My
research paper was on the 30-Mile Meal here in Athens and also on whether or
not local food is actually better for the environment. I found a lot of research on both sides of
the issue, some saying local food is better and others that disagreed with that
notion. It was fascinating that so many
people could look at this one issue and have so many varying opinions on the
matter. While some people spoke about
food miles, the distance food travels to get to your plate, other talked about
greenhouses and how much energy it took to produce fruit and vegetables that
wouldn’t grow in that location otherwise.
I found out that shipping food by railway is ten times less harmful than
shipping the food on the back of a tractor trailer. I also found out that in some cases it is
actually more environmentally friendly to have food shipped in instead of
trying to grow it where you live. The
example given in one of the articles I read talked about having tomatoes
shipped from Spain instead of trying to grow them in greenhouses in
Sweden. The author concluded that if the
Spanish tomatoes were grown in fields in the sun and those farmers didn’t have
to add an expensive system to water the plants that even after they are shipped
all the way to Sweden they still required less fossil fuel to get there then it
would have taken to grow them in a greenhouse in Sweden. After reading all of the articles that I
found I decided that it would be best to eat local food, but only when that
food is not grown in a greenhouse. Also,
if you can cut down on meat, especially beef, it would help as well since
animals produce methane that is also harmful. In order to make you diet more
environmentally friendly the key is to try to eat only local food that is
currently in season and not grown in a greenhouse.
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
"Years of Living Dangerously"
In class, we watched a Showtime documentary entitled "Years of Living Dangerously" which is essentially a commentary on the causes and effects of global warming. The film stars Harrison Ford, Don Cheadle, and journalist Thomas Friedman as they each explore separate storylines related to climate change. These storylines include the devastating effects of deforestation in Indonesia, a drought in Texas that has crippled the local economy, and the revolution in Syria,in which a drought was a major contributing factor to the outbreak of civil war. The film is presented much like a Hollywood film, using dynamic lighting, theatrical cinematography, and dramatic music to set a certain mood, all the while trying to present information relevant to global warming.
Before watching this film in class, I had never heard of the "Years of Living Dangerously" series, but I found it to be particularly interesting simply due to the nature of the film. While I resent the fact that the filmmakers had to use celebrities and well-known public figures in order to generate interest on an issue of such universal importance, I do believe that this tactic has its practical benefits. As I was watching the film, I noticed at one point that I had forgotten that I was watching a documentary, let alone that I was still in class. I was thoroughly entertained, and whether or not the events portrayed in the film were staged and/or scripted, the important thing to remember is that people will watch it because they want to. Like any other entertaining film, the audience will come away from the viewing experience with an understanding and appreciation for the stories and ideas presented; only in this case, the stories and ideas presented are socially relevant and attempt to raise awareness for an extremely meaningful issue.
Before watching this film in class, I had never heard of the "Years of Living Dangerously" series, but I found it to be particularly interesting simply due to the nature of the film. While I resent the fact that the filmmakers had to use celebrities and well-known public figures in order to generate interest on an issue of such universal importance, I do believe that this tactic has its practical benefits. As I was watching the film, I noticed at one point that I had forgotten that I was watching a documentary, let alone that I was still in class. I was thoroughly entertained, and whether or not the events portrayed in the film were staged and/or scripted, the important thing to remember is that people will watch it because they want to. Like any other entertaining film, the audience will come away from the viewing experience with an understanding and appreciation for the stories and ideas presented; only in this case, the stories and ideas presented are socially relevant and attempt to raise awareness for an extremely meaningful issue.
My Land Ethic
When beginning my final essay I tried first to think about how important the environments I know are to me and why. I discovered that I have an equal--yet completely different-- love for the red rocks and sandstones in Arizona, the marshy wetlands, beaches and rivers of Maryland, and the lush woods and rolling hills of Ohio. Upon further introspection I've found that it's the experiences I had as a child that really made me love these places. I can remember going to the beach every weekend of every summer in Maryland and how every experience was better than the last, from the "sand crabs" we would dig for at the edge of the surf to the wild ponies that lazily strolled down the shore grazing on sea grass here and there.
When visiting my grandparents in Arizona every year for Christmas I can remember being amazed at the polar differences between Maryland and Arizona. The desert creatures we would rescue from the pool (mice, rabbits, armadillos, lizards, etc...) seemed so different in both appearance and behavior from the ones I knew. Every trip to the botanical gardens was an adventure in which we were surrounded by 100 year old Saguaros and tempted by the delicious yet dangerous Prickly Pear Fruit.
Finally, Ohio (Southeastern, to be precise) holds a special place in my heart. Almost every memory involving Athens from my childhood involves nature, the environment, or the land in some way. I can remember nothing that would excite me more at five or six years old than the prospect of hiking with my grandfather. On the farm we own out near Mineral, I was taught to appreciate things that grow as much as any living animal you could witness. It seemed as though my grandpa knew every flower, tree, and weed that grew on those hills better than any encyclopedia and it made those things precious to me. Suddenly each Buckeye he patted as he walked by, showing us the shape of the leaves without plucking them from the branches, had a personality, feelings, a purpose, and most importantly a distinct right to be there. Each beaver-made walking stick he found was as precious as the animal that spent so much time making it.
This exploration has made me realize that my favorite places in the world--those closest to my hear-- are the ones in which I have strong ties to the environment. In truth, it is the first thing I think about when I picture these places in my mind. Our family had to sell the farm, so we are currently in experiencing the last summer we'll ever have at our family farm and it hurts me more than I can express. One of the things that upsets me the most is that I just don't know how the next caretakers of that property will treat the land. I'm in no way saying my family was the best that's ever lived on that land but we absolutely love it and that is what I've realized is important. You can love the land like a sister or brother, or grandparent and that is how humans are meant to live in the environment, in my opinion. These resources are here for us to love and respect and use but not to deplete. Give what you have and take what you need, it's what the land has been doing for us since the dawn of calculable time.
When visiting my grandparents in Arizona every year for Christmas I can remember being amazed at the polar differences between Maryland and Arizona. The desert creatures we would rescue from the pool (mice, rabbits, armadillos, lizards, etc...) seemed so different in both appearance and behavior from the ones I knew. Every trip to the botanical gardens was an adventure in which we were surrounded by 100 year old Saguaros and tempted by the delicious yet dangerous Prickly Pear Fruit.
Finally, Ohio (Southeastern, to be precise) holds a special place in my heart. Almost every memory involving Athens from my childhood involves nature, the environment, or the land in some way. I can remember nothing that would excite me more at five or six years old than the prospect of hiking with my grandfather. On the farm we own out near Mineral, I was taught to appreciate things that grow as much as any living animal you could witness. It seemed as though my grandpa knew every flower, tree, and weed that grew on those hills better than any encyclopedia and it made those things precious to me. Suddenly each Buckeye he patted as he walked by, showing us the shape of the leaves without plucking them from the branches, had a personality, feelings, a purpose, and most importantly a distinct right to be there. Each beaver-made walking stick he found was as precious as the animal that spent so much time making it.
This exploration has made me realize that my favorite places in the world--those closest to my hear-- are the ones in which I have strong ties to the environment. In truth, it is the first thing I think about when I picture these places in my mind. Our family had to sell the farm, so we are currently in experiencing the last summer we'll ever have at our family farm and it hurts me more than I can express. One of the things that upsets me the most is that I just don't know how the next caretakers of that property will treat the land. I'm in no way saying my family was the best that's ever lived on that land but we absolutely love it and that is what I've realized is important. You can love the land like a sister or brother, or grandparent and that is how humans are meant to live in the environment, in my opinion. These resources are here for us to love and respect and use but not to deplete. Give what you have and take what you need, it's what the land has been doing for us since the dawn of calculable time.
Fighting for What You Love & Fighting for What's Right
In the trailer, “On Coal River” we
watch as a coal-mining town that is faced with a serious dilemma between the
work that they love, and the people that they love. The people who live in the
Coal River Valley are seen as a proud people, proud of who they are and what
they do. However, when they learn that a toxic waste dam is affecting the
health of the students at a nearby school, the tables start to turn. We see as a town gets turned upside down and
we see people who are not afraid to fight for what they believe in. Some people
in the town fight for the children, and some people in the town fight for their
coal mine. One thing that really stands out when watching this trailer is when
the women says, “I used to be so proud
when someone would say what’s your husband do for a living? What’s your father
do for a living? Their coal miners.” It’s striking because even though she says
it in the past tense she cannot mask the smile of lingering pride that creeps
up onto her face. Yet, the health of the students at Marsh Fork Elementary
causes her to change her beliefs. Even though she is not alone in her new fight
to save the school, many people of the town are seen not fighting for the same
cause. This trailer really shows the lengths people will go for the things that
they believe are right. It shows that human need to fight for the things that they
love. Many people love their children but, as also displayed by the trailer,
the people of the town also love their coalmine. So it’s really difficult deciding
what side would be right. Of course someone would say that the people fighting
for the health of other people would be the right thing to fight for. But what
about the others? Do they not have a valid reason to fight other then the fact
that they love their work? The fact that it is their work is reason enough. In
a town like this, odds are many families are provided for by the money a family
member makes working in the coal mine. So what’s more important? Money or
Health? Can you have health without money? And can you have money without
health? This town is faced with a serious problem with two extremely
contrasting sides.
Monday, August 11, 2014
My Land Ethic
When talking about my land ethic, I feel like it's probably not one of the best in the world, but after taking this class and reading the essays we did, I feel like I will look at the land a different way. The land we have left is a precious commodity and at the rate that we are destroying it or how slowly we are replenishing the forests is quite concerning.
Then take into account all the mountain top or strip mining we do for coal. We don't restore the land after we're done mining to where it looks like we were never there. The mess we leave behind from these mines can also be potentially harmful to the environment if not taken care of properly.
And then living in Athens county for the past 11 years, I can say that I would have to agree with some of the anti-fracking folks from the area, and for multiple reasons. 1, the risk to the local water table is high and with a decent portion of Athens county getting their water directly from aquifers, I wouldn't want my water to be contaminated either. 2, if handled incorrectly or disposed of improperly, the contaminated water that is used to extract the natural gas can enter the watershed and cause problems elsewhere down the line and cause issues for someone else.
Then take into account all the mountain top or strip mining we do for coal. We don't restore the land after we're done mining to where it looks like we were never there. The mess we leave behind from these mines can also be potentially harmful to the environment if not taken care of properly.
And then living in Athens county for the past 11 years, I can say that I would have to agree with some of the anti-fracking folks from the area, and for multiple reasons. 1, the risk to the local water table is high and with a decent portion of Athens county getting their water directly from aquifers, I wouldn't want my water to be contaminated either. 2, if handled incorrectly or disposed of improperly, the contaminated water that is used to extract the natural gas can enter the watershed and cause problems elsewhere down the line and cause issues for someone else.
Light Pollution and Athens
After taking observational astronomy in the Spring, I have found myself looking up at the night sky more and more, learning stars, planet, and constellations (via the incredible app Night Sky 2 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/night-sky-2/id649020636?mt=8). I was surprised that little Athens, with its environmental reputation and surrounded by green hills, cast such a bright footprint that much of the night sky is drowned out. With so many other environmental issues, why does light pollution matter? especially here in old coal country and newborn fracking country, what is the big deal with not being able to see the Milky Way? My research showed a lot of surprising impacts including wildlife, human health, and general energy waste. I also was happily surprised with how simply light pollution can be solved, and with the actions Athens has taken towards it.
As diurnal animals with eyes adapted for daylight, we prefer light over darkness. Because of this we consider lighting the night positively, increasing safety and reducing crime, without reflection on consequences. Light pollution is light that spreads where it is unneeded and unwanted. Light that crosses from your neighbors yard into your bedroom, light that blinds you with glare, and light directed up that floats away pointlessly and uselessly.
Light pollution is a blatant form of waste, and yet are apathetic to all exterior lighting. 8% of all domestic energy use goes to public lighting, and much of this is waste. Excessive light, glare, and light directed towards the sky rather than towards the ground results in an economic loss of 2.2 billion dollars. Interestingly, the benefits of night time lighting are also extremely overstated. It is assumed that lights reduce crime, but studies on lights and crime have been a mixed bag, some showing reductions while others show no impact or increases in crime.
The impacts of this waste extend beyond the economy and the obvious emission contributions from energy production. Nighttime lighting has only been used since the late 19th century, and has only recently grown to the massive levels we see today. Humans and all other life on Earth has evolved with approximately even amounts of light and dark. It follows that disrupting these cycles has impacts. Many people have heard that since the invention of electric light the average amount of sleep has decreased from 9 hours per night to 7.5. This is due to lights effect on the brain. Light makes the brain stop production of melatonin, the anti-carcinogenic hormone which induces sleep. The disruption to circadian rhythms caused by light at night have been linked to breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, depression, mood disorders, and reproductive problems. Nighttime lighting has been so detrimental to human health that the American Medical Association has advised policies reducing night lighting.
Most studies on light pollutions impacts on animal life have focused on migratory birds and sea turtle hatchlings. Many birds navigate by the stars when they migrate. The light of cities attract these birds, and once the birds enter the cities they can no longer see the stars. Many of the disoriented birds, some estimates are as high as 2 billion birds per year, perish by flying into glass, or by exhaustion as they seek a way out of the city. Sea turtles lay eggs timed to hatch with the full moon on beaches oriented with the moon rising over the ocean. The glow of the moon guides the hatchlings away from predators to the safety of the ocean. Light pollution from hotels and roads near beaches draw the turtles in the wrong direction resulting in loss to predators, traffic, or dehydration.
Solving this problem is simple, only use light where it is actually needed. Dimmers, motion sensors, and most importantly lights that are shielded to direct lightly only below the horizontal plane. Athens has been fairly proactive in this having light pollution standards on all new construction for about 10 years. The Richland Bridge is a good example of responsible, well-planned lighting. However the ordinance only applies to new lights and Ohio University is exempt, so much more can be done.
More information can be found at:
The International Dark-Sky Association - http://www.darksky.org/
The City Dark - PBS documentary available on Netflix
As diurnal animals with eyes adapted for daylight, we prefer light over darkness. Because of this we consider lighting the night positively, increasing safety and reducing crime, without reflection on consequences. Light pollution is light that spreads where it is unneeded and unwanted. Light that crosses from your neighbors yard into your bedroom, light that blinds you with glare, and light directed up that floats away pointlessly and uselessly.
Light pollution is a blatant form of waste, and yet are apathetic to all exterior lighting. 8% of all domestic energy use goes to public lighting, and much of this is waste. Excessive light, glare, and light directed towards the sky rather than towards the ground results in an economic loss of 2.2 billion dollars. Interestingly, the benefits of night time lighting are also extremely overstated. It is assumed that lights reduce crime, but studies on lights and crime have been a mixed bag, some showing reductions while others show no impact or increases in crime.
The impacts of this waste extend beyond the economy and the obvious emission contributions from energy production. Nighttime lighting has only been used since the late 19th century, and has only recently grown to the massive levels we see today. Humans and all other life on Earth has evolved with approximately even amounts of light and dark. It follows that disrupting these cycles has impacts. Many people have heard that since the invention of electric light the average amount of sleep has decreased from 9 hours per night to 7.5. This is due to lights effect on the brain. Light makes the brain stop production of melatonin, the anti-carcinogenic hormone which induces sleep. The disruption to circadian rhythms caused by light at night have been linked to breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, depression, mood disorders, and reproductive problems. Nighttime lighting has been so detrimental to human health that the American Medical Association has advised policies reducing night lighting.
Most studies on light pollutions impacts on animal life have focused on migratory birds and sea turtle hatchlings. Many birds navigate by the stars when they migrate. The light of cities attract these birds, and once the birds enter the cities they can no longer see the stars. Many of the disoriented birds, some estimates are as high as 2 billion birds per year, perish by flying into glass, or by exhaustion as they seek a way out of the city. Sea turtles lay eggs timed to hatch with the full moon on beaches oriented with the moon rising over the ocean. The glow of the moon guides the hatchlings away from predators to the safety of the ocean. Light pollution from hotels and roads near beaches draw the turtles in the wrong direction resulting in loss to predators, traffic, or dehydration.
Solving this problem is simple, only use light where it is actually needed. Dimmers, motion sensors, and most importantly lights that are shielded to direct lightly only below the horizontal plane. Athens has been fairly proactive in this having light pollution standards on all new construction for about 10 years. The Richland Bridge is a good example of responsible, well-planned lighting. However the ordinance only applies to new lights and Ohio University is exempt, so much more can be done.
More information can be found at:
The International Dark-Sky Association - http://www.darksky.org/
The City Dark - PBS documentary available on Netflix
My Land Ethic...
My personal land ethic comes from many different influences. My story begins with relating to the way I was raised, my mother is a very earthy and open woman while my father is very analytical and stubborn. Each of them have their strengths and each definitely have their weaknesses, but together they created a woman that has had to make many strides to define herself.
As a millennial, I am one of the worst and best I know. My ability to use technology is far worse than my father's ability, and he is a babyboomer. My ability to walk through the forest and not get lost or feel uncomfortable is far better than my father's ability. But how does this contribute to the way I feel about the land? I have the support from wonderful parents to explore my own ideas and curiosities (to a certain extent). Growing up, I was often the child that my Mother had to force to leave the creek to bathe, that my mother found doing "experiments" with the different types on rocks in our yard, that my mother would find wandering into the heavy woods because I wanted to "live like Pocahontas".
I am a person who has always felt little connection to technology and has felt one with the Earth I came from. My feelings expanded while I did work in rural Jamaica, seeing the impact on how the Jamaicans lived as one with the world and how here in America, being covered in dirt or admiring wildflowers are thought of as barbaric.
My land ethic comes back to humans being a part of nature, not apart from nature.
As a millennial, I am one of the worst and best I know. My ability to use technology is far worse than my father's ability, and he is a babyboomer. My ability to walk through the forest and not get lost or feel uncomfortable is far better than my father's ability. But how does this contribute to the way I feel about the land? I have the support from wonderful parents to explore my own ideas and curiosities (to a certain extent). Growing up, I was often the child that my Mother had to force to leave the creek to bathe, that my mother found doing "experiments" with the different types on rocks in our yard, that my mother would find wandering into the heavy woods because I wanted to "live like Pocahontas".
I am a person who has always felt little connection to technology and has felt one with the Earth I came from. My feelings expanded while I did work in rural Jamaica, seeing the impact on how the Jamaicans lived as one with the world and how here in America, being covered in dirt or admiring wildflowers are thought of as barbaric.
My land ethic comes back to humans being a part of nature, not apart from nature.
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