Waste Reduction

In my opinion waste is a huge issue. I think my reason behind this comes from my grandma. Growing up she never let us kids waste anything, especially food. She was always talking about the hungry and unfortunate kids in other parts of the world. And now that I am an “adult”, I seem to have taken a lot from her words and approach this matter more seriously. Therefore when I first saw this assignment for my environmental science class I was kind of excited. We were asked to measure our waste for three days, research waste reduction strategies, and then for another three days put those strategies into play.  

In my household it is just my husband and I. So to be honest I don’t feel that we waste too much because we really do try to recycle everything we can. In our kitchen we have your normal everyday looking standard trashcan, and then right outside the garage door we have a large outdoor trashcan for recyclables. Within a three day period, together our waste accumulated up to one full trashcan, while our recyclables took up about a fourth of our large recycle trashcan. Hopefully, everyone can get a good idea of how much waste and recyclables we had because I didn’t have a scale to actually weigh everything out, and I wasn’t about to go through my trash and recyclable counting them one by one.

Most of our trash consisted of food and pure laziness. Even the items found in our trash, mainly paper recyclables, could have been thrown in the recycle bin. These items consisted of paper plates and paper towels/napkins.

When it came to waste reduction, I really liked the idea of getting another kitchen trashcan for recyclables only. But sadly, believe it or not, my kitchen is so small that I don’t even have room for another trashcan in there. That is why we keep the recycle bin right outside the garage door. Another great idea talked about watching what you buy. For example: buy durable products, repair or restore used items, buy items you can re-use, buy items you can recycle, and avoid excess packaging. This is something I know I can try to do more often!!

Therefore, for the next three days my husband and I tried out bests to make this change, and the outcome came out great. We also focused on not being so lazy and actually recycled everything we could. This time we filled up half of the kitchen trashcan, and about a third of our large recycle bin. The items most difficult for me to recycle I guess were my napkins after dinner. Those I just tossed in the trash. When it came to my waste flow it was hard for me to not throw away my leftover food. I am actually working out again and watching what I eat, so I tend to have leftover food that I just throw away. My grandma would be so disappointed with me. It’s really not that much, but my grandma hates any form of wasting food.

At the end of the day though, I liked the outcome and what I learned from this assignment. Therefore, I am really going to focus more on the products and things that I buy so that I can really try to reduce our trash even more.

Climate Change; Is it an issue?

Even though it has been said that there is much confusion and doubt about climate change, there has been a great deal of indicators to prove that the climate is changing. Right now it is getting warmer. According to this website, http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/indicators/pdfs/ClimateIndicators_full.pdf, human activities have substantially increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which causes the Earth to trap in more heat. Studies show that from 1990-2005, worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases caused by human activity has increased by 26%. In the United States the frequency of heat waves has risen steadily since the 1970s, and from 2001 through 2009, 30%-60% of the States also experienced drought conditions. Other studies also show high annual precipitation totals have increased, the intensity of tropical storms exhibiting strong long-term trends, an increase in the amount of heat stored in the ocean, a rise in sea level, the ocean has become more acidic, glaciers are retreating, arctic sea ice is melting; the list goes on and on and on. Research also shows that the average temperature of the Earth’s surface has increased by about 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit since 1990. Human activities are such a major contribution to climate change because anytime we do things like using energy to drive, using electricity to make our lives easier, grow our own food, raise livestock, or throw trash away, we are releasing greenhouse gases.

 With all this being said, it should be noted that climate change should be a concern to all because it is likely to affect not only your society, but our entire world. This includes everything from water resources, food production, energy use, transportation and commerce, recreation, to even our national security. In the long run, impacts such as these could be extremely costly, far reaching, damaging as a whole to all. In the end, climate change will affect all nations, though some will most definitely feel the effects more intensely then other; such as developing countries.

Global warming is NOT an issue however, according to this website, http://heartland.org/ideas/global-warming-not-crisis, who believe that the important question are how much of the warming is natural, how sure are we that it will continue, and would continued warming be beneficial or harmful. From their point of view, they stated that probably two-thirds of the warming in the 1990s was actually due to natural causes. They also stated that warming trends already have stopped and forecast of future warming are unreliable, while the benefits of a moderate warming are likely to outweigh the costs.

 After reading through this website, it is clear to see how easy to is for someone to say global warming isn’t an issue in fear of higher taxes, more income redistribution, more wilderness preservation, more regulations on corporations, “smart growth”, subsidies for renewable energy, and again much, much more in order to address the situation and try to stop or prevent it. Bottom line, unless it is completely necessary, people are very unwilling to go down a road of high taxes and more regulations. To some, saying it is isn’t a problem is just all around easier and cheaper.

Personally I feel that thinking in such a way is just plain selfish and lazy. Honestly, many people could care less what the world will be like in 50 years, especially if they think they won’t be around to have to endure the damages. All I know is that if we don’t do something soon, future generations won’t be able to stand a chance. There will be so much more destruction, and devastation, especially with how fast our worldwide population is expanding.  

Toxic Chemicals

After reading the article “Regulating toxic chemicals: Do we know enough about chemical risks?” it is really scary to think about how often we are unknowingly exposed to possible toxic chemicals each and every day. Honestly at this point I think it is safe to say that they are everywhere; from the stuff we eat, drink, breathe, use, buy, etc. This is all the more reason why I feel so frustrated when I read that some people are concerned that “the agencies responsible for protecting Americans from exposure to harmful chemicals are allowing too many dangerous substances into the market without testing them for toxicity.” Why is this okay? If there is any doubt that a product is not 100% safe for their consumers, then I feel it should be tested with no questions asked. How dare them to let common products slip by and into the market before having a premarket safety screening, especially when these products concern infants and young children. Therefore, chemical manufacturers should be continually forced to address new concerns for the fullest safety of their consumers.

I really liked the idea of the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals) policy, which was launched in the European Union in 2007. Under these rules, a company that produces or imports chemicals must register and provide data on their properties and uses. Bottom line, the chemicals must be proven to be safe. However, here in the US we still await Congress, regulators, businesses and advocates to come up with better solutions to protect consumers from harmful exposures. This is where the big questions come in. Do we know enough about chemical risks, are we commercializing nanotechnologies too quickly, and would stricter regulations hurt manufacturers and consumer?  In the end, research is ongoing and new things are always to be discovered which is why chemical toxins should always be a concern. Studies should never stop and regulations should always be enforced! This would include moving into a more precautionary approach like Europe. Consumers have a right to know and trust that everything possible is being done for their health and safety.

Below are some related sites with great information to get you thinking more about this topic. They offer some really great information, input, and advice!!

Chemical Regulations:
http://www.gao.gov/assets/100/93860.pdf

Precautionary Approach:
http://www.sehn.org/precaution.html
http://www.commonweal.org/programs/precautionary-principle.html

Green Chemistry:
http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/
http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/pollutionprevention/greenchemistryinitiative/index.cfm

The article “Regulating toxic chemicals: Do we know enough about chemical risks?”:
http://faculty.rcc.edu/huff/spring%202012/enviromental%20science/blog%20assignments/Regulating_Toxic_Chemicals.pdf

Energy!

I never knew how much I took advantage of things until this next assignment in my environmental science came about. Trying to live a normal, everyday life by using the minimal amount of energy was a lot harder then I thought it would be. In fact, I remember thinking to myself “what the hell am I going to do for the next 24 hours.” So I began by unplugging as many things as possible. This consisted of things like my alarm clock, cell phone charger, house phone, computer, televisions, washer, and dryer. From there I also turned off all of the lights and my cell phone. Then I made a promise not to drive anywhere, do any laundry, use my ac or heater, or use my electric hairstyling utensil that morning when I got ready. I could tell you that taking a cold shower without the lights on wasn’t much fun either. This was the moment it sank it too. If I wasn’t going to be miserable and bored all day long then I needed to find something to keep me entertained. Therefore, I spent the majority of the day playing outside with my three dogs. Then that night my husband and I had a bon fire in our backyard with some friends. Overall, my goal was to really use as little of energy and electricity as possible to see what it was like not to have these things. To be honest, I think my friends were getting a kick out of trying to cope with my project. So it wasn’t too bad. Don’t get me wrong though. I didn’t find it very easy, and I wasn’t 100% happy with how I had to change the way I did things, but I did like the fact that it forced me to spend more quality time with my family and friends. Plus, it was kind of neat hanging out in the dark with the only the light of our bon fire. Although trying to get to bed that night was somewhat of a challenge. Candles only provide so much light while you are trying to brush your teeth, wash your face, and find your pajamas.

When it came to turning off the television and computer, I wasn’t very bothered since I don’t spend much time with these things anyways. What I did have a hard time with though was not being able to drive anywhere. I took a walk with my dogs up to a nearby park and this really made me realize how far a lot of things would seem if I didn’t have the use of my car. I also didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t use my hair utensils. Being completely honest, I felt like I was a mess all day long. But this is also because I am not use to living under such conditions. This all helped remind me of how thankful I am to be living in the time era that I do.

 When it comes to using less energy each week, I think I can focus on running my washer, dryer, and dish washer a little less.  As for my home, I think my husband and I do pretty good already. We always turn the lights off when we are out of a room, and we never leave electronic devices plugged in if not necessary. The things I couldn’t see myself without would consist of my alarm clock, hot showers, hair utensils, and some sort of a phone. I didn’t like the fact that my family couldn’t quicklu get a hold of me if there was an emergency. And as far as the lights go, I could see myself using less of them until dark. The candle idea was a bit frustrating at times.

 Overall though, I really did appreciate this assignment. It was able to really shed some light on how much energy we use and waste everyday.

Water!

It wasn’t until recently that I actually stopped to think about where my home’s tap water comes from. Maybe for some people it has crossed their mind, but not mine. All I knew was that I get a bill every month from the Riverside Public Utilities that shows how much water we have used. Therefore, I found this assignment in my environmental science class to be really interesting. Where does my home’s tap water come from? After doing some research I was able to figure out that Riverside’s water is actually ground water from wells located in the Bunker Hill Basin and Riverside Basin. Interesting huh? However, I found it kind of scary that I found this information on a Water Quality Report from 2010 which explained about the possible contaminants in water sources. This report included things such as viruses and bacteria from sewage, salts and metals from runoffs, along with radioactive contaminants from oil and gas production. On a good note though, there are regulations of course in order to ensure that the tap water coming out of our faucets is safe, such as limiting the amount of contaminants in waste provided by public water systems. I also found out that water utilities treat nearly 34 billion gallons of water every day to remove any kind of contaminants.  I don’t know about you, but the idea of possible contaminants in my drinking water is still creepy to think about.

Another fact I found really interesting, is that in the United States, bottled water and tap water are regulated by two different federal agencies. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulates bottled water, while the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulates are tap water. When it comes down to ground water and drinking water the EPA has issued extensive regulations on the production, distribution and quality of public drinking water, including regulations on source water protection, operation of drinking water systems, contaminants levels, and reporting requirements. Now, when it comes to bottles water I noticed that under our statutory authority, the FDA regulates bottled water as a food. It requires that manufacturers must be responsible for producing safe, wholesome, and truthfully labeled food products, which also includes bottled water. The FDA has also established specific regulations which include standard of identity regulations, standard of quality regulations, and current good manufacturing practice regulations. At the end of the day regulations on our tap water is a lot stricter and enforceable.  

It has been noticed by many that bottled water has become a popular beverage. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the amount of bottled water consumed in the United States has doubled over the past 10 years. However, there are actually many concerns and drawbacks when it comes to the safety of bottled water, and has actually been labeled as expensive and wasteful. Plus, when you narrow down the facts, it may not be as safe as you think. Actually, the EWG (Environmental Working Group) found a total of 38 contaminants in the water of 10 popular brands. If consumed over a long period of time, some of these contaminants were said to cause cancer or other health problems.  Moving on to our environment, I can’t even stress how hurtful and hazardous water bottles can be. Most of the time bottled water is shipped from far away, even though most of them end up close to home in a landfill, creating thousands of tons of global warming pollution and other air pollution. I feel that the best way to reach a long term solution with this tap vs. bottled water idea is just to make tap water safer for everyone.

Resources from the Earth

Hello Everyone! Welcome back to my blog. For this week’s assignment, we were asked to keep a list of all the earth’s resources that we used within a 24 hour time limit. For an entire day I kept track of everything I used/ saw and recognized as the “earth’s resources”. Looking below you can easily see that for just one person, many, many, many resources are put to use each and every day. Here were some of the resources I used…

A) Food and drink

• Water
• Milk
• Sprite
• Cranberry Juice
• Cheerios
• Banana
• Yogurt
• Wheat Bread
• Turkey
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Mayonnaise
• Potato Chips
• Salad (Garden Salad)
• Ranch Dressing
• Cheez-its
• Gum
• Corn
• Chicken
• Rice

B) Housing and other buildings

• Wood
• Stucco
• Metal
• Concrete
• Glass
• Granite
• Plastic
• Porcelain
• Roofing Materials
• Paint
• Plants/ Flowers/ Trees/ Grass
• Dirt
• Electricity
• Gas (Heat, etc.)
• Water
• Trash/Paper/Plastic/Glass

C) Transportation and roads

• Car: Metal/ Plastic/ Vinyl/ Carpet/ Oil/ Water/ Gasoline/ Other automobile fluids
• Road : Asphalt/ Concrete/ Metal / Oil
• Road Signs/ Stoplights: Metal/ Electricity

D) Clothing

• Cotton: Shirt/Shoes/Socks/Under garments/Pajamas
• Jeans: Pants
• Leather: Shoes/Purse
• Plastic Sunglasses

E) School supplies

• Pen/ Ink
• Paper (from trees)

F) Personal care products

• Plastic Toothbrush
• Toothpaste/ Plastic Container
• Shampoo/Conditioner
• Body Wash
• Face Wash
• Facial Toner and Moisturizer
• Leave-in treatment for my hair
• Plastic and Metal: Blow Dryer/ Hair straightener
• Cotton Balls
• Q-tips
• Make-up (Mascara, eyeliner, cover-up)
• Lotion
• Deodorant
• Perfume
• Porcelain Toilet
• Toilet Paper
• Tissue Paper
• Cotton Towels
• Dish Soap
• Laundry Soap
• Chapstick
• Air freshener

G) Leisure activities

• Laguna Beach: Sand/ Salt Water/ Rocks/ Sea life (muscles, barnacles, anemone, seaweed, crabs, starfish, sea slug, amphipods, fish/etc.)/ Seals/Pelicans/ Seagulls
• Weather
• Warmth from the sun

H) Other (not listed in categories A-G)

• Metal Fireplace
• Fire
• Wax: Candles
• Oxygen
• Cotton: Sheets/ Blankets/ Couches/ Pillows
• Wood: Furniture
• Metal: Stove / Refrigerator/ Pots and Pans
• Porcelain Plates
• Silverware / Cooking and Drinking Utensils: Metal and Plastic
• Paper Napkin

Following my list of resources, we were then asked to research ONE of the following items from our list and answer the following questions. For this part I chose to research my facial wash. Reason being, I thought it would be interesting to see what it is that I am actually putting onto my skin/body.

Product: Clinique: Liquid Facial Soap (Oily Skin Formula)

· What is your item made of? (list all components and/or ingredients)

Looking on the back of my bottle of face wash the following ingredients were listed:

Water/Aqua/EAU, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauramido Propyl Betaine, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Tea Cocoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Serenoa Serrulata (Saw Palmetto) Fruit, Extract, Peg-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sucrose, Menthol, Hexy Lene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Laureth-2, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Sulfate, EDTA, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol [1LN30693]

· How is it used?

This product is directed to used 2x a day. (Morning and Night)

First one must wet their face. Then apply a small amount of facial wash (nickel size) to face and neck and massage thoroughly to cleanse. Next one would rinse facial wash off using clean/warm water.

· How, where, and by whom is it mined, harvested, or otherwise acquired?

The bottle stated that this product was made in the U.S.A. (New York) and was developed by Clinique dermatologists for skin care and needs. From there the product was shipped and sent to the desire Clinique location.

· How did it get to you?

I got this product by going to the Clinique counter at Nordstrom in the Tyler Mall. However, since this product is said to have been made in New York, I am guessing that this product was delivered by plane and/or truck.

· What will happen to it when it is no longer ―useful‖?

After I have used all of my Clinique facial wash, I will dispose the plastic bottle into my recycle bin.

· Is this product a "want" or a "need"?

When it comes down to deciding whether my facial wash is a want or need, I would have to say that it is a want because I know things like food, shelter, and clothing are more of a need/must have. However, I would feel incomplete for awhile without my face wash. My face tends to get really oily if I don’t use the right products on it, which then results in making me feel “unclean”. So to me, even though this product is a want, I feel like it is a need for me if all my other needs have been satisfied.

 

· What is the effect of this product (production, use, disposal) on:

Clinique’s liquid facial soap for oily skin was made to cleanse and meet the needs of skin care for its consumers, such as you and I. When it comes to disposing the contents of the plastic container after the product is gone, I would recommend recycling it so that it has a less damaging effect on animals and the environment. For example, the bottle wont accidently end up in the ocean and be mistaken as food by marine life. For a great example of why we should recycle plastic, check out this following video about the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTurihxSTnI

· Was the product available 100 years ago, and if not, what did people use instead?

I do not believe that this product was around 100 years ago. Instead, I believe that people used a regular bar of soap to wash their face.

· What alternatives might do more good and less harm?

As an alternative, the only thing I can think of to do is to try and use an organic facial wash of some kind that doesn’t include Parabens and/or Sulfate. These are chemicals in products that are known to help preserve and make the “shelf life” of the product last longer, but in all reality they are actually harsh on your skin and can cause aging and problems with your chemical balance in your body. This makes me wonder what else this product could be causing harm too.

· What have you observed / learned?

Just looking at my list of the Earth’s resources that I use on a daily basis astounds me. It’s hard to fathom the idea of how our Earth supports its 7 billion people. When it comes to learning more about my face wash and its ingredients, I consulted one of my best friends from high school who is a licensed esthetician. She mentioned that any chemicals in products that you put on your skin will be absorbed into your skin within 3 seconds, but will be fully absorbed after 8 seconds. This information really made me question what the heck I was putting on my skin/body. She also stated that this is why so many arguments are being made about people switching to organic products instead since they don’t contain the damaging chemicals that non-organic products do. For those of you who are interest about better/ healthier/ and safer skin care, you can check out my friends website. Feel free to contact or call her with any questions or concerns that you have.

http://www.myaddictionskincare.blogspot.com/

If these products can be harmful to human beings, then again what type of effects are they having on our animals and environment?  

· What surprised you?

What surprised me the most was all of the sulfate chemicals that can be found in my facial wash. Putting them on my face means that I am putting them into my body. This is actually kind of scary to think about. What else is my body absorbing that I don’t know about, and how safe is it?

Honestly, I haven’t a clue as to what all of the ingredients in my face wash are, so how can I be sure that they aren’t more harmful then beneficial.

 

· What more can you do to conserve Earth resources? — Be specific and detailed.

When it comes to conserving the Earth’s resources I thought back to my assignment when I calculated my ecological footprint. Some of the ways I feel that I can cut back on resources would be to use less of a product. For example, try taking the train or bus into work instead of always driving my car. I could also cut back on the amount of animal products that my husband and I consume each week, and consider purchasing products that use less packaging or were made out of 100% post-consumer recycled content material. Lastly, I would really like to focus more on the things that can be recycled at my home and work place. I recycle now, but sometimes I do get lazy and just toss things into a nearby trashcan.

By going to the following website, you too can calculate your ecological footprint to see how you can better conserve resources as well.

www.footprintnetwork.org/calculator.

Nature Observation

For this week’s assignment, we were asked to go outside and find a little nature while sitting quietly on the ground as quietly as possibly for 20 minutes. I choose to do this assignment in Silverado Canyon. This is such a gorgeous area, and everywhere you look nature is definitely present at every moment of the day.

I began this assignment on Monday morning around 8:30 in the morning, and let me just add that it was freezing outside. The clouds were a deep, dark grey which showed very high signs that rain was on its way. Every now and again the sun would shine through letting a little bit of heat out, but never lasted more then 30 seconds. The clouds were constantly moving the entire time, and about every 2 minutes a gust of wind would come through the mountains causing my body to tense up. By the end of the assignment my fingers were frozen, but all in all it was very liberating.

 During my observation, the first thing I noticed was the hawks in the sky. At first there were four flying in circles above the open mountains in search of their prey. But as time went on, and as their luck ran dry, one by one they eventually moved further and further away. Next my attention was drawn towards the bushes and shrubs surrounding the lower area of the mountains. At least twenty birds, which I believed to be sparrows of some kind were acting quit skittish. They kept a constant chirp going as they hopped and flew in and out of the bushes and shrubs, but I was never able to figure out what exactly they were doing. Although I did notice a few on the ground pecking at what seemed to be a mixture of grass, seeds, and small twigs. Throughout the entire 20 minutes, I believe I was actually able to distinguish at four different types of songs from the surrounding birds, most of which I never saw.

 About ten minutes into the assignment, the gnats (which is what I thought they were) decided that they were very interested in me. A couple of times I couldn’t take it anymore and had to shoo them away. I noticed that they never landed on me, but they sure did like to “bug” me. Taking my attention away from the gnats was another hawk. It flew directly over my head and landed in the pine tree that I was sitting under. It looked as though it was carrying a rodent of some sort because I could see a long string-like tail. I’m guessing it was a field mouse or a rat. I tried my best to get a better view but I was unsuccessful since the hawk was so high up. Plus, I didn’t want to move a lot and scare it away. With this though, I was able to distinguish one type of interaction known as predation. Predation can be defined when a member of one species preys/feeds directly on all parts of a member of another species. So in short, the hawk was the predator while the rodent in its mouth was the prey.

On the ground I noticed that there were a lot of owl pellets, which is proof to show that owls or an owl had been present in the pine tree. For those of you who don’t know, owls, just like many other birds eat their prey whole. The owl is known for slowly digesting its meal and then regurgitating it, which is then referred to as a pellet. There had to have been at least ten owl pellets on the ground.

Looking up at the pine tree, I was also able to distinguish the female pinecones from the male pinecones. I remembered learning about the differences of the two when I took a Biology class. If you are interested in learning more about female verses male pinecones you can check out this website which can elaborate more.

 http://web.gccaz.edu/~lsola/NonFlwr/conif105.htm

                                                   

“The large, single pinecone on the bottom of the picture is a female, while the cluster of little pinecones located at the top are the males.”

While wrapping up my observation, light raindrops began to fall from the sky and I could hear the sound of what seemed to be a huge toad. For a couple of minutes the croaking was pretty loud and consistent, like a mating call. Never catching sight of the toad, I packed myself up and headed home. Of course then the croaking stopped so I am guessing he was close by. By the end of this assignment I was really surprised that by sitting on the ground I didn’t encounter more insects. Maybe this was due to the fact that it was so cold outside. Instead there was just a bunch of dead leaves, branches, and twigs. I even turned over a couple of them to try and catch a sight of something, but I never did. Just those pesky gnats, and maybe mosquitoes.

Until next time, try taking a couple of minutes to yourself and find a peaceful spot in nature that you can observe. I bet you too will find this a bit invigorating!!

Websites related to Environmental Science

http://www.sciencedaily.com/
(This wesbite has a ton of articles related to Environmental Science)

http://news.discovery.com/earth/

http://www.mastersinenvironmentalscience.org/top-50-environmental-science-blogs.html

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/earth/index.html

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/cypresscreek/news/nasa-science-aircraft-to-travel-the-globe-in/article_a4f9c1d8-5d72-11e1-91eb-0019bb2963f4.html
(NASA: Science aircraft to travel the globe in 2012

http://www.vision.org/visionmedia/Science_Environment_.aspx

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/environmental-science-technology/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3033055/ns/technology_and_science-science

http://www.usfca.edu/Library/research/environmental/Environmental_Science__Journal_Articles_and_Reports/

http://www.journals.elsevier.com/environmental-science-and-policy/

http://www.chevron.com/globalissues/environment/?utm_campaign=Environment&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=Bing_Yahoo!&utm_term=environmental_issues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTurihxSTnI&noredirect=1

http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm

Ecological Footprint

For my Environmental Science class, we were asked to calculate our ecological footprint using the website www.footprintnetwork.org/calculator. After taking the short quiz, I was sad to read that if everyone on this planet lived like me, we would need 5.1 planet Earths to supply enough resources. Looking at the pie chart, services account for the largest part my ecological footprint at 39%, while shelter on the other hand accounted for the smallest part of my ecological footprint at 9%. I also noticed that this website stated it would take 22.7 global acres of the Earth’s productive area to support my lifestyle. When it comes to exploring other scenarios on how to better my ecological footprint, it was mentioned that I should pledge to reduce the amount of animal products I currently eat by half and to try purchasing products that used less packaging or were made out of 100% post-consumer recycled content material. As for my home, it stated that solar panels would be a better choice to help conserve electricity, and as for driving to work each week the website stated that I should consider using public transportation one or more days a week. By looking over the stats on making positive changes, one can really see how cutting back on the use of global acres can really help better our Earth tremendously. Bottom line though, one of the best ways to reduce our ecological footprint would be to improve on the efficiency with the goods and services that are provided to us, along with reducing per capita consumption of these goods and services. We also need to focus on increasing the overall biocapacity by conserving and restoring ecosystems before all our resources are destroyed for good. Just for clarification, the world’s biocapacity is determined by the amount of water, food, fiber, timer, and carbon restoration provided by the Earth in a single year. This is then measured and converted to a land area in which we call global acres, which is then used to generate our ecological footprint here Earth. Calculate your ecological footprint and see what you can do to help our Earth!!

Casey's Biography

Hello Everyone!!

My name is Casey Blakemore, and I am a 27 year old Math/Science major at Riverside City College. Although I have lived in Riverside my entire life, I was born at St. Josephs Hospital in Orange. Being completely honest, I have to admit that I really do love Riverside. I’m not sure if it is because I am super familiar and used to it, but I love the area I live in, and I love the fact that I am only an hour from the beach or an hour from the mountains.

As of now, I am currently working at Silverado Children’s Center, which is located in the gorgeous Silverado Canyon, as the leading pre-k teacher. I absolutely love working with kids, but the older I get the more I am noticing my love for science, which is why I am now majoring in math/science. However, when it comes down to choosing a career in the science world in which I am so very fond of, I am still uncertain of what to pursue a career in. But I can say that anything to do with biology or environmental science seems to be catching my attention the most, which is all the more reason for me to be taking Dr. Huff’s Environmental Science class. Of course this class does go towards my degree, but I am taking it more for my interest in the subject. Last fall when I took Bio 1 my group and I did a small project on the Great Pacific Garage Patch. If you haven’t seen or heard of it, please check out this video clip on youtube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTurihxSTnI

This project was very eye opening for me and had a lot to do with sparking my interest in biology and environmental science. Therefore, I would really like to gain more knowledge and input on how to help better our earth. I know this is a broad category since our earth needs to be helped in so many different ways, but with a little bit of extra knowledge and a push in the right direction, maybe I can finally figure out what and where my place in the science world should be.

Aside from work and school you can usually find me at my most favorite place to be, home!! I recently got married last June and moved into a new house with my husband and three dogs; a dachshund, jack russell, and a boxer. They are my life! Nothing makes me more excited and happy at the end of the day then they do. I honestly don’t know what I would do without them. Aside from my husband, dogs, and love for science, my favorite thing to do is go to baseball games. GO ANGELS!! Baseball has always been another big part of my life. Growing up I played softball for twelve years, so I have always had that natural love for the game. I can’t wait until opening day! I already got my tickets and I am ready to go! This season should be an interesting one! Lastly, I can’t forget to mention my friends and love for music. Other then my husband, these two things are the glue that keep me together when I feel like things are falling apart. No matter what, I know they will always be there, and that I can say is a comforting feeling to have.