Share and Voice: Tips for UMD

OK, not to sound like a computer nerd, but blogging has become an addiction for me this semester. I find myself checking it at least 5 times throughout the day which explains a lot. I've actually paid lot more attention to the environment around me and what I can do to make my surroundings better.

That's why my story leads to me to the gym at UMD. I was working out yesterday and realized how full the garbage was. It was filled to the brim with used paper towels from individuals who cleaned their machines. After doing some research, I found out that an average of 30,000 people's cards are swiped each month at UMD's gym. What? That's a crazy amount, not to mention how many rolls of paper towels are used each month. There must be a simpler way to clean the machines without using this large amount of paper towels.

I think that UMD should have people bring their own towels to clean the machines after each use. It would save the school a lot of money and resources. What do you think? Please get back to me and let me know what you think about my proposal. Even little changes make a big difference!

Eye Opener: CSPI

This week I decided to take the Eating Green Calculator test. I thought it was very interesting since it offered advice to improve your diet.

Before taking the quiz, I thought that I would have scored a better percentage of vitamins in my diet. I realized that since I eat a lot of lean chicken, I am actually a burden.I never thought of myself as a burden, but realize that animals are a primary source in people's diets. I also eat a lot of yogurt and turkey sandwiches throughout the week and don't even realize that my diet is primarily based on animal products. Groceries are very expensive these days and I feel like people look more at the price than the source. I eat a lot of vegetables and fruit as well, but could increase the amount to help balance the equation.

Pledge:
I pledge to change my diet to a more vegetable and fruit based diet. I will think twice about how much chicken I eat a week. I will encourage my family and friends to eat a diet that doesn't rely so much on animal products. I really want ot make the change for myself and the environment.

Christen's final thoughts:
I really hope that after taking this quiz, I am able to change my diet. I could substitute different types of food to make up the vitamins and minerals I am lacking. I love taking these quizzes, and am excited to see what changes I will make.

Share and Voice: ENVIRO-cool Blog Award Winner

Hey everyone, so I have recently received an award from Lauren for my post on fireworks. Thank you so much Lauren, I really appreciate it and am glad that you enjoyed it. It doesn't stop there, no I have the chance to pass on the award. This is a tough one since everyone's blogs are starting to come together. It's a tough choice but a blog that has continually caught my eye belongs to.......Kaileigh @ Kaileigh's Nature Log!!!!! I love her usage of color in each post and really enjoy her share and voices. One that particularly caught my eye was her most recent post on "Shutting Down Earth for an Hour.".

Another reason why I chose Kaileigh's blog as the winner is because she goes above and beyond with her information. I can tell she's working very hard in perfecting her blog. It looks great and I am proud to present you the reward.

I would like you to keep this award moving along by passing it on to someone else's blog that you enjoy!! The instructions are below, Congratulations and keep up the good work!


Award Instructions
1. Leave a comment below so that I know you "picked up" the award.
2. Create a Share and Voice post that says you've received the award and indicate who the award is from (be sure to hyperlink).
3. Also indicate to whom you are going to pass on the award and why. Be sure to hyperlink the blogger (use main blog URL) and the blog title (use the specific URL for that blog post).
4. Copy and paste these instructions at the bottom of your post.
5. Publish the post.
6. Visit each blogger you've awarded and leave a comment telling them they've won.
7. Continue the process...

Review of Reading 15: Feeding the World

I thought this chapter was very interesting. Since earth’s population is growing to the number of 6 billion, food and resource demands are also increasing. How are we going to feed all of these people? Resource depletion and environmental degradation are currently undergoing demands as well for this growing population. The sections in this chapter include discussions about: Society’s Four Transitional Stages, Evidence for Negative Population Growth, Future Food/Supply Demand Balance, Protecting the Environment, and The Challenges Ahead.

Society’s Four Transitional Stages:
The United Nations’ low/medium population projection suggests that food supply growth will continue to outpace food demand supply growth will continue to outpace food demand growth, resulting in continuing decline in real prices for farmers. (McKinney, 57). This section discussed the four transitions of societies based on demographics, economics, agricultural productivity, and technological advancements (technology). There are many different sides to each argument. If income growth and population growth slow down, food demands decrease as well.


Evidence for Negative Population Growth:
This section was difficult for me to understand since it deals with various countries' statistics. The United Nations' medium population projection of 2.1 children after 2040 is widely used as a demographic forecast, but it unrealistically assumes that this rate will be the same in both developed and developing countries. (McKinney, 56). We cannot base our future statistics on predictions based on past and present population rates. There are many variables that change such as population growth/decline that are not always predictable.


Future Food/Supply Demand Balance:
If population and income continue to grow at the same rate as they grow from 1995 to 2000, the demand for food will sharply outgrow future food supply. (McKinney, 57). This is a very scary thing to think about. Some differences have been made. Many statistics show that birthrates are decreasing causing more available resources. What about the families that aren't decreasing family size? Do they know that our resources are limited?

Protecting the Environment:
This section describes the consequences of population growth. I thought that it was mind blowing that population growth leads to land clearing leads to streams being polluted and lower quality air. Education may promote the awareness of the environment possibly changing the behaviors of people. Forests are continually being cut down for the resources it provides. Something that a lot of people don't realize is that this affects the species living within the environment as well.

The Challenges Ahead:
I interpreted this section to be based on balance. If you balance population, the resources provided, and the food supply, it will work more efficiently. If one of the aspects such as population, the whole equation falls to pieces. Other things to keep in mind are trading, food businesses, and agriculture. The book explains that agricultural trade in a mature society remains high to supply the diversity of food products demanded by high-income consumers.


Christen's Views:
I thought this section was a little difficult to understand, but realize that we are about to face challenges is we don't readjust our behaviors. I think that with some education on the topic, people will have a better understanding of everyday choices that are overlooked. When planning families, people may consider these facts and readjust their decisions.

Terms:
Demographics-
Economics
Agricultural productivity
Technological Advancements (technology)
Developed Countries
Developing Countries

Share and Voice: Fireworks

Are Fireworks Really Dangerous?
On various occasions such as 4th of July and New Years, fireworks have been a continuing trend for many decades. I doubt anyone even considers that these fireworks have a negative impact on the environment. Fireworks include many harmful chemicals that affect the environment. Some of these chemicals include: Zinc, Titanium, Strontium, Sulfur, Sodium, Potassium, Phosphorus, Oxygen, Magnesium, Lithium, Iron, Copper, Chlorine, Carbon, Calcium, Barium, Antimony, and Aluminum. These chemicals are released through the smoke of the fireworks.

Noise Pollution:
Noise pollution is another factor when dealing with fireworks. People with sensitive hearing are affected by the loud noises that go along with fireworks. It also startles animals in the surrounding area.

Water Pollution:
Fireworks fallout can contaminate water supplies and residue on the ground can be carried away by rain and end up in our lakes, rivers, or oceans. Fish and other animals tend to eat what they see in the water even if it's contaminants. I heard of a story of someone who lit fireworks and threw them in the water. Fish immediately swam to the lit firework and ate it causing the fish to explode. Fines were later given to the individuals were involved.

Air Pollution:
Smoke from fireworks combustion may contain a mixture of sulfur-coal compounds, traces of heavy metals, and other toxic chemicals or gases. The picture shown above represents the chemical combination used to form fireworks. These chemicals are floating in the air causing us to breathe in these chemicals.

Hopefully this year when you're celebrating holidays, you think twice about what you're doing to the environment before you purchase fireworks.

For more information on alternatives, what each chemical represents, and more, check out these links! http://chemistry.about.com/b/2008/06/06/elements-in-fireworks.htm
http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/falls/9200/toxic_fireworks.html