as well as the landscapes; he also has a special affinity for taking pictures of reflections in the shallow water of the bay.

Harp discussed more of his recent work as well which more directly deals with the current environmental issues concerning the bay. He showed pictures he took in the 70s of "watermen" collecting oysters and then showed how they now grow oysters instead of collect them today since only about 1% of the original population is still around. This is an issue because the oysters help to filter the water in the bay from outside pollution. He also mentioned that many of the underground grasses are dying off from this abundance of pollution. He has photographed people in the local crab business and explained that today most of the workers are immigrants from Mexico; I made a connection to this statement about the many immigrants that have found work in the meatpacking industry. Harp went on to document and discuss how many of the islands that make up the bay are flooding over and will not be there for much longer. He showed several images of a single house from the 1800s left standing in the middle of a former island surrounded by water. There had been efforts in the past to try to restore these islands, but the efforts have mostly been in vain. He showed a photo of a nest that birds had made in a forklift that had been used for this effort and joked that, "obviously, the birds have won." The issues he presented were mostly informative without being preachy and the manner in which he presented (mostly through his visual work) was very effective and captivating.

Food Inc. Post 2

These readings from Food Inc. really resonated with me. Especially the chapter Michael Pollan wrote titled "Why Bother?" because the issues he addressed in that chapter are precisely what I chose to write my research paper about. Pollan states, "The idea is to find one thing that may or may not virtually rock the world but is real and particular (as well as symbolic) and that, come what may, will offer its own rewards." He goes on to suggest doing things such as giving up meat or actually observing the sabbath one day a week to lessen one's energy consumption. This concept of engaging in a small personal sacrifice for sake of the environment is exactly what I have recently come to adopt in my own life and hope to spread on to others. Pollan discusses that even though people argue that one person can't do much to change the environment since it is already in a state of despair that perhaps that is the precisely the wrong way to think about it. If one person starts a trend of doing their part, then maybe that trend will catch on and affect many others and inspire them to do their own part. If this happens, then eventually the larger scale things such as eco-saving government policies will eventually come into play. In this manner we will eventually "find ways to provide for ourselves without diminishing the world." I agree with Pollan assertion that one person changing their ways can indeed make a positive difference, however small it seems at first.

Research Argument Proposal

In my research argument essay I plan to discuss the importance of every single individual working to lessen their personal ecological footprint. I will hone in on the severity of the current environmental issue and what people can do in order to reduce the amount of energy they typically consume. I will present stark facts about current energy consumption in the United States in order to persuade to the reader the amount difference one individual can make. If everyone is smarter about saving energy, then perhaps we can work together to postpone this impending ecological disaster.

Food Inc. Post 1

I found this film to be particularly persuasive and informative. Right from the start, the animations captivated you and the personal stories included throughout out the film held your attention and played on your sympathies. After viewing the factory farming conditions, I was completely appalled with the way our food is produced. I am seriously considering becoming vegetarian after viewing Food Inc. and seeing all of the contamination and underground horrors associated with the majority of the meat industry. The health concerns brought upon by the living/working conditions of both the animals and workers in the meat-packing industry are simply atrocious. I admire how the makers of the film included so many aspects of the industry in the film and brought to light issues that have been mostly kept hidden from the public before now. I was quite disgusted to learn about all of the political bureaucracies of the food industry and the infiltration of the big-head names of these food corporations being an integral part of the government regulations of the food industry itself. Consumers need to be protected by people that don't have a personal interest in the maintenance and well-being of these corporations. They should be protected for the right reasons by objective and informed inspections.

The book has complemented the movie very well so far. I like how each chapter is written by someone else, but each addresses many of the same exact issues of the current food industry. I especially liked the second chapter which basically explained the process of developing this film in order to make the most impact for American consumers. I feel like the segments that included people like Barb Kowalcyk, who lost her 2-year-old to E.Coli poisoning, were very strategic in the presentation of the included information. Things she and some of the other individuals that were interviewed said definitely made a strong impact on the validity and severity of the situation. I think the book in particular is helpful because even though the film played directly with your emotions and captivated your attention, the book includes information about what you can do to help in a concrete fashion— visit this website and check this out, ect. I am glad to have been given this resource from the book. I am saddened that I literally knew almost none of this information about the industry before I was introduced to Food Inc. The devastation provided by the food industry in the United States is a well kept secret. When I read about all of the practices that are legal in the U.S. but have been banned in Europe, Canada, Japan, and Australia, I was rather appalled at the lack of regulation that currently takes place in America's food industry. I just recently made a trip to grocery store and decided to buy mostly organic and local products. My bill was perhaps $30 more than I usually spend, but I feel like in the long-run that $30 was worth it for the external costs my small contribution made. Both the film and book preach that we, as consumers, have the power to change the type of demand and supply of food to a healthier and more humane one. Now that I know about these issues, I am going to try to spend the extra few bucks to contribute to a healthier American lifestyle and environment.